Manchester United should go all out for Harry Kane

United need to sign a new striker this summer and Harry Kane should be the target. The total lack of goal scoring from strikers last season means United need to revamp their attacking force. Recruiting Memphis Depay a goal scoring winger, has no doubt been a big step forward, but he may take time to settle into a new League. More needs to be done if United are going to challenge for the title and a young English sensation, who was unstoppable last season would fit in perfectly with Wayne Rooney up front.

Kane was miles ahead of United's strikers last season.

The fears over Kane being a one season wonder are understandable, but he has shown great signs that he is the real deal. It is not just luck to perform at such a high level for a whole season. The key is that he scores all types of goals. He can score long range goals with his left and right foot. He knows how to take free kicks, and when his team are attacking in the box he is a real poacher.  

Kane is a big game player. He scored a hat-trick against the Champions, and scored away from home at grounds like Anfield. His favourite game was probably the North London derby, where he produced a double, including a sensational header to give Spurs the victory. He also became the main penalty taker for Spurs and never bottled under pressure. 

An England call up was rewarded to Kane for his amazing form. Big questions were asked on whether he could make the step up to international level. He came on as a sub on his debut but scored after 79 seconds, the boy could do no wrong. 

Plenty of respectable sources have revealed that United and Louis van Gaal are interested in the player and that should not be a surprise. 31 goals is an incredible feat. When you look at Wayne Rooney in his first two seasons at Everton, he scored 8 goals in 02/03 and then 9 in 03/04. Although Rooney was a lot younger, we signed him for £30million. That is a lot of money, especially when you consider inflation. In 2004 that was expensive. 

Purchasing Rooney for £30million was also a risk worth taking.

United paid £27million last summer for Luke Shaw, which is a lot after just one good season for a left back. I really don’t see the problem in paying a large amount and even more than £27million for Harry Kane. Falcao has already departed and Robin van Persie is certainly getting older and has been average for the last two seasons. Kane would fit in perfectly, he is Premier League proven and could build a fantastic partnership with Rooney for club and country.

Unfortunately Kane recently signed a new deal, and he does seem like quite a grounded player who would show loyalty to Spurs. Maybe we won’t sign him, not just yet anyway, but if he did arrive, I think it would be strange if United fans were not excited, because matching his form from last season would surely fire United to the title.

Losing De Gea would not be as bad as some may think

The David De Gea transfer saga has been raging on for some time. Manchester United have offered De Gea a fantastic contract, and there is only one reason as to why he has not agreed a new deal. De Gea must be waiting to see if United mathematically qualify for the Champions League. Only as a fan I wish that was the case. Real Madrid want De Gea, there is no doubt about that. Casillas is getting older and with the Madrid faithful getting increasingly frustrated with their legendary goalkeeper, many of them feel it is time for a change. They want De Gea and unfortunately Madrid usually get their man.

De Gea has become world class at United.

Plenty of players have been sold to Madrid in the past, which is very disappointing. As one of the biggest clubs in the world, United should not be a feeder club. No player is bigger than the club however, and if a player wants to leave badly enough, you have to let them go. There is no loyalty in this day and age and with De Gea I feel a departure would feel more disappointing than usual.

 When Ferguson signed him in 2011, for a couple of seasons he got more than enough stick from opposing fans and so called experts across the footballing world. In fact, many United fans doubted him. Yet the club, the management and the majority of the fans backed him and believed he would fulfil his potential, just like many of the greats in the past. Now he has reached the highest level, it is bitterly disappointing if he thinks he is too good for United.

De Gea is also an Atletico Madrid fan, and although Madrid for him is home, it is surely a betrayal to his boyhood club if he was to join Los Blancos. Another obstacle for United is that he only has one year left on his contract. So even if United want him to stay he would leave for free a year later. I have always believed that if you want to win the Champions League you need to have an amazing keeper. To emphasise on this, Schmeichel and Van Der Sar were the keepers when United previously won the European Cup. A club like United should be challenging for the Premier League and Champions League next season, but can they do it without De Gea.

Will De Gea go against his boyhood club Atletico Madrid?

United were long overdue a big investment and that was completed last summer with six quality players. There will be another big investment this summer, but crucially United can still challenge without De Gea. Victor Valdes is currently the backup keeper but I am not convinced. He might be past his best, although it would be unfair to judge him as he has not played a single game. There are two proven goalkeepers in the Premier League who I am certain could replace De Gea. Hugo Lloris at Spurs and Petr Cech at Chelsea aged at 28 and 32 respectively. Still both at a young age for a goalkeeper, especially when you consider United signed Van Der Sar at the age of 34. 

So that is the crisis in goal sorted. Sell De Gea, get good money and bring in a class keeper, he was always going to leave anyway, right? Except that is not enough for me and it should not be enough for United. When Madrid knock for De Gea, United should and probably will say he is not for sale. Furthermore they should tell them, if they want one of our star players, then United should want one of theirs. 

Mourinho has already stated Hazard is worth £200 million plus Messi. Of course that is extortionate and unrealistic, but United should try and get as much money and a player if possible. I would target Gareth Bale. The majority of fans do not appreciate Bale and they do not want him at Madrid, strange because he is an amazing player. In fact he is one of the best players in the world, and crucially he is Premier League proven. It seems like the fans expect more than what Ronaldo can produce because of the £86 million price tag, but that is never going to happen. 

Lloris or Cech would be excellent replacements.

Getting Bale is not out of the question. United signed De Gea for £18 million and he is worth at least double that. So De Gea plus another £40 million could potentially land Bale. Imagine Rooney up front with Di Maria and Bale on each side of him. That would be frightening. The only problem would be getting Bale. If United could get Lloris or Cech along with Hummels, Gundogan and Bale I have no doubt this team can challenge for the title. Of course I will be gutted if De Gea leaves, but great players always come and go. You still have to remember he is not invincible, and with bad defending there is nothing De Gea can do anyway. What is important is that the club moves forward and I have no doubt Van Gaal will do that, whatever the outcome is with David De Gea.

Beating Arsenal could be the turning point

It has been a strange season for Manchester United. There have been many questions asked on what has happened to their form. Van Gaal still does not know what his best team or formation is and the fans are starting to lose their patience.

Worryingly it feels like United are going backwards since those six wins in a row before Christmas. Despite not being at their best, United have still picked up plenty of points and are crucially still in the top four. I strongly believe Arsenal at home in the FA Cup will make or break United’s season.

(It has been too long since United last won the FA Cup.)

This game is huge. Defeating Arsenal would give United a much needed confidence boost and send them to Wembley, with a big opportunity to win the FA Cup. This will surely inspire them to a strong finish in the Premier League. I thought United played well in the first half against Newcastle. Smalling was late with his tackle and Newcastle were unlucky not to receive a penalty. At the other end, United created plenty and could have scored at least three.  

Van Gaal still does not know his best team but he showed ruthlessness in getting rid of the deadwood last summer. The key here is that he may not know his best team, but he most likely knows who is not good enough. I expect to see the same again this summer with more additions being added to the squad. 

(Van Gaal's record proves that he should be trusted to get it right.)

A lot are surprised about the omission of Mata recently, and why van Gaal was reluctant to play Herrera for a while. It made sense to me if you look at it with a defensive mind. In the number ten position Fellaini can defend set pieces well and Rooney gets back to defend a lot with his high work rate. Mata does not offer much defensively, and he can be a bit lightweight on the ball. I felt the same with Herrera for a while but I must admit, going forward he is fantastic which is why we must keep playing him, as long as we have someone to cover when he goes forward. 

United are not miles away, a few more wins and they would be near the top. So how can the football be that bad? I think the team is lacking in confidence, but with time that will come back and beating Arsenal will do no harm in helping bring back the confidence. It was very frustrating at times towards the end of the game in Newcastle because there was no urgency. Furthermore all the other teams in and around us are in top form, so I am not surprised the players are feeling the heat. Although our remaining fixtures are tough, we tend to play better against these sides because they actually want to come out and play football. 

(United will be fired up for the big games this month.)

 Van Gaal took Holland further in the World Cup than anyone predicted. He is an excellent manager and I am confident he is taking United back to the top. Give him the time he needs, give him the players he wants and he will build a great team, whatever his philosophy may be. United will be champions again and we will be playing in big games in Europe soon. It is not normal for van Gaal to be out of Europe. The good times are coming back, have faith and get behind the team.

Time to take United seriously again

It has been a while since United fans have been able to confidently talk about their team.
Last season was a disaster under David Moyes as he took the reds from 1^st to 7^th place. Louis van Gaal eventually took over, and United have just won their fourth game in a row. That is not exactly a mind blowing statistic, but the recent performances suggest Manchester United have finally got their mojo back.

It all started on a Saturday night at the Emirates. Arsenal controlled most of the first half, but De Gea who turned out to be one of the stars of the show kept United in the match. Valencia ended up drilling a deflected shot into the back of the net, and from that point onward it was a case of defending well and picking Arsenal off on the counter. Di Maria and Rooney linked up devastatingly and it could have ended 0-3. 

The classic counter-attack ripped Arsenal to ribbons.

Hull City next, and United passed them to death. It was arguably one of United’s most dominant performances since Ferguson departed. The fans are beginning to watch confident performances which were non-existent last season. 

Considering there have been 41 different injuries since van Gaal took over. United have coped miraculously and with them comfortably sat in fourth spot already, what is going to happen when a fully fit squad is available?

The biggest mystery this season has been the defence. More defencive injuries have occurred than any other season. It is impossible to build a solid defence without a consistent back four. According to most experts, the back four is United’s weakness. Maybe so, or is that just a scapegoat?

When you have van Persie, Falcao and Rooney up-front, with Di Maria on the wing, how can other departments in the team live up to that. Since that strange game against Leicester City, United have conceded 0.88 goals per game. Hardly a crisis. 

What defensive crisis?

In terms of momentum, the Stoke win was a huge one. It was a hard fought victory, grinded out right until the end. In the past, the best teams have grinded out victories to win the title. This season United will not get near the title, because Mourinho has had a whole year to build his team. They are miles ahead. 

My argument is how good will this United team be once van Gaal has had a year to build. The good signs are certainly there and it is time to take United seriously. Under Moyes United would get rolled over but Old Trafford is a fortress again. I am confident this team will only go from strength to strength. The good times will be back soon.  

United are back and they have not abandoned their philosophy

The David Moyes experiment was a disaster from start to finish, with only a few moments of joy. Inevitably after failing to secure transfer targets in the summer of 2013, it was going to be a struggle. Failure of progression causes stagnation, and missing out on key targets was a major problem. Although Moyes acquired a team of champions, he was not able to inspire the players anywhere near the levels that were demanded by United’s predecessor. Moyes was successful in keeping hold of Wayne Rooney, now United’s captain, and persuading Adnan Januzaj to sign a five year contract which should be praised. He also prized Juan Mata from Chelsea, a fantastic asset for the side, when played his favoured number 10 role. Unfortunately for Moyes, taking one of the biggest clubs in the world from top to mid-table is going to have its consequences, and he was eventually sacked.

Louis van Gaal is taking United back to the top.

Temporarily Ryan Giggs took over, but United have now entered a new era with Louis van Gaal.

First of all, van Gaal is a winner. He has achieved great success with every team he has managed, and won the league with all of them. In Europe he has also won the Champions League, so it is clear that he can deliver triumphs and trophies. Van Gaal took an average Holland side to the World Cup Semi-Final and United had a great pre-season defeating Real Madrid and Liverpool. It should not be startling that the Manchester United fans have regained their belief. There is a new sense of optimism. The transfer window has just slammed shut, and it is hard to believe the players that have been signed after the disaster that occurred last summer. United signed six excellent players, with two in the world class bracket, Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria. Incredibly, Manchester United are still being criticised for their actions. There has been talk of United mirroring Real Madrid’s ‘Galactico’ philosophy, and disapproval on United abandoning their traditions and losing their emphasis in youth. These claims are wrong.

Wilson scored twice on his debut in the Premier League.

The Manchester United philosophy is about winning and succeeding at the highest level.  Change had to happen because this was not the case last season. The other big clubs in the country had stormed ahead. United were miles behind in terms of quality. Success in this transfer window means they are back and they can compete at the top again. Many argued their beliefs have been thrown away with the sale of Danny Welbeck, but if you had the choice of playing Falcao or Welbeck up front, who would it be? Fans need reminding that Welbeck forced the move, understandable as he was not shown enough faith from van Gaal. He felt his chances would be even more limited this season with only 35 league games and the FA Cup fixtures to play in. 

How far can Radamel Falcao take United this season?

 United gave James Wilson and Tom Lawrence their league debuts at the end of last season. Jesse Lingard and Tyler Blackett were given their debuts this season. There are currently 12 home-grown players in the squad, but United have supposedly abandoned their youth. Ultimately, the youth system cannot be relied upon and quality was and has always been needed. If a mid-table position became a regular occurrence, then the top youth players might avoid joining the club, causing further problems. It was surprising to see United compared to City and Chelsea, when both clubs have only 2 home-grown players in their squads. There is also this dispute that United have overspent. £31.7m has been spent per major trophy in the last 10 years. Chelsea spent £53m, Liverpool £60m and City £132m. United have not abandoned their philosophy, or their youth, but have addressed key areas which were not amended by David Moyes. The fans now have a team and a squad that they are happy with again, and once this team gels, will surely challenge near the top of the table. It would be hard to imagine a team full of so many great players produce another season of failure. To get back into the Champions League would be a great achievement and anything else a bonus.

My England XI

The England squad for the 2014 World Cup has finally been announced by Roy Hodgson, and it's fair to say there haven't been any huge surprises. Michael Carrick was probably the biggest shock. We'll start in goal, with one of the easiest selections. Joe Hart will be England's goalkeeper at the World Cup. After a rocky start to the season, Hart has come back fighting and put in some fantastic performances, finishing the season strongly, with two clean sheets and a Premier League winners medal. Hopefully he can take this form into the World Cup. As for England's defence, the biggest disappointment for me, was Terry and Cole being left out. When you look at strong teams in the past, for club and country, they've all been very strong in defence, and built from the back.

Joe Hart will be England's number 1 this summer.

John Terry retired in late 2012 from England, due to personal issues, but when you look at how great his partnership has been with Cahill this season, it's a shame no one will get to see that partnership in Brazil. I would have taken Cole as well, he hardly played for Chelsea this season which eventually cost him his place, but his experience is invaluable, and only a few weeks ago he put in a sensational performance at Anfield, showing football fans that he's still more than capable. The best English right back this season has been Glen Johnson, so my back four would have been Johnson, Cahill, Terry and Cole. An experienced back four, most of whom are used to playing with each other at club level.

The England partnership most fans wanted.

 Unfortunately, England will have to make do with a different back four. Johnson and Cahill will start, and Leighton Baines has had a brilliant season at left back for Everton. Having played a number of games for England already, his experience will secure his position over Luke Shaw. So who will pair up with Gary Cahill? Based on European experience at the highest level, defending against some of the best teams in the world including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, I would go with Phil Jones. Someone who kept Frank Ribery in his back pocket this season. Not to mention, his brilliant performance in man marking Cristiano Ronaldo last year.  If Phil Jagielka had an extra yard of pace in him then he would have been my pick. Chris Smalling can also play at centre back, but I think most would agree Jones is the better player at the moment.

Phil Jones with another defensive masterclass.

 The midfield players that Roy Hodgson has chosen brings a good balance to the squad. Not only is there the experience of Gerrard, Lampard and Milner, but there have also been a good number of younger players chosen. Gerrard is captain of England, and everybody knows he will start, in fact I think he is the only player that is really capable of protecting the back four. That is why I was surprised Carrick wasn't included. Who will play in the defensive midfield role if Gerrard gets injured? Hopefully that doesn't happen, as I mentioned in my second paragraph, I am all for strong partnerships. This is why I would pair Henderson with Gerrard. He has no doubt been one of the best box to box midfielders in the Premier League and Liverpool suffered without him this season. I did not rate him at all last year, but he's come on leaps and bounds and deserves to play. It's so important to have hard working players off the ball.

Gerrard and Henderson had a fantastic midfield relationship for Liverpool this season.

On the wings, I've gone for someone who is really underrated and an up and coming talent. Raheem Sterling has been one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League this season and he has produced some unbelievable performances for a 19 year old. He's also built a partnership with Glen Johnson at right back. With Walcott injured, the only other serious contender for the right sided spot is James Milner. I'd argue he'd be a more suitable player if England needed to defend a lead, but if England want an exciting attacking team, Sterling has to be picked. On the left I'm going with Danny Welbeck. He may not be a world class striker, but he's regularly shifted out to the wing and his contribution to the team is often overlooked. He is known as a big game player, and possesses a strong drive and determination, with his tracking back and fight for the team. Off the ball, Welbeck and Henderson are England's best players, this is why they have to start.

Welbeck scored a crucial goal for England at Euro 2012.

 The strike force, will by far be the easiest selection for Roy Hodgson. Rooney and Sturridge scored 38 Premier League goals between them this season, and that speaks volumes. Hopefully they can build up a partnership and fire England to glory at the World Cup. Sturridge will play as a number 9, with Rooney in his favourite number 10 role. Rooney can play as a midfielder as well, which means this starting eleven can work perfectly in an attacking or defensive formation. The front four, all have goals in them, but Welbeck, Rooney and Sterling can tuck in to defend as a midfield five if they need to.

Can Rooney and Sturridge build a partnership this summer?

 Based on individual talent, they might not be anywhere near the 'Golden Generation' of 2006. However, that team didn't deliver and arguably this England side could work better as a team. They have a tough group and most fans will be very impressed if they get through. If they manage to do it, England will no doubt gain confidence and kick on from there. The toughest team they can face in the last 16 is the Ivory Coast, so a few positive results and England could be in the Quarter Finals. Considering no European team has ever won the World Cup in South American territory, I'm not betting on England's chances, but I'm hoping to see some positive results, with exciting attacking football.

My England XI:

Joe Hart

Glen Johnson
Phil Jones
Gary Cahill
Leighton Baines

Raheem Sterling
Steven Gerrard
Jordan Henderson
Danny Welbeck

Wayne Rooney
Daniel Sturridge

Why Big Sam should stay and the Hammers will survive

It has been a tough season for West Ham United. The Hammers fans have seen some humiliating defeats and as a result have been sucked into a relegation dog fight. In August I predicted them to have a strong season and the aim was to finish in the top 10. But for a number of reasons it hasn't swung their way. West Ham have their star players coming back, Allardyce is the right man for the job, and with some decent transfer business, I believe they will stay up.

I've kept a much closer eye on West Ham this season, because I've been lucky enough to do some commentary at Upton Park, a phenomenal experience which will hopefully continue. In the first few months, I was wondering what Allardyce was up to. Fair enough their main man Andy Carroll was injured, but I failed to understand how that was an excuse to play a 4-6-0 formation. The fans started to get on Allardyce's back as the results weren't good enough. Everyone was crying out for a striker to be played. It looked like the humiliation at Nottingham Forest was the final nail in the coffin. But I admire West Ham for sticking behind their manager and not following the sad trend of rich owners jumping the gun and sacking the boss. Allardyce has never taken a team down, so what was the problem and although he's not going to take you into a European position, he provides stability.

There is still a lot of work to do but if they keep their main players fit they'll be fine. Signing Antonio Nocerino will no doubt strengthen the midfield, he's an Italian international, and Marco Borriello will bolster their attacking options, no more 4-6-0 this season.. Roger Johnson also adds quality to their defence and it certainly seems that Allardyce has got more strength in depth now. The key to staying up will be getting the goals. Although West Ham have had a decent amount of clean sheets this season, they've lacked the goals to gain them crucial points.

Getting Andy Carroll back will be pivotal in doing this, he's been completely overshadowed by the big price tag and half decent career at Liverpool. He's a monster at the right end of the pitch, would you want to defend against him? Nolan has had a poor season but his partnership with Carroll will change that and I believe this will spur on the rest of the team. It's so tight at the bottom and anything can happen, but a few wins and you're getting close to the better side of the table.

If the Hammers keep their main players fit, they'll have a strong finish to the season and of course they'll stay up. Allardyce has plenty of experience from being in this situation following his days at Bolton. His laugh after the Chelsea game gave me the impression of a man in control. I sensed although he felt huge success from outwitting Mourinho, he is in total control, and will steer West Ham to safety.