Another season of relative disappointment ended in Arsenal finishing second in the Premier League, knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16, and defeated in the FA Cup and League Cup in the sixth and fourth rounds respectively.

While Arsene Wenger will undoubtedly receive another summer of pressure from Gunners fans to improve the squad through budget-busting transfers from the European elites, the 66-year-old Frenchman would also be wise to direct his attention to Arsenal’s impressive youth squad for finding talent.

With academy scholars Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Hector Bellerin all now integral parts of the Arsenal first-team, there is an indication that perhaps Wenger needn’t look too far for his next star.

Here are the FIVE youngsters to keep an eye on at the Emirates next season…

Alex Iwobi

The brightest talent to come out of Arsenal’s academy in a number of years, Alex Iwobi has already had made a dozen appearances in the first-team and has continually impressed with his determination, skill and eye for goal.

The 20-year-old, already a Nigeria international, will likely get even more exposure next season. Should he continue to improve on his inaugural season, Arsene Wenger could well have a genuine star on his hands.

Krystian Bielik

Signed from Legia Warsaw in January 2015, Krystain Bielik has since been one of the most impressive players in the Gunners’ academy.

Similar to Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira in style, the tall, elegant defensive midfielder made his first-team debut in the League Cup last season.

Expect to see more of the young Polish star in the coming campaign, especially if Arsenal don’t significantly strengthen in the centre of the park.

Daniel Crowley

Daniel Crowley may not be the most prominent name on this list but he is certainly one of the most talented. After spending half of last season on loan at League One Barnsley, he was described by then Tykes manager Lee Johnson as “the best 18-year-old I’ve ever seen”.

Such a talent is Crowley, both England and Ireland youth coaches are in tug-of-war discussions to try and ensure that the youngster represents their nation.

However, Crowley has yet to make his debut for Arsenal and another loan to the Football League is likely to occur. This young man is definitely one to watch.

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Ismael Bennacer

Signed from French Ligue 2 Arles-Avignon at the start of last season, Bennacer is a young midfielder who is considered one of the most adept passers of the ball in Arsenal’s academy.

The composed 18-year-old made a difficult debut for the Gunners – as a substitute in a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. However, his performances in the U-21 league has been undeniably impressive and he is now a permanent fixture in the French youth teams.

Expect Bennacer to feature in some capacity for Arsenal next season.

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Vlad Dragomir

One of the most exciting talents in Arsenal’s academy, Vlad Dragomir has drawn comparisons with Tony Kroos for his passing and composure on the ball, however, he prefers to describe himself as a Mesut Ozil-type player.

So impressive were his initial performances at London Colney, Dragomir was asked to train with the first team.

It may be a while before we see the 17-year-old become a regular fixture in the Arsenal first-team, but he is fast becoming the most promising talent at the club and will likely feature in some ‘lesser’ games next season.

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The England manager’s job has always been seen as a bit of a poisoned chalice.

There are always those thinking they deserve a shot and then those that never get it, but should have been given the role.

Roy Hodgson was a safe pair of hands after Fabio Capello and on May 1st 2012, he signed a four-year deal that would take him through to this year’s EUROs in France.

Doubts arose after the early elimination from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil – a dismal finals that saw England beaten twice and held by Costa Rica.

Hodgson’s style of play has never endeared himself to many fans and watching England in action can be like watching paint dry, but the team always qualifies for major tournaments and just lately, ‘Roy’s boys’ are playing with a little more attacking promise.

With qualification to the next round a must, has Roy done enough to earn himself a new contract? Here are FIVE reasons why he has…

Bags of Experience

Roy Hodgson’s managerial experience is impressive. From managing Swedish club teams in the 1970s to becoming a national manager, then Inter Milan boss amongst a host of others, including Liverpool, he has the experience that few of his contemporaries have.

European knowledge is vital in this role and few can boast his credentials. In the four years he has been the England manager, the team have always qualified, even if the finals have been a disappointment. He came in on the back of Capello’s work in 2012 and took a squad of over-hyped players to a disastrous 2014 World Cup. This time, he has gone for youth, perhaps with 2018 in mind for either himself or a successor. In France, he looks as though he’s learnt from the experience of two previous tournaments and also shifted from tried and tested to some new and exciting additions.

Very good England Record

Under Hodgson England won all of their games in their qualifying group for the tournament in France, but the memory that sticks is the 2014 World Cup, where England went out in the group stage without winning a game. So often, England expected to do better than they did, but Roy’s record at international level is roughly a 58% win rate, a return that only Sven-Goran Eriksson has bettered in recent years. The style of play has never been particularly easy on the eye, but it has been effective and the 2016 EUROs could be Roy’s best yet.

New generation of players

Hodgson included seven players under the age of 23 in his final squad for the tournament in France. It has seemingly taken a few years to go from the ageing to inexperienced, from declining to dynamic, from tried and trusted to unknowns embarking on a voyage of discovery. They took their oldest selection ever World Cup squad to South Africa in 2010, but EURO 2016 has been undertaken with a very young group.

Wayne Rooney was quoted by the BBC as saying: ‘There was a big issue in terms of everyone saying we didn’t have the young players coming through in England which other countries had. In fairness to the Premier League clubs they’ve brought young players through and Roy has picked them. Roy gives youth its chance, if it’s perceived to be good enough and Marcus Rashford is evidence of this. With Hodgson, youth stand a chance. In my opinion he has not only created a very good team but also a fantastic atmosphere around the training ground when we meet up, and a great base for England’s future in the next six to eight years.”

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Supreme Integrity

Hodgson’s integrity and diplomacy is as British as you can get. Even if you are not a fan of his style of play, the way he conducts himself is typical of a man of his age and standing.

Even though the FA would not be giving him a new deal until after EURO 2016 to avoid the “unsavoury position” that emerged under Italian Fabio Capello, Hodgson acknowledged that way of thinking and made no bones about it. Dignity and diplomacy are Roy’s traits and the right man when dealing with the press or as an ambassador for the England team.

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No Replacements

The Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has said that only reaching the semi-finals of EURO 2016 will guarantee Roy Hodgson a new contract as England manager. It’s a difficult situation for the FA if England don’t do well, as there is a clear feeling of wanting Hodgson to stay from so many corners.

The reaction of the fans, the players and the media will need to be taken into consideration as will a complete lack of any stand-out replacements. Those that were held in high regard before, like Brendan Rodgers, have now blotted their copybook and that means that the field of choice is extremely devoid of quality. Last December FA chief executive Martin Glenn indicated that he hoped the manager would remain after the finals. The FA prefer an English, British or so-called ‘homegrown’ manager if Hodgson is replaced and if Roy does go, the FA could turn to turn to England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate, but let’s hope not.

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The longest running transfer saga of the summer has finally come to end as Paul Pogba is finally a Manchester United player. Again.

That move has come at a price, though. A world record one with Manchester United set to part with a barely -fathomably fee of £89m. Not quite the first ever £100m transfer but an eye-watering figure nevertheless, even more so considering that he was allowed to leave the club for spare change by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2012.

The big question now is whether or not he can live up to the price tag and the expectation that being the world’s most expensive footballer will bring. You could argue that at just under £100m that no player is ever worth that much but in this day and age when the rich get richer then United have probably paid the market rate.

At 23-years-old, Pogba could realistically be at Old Trafford for a decade, and if that’s to be the case then paying £9m a year to obtain his services doesn’t look quite as bad. But United fans will demand Pogba pays off a huge chunk of that transfer fee right away.

By his own very high standards he didn’t have quite the European Championships that he would have wanted and he will now look to bounce back from the disappointment of losing in the final to Portugal when it really was France’s trophy to lose.

Pogba looked short of energy in the final and never got a grip on the game, his tournament was bookended by an underpar start and finish, only really coming alive in the knockout stages but unfortunately for France he had nothing left in the tank come the evening of the Final.

On the basis of that form alone you would say that Pogba is not worthy of the gag of the world’s most expensive player but his performances for Juventus in Serie A and Europe have been imperious and he has had a long list of admirers after leading the Turin based side to four Serie A titles during his time there.

What will he bring back to Old Trafford, then? He will bring a much needed dynamism to the centre of the park. Since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era both David Moyes and Louis van Gaal have tried countless options in that area and nothing has ever really clicked. With Pogba though there is someone that can have a whole team built around him.

Not only that but the arrival of Pogba will mean less game time and possibly even the departure of Marouane Fellaini from the club. His misplaced pass which lead to Leicester’s equaliser in the Community Shield will have no doubt drawn the ire from both manager and players alike and now the Belgian international is going to have his work cut out to get back in the starting lineup.

With the large expenditure on Pogba it does raise the issue of how this will be funded. Thanks to the new TV deal and the fact that United are somewhat of a marketing juggernaut then they have enough cash to sanction bids of this size but you do have to imagine that some of the fee will be recouped through player sales.

Players such as Fellaini, Juan Mata and Ander Herrera will now be nervously looking over their shoulders during the next few weeks until the transfer window closes. Don’t be surprised if two from this trio are not in the red of United come September.

Can Pogba now prove his worth by delivering a first Premier League title at Old Trafford since 2013? We will find out next May.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

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The Championship is beginning to really take shape now and we’re beginning to see who could be challenging for promotion to the Premier League and who could be fighting to get away from the trap door to League One.

We’ve seen a good number of shocks already this season, though in the Championship they are probably to be expected more than anywhere else; and you can bet there’ll be far more to come between now and May.

It only takes a short run of form to see a side suddenly fly up the table and there are plenty of teams looking to do that, starting with this weekend.

So, what’s going to happen when the latest round of fixtures kicks-off with Preston against Wigan on Friday night? Well, Football FanCast has the five biggest things you need to look out for in this weekend’s Championship action…

Can Huddersfield continue to set the pace?

Huddersfield beat QPR last time out 2-1 in a game that really suggested they could be in this promotion race for the long haul. They’ve lost just once in eight games and now take their challenge to Reading this weekend. The Royals themselves go into the match in good form with them unbeaten in five so this could be another real test of the Terriers credentials.

Will Blackburn win again?

Blackburn finally won a game last weekend against fellow strugglers Rotherham so the hope for Owen Coyle and his men now will be to get up that table. Whether they can or not starts with a trip to Derby County who are not performing how many thought they would. The Rams lie 20th having lost three of their last four and could really do with sorting their season out as soon as possible.

Can Cardiff stop the rot?

Cardiff have slumped to the bottom of the league after losing four straight games and are the most out of form side in the division. Things need to start turning round for the Welsh club and this weekend presents a good chance to do just that with a trip to Rotherham. The Millers have won just the once in their last six games so this fixture could be a bit of a nerve-jangler for both sets of supporters.

Will Newcastle bounce back?

Newcastle were beginning to fly in the division after their two early losses. Five wins on the trot made for ominous reading for the rest of the sides in the league but as is so often the way with the Championship, a spanner was duly thrown into the works. Wolves won 2-0 at St. James’s last week leaving the Magpies to start again against Aston Villa who have drawn five in their last six.

Could Norwich go top?

With Huddersfield facing a tough looking trip to Reading, Norwich could capitalise. The Canaries are the form side in the league with three wins on the bounce and host a Burton Albion side who are beginning to find themselves towards the bottom of the league. It’s the Championship so anything could happen but Alex Neil will be doing everything to make sure it’s only Norwich celebrating on Saturday.

Here is the perfect example of a foreign player in England being criticised for the simple fact that he comes from a foreign country.

Claudio Bravo’s short Manchester City career has been labelled a failure simply because he replaced England international Joe Hart. Every touch and mistake develops into back-page headlines for mainstream publications – with Bravo outed as a novice to goalkeeping. Fans who are desperate for City to fail are quick to jump on his back, but the reality is that he remains one of the best in the world and will be a roaring success for Pep Guardiola.

At 33 years-old, Bravo is not a rookie. Like a fine wine, he has only become better with age. To state that Joe Hart is a better goalkeeper than the Chile international would be foolish and rather uneducated. People should query whether Joe Hart’s distribution would suit someone with Guardiola desired style.

Goalkeepers are there to prevent the opposition from scoring, yes, but the last line of defence is now being used more frequently to start play from the back in the modern game. Bravo’s ability to do exactly this is what Guardiola requests from every goalkeeper to have played for him, and is he that bad at it? He’s the best at it in fact.

Cast your minds back to 2014; Luis Enrique personally requested Bravo despite Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s arrival. When Barcelona fans witnessed Bravo taking the one number jersey, a large number were highly aggrieved. However, despair soon turned to delight.

The Chilean capped off arguably the greatest two seasons in history for a goalkeeper, ensuring Barcelona’s supremacy in La Liga. With Ter Stegen considered the best young goalkeeper in the world, Bravo swiftly benched the German international and maintained reliable performance levels in the league.

In 2014/2015, Bravo captured the La Liga title and in the process recorded the most clean sheets, and fewest goals conceded. When you compare him to his young rival, these figures are outstanding. The fact he played more minutes and achieved the most wins for the club speaks volumes in itself because of the greatness of Barcelona.

Bravo was not competing with everyday players for this tag; this was Barcelona. The goalkeeper’s unwavering concentration and sharp reactions showed that he is just as viable an option for the world’s best goalkeeper.

At City, he already is become an integral member of the squad. Four goals already, in just five games, have started with Bravo playing the ball from the back – something which is regularly overlooked by his critics. His passing rate over the past 3 years has an 84% accuracy – higher than any goalkeeper in Europe.

Some players are ideal for managers, and Bravo has proven his status as being one of European football’s best, and his style is evidently perfect for a manager like Guardiola – and that fact should be recognised.

Don’t most goalkeepers need a settling in period, or is this not allowed when he replaces someone English? Bravo needs time to adapt to the quicker pace of play in England along with becoming accustomed to his new defensive back-line. When this happens, expect to see why Guardiola was so keen to recruit the Chile international.

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After a decent if unspectacular start to the season, Middlesbrough now find themselves coming to grips with life in the Premier League.

Last season’s second-placed Championship side kicked off with a draw against Stoke and a win over Sunderland, but they’ve picked up just two points from their subsequent six games and are yet to claim victory at the Riverside Stadium.

Arsenal’s season has almost been a negative (or should that be positive) reflection – losing on the opening day against Liverpool but annihilating everything in their path since, leaving them separated from the Premier League’s summit by goal difference alone.

With that in mind, Gunners fans are likely already counting their eggs in anticipation of another win at the Emirates Stadium when Boro travel to north London for Saturday’s 3pm kick off.

But we at FootballFanCast aren’t quite so convinced; in fact, we’re tipping Aitor Karanka’s boys for a shock win – putting an epic dent in Arsenal’s title bid.

SOLID AWAY FROM HOME

Whilst Boro’s home form remains a concern, they’ve been pretty solid on the road this season, claiming six points from four games. In fact, they’re currently eleventh in the Premier League’s away table, courtesy of Whoscored, and have conceded just four goals, notching up one clean sheet against West Brom in the process.

It may not be working in the safety of the Riverside Stadium, but Karanka’s philosophy – a largely defensive 4-2-3-1 echoing shades of Jose Mourinho – is having the desired effect away from home. Nobody epitomises that more than forward Cristhian Stuani, who is currently the Premier League’s fifth-best performer on the road:

BORO HAVE BEEN IN EVERY GAME THIS SEASON

Boro’s current league standing of 17th place doesn’t quite do them justice. Indeed, whilst the likes of Sunderland and Hull City have been on the end of multi-goal drubbings, Boro’s biggest defeat so far this season is just 3-1, courtesy of Everton.

All of their other matches have been decided by the odd goal and they’ve not been played off the park in any instance. In fact, they’ve averaged 52.2% possession in the Premier League this term and conceded just 13.5 shots per match – ranking eighth throughout the division on both fronts.

ARSENAL FACE FATIGUE

They say you only feel tired when you’re losing, but Boro’s trip to the Emirates Stadium comes amid a hectic schedule of four games in ten days for Arsenal.

Indeed, although they swept aside Ludogorets with incredible ease on Wednesday, sealing a 6-0 win, the likes of Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla, Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny played the full ninety minutes, whilst star forward Alexis Sanchez was subbed off late on. With a League Cup tie against Reading just around the corner as well, the Gunners may find themselves a little off the pace this Saturday.

The North London Derby is the Premier League’s biggest game of the weekend and our Fixture in Focus here at FootballFanCast.

Indeed, with just three points separating them in the table after impressive 2015/16 campaigns, Sunday’s coming instalment feels like the most significant North London Derby in years – it could have a massive effect on final standings come the end of the season.

We’re well aware there’s no love lost between the two sets of fans. But more than ever before, it now seems there’s a degree of respect from supporters towards the quality of the opposition.

With that in mind, we asked Tottenham fans earlier this week to vote for which Arsenal stars they’d like to see Mauricio Pochettino launch audacious swoops for in the coming transfer windows.

Well, the final votes have now been counted and FootballFanCast can now reveal the results of our exclusive poll, with a look at the top five…

5. Shkodran Mustafi

Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are seen as one of the best centre-back partnerships in the Premier League, but Spurs fans reckon Arsenal summer signing Shkodran Mustafi might do a better job than one of the aforementioned duo. The Gunners have certainly looked more solid at the back since the German arrived during the summer.

4. Hector Bellerin

Even Tottenham fans appear willing to admit Hector Bellerin is one of the best right-backs in the business, voting him fourth in our poll. That’s still rather surprising, however, considering Kyle Walker’s impressive form since the start of last season.

3. Laurent Koscielny

The third defender to make the top five, Tottenham supporters seem to have some grievance with their backline, despite conceding the fewest goals of any Premier League side before this weekend. In fairness, Laurent Koscielny has established himself as one of Europe’s best during his seven campaigns at the Emirates Stadium.

2. Alexis Sanchez

Seeing Alexis Sanchez so high in our poll is hardly surprising; the Chile international’s been phenomenal in his new-found central role this season, bagging six goals and three assists in the Premier League, whilst Spurs have struggled to find the net in the absence of their star front-man Harry Kane.

1. Mesut Ozil

Perhaps swayed by his Puskas contender against Ludogorets, Mesut Ozil finished top of our exclusive poll. After a few campaigns in the wilderness, the Gunners’ record signing has really come into his own this season, netting seven times across all competitions and producing plenty of magic along the way.

YOU CAN SEE THE FULL RESULTS OF OUR POLL ON THE NEXT PAGE

Results

Six points and one Premier League place separate Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. This Sunday they face each other at Old Trafford. Pre-season title ambitions for both sides look a distant pipe dream, these days: Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino are now just honing in on a top four finish.

[ffc_insert title=”Cantona: The Iconic and the Ironic” name=”Golden Goal” image=”https://www.footballfancast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1997-04-23T000000Z_1_MT1ACI148037_RTRMADP_3_ENGLAND-SOCCER-MNU.jpg?admin” link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/manchester-united/golden-goal-king-eric-and-a-story-of-delicious-irony” link_text=”Cantona’s greatest moment” ]

European football has finished – that’s one distraction out the way – until both teams return for the Europa League in the new year. As a lecturing father would say, its time to ‘knuckle down’, time for clubs to focus on what they really want from the 2016/17 season. For these two sides, that may well be as good as determined by the outcome of Sunday’s clash.

Manchester United’s one win in eight league games and penchant for draws does not tell the full story. Failure to convert chances and an ability to concede goals from almost any circumstance has cost Mourinho’s side, despite the fact that their performances have marginally improved of late. That being said, however, this is not a game where excuses or misfiring players can be accepted, anything other than victory for the Red Devils will deliver a potentially fatal blow to their top four hopes. A pattern of convincing cup victories in midweek followed by poor league results has emerged and they cannot afford that to continue after their 2-0 victory against Zorya Luhansk on Thursday.

In the other changing room, Spurs will see this as a chance to keep pace with the top four ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Arsenal next weekend. Seven points off league-leading Chelsea, the Lilywhites are unlikely to mount a significant title challenge this season, but are within striking distance of City and Arsenal. Mauricio Pochettino has stuck true to his principals throughout some tricky spells this season, but those principals will be tested further. His team selection will tell us a lot about his ambitions for this season, in fact. If Spurs are serious about a continued push for the Premier League crown, they must win this game. While Pochettino will welcome back Toby Alderweireld to the heart of the defence, his game management will reveal a great deal about his current thought processes.

The current deficit Manchester United are faced with can be talked down with this fixture in mind. Victory takes them to within a slip-up of catching Spurs, but failure to win this weekend would see Jose Mourinho’s side a long way adrift. Potentially overtaken by Stoke City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United’s season could yet hinge on this game. With each failure to close the gap, chances of another season without Champions League football increase and the subsequent financial consequences would be emphatic. The bare minimum expected, particularly for a manager of Mourinho’s calibre, is to keep a side within touching distance of the top teams. All the investment, all the promise last summer cannot be forgotten. The disappointment of the season so far at Old Trafford will swell even further with a poor result on Sunday afternoon.

A draw will keep Spurs content, but Mourinho cannot afford to settle into his trademark, cagey big game approach. Few games in the first half of a season will be as significant as this one. It can define the standings of two teams and give the clearest indication yet of who will make the top four at the end of the season.

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Wayne Rooney has grown up with instilled dislike for Liverpool given that he supported Everton as a boy and has played for Manchester United for the past 13 years, but he put the rivalry aside when he voted in FIFA’s Best Football awards.The United and England captain put Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in third place when he selected his top trio for Best Men’s Coach of the Year.After taking over the Merseyside outfit in October 2015, Klopp guided the Reds to two cup finals – the League Cup and the Europa League.[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]The team ended up losing both, but Rooney still deemed the former Borussia Dortmund boss worthy of his vote.Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri, who ended up winning the gong during Monday’s ceremony in Zurich, took first spot in Rooney’s list due to the Foxes’ historic title win.Chris Coleman was the second best coach of 2016 for the United forward after he guided Wales to the semi-finals of Euros, where they were beaten by eventual champions Portugal.

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West Ham have completed the signing of Jose Fonte from Southampton for a fee of £8m, bringing the Portuguese international to East London.

What’s the word?

It’s all official and West Ham have a new man to help them fend off the threat of relegation, bringing in 33-year-old Jose Fonte from Premier League rivals Southampton- and the Portuguese ace revealed Slaven Bilic was the key factor in a move.

The Hammers have endured a difficult spell recently, with the major blow coming with Dimitri Payet’s demands for an exit, but a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend has raised spirits- and the Hammers could be set for more signings before the window closes.

For now, Fonte will look to shore-up a defence that has conceded 35 goals in 21 games and the guidance of Bilic could bring the best out of him.

What was said?

Speaking upon his signing, Fonte praised Bilic’s impact on his decision.

“I signed for West Ham because they are a great club and a very big club. They have a lot of fans and I have known for a number of years how passionate they are. The manager was also a very big influence. I thought that he really wanted me and that he sold me the project and the ambition of the Club.”

“I also have part of my family living in London and they are big West Ham fans. It just made sense for me at this stage to join West Ham. It is a new challenge and a new beginning and I am looking forward to it.”

Will he make a big difference?

It’s difficult to say but Fonte’s experience could prove to be decisive. However, paying £8m for a 33-year-old is a large sum and question marks will be raised. That said, Fonte has the ability to provide a big boost to a struggling side.

Well-adversed to the challenges of the Premier League, Fonte could provide the inspiration- and any further signings will improve the squad vastly, particularly in attack, which could result in an enjoyable second-half of the season for the Hammers.

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