And so the dust settles on Louis Van Gaal’s first season as Manchester United manager. We’ll say he’s done a decent job. He’s done exactly what was asked of him – deliver Champions League football – with quite a few injuries to deal with along the way.

But one thing that you notice about Van Gaal is how he sees the game. He’s an educator and wants everyone to see the game how he sees it. The ‘long pass’ rant springs to mind here, but in all of his press conferences he’ll spend a lot of time enlightening the assembled journalists on some matter of tactics or footballing philosophy. An audience with Van Gaal is a seminar led by the Dutch master.

And that translates into how he sees the English game too.

It’s obvious that Van Gaal is a very talented man, fiercely intelligent and very astute. But maybe his vision of the English game colours the way his team is set up this season.

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He started the season with a 3-5-2 – something a little different in the Premier League, it must be said. So that sparked a little bit of a media frenzy as pundits debated the merits of the system, especially asking whether or not United’s defenders were up to the task of playing in it.

He moved onto another inventive system with a diamond. Not just any old diamond though, and that’s why United found it hard to play in that system – because Michael Carrick would slot between the centre backs and pick the ball up from very deep. Daley Blind just wasn’t cut out for playing that role in Carrick’s absence, and so United looked weak at the back.

The truth is, though, that United weren’t weak at the back, they were weak up front. They had so much possession in games without being able to break down the opposition. And that’s where I think Van Gaal was a little bit naive in his first season.

The Premier League loves pace and power, and in many ways it’s what makes the league exciting. It’s also what makes teams deadly on the counter attack. And that’s where Van Gaal’s team found themselves conceding goals last season. When they couldn’t break teams down, they just tried to pass more. And when one pass was inevitably misplaced, a counter could begin.

But instead of trying using his own pace and explosivity to break down the stubborn defences, Van Gaal opted for the height and strength of Marouane Fellaini.

During the World Cup, Belgium manager Marc Wilmots used Fellaini to great effect as an impact sub later on in the game when Belgium needed something different to break down a defence. He was a great plan B.

But Van Gaal seems to have decided that his initial tactic didn’t work for most of the season, and that Fellaini should become his new ‘plan A’. Fellaini became the end point for almost all of United’s attacks in the final few weeks of the season, like an old-fashioned English target man.

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And that’s the naivety from Van Gaal. He should have stuck to his guns and used Di Maria or Valencia or Young to be the end point of United’s attacks. Instead, he fought power with power – something the Premier League has been doing for years. The difference is, the teams with the power in their side are the ones who don’t have the silky passers like Herrera and Carrick. Van Gaal wanted both and came unstuck.

It’s a nice idea to play ‘long ball football’ within a passing game, it’s a nice touch to try to incorporate directness within a sophisticated system, an attractive system. But Van Gaal should stick to his guns.

Next season we might still see Fellaini up front, but with the arrival of Memphis Depay there’s more pace and explosivity on its way to Old Trafford, and that might just be a sign that Van Gaal is changing his mind again.

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According to the Daily Mail, Stoke City will battle Southampton for the signature of Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

It is understood that Sturridge is desperate to quit Liverpool next month as he targets regular football, and Southampton have been strongly linked with a move for the forward.

It is believed that the Reds would be prepared to sell for £25m next month, and according to the Daily Mail, Stoke boss Mark Hughes is ready to rival Southampton.

Sturridge, who only has 18 months remaining on his contract at Anfield, needs regular football in the second half of the campaign to stand a chance of making the England squad for the 2018 World Cup.

Spanish duo Valencia and Sevilla have also both been linked with the 28-year-old, but it seems that the forward wants to remain in the Premier League.

Why does Sturridge want to leave Liverpool?

It is quite simple – a lack of first-team football. Sturridge’s record of 63 goals in 133 appearances for Liverpool is extremely good, but the striker’s fitness problems mean that he has struggled to completely win the trust of head coach Jurgen Klopp.

Sturridge has made 14 appearances in all competitions this season, but has started just five Premier League matches with Roberto Firmino and seemingly Dominic Solanke both ahead of him when it comes to the centre-forward position.

If the striker is to win a spot in the England squad for next summer’s World Cup, he simply has to be playing and indeed scoring in the second half of the campaign.

A fit and confident Sturridge would be an asset for any team in the Premier League, and it is not a surprise that there are clubs battling for his signature.

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Southampton were the first team to show their hand, but it appears that Stoke are ready to battle for the Liverpool forward, who is valued at £18m by transfermarkt.co.uk, next month.

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As a collective, Manchester United didn’t have to go through too many gears last night as they recorded a relatively routine 3-0 victory over Stoke City.

Although the manager-less Potters created a few dangerous moments in the first half, it proved to be a largely comfortable ninety minutes for the Red Devils in which David De Gea was rarely tested and their control of the game rarely relented.

That, however, owes much to perhaps the only United player who brought something more to the game than simply a consistent performance against relegation-threatened opposition at home – much-debated midfielder Paul Pogba.

At the end of December, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, who certainly knows a thing or two about wreaking havoc in the engine room, declared that the Frenchman isn’t capable of being a match-winner and even accused him of strolling through games.

“Where is the Paul Pogba we saw at Juventus? He was all over the pitch, he was battling, he was tackling, he was sprinting to people, he was scoring goals from 25 yards out.

“He is just strolling through games. Pogba doesn’t look fit. I wonder whether he is training properly. He does not look like a player who will win you games and that is what you pay £90m for.”

But that certainly wasn’t the case last night, when we saw a real sense of urgency, ruthlessness and aggression to the 49-cap international’s game, especially when on the ball. In fact, no player touched the ball more times than Pogba, no player completed more dribbles and no player created more chances – including the two assists for the Red Devils’ opening goals.

And despite that clear directness to Pogba’s play, the midfielder still completed 91% of his passes in what was genuine passing masterclass from the United star.

These weren’t necessarily the types of games Scholes was talking about last month; Manchester United will always expect to beat a side in the relegation zone without a manager, especially at Old Trafford and with their best players available.

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But it’s certainly not the first time we’ve seen that kind of passing display from Pogba this season and the former Juventus man is starting to deliver them on a far more consistent basis. If he’s not an out-and-out match-winner at this point, as Scholes argues, he’s currently the closest thing United have to one.

The future of Riyad Mahrez is dominating the transfer gossip pages on deadline day, with the Leicester City star reportedly determined to leave the club before the midnight cut-off time.

According to BBC Sport, the Algerian international handed in a transfer request on Tuesday after Manchester City tabled a £50m offer to sign the playmaker.

The media outlet has since reported that the Premier League leaders have abandoned their pursuit due to Leicester’s asking price, which amounted to £95m in a player-plus-cash arrangement.

With City now seemingly out of the race, attention has turned to other top-flight clubs who may be interested in the 26-year-old’s services.

Over the last few weeks and months, Tottenham Hotspur have been placed in that category.

In the last couple of hours, speculation fuelled when former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand claimed in his Instagram story that he had just seen Mahrez in the car park at Wembley.

The retired footballer is at the ground to carry out punditry duties for BT Sport in the broadcaster’s coverage of this evening’s league encounter between Tottenham and Manchester United.

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There is a very big chance that the 39-year-old was just joking and trying to tease football fans, but his social media claims have certainly got Spurs fans talking.

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As reported by The Daily Mail, Newcastle United are considering making a loan move for Borussia Dortmund attacker Andre Schurrle this January.

What’s the story?

Schurrle has found himself on the fringes of the Borussia Dortmund first team this season, making just six Bundesliga appearances and struggling with injuries throughout.

The Daily Mail report that Borussia Dortmund are ready to offer him on loan to English Premier League sides this month and are even willing to pay half of his £150,000-a-week wages.

The paper say that Newcastle and Stoke City are interested in such a move, with both clubs looking for fresh options in attack in the second half of the season.

Can he be the man that revitalises Rafa Benitez’s threadbare Newcastle squad?

What can he offer?

As reported by The Mail, Schurrle moved to Borussia Dortmund from Wolfsburg for £25m in 2016 on a five-year deal but thus far has failed to live up to his billing as an elite talent in German football.

With just five goals and six assists in a season and a half in all competitions, Dortmund fans would probably have been expecting more from such a high profile deal.

However, he still has plenty to offer a side like Newcastle, who aren’t exactly blessed with lots of options in attack at the moment.

With the versatility to play on either flank or through the middle in attack, he could perform a variety of roles for Rafa Benitez and during his time at other German clubs and for the national team has proven he can find the net on a consistent basis.

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He of course has Premier League experience with Chelsea too, meaning he wouldn’t find it too hard to blend in mid-season.

On loan, signing him would be a relatively low risk move and if he hits top form he could be an excellent addition indeed.

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As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers have opened talks with James Tavernier over extending his current contract at Ibrox, which runs out in 2019.

What’s the story?

Rangers’ recruitment appears to have turned a corner in recent months with fans delighted at their January business and finally hopeful of the future under manager Graeme Murty.

Just as important though is retaining their key stars, with contracts for a number of first team players expiring either this summer or next.

One of those players is James Tavernier, whose current contract runs out in 2019.

Rangers though appear to be pro-active in keeping him at the club with boss Murty revealing that they have opened contract talks with the player, who is rated as worth £585,000 by Transfermarkt.

As quoted by The Scottish Sun, the Rangers manager said:

There are ongoing discussions with James. As far as I am aware he loves it here. I actually had a chat with him about full backs in England and the manner in which they approach training and their life. I personally think he is the best right back in the country. He possesses physical and technical attributes of the highest standard. We have to then get the rest of him up to that standard. If we do that then even though we are discussing a contract with him now, his aims could be fulfilled by him maximising what he does

Clearly Murty is a fan, but just how important is keeping him at the club?

What does he offer the team?

There’s no doubting that there are question marks at times about Tavernier’s ability to defend under pressure. His positioning and lack of discipline has been a real issue at Rangers from day one. That’s likely the ‘rest of him’ that needs improving according to Graeme Murty.

However, Murty is also correct to assert how vital he is to Rangers, with his attacking efforts on the right flank often the side’s main outlet to get the ball forward and create chances in the final third.

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With the arrival of Declan John, Rangers now have two excellent attacking full-backs at Scottish Premiership level.

At 26 years of age, a new contract would ensure Tavernier is at the club for his peak years as a footballer and protects his transfer value too. It’s something that should be and clearly is a priority for the Light Blues in the coming months.

Reports on Wednesday have confirmed that Achraf Lazaar will cut his loan spell with Benevento short and return to Newcastle United.

Conflicting stories have emerged, with some media sources suggesting that his current club Benevento had frozen him out of first team proceedings in Italy. However, these sources then retracted this claim, suggesting that the arrival of Bacary Sagna at Serie A’s bottom club means that Lazaar is surplus to requirements.

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Signed in the summer of 2016 by Rafael Benitez, Lazaar failed to make any impact during his first season on Tyneside. Appearing just four times from the bench in the league during Newcastle’s Championship winning campaign, the Moroccan struggled to impress his manager or the fans.

However, if reports are to be believed, the 26-year-old may be given a second chance at St James’ Park upon his imminent return.

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After hearing the news, Newcastle fans took to Twitter to express their thoughts on Lazaar’s homecoming…

Tottenham Hotspur moved back into the Champions League qualification spots in the Premier League on Sunday as they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park, with Chelsea slipping out of the top four after they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The result was a big boost for Spurs and manager Mauricio Pochettino ahead of a huge week in which they face three crucial home fixtures against Rochdale in a fifth round FA Cup replay, Huddersfield Town in the top flight and then Juventus in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.

Even though the north London outfit finished third in the 2015/16 campaign and then second last term, finishing in fourth would be seen as a success for the club this time around seeing as they have been playing at Wembley while their new stadium is being built, combined with their exertions in Europe’s elite club competition.

Pochettino continues to deservedly get praise from neutrals and pundits alike for keeping Spurs performing at this level, and by this time next week they could find themselves in the both the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League, as well as cementing their spot in the top four in the Premier League and keeping the pressure up on second-place Manchester United, who lie just two points above them.

If that happens then the Argentine boss will once again be the subject of kind words from many different angles, but there is one aspect of his managerial career where he is perhaps coming up short right now, and that is in the transfer market.

Given Pochettino’s influence at Tottenham it seems right to assume that he has a big say in who the club signs, and while there has certainly been some success stories with the likes of Dele Alli and Toby Alderweireld, there have also been many disappointing ones too.

In the summer of 2016, Vincent Janssen was brought to the club to provide competition for Harry Kane, but he often disappointed on the pitch and failed to make a big impression even when he started matches with the England international injured.

Spurs may have won the title if they had the 29-goal Kane instead of Janssen for those eight Premier League matches he sat out, with the north London outfit amassing 86 points and only finishing seven adrift of Chelsea.

Moussa Sissoko also arrived in the same summer as Janssen for £30m from Newcastle United, and it seemed a strange move even though he was a France international having far too often failed to make much of an impact for a Magpies side that was relegated.

The midfielder is still yet to make an impact or start regularly for Tottenham, although he has improved slightly this term following a nightmare debut campaign in which he was often mocked for his performances by his own supporters.

The 28-year-old didn’t score his first Spurs goal until September, and he only has two in 70 appearances in total for Pochettino’s side.

Things didn’t get much better for the north London club and Pochettino during the previous summer transfer window either with the arrivals of Serge Aurier from Paris Saint-Germain and Fernando Llorente from Swansea City – Janssen’s short-term replacement.

While Davinson Sanchez has largely been a success aside from a handful of poor displays, the jury is very much still out on Llorente and Aurier.

The former doesn’t appear to fit into Tottenham’s style of play with the 6ft 5in striker’s main strength being that he is useful in the air in the penalty area – as he showed with Swansea last season – and he only has two goals in 26 appearances in all competitions this term.

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While many of his outings have come from the substitutes’ bench, he has failed to score in four starts in the FA Cup against AFC Wimbledon, Newport County and Rochdale, failing to make too much of an impact in any of those fixtures despite his experience.

Meanwhile, Aurier has shown glimpses that he could be a good addition, but he has also often shown himself to be a liability.

The penalty he gave away when his team were trailing 2-0 against Juventus was clumsy and naïve – luckily Gonzalo Higuain failed to convert it – while he produced three foul throws and missed a glorious chance to score in the 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at the weekend.

If Tottenham are going to make it to the next level they need to get things right in the transfer market, and Spurs and the Argentine manager will hope that the January addition of Lucas Moura gets them back on track in terms of new signings, as it is one of the few negative points on Pochettino’s CV right now.

Gaetano Berardi has slammed Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani for his harsh criticism of the Leeds players.

Leeds right back Berardi told reporters today that the players “don’t care” about the criticism they’ve taken from the Leeds owner.

Radrizzani bashed the players’ “commitment, passion and spirit” on TalkSport earlier this week, after last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Reading. The result at Reading stopped the rot after two straight 3-0 defeats, but nonetheless Radrizzani was clearly disappointed by his team’s effort.

Speaking at the press conference before Leeds’ clash with Sheffield Wednesday this Saturday, Berardi said the players ignore what the owner says and are giving their best to fix their mistakes.

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While we don’t all share the luxury of openly admitting we ignore our boss, most fans are backing up Berardi after the comments.

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The Italian full back moved to Elland Road from Sampdoria in 2014, and while his quality is not always top of the pile his effort can rarely be questioned.

Fans have been reacting to the comments on Twitter, and there are certainly more siding with Berardi than Radrizzani. Some of the best reactions can be found below…

Newcastle United fans have been keeping a close eye on Aleksandar Mitrovic ever since he made the move to Fulham in January.

The North-East outfit offloaded the Serbian to Craven Cottage on loan until the end of the season.

The transfer was not a huge surprise given that he had played just seven matches in the first half of the season under manager Rafael Benitez.

Although, some fans were disappointed by the decision to let him go as they felt he deserved more of a chance.

Those supporters may feel even worse about the decision given that Mitrovic has been performing well in the Championship.

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The forward has netted seven goals in eight matches, helping the Cottagers in their campaign for Premier League promotion.

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According to the Chronicle, Rafael Benitez has not ruled out keeping Mitrovic at the club for next season once his loan at Fulham comes to an end.

Now the fans have had their say, and the view is very mixed.