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After the early days of struggles and humiliation, Manchester City have qualified for the Champions League knockout stages for the fourth year in a row.

That must certainly be gratifying for the Abu Dhabi United Group who took control of the club in 2008, but it doesn’t really tell the story.

[ffc_insert title=”An Ode to Thierry Henry” image=”https://www.footballfancast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2000-10-01T000000Z_1_MT1ACI235759_RTRMADP_3_SPORT.jpg?admin” link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/arsenal/arsenal-v-manchester-united-an-ode-to-thierry-henrys-greatest-ever-goal” link_text=”Golden Goal” ]

Although City topped their group in last season’s early stages, and although the year before they came within a Manuel Pellegrini brain freeze of topping their group the year before, this season they look like an even better prospect.

This time they won’t top their group, but – as was the case in previous years – they won’t face Barcelona in the next round either.

Pep Guardiola has only had a couple of months to coach his team. By late February, City will be a different proposition. And given the way they dispatched Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium in early November; given the way they started the season; and given the way they are already able to string together flowing attacks that force odd noises out of the mouths of entranced onlookers, that’s a good sign.

In fact, one of the other good omens for City is their manager. Pep Guardiola’s record in the Champions League borders on the obscene. An immodest record of seven Champions League campaigns as a manager and seven semi final appearances, including two victories in the competition.

The semi final, to Guardiola, is his job. That’s as far as he can take his team. He can plot and scheme, he can out-tactic and outmanoeuvre when passions aren’t high, when tensions are normal. When it gets to the semi final of the Champions League, it’s no longer about tactics – not solely, at least. When you get to the semi, it’s about heart and desire, about fight and nerve. That’s not something you can coach.

It’s Guardiola’s job to get City to the semi final. It’s the players’ job to take it from there.

Last season’s semi final appearance was unexpected. Topping their group, Manuel Pellegrini’s side did what they had to do to avoid a big name in the last 16 for the first time. But you get the feeling that City only really made a semi final by default. A 0-0 draw at home to Dynamo Kiev was enough to see City through: an historic occasion, the club’s first time in the Champions League quarter final, a watershed moment signalling City’s breakthrough in Europe. It was something the fans had craved, something the owners had craved, but something was lacking. It was as dull a 0-0 draw as you could hope to see, the crowd was flat as a result, and the progression to the next round upon the final whistle was heralded with only polite applause.

This year, you hope it’s different.

[ffc_insert title=”European Roundup” image=”https://www.footballfancast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2016-11-23T210726Z_122936846_MT1ACI14681758_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-CHAMPIONS-CEL-FCB-2.jpg?admin” link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/european-round-up/euro-roundup-your-weekly-continental-fix” link_text=”Your weekly Euro fix” ]

It is fashionable to have a dig at City’s fans. But they need something to actually cheer about. A drab 0-0 isn’t really enough to get the blood flowing.

There’s an irony in the fact that City have, in the past, performed better in their group than they have this year. And an irony in the fact that even though they reached a semi final last season and topped their group, it is this season – after finishing second in the group stages – that they look more likely reach the final four in the competition.

Pep Guardiola always gets to semi finals. And last season his team proved that they could reach a semi final on heart alone. What will happen when Guardiola adds the quality?

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Despite picking up a creditable 2-2 draw away at Liverpool followed by back-to-back wins over Burnley and Hull to move his side five pointsÂclear of the relegation zone, West Ham boss SlavenÂBilic is still under pressure.Indeed, The Sun have claimed that scheduled contract talks between the club and the Croation tactician have been shelved amid fears that, despite an upturn in results, the football being played is not good enough.Naturally, this has led to fears that he may be axed before too long, especially ifÂthose wins turn to draws and draws to losses again anytime soon.

The Irons have struggled to acclimatise to life at their new home – the London Stadium – while summer signings such as Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza have failed to adapt to the English game, which has left the Hammers at the wrong end of the table.

The Croatian boss has been given a vote of confidence by the club’s owners fairly recently, but patience may run out if a win is not secured during the upcoming trip to joint-bottom Swansea.

So, where could West Ham go of Bilic is given the boot? Here are FIVE managers who could replace him in east London…

Eddie Howe

The Bournemouth boss is one of the brightest young managers in the game and he has worked wonders with the Cherries – firstly keeping them in the Premier League in their debut season before guiding them to their current midtable slot this term.

The 39-year-old plays a brand of football that would fit in with the ‘West Ham way’ and the Irons’ owners certainly will have been impressed with the south coast outfit’s incredible turnaround against Liverpool recently.

Rafa Benitez

This time last year, the Spaniard was the manager of Real Madrid and despite suffering relegation to the Championship with Newcastle at the end of the 2015/16 season, the Magpies look set to make an instant return to the Premier League.

Despite losing their opening two league fixtures this term, the Toon are in the automatic promotion spots and West Ham’s owners will surely be impressed by the job Benitez is doing in the Championship, as well as the wealth of experience and ability to sign big names that he would bring.

Roberto Mancini

The former Manchester City boss is currently out of work after being sacked by Inter Milan at the start of August, and the experienced Italian would surely love a return to manage in England.

Having won the Premier League title during his time with the Citizens, the 52-year-old would be an attractive proposition for West Ham’s owners as they look to progress as a club at the London Stadium, although they would have to act quickly as Paris Saint-Germain are also reported to be interested.

Frank de Boer

Another manager who was sacked by Inter Milan earlier in the campaign, De Boer will still be a boss who is in demand when jobs become available in the coming weeks and months.

The position at the San Siro seems something of a poisoned chalice at the moment and after his success at Ajax, the Dutchman will still be high up on the list to be Bilic’s replacement should the Croatian get the boot.

Lucien Favre

A bit of a left field choice, perhaps, but after leading Borussia Monchengladbach to the group stages of the Champions League in the 2014/15 campaign by finishing third in the Bundesliga, Favre resigned after losing his first five matches the following season.

Nice appointed the Swiss manager in the summer after Claude Puel left to join Southampton and he has incredibly led the Ligue 1 outfit to the top of the table, where they are currently four points ahead of the champions, PSG.

Southampton go into their final Group K fixture in the Europa League against Hapoel Be’er Sheva knowing that only a goalless draw or win will see them advance through to the knockout stages of the competition.

Both teams have picked up seven points from their first five matches, and while the Saints have taken six from a possible six at St Mary’s, they will need to be wary of the threat that the Israeli side possess.

Hapoel began their campaign with an eye-catching 2-0 win against Inter Milan at the San Siro before they drew 0-0 at home to Claude Puel’s side in their next game.

However, their most notable result came last time out as they came from 2-0 down to beat Inter 3-2 in Israel to keep their chances of reaching the round of 32 alive.

Knowing that they must score in England, the visitors come into this clash full of confidence having won eight successive league matches, with a number of their players in fine form.

Here are three Hapoel dangermen who could punish Saints on Thursday night…

Maharan Radi

The winger may be 34, but he is still one of Hapoel’s biggest attacking threats and he has scored five goals in 20 appearances this season for the visitors to St Mary’s.

As well as having a decent record in front of goal, Radi has also provided six assists this term and with the Israeli outfit needing to score to have any chance of progressing, and the Saints defence will need to watch the wide man closely.

Maor Buzaglo

The attacking midfielder is another of Hapoel’s in-form players – scoring four goals in 20 appearances this term as well as providing three assists – and Saints boss Puel will certainly have to warn his players about giving away any free-kicks in dangerous areas, as Buzaglo is known as a set piece specialist.

The 28-year-old scored in his side’s opening Europa League group match win against Inter Milan at the San Siro and he will be looking to help cause another upset at St Mary’s.

Anthony Nwakaeme

The Nigerian forward is certainly Hapoel’s main goal threat with the 27-year-old scoring nine goals in 17 appearances for the Israeli outfit this season, and the Saints defence will need to watch him closely.

Be’er Sheva’s number nine comes into the fixture at St Mary’s in particularly good goalscoring form having scored in each of his side’s last four matches, including the incredible turnaround against Inter Milan, where they came from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are expected to partner one another at centre-back as Manchester United take on Hull City in the EFL Cup, following an injury to Marcos Rojo and the absence of Eric Bailly – who is on international duty with Ivory Coast – and the latter is excited by the prospect.

Jones and Smalling’s Man United woes…

Jones’ Man United career has been plagued by injuries since he arrived at the club from Blackburn Rovers in 2011.

However, the 24-year-old is determined to put his injury set-backs behind him and finally establish himself as a first-team player. Since making a comeback from his injury issues against Swansea City in November, he has gone on to nail down a berth in the starting XI.

Smalling, on the other hand, suffered a broken toe against Fenerbahce in October and has been on the sidelines for a major part of the first half of the season.

Partnership is exciting…

But the duo, who began playing alongside each other with the England U-21s, will likely link-up in centre-back tonight and Smalling is excited at the prospect of playing with Jones once again.

He said (via The Mirror):

“It’s true, we haven’t [played together much],

“We’ve trained a lot, but in matches, we haven’t played too much. But we’ve been together for a long time now and know each other’s game. I know him most out of all the centre-backs here. In the last couple of years, I’ve been able to stay injury-free and Phil’s had more hard luck.

“But now he’s had that and I’m happy for him because it’s great to see him out there. I always knew what he could do and it’s just a case of staying fit and showing everyone.”

Manchester United play host to Hull City tonight in their EFL Cup semi-final first leg clash and will be looking to make it nine wins in a row.

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Saturday afternoon sees Manchester United face a challenge – a challenge so infamous it has become a folk tale in its own right. A wintery trip to Stoke City is iconic in its difficulty, even if their on-pitch style has changed markedly. The Bet365 Stadium will be windy, looking out across the Potteries, and the crowd will be as partisan as ever.

Stoke are now one of the Premier League’s most inconsistent teams. Almost impossible to predict from one week to the next, that in itself presents another challenge for Manchester United. Jose Mourinho’s team were far from their best against Liverpool last weekend, but were good enough to maintain an unbeaten streak that has seen them close the gap on Manchester City to just two points.

The pressure is on for the Red Devils. A top four finish was considered the bare minimum at the start of this campaign and they must win games like this if they are to achieve that goal. Stoke, meanwhile, can play with the freedom of a side under no pressure at all…

Challenge the Veteran

Michael Carrick’s influence on Manchester United’s revival has been overwhelmingly positive. Stoke must see him as a potential defensive weakness, though. While a smart reader of the game, Carrick’s physical limitations could see him exposed against Stoke’s attacking players.

Mark Hughes will opt for Joe Allen in the number 10 role, but he should consider dropping Allen deeper and using a more mobile player there; perhaps even pushing Ibrahim Afellay into that position and asking him to press and man mark the deep-lying midfielder.

Force it Wide

Manchester United, as so many of Jose Mourinho’s sides have done, do not naturally play with width in the final third. Whether it be Anthony Martial, Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney or Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the nominal wingers want to either find spaces between the defensive lines or run the channels.

It forces an overload in central positions, which presents its own challenge, and puts a great deal of emphasis on the full-backs providing the natural width. The ‘wingers’ will occasionally find themselves near the touchline, but Stoke would be sensible to force Manchester United’s full-backs to be the ‘out ball’.

Recognise Crouch’s Strengths

Peter Crouch’s towering stature makes it inevitable that teams will look to play long balls up to him. Standing at 6’7, he will win more than his fair share and often cause havoc for opposition defences. It is an easy excuse for lumping the ball forwards, though, and does not take into account what Crouch is really best at.

He is not going to be running past anyone, but that does not mean the ball must go aerially to Crouch. Despite his height, the Stoke striker is better when he receives the ball to feet with his back to goal. A good technician, Crouch’s ability to bring other players into the game is what has made him such a success in the Premier League over the last decade or so.

Stoke must resist the natural urge and use Crouch properly for the benefit of their gifted attacking midfielders.

2016 was a forgettable year for England’s international team, as the Three Lions experienced an early exit at Euro 2016 at the hands of minnows Iceland and worked their way through three managers, one of whom lasted just one match.

With the national side having literally nothing to be proud of from the last calendar year, naming the ‘best player’ in the last 12 months seems pretty redundant- but it happened anyway.

Winning the award with 39% of the fans votes was Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana, who has enjoyed a good season so far for club and country. Scoring his first international goal against Slovakia, Sam Allardyce’s only game in charge, Lallana then scored against Spain and Scotland in international friendlies at Wembley.

Now, we’re not bemoaning the 28-year-old’s impressive year but awarding a Player of the Year to England’s national side in 2016 is rather embarrassing. As you can expect, Twitter was quick to comment and the only positives that could be found came from Liverpool fans.

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Saturday’s match between Stoke City and Crystal Palace at the Brittania Stadium is a key game for both sides. For Mark Hughes’ boys it’s a chance to reverse a recent winless streak and for Sam Allardyce’s team it’s an opportunity to pick up a vital point or three on their quest to avoid relegation.

The Potters haven’t won in the Premier League since travelling to Sunderland and punishing the Black Cats on their own patch, although they have had tough matches and earned creditable points against both Manchester United and Everton.

The Eagles have won only one match in their last ten attempts in the Premier League and a 4-0 thrashing last weekend at home to Sunderland has left fans worried that they are heading back to the Championship.

Palace sit in 19th position and although they are just two points from safety, that dismal run of form means it’ll be a tough task to reverse free-fall momentum.

Stoke have the perfect opportunity then to pick up a win and bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to West Brom. But here are THREE changes Mark Hughes must make to secure all three points.

Shaqiri in for Afellay

Xherdan Shaqiri missed last week’s match due to injury but if he beats a late fitness test then he should come right back into the starting eleven.

The Swiss international has a storming start to the season with three goals in his first five matches but has been less effective since, not netting since October.

Still, he is one of the Potters’ most effective creative players, as shown in their last Premier League outing at Sunderland when he put in a fine performance on the right hand side of Stoke’s attack.

He’s certainly a better option than Ibrahim Afellay, who has struggled to fit into Hughes’ plans this season. The 30-year old Dutchman has made just four starts this term and has done little in those showings to convince anyone he should be getting more game-time.

Berahino in for Adam

New signing Saido Berahino is still getting up to speed with life at Stoke after making a dramatic switch from West Brom at the end of last month’s transfer window. The controversial striker has made two appearances from the bench for Stoke but deserves to be unleashed from the start to show what he can do.

What shape Hughes deploys on the day will determine where he plays but the most obvious choice is through the middle in support of in-form Peter Crouch, with Joe Allen slotting into Charlie Adam’s midfield position.

Forging a partnership with Peter Crouch, who has four goals and an assist in his last seven matches, could be dynamite for the Potters and fans will be hoping their new signing can recapture the form of his 2014/15 season – when he banged in 20 goals for the Baggies.

Johnson in for Bardsley

Glen Johnson has been out since January with an achilles heel problem but is in line to feature for Stoke City again this weekend. That’s good news for Hughes and Potters fans who, for the most part, have been able to rely on Johnson this term to put in a shift on the right-hand side of defence.

He was excellent in his last outing against Manchester United, helping Stoke to a 1-1 draw and the former Liverpool man is a much more effective option than Phil Bardsley – adding a more dynamic attacking option compared to Bardsley’s no-nonsense defending.

With Stoke expected to have the majority of possession and territory on Saturday, that could be key in breaking the Eagles down.

West Ham fans will be disappointed by news that Andy Carroll hasn’t been able to train this week, possibly – but by no means definitely – ruling him out of the Premier League clash with West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

The towering striker has been in phenomenal form since returning from injury in December, notching up four goals in his last four appearances – including a real Goal of the Season contender in the form of a bicycle kick against Crystal Palace.

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Furthermore, England gaffer Gareth Southgate is due to attend the London Stadium this weekend, allegedly to take a closer look at Carroll and his Hammers team-mate Michail Antonio.

With that in mind, FootballFanCast shared our thoughts on whether Carroll deserves a recall earlier this week, and posed that exact question to our readers.

Well, the results of our exclusive poll are now in and a staggering 91% of those who voted want to see the 28-year-old in Southgate’s next England squad – which will be announced in March.

Can Carroll prove the difference against Germany and Lithuania?

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Monaco ace Fabinho has held talks with Premier League trio Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City but would prefer a move to Pep Guardiola’s side, Sky Sports reports.

What’s the word?

Monaco’s excelling ace Fabinho has attracted a wealth of attention across Europe for his displays in recent seasons and it seems the Brazilian is set for a move to the Premier League after holding talks with three of England’s biggest clubs.

Sky Sports, via Telefoot, report that Fabinho has held talks with Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal about a potential summer move, as well as speaking to Barcelona, but his entourage has decided Pep Guardiola’s Citizens would be the best fit.

The defensive minded man has impressed with the Ligue 1 leaders this season and has got his career back-on-track following a disappointing spell with Real Madrid, where he made just one senior appearance, and he’s now one of the most highly-coveted young talents in Europe.

What was said?

Speaking to Telefoot, the 23-year-old’s father said:

“We have talked to Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, we have even been approached by Barcelona, but it didn’t go any further. We like Manchester United and the work of [Jose] Mourinho, but we have a little soft spot for City.”

Where will he go?

Given the comments, it seems Fabinho’s signature is Manchester City’s to lose but Monaco will drive a hard bargain this summer as they face a huge battle to keep hold of their big names- with the likes of Djibril Sidibe, Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Thomas Lemar all attracting a host of interest.

Monaco are unlikely to let all of their key-players leave the French principality side and it means the Citizens, or any other interested party, may have to move quickly to agree a deal- as waiting too late could see the French outfit turn stubborn.

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According to reports from the Belgian media outlet Het Nieuwsblad, via the Daily Star, West Ham United are one of a number of clubs said to be interested in signing Napoli forward Dries Mertens this summer.

The 29-year-old has enjoyed another brilliant campaign with the Serie A outfit, but with his contract due to run out in 2018, the Belgian attacker is said to be keen on a move to the Premier League rather than extending his deal in Italy.

Following the departure of star man Dimitri Payet during the January transfer window, the Irons are calling out for more goals and creativity throughout the side, and they would have to be among the interested clubs if Mertens did decide on a move to England at the end of the season.

The story says Slaven Bilic could face competition from Manchester United, Crystal Palace and top flight hopefuls Newcastle United for the signature of the impressive forward, but he has proven that he is an individual worth fighting for.

Here are THREE reasons West Ham must go all out to sign Mertens this summer…

It would boost the fans

It has been a tough season for West Ham and their supporters, but the signing of a player like Mertens would certainly improve the morale all around the club.

The Irons have found it difficult to adapt to the London Stadium and creating the same atmosphere that they had in the Boleyn Ground previously, but the Belgian forward is someone that can get fans off of their seats, and that can only help the the mood in the stands.

They need a marquee signing

After struggling to deal with the move to their new stadium, the fallout and exit of star man Dimitri Payet and some poor performances and results, it has all been a bit flat at West Ham this season.

While a mid-table finish should be secured, Irons supporters will want more and they need some big signings if they are going to push on and challenge for the European spots in the Premier League.

Mertens would certainly be a player that would come under that category, and his arrival could persuade others to join a Hammers revolution.

He can make a huge impression

Similarly built to his Belgian teammate Eden Hazard, there is no doubt that Mertens can make a big impact in the Premier League – especially when you look at his stats this season.

The agile 29-year-old has scored an astonishing 24 goals in 35 appearances for Napoli in all competitions, and Irons fans would hope that he could make a similar impression to the one Manolo Gabbiadini has made for Southampton, after he joined the south coast outfit from Napoli during the January transfer window.

Do YOU agree, West Ham fans? Let us know in the comments section below.