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According to the Metro, keen to continue doing their business early this summer, Liverpool are preparing an £8million bid for Schalke midfielder Max Meyer.

The 18 year-old has been good form this season to find six goals and three assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances, resultantly catching a wealth of Premier League attention.

Boasting great technical qualities, mobility and dribbling ability, many have compared the one-cap German international to Mario Gotze and and Lionel Messi. He’d certainly fit Brendan Rodgers’ recurring theme of youthful, ambitious signings with huge potential.

But as the Reds welcome Champions League football back to Anfield for the first time since 2010 next season, it’s unlikely Meyer will be the Mersey outfit’s final acquisition this summer.

With that in mind, here’s a list of SIX players who could follow Meyer to Liverpool – some inspired by his arrival, others more coincidental.

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JEFFERSON FARFAN

Amid Liverpool’s need for an established winger, Max Meyer could soon find himself joined at Anfield by Schalke teammate and long-term Reds target Jefferson Farfan.

Admittedly, at 29 years of age the Peruvian pacer lacks longevity, but he’s renowned as one of Europe’s most potent widemen, with a return  of 39 goals in 161 Bundesliga outings for the Miners and 57 in 119 at former club PSV.

Despite batting with injury, the Peru international has been in good form this season, claiming nine goals and five assists in 19 league outings.

Furthermore, with Schalke reportedly keen to cash-in before Farfan’s age takes a toll on his price-tag, it was reported in February that the four-time Eredivise winger could be available for around £10million this summer.

He’d be a smart, pragmatic addition to the Mersey outfit’s squad, offering further fire-power and some much-needed natural width. But Brendan Rodgers will hold concerns over signing a player who turns 30 in October.

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ANDRE AYEW

Another coveted winger hotly linked with a Liverpool switch this summer is Marseille man Andre Ayew.

The 24 year-old offers fantastic firepower from the left-hand side, with a return of 49 goals and 16 assists in 161 appearances for L’OM, including two goals in four Champions League outings this season.

He comes with a big profile on the international scene too; Ayew helped Ghana reach a World Cup quarter-final in 2010 and a year later was named BBC’s African Player of the Year.

The Black Stars midfielder is strong, powerful, direct and incredibly versatile – he’s featured in a wealth of positions for Marseille this season, ranging from defensive midfield to supporting striker.

Furthermore, with just a year left on his contract and having clearly outgrown his surroundings at Stade Velodrome, Ayew has been expected to leave the French outfit this summer for some time.

That could resultantly see him arrive at Anfield for around £12million, but Spurs, Arsenal and several Serie A sides are also keen.

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KYRIAKOS PAPADOPOULOS

Another Schalke star known to be on the Anfield radar is centre-back prodigy Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who was strongly linked with a switch to Merseyside last summer.

The 22 year-old is famed for his juxtaposing baby-face and notorious short temper, but is also regarded as one of the most promising defensive talents in Europe.

That reputation comes from his time at Olympiacos, where Papadopoulos became the Greek Super League’s youngest ever debutant at just 15 years of age.

He’s since made over 100 competitive appearances for the Miners after joining them summer 2010 and has  impressed throughout via his aggressive front-footed defending.

It’s believed the 16-cap Greek international is valued at £12million by Schalke, but having missed the vast majority of the current campaign through injury there will be serious doubts over his fitness.

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XHERDAN SHAQIRI

A third and final Bundesliga-sourced addition said to be in Brendan Rodgers’ transfer thinking is Bayern Munich starlet Xherdan Shaqiri.

Capable of playing on either flank or as a No.10, the attacking midfielder would certainly meet the Anfield gaffer’s self-declared requirement for ‘multipurpose signings’ this summer.

The 22 year-old has proved a useful cameo performer for the German champions following his move to the Allianz Arena from FC Basel in summer 2012, where he had previously won consecutive Swiss Player of the Year awards, finding six goals and two assists in 17 Bundesliga outings this season.

But having to contend with a world-class roster for a regular place in the Bavarians first team,  the 32-cap Switzerland star is concerned his progress is being stifled in the German capital.

It’s believed  negotiations between the Reds and Bayern are already underway, with the British tabloids valuing the Swiss prodigy at around £15million.

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DEJAN LOVREN

Next on this list is centre-back Dejan Lovren, with the Daily Mail reporting earlier this week that the Croatian has handed in a transfer request at Southampton in a bid to force a move to Anfield this summer.

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The 24 year-old joined the Saints from Lyon last summer in an £8.5million deal and has since proved to be a major coup. A near eternal presence in the St. Mary’s defence, the south coast outfit have finished the season with the fifth-best goals conceded record in the Premier League.

Lovren’s individual performances have been equally impressive, with his average of 2.7 interceptions per match only bettered by three Premier League centre-backs.

An effective aerial combatant, an astute reader of the game, relatively quick and comfortable with the ball at his feet, the 6 foot 2 centre-half would be an impressive addition to the Liverpool backline.

Recent speculation however suggests Barcelona are preparing a surprise swoop for the £15million-rated Croatia international.

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DELE ALLI

Max Meyer could be soon joined at Anfield by another widely coveted wonder-kid in the form of MK Dons prodigy Dele Alli, who has been described by the Guardian as ‘the best player this club has produced in its short history’.

Measuring in at 6 foot 2 and boasting immense natural robustness, the 18 year-old  midfielder appears purpose-built for the English top flight, already meeting it’s physical requisites despite his tender age.

Likewise, Alli boasts quality on the ball, most commonly featuring as an attacking midfielder and finding seven goals in 37 outings this term – including a hatrick against Notts County in March.

A regular for England at U17 and U18 level, Alli has been catching Premier League attention for some time.

Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and United have all been linked over the course of the season due to the teenager’s exceptional form in League One.

But the Daily Mail claims Liverpool have won the race for Alli’s signature and are posed to complete a £3.5million move, which could eventually rise to £8million depending on add-ons.

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Whether he’s storming off the set of a live Dutch football show, benching Rivaldo just days after winning the  1999 World Player of the Year award or revealing his testicles at half-time to the entire Bayern Munich dressing room, Louis van Gaal’s incorruptible self-assurance has never been in doubt.

But quite how confident in his own beliefs, bold and daring the Manchester United manager is prepared to be has only truly come to light since officially ascending to the Old Trafford throne after his escapades with the Netherlands at Brazil 2014.

The 62 year-old has brought the philosophy that saw Oranje unexpectedly claim third place at the World Cup with him to Carrington, reshaping the United first team around a 3-5-2 system. The historical importance of this cannot be overstated; not only have the Red Devils forever been a back-four-double-wideman side, but three-man defences are widely considered alien and arguably incompatible with the Premier League – especially at its summit.

The sheer audacity is a statement within itself to Manchester United’s rivals, and in many ways illustrates the vast gulf between van Gaal and misfortuned predecessor David Moyes as managers.

Perhaps overawed that he would be taking the reins from one of the greatest managers in modern footballing history, perhaps following the mantra of not fixing what isn’t broken after the Red Devils had claimed their 13th Premier League title, the subliminal soundbite of the former Everton manager’s appointment was ‘continuity’.

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During his ten months at the Carrington helm, Moyes made a mere two additions to the United first team, Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata, whilst the retiring Paul Scholes was the only notable departure. van Gaal has already far exceeded the Scot’s remodelling of the Old Trafford roster, welcoming youthful duo Ander  Herrera and Luke Shaw whilst saying goodbye to defensive veterans Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, who had amassed 1134 games for United between them.

Tactically too, Moyes refused to step out of Ferguson’s shadow – arguably his biggest failing as United boss. The formations never branched far from a 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1, the same systems that saw the Red Devils stroll to the Premier League title the year previous.

Moyes didn’t turn up to Old Trafford with his own vision, possibly due to the fact he was continuously compared in management style, personality and philosophy to Ferguson. That isn’t to say changes weren’t implemented – the Scot hired an entirely new backroom staff – but the overriding theme was to maintain the blueprint set out by his predecessor’s illustrious reign.

You could describe it as evolution over revolution, but in truth, United regressed into something less sophisticated under Moyes.

The problem was a lack of leadership – mimicking Ferguson so closely left Moyes a hollow figure; Ferguson-lite, filled with synthetic sweetener to accommodate for a lack of genuine, original and unique substance. It gave the players nothing to believe in. After all, could the Scot really be expected to execute Ferguson’s ideas better than the man himself?

The situation under van Gaal however is remarkably different. The very conscious buzzword of his short tenure thus far has been ‘philosophy’. He remarked in his opening press conference that a ‘strong philosophy’ was the decisive factor in United’s decision to hire him, and has used the phrase in almost every public interaction since.

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At the moment, LVG’s philosophy is 3-5-2. Debates can well be had over its suitability, but essentially that doesn’t matter. The importance lies in the fact van Gaal has turned every philosophical tradition on its head at Manchester United – something Moyes was never prepared to do – modernising the club with a formation that took international football by storm  just a matter of months ago. It’s unique, it’s vibrant, it’s current; it’s as challenging for United’s players as much as it is for their opposition.

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More than anything else, Van Gaal’s entrenched belief in his own ideals gives the Red Devils direction. Rather than simply maintaining the status quo, there is a new sense of movement and progress around Old Trafford. The players, the manager, the boardroom and the backroom staff are all working towards a very specific vision.

A club of Manchester United’s magnitude needs a figure so imaginative and self-assured – someone prepared to ignore its entire history for the benefit of their own ideas. After all, Ferguson’s greatest gift was the boldness to deconstruct several title-winning teams, regardless of their prior contributions to the trophy cabinet, for the sake of continuous progress.

Moyes had the opportunity but was never willing to do that. He was too busy coming to terms with his surroundings. The fact van Gaal is already writing his own rule book at Old Trafford rather than merely adding a post-Ferguson epilogue speaks volumes about the differences between himself and his predecessor.

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Looking back, one would dare to utter the word ‘conspiracy’ – if it didn’t come with the connotation of a celibate 50 year-old wearing a foil helmet in his mother’s basement.

An honest, modest and hardworking Scotsman from Merseyside, brought  into the corporate world of Manchester United, only for everything to spiral out of control until low share prices  destroyed his reputation. Why? Because it was a sticky wicket and the Red Devils needed a fall-guy. Not too many managers were prepared to step into Sir Alex Ferguson’s shoes last summer but David Moyes was flattered to even be considered.

If not a conspiracy, then the plot to one of the Coen Brothers’ screwball comedies. The Big Fellaini anyone?

In truth, there was no untoward, furtive planning going on around Carrington last season. Simply put, Manchester United envisaged a six-year project with Moyes at the epicentre, but got cold feet just ten months later. After all, uncertainty isn’t an emotion United have felt towards their manager since the late 1980s; they’re hardly acclimatised to the Premier League’s seemingly entrenched culture of hire-and-fire. The Moyes situation was an unanticipated shock.

And after winning just one point from his first two league fixtures – that’s three points less than David Moyes had gained this time twelve months ago – Red Devils fans could be forgiven for getting frosty toes over Louis van Gaal too.

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The Old Trafford boss has been talking the talk all summer after impressing at the World Cup with the Netherlands and winning the International Champions Cup in Los Angeles, but he’s struggled to find his footing in the Premier League.

Neither the defeat to Swansea City nor the away draw to Sunderland showed particular signs that a return to silverware prosperity could be just around the corner. Against the Swans, United’s 3-4-1-2 formation was undone by quick yet simple transitions of play, whilst against the Black Cats, they struggled to get the ball to a forward line of Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie quickly and frequently enough.

Yet losing faith in van Gaal now can only lead down the road to ruin. The Dutchman is an abrasive and confident character who often alienates people – especially the politico behind the scenes. But amid one of the darkest patches in recent Manchester United history, the club, the boardroom, the players and the fan-base must respect the length of his three-year contract.  Getting cold feet once again, cannot be an option.

Not least because, first and foremost, two back-to-back managers struggling for results suggests a problem with the players, not with the dugout.

It’s clear that Manchester United lack the quality and depth to effectively compete for the title at this moment in time. Van Gaal has already commented on the fatal imbalance of the Red Devils squad, which currently contains no less than five No.10s and no more than one centre-back over the age of 25. Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata were both panic buys, whilst the deadwood has been piling up at Old Trafford for several seasons.

These are problems van Gaal has inherited and it will take more than one transfer window to correct them, although the signings of Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Angel di Maria are certainly a good start. The catch 22 undermining the Red Devils however is the fact that everybody from River Plate to Real Madrid knows they’re in the market to buy this summer. The Argentina international’s record-breaking £59million price-tag is the latest manifestation of this dilemma.

Secondly,  the historical importance of Louis van Gaal’s change in philosophy cannot be overstated. LVG is not only implementing a new system but furthermore fighting against an entire culture of back-four-double-wideman football at Old Trafford. He may have overseen that transition for the Netherlands with miraculous haste, having the luxury of an entire national pool to choose from with several players already established at international level, but the situation is remarkably different at a club that, as Moyes mooted last season, has ‘wing-play in its DNA’.

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Indeed, whereas Moyes was a continuation of the old regime, van Gaal is working from the ground up , building towards his own vision. His starting XI on the opening day of the season contained two Premier League debutants in Tyler Blackett and Jesse Lingard, and only three players aged 27 or older. Clearly this is revolution over evolution, and just as with his spells  at Ajax, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, much will depend upon how quickly and successfully van Gaal can get the players, particularly the younger ones, to buy into his philosophy.

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That process will unquestionably take time – the United boss warned as early as July that it will take him at least three months to bring the club up to his standards, adequately tailored to new system and confidence fully restored after the nightmare of last season. And it’s been long forgotten that despite van Gaal’s unquestionable credentials, this is his first experience in the Premier League – even he will have some learning and adapting to do.

Louis van Gaal is not a shock doctrine manager – he hasn’t been brought in to spark an immediate reaction, allowing the chips to fall where they may.Rather, much like Sir Alex Ferguson, he plans to bend, twist and sculpture Manchester United around his own image.

The transformation will not be quick nor pretty, but van Gaal is building a future; brick-by-brick, hour-by-hour. Getting cold feet before the Dutchman’s vision is completed would be like turning your back on the garden of Eden, just as it began to appear on the horizon.

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Chelsea’s Diego Costa and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero are the Premier League’s joint top goal scorers this season.

It is most likely going to be the Spaniard or the Argentine who will finish the season as the league’s top goal scorer. But who has been the better player so far this season?

Starting off with goals scored, both players have scored nine goals for their respective clubs. Diego Costa (7) may have played two games less than Aguero (9), but the Argentine has played 622 minutes whilst the Spaniard has played 585 minutes, 37 minutes less. Therefore, whilst many will see Diego Costa scoring the same amount of goals in two games less, is actually on 37 minutes less, less than half a game.

When it comes to how the goals are scored, Diego Costa statistics shows he is the more versatile of the two. From Diego Costa’s nine goals, he has scored four using his left foot, three using his right foot, and two using his head. All of them were scored inside the area as well. Aguero on the other hand has scored one goal using his left foot, eight using his right foot, none using his head, and all but one of his goals have come from inside the area.

In order for a striker to score, he needs to takes shots, accurate shots. Aguero has taken 43 shots in total, around 4.78 shots per game, with a shot accuracy percentage of 65%. Diego Costa however has taken fewer shots, but has a higher shot accuracy percentage. The Spaniard’s shot accuracy percentage is 84% from a total of 22 shots, around 3.14 shots per game. Whilst it is important for a striker to take as many shots as possible to increase his goal scoring chances, these shots need to be on target as well to further increase these chances.

Next is match performance against big teams. It’s important for these players to perform in these games more than any other as they have the biggest influence on the final places in the Premier League table at the end of the season.  From the teams that finished in the top six last season, Diego Costa has played against Everton, Manchester City, and Arsenal, but Aguero has played against Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham.

Diego Costa scored twice in 6-3 away win at Everton, and once in the 2-0 home win against Arsenal, but failed to score against Manchester City. Aguero also failed to score when his side met Chelsea, but he did score in the 3-1 home win against Liverpool, the 2-2 away draw against Arsenal, and scored all four in the 4-1 home win against Tottenham. Aguero may have scored more (6) in big games than Diego Costa (3), but neither player’s team have lost a big fixture.

A striker can’t just show up in the big games though, he has to be consistent throughout. Six of Aguero’s nine goals have come from four games against big teams. In the remaining five games against what some might say, lesser sides, he has only scored three goals. Three of Diego Costa’s nine goals have come from three games against big teams, meaning the remaining six have come against lesser sides. What this shows is Diego Costa is more consistent, scoring against anyone, no matter the opponent. Aguero though is only showing up for big games, and not against lesser sides. Strikers need to score no matter who the opponent as the result could play a huge influence come the end of the season.

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Diego Costa is a better striker than Aguero. He is more versatile as he has scored goals with his left foot, right foot, and with his head so far this season. The Spaniard has scored the same amount of goals as the Argentine in a smaller amount of time and with fewer shots on goal as well. Diego Costa also has consistency as he has scored in all but one game in the league for Chelsea this season. The only place he needs to improve upon is scoring in the big games, like against Manchester City, as these games could win or lose Chelsea the title come next May.

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Manchester United can still win the Premier League this season, having only recently begun to hit their best form under new manager Louis Van Gaal.

The Red Devils began this campaign poorly with draws against Burnley and Sunderland was stunned and a deal was reached when losing five free at Leicester. However, a gradual recovery since then has culminated in them reaching 3rd spot heading into the Christmas fixtures.

Since Michael Carrick’s recovery from injury, they’ve put together a series of results that suggests they are legitimate title challengers to Manchester City and Chelsea. That is no coincidence. Ferguson Sir Alex Ferguson has recently praised Carrick as “the best midfielder in England”, and his excellent positional play and range of passing has been central to United’s good recent form.

Carrick is one of a long injury list this season at United, who have certainly had no luck in this regard. Ferguson himself said watch out for United once the squad is fit, and the six successive Premier league wins recently acquired appear to support this assertion. Carrick and Darren Fletcher are an invaluable backbone of experience that have been involved in title races before, important when seeking to integrate new players into English football such as Falcao.

For once United are not actually burdened by a huge wave expectation, with the mental pressure falling both Chelsea and Manchester City, both of whom expect themselves to win the league this year. Instead, United can push for the title knowing fully well that, similarly to Liverpool last year, their primary goal of finishing in the top four has already been secured.

United have reached third position despite widespread agreement that there is far more to come from them, particularly given their attacking firepower. Recently they won 2-1 at Southampton, then the division’s in-form team, despite by even Van Gaal’s admission not playing that well. Results like this show character, as did Robin Van Persie’s late equaliser at Chelsea, embodying the spirit of United in their late goals.

Manchester United will also not face the distractions of European football in the second half of the season, unlike close rivals Chelsea and Manchester City. Thus, similarly to Liverpool, who at this stage of last season were not widely considered serious contenders, United can use this advantage to keep their key players fresh. This lack of distractions should help them to finish the season strongly as the form team, whilst their challenges are bound to drop points eventually as injuries and fatigue from extra games hits home.

Thus surely if Manchester United can reach third after half the season, despite all these problems, they can climb higher as these issues subside?

United also have the advantage of money to burn in the January transfer window, and recent history suggested they won’t be afraid to use it. If spent wisely on shoring up their defence, this could equip Van Gaal with everything he needs for an unlikely title challenge.

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The manager already has attacking players that are the envy of most managers worldwide, and the fearsome trio of Falcao, Van Persie, and Wayne Rooney are improving all the time.  This, combined with money to spend, less injuries, improved form and a lack of European distractions mean that you would be foolish to write of Manchester United anytime soon.

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Alex Song is happy at West Ham United and hasn’t ruled out making his loan switch from La Liga giants Barcelona a permanent one with the east London-based club.

The midfielder has been in great form the Hammers this season, and has been praised as a key part in turning Sam Allardyce’s side from a relegation threatened outfit last time out, to one challenging for a top six place – a win against Manchester United today cuts the gap to Louis van Gaal’s side to just four points.

Song, who spent several seasons with Premier League rivals Arsenal, joined Barcelona in the summer of 2012 and made 39 appearances in Spain’s top flight over his two full seasons with the Catalan club before moving to Upton Park on loan – he also had 12 run-outs in the Champions League.

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Song has played 16 times in the Premier League for the Hammers and was speaking to reporters when he refused to rule out a permanent move to the Boleyn:

“My family is also happy and I want to give something back.

“Will I stay? We will see. At the moment I am very happy here and my family is very happy here and the most important thing is happiness.

“I’ll will see what happens and then make my decision at the end of the season.

“I still have two years left at Barcelona but I think my future will be in England. I have my house in London and my kids have a lot of friends in London. In my head, I have to stay in London – I would love to stay here – but I will choose at the end of the season.

“I would also like to be around when West Ham move into the Olympic Stadium. It is unbelievable where this club want to be.

“West Ham want to be one of the best clubs in England.”

The first half of West Ham’s season looked very promising – by the end of last year, Sam Allardyce’s side found themselves in the top four. But the second half has not produced the same types of results, and West Ham are now sitting in tenth. After four years in charge, is it time ‘Big Sam’ and West Ham parted ways?

In their last eight Premier League games, West Ham have managed just one win – a 3-0 win over relegation candidates Hull City at Upton Park. Their last two outings have seen them beaten comfortably at home to Crystal Palace and then narrowly by league leaders Chelsea.

Last season, Sam Allardyce found himself in hot water with the West Ham fans. Banners displaying the words ‘Fat Sam Out. Destroying WHU’ were displayed after West Ham’s 1-0 defeat at West Brom, and polls showed that a staggering 70% of West Ham fans wanted Sam Allardyce out of their club.

Slipping from a top four place into tenth of course does not sit well with West Ham fans. Competition has been fierce for those who are attempting to, and find themselves in the top four, with one point separating Arsenal and Manchester United in third and fourth respectively. Only two points then separate Manchester United and Liverpool.

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But West Ham want to be breaking into the top six. They are already in the top half of the table, while their highest Premier League finish under Allardyce remains ninth. Are they stalling under their manager? Is Sam Allardyce using his players to their potential?

Each season of football sees a managerial merry go round: abrupt sackings with successors being brought in as quickly as possible, with huge weight and pressure on their shoulders. This season has been no different, and Big Sam has been caught up in the media hype, much to his displeasure.

Sam Allardyce has tried to distance himself from the speculation surrounding the safety of his job. He said: “It is not my desire to listen to praise or criticism.

“I like to be professional and work with the people within the football club to try and get the best out of them. I hear things but I don’t take any notice of it. There was speculation last season same as this season, I think there always will be.”

Big Sam’s contract with West Ham will be up in the summer. At present, there is nothing to suggest that negotiations have been held to extend his current contract, but also nothing suggests that he is on his way out either.

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If Sam Allardyce were to going the managerial merry go round, and part ways with his club, who would be in line to replace him? West Ham need a manager who will build on their current squad, and take them as far up the table as possible.

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Chelsea captain John Terry has defended his players’ conduct in their Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, according to reports from Sky Sports.

The Blues were knocked out of the competition after a 2-2 draw, with PSG advancing to the quarter finals on the away goals rule after the game finished 3-3 on aggregate.

However, the main story was a controversial incident in which the Chelsea players surrounded the referee after a late challenge from Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Oscar, resulting in the Sweden captain being sent off.

The striker went on to blast the Blues stars as ’11 babies’ during an interview, with several pundits also branding the conduct of Mourinho’s men as ‘disgraceful’.

But Terry is adamant that his team was just trying to support one another in an intense European encounter.

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“Once they’re charging the ref, the only thing we can do is respond,” he said. “You can’t as a group of players let them surround the ref, trying to get our players booked.

“For me if I have to run 20, 30 yards, it doesn’t look great but when you’re standing back and seeing five or six of their players surrounding the ref, for me I think I support my team-mates.

“And once I go, four or five go with me, it doesn’t look good at all but that’s part of the game. We’ll match it if people want to mix it, that’s part of our game as well.

“You have to stick up for your team-mates. Every other side is as bad as each other. It’s part of the game.”

Chelsea now only have the Premier League left to play for, but the title is theirs to lose as the Stamford Bridge club lead second place Manchester City by five points, and also have a game in hand.

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The biggest injustice of the weekend was surely Aston Villa’s gallant, undeserved defeat at the hands of felled champions Manchester City at the Etihad.

Christian Benteke was clearly onside as he ran through on goal and was taken out by Joe Hart only a couple of feet from the City line. The Belgian looked for all the world like he was going to score before being brought down, but when the whistle went, it was for a free kick to City as Benteke was judged to be offside.

As if that perversion of justice wasn’t enough, the world contrived to punish the hapless Villa once more before the final whistle as City went up the other end and scored through Fernandinho with the game deep into stoppage time.

City could have been out of sight before half time, though. In fact, they could have been out of sight even before the 20 minute mark. So it was Villa’s start that was the difference between the two sides at the weekend. Had they not conceded after three minutes the game may have finished much differently.

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This too came down to rotten luck. An inocuous backpass to goalkeeper Brad Guzan seemed benign enough. But the sight of Sergio Aguero chasing him down with 48,000 Manchester City fans baying for blood seemed to spook the American into a panic. He tried to play a pass which was never really on, seeking out his right back with a square ball. But he managed to mishit it terrible, and squared it right to Sergio Aguero who was grateful for the assist.

It was a bad moment for the Villains in the middle of a few weeks in which they have seen some very good moments. They’ve managed to win enough games to make themselves confident of avoiding the drop, Sherwood has managed to get his strikers to score goals again, and the most impressive feat was surely the FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool. Again they came from behind, and this time they won not only the game, but also a place in an FA Cup final.

The truth is that this bad moment came at a very important time for Villa. Hull beat Liverpool to move ahead of the midlands club, Leicester and Sunderland both have games in hand just below them and could also move in front with wins. Villa would be pulled back into the relegation quagmire with only four games of an intense and enthralling relegation battle remaining.

But sometimes you have to take the rough with the smooth. But then sometimes the rough can be the price you pay for the smooth.

Villa would perhaps have looked past the Man City away fixture as a chance of points. Instead focusing on home games against Everton, West Ham and Burnley as their best chance of the points to keep them in the league.

And they’ve certainly been playing with enough confidence to take maximum points from these games, and nine points from their last four games would surely see them safe.

In fact, the Guzan mistake at the weekend is a clear sign of the confidence that Villa have been exuding.

Instead of simply hoofing the ball clear and ceding possession, the American goalkeeper decided to try to keep possession by passing to a team mate. He got it dreadfully wrong and then looked shaky for a little while later, but that sort of confidence is not something that Sherwood will want to stifle in his team.

It was a mistake that led to a goal and possibly cost his team the game – though there’s surely more blame attached to the officials for Villa’s defeat than to Guzan – but Sherwood must surely be happy enough that his team have the confidence to try to keep the ball, even at the home of the erstwhile champions.

Six months ago, Guzan would have booted the ball into row Z, as all fearful keepers would with Aguero bearing down on him. Villa would still have lost the game, though. City would have found another way to break down a Villa team totally devoid of self-belief. This time Aguero was gifted a goal, but only because Villa thought they could outplay the champions. And that in itself is impressive.

Sherwood won’t mind too much about the defeat. As the man himself said when speaking to the BBC after the game: “Play like that and get relegated? You’re having a laugh!”

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He knows the confidence his team have, not just to try things and play football properly, but also to stand up and fight the Champions on their own patch even when 2-0 down.

Villa should have won this game, but that’s not really their battle. Their battle is against the teams around them, and they’re still very much alive in that particular war. They look to have a confidence and self-belief that they didn’t have before Sherwood took over, and if they stay up this year that’s what will see them through.

It’s not the mistakes made when trying the good things that haunt teams when they go down, it’s the times they were tentative and didn’t give it a go. Sherwood’s Villa certainly won’t go down thinking ‘what if?’ But on the basis of the last few weeks, Sherwood’s Villa won’t go down at all.

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12 months ago, if Manchester United fans had have been offered an instant return to the Champions League they would have been snapping hands off. In that respect, this season has been a success, but how would their end of season report read?

After the dismay of missing out on a top four spot for the first time in over twenty years, the main objective for Louis van Gaal was to take his new charges back into the spots to qualify for Europe’s premier competition.

The Dutchman’s rebuilding job began at breakneck speed last summer, the recruitment of Angel Di Maria was the standout acquisition of the summer, possibly continent wide; the Argentinian was coming off a World Cup where he was one of the star turns for the eventual runners up.

His initial impact set pulses racing, in particular a stunning individual performance against QPR; however since the turn of the year, through a combination of injuries and loss of form, he has struggled to make the desired effect many wished for.

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Di Maria’s first season was endemic of nearly all of Van Gaal’s acquisitions, Shaw, Falcao and Herrera have all flattered to deceive at different points this term. In terms of his recruitment policy, United must do better. Their successful pursuit of Memphis Depay before this season even came to its conclusion can only bode well for how active they plan to be this summer.

This season saw United only notch 62 times, 11 times fewer than champions Chelsea and more than twenty behind their noisy neighbours City. Wayne Rooney managed to take home the golden boot for The Red Devils with a quite frankly paltry 12 goals. If they are to genuinely challenge for honours again, they must find serious strike power next term.

The main success story for United this term has undoubtedly been the resurgence of some of their more maligned squad members. Fellaini and Young have enjoyed a new lease of life in this campaign, both becoming integral to the ongoing project at Old Trafford; whether they are of the desired quality to be a part of the finished article is still yet to be seen.

United have been heavily reliant on a few key men this term, Rooney’s promotion to captain has only enhanced his reputation as their most talismanic figure, whilst Michael Carrick is finally being recognised as the world class midfield anchor he has been for nearly a decade. Along with these two, David De Gea has established himself as arguably the top keeper in the world; hanging on to the Spaniard is one of United’s top objectives for the coming months.

With little progress in both cups, finishing miles behind the leading pack in the league, this season can hardly go down as an unmitigated success. However, the remit for Van Gaal has been met, United will be back playing Champions League football next term but it is unlikely the manager and the team will receive such little criticism should they fare similarly next year.

To sum up United have made a start, but they must do much, much better.

C+

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