If Aston Villa really are to propel themselves straight back into the Premier League next season following their embarrassing relegation, finding a suitable manager is vital.

Former Villa star Paul Merson believes securing a new man at the helm must be their ‘biggest signing’ of the summer, and must think ‘long and hard’ about who will be Remi Garde’s successor after the Frenchman was sacked at the end of March this year.

After Martin O’Neill departed from the club in 2010 – having guided his side to three consecutive 6th place finishes in the Premier League – the powers that be at Aston Villa have struggled to find a worthy replacement for the Northern Irishman.

The club’s success has spiralled downward in the years since, and Villa have narrowly escaped relegation in the previous four Premier League seasons before inevitable relegation this term, finishing 16th, 15th, 15th and 17th respectively.

How such an historic club with a proven record of winning can go from fourth place challengers to bottom of the table in a mere few years is a question only the club itself can answer.

The problem certainly lies deeper than merely the players or the manager, but ensuring the right people are at the club is one step in the right direction.

Here are five men who could take the reigns at Villa at launch them back into the top division next season…

David Moyes

Currently unemployed, the Scotsman looks a smart choice for Villa if they want to bring in a manager with vast experience in the English game.

Moyes was highly praised for what he did with his Everton side during his decade long tenure at the club, where he guided the Toffee’s to continual top half finishes, including a top four spot in 2004/05.

Having also managed Preston and, more memorably Manchester United in England, Moyes could take to Villa like a duck to water.

The same cannot be said about his brief spell in Spain however, where he was sacked by Real Sociedad after less than a month in charge.

Sean Dyche

While it is unlikely Dyche will leave his newly promoted Burnley side, there is no denying the Englishman would be a perfect fit for an out of sorts Aston Villa.

Dyche’s record of gaining promotion not only as a manager, but as a player too, is quite astounding. As a player, he won promotion with four of his clubs, including Northampton Town and Watford.

As a manager, he has no guided Burnley twice to promotion from the Championship since taking over from Eddie Howe in 2012, and has proven he knows what it takes to get out of a very competitive league.

Martin O’Neill

Why fix something if it is not broken? That is what Aston Villa should be asking themselves after having parted ways with O’Neill back in 2010.

Randy Lerner had deemed that O’Neill and the club were going in ‘different directions’ and that that neither could come to a consensus on the correct way to take Aston Villa forward following his successful spell.

The now Republic of Ireland manager has gone on to help his side qualify for Euro 2016, while Villa find themselves rock bottom of the league with Championship football to look forward to next season.

A return after the competition could be on the cards, providing the Northern Irishman and Lerner can see eye-to-eye.

Nigel Pearson

Many thought Pearson’s sacking from Leicester was unjust after a late surge had kept his side in the Premier League during their first season back in the top division.

In hindsight, it was probably the right call, but that is not to discredit what the Englishman has achieved at the Foxes, as well as his previous clubs Southampton and Hull.

The 52-year-old had guided Leicester from League One to the Championship in 2009, which was followed by a brief spell at Hull City before he returned to the Midlands to earn the Foxes a Premier League place by winning the Championship.

With plenty of experience under his belt, Pearson could be just the ostrich/man, to guide Villa back up the Premier League.

Dwight Yorke

Former Villa striker Yorke has publicly announced his desire to get into management and his wish to steer Aston Villa back in the right direction by taking the vacant position at Villa Park.

Whilst he has no real previous management experience (besides being assistant manager for the Trinidad and Tobago national side), some fresh blood from a cult hero could spark some life into the club’s revival attempts.

It would certainly be a risk, but Yorke has played in and been promoted from the Championship before with former club Sunderland, so he must know a thing or two.

Wales have never been likely candidates to join the world’s footballing elite, and how could they be?

With a significantly smaller player pool to choose from than their rivals England, and most other countries, the fact that the team qualified for this year’s European Championship is phenomenal and great for football in general.

Wales, under Chris Coleman have exceeded expectations and qualified from a group that included one of FIFA’s leading teams – Belgium. In fact with a win at home and a draw away, the Welsh held their own impressively against the No.2 ranked side and finished second in the qualifying round, losing only once.

A huge part of their play is centred around the talismanic Gareth Bale. Although not a possession football side, Coleman has made Wales hard to beat and quick on the counter attack.

But it’s Bale’s dribbling, his running at defences, his goals and the trickery on the ball that he produces with seeming ease is pivotal to all that Wales do in and around the opponents penalty box.

Against Sweden, the Welsh were undone and were pushed aside by a stronger side. As their first and last warm-up game, the damage this result has done is unthinkable. From riding into the tournament on a high and hoping to outsmart the rival teams with their virtual anonymity, they now go into the competition after a sound kicking that has possibly left some doubts in their minds. Even Coleman chose his words carefully rather than attack his team on the eve of the finals.

Gareth Bale didn’t appear until the 64th minute that night after an eight month absence. After a gruelling Champions League final, Coleman decided to rest the Real Madrid man, while the Wales team that night wasn’t the strongest available, with or without Bale.

The 26-year-old gives so much attacking nous to the Welsh and once he entered the fray, the Dragons looked a threat going forward and for the first time in the game they started to attack with a bit of purpose. But they seem lost without him.

In qualifying, Wales scored just eleven goals, with Bale netting nine of them. Coleman generally starts with Hal Robson-Kanu in front of Ramsey and Bale. Sam Vokes, Simon Church and Robson-Kanu do all have differing strengths and can certainly help Bale or Ramsey deliver the incisive blows, but Coleman must know that they are unlikely to conjure many match-winning moments themselves.

“People always ask me about Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey and I understand that,” said Coleman. “But, from my point of view, Sam Vokes and Simon Church never fail to be here and are playing very well.”

The Welsh aren’t blessed with strength and depth, and are over reliant on certain players – in particular Ramsay and Bale. Many of the squad have had to learn fast after being fast-tracked to the senior national ranks and players like Ramsay already have a vast number of caps at tender ages.

This Wales side certainly contains decent players who generally have had fine seasons. James Collins for West Ham, Simon Church for Aberdeen and Ashley Williams, who is a very good defender, being just three. It is obvious that they will need to keep Bale fit, but generally without him, Wales are not the same side and do not have the players to bring in to deputise.

Wales could surprise many this summer and with the new format, where the four best-ranked third placed teams from the group stages could progress to the last 16, it is possible for them to go further than anyone imagined.

As Chris Coleman said though: “We have to be careful as well what message we send to everyone else in the squad. Everyone wants to talks about Bale and Rambo, I understand that, they are great players, but I promise we didn’t qualify because of two players. They were of course a huge help but the others players who have been involved in the last two years have been magnificent. When they have been with us, in the challenge with us, we couldn’t ask for more.”

Wales without Bale? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that…

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Never believe what you read. Isn’t that what they say?

In the case of Manchester United, that is certainly true over David de Gea. With the arrival of the Portugese boss, De Gea expressed his desire to stay after last summer’s transfer debacle.

Real Madrid had the chance to activate a release clause in the Spaniard’s contract, but rejected it before the Euro’s despite remaining interested in the Manchester United goalkeeper, according to reports in Spain.

His release clause stands at €50m and although the claims are that De Gea wants to play under Mourinho, there is still a burning desire within the player to play for Real Madrid.

Contracts or not, we all know that they are not worth the paper they are written on these days, as contracts only protect the club.

So, if De Gea left for Real, who might Jose consider as his replacement? Here are five likely candidates…

Kasper Schmeichel

Wouldn’t that be a fairytale for the Schmeichel family?

With his father being one of the all time Old Trafford greats, younger Schmeichel would have a lot to live up to, but after having a taste as a champion and being a full Denmark international, the Leicester keeper is an experienced option.

Leicester will be loathe to give up their number one and are aiming to talk to the Dane about extending his contract, but money talks and the 29-year-old could be swayed by the salary on offer and emulating his father.

Rui Patricio

If you can’t keep a Spaniard, replace with him with one of your own, and that’s what Mourinho could do with Portuguese keeper Patricio.

Part of the Euro 2016 winning Portugal side, the 28-year-old has spent most of his career with Sporting, making his debut with the first team at only 18-years-old and going on to appear in more than 350 games.

Jan Oblak

The Atletico Madrid keeper became the eighth most expensive goalkeeper ever when he moved two years ago from Benfica for €16m.

Only once in his 41 appearances for Atlético has Oblak conceded more than two goals. Even under bombardment from Bayern Munich’s heavy artillery in the Champions League, the Slovenian won every aerial duel and contributed seven saves, including his decisive reflex reaction to Thomas Muller’s penalty.

Hugo Lloris

The Spurs keeper may not at want to move north when his current team are going to be competing in the Champions League, but when a club like Manchester United come calling, with a manager like Mourinho, you take notice.

The France international is a sound enough keeper and would be a superb addition to the squad. Already well versed in how the Premier League works and its pressures, Mourinho could do worse than lure the 29-year-old to Old Trafford.

Bernd Leno

Leno was one of the goalkeepers that Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp was reportedly monitoring before he signed Karius.

The 24-year-old Bayer Leverkusen shot stopper has also been watched by other Premier League clubs and is currently Manuel Neuer’s understudy for Germany.

His contract had a get-out clause of £12.5million, which expired on April 30, so now Leverkusen could more than double their asking price.

It is rumoured Leno wants to quit Leverkusen because of disagreements with coach Roger Schmidt and is another solid shout for the Man United manager.

Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side were one of the success stories of the 2015/16 campaign. Despite struggling a little towards the end of the season, their attacking brand of football won over neutrals as they survived the drop with relative ease. The club is a great tale of recovery itself and their team, which has no standout big names, is one of the most entertaining to watch in the Premier League.

Signings this summer have been shrewd. The addition of Jordon Ibe is the undoubted highlight, the former Liverpool winger adding yet more pace to a terrifyingly quick Cherries front line.

However, Bournemouth fans would be forgiven if they were wanting a couple of more additions before the window slams shut (feel free to add another cliche here).

As any great transfer guru will tell you, the best way to strengthen your own chances is to simultaneously weaken your opponents as well. Bournemouth could do this with these THREE signings…

Scott Dann

From being one of the most applauded centre-backss in the league to the defensive leader of a sinking ship, Scott Dann endured a rather up and down time with Crystal Palace last season. Alan Pardew’s team suffered a pretty abysmal second half of the campaign, which could see Dann push for a move.

Bournemouth’s defence has largely been a little shaky since they arrived in the Premier League, with Howe focusing on the other end of the pitch much of the time.

Steve Cook and Simon Francis have not been at fault as regularly as some may wish to tell you, but the addition of a player of Dann’s calibre would certainly reinforce the backline.

James McCarthy

McCarthy saw his form dip horribly under Roberto Martinez and the arrival of Idrissa Gueye at Everton suggests the Irishman could be heading towards the exit door.

If he is available for a reasonable price, McCarthy would be an excellent addition to Howe’s midfield. The promising, but inexperienced, Lewis Cook, the classy Andrew Surman and hard-working Harry Arter started the Cherries’ opening game of the season and suffered against a strong-looking Manchester United side.

If McCarthy could return to his form of a couple of years ago, he would add necessary steel to the Bournemouth midfield and allow the front three yet more freedom to attack.

Saido Berahino

While other clubs continue to dither around Berahino, Bournemouth still have the opportunity to swoop for a player of great potential. Although their striking ranks are pretty well stocked at the moment, Berahino could slot in anywhere across their front three and would add yet more potency.

Natural finishing is a rare gift and Berahino possesses it – that alone makes him worth the investment. With just the one year left on his contract, too, it is a temptation for clubs to move for the Baggies star and Bournemouth should be one of the clubs considering this.

Callum Wilson and Benik Afobe may not be too chuffed at the arrival of another forward, but Berahino would give Howe yet more attacking options and significantly weaken West Brom.

What’s the story?

Tuttosport in Italy are of the opinion that Torino’s on-loan goalkeeper, a certain Joe Hart, may be open to prolonging his stay in Turin after a fairly promising start to life in Italy.

The England number 1 saw his position at Manchester City as their main ‘keeper taken by summer signing Claudio Bravo, so Hart decided a move to Serie A would be best for his career.

Torino are currently 10th in Serie A after a 3-1 victory over Roma last weekend and Hart appears to be enjoying his time there.

Would it be worth it?

There’s no doubt that Joe Hart is a top ‘keeper on his day, so he’d be more than welcome at many sides in Europe – Torino included. He’s playing games and enjoying his football which he wouldn’t have been doing if he’d stayed at City this season so in this instance, yes, it is worth it.

There are, arguably, more negatives to him staying at Torino for longer. For all Torino’s history and promising youngsters, they are still some way off of challenging regularly at the top of Serie A and in Europe. The same can be said for most Italian clubs, but if Hart does want to stay in Italy, he’d be better off playing for Inter Milan or Napoli who are at least there or thereabouts.

Furthermore, he needs to seriously consider his England future. With him not playing at the cutting edge of any division, is he going to be challenged more by the likes of Fraser Forster? When at City, he seemed to have that number 1 spot in the national team nailed down, but that looks a little more in doubt now and he’ll certainly have to consider it during the next international break.

Ultimately, it’s Hart’s decision if he stays on in Turin or looks elsewhere – if City isn’t an option. But for a player of his ability, he should be looking at some of the top clubs challenging in Europe right now.

When Jurgen Klopp asked people to think of him as ‘The Normal One’ on his first day as Liverpool manager the tone was set.The German is a lot of things, and ‘normal’ is not one of them! He may approach his position with an aura of being a relaxed man having the time of his life, but there is a whole lot more going on behind those trademark spectacles.We’re now 365 days into ‘Klopp-Mania’ on Merseyside, and the hype of October 8 2015 doesn’t even look close to dying down. There have been some lows over the last year, but the scintillating highs have far outweighed them, with Reds fans viewing their team’s manager as a messiah.It’s not just Kopites that love him, even the most ardent of Manchester United or Everton supporters are likely to crack a little smile during one of his post-match interviews or when he really lets loose while celebrating on the touchline… they may not admit that, though, obviously!With the charismatic coach celebrating his first anniversary as Liverpool boss, we thought it would be a great moment to look back at the journey so far, and here are the pictures that truly sum it up…

First day on the job…

From the very first day, the Klopp era felt different to the years preceding it. The German oozed cool as he strutted around Anfield, with this shot of him flanked by chairman Tom Werner and chief executive Ian Ayre the one that, for us, sums it up. Jeans and a blazer is in danger of being Jeremy Clarkson, but his infectious smile carried it off, and rather like the rest of his Liverpool career to date he was unorthodox, lovable and classy.

‘The Normal One’ downs ‘The Special One’…

It was third time lucky for Klopp, who secured his first win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. A 0-0 draw at Spurs and a 1-1 at home to Southampton – Sadio Mane scored a late equaliser – were in danger of de-railing the momentum, but a vulnerable Jose Mourinho provided the ideal opponent and Liverpool secured a 3-1 win with two Philippe Coutinho goals – the first (an equaliser) coming deep into first-half stoppage time – and a Christian Benteke effort.

The (sky)blueprint…

To this day the 1-4 win at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium is held up as the blueprint of Klopp’s Liverpool. The Reds pressed like a swarm of bees that Saturday evening and fully deserved their win. The match will also be remembered for Roberto Firmino’s first Liverpool goal – he’s been a key component of Klopp’s team.

More than a celebration…

Rivals fans had a field day when Klopp took his players to celebrate a 2-2 draw (via a late equaliser) at home to West Brom in front of the Kop, but the gesture was about more than the result. This was, for us, the moment the German truly signified that the relationship between the players and the fans had to improve and came just a few weeks after he called out supporters for leaving early as they lost to Crystal Palace. Snide comments were aplenty, but this may be looked back on in years to come as one of the pivotal moments in Klopp’s Anfield career.

Feeling blue in Hertfordshire…

Perhaps the lowest ebb of Klopp’s Liverpool career to date came at Watford’s Vicarage Road. Despite having had a full week to prepare his team – a rarity given their Europa League responsibilities – the Reds were lethargic against Quique Sanchez Flores’ Hornets, who overpowered them physically and showed much more fight across the 90 minutes. Klopp’s dejected look after the game said it all, and it can be no coincidence that there have been few performances even close to being this poor since.

Wembley wobble…

While league form was patchy, Liverpool squeezed into the League Cup Final, where they faced Manchester City. After taking the game all the pay to penalty-kicks the Reds were unable to get over the line and secure Klopp’s first piece of silverware at the club, but the run – which included a 1-6 win at Southampton and a shootout victory over Stoke – demonstrated the quality and sheer determination being bred on Merseyside.

That night against Dortmund…

Written in the stars. Klopp just had to face Dortmund in his first season away from the club he’s so synonymous with, and the second leg at Anfield will forever be remembered as one of the great European evenings in Liverpool’s history. After drawing 1-1 in Germany, the Reds only needed a 0-0 at home to ease past the much-fancied Dortmund, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it 2-0 after just 10 minutes. All hope was gone.

Divock Origi restored some belief on 48 minutes, but Marco Reus quickly made it 3-1, leaving Liverpool chasing three goals with half an hour to play. They, of course, did it, with Dejan Lovren’s injury-time headed winner celebrated wildly on the touchline at Anfield.

Europa League heartbreak…

The Dortmund saga and the following double-header against Villarreal afforded Liverpool a second shot at a trophy of the season against Sevilla in the Europa League Final. Widely fancied, the Reds took the lead through Daniel Sturridge, but a second-half collapse saw the Spaniards win 3-1.

Klopp’s walk towards the tunnel at the end of the game remains one of the more poignant images of his first season.

Piggybacks at the Emirates…

2016/17 is still in its infancy, but the big moments have already come thick and fast for Liverpool and Klopp, including an opening day 3-4 at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. One of the German’s summer signings, Sadio Mane, scored what turned out to be the winner, and the picture of him leaping on his manager’s back on the touchline is a special one.

Premier League title?

Could 2016/17 be the year for Liverpool? Crazier things have happened, and we don’t have to look back far to remember them…

We often think of Premier League stars as impervious to outside influences. After all, why are they being paid the net worth of Namibia on a weekly basis if they can’t keep themselves fully focused for a mere ninety minutes on Saturday?

Yet, there’s one factor even the best in the business can’t seem to consistently overcome – playing at home or away. Home advantage isn’t what it used to be, amid the era of lightening-paced counter-attacks, but footballers inevitably feel more comfortable in familiar surroundings, playing in front of the safety net of their own support.

With that in mind, Football FanCast have been mulling through the Premier League’s top ten performers at home this season, aided by our good mates at Whoscored, and made some very intriguing discoveries.

Filled with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United stars, with a few shocks along the way, we take a look at the Premier League’s top ten home birds…

10. Joe Allen

Despite the Potters’ slow start to the season, Joe Allen has emerged as one of the shrewdest buys of the summer – arriving from Liverpool at a cost of just £13million.

And far from his often passive Anfield displays, the Wales midfielder has bagged three goals in his first four appearances at the Bet365 Stadium, whilst averaging 4.5 tackles and 2.3 created chances per match.

9. Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool have been nothing short of dominant at home this season and Philippe Coutinho has certainly felt the benefits, notching up two goals and one assist in four Anfield outings this term – only three being starts.

The Brazilian has impressed on the road too, producing the same output in five appearances.

8. Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling’s found a new lease of life under Pep Guardiola, bagging three goals and one assist in five outings at the Etihad Stadium.

He’s also averaged the most dribbles per home appearance of any Premier League player – a staggering five.

7. Junior Stanislas

Junior Stanislas’ last two appearances have propelled him to seventh in the Premier League’s home performance charts.

The speedy winger netted the winner against Everton in September and two weekends ago popped up with a brace and an assist in a 6-1 demolition of Hull City.

6. Sadio Mane

The second of three Liverpool stars on this list, Sadio Mane’s Reds career has got off to a flyer. He’s been effective on the road as well but his home form has really stood out, providing three goals and two assists in four Anfiled outings.

That includes one strike and one set-up in a Man of the Match display against West Brom last weekend.

5. Dimitri Payet

West Ham have endured a tough start to life at the London Stadium, but talismanic midfielder Dimitri Payet appears to be enjoying his new surroundings.

In addition to claiming one goal and three assists in east London, he ranks first for created chances, fifth for efforts at goal and fifth for successful dribbles at home throughout the Premier League.

4. Paul Pogba

The critics may be lambasting Manchester United for spending so much on Paul Pogba but Whoscored still value his contribution in the engine room – especially at home.

Indeed, despite scoring just one goal thus far, he’s averaged 2.5 created chances and four successful dribbles per match at Old Trafford – where Jose Mourinho’s boys have lost just once this season.

3. Steven Defour

Perhaps the unlikeliest member of our top ten, Steven Defour’s added real class to Burnley’s midfield.

Sean Dyche’s boys have struggled on the road this term but impressed in the safety of Turf Moor, where the Belgian playmaker has claimed one goal and three assists in four appearances.

2. Roberto Firmino

Finishing off our Liverpool three-piece, Roberto Firmino ranks in second place. Although he’s scored less goals than the aforementioned Mane, the Brazilian’s all-round contribution has been fantastic – averaging the most tackles per match at home, an impressive two, of any Premier League forward.

1. Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard’s still not quite reached the heights of 2014/15 but he’s rediscovered his groove at Stamford Bridge, topping the Premier League’s home charts with four goals in five appearances.

Curiously, all of the Belgium winger’s league strikes have come at home this term, whilst he’s still waiting on his first assist of the campaign.

It hasn’t quite been the season so far that Tottenham Hotspur fans would have hoped it would be and whilst they can still boast being the only unbeaten side remaining in the Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have a lot of work to do.

Spurs have saved their woes for the European stage, losing both matches at their temporary home ground Wembley, and it’s left the Lilywhites looking down the barrel of the gun and facing an early exit from Europe’s elite competition.

Tuesday night’s trip to Monaco will play a major factor in deciding the fate of Spurs and a defeat could leave them out of the competition- but that’s what Tottenham fans should be hoping for if they are to get their season back on track.

Whilst it’s a questionable view, we’ve identified three key reasons why Spurs fans should pray for a defeat in their next Champions League tie…

No midweek distractions

Tottenham have clearly struggled to cope with the demands of playing Champions League football in midweek and Premier League games at the weekend, so an exit from European competitions entirely would be the safest best for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

The Europa League is infamous for messing with a club’s schedule, which means Spurs should look to avoid a third-place finish in the group, but an exit from Europe entirely would really benefit a Spurs squad which is struggling to compete.

Spurs depth isn’t good enough in truth and their key-players haven’t been able to shine in the scheduling, so Pochettino’s side should focus on the long-term.

Focus on the title race

As it stands, Tottenham Hotspur are still within the title race but only by a whisker. They came from behind to secure points against Arsenal and West Ham United but, had they lost those games, the Lilywhites would have had their dreams of title success shattered.

Don’t get us wrong, there is still a lot of work to do if Spurs are to win the Premier League but Liverpool and Chelsea have both shone without European distractions, enabling both sides to lead an impressive charge towards glory.

If Spurs can do the same, then they’ll have a distinct advantage over the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Find some consistency

Tottenham’s main issue this season has been finding consistency, despite the fact that they’re unbeaten in the Premier League. Saturday’s win over West Ham was only their second in their last nine matches in all competitions, which isn’t a record to be proud of.

Spurs had form in September but have struggled since and the build-up of matches heading into the festive season presents a crucial test for Spurs. Pochettino’s side face Chelsea, Manchester United and Southampton before the turn of the year, in a run of games which could define their season.

With the race for the title and European football being incredibly tight, Spurs should sacrifice European ambitions to secure their spot in the competition next term- otherwise they could end-up losing their key-players.

Another bad result for Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United side on Sunday means that the Old Trafford outfit are now a massive nine points adrift of Champions League qualification in the Premier League.

Perhaps then Mourinho’s Christmas shopping needs to be more effective than most of his rivals’. While we’re buying mulled wine and oven food that’s bad for us, the Man United boss will be busy writing up a list that he can take to his bosses to convince them to spend more money.

Paul Pogba’s record breaking transfer hasn’t been enough to turn Man United’s fortunes around alone this season and more work has to be done to fix a squad that is actually performing worse now than it was this time last season under Louis van Gaal.

So what’s the answer? And what areas of the squad should Manchester United spend money on?

These are our FIVE priorities that we think must be on Mourinho’s Xmas list heading into January…

Get a partner for Pogba

Pogba has gone some way to living up to his price-tag already this season. At times looking like the only United player worth anything, he’s tried his best to bring his team on to new heights.

Mourinho has struggled to find a settled partner for him all season, though, with Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera not quite doing the job required and Marouane Fellaini looking rather shambolic when he’s featured.

A defensive midfielder of genuine quality would do wonders for Pogba and give him the license to stamp his authority on matches to an even greater degree than he already has. With the likes of John Obi Mikel linked with the club last week, it’s clear this is an area Mourinho is looking at.

Look for a star central defender

Manchester United are not only scoring less frequently than their top four competitors, they’re also shipping more goals – only Liverpool have conceded more than them in the Premier League this season and Klopp’s side are monstrously clinical at the other end.

Mourinho needs a leader in that backline, someone who’s going to galvanise his defence and guide them through adversity.

With the Man United boss in reportedly in for defenders like Jose Fonte this January, that player may not be far away.

An alternative to Ibrahimovic

There’s no doubting that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proven himself to be every bit the player everyone thought he could be at Old Trafford. With twelve goals and two assists in 21 appearances, he’s been by far United’s most effective attacking player.

At 35-years-old though, he isn’t getting any younger and should he get injured, United really have no orthodox striker in the same vein as the skilful target man.

Forwards like Wayne Rooney, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have all been deployed in wide or attacking midfield areas and likely wouldn’t fit into the system currently deployed by Mourinho.

United are taking a big risk relying on ‘Ibra’ as their sole striker and it’s a risk that should be mitigated by bringing in a player that can hit the ground running should the worst happen.

More ability in wide areas

Part of United’s problems this season has been their lack of creativity in wide areas. The likes of Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford aren’t really getting the job done and lack the experience to be relied upon consistently.

Depending on Juan Mata to deputise on the right is a problem too given that he’s most effective when played through the middle.

Bringing in a winger of genuine quality could add a different dimension to United’s attack and really unleash the finishing ability of Zlatan, Rooney and co.

Get rid of the deadwood

Man United have a lot of high profile and highly paid players that aren’t getting a game under Jose Mourinho – Morgan Schneiderlin, Ashley Young, Memphis Depay, Phil Jones and Michael Carrick all have under five Premier League appearances so far this season.

Moving these players on would not only be financially beneficial but in terms of morale it could be the fresh start Mourinho needs to get his squad playing again. Signing two or three first-team players and getting rid of a similar amount could be the breath of fresh air that kick-starts United’s season.

Jose Mourinho has endured a mixed start to life as Manchester United boss. Currently still sitting in 6th position, the Old Trafford faithful would have undoubtedly preferred to be closer to challenging for the league title than they are.

They have improved massively over the last month. Had their patchy results continued, they’d have been cut well adrift of the Champions League positions due to the fantastic form of those above them.

To his credit, Mourinho has started to answer many of the questions from critics in recent weeks. He has Paul Pogba playing to the best of his ability, he’s sparked a resurgence in the performances of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and he continues to get the very best out of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

It was perhaps unfair in hindsight to think that Mourinho could come in and transform United off the bat. But what are the areas United must improve on?

Here are THREE things the Red Devils must do to have a more successful 2017…

Find more consistency

Before December, Man United had won three competitive games just once in the season. Their campaign has been littered with sloppy dropped points, frustrating draws and the occasional defeat.

If they can find the consistency that United teams are famous for, they’ll go on to become a force again in the Premier League. Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City have all strung together spells where they’ve won many games in a row.

Mourinho can’t afford many slip-ups in 2017 if they’re to get to where they want to be- back in the Champions League.

Get the best out of Bailly and Jones

For a time this season, Eric Bailly was one of the only United players that looked like capable of reaching top form on a consistent basis for the Red Devils. Since his injury, Phil Jones has stepped up to the plate and been the leading force in that United backline.

Bailly has since returned but wasn’t up to full fitness and limped off against Crystal Palace recently.

Marcos Rojo has looked capable in recent weeks but has had some rash moments and we’re not sure he’s the answer long-term for United.

If Mourinho can get the the Jones/Bailly partnership up and running properly, with both in good form together, United are going to be a much more formidable outfit.

Spend big in January

All of Jose Mourinho’s summer signings have made an impact on this United team, evidence enough that the Portuguese manager should be given another big budget in January to continue his revolution.

Where would United be without the likes of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

If United can add quality to defensive areas and some creative ability to the final third, they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.

Some competition for Ibrahimovic wouldn’t go amiss either. If he gets injured or falls out of form, they don’t really have a goalscorer ready to come in and hit the ground running.

The battles off the park in January may be even more important than on it for United’s long-term future.