A collection of Manchester United’s senior players have reportedly lost faith in manager Louis van Gaal and want the club to appoint Jose Mourinho, whose agent, Jorge Mendes, is said to have been contacted by Old Trafford officials.

While the Dutchman remains “well liked,” Ed Aarons and Jamie Jackson of the Guardian reported that in the wake of the team’s shock 2-1 loss to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday, an “influential faction” of the squad has lost confidence.

“Although there is a recognition those on the field must take their share of responsibility for uneven form—Thursday’s loss followed the 2-1 reverse at Sunderland on Saturday—Mourinho is seen as the man who can return the club to winning ways,” Aarons and Jackson noted.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News reported United have been in touch with Mendes, with concerns over reports linking Mourinho to the Inter Milan job: “M.E.N. Sport understands United touched base with Mendes to ascertain whether Mourinho is seriously considering a return to management at Internazionale.”

Aarons and Jackson reported that executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward “continues to deliberate over whether to sack Van Gaal,” although he is “conscious” Mourinho is likely to get offers from elsewhere while he remains a free agent. Indeed, Luckhurst noted the Portuguese will not “wait forever” for the job.

As we can see here, courtesy of BT Sport Football, although the Red Devils were abject for long spells against the Danish outfit, Van Gaal bemoaned poor fortune post-match:

United will play Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup on Monday, when they will be seeking to salvage something from what has been a disappointing campaign; they’re fifth in the Premier League—six points behind local rivals Manchester City, who occupy fourth—and now also face a fight to make it into the last 16 of the Europa League.

With Mourinho available and seemingly willing to take on the job, many are surprised the Dutchman remains at Old Trafford.

As we can see here, courtesy of the Manchester Evening News’ United Twitter feed, the local press feel as though the time is right for the club to ax Van Gaal:

The fans are fed up with the moribund football, the results are suffering and it seems as though key figures in the dressing room have finally given up on him, too. Regardless of whether Mourinho comes in now or at the end of the season, the time is right for Van Gaal to make way.

The prospect of working under the Portuguese is something that the players will understandably be keen on, given his track record of success and forming affinities with footballers. Whether he’s the right man in the long term is up for debate, but for the time being, Mourinho could give this illustrious football club the jolt it needs to compete at the top again.

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Without much debate: England is an attractive footballing destination. Possessing a passionate sporting culture, monetary advantage and traditional powerhouses—some comprising the world’s most popular domestic sporting competition—English clubs, namely those in the Premier League, are coveted entities.

Most would argue, however, about where Europe’s best football is played.

With France, Germany and Italy just behind, the usual argument boils down to England vs. Spain. The former is tenacious, while the latter is technical. One’s preference can sway them in either direction, but, viewed from the purist’s eyes—wanting to see Pele’s “beautiful game” enacted on a weekly, gamely basis—Spain is the likely choice.

Examining the rosters of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and several “lesser” institutions, one can find scores of Earth’s greatest active footballers in the Iberian Peninsula’s biggest league. With massive playing talent invariably comes massive managerial talent. A list would be too extensive, and while certainly not unique to Spain, some of the best tactical minds have graced Spanish touchlines.

Despite having the world’s best technical football and the globe’s two largest sports franchises (Real Madrid and Barcelona), a trend is presently occurring: Huge names aren’t going there, or are linked with leaving. Merely using Spain as the ultimate example, this trend is not limited to Spanish football.

Where are they going appears the next logical question, but it doesn’t matter where they go, at first, what matters is where they eventually arrive—not a riddle, promise. 

Take Pep Guardiola for instance. The Spanish manager left Barcelona in 2012, arguably in the midst of their greatest generation, to explore the proverbial greener grass. Is there more greener grass than what exists at the Camp Nou? Probably not, but Guardiola wanted to challenge himself elsewhere.

He chose Germany. Taking control of Jupp Heynckes’ 2012/13 treble-winning Bayern Munich side, the then-42-year-old has proceeded to win three domestic trophies—with another league title looking imminent this season.

Success, though, was not enough to keep Guardiola at the Allianz Arena; he and Bayern announced last December their three-year contract would not be renewed. Two months later, Guardiola revealed he was Manchester City manager, starting from 2016/17.

The now-45-year-old’s primary rival at Barcelona was Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho. Following silverware-laden stints at FC Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, the Portuguese found himself at the world’s most valuable club, as suggested by Forbes‘ Kurt Badenhausen.

Contending with Barca’s juggernaut, Mourinho won two domestic trophies as Madrid boss and reached three consecutive Champions League semi-finals, in three seasons, but left the Santiago Bernabeu—returning to Chelsea. At Stamford Bridge, he created success (lifting 2014/15 Premier League and League Cup), yet the club sacked released him during a horrid 2015/16 campaign.

1. Jurgen Klopp
2. Arsene Wenger
3. Pep Guardiola
4. Jose Mourinho
5. Pochettino
6. Maybe Diego Simeone too.#BPL Managers Next Season😱😳

— Jack (@J4CK_97) February 16, 2016 

Able to go anywhere on the planet (except maybe Barcelona and/or Arsenal) to manage, Mourinho—as documented by the Telegraph—told an interviewer: “At this moment I don’t have a job, and I don’t know where football will take me, because in football you never know. But, for sure for sure, as a family, our home will still be England.”

A proponent of English football, enjoying the intensity and match-to-match competitiveness (especially when compared to Spain and Italy), Mourinho and Manchester United have been incessantly linked since his west London departure. The Daily Mail‘s Dominic King offers the former Blues boss is “on the brink of” replacing Louis van Gaal come season’s end, but, as he said, “in football you never know.”

At Stamford Bridge: Replacing the club’s best-ever manager is proving convoluted. The names on Roman Abramovich’s alleged wish list are extensive. Massimiliano Allegri, Antonio Conte and Jorge Sampaoli are a few of the potential candidates, as penned by Telegraph‘s Matt Law, but the stand-out name is Diego Simeone.

Atletico Madrid’s fiery gaffer won La Liga in 2013/14 (against rather substantial odds) and was a corner-kick clearance away from potentially winning the Champions League. The 45-year-old’s stock is higher than ever, and with offers all but arrived, one wonders—like Mourinho and Guardiola—whether England’s beckoning is too appealing to discard.

Proving his worth at Atletico—his one league title might as well be seven—should Chelsea be the next chapter in Simeone’s managerial career? Only he could answer, but it seems the next logical step to test English waters. If a club with the resources of Chelsea come knocking, as seen with Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool (albeit the German was unemployed), saying “pass” at that opportunity cannot be straightforward. 

Having the best football does not necessarily equate to having the most competitive or challenging league. Players might choose clubs on particular styles, environments, wages or any number of factors, but managers should take a more investigative approach.

Where are the world’s best going, and should I go as well?

Will my owner/president/chairman assist me to win trophies?

Which club and country gives me the best platform to grow?

Where the best football is being played is personal preference, but where the best managers are headed, or already reside, is evident: The Premier League.

It is not for the weather nor the food; it is for the competitive nature of English football, the resources to compete and the lure of managing (both for and against) many of the most prestigious and/or domineering clubs in world football.

Follow @danieltiluk

*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.

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Tottenham Hotspur‘s Europa League campaign resumes on Thursday when they travel to face Fiorentina in the first leg of their round-of-32 tie. 

La Viola are opposition that Spurs know well, having been knocked out by them at the same stage in last year’s tournament. Fiorentina progressed to the semi-final but were thrashed 5-0 on aggregate by eventual winners Sevilla. 

This tie may prove a frustrating distraction for both teams as they are enjoying promising domestic campaigns. Fiorentina hold Serie A’s final Champions League place, while Tottenham are second in the Premier League. 

Vincenzo Montella, the architect of Spurs’ defeat last season, has moved on and Paulo Sousa has taken the reins. The Portuguese has a mixed reputation in England after some less-than-fruitful managerial spells, but he has his team performing at a solid level and Mauricio Pochettino must be wary. 

Form Lines 

Fiorentina

Fiorentina 2-1 Inter Milan

Bologna 1-1 Fiorentina

Fiorentina 2-1 Carpi

Genoa 0-0 Fiorentina

Fiorentina 2-0 Torino

Tottenham 

Manchester City 1-2 Spurs

Spurs 1-0 Watford

Norwich City 0-3 Spurs

Colchester United 1-4 Spurs

Crystal Palace 1-3 Spurs

Team News 

Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been ruled out with a shoulder injury and joins Jan Vertonghen and Clinton Njie on the sidelines, according to the club’s official website. 

In more positive news, youngsters Josh Onomah and Cameron Carter-Vickers (both 18) are with the squad. 

Sousa is yet to confirm any changes to his lineup but hinted at some rotation, saying “it’s possible, also for strategic reasons since this is a two-legged tie.”

Predicted Formations 

Fiorentina have switched between a back three and back four across this season but went with a 4-3-2-1 in their latest fixture, the 2-1 victory over Inter Milan. 

Fiorentina 

Goalkeeper: Tatarusanu

Defence: Alonso, Astori, Tomovic, Roncaglia

Midfield: Tello, Valero, Vecino, Badelj, Blaszczykowski

Attack: Kalinic

Spurs

Goalkeeper: Vorm

Defence: Trippier, Wimmer, Alderweireld, Davies

Midfield: Lamela, Bentaleb, Carroll, Onomah, Chadli

Attack: Kane

Player to Watch 

Every positive Fiorentina move flows through Borja Valero. The midfielder is the creative heart of Sousa’s team, and he will make the difference against Tottenham. 

Sousa protects Valero with physical midfielders on either side and gives the Spaniard the freedom to drift around and cause chaos. 

He has six assists and 53 chances created in the season so far, per Squawka.com. If Spurs can stop Valero, they are well on their way to victory. 

The star of Tottenham’s Europa League campaign so far has been Erik Lamela. The Argentinian scored five goals in the group stages and seems to thrive in lower-paced European football. 

Many of his best performances and greatest individual moments have come in this tournament. 

Having been omitted from the starting lineup against Manchester City on Sunday, it seems a certainty that Lamela will start in Florence. He more than earned a recall with his match-winning appearance from the substitutes’ bench at the Etihad Stadium. 

Key Battle 

Tottenham have the fourth-highest rate of possession in the Premier League this season, according to WhoScored.com. They held 54 percent of the ball in their away win over Manchester City. 

No team in Serie A controls the ball like Fiorentina. They hold 59.8 percent on average. 

Both Pochettino and Sousa have been willing to tweak their approach this season but controlling the game by controlling the ball is a strategy that both seek to exploit. 

The key battle in this match will be who is capable of winning the midfield battle and dominate possession. 

If Spurs opt to rest their key midfielders—Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele—in the first leg, they will likely have trouble retaining their usual high rate of ball control. 

Per Mark Bryans of the Press Association (via the Daily Mail), Sousa revealed his intent to dominate the ball, saying, “…with our style we can have more possession.”

Whichever team wins this battle will force their opponent into an unfamiliar situation and take a huge advantage. 

Live Stream, TV Info

UK: 6 p.m. GMT, BT Sport Europe

USA: 1 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Plus 

Odds

Strikers Nikola Kalinic and Harry Kane are both short-priced at 5/1 to open the scoring in this fixture, but neither is guaranteed to start and so offer little real value. 

With both sides battling for possession in midfield, this match is likely to start slowly. With that in mind, backing a draw at half-time and a Tottenham win at full-time is available at 6/1. That’s a great value bet in a match that Spurs should be good enough to win.

Odds courtesy of Oddschecker.

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Paris Saint-Germain star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hinted he is ready to try his hand at the Premier League, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal touted as possible destinations for the veteran.

That’s according to MailOnline’s Sami Mokbel and Matt Barlow, who suggest while he’s likely to move to a Miami franchise headed up by former PSG team-mate David Beckham in 2017, a 12-month move to England is tempting him.

“Is the Premier League something I fancy?” said the 34-year-old after he scored against the Blues in midweek in the Champions League, per Mokbel and Barlow. “Let’s just say I’m in shape”

There’s no disputing that. As we can see here, courtesy of Squawka Football, the Sweden international has been banging the goals in lately:

Ibrahimovic’s contract with PSG is due to expire at the end of this season, leading to plenty of discussion over his future.

According to Dave Kidd of the Daily Mirror, United is a possible destination, with Jose Mourinho, who worked with Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan, tipped to replace under-fire boss Louis van Gaal. “The two men remain close, regularly exchanging text messages,” he writes of the PSG man and his former boss.

Kidd also writes that Mourinho was looking at bringing the firebrand forward to Stamford Bridge before he was axed by the club earlier this season.

Despite his advancing years, Ibrahimovic still remains a force on the field. Here is a reminder of some of his best moments from this campaign:

The Premier League has always looked well-tailored for the player too. Not only does he have the big personality to cope in such a high-pressure environment, but also his physicality will enable him to thrive up front, while his supreme technical skill far surpasses that of so many forwards defenders have to deal with in the division.

A new challenge may also keep Ibrahimovic motivated and performing to an elite level a little longer yet. Throughout his career he’s moved between clubs on a regular basis, and the goals have flowed in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and now France. If he were to up sticks for England, there’s little to suggest that trend would end.

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Liverpool return to Europa League action on Thursday night, taking on Bundesliga strugglers FC Augsburg in the first leg of their round-of-32 tie at the WWK Arena.

This clash marks the first time Jurgen Klopp has taken on German opposition since his move away from Borussia Dortmund last summer, and it provides the 48-year-old with the opportunity to gain a significant advantage in his quest for European glory this season.

Standing in the Reds’ way, however, are an Augsburg side who, despite enduring muted form in the Bundesliga in 2015/16, are on an upward trajectory under the impressive Markus Weinzierl.

Weinzierl has led Augsburg to 15th, eighth and fifth in the German top flight over the past three seasons, securing Europa League football for the first time in the club’s history with a remarkable campaign in 2014/15.

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Augsburg described this clash as “the biggest game in [Augsburg] history,” but can Klopp‘s Liverpool spoil the party in Bavaria?

Date: Thursday, 18 February

Time: 8.05 p.m. GMT / 3.05 p.m. ET

Venue: WWK Arena, Augsburg

TV Info: BT Sport Europe (U.K. only) / Fox Sports 2 (U.S only)

Live Stream: BT Sport Player (U.K only) / FOX Soccer 2Go (U.S only)

Form Lines (Last 5 Games)

Augsburg: W-D-D-L-L

Liverpool: D-L-D-L-W

Team News

Weinzierl is forced to prepare for his side’s “biggest” clash in history without one of his most important players, as 31-year-old defensive midfielder Daniel Baier is struggling with an ankle injury.

Klopp highlighted Baier as “one of the best players in the Bundesliga” on Tuesday, as relayed by the Liverpool Echo‘s James Pearce.

“Usually one of the best players in the Bundesliga is their playmaker Daniel Baier, who plays No. 6 or No. 8,” he said. “But he is injured for our game which is a big problem for them.”

Centre-back Jeong-Ho Hong and Piotr Trochowski, formerly of Bayern Munich, Hamburg SV and Sevilla, are both unlikely to feature due to muscle problems, while Jan Moravek should also be out of contention after suffering concussion.

Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker, Marco Schuster and Raphael Framberger are all out with long-term injuries.

Meanwhile, Klopp is without a number of first-team regulars, as his squad continue to battle persistent injury issues.

Martin Skrtel, Joe Gomez, Danny Ings and Jordan Rossiter are all long-term absentees, but joining this quartet are Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren, who remain on the sidelines after missing Sunday’s 6-0 win away to Aston Villa.

Klopp explained Lallana‘s absence to reporters including the club’s official website on Tuesday, saying he had “no chance” of featuring due to a calf problem. Lucas Leiva, however, is set to return.

Lucas could come into Klopp‘s midfield selection and can also provide cover at centre-back, with Pearce confirming that Lovren had not travelled to Augsburg due to a family illness.

Adam Bogdan, Jon Flanagan and Kevin Stewart are among those unavailable after being left out of Klopp‘s 25-man squad for the Europa League.

Predicted Lineups

Despite Baier‘s absence, Augsburg are likely to line up in the 4-2-3-1 formation that saw them defend so valiantly in the first half of their 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich last time out.

This should see first-choice goalkeeper Marwin Hitz take his position between the sticks, behind a back four of captain Paul Verhaegh, Christoph Janker, Ragnar Klavan and one of Philipp Max and Kostas Stafylidis at left-back.

Dominik Kohr and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw should form the base of Augsburg’s five-man midfield, behind attacking midfielders Caiuby, Koo Ja-Cheol and Alexander Esswein—though ex-Dortmund forward Ji Dong-Won will be hoping to feature.

Raul Bobadilla is a certainty to lead the line as Augsburg’s lone striker.

Without a fixture this coming weekend after crashing out of the FA Cup, Klopp can afford to field his strongest lineup at the WWK Arena, as he looks to put the tie to bed early—with one eye on the League Cup final at the end of the month.

This should see Simon Mignolet continue in goal, behind Nathaniel Clyne, Kolo Toure, Mamadou Sakho and Alberto Moreno.

Meanwhile, in midfield, Jordan Henderson and Emre Can should mirror the roles of Kohr and Gouweleeuw, in what could be a 4-2-3-1 formation, supporting Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and James Milner.

Daniel Sturridge is expected to be involved again, and Klopp could look to risk the No. 15 from the start on Thursday night, after an exceptional display up front against Aston Villa.

Likely Augsburg XI: Hitz; Verhaegh, Janker, Klavan, Stafylidis; Kohr, Gouweleeuw; Esswein, Koo, Caiuby; Bobadilla.

Likely Liverpool XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Toure, Sakho, Moreno; Henderson, Can; Milner, Firmino, Coutinho; Sturridge.

Players to Watch

Raul Bobadilla

Previewing his side’s trip to Augsburg, Klopp earmarked Bobadilla as one of Weinzierl‘s key players, having experienced the striker’s powerful brand of attacking football following his move to the Bundesliga in 2013.

“[Augsburg] have players with big potential and have one of the most physical strikers in Europe in Raul Bobadilla, who you need a navigation system to drive around!” he said. “He is a real worker and difficult to defend.”

Bobadilla has scored six goals in five Europa League appearances so far this season, and will be desperate to add to his tally against Liverpool—Klopp‘s centre-backs will need to be on their toes throughout.

Philippe Coutinho

Restored to the starting lineup for the past two Liverpool outings following his recovery from hamstring injury, Coutinho returned to top form with a phenomenal creative display against a hapless Villa on Sunday afternoon.

Dictating play from the first whistle, the Brazilian shone in a supporting role, drifting in from the left flank, threading dangerous balls through the Villa back line and driving towards the penalty area with force.

Coutinho is seemingly more effective when deployed behind the dynamic Sturridge, reverting to his creative role rather than attempting to beat the goalkeeper from 25 yards whenever in possession.

Expect Coutinho to be in inspired form against Augsburg, and the former Inter Milan man could be key to Liverpool securing victory in the first leg.

Key Battle

James Milner vs. Kostas Stafylidis

While Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge grabbed the headlines following Liverpool’s victory at Villa Park, equally important was Milner who, deployed on the right-hand side of the attacking midfield, performed with typical industry.

If he keeps his place in the starting lineup on Thursday night, a resurgent Milner could come up against an inexperienced left-back in Stafylidis.

The Greece international spent the 2014/15 campaign on loan with Championship battlers Fulham, and the 22-year-old’s fledgling defensive nous will be tested by the canny Milner at the WWK Arena.

Odds

Augsburg: 3/1

Liverpool: 23/20

Draw: 33/13

Odds via Oddschecker and correct at time of writing.

Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.

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This season, AC Milan have gone from mid-table makeweights to contenders for European football. Sinisa Mihajlovic is thus in the process of helping the club turn an important corner in its history. Helping him do that is his elegant trequartista, Giacomo Bonaventura.

Bonaventura is perhaps one of the finest accidental transfers of modern times. The day he put to pen to paper and became a Milan player was a frenzied emotional rollercoaster, full of twists and turns.

He began 1 September, 2014—the last day of the transfer window—as an Atalanta player. By that afternoon, he almost became an Inter Milan player, but a complication in the deal meant Bonaventura looked set to remain in Bergamo for the time being. Then the Rossoneri came calling.

“I will be honest, I was happy that after four years at Atalanta I was going to a big club at last,” Bonaventura told Guerin Sportivo (h/t Football Italia) of Milan’s move for him.

“At 20:30 (Atalanta director general Pierpaolo) Marino stopped me…and said he’d received a phone call from Adriano Galliani, so we were heading to Milan headquarters.” Bonaventura went from almost laughing to crying tears of joy when signing on the dotted line.

His arrival was fairly inconspicuous, despite the eventful manner in which the deal was sealed. He was already 25 years old and, while he had appeared for Italy in a friendly, he was no star.

Bonaventura was also joining Milan at a time of flux. The club had finished eighth the season before and, under the inexperienced Filippo Inzaghi, would finish 10th in his first campaign. He played well but it wasn’t until this term that he broke out.

Indeed in 2015-16, Bonaventura has gone from being a handy player to Milan’s most important asset.

He is one of several individuals to deserve praise for the way they have performed this season. The likes of Alex and Juraj Kucka have played above themselves, while Keisuke Honda is finally living up to his billing. Youngsters such as 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and 21-year-old forward M’Baye Niang have also broken into the starting lineup with mature displays.

However none of those players have made quite so notable an improvement as Bonaventura.

This term, the 26-year-old attacking midfielder has set up seven league goals and scored five of his own. Thus, despite only having moved beyond the halfway mark of the campaign within the last month or so, he has already contributed to more goals than in any of his previous seasons as a professional player.

Also, having had a hand in 12 goals combined, he has been directly involved in just under one-third of Milan’s total Serie A tally of 37.

According to WhoScored.com, Bonaventura has been Milan’s best player by quite a distance, garnering a 7.53 rating.

Meanwhile, Squawka.com rate him as the sixth-best midfielder in the country. In terms of attacking performance, their statistics state that only three other midfielders—Palermo’s Franco Vazquez, Atalanta’s Alejandro Gomez and Juventus’ Paul Pogba—have done more.

That Bonaventura has achieved these numbers in a tactical environment as unstable as Mihajlovic’s Milan makes them all the more remarkable.

When the Serbian coach first arrived at the club last summer, his intention was to implement a 4-3-1-2 system with a diamond midfield. This was a formation he had used to good effect with Sampdoria, though it was initially unclear how Bonaventura would fit into it.

After a dalliance with playing him in the hole behind the strikers, Mihajlovic settled on using his playmaker on the left of the midfield three. However, by October, this was an irrelevant concern as the coach made the first of two systemic changes.

Bringing in a 4-3-3 which became a 4-5-1 when out of possession, Mihajlovic fielded Bonaventura on the left wing. This allowed the player to cut inside onto his favoured right foot and link up with Carlos Bacca, who took up the lone striker berth.

At this point, the growing relationship between these two players became a real positive for Milan.

After setting up the team’s second goal in a 3-1 win over Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico last November, Bonaventura provided the third for Bacca with a beautifully weighted slide-rule pass that split open the opposition defence. The Colombian simply had to run onto the ball before rounding Federico Marchetti and tapping home.

That goal was a microcosm of their partnership. Bacca lingers on the shoulder of the last man; Bonaventura searches for him with accurate passes through the opposition defensive line.

The combination between these two players is the most productive in Serie A. Only Marek Hamsik and Lorenzo Insigne’s respective duets with Gonzalo Higuain can equal them, per WhoScored.

And since Mihajlovic brought in a 4-4-2 last December, the pair have continued to work in a similar way. Nominally, this system sees Bonaventura play on the left wing, though he tends to drift infield to dovetail with Bacca, who often plays as the left-sided striker.

In this sense, Bonaventura has been crucial to aiding Bacca in settling into Italian football.

The clinical striker joined Milan last summer as a marquee signing but took some time getting used to Mihajlovic’s tactics and Serie A defences. Bonaventura’s presence in the side ensured that, even when the team was lacking in spark, there was at least some creativity for Bacca to feast on.

Aside from supplying Bacca, Bonaventura’s all-round play has been impressive. A player with plenty of intelligence and awareness, his ability to find dangerous areas on the pitch make him a constant thorn for opponents.

He also possesses excellent vision to go along with his smooth technique and passing range, making him a devastating player when given space to exploit.

The nimble attacking midfielder has quietly become Milan’s silent leader, a figure respected within the team not necessarily for his voice, charisma or willingness to crack skulls, but for his impact and reliability.

He appears comfortable with his new role within the team dynamic, telling Premium Sport (h/t Football Italia):

I’m an important player. The supporters look at the attitude, the way one takes to the pitch, and that’s what I’m like.

But I’m not seeking admiration, I’m just trying to help the team. Being considered a leader is not important for me, I just want to give the right example to the team.

Bonaventura’s progression as a player is, evidently, not just down to his work on the training ground. He is growing as a person and, at a time when Milan lack true leadership throughout the squad, he should be considered for the captaincy in the future.

Riccardo Montolivo currently holds the armband but has not always convinced and isn’t necessarily guaranteed a starting place each week.

Giving the captaincy to Bonaventura would be apt. After all, if no-one can lead by talking, at least the Rossoneri would have appointed someone who can consistently lead by doing.

With UEFA Euro 2016 coming up this summer, Bonaventura’s form should see him comfortably make the 23-man cut for Antonio Conte’s Italy squad. He may even sneak ahead of the likes of Stephan El Shaarawy and Lorenzo Insigne to take the left-wing berth in Conte’s 4-3-3.

Yet, while international competition is perhaps what will take Bonaventura’s career to the next level in the eyes of the general public, the truth is that he is already there.

This season he has made the leap from good to great. Milan have a star amid their ranks.

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There’s a budget hotel across the road from Old Trafford—the kind that comes attached with a carvery restaurant. Given the level of recent speculation, it’s not too difficult to envisage Jose Mourinho has pitched up there in recent weeks; ordering takeaway pizza to his room under false names, peering out the window for a glimpse of any black smoke from the Manchester United chimney.

Indeed, so many reports of Mourinho’s impending appointment at Old Trafford (like this one by Dominic King of the Daily Mail) have surfaced over the past few weeks that it’s difficult to envisage a scenario where the two-time Champions League winner doesn’t take over at United for the start of next season. The Special One, finally, appears to be the Chosen One.

But regardless of how badly Mourinho wants the job, is he really the right man to take over from Louis Van Gaal—assuming the Dutchman is handed his papers between now and the summer?

Of course, the 53-year-old is arguably the greatest football manager of his generation, but something seems wide of the mark about his expected appointment at United.

Instead, club executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward should be looking to make an appointment that’s more in keeping with United’s identity. It has been repeated more than once recently that Mourinho is the only option for the Old Trafford side, but that’s not true. Mauricio Pochettino holds just as strong a claim for the job.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 away win over Manchester City on Sunday further highlighted the extent to which he has turned around the north London side in the space of just over 18 months, taking top-four wannabes and turning them into bona fide title challengers. But Pochettino’s United suitability is about more than just results.

The Argentinian’s style of play is in sync with what is expected by those at Old Trafford who have become accustomed to watching dynamic, free-flowing and, most importantly, exciting football over the past two decades.

The standard of Spurs’ play this season offers a teaser as to what Pochettino could achieve at United—where he would be afforded even greater resources.

But Pochettino’s suitability goes beyond his ideology and practices as a football coach. His current standing in the game also makes him the perfect fit for Manchester United—a club that has always done best when acting as a finishing school for football’s up and coming. It’s a thread woven through their makeup as a club.

Time and time again, United have been stung by buying the finished product in a manner that isn’t befitting of the club’s greater identity.

Angel Di Maria was regarded as one of the best in the world when he arrived at Old Trafford for a Premier League record £59.7 million fee, and yet the Argentinian winger flopped in England. The same happened with Radamel Falcao, with Bastian Schweinsteiger something of a disappointment so far as well.

The trend can be traced all the way back to the signing of Juan Sebastian Veron nearly 15 years ago, with the £28.1 million signing from Lazio largely failing to live up to his billing. Even Robin Van Persie—an undoubted success in his first season at United—faded quickly. 

Contrast such fortunes with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, David De Gea and Nemanja Vidic, who were brought to England with great promise and were given the chance to make good on that at Old Trafford. Pochettino is the coaching equivalent of such company. 

And yet Mourinho is still widely considered the man in-waiting at United. The former Inter Milan and Real Madrid coach is known to be keen on a return to England (per James Walker-Roberts of Sky Sports), with his dismissal from Chelsea earlier this season still stinging. From his perspective, the allure of the Premier League’s biggest club, in need of a saviour, is obvious.

In so many ways, Mourinho’s appointment at United makes no sense at all, and yet it’s widely agreed to be the only possible response the Red Devils can offer to the looming arrival of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City this summer.

Mourinho is seemingly the only adversary to ever get the better of the former Barcelona boss, even if the Portuguese ultimately unravelled himself.

But United’s reported pursuit of the Portuguese only underlines the existential crisis the club is currently suffering. The Old Trafford club were once one of the most characterful in Europe, but they are unsure of their personalty in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson age. By edging closer to United, Mourinho’s arrival would only serve to accentuate that.

There are still those among the Old Trafford hierarchy (most notably Sir Bobby Charlton, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian) who remain suspicious of Mourinho.

They are wary of his off-the-field antics and abrasive public persona. Despite his recent efforts to prove to the contrary, the arrival of Guardiola in Manchester might bring out such traits in Mourinho once more. 

Pochettino is a different type of manager, cutting a more reserved and measured figure in the media. In essentially every way, he is the better fit for Manchester United, on and off the pitch. He has demonstrated enough at Spurs to suggest that he could handle the step up in expectation, just as he did in swapping Southampton for White Hart Lane. 

The appointment of Mourinho would only paper over some fairly sizeable cracks at United. His track record illustrates his lack of capacity in sustaining anything over three years, and after the stop-gap hiring of Van Gaal, another short-term fix is not what is needed at Old Trafford. Instead, the club could give Pochettino the opportunity to mould the club in his own image.

If United are open to the idea of looking beyond Mourinho—doing their research beyond whatever stats and reasoning the Portuguese coach provided in his letter—then Pochettino is surely a credible candidate to take over at Old Trafford. He might, in fact, be the only credible candidate.

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Arsenal have reportedly been “scared off” signing Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while long-term target Adrien Rabiot is now being eyed by Serie A giants Inter Milan. 

According to John Cross in the Mirror, Manchester United are preparing a £60 million move for Aubameyang in the summer and will offer him a £200,000-a-week contract, but Arsenal are not able to meet Dortmund’s high demands. 

As a result it seems they will have to look elsewhere for a new striker to complement Oliver Giroud in their attack.

Aubameyang, 26, has proved himself as a top-quality forward this season as he has been prolific in every competition he has played, per Squawka Football:

He is exactly the kind of player Arsenal need to give them the variety and depth to challenge for titles both domestically and in Europe.

However, Aubameyang has now become one of the hottest properties in European football, and given that he is contracted to Dortmund until 2020, they are not prepared to let him go on the cheap.

Given the fee United are reportedly prepared to pay for the Gabon international, Arsenal would have to smash their transfer record to sign him, not something they are seemingly prepared to do.

Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones recently admonished Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for failing to sign Alvaro Morata in January, and Aubameyang looks to be another striker that got away:

Elsewhere, the Gunners have been dealt a further blow in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s Rabiot, as Inter president Erick Thohir has arranged a visit to France in an attempt to negotiate a deal for the 20-year-old, per Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb (via the Daily Star‘s Jamie Anderson).

Per ITA Sport Press (via Anderson), Arsenal were strongly linked with the young defensive midfielder in January, with Rabiot’s mother reportedly travelling to London to discuss a a deal with the club.

However, now that Inter are involved, the Gunners may have missed their chance.

Rabiot asked to leave PSG on loan last month, to the disappointment of club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, per Anderson: “I was very disappointed—I said it to his face. He’s 20 years old, plays regularly in a big team. He’s come through the youth academy—the club has given him a lot.”

It seems the Frenchman could be there for the taking if his relationship with PSG is deteriorating, and he could add quality and depth to the Arsenal midfield, as well as being another talent for Wenger to mould.

But the north London club now look to have a fight on their hands if they are to return for Rabiot in the summer. 

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Mario Balotelli is one of the biggest enigmas in world football.  He has a supreme natural talent.  When he’s in full force, he is difficult for any defender to stop.

However, the 25-year-old has never been able to hold himself in that form for very long.  

On the field, he switches from locked-in periods where no one can contain him to times when he looks like he wants to do anything but kick a ball.  

If his service dries up, he becomes frustrated and kicks more advertizing boards—and opponents—than footballs.  Off the field, a mess of bizarre incidents have distracted his focus even further.

After attempts to settle at Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan and Liverpool all failed, Balotelli made a surprise return to the Rossoneri at the end of the summer transfer window on loan.  

After his utter failure in his first season at Anfield, it seemed clear to all observers that this go-round at Milan would be his last chance in big-club football.

After Sunday’s game against Genoa, that chance may have come and gone.

Balotelli‘s season started well.  He made his debut three rounds into the season in the most high pressure of situations—the Derby della Madonnina, something he has experienced from both sides.  He had an instant impact on the game, nearly pulling a draw out of the fire only to be denied by Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

His good form continued in a 20-minute appearance in the next week against Palermo before being granted his first start against Udinese.  He responded with a man-of-the-match performance, scoring a beautiful free kick and looking dangerous throughout the game.

After another good performance the next week in Milan’s 1-0 loss to Genoa, Balotelli unexpectedly ended up out of action.  A hernia put him on the shelf for nearly four months.

In that time, Carlos Bacca emerged as a monster.  By the time Balotelli returned for a cameo appearance in Milan’s 2-0 win over Fiorentina at the San Siro, the Colombian had scored 11 times in all competitions and developed good chemistry with M’Baye Niang, who has been largely irremovable as the South American’s partner.

In the month that Balotelli‘s been back, he’s been a bit player at best.  He’s only started once, the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal against Alessandria; he hasn’t played more than 45 minutes in a league game.

Now it looks like he may not play again.

Thrown on as a last-minute sub on Sunday against Genoa, Balotelli‘s mind was anywhere but the San Siro.  To call him lethargic would almost be an insult to lethargy—and his disinterest brought down the ire of his coach.

Sinisa Mihajlovic was irate in general at his post-match press conference.  Milan had had several chances to kill the game off with a third goal, and they let Genoa close in during stoppage time with a very soft goal.  

But the Milan coach saved a special message for Balotelli.  “Those who don’t sacrifice themselves for the team to the 94th minute,” he told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia), “will no longer set foot on the field.”

Balotelli wasn’t the only player Mihajlovic was referring to—he alluded to two or three more in his comments that he was similarly dissatisfied with—but given his past he is the one who will be focused on the most.

It’s obvious that the lack of consistent playing time since his return is allowing Balotelli‘s mind to wander.  He isn’t focused as a sub, and his play has been lackluster to say the best.

Balotelli needs to change his mindset.  With Bacca and Niang the first choice, Luiz Adriano competing for time behind them and Jeremy Menez finally healthy, his playing time is going to be hard to come by—if it comes at all after Sunday’s tirade by Mihajlovic.  

Balotelli needs to treat each minute he gets as a jewel rather than loaf through it.

Former Italy manager Cesare Prandelli, long one of Balotelli‘s biggest advocates, wrote this week in his regular column on Calciomercato (h/t Football Italia) that he should look to Juventus forward Simone Zaza for an example about how to behave in his new role.

A starter for the last two years at Sassuolo, Zaza has found minutes few and sometimes far between at the Juventus Stadium, but when he has played, he has given 100 percent effort all the time.  Sometimes it’s been to his detriment—see his red card against Chievo two weeks ago as evidence of that.  But no one has ever accused him of lacking effort once he’s stepped onto the field.

Balotelli‘s career is now at the ultimate crossroads.  If he doesn’t shape up mentally and show some form on the field, his time as a major-club player will be over.  He will become this generation’s Antonio Cassano—an extraordinarily gifted striker who bounces between mid- and low-table sides because he could never get his attitude right.

If Mihajlovic‘s threat on Sunday is more than just motivational talk, that fate is already sealed.  If he can work his way out of the doghouse and back onto the field, Balotelli will have to work overtime to ward it off.

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VILLA PARK, Birmingham — Liverpool got back to winning ways in style on Sunday, romping to a 6-0 victory at relegation favourites Aston Villa in a performance of all-round quality, with the contribution of their attacking trident of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge hogging the headlines.

“The theory goes had this trio been fit for selection for most of the season—or for even half the number of games in which they’ve been missing—Liverpool would be pursuing a top-four position rather than striving for consistency in mid-table,” the Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe evaluated, encapsulating the feeling of the away support.

The travelling fans were rousing in their vocal backing throughout, buoyed by this attacking might.

In Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge, Jurgen Klopp has a trio of top-level forward options, and in this overwhelming victory at Villa Park, they hinted at a strong finish to the 2015/16 campaign. 

Naturally, it was far from a three-man show on Sunday afternoon, with six different goalscorers and a steadfast clean sheet printed into the record books, serving as evidence of a solid, all-round team performance.

Lining his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Klopp made nine changes to the side that lost 2-1 to West Ham United in Tuesday night’s FA Cup fourth-round replay, with only Coutinho and Simon Mignolet keeping their places in the starting lineup.

This saw Kolo Toure fielded alongside Mamadou Sakho at centre-back, flanked by first-choice full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno and shielded by a two-man midfield unit of Jordan Henderson and Emre Can.

Joining Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge in a fluid attacking line was vice-captain James Milner, whose industry and guile on the right wing provided Liverpool with the impetus to overrun Remi Garde’s Villans.

Pressing high, holding a compact defensive line and flooding forward in numbers, the Reds overcame a congested start to gain dominance of the fixture, with Villa centre-back Joleon Lescott taking to Twitter after the game to apologise for his side’s “lack of commitment for the 90 minutes.”

Coutinho‘s sumptuous delivery from the left wing gave Liverpool their first of the afternoon, with Sturridge finding space behind a worryingly off-form Lescott to nod beyond Mark Bunn to make it 1-0, before Milner’s free-kick from the same area bounced past the former Norwich City goalkeeper nine minutes later to give the Reds a comfortable lead.

Heading into the break at 2-0, Klopp will have encouraged his side to continue their impressive work, and he was rewarded with further goals from Can, substitute Divock Origi, Clyne and Toure.

“That’s the best thing: I can’t tell who scored the goals!” Klopp told reporters after the game. “Clyney and Daniel and Divock with his first touch. That’s perfect!”

Toure, speaking to the Liverpool Echo‘s James Pearce following his first goal in five years, echoed this sentiment, lauded his side’s “perfect” performance, saying “that’s what the manager wants: everyone being part of the game. When we attack, we all go forward, and we all have to defend too.”

As Toure continued his post-match appraisal, he turned the focus to the decisive contributions of Coutinho and Sturridge, who were making their second appearances back in the first team after missing much of 2016 through injury:

Just look at the first goal.

Coutinho cross, Sturridge scored. First chance for us, first goal. They make the difference. They are both top players and we are really happy to have them.

We have a great squad. We just need to repeat that type of performance.

Though, as the 34-year-old points out, Liverpool have the squad capable of producing slick, attacking displays such as this Villa Park thrashing, what has been missing for much of 2015/16 is star quality.

In Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge, Klopp is now able to call upon a trio of genuine match-winners.

Coutinho, operating in his typical role on the left flank, spent the majority of his 66 minutes on the field drifting inside, closer to his natural No. 10 position, and produced a stunning performance of true creative zeal.

The Brazilian laid on two goals for his team-mates, providing Origi with a simple, side-footed finish for the Belgian’s first touch of the game on 63 minutes by playing an inch-perfect ball through the Villa defence.

An hour-long highlight reel, Coutinho‘s display was complete with flicks, tricks and no-look passes, with the former Inter Milan midfielder looking back to his best after a muted run of form before suffering a hamstring injury in January—and much of this is due to the support of his compatriot, Firmino.

Dropping back into an attacking-midfield role on the return of Sturridge, Firmino floated in the hole behind Villa’s midfield, pressing Lescott and Jores Okore back and dovetailing brilliantly with Klopp‘s No. 15.

Firmino made the most key passes of any player, with three, but it was his work rate and intensity that were most valuable; the 24-year-old provided the grit to match Sturridge‘s flair.

After a promising display off the bench in the defeat to West Ham in the FA Cup, Sturridge made his first start of the year at Villa Park, leading the line as a floating, off-the-shoulder centre-forward.

The England international has been the subject to much speculation throughout 2015/16, as injury issues persisted and dubious claims—via Sami Mokbel and Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail—hinted that he was looking to leave the club “over his fury at criticism questioning his desire to play for the club.”

These reports, of course, have proved to be unfounded, and an exceptional display—full of pace, movement and a much-needed predatory instinct—on Sunday served to compound this.

Klopp described Sturridge as a “real striker” after the game, perhaps indicating what Liverpool had been missing in his absence. 

Remarkably, given the fluency and efficiency of their attacking work, this was the first time supporters had seen Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge together in a Liverpool lineup.

As Bascombe highlighted, the absence of Sturridge—and the wavering fitness and form of Coutinho and Firmino—has undermined Liverpool’s push for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season; during his post-match debrief, the Telegraph reporter continued to gush over the England international’s influence on Klopp‘s side:

It does not matter how many different ways you try to describe it, Liverpool are a different team when Sturridge is on the pitch.

They’ve tried several personnel, numerous formations and a couple of managers this season—the difference between poor performances and excellent displays needs no significant analysis.

Sturridge played, everyone around him was better.

In Sturridge, Liverpool have a world-class centre-forward whose talents outbalance the frustration of his injury problems. Now, having approached the former Chelsea striker’s recovery with patience, Klopp is seemingly reaping the benefits.

“We can only speak about this when he’s available. Today was brilliant, you saw he was not too happy when we took him off,” Klopp continued to tell reporters, praising Sturridge‘s contribution.

“It made sense to take him out. It was okay, it was perfect for him. Hopefully he’s available for the next game too.”

The German should continue to take a cautious slant on Sturridge‘s reintroduction to the first team, but as he proved on Sunday afternoon, he is the centre-forward Liverpool must build around—and in Coutinho and Firmino, he has the perfect supporting cast.

Thursday night’s trip to take on FC Augsburg in the UEFA Europa League provides Klopp with his next opportunity to witness this attacking trio gel into a cohesive, accomplished unit—expect them to continue to fire.

Statistics via WhoScored.com, all quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow @jacklusby

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