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As well as revamping the team and mentality at Manchester United, Louis van Gaal has also been tasked with the job of selecting a new club captain for this season.

United’s last captain, Nemanja Vidic, has departed to Inter Milan, while a former skipper, Rio Ferdinand, has moved on to QPR. The obvious choice to replace Vidic, Patrice Evra, has also left Old Trafford for Italian football with Juventus. Those three departures mean the next club captain isn’t as clear a choice as it would have been.

But van Gaal still has plenty of options to take over the captaincy, and further allowing for a progressive move. Though unlikely, we may even see the Dutch manager hand the armband to a younger figure in the squad, keeping in line with his history of placing responsibility and trust in youth.

With the new season less than two weeks away, here are five candidates who could be United’s next captain.

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Robin van Persie

Regardless of his age, Robin van Persie makes the most sense to be the next Manchester United captain. The Dutchman has captained Arsenal and the Netherlands and therefore has the credentials to be considered the right fit.

The connection with Louis van Gaal also points to van Persie getting the nod over Wayne Rooney. Van Persie is widely considered the best player at the club, with his performances at the World Cup going a long way to erasing the doubts brought on last season.

The only stumbling block is the Dutchman’s fitness. Could his current setback in preparation for the start of the new season be a sign of things to come? It’s a factor van Gaal will need to take into account.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney will captain Manchester United on the opening day of the season against Swansea. The England international has long been considered one of the front-runners for the captaincy, and due to his long history with the club and recent commitment to a long-term contract, it would make a lot of sense.

The downside is the negatives of Rooney’s time at Old Trafford, including his dips in form, his fitness issues, and the previous attempts to engineer a move away (or to gain a wage increase).

Whatever has happened in the past, though, Rooney is understandably one of the top candidates to skipper the club.

Phil Jones

Louis van Gaal has a reputation of placing faith in youth, and it wouldn’t be too much of a shock to see him do so once again with regards to the Man United captaincy.

Phil Jones has already received high praise from previous United boss Alex Ferguson, and the former Blackburn centre-back is generally highly rated in the Premier League. He very much has the quality to be a captain of the club for many years to come.

Jones’ major problem is his fitness record. Last season he made only 26 Premier League appearances, while his best position is still up for debate, having performed at full-back and defensive midfield as well. In addition, Jones still has to undergo further developing before he can be considered the finished product.

Jones is an option, but for now an unlikely one.

Jonny Evans

Jonny Evans will be one to really benefit from the departures of both Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. Injuries to the latter two over the last few seasons have seen Evans perform regularly in the Manchester United first team, but there will be added responsibility on the shoulders of the Northern Irishman, currently being the most experienced of United’s central defensive unit.

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Evans may not have the presence of others in the team and former captains, but he is a reliable figure who has proven to be an integral part of the setup at Old Trafford. With his consistency in recent times, and regardless of his own injury troubles, Evans would make a good, though surprise, captain.

Darren Fletcher

As one of the older, experienced heads in the squad, Darren Fletcher makes sense as one of the candidates to be next United captain. The midfielder captained the side in two games during preseason, and is therefore likely on van Gaal shortlist of options.

But Fletcher is more than likely well down that list, largely due to his fitness worries and his long-term featuring in the team. The Scottish international has missed a lot of football in recent seasons, and that alone will force his name to be overlooked.

Had it not been for those injury concerns, however, Fletcher would have been a good choice to replace Vidic as club captain.

Watching Sunderland slump to defeat at home against a side they were expected to beat was nothing new to Sunderland fans, in fact the game resembled that of many Black Cats’ performances over the past few years.

The main thing which struck me as the North East side stuttered to a 0-1 defeat against Aston Villa was the bizarre sense of deja vu the contest gave me. Watching a Sunderland team toil and try and work the ball forwards into the Aston Villa area with wild panic but looking increasingly vulnerable on the break, lacking the fast players to cover ground quickly and cancel out two-man counter attacks. This match was nothing new, I saw the same game when Sunderland drew 0-0 with Fulham last year – it had many of the same characteristics as did the 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic in the same season.

It also resembled the forgettable home performances following last year’s FA Cup exit, where the Wearsiders fortuitously drew with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers. Without going off on too big a tangent, my point is, a year on under Martin O’Neill there isn’t a great deal of difference to what Sunderland do tactically at home and how they perform, compared to how they played under Steve Bruce.

I believe too much emphasis from fans is based on what a manager does and doesn’t do, when really nine times out of ten the teams with the best players win football matches. Using my club first as an example, a year into his stay on Wearside Martin O’Neill’s changes to the side are minimal, Sunderland offer slightly greater resilience away, some players such as Lee Cattermole have improved due to a slightly more defined role in the team, there’s a slightly more clear style of playing but that’s about it for my money.

Watching Sunderland in their most important matches, (at home, against teams outside of the top six), it’s almost impossible to separate the approach this year from that of the way the team played before under Bruce. Begging the question apart from club transfers which now in England is completed more and more by people other than a manager, what is the great importance of those in charge?

The Black Cats did enjoy a great up-turn in form instantly under O’Neill, due to a vast number of reasons. The introduction of James McClean into the team added more width and creativity to the side, fans patience was restored with the new manager, results such as the 1-0 over Manchester City may not have been possible under Bruce where fans were more restless and wouldn’t have been so reserved seeing their side concede so much possession. Luck also played a part – an offside goal gifted Sunderland three points against the league champions and against Blackburn in the Ulsterman’s first game a wrongly disallowed goal and failure from the referee to award a stonewall penalty to the visitors are often overlooked when discussing the turning point in the Black Cats’ season.

Tottenham Hotspur are a curious club sat fifth in the table after an indifferent start, the London club appear well-placed to achieve their goals for the season, yet there’s a great sense of unrest at the club. Much of this seems to be surrounding their manager Andre Villas-Boas, who has been hammered by some fans and some sections of the press in the wake of their 1-0 to defeat at home to Wigan.

Using the context of his sacking at Chelsea, many have labelled the Portuguese as clueless. Yet when comparing him to his popular predecessor Harry Redknapp a great point has to be made about the disparity in the teams the two managed. One of the best play-makers in Europe was present for Spurs last season in Luka Modric. While many of the London club’s disappointments this season have come when the superb Moussa Dembele has been missing – suggesting that players play a greater role than the man who puts them on the pitch.

A storm was also caused when Jermain Defoe was substituted for Emmanuel Adebayor, but under Redknapp the diminutive frontman was often second choice to the former Manchester City striker suggesting there could be plenty of logic behind the switch. Watching Tottenham when they were at their best against Chelsea, it was also hard to see a great deal of difference in approach, they moved the ball at a high tempo and were dependent on width to stretch teams, much like under Redknapp.

Other teams with good off the pitch structures can overachieve and succeed on it. Swansea City have established a style of play and that remains the same regardless of manager and also have assembled a squad that suit that approach. In my view transfers are the most important part of management with everything else being overstated.

City are a good example of this, the most important thing Michael Laudrup has done in Wales is bring in technical players who work their system. He did that well signing Ki from Celtic and Jonathan De Guzman, the acquisition of Michu is also among the most important things he’s achieved. While the team’s style is more direct and the Danish legend likes inverted wingers, the main reason Swansea are still over-achieving is because he’s signed good players.

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West Brom also continue to maintain Premier League status despite having had three different managers during their current run in England’s top division. While undoubtedly their gaffers deserve some praise, the Baggies also have an underrated team; James Morrison, Shane Long, Jonas Olsson and Youssuf Mulumbu are among the most underrated players in English football.

Do we overstate managers importance, let me know your thoughts on Twitter: @jimmylowson

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The transfer window tends to throw out some curveballs over the course of the summer, and one has landed on Liverpool’s doorstep.

The Liverpool Echo reports that the Merseyside outfit have taken an interest in Gent winger Moses Simon.

The Nigeria international is expected to come relatively cheap if the Reds get their way as the publication claims that the 22-year-old will cost around £10m due to the fact that he has one year left on his contract.

A number of Premier League clubs are believed to be tracking Simon, who predominantly plays on the left wing but can feature on either side.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be looking to add strength in depth to his squad in order to alleviate pressure on the team’s front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

The club moved swiftly to tie down the signature of Fabinho from Monaco, so perhaps it will not take long for another new arrival to come through the welcome gates.

The link to pacy Simon, who scored six goals and registered three assists last season, has been met with surprise by some fans, while others are happy with the news.

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Sunday saw Liverpool stroll to a simple 2-0 win over Southampton. The home side produced some promising moments in the first half as Loris Karius was called into action to make two smart saves, but the result seemed largely inevitable from the moment Mohamed Salah capitalised on a Wesley Hoedt error before squaring the ball to Roberto Firmino for a simple finish in the 6th minute.

Those two combined again just before half time, this time Firmino setting up the Egyptian international with an exquisite backheel, and from them on Jurgen Klopp’s side were in full control. Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip let nothing get past them at the back – partly due to the protection Emre Can provided in front – while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Georginio Wijnaldum were busy if not spectacular in central midfield.

So, Liverpool fans, who were the Reds’ best performers at St. Mary’s? Let us know by taking part below and giving each Liverpool player an individual rating out of ten…

Reports emanating from the The Mirror suggest that Arsene Wenger is eyeing up a potential swoop for Atletico Madrid’s attacking midfielder, Diego, this summer. The Brazilian is out of contract at his parent club, Wolfsburg, in Germany and the reports suggest that Arsenal are monitoring his situation, as a bargain worth keeping an tabs on.

Bargains and free signings have become something of comical material when it comes to the Arsenal boss, as two of three permanent summer signings last year – Mathieu Flamini and Yaya Sanogo – were both pulled in on a free transfer.

Since joining Atletico Madrid this year, Diego has produced a mixed bag of displays, disappointing at times whilst wowing the Atleti fans with his technique and vision. A stunning wonder striker against Barcelona in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie is the highlight of his season so far. He’s added more depth and quality to Atletico’s squad as they compete on two fronts to the last day.

In terms of what Diego would bring to the Gunners, depth is about all I can muster. He is a technically adept player, who operates in the ‘number 10’ role. His reputation isn’t one of a particularly hard worker, and he would be unlikely to get into the Arsenal side in place of any of their attacking players.

But the suggestion that Wenger views Diego as a cheap option this summer doesn’t quite ring true. He is reportedly one of the highest earners in the Bundesliga – Wolfsburg are notorious for their disproportionately high wages – which would give a good indication as to why Atletico have never signed him on a permanent deal, despite a successful season-long loan spell in 2012. The cash-strapped Madrid side aren’t in a position to offer the types of six-figure wages Diego supposedly demands, and thus have settled for loan deals on both occasions.

With only a select few at Arsenal earning anywhere near the type of money Diego – reportedly somewhere around £5 million per year – it’s highly doubtful that the Arsenal boss – not exactly a known spendthrift – would part with that type of money for a player who has largely flattered to deceive since his days at Werder Bremen.

The thought that Wenger would plump for a player of Diego’s ilk, when there are many areas in the squad that require more urgent reinforcements, doesn’t quite sit properly. Being 29, and thus in the peak of his career, Diego hardly fits regular profile of a Wenger signing. For all his technique and skill on the ball, he lacks both the mobility and the work-rate to fit in at Arsenal.

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To be truthful, the speculation feels as though the journalist was merely trying to fill pages, and gain a few extra hits. But if he were to be a genuine target for Wenger, he would add depth and little else – not to disregard the importance of squad depth, mind you. With his excessive wage requests, Diego would certainly not be a cheap investment either. It doesn’t feel Wengerish, and it certainly doesn’t feel genuine.

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Nicky Butt has been appointed by Sir Alex Ferguson as a reserve team coach so that the former Man United favourite can gain valuable experience to aid his future career as a manager, according to the Daily Mail.

The ex-united midfielder made 387 appearances for the Red Devils, before moving on to Newcastle and Birmingham. Butt, who  also has 39 England caps to his name,  will now be assisting Warren Joyce to compete in the Barclays Under 21 Premier League, the Lancashire Senior cup and the Manchester Senior Cup.

Butt has been awarded his coaching badges, allowing him to manage a top flight team, but has opted to join the coaching team at Carrington to get back to the training ground and pick up some tips from his old boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

“He’s had a few opportunities to take on jobs but wanted just a wee bit of a chance to revisit the training ground again to get himself back into sync, which we’re happy to do because he was a fantastic servant to us” said the United manager.

“I don’t know what his long-term future is but, in the meantime, he’s helping out with the reserves.”

Man United youngster Tom Thorpe is pleased with the new addition to the coaching staff.

‘It’s brilliant, Especially when a player with a lot of experience comes back and has done it from an early age” said the novice defender.

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“He was at the club for quite a while and has gone through to the first team. It’s great for him to pass on his experience and different ways of playing with different styles” he added.

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According to Brazilian publication UOL, Wolves have entered the race to sign Everton target Willian Jose from Real Sociedad.

What’s the story?

Everton have been interested in securing the services of the Brazilian front-man this summer, although a sticking point is the £52million fee that Real Sociedad are demanding, much higher than his Transfermarkt value of £22.5million.

Mundo Deportivo reported that the Spanish club are holding out for such a large fee because 30 per cent will go to the player’s third-party owners.

The powerful striker has been a revelation since joining La Real two seasons ago, scoring 20 times this campaign.

Now UOL are reporting that Wolves have made contact with the player’s representatives about a potential move to Molineux this summer.

Any transfer will likely depend on whether Wolves sign Andre Silva from AC Milan, who has been the subject of speculation over a £27million move to the West Midlands.

Why Willian Jose is the perfect alternative

Andre Silva has struggled since making his big-money move from Porto to Italy last summer, only scoring twice in the league.

AC Milan are hoping to sell their striker this summer in order to meet UEFA’s financial fair play regulations and it is thought that a deal of £27million could secure the player’s services.

Even though Willian Jose is the more expensive option, the 26-year-old seems ready made for the Premier League and is already in the form of his life.

The 6ft2, 93kg powerhouse bullies defenders and is a strong header of the ball and would offer a focal point for the Wolves attack with Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves pulling the strings.

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It is clear that Silva needs to regain his confidence to make good the promise he showed at Porto, whereas Willian Jose could slot straight into the side.

If Wolves could convince Real Sociedad to lower their asking price, he would be a great option for the club.

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The managerial merry-go-round has become a common aspect of football, with many coaches struggling to make a year at their respective clubs.At the weekend, Watford dismissed head coach Marco Silva after just eight months in charge, and it appears that Everton had something to do with it.In a statement released via the Hornets’Âofficial website, the club blamed an “unwarranted approach” from a Premier League outfit for Silva’s run of poor form, which included one win in 11 top-flight matches.BBC SportÂclaims that Everton were the unnamed club who tried to snatch the Portuguese coach from Vicarage Road in November when they were hunting for Ronald Koeman’s successor.In the end, the Merseyside outfit hired Sam Allardyce, who signed a contract until the end of next season.Following news of Silva’s departure from Watford, Everton fans are now debating whether or not the former Hull City boss will find his way to Goodison Park at some stage.

Everton have failed to win in their last six league matches, but they remain ninth in the standings.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has come to the defence of under-fire boss David Moyes, but also criticised some team-mates for “sometimes occupying the spaces I want to play in”, according to the Guardian.

Van Persie told the Dutch TV channel NOS: “Our fellow players are sometimes occupying the spaces I want to play in. And when I see that it makes it difficult for me to come to those spaces as well. So that forces me to adjust my runs, based on the position of my fellow players. And unfortunately, they’re often playing in my zones. I think that’s a shame.”

However the Dutchman – who missed a good opportunity for an away goal towards the end of the game – did come to the defence of his manager.

“He’s working hard at it, and so are we. Sometimes we play well, but not all the time. We don’t have luck on our side. It’s easy to point the finger at someone, but I’m not like that. We have to do better ourselves,” he added.

And of his missed chance, the former Arsenal star said: “I rushed that shot. That’s a shame because I don’t get a lot of chances so when you get one, you have to score.”

United crashed to a 2-0 defeat against the unfancied Greek champions, to condemn Moyes to a first defeat in Europe as United boss.

“That’s the worst we have played in Europe, that’s for sure,” admitted RvP.

“It was a really poor performance. We never really got going from the start and we didn’t deserve anything because of the way we played. We never really got to grips with things and to a man you could hardly pick anybody out. We just didn’t perform.”

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So, here we go again. I wrote about him last year repeatedly, I wrote about him elsewhere last week, with another “bust-up” story tediously finding its way into the newspapers, and like night following day or Paul Scholes fouling an opposition player, here we are again with the weekly bust-up story. This time, Mario Balotelli “stormed off the pitch” after being substituted early in the 2nd half against Sunderland.

Stormed off? Not my words, but those of your average dullard tabloid hack, this time Joe Bernstein at the Daily Mail leading the way. He did nothing of the sort of course, in fact he was barely moving at all as he trudged off, but apparently that counts as storming off to some nowadays.

There was no real story with Balotelli on Saturday. He did ok in the first half, but as always seemed to lack the desire or work rate, but it was by no means his worst performance. He then walked straight down the tunnel, giving the press an easy story, then left the country to go on international duty, giving the press another easy story. Carte blanche therefore for the press to publish out the same article wheeled out 30 times before, of the owners losing patience with him, leading to an inevitable month of transfer speculation in January (and before) linking him either to a mega-money move to PSG, or back to Italy, probably Milan. We’ve been here before. Last week, Mancini was reported to have pushed him in the tunnel. The week before he was known to be exasperated at his smoking habit. Before that, a long lens captured a “bust up” as Mancini spoke to him on the training ground! OMG!

Groundhog day.

An enigma wrapped inside a puzzle, wrapped inside another enigma, coated with a puzzle. Or summat. No one seems to know what goes on inside Balotelli’s head, though Roberto Mancini will know better than most. The case for the defence is as long as the case for the prosecution. He has been subject to ridiculous provocation on the pitch, and ridiculous slurs off it. Fabricated stories about him appear almost daily. A red card at Liverpool stands out as one of the most ridiculous dismissals of his City career, a referee once more conned by an opposition player understandably targeting Balotelli, to wind him up, and doing so successfully. A red card at West Brom the previous season was the most ridiculous of all. The second yellow card at Arsenal last season was equally lame, though as it turned out he deserved red for his actions elsewhere. He gets kicked from pillar to post at times, and most of the time he doesn’t react, he keeps his calm. But where’s the story in that? Where’s the story in Stoke’s Andy Wilkinson getting a three-match ban the other week for elbowing Balotelli in the head? It’s certainly not half the story that would have dominated the airwaves if it had been the other way round, but that’s the price that the big names have to pay. When Balotelli was banned for his supposed “stamp” on Scott Parker, the Telegraph ran a story (anonymously of course) asking if Balotelli could be subject to police charges.

And he clearly doesn’t help himself. His whole demeanour will of course lead to opposition players trying to rile him. His reputation will sub-consciously linger in referees’ minds when evaluating incidents, however much they may deny it. When Graham Poll is appearing on Talksport decrying his hairstyle, it gives you a good insight into how match officials enter the field with agendas and preconceived ideas. Maybe Balotelli deserves it then. Hey, he doesn’t smile enough for my liking, so throw the book at him.

He has a reputation, and it will never leave him now.  He’s not the only one of course, but he goes to ground too easily, and plays the victim too often. Some days he seems not to be bothered, sometimes he reacts to provocation. He is no longer a kid, and the excuse that he is young is now wearing thin. And though the stories about him are usually exaggerated, sensationalist drivel, he makes these stories easy to write.

After all, after his substitution against Sunderland, would it have been too much to go and sit on the bench as most players do, and watch the rest of the game, and support the team? He wasn’t the only player to walk down the tunnel after being substituted that day (Silva and Adam Johnson did it, but later on in the match), but the press will inevitably pick up on him, and make a story out of it. Why did he need to give them that story?

The problem is, it’s getting to the point that it’s just not worth the hassle for City. Balotelli is a distraction that no team needs. Innocent or guilty, his life is one long soap opera, and he will never be left alone. Managers may use distractions to divert attention away from poor performances, but a constant distraction is more of a hindrance than a help. Mancini must be bored of being asked about his Italian striker and you wonder if team mates are sick of the circus too, and the possibility that he gets preferential treatment from his manager.

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I would wager that most City fans have shown patience with Mario, which is what he deserved. He came to City a young man in a foreign country, into a pressure-cooker environment, and an alien culture. But personally I can never excuse less than 100% effort from any player representing my team. The folly of youth does not excuse that. His performances towards the end of City’s FA Cup winning season suggested a new maturity that didn’t really materialise last season. A strong showing in the European Finals in the summer suggested this maturity once more, but he again appears to have taken a step backwards. If he was an average player putting in average performances, we could understand. But it’s the knowledge of just how good he can be that frustrates the most.

Mario Balotelli clearly has an active mind, he gets distracted, bored easily, he seeks out new things, new challenges. He is not responsible for the image of him constructed by others, of false tales passed round social media sites, of hatchet jobs constructed by members of the press. He is answerable to the club itself, and to the manager and us fans, and it is on the pitch we should judge him. But it is here that he has to deliver consistently to justify his inclusion in teams, his transfer fee, and his large wages. This is a crucial season for him on the pitch, and it is here he will be ultimately judged. If he cannot be seen to be improving season on season, and maturing with it, if he cannot put in the effort week in week out, then there will come a point where enough will be enough. And that point is getting closer for more and more City fans.