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With the summer transfer window now slammed shut, many Southampton fans are glad to see that there will be no more departures from St.Mary’s for at least another four months.

As well as many players leaving the Saints, including Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren, manager Mauricio Pochettino also left for pastures new, moving to north London with Tottenham Hotspur. However, Ronald Koeman has come onto the south coast and has steadied a very rocky ship. As well as bringing in new blood to replace the departures, on the basis of their promising and surprising start to the season, Koeman has got them playing in exactly the same way as Pochettino did, exciting.

Having a prestigious playing career, the Dutchman played for clubs including Ajax, Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord and was considered one of the best midfielders in the world in 1980-1997. With a stunning playing career to be proud of, Koeman also boasts being a fantastic manager, and has taken charge of clubs such as his old teams Ajax, PSV and Feynoord, as well as Spanish side Valencia and Portuguese giants Benfica. Making the immediate move from playing to managing can become a struggle for most, but Koeman has taken it like a duck to water.

Now that Southampton are experiencing their first mountain to climb since being promoted back into England’s top flight in 2012, Koeman has started as Pochettino left off. After their first game away at Liverpool, many thought before the game that Liverpool would produce a goal spree, but it wasn’t the case. If it wasn’t for the added quality and potent attack for the Reds, the Merseysiders may not have come away with a victory. A draw at home to West Brom could be classed as disappointing for the Saints as their flowing football caused the Baggies all sorts of problems. Finally, away at West Ham, they got what they finally deserved, completely outplaying the Hammers and leaving with a well deserved 3-1 victory.

QUIZ: Can you name the top 50 Premier League goal scorers of all time?

The new signings have already proved that they can cut it in England’s top flight. Dusan Tadic and Graziano Pelle are two of many arrivals that have impressed early doors. Tadic, a Serbian international, has the same qualities and attributes as Lallana, while Pelle has proven to be a straight replacement for Lambert and a strong presence who can bully his way through the opposition defence. With questions being asked of Joe Hart, Fraser Forster is the ideal shot stopper to replace him as England’s number one.

With three games in, Hart’s England understudy has only conceded three goals in three games since his arrival from Scottish champions Celtic, and has produced some impressive saves. With the recent arrivals of Toby Alderweireld and Sadio Mane from Atletico Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg respectively, Southampton are slowly looking a threat.

Despite signing a plethora of new plaers, Southampton have managed to keep hold of some talented youngsters aswell. James Ward-Prowse has had to make the step up and is doing so with style so far. Southampton’s famed academy has produced some magnificent talent, and Ward-Prowse is no exception. With vision and flair aswell as being an expert from dead ball situations, Ward-Prowse could have a few of the big guns sniffing around for his signature. Another is Nathanial Clyne, a free transfer from Crystal Palace two years ago, Clyne is another player who should be recognised as an England international by Roy Hodgson, having had problems in the right back position in the past.

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With Koeman’s experience, man management and tactical expertise, the Saints have what it takes to finish another season in the top half of the table.

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It has been a turbulent few years for Blackburn Rovers. The one-time Premier League champions have experienced relegation to the Championship as well as a takeover by Indian company Venky’s who specialise in chicken meat processing and pharmaceutical products for the use of both poultry and human. This is a prime example of foreign owners, knowing nothing about football, taking over a special and traditional club. Sacking Sam Allardyce whilst the Lancashire club were sitting pretty in mid-table and replacing him with Steve Kean is just one of many mistakes by the Indian owners.

On the other end of the scale, the Venky’s did break the Ewood Park’s transfer record in 2012, signing striker Jordan Rhodes for £8m. This has proved a shrewd and sensible investment for one of the most prolific forward’s in the second tier of English football. Sitting in 12th position in the table, but just four points off a Play-Off spot, Rhodes is the player most will turn to if he is to score goals. His goalscoring record for other clubs speaks for itself, and it’s no wonder Premier League clubs are keeping a close eye on the Scottish international. Hull City were the most notable top flight side interested in acquiring the services of Rhodes after the departure of Shane Long to fellow Premier League side Southampton, making three bids for him in the summer, all of which were turned down. It would be better for Rhodes to gain promotion to the Premier League with his current club, rather than force through a transfer.

In years gone by, many players have set the Championship alight, but failed at the top level, and as a result, their careers have dramatically stalled. Jermaine Beckford is a prime example. Now at Bolton Wanderers, Beckford’s best spell came when he was at Leeds United between 2006-2010. In 126 appearances, the striker managed an impressive 72 goals, including that famous strike against Manchester United at Old Trafford that was enough to knock the Red Devils out of the FA Cup. As a result, he moved to Everton where in 34 games for the Toffees, could only manage eight goals, and was shipped out to Leicester City after just one season.

Prior to Rhodes moving to Blackburn, the 24-year-old started his career at Ipswich Town, but was surplus to requirements by manager Roy Keane, and in 2009 moved to Huddersfield Town where Keane was left red faced. 124 games and 73 goals later, Rhodes proved Keane and any doubters wrong that he is capable of performing at the very top. Last season was also another fabulous season for Rhodes. In 45 games in all competitions, Rhodes scored 25 goals and made four assists.

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Good at finishing, deadly in the penalty area, strong hold up play and magnificent in aerial duels, these are the main reason why he is turning heads all over the country. Like many players wishing to play in the Premier League, many that have had the pleasure to do so have ended up back where they started. For a talent like Rhodes, to see his career ruined in a season is something the neutral fan, and especially Blackburn, never wants to see.

As if every Geordie had wished it for Christmas, Alan Pardew’s controversial reign as Newcastle manager came to an end last week, with the 53 year-old accepting the role of Neil Warnock’s replacement at Crystal Palace.

Music to ears for a large segment of the Toon army then, but the Magpies are now faced with the not-so-small issue of finding a successor to the much-maligned Eagles gaffer.

As expected with a Mike Ashley appointment, the list of candidates ranges sparsely in its blend of obscurity, controversy and comedy value. But it appears the options have been whittled down to the more sizable number of five, so with that in mind, here’s a list of the men currently leading the race.

JOHN CARVER

John Carver may have felt ‘deeply embarrassed’ by supporters’ reactions to Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat to Leicester City in the FA Cup’s third round, with fans reportedly chanting ‘We’re s**t and we’re sick of it’ as he commanded the dugout in his second fixture as Magpies caretaker boss, but one should never rule out the powers of incumbency.

Not only will the 49 year-old be luxury to further opportunities to impress Mike Ashley whilst the Toon owner mulls over the other candidates, but he also offers unique continuity, having served as Alan Pardew’s second-in-command since 2011 – in addition to a prior five-year stretch as Magpies assistant from 1999-2004.

Despite his synonymy with the Tyneside club, Carver’s unlikely to be a popular appointment with the fanbase, having infamously clashed with anti-Pardew protestors ahead of a 4-0 defeat to Southampton in September.

REMI GARDE

With Newcastle’s transfer policy becoming increasingly Ligue 1-centric throughout Mike Ashley’s ownership, there’s certainly some logic behind the suggestion of a French replacement for Alan Pardew. According to Mirror Football, the Magpies are already considering former France international Remi Garde.

The 48 year-old won a Premier League title with Arsenal (who else!) during his playing days and until last summer was the head coach at Lyon, leading them to a Coupe de France in 2012. He recorded a 51% win rate with Les Gones and, rather refreshingly amid the modern vogue of hire and fire, left Stade de Gerland on his own terms, citing personal reasons upon the expiration of his three-term contract.

It’s believed the former defender wanted to take a break away from the beautiful game, but he’ll unlikely refuse the opportunity to manage in the Premier League. Furthermore, the appointment of Garde could bring Newcastle closer to the signature of well-known transfer target and current Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette.

DICK ADVOCAAT

Another name in the hat, according to Mirror Football, is former Rangers and Netherlands boss Dick Advocaat, who boasts the most well-rounded CV on this list by quite some way.

Some of the 67 year-old’s prior posts include PSV, Borussia Monchengladbach and Zenit, where he won the Russian Premier League in 2007 and the UEFA Cup in 2008, in addition to the UAE, South Korean, Belgian, Russian, Serbian and Netherlands (twice) national teams.

Of course, it’s worth reminding that despite Advocaat’s experience and credentials, boasting 15 trophies in total, in addition to becoming the first foreign honorary citizen of St. Petersburg since 1866, the majority of his tenures have lasted less than a year – albeit, usually with win rates around the 50% mark.

That being said, he’s widely respected throughout the footballing world and will offer an eclectic knowledge of cheap, young players from abroad. SkyBet place him at 12/1.

PAUL CLEMENT

Having excelled as Carlo Ancelotti’s right-hand man at Chelsea, PSG and now Real Madrid, Paul Clement’s quickly-enhancing reputation as one of the most talented No.2s in the business has grabbed Mike Ashley’s attention, according to Mirror Football.

A real footballing man from one of England’s footballing families, the 42 year-old is the son of former England international Dave Clement and brother of ex-West Brom defender Neil Clement, and has been earning his stripes as a coach for nearly twenty years.

After consistent success with three major clubs at the pinnacle of European football – in addition to almost defying the odds to keep Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League as Steve Kean’s deputy – it’s surely now a case of when, rather than if, Clement is given the opportunity to impress as a No.1.

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He’s been fairly vocal of such ambitions in the past, but whether the Magpies are prepared to take that punt remains to be seen.

TIM SHERWOOD

The Gillet-throwing gaffer extraordinaire that just won’t go away, since his departure from Tottenham in the summer, Tim Sherwood has been linked with virtually every Premier League vacancy going.

He doesn’t offer too much in the way of experience, having overseen the Lilywhites’ first team for just six months between the tenures of Andre Villas-Boas and Mauricio Pochettino, but the 45 year-old left the Lane with a 50% win rate – rather impressively, a return higher than any Daniel Levy-appointed predecessor.

Furthermore, Sherwood’s say-it-like-it-is approach to press conferences, like a cockney Jeremy Paxman, quickly caught the attention of Premier League fans up and down the country. Unlike the rest of the mooted appointments on this list, the former England midfielder’s passionate honesty might just prevent the Magpies fanbase from perceiving him as a Mike Ashley puppet.

Then again, his emotive tone doesn’t sit well with all – and one can already envisage a resurgence of the ‘cockney mafia’ protests on Tyneside.

Kieren Westwood is proving to be one of, if not the best goalkeeper in the Championship this season. A summer signing for Sheffield Wednesday after his release from Sunderland, Westwood has been the shining light in a fairly average season so far for Wednesday.

Playing in every league fixture so far, Westwood has conceded 21 times which is the second least amount conceded in the Championship, with ten clean sheets. Not bad for a goalkeeper of a team in 13th position and no doubt would be a lot worse off if it wasn’t for Westwood nearly single handily winning points for Wednesday, at times.

The 30-year-old was plagued with injuries during his time at Sunderland from 2011 until this past summer. He only made 19 Premier League appearances but started the 2013/14 campaign as first-choice, until a shoulder injury ended his season in November.

Westwood started his career at Man City but first became a regular starter at Carlisle United who he joined in 2004. He quickly became a key player in the side that won promotion to League One in 2006. It was the key role he played in Carlisle’s League One play-off campaign in 2007/08 which brought about a move to the Championship with Coventry City. This included a magnificent display in the play-offs against Leeds.

It is a little bit of a mystery to why such a good goalkeeper is playing in the Championship. Perhaps he felt he needed to take the step down to prove himself by playing regular football again for the first time since 2011. With some of his unbelievable performances this season, surely a number of Premier League teams will have half-an-eye on him during the next couple of transfer windows.

Westwood has produced Man of the Match displays against Leeds and Norwich, and also had one of his better matches against Huddersfield. The performance against Norwich was one of the best I have seen from a goalkeeper for many years – which was also by Westwood in Coventry’s 1-0 victory over Birmingham in 2008. He made a number of top quality saves to single handily deny Norwich and win a point for Wednesday, demonstrating his excellent reflex and shot stopping abilities.

There are some quality goalkeepers in the Championship; with the likes of Carl Ikeme, John Ruddy and David Marshall to name a few. But neither of these keepers have had their team be as reliant on them as Sheffield Wednesday have been on Westwood. It was the same when Westwood was at Coventry between 2008 and 2011.

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His debut season saw him named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year, due to some memorable performances. These performances came on a week in week out basis during his stay at the Sky Blues, with his saves being one of the main reasons they stayed in the Division over this period.

After being out for so long until this season he is yet to win back the number one shirt for the Republic of Ireland. He has 17 caps for the Irish, last playing in November 2013. But that will surely change if he continues to put in the performances he has been doing on a regular basis for Sheffield Wednesday.

A few months ago, Liverpool’s Champions League qualification bid appeared to be dead in the water, with the Reds plummeting all the way to 12th place in the Premiership following three consecutive defeats in November.

We’ve seen a significant revival in form since that horrendous run however; the Merseysiders have lost just once in their last ten league outings, winning six of them.

Now just five points away from Manchester United in fourth, we at Football Fancast are backing Brendan Rodgers’ side to launch a late charge for Champions League qualification.

And to prove there’s some logic behind our audacious predicting, we’ve also come up with FIVE reasons why. So without further ado…

DANIEL STURRIDGE BACK IN TRAINING

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Although Liverpool’s habitually ropey defending, particularly from set pieces, has gained the majority of negative attention at Anfield this season, it’s been a long-term problem throughout Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, with the Reds conceding, on average, 1.2 goal per game under his leadership.

Rather, the intrinsic difference between this season and the last for Liverpool is their absence of firepower at the other end of the pitch; Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli have netted just thrice between them in the league this term, whilst only Aston Villa and Sunderland’s top scorers have recorded less goals than Liverpool’s – skipper Steven Gerrard, on five.

So the impending return to fitness of Daniel Sturridge, back in full training this week, will give a huge boost to the Reds’ top four bid.

The 24 year-old boasts a potent return of 36 goals in 52 appearances for the Merseysiders, including 32 strikes in the Premier League. But perhaps more importantly, compared to the alarmingly static Balotelli and Lambert, and the deceptively slow Fabio Borini, he’s a striker that suits Liverpool’s philosophy perfectly, through his prolific pace, positional versatility and ability to relentlessly stretch opposing defences.

If the England international comes anywhere close to matching his rate of 0.72 goals-per-game from last season, his regular nettings will propel Liverpool up the league table.

3-4-3 proving an inspired formation

What becomes of Liverpool’s 3-4-3 formation at the end of the season remains to be seen. It doesn’t seem like a system the Reds can adopt long-term, currently lacking the depth of personnel required.

Yet, the positive effect it’s had on the Reds’ results since Brendan Rodgers first introduced it against Manchester United, barring the 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford, remains undoubted. That’s their only loss with the formation in seven attempts, resulting in Liverpool going without defeat since mid-December.

Three-man-defences aren’t to everybody’s taste, but it creates a troubling proposition for any opponent; in addition to overcoming Liverpool’s quality, they’re also battling against an alien formation with unique avenues of attack and completely different rules.

If Liverpool can assert the idiosyncrasies their formation over the opposition’s, they have a great chance of recording results even over the Premier League’s heavyweights, as proved during their Capital One Cup semi-final draw with Chelsea last week – who recorded just one shot on target against the Reds’ exotic 3-4-3.

IMPORTANT FIXTURES AT HOME

Liverpool are currently five points behind fourth-place Manchester United, which is by no means an impossible margin to overcome with 16 Premier League fixtures remaining.

Especially considering arguably the most important games remaining of the Reds’ league campaign come at Anfield – namely against the Red Devils and fellow top four contenders Tottenham.

Liverpool’s home form hasn’t been the best this year, winning just four from eleven fixtures, but they’ve also only lost twice at Anfield in the Premier League – a shock defeat to Aston Villa and a 2-1 loss to table toppers Chelsea. Across all competitions, they haven’t lost on Merseyside since early November.

So although Liverpool will need to turn those draws into wins to narrow the gap between themselves and fourth place, it’s certainly not beyond them and playing at Anfield remains an enormous advantage, providing the Kop is at full voice.

Additionally, a positive result against Manchester City, at Anfield in March, will bring points the majority of the Premier League won’t be luxury to this season.

ARSENAL

Although third and fourth spots are currently held by Southampton and Manchester United rspectively, in my opinion Arsenal remain the ultimate barometer of Champions-League-qualification-worthiness, having made it to Europe’s coveted tournament for 18 straight seasons.

The Gunners’ form has improved over the winter period, winning five of their last seven including a 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad, but they’ve been largely inconsistent throughout the campaign and are still to face Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, Everton, West Ham and Liverpool, where that horrendous record against the Premier League’s top sides could rear its ugly head once again.

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Especially considering a significant portion of the north London outfit’s time and resources will be devoted to the Champions League – regular mid-week fixtures can have a hugely detrimental impact on any campaign, as the Reds discovered earlier this season – in addition to the increasingly alluring prospect of retaining the FA Cup for another season after beating Brighton on Sunday.

Liverpool face the Gunners at the Emirates in April. With Arsenal sixth in the Premier League’s home table and the Reds fifth in the Premier League’s away table, logic suggests the visitors could squeeze a vital, season-defining win.

STEVEN GERRARD NEEDS A FAIRYTALE

After his horrifically unfortunate role in the implosion of Liverpool’s Premier League title bid last season – that infamous slip to allow Demba Ba a free run at Simon Mignolet’s goal – Steven Gerrard needs to leave Anfield on a high, following news that he’ll be departing for LA Galaxy in May.

Liverpool’s Captain Fantastic could have plied his trade with Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich during almost any point of his 17-term Anfield career, and he’ll now probably be remembered in the history books as the greatest England international not to win a Premier League title.

Thus, just as the 34 year-old will be determined to leave his boyhood club on the back of the most successful season possible, his team-mates will be equally motivated to give Gerrard the send off he deserves.

And once again, following the heartbreaks of last season and the World Cup with England, fate surely has kinder fortunes in store for a player that’s brought so much joy to Liverpool fans and Premier League fans throughout the years.

Since arriving at Old Trafford after his nation’s near successful World Cup campaign this summer, Louis van Gaal has seemingly been unable to avoid the numerous headlines and transfer rumours linking him to PSG’s up-and-coming defensive talent – Marquinhos.

The 20-year-old Brazilian, who cost the Parisian giants in the region of £30million from Roma back in the summer of 2013, simply goes down as one of the most highly valued young stars in European football at the moment.

The Sao Paulo born centre-back nevertheless remains a raw gem still in need of a great deal of guidance and experience to shape his game even further – but under the leadership of a man such as Louis van Gaal at a club such as Manchester United – great things really could be expected of the young Brazilian.

Despite the constant talk linking United to the current Ligue 1 man however, PSG seemingly have equal amounts of admiration for the rapidly rising star. The club have been quick to issue a recent hands-off warning over their current no.5, with some reports even slapping an incredible £112 million price tag on the young defenders head.

In light of such developments, do Manchester United still stand a slim chance of landing the highly sought after Brazilian, or has Louis van Gaal now seemingly missed out on the sensational signing of Marquinhos?

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For one thing, current PSG boss – Laurent Blanc – has been quick to dispel any talk of his rising young star departing the Ligue 1 giants in the not so distant future: “We have done everything to keep him and we will do everything possible to extend his contract.”

“It is good that as a player he can operate in different roles, and let’s not forget that he is just 20 years old. He and Adrien Rabiot represent the future of PSG.”

Wherever his future lies, the current PSG talent really does arrive as a very exciting prospect. Not only does the former Roma and Corinthians star possess an excellent ability to read the game and shut out his opponents defensively, Marquinhos also brings with him great skill with the ball at his feet as well as a somewhat rare ability source some pretty sweet through-balls from the back. In true South American style, some of the things this young defender has managed to pull off have really been a joy to behold for the Parc des Princes faithful.

That said, Marquinhos’ compatriots – in the shape of Thiago Silva and David Luiz – may potentially halt defender’s career whilst playing in France. Yes – this season has proved to be a somewhat fruitful campaign for the youngster, but as Laurent Blanc’s more high profile defenders potentially have the ability to oust Marquinhos of his much needed first team action in the near future, a proposed move away from Ligue 1 might not be such a bad idea for the player after all.

Manchester United could therefore prove the perfect next step for the young star should he eventually decide to move on from French football. The likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have hardly proved to be the top draw players many made them out to be upon initially arriving at Old Trafford, and as the newly acquired Marcos Rojo also comes with a great deal of suspicion over his ability to solidly play at centre-back, Louis van Gaal could certainly do with someone of Marquinhos’ ability throughout the course of next season.

If such a deal were to take place however, the Red Devils may have to stump up even more cash in their attempts to land the highly valued Brazilian. The potential signing of Marquinhos would certainly offer some truly promising signs for the future at Old Trafford, but with several more established and reliable defensive talents, such as Matts Hummels, also apparently on Louis van Gaal’s radar this summer, perhaps Manchester United could ultimately find themselves a better deal away from the current PSG man.

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Coupled with the fact that Laurent Blanc seemingly doesn’t want to let go of one of his most promising young talents either, it seems the high-profile move to bring Marquinhos to the Premier League has somewhat fallen flat for now. As sensational transfer rumours have that uncanny ability to perform dramatic u-turns at the last minute however, maybe this deal isn’t quite as dead as appearances would seemingly make it out to be.

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It is common knowledge that Real Madrid’s superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is not completely happy with life at the Bernabeu. Despite his otherworldly performances and huge goal hauls, the Madrid faithful can’t help but give him stick for a few poor games. His arrival from Manchester United in 2009 saw him crowned the world’s most expensive player and Madrid supporters quickly adopted him as one of their own.

But six years later the honeymoon appears to have ended. Although he has spoken of a desire to end his career in the Spanish capital and has a contract that winds up in 2018 the 30 year old could soon be on his way to pastures new. But not every club has Ronaldo money. If he does leave then here are three clubs that could afford the winger.

Manchester United

There is only one Manchester based club worth mentioning as, although Manchester City have the means to sign him, Ronaldo would surely never be foolish and greedy enough to actually accept their offer. A return to United on the other hand makes perfect sense. He is a legend there. Ronaldo made his name at Old Trafford and though it was at Real Madrid where he truly became a worldwide star the winger still considers it his second home. Six years and numerous trophies later United supporters still love him and are more than willing to take him off some very ungrateful Spanish hands. According to numerous reports United are readying a huge offer worth in the region of £80m that will see CR7 paid an astounding £14m a year. With financial fair play to consider this may or may not be a realistic sum but one thing is certain; Ronaldo at 30 is better than most at 27.

PSG

There have been rumours of Ronaldo moving to Paris for several years now and although the player’s agent Jorge Mendes has previously rubbished the claims, when has that meant anything once more money was thrown at an idea? PSG are one of Europe’s richest clubs and for that reason they are always associated with the brightest of footballing talents. Players like Zlatan Ibrahmovic and Edinson Cavani were lured to the Ligue 1 club who are slowly becoming a well respected and hard to beat team at home and abroad. But Ronaldo is unlikely to leave Real Madrid, who win trophies most years, for a club that play in a less than interesting nor exciting league. Other clubs can match the huge wages PSG can offer while also providing top, competitive football on a regular basis.

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LA Galaxy

Other than a sensational return to Manchester United a move to America’s MLS seems quite likely. There are huge sums of money available for Europe’s so called ‘has beens’ whether it be in Los Angeles, Miami or New York. Brazilian and ex-Real Madrid forward Kaka is having a career revival playing for Orlando City and earning an impressive £4.8m a year. The US can provide both the lifestyle, exposure and financial gains that a star like Ronaldo would desire. If he does make the move it is expected to take place once he has fulfilled his Madrid contract which ends in 2018. The MLS is definitely a growing market but has nowhere near the quality of European football but would be seen as a lucrative swansong for when Ronaldo is not as sharp as he is now.

After coming so close to clinching their first title in 24 years last season Liverpool have sharply regressed and look likely to even miss out on the top four. The Reds are still in with a chance but after an inconsistent campaign their fate is not in their own hands.

The main problem they have encountered this season has been their lack of a reliable goal scorer. Luis Suarez left for Barcelona, Daniel Sturridge has been plagued by injuries and new signing Mario Balotelli has failed to make the impact expected of him.

Liverpool were in contention for five trophies, if you include their participation in both the Champions League and the Europa League, and yet they will end this campaign with nothing to show for all of their blood, sweat and tears.

Their best chance of glory was surely the FA Cup as they blazed a trail all the way to the semi-finals. They looked certain to make it all the way to the end, perhaps even to be crowned winners come May 30th but Aston Villa unravelled their plans and it is the Villans who will face holders Arsenal in the final.

Before that came another disappointing exit. All of England’s four Champions League entries failed to make it past the last 16 but Liverpool got knocked out the earliest failing to even get out of their group. Then after being demoted to Europe’s second best competition Liverpool underperformed, cursed with falling at the group stages once again.

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By failing to make the top four, if that does end up being the case, means that Liverpool will be playing once more in the Europa League and although some clubs have admitted that the tournament can be a distraction when thoughts should be on the domestic campaign I think the Reds shouldn’t be too quick to overlook it. A team who believe they are good enough to compete in the main competition should be more than capable of winning the next best thing.

Liverpool need to treat the tournament with more respect and I’m sure their fans after a three year trophy wait, the last being only a League Cup victory, would be grateful to finally have something decent to cheer about.

Liverpool should take note from the current Premier League winners.

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Three seasons ago Chelsea had just won the Champions League but found themselves a couple of months later not playing to retain that trophy but instead travelling to small European clubs for Europa League fixtures. Some may have thought that the whole thing was kind of embarrassing considering the success of the previous year but Chelsea had the right mentality and kept their eyes on the prize. 12 months after winning the Champions League they won the Europa League which not only gave them another trophy for their cabinet but also were also rewarded with automatic qualification for the main tournament. Breaking into the top four is only going to get harder so this may be a good route for the Reds to take.

Liverpool need to prove to their supporters that they can still win trophies and as long as they bring in the necessary personnel in the upcoming window then the Thursday fixtures shouldn’t negatively affect what is already a team with a lot of promise. Now they just have to start delivering.

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Following Saturday afternoon’s stalemate between Sunderland and Leicester City – which ensured survival for the Foxes – Dick Advocaat now has just two matches left to keep the Black Cats in the Premier League. And if they do manage to survive the drop then Advocaat, like Nigel Pearson at Leicester, will have pulled off a truly great escape.

The relegation battle has been absolutely compelling this season especially as the top four looked all but wrapped up for a good few weeks and featured the usual suspects. But the race to avoid the drop has twisted and turned, condemning two already and is still putting fear into at least three teams who know that falling out of the top-flight can be all too easy while promotion can take many years to re-achieve. That is how competitive the Championship is nowadays.

Not only is being relegated the end of a dream for supporters who get to see their team play top English clubs throughout the campaign, but this year in particular is a bad time to leave the Premier League – with the revenue from broadcasting rights about to skyrocket the three losers will obviously miss out.

But there is still hope. Sunderland have a decent chance of staying up with Steve Bruce’s Hull looking like the most likely victims as they currently occupy the final relegation place and must win against Manchester United on the last day of the season if they want to have the prize of staying up.

Leicester City’s unexpected jump up to 14th has made Sunderland’s situation more precarious, but you really can’t imagine Hull beating United next Sunday so Advocaat’s men should be alright. Advocaat, who has never suffered relegation as a manager, was given the Sunderland job after the club decided that Uruguayan Gus Poyet probably wasn’t the right man to keep them up. That choice has proved to be a good one. Since the Dutchman’s appointment in back in March, the North-Eastern side are both performing better and picking up vital points at home and on the road.

Advocaat’s record since arriving at the Stadium of Light compared with his predecessor is quite impressive. The Dutchman has only lost two of the seven league games he’s been in charge of claiming important wins over Everton, Southampton and fierce rivals Newcastle, who sit a point below them and have played an extra match. In contrast Poyet won only one of his final seven league games and couldn’t prevent an FA cup exit at the hands of League One side Bradford City.

Queens Park Rangers and Burnley, two of last season’s promoted clubs, will be back playing in the Championship after an all too short return to the upper realms of English football. Hull, Newcastle and Sunderland are all fighting to avoid a similar fate, but time has almost run out.

Surely if Dick Advocaat had been installed earlier then Sunderland would be safe by now. No one will blame him if they do get relegated rather the supporters will thank him for giving the club a chance of survival and will hope that he stays on board for next season, no matter whether they line-up in the Premier League or the Championship.

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It’s quite the odd situation at Liverpool right now, with, despite the fact that the transfer window has not yet officially opened, Nathaniel Clyne’s imminent arrival set to be the sixth of the summer. SIXTH! The England right-back shone with Southampton last season, helping the Saints to register the second best defensive record in the Premier League last term – only Champions Chelsea conceded fewer goals – making him a seemingly ideal successor to Glen Johnson, who has been released.

Even with Clyne added to the quartet of Adam Bogdan, Joe Gomez, James Milner and Danny Ings, Brendan Rodgers is likely to want more signings, particularly with Raheem Sterling’s future up in the air, and here are FIVE more potentially Anfield-bound stars…

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Mateo Kovacic

Even though the logic behind speculation of a move for Kovacic is a little questionable following the arrival of James Milner, links between the Reds and the young Croatian persist. Amid the Roberto Firmino completion talk, reports still insisted that the 21-year-old remains on Rodgers’ radar, with his neat passing and sheer potential standout factors.

Inter Milan are, however, seemingly reluctant to do business, which could be a factor contributing to the dragging of this one. The lack of English credibility to this deal is also something worth considering, but the sheer persistence of the rumour lends it some credibility.

Christian Benteke

With the ever-reliable Liverpool Echo now claiming that Benteke is the top target at Anfield once again, there’s every chance this rumour could drag on for a little while. Opinion between Reds fans appears to divided in regard to the big Belgian, whose goalscoring ability and proven Premier League record cannot quite make up for his apparent lack of suitability to a Rodgers team.

Aston Villa are desperate to keep their man following his heroic end to the season – he notched 12 in 13 games – and are holding out for £32.5m, which is an issue for Liverpool.

Javier Hernandez

One of the more bizarre links out there involves Hernandez. The Mexican is certainly an able hit-man, but the bitter rivalry between Liverpool and Man United would suggest that a deal will be tough, if not impossible, to sort out. A lack of future at Old Trafford for ‘Chicharito’ may open the door, so there is a chance that the Central American could be rocking up on Merseyside…

Although not truly effective as a lone striker, Hernandez could offer Rodgers an intriguing option alongside Daniel Sturridge, when fit, or Danny Ings, with the service of Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho seemingly ideal for the ex-Chivas Guadalajara ace’s movement.

Denis Cheryshev

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Reading into the abundant rumours of Raheem Sterling’s move to Manchester City and suggestions that Roberto Firmino’s purchase was in no way influenced by the aforementioned Englishman, Chershev looks to be a possible replacement. The Russia international is now back at Real Madrid following a decent loan spell with Villarreal, but with no senior Los Blancos appearances to his name at the age of 24 and competition fierce, his future looks bleak.

It’s claimed that Liverpool are attempting to push a £15m deal for his signature, which, albeit slightly risky, would hand Rodgers yet another attacking threat with his pace and direct running tailor-made to succeeding Sterling.

Salomon Rondon

Should Christian Benteke prove to be too expensive, the Venezuelan could be pursued… well, according to reports. 13 goals as Zenit Saint-Petersburg ran to the league title is a positive return, but his 6ft. 3” frame makes him a little similar to Mario Balotelli in terms of stature and raises the same worries being broadcast by many fans in regard to Benteke.

Rondon does, however, appear to be in hot form after following his Zenit heroics with Venezuela’s winner against Colombia in the Copa America – albeit they still finished bottom of Group C and were eliminated.