After a summer of chasing Southampton’s stars, Spurs are set to head back to the South Coast in January with a swag bag over their shoulder to nab Jay Rodriguez. The injured attacker is believed to be one of Mauricio Pochettino’s favoured targets, but in order to nab him they may need to offer a player in exchange to tempt the high-flying Saints.

One star to have been linked with a swap deal is Harry Kane, who has been, arguably, the north Londoners’ best forward this term. So would this deal make sense for Southampton?

We think so, and here are FIVE reasons why…

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Kane is in form

While Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor have been, well… awful this season, Kane has actually performed well in the white shirt of Spurs. Mauricio Pochettino handed his young striker his first premier League start of the season ahead of the international break at home to Stoke as reward for the hit-man’s eight goals in 13 appearances – although the less aid about that, the better.

Such a record puts him streets ahead of Adebayor and Soldado, while only Graziano Pelle in the Southampton squad boasts a better return. When you take into account that the majority of Kane’s outings have not been for full 90-minute periods – one of which he ended up in goal! – his record is all the more impressive.

Rodriguez’s knee injury may be a problem

Rodriguez’s injury at the back end of last season was a real shame. The versatile forward had been enjoying, arguably, the season of his life, and was on the verge of making England’s World Cup squad – which may have been a good thing to avoid, on reflection. ACL problems are, on the whole, bad news for footballers. The knee is, obviously, a major joint in terms of movement, and damage to ligaments tends not to heal 100%, leaving the problem open to becoming a recurring one.

The medical staff at Southampton are understood to have done a thorough job with J-Rod and are not rushing him back, but an attractive fee for a player who may be a long-term risk might never come along again…

Cash plus Kane

Kane as a straight swap for Rodriguez just won’t happen. The players themselves are miles apart in terms of value, so Spurs will have to put cash down alongside their striker to land their target. With J-Rod, according to reports, having a price-tag of between £20m-£25m, It’s likely that Tottenham will have to offer at the very least £10m plus Kane for the ex-Burnley man, which may well be attractive to the Saints. There is also the possibility of Andros Townsend being involved.

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Good start without Rodriguez

Whatever way you look at it, Southampton have made a simply stunning start to the season. The losses of big name players and an opening day defeat at the hands of Liverpool – who ironically had signed Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert – had set the Saints up for a horrible 2014/15, but a terrific run of form since then sees them second to only to Chelsea with 25 points and eight wins to their name. All of this has been achieved without Jay Rodriguez, so there’s no reason the push cannot continue if he leaves.

Options to replace Rodriguez already in

Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane are both able to operate on the flanks or in a central ‘No.10’ role, so Ronald Koeman has option should he be unable to ever use Rodriguez. The Dutchman’s current set-up is one full of pace and fluidity, so having J-Rod is not an absolute necessity for the ex-Feyenoord coach, who has already shown that he can use money wisely in the transfer market to replace big name stars.

Spurs have really yo-yoed this season, matching the impressive with the, erm… not so impressive. But we here at Football FanCast appreciate the North London side, who are, after all, one of the nation’s top clubs.

The coverage we give them is thorough and diverse, and here are five of the very best article revolving around the Lilywhites for you to get your teeth into…

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FIVE reasons this Tottenham ace HAS to be first choice

Harry Kane really bagged the headlines over the weekend in north London. The Spurs ‘super sub’ netted a stunning late free-kick at Aston Villa to snatch victory with what looked to be the jaws of defeat, further strengthening his claims for a Spurs starting berth.

Cup action has made up the majority of the 21-year-old’s playing time this campaign, but Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that he may now give the youngster more chances in the bigger games. So, with that in mind, here are FIVE reasons we at FFC Towers believe that could be wise decision…

So, is Kane able? Click here to read on

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FIVE reasons Tottenham must take a punt on this Baggies ace

While Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa having been hogging the limelight and Graziano Pelle has been picking up praise for his adaptation, Saido Berahino has been quietly plugging away in the background. The 21-year-old has now notched six Premier League goals and looks set to fulfil the obvious potential he’s had for some time.

Naturally, with West Brom being one of the division’s smaller clubs, the big teams are circling the young striker, with Spurs particularly keen. Talk of a big money January bid has been doing the rounds, and here are FIVE reasons it would make sense for the White Hart Lane side.

Is Berahino the answer? Find out now!

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Should Tottenham bring back THIS former ace to ease their problems?

Many great England strikers have graced English football. Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, Michael Owen, Teddy Sheringham, Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst just to name a few. Scoring a vast number of goals in the best league in the world will have people saying our name for many years. Greaves and Hurst are prime examples of this. One striker in this generation that has always guaranteed goals at any level is Jermain Defoe.

The England international has set the Premier League alight in the past 10 years. After being spotted at Charlton Athletic by West Ham United, Defoe was shortly shipped out on loan to play for AFC Bournemouth. In 29 appearances for the Cherries, Defoe scored a respectable 18 goals. While at Dean Court, he was also breaking records, scoring in 10 consecutive games, the first player to do so since John Aldridge’s post-war record.

Is Defoe the answer? Click here to read on…

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FIVE release clauses Tottenham should consider activating in January

Who first dreamed up the notion of the release clause? Perhaps it was a ploy adopted from the business sector – potentially incarnated by former Tottenham-owner-turned-TV-personality-turned-Lord, Alan Sugar. Perhaps it was invented by Mr. R. Clause himself. Perhaps ex-Liverpool director Damien Comolli, a relentlessly suspicious character, came up with it.

Either way, the release clause adds an interesting dynamic to the transfer market – a simple-yet-effective method of saying ‘If you want him that badly, this is how much you’ll have to pay. Don’t bother negotiating. I can’t be bothered to sit in a boardroom, sipping coffee and downing croissants, whilst debating it.’

Indeed, release clauses can often be extortionate. But here’s FIVE buy-out fees Football Fancast thinks strikes great value-for-money and Spurs should consider activating when the transfer window reopens in January.

Who could Spurs net on the cheap? Read on, here

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FIVE signings to make Spurs a ‘Pochettino team’

Former Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino came in during the summer and although there are signs of his progressive, high-pressing philosophy being successfully implemented at White Hart Lane, his Tottenham side are still very much a work in progress.

The style and attitude of player available to him appears to be the biggest stumbling block; the Saints were a hard-working, earnest bunch, but the Lilywhites have a couple more Prima-donnas in their ranks.

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In terms of squad dynamics, some assembly is still required. In other words, the Argentine needs to make signings that with transform Tottenham into a definitive, bona fide ‘Pochettino team’. Here’s FIVE he should strongly consider.

Who could help ‘Mo Po’ get on the go-go…

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Arsene Wenger’s 18 years at Arsenal have seen the North London club develop their status as one of the most entertaining and successful teams in Europe. The Gunners are now synonymous with playing good football with the relationship between club and manager labelled as the perfect marriage.

However, in 2014, that marriage is well and truly on the rocks with a painful divorce looking increasingly inevitable. Nothing lasts forever, and as fans of the Premier League are reportedly pay the most expensive season tickets across Europe’s top five leagues, they have the right to demand a change.

Wenger’s time at Arsenal seems to be coming to an end for several reasons. The most immediate of which has been a series of questionable tactics and line-ups deployed by the French boss this season. When Arsenal fans first saw their second choice left-back, Nacho Monreal, playing at centre-back alongside a Per Mertesacker, who seems to be suffering from a World Cup hanger-over, optimism wasn’t exactly high at the Emirates.

The fact that Calum Chambers, who certainly looks a lot more comfortable in the centre of defence than he does at full back, is continually being deployed at right-back has also left the Arsenal fans in even more dismay. It seems wrong that a club of Arsenal’s stature can look so weak and vulnerable at the back, with sides such as Southampton, West Ham and even Swansea City achieving better defensive records in 2014/15.

The Gunners have subsequently drawn five and lost four this season, which is exactly the same record as Alan Pardew’s Newcastle United. The Magpies were reportedly in crisis at the beginning of the season, but now after fifteen games played in the Premier League, they sit behind Arsenal in 7th only on goal difference.

Arsene Wenger’s tactical errors are largely part of a bigger issue surrounding the North London club. The Gunners’ transfer policy in recent years has been nothing short of baffling.

Whether or not their French boss is to blame, Arsenal sold Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona without bringing in an adequate replacement. The club have also been forced to make do with a so-so Danny Welbeck, when the likes of Mario Mandzukic and even Loic Remy were available this summer. Seeing one Alex Song perform so well for the Hammers must also be a hard pill to swallow for Gunners fans, as a strong defensive midfielder is another area that needs addressing in this current Arsenal side.

You only need to look to history to see how even untouchable mangers can fall from grace eventually. Nottingham Forrest’s Brian Clough was simply the best during his time at the East midlands club, but as time inevitably wore away at the European glory days Clough brought to Forrest in the mid-seventies, the famed manager departed the club after seeing his side be unceremoniously relegated from the top flight.

Whilst such a dramatic decline obviously doesn’t await Arsenal any time soon, the Clough story clearly outlines that nothing lasts forever in football.

There was once a time when Arsenal couldn’t afford to sack Wenger because there were simply no other managerial names out their worthy of carrying on where Arsene would have left off, but today that is no longer the case. Atletico’s Diego Simeone would certainly seem a suitable candidate, and despite his recent shortcomings with Borussia Dortmund, so would Jurgen Klopp.

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Yes, Arsenal fans owe Wenger a huge deal of respect for bringing consistent European football and the ‘Invincibles’ team to North London. Yes, some of the players wearing the red & white have been guilty of under-performing in recent years and should be giving more for their manager.

Yes, injuries to key players have done no favours for Arsene this season – but ultimately, as the same problems seem to be afflicting the Gunners with every passing season, Arsenal are slowly losing grip of their ‘big club’ status and a change is going to be needed sooner or later if they are to maintain it.

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Arsenal have been one of the Premier League’s busiest clubs on the inward front this month, securing a deal for 17-year-old defensive midfielder Krystian Bielik and following it up this week with an £11million swoop for Villarreal centre-back Gabriel Paulista.

There’s certainly no immediate obligation to balance the books – Arsene Wenger was issued a £20million budget for the January window and in fact, there should still be a bit left in the kitty.

But new arrivals often spell departures for other players, and recent speculation suggests a small batch of Arsenal stars could still leave the Emirates before the deadline on February second.

With that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE Gunners we believe could be plying their trade with alternative clubs by the end of the window.

CHUBA AKPOM

Striker Chuba Akpom is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Arsenal’s academy, racking up prolific hauls for the Gunners’ youth squads and boasting 14 goals in 35 appearances for England across the junior levels, ranging from U16 to U20.

Arsenal are by no means looking to offload the 19 year-old this month, in fact, they’ve lined him up a new three year contract, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the campaign.

But Akpom, who enjoyed loan spells with Brentford and Coventry during 2014, is also entertaining offers from abroad, with FC Twente, Feyenoord and Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund all intent on signing the teenage forward on pre-contract deals.

The 6 foot goalscorer’s potential availablilty has attracted interest throughout the Premier League too; The Express claims Liverpool, Everton, Spurs and Manchester City are all keen on Akpom and could launch bids before the transfer window closes.

In other words, unless Arsenal can offer a more lucrative deal, or greater assurances of first team football, they could lose the Junior Lion this month.

FRANCIS COQUELIN

Defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin finds himself in a near-identical situation to Chuba Akpom this month; his contract is set to expire at the end of the season and like the young striker, is currently delaying on a new deal.

The 23 year-old made his senior debut for the Gunners way back in 2008, but it’s taken a heroic performance against Manchester City at the Etihad two weekends ago for Coquelin to become a potential fixture in Arsene Wenger’s long-term plans.

In the meantime, he’s been lingering on loan with FC Lorient, Freiburg and Charlton, and is resultantly reluctant to pen extended terms until assurances are made regarding regular first team football. With Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini, Santi Cazorla, Tomas Rosicky and Aaron Ramsey currently ahead of him in the centre-mid pecking order, the Frenchman’s doubts are understandable.

With that in mind, the Gunners could decide to sell instead, should a viable suitor emerge over the next few days.

SERGE GNABRY (LOAN)

Amid a flurry of promising performances at the start of last season, many tipped young winger Serge Gnabry to become a future Arsenal star. It was a run that earned him a nomination for the 2013 Golden Boy award and a new five-year deal at the Emirates.

We haven’t seen much of the 19 year-old winger since however – in fact, he’s yet to appear for Arsenal’s seniors in any competition this season – due to him picking up a knee injury in March 2014 and spending the next six months on the sidelines.

That ruled him out of several loan moves during the summer, particularly to Aston Villa, so now that the German youngster, who boasts 10 goals and 45 caps for the Mannschaft minors from U16 to U19, is back to full fitness, we could see him leave the Emirates on a temporary deal this month.

Barring a potential revival in interest from Aston Villa however, viable suitors are currently thin on the ground.

MATHIEU FLAMINI

One of the only players Arsene Wenger has signed twice for Arsenal, the Emirates boss is clearly fond of French midfielder Mathieu Flamini.

But 30 year-old’s second Gunners tenure is increasingly becoming a weak impersonation of his first, and Flamini has been at the heart of several disappointing Arsenal displays over the last 18 months – one of the most recent being their 2-2 draw with Liverpool back in December.

With the former Milan man’s contract up at the end of the campaign, Wenger might be prepared to let ‘the running man’ leave north London six months earlier than planned.

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He’s clearly not a fixture in the Arsenal gaffer’s long-term arrangements and fellow defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin has emerged as a viable alternative in recent weeks. Likewise, captain Mikel Arteta is allegedly on the verge of signing a new contract.

That being said, not a single penny in transfer fees has been spent on Flamini throughout his career; moves from Marseille to Arsenal, Arsenal to Milan and Milan back to the Emirates were all free transfers, suggesting a particular fetish for the bosman ruling.

SANTI CAZORLA

A shock suggestion perhaps, considering Santi Cazorla’s produced some incredible form over the last few months and a particularly imperious display against Manchester City two weekends ago. Likewise, his ambipedal feet and positional versatility makes the 30 year-old a huge asset in the Gunners squad.

But where does the high-flying Spaniard actually fit into Arsenal’s starting Xi long-term? His predominant role of No.10 will surely be taken by Mesut Ozil, whilst lesser displays earlier in the season suggested Cazorla lacks the power and pace required to be an effective force out wide – even if he did somehow usurp a first team role from Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

With the playmaker now 30 years of age and his contract entering its final 18 months, Arsene Wenger might just be convinced into relinquishing the Spain international this January should the right offer come along.

There’s certainly a market out there for the former Villarreal and Malaga star; Atletico Madrid were strongly linked with an £18million bid last month.

Fantastic start at Anfield, with Manchester City and Liverpool both giving the neutrals the perfect beginning to an action packed day of football.

Despite the Citizens coming out of the blocks flying, Brendan Rodgers’ side settled down and made a good spell of dominance count with Jordan Henderson completing a fine move with a wonderful curled finish into the top corner, leaving international team-mate Joe Hart without any hope in the world of saving it.

After a poor start to life on Merseyside, following his high profile transfer from Sunderland, Henderson has gone on to become a key player for the Reds over the last few months. And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for Liverpool with talisman Steven Gerrard leaving for LA Galaxy in the summer.

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Filling the shoes of the iconic Stevie G won’t be easy but the signs are promising from Hendo, especially after his beauty today, and Liverpool fans are certainly getting carried away:

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According to reports from The Daily Star, manager Mauricio Pochettino wants the final say on all things transfers at Tottenham in the coming summer window and quite frankly, I can hardly blame him.

Managers live and die by their signings but the Argentine appears to have had little input – if any – on Spurs’ acquisitions since taking the White Hart Lane hot seat at the beginning of the season.

He’s still working with a squad inherited from predecessors Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood, resultantly turning to Spurs’ youth system to try and implement the high-octane philosophy that earned him critical acclaim at Southampton.

But with the summer now just around the corner, Pochettino finally has the chance to imprint his own image on the Lilywhites squad.

And just in case he’s short on ideas on how to do so, Football Fancast have outlined FIVE signings that would help implement his philosophy in north London.

MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN

Mauricio Pochettino needs an on-pitch general and Southampton star Morgan Schneiderlin is the perfect candidate for the job.

He flourished during the Argentine’s 18 months as St. Mary’s boss and is now one of the Premier League’s most formidable enforcers, this season averaging the third-most tackles per match, 3.7, of any player in the division.

Pochettino likes his deep-sitting midfielders; we saw Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama double screening at Southampton, and Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason are now performing a similar kind of service for Spurs – so signing the 25 year-old seems the next logical step in bringing the Tottenham gaffer’s philosophy to fruition.

The tabloids already view the France international as a likely Tottenham target, but Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been linked by The Guardian – who also claim he’s valued by Southampton at around £27million.

JAMES MCCARTHY

Another midfielder worth Spurs’ strong consideration is Everton dynamo James McCarthy.

Mauricio Pochettino has shown preference to the energy and enthusiasm of youth in his engine room over the somewhat more lackadaisical styles of Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Mousa Dembele this season, and although McCarthy’s no budding youngster he certainly shares Bentaleb and Mason’s capacity to get up and down the pitch without leaving gaping holes.

Although the Toffees have struggled this season, the 24 year-old’s relentless injury, covering every blade of grass twice, continues to stand out. He’s also dependable on the ball – a playmaker for Wigan Athletic under Roberto Martinez in their previous life together – this season boasting a pass completion rate of 86%.

The Ireland international would be a fantastic Lilywhites addition. But Everton will be reluctant to sell to a club they’ve often rivalled for a Europa League spot over the last decade, whilst long-term interest from Arsenal and Man United – as claimed by The Daily Mail – could prove problematic.

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

There’s nothing Pochettino likes more than a big and burley centre-forward. At Southampton, he had Rickie Lambert and Dani Osvaldo leading the line, and he originally opted for the lanky stylings of Emmanuel Adebayor when first arriving at White Hart Lane.

Of course, he now has Harry Kane providing a similar kind of service. But Tottenham need to sign some back-up for England’s latest hero this summer and Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke is another striker of that old-fashioned No.9 mould.

Measuring in at 6 foot 3, blessed with an imperious leap and broad shoulders, the 23 year-old is quickly emerging as one of the Premier League’s leading target men, boasting a potent return of 48 goals in 97 appearances for the Birmingham outfit – including a prolific run of ten goals since Tim Sherwood took the Villains hotseat in February.

The former Spurs gaffer has admitted the Belgium international could force a move away this summer – as reported by The Daily Mail – but the tabloids claim Villa won’t sell for anything less than £30million.

ANDRE PIERRE-GIGNAC

A cheaper alternative to Benteke and therefore perhaps better suited to the role of Harry Kane’s understudy, Andre Pierre-Gignac isn’t the most talented of strikers but he’s set to leave Marseille on a free contract this summer.

And despite my fears over his quality, the 29 year-old has been in fantastic form over the last few seasons, netting 60 times in his last 118 appearances for the Stade Velodrome outfit.

Once heckled with chants of ‘Un Big Mac pour Gignac’, there’s no doubting the France international’s strength and power – even if some of it’s more flab than muscle.

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As aforementioned, Gignac is set to leave L’OM under the bosman ruling this summer. The Premier League seems like as suitable a destination as any – but talkSPORT claim he’s already agreed a move to Dynamo Moscow.

ANDRE AYEW

Another Andre-based, bosman-based, Marseille-based suggestion.

The physical styles of winger-forward Jay Rodriguez became a defining feature of Southampton’s attacking play under Mauricio Pochettino, and although Nacer Chadli has performed well in a similar capacity this season, a summer upgrade certainly wouldn’t go amiss.

Enter Andre Ayew, who boasts a potent return of 57 goals in 187 appearances for Marseille – including seven strikes in Ligue 1 this season. He’s made considerable goalscoring strides on the international scene too in recent months, earning the Goal King (top scorer) award at the 2015 African Cup of Nations.

Blessed with dynamic power and strength and surprisingly good in the air for a 5 foot 9 forward, the Ghana international seems like an ideal fit for the Premier League, whilst his versatility, featuring in no less than six different positions for L’OM this season, would boost the depth of Tottenham’s squad enormously.

As previously stated, the 25 year-old is set to leave Stade Velodrome on a free transfer this summer – but Swansea City have already offered him a contract, so Spurs will have to act quickly.

Whether it be domestically with Arsenal, or on the international scene with Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions, Theo Walcott has seemingly always been a name guaranteed to split public opinion within the English footballing community.

It seems a complete age ago when the former Southampton man struck three goals past Croatia all the way back in 2008 – an achievement that incidentally sees the Gunners no. 14 remain the youngest England player to score a hat-trick at the tender age of 19-years-old. Nowadays though, things just haven’t quite been the same for Arsenal’s once priceless asset.

The England striker is now at the most testing crossroads his career has yet faced with both club and country. Should the 26-year-old be a definite first team starter for Arsene Wenger next season, could he be played as a traditional out-in-out striker rather than a hybrid-type winger, and will Roy Hodgson even see fit to give the quick-footed star a ring next time his England squad selection is due?

Many questions seemingly remain present when it comes to the player in question, yet one thing should nevertheless remain clear – Theo Walcott must not become a forgotten man any time soon, either with his national team, or closer to home at the Emirates.

On his day he is simply too good a player for his respective managers to ignore. Walcott has a turn of pace that is scarcely matched by anyone in the game at the moment, even if the England striker is still yet to put his true talents on full display this season. The highly coveted no. 14 is more often than not able to link up effectively with his teammates at Arsenal, can be a real nuisance for defenders with his determination in the final third, and normally proves a strong force on the counter-attack with his lightening quick pace and keen eye for goal.

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The much talked about 26-year-old can also add that something special to his team when circumstances allow. Although the likes of Harry Kane, Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge will likely be filling the striking positions for England in the near future, neither of the aforementioned names share the same set of match-winning abilities that used to be oh so present in the Arsenal man just a few seasons ago.

Yes, 2014/15 has hardly been a vintage year for the former Saints graduate to remember, but as much of that has been down to the player’s lengthy injury spell on the side-lines this season, it would be unfair to cast judgement on Theo Walcott’s overall game based on this campaign alone. Fitness has obviously been a worry, yet things should definitely start looking brighter for the Gunners when their star striker finally gets back in shape.

Having said that tough, there are still those out there who simply fail to rate the Arsenal forward and the potential impact Walcott could have for England in Euro 2016. His critics suggest that the striker often drifts out of important matches and all too often fails to make a meaningful impact for his team. The Gunners man has also been described as a headless chicken at times – as although the player himself certainly seems to know where the goal is – Walcott has on occasion failed to deliver the goods when he has had to think about the play rather than acting on instinct alone.

That suggests that whilst Arsene Wenger has almost always utilized the England forward out on the flanks for his undeniably quick turn of pace and speed across the pitch, Theo Walcott would ultimately serve his manager better by playing as an out-in-out striker. He simply has all the necessary qualities to make it in such a position, and wouldn’t have his weaknesses highlighted so much when placed away from the isolation of the wing.

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As teams in Europe invariably opt against a traditional 4-4-2 formation these days however, perhaps the once un-droppable front-man is rapidly on the verge of fading away with every passing season. Without a strike partner up top for the Arsenal talent to work with, the impact he has on the pitch simply can’t reach its full potential.

It would therefore be a great shame if such an eventuality did in-fact take place – but as Theo Walcott still goes down as one of the most effective and potentially exciting England players currently plying their trade in the Premier League at the moment –  his name and future role on the international scene should definitely not be forgotten any time soon.

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Before last week’s point at home to West Brom, Newcastle looked in big trouble. Unsure of where the next point was going to come from, every game looked to be fraught with danger, and every game looked like bringing them a game closer to relegation.

It’s a club with real problems, and you can see the depth of feeling around the club – the fans, the players, the coaching staff – most are passionate about the club and frustration at the position they find themselves in is inevitable.

And now, with two games of the season left to play, Newcastle are close to survival. They’re two points clear of Hull with two games to play, and Hull have two horrible games left to play – Tottenham and Manchester United. Meanwhile Newcastle have games against West Ham and QPR to negotiate. Two teams with nothing to play for.

So Newcastle look fairly safe. But they only look safe almost by default. They look safe because Hull look doomed.

Last week, it was probably expected that Hull would beat Burnley at home, and a win for them would have put Newcastle into the relegation zone – they would have been in huge trouble.

But you have to give some credit to the team – they came back from a goal down to get something out of a game against West Brom. They showed at least some heart, some character and some pride in the shirt they were playing in and managed to get what could turn out to be a vital point. It might just be the point that keeps them in the league this season.

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Sometimes the best thing that can happen is disaster. Not all-out catastrophe, but disaster that could have been much worse.

It’s the principle of once bitten twice shy. If something bad happens, you can learn from it and stop it from happening again. The problem is that you have to survive the misfortune in the first place.

For Newcastle, their terrible form of late should send warning bells ringing for next season. They need to learn from their mistakes and stop it from happening again.

First-off they need to stay up. But beyond that, let’s hope that Mike Ashley wakes up and realises that the club deserves better. They need a manager that plays football in the right way and tries to win trophies. Put simply, Newcastle need a manager who will get the team to mirror the passion from the stands. John Carver said that if the players were as passionate as he was, there’d be no problem. In a way he’s right, passion is what’s needed. But what he and the ownership need to realise is that the manager is the man who gets the team to play – it’s the manager who transfers that passion to the players. And in this respect Carver has failed.

No one is hopeful that the next manager into Newcastle will be anything other than a puppet for Ashley and his business. But what I do hope is that Ashley heeds the warning from this season.

In football, business and pleasure should go hand in hand. The best-run clubs should be the most successful. If Ashley wanted to treat Newcastle like a business, then he’d want it to be successful. A Newcastle with a strong squad, huge stadium and a passionate fanbase should be a force in Europe, never mind England. Surely that would grow his businesses better than a club that he keeps locked in the mid table year after year?

This season should be the near-miss disaster that sparks Ashley into action. Action to bring in a good manager and convince him that the ownership will back him to play good football and win trophies.

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But somehow I fear that 17th place on goal difference is the only objective that the owner will ever want for his club. If Newcastle stay up, it’ll be because Hull are worse. If that’s fine for Ashley then not only is he a terrible owner, but he’s missing a business trick too.

Surely this is the season to spark a change? If you can’t appeal to his sense of passion for the club, his sense of pride at being the owner, his sense of nobility to do the right thing, then you should at least be able to appeal to his wallet – make Newcastle strong again and he’ll make more money than he does right now.

And if that won’t work, then nothing will.

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Arsenal director Lord Harris has revealed that manager Arsene Wenger is keen on signing a world-class striker and is prepared to break the current £42million club record fee they used for Mesut Ozil last summer, Daily Mail reports.

The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for a centre-forward the past few months, with the likes of Real Madrid star Karim Benzema and Borussia Dortmund ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang speculated to be targets.

And a deal could be in the works after Arsenal director Harris claimed that there is over £200million currently in the club bank, and that Wenger will be allowed to splash £50million in the transfer market.

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“Money was tight when we moved to the Emirates but it’s a lot freer now,” he said.

“We could go into the market and probably buy any player in the world, apart from half a dozen who are un-buyable. In the accounts, there’s over £200million in the bank.

“You could say to Arsene we’ve got no money and he wouldn’t worry, or you could give him £100m and he might not spend it.

“We get a list of the players that Wenger wants.

“‘On the list is a centre forward, but I’m not going to tell you who he is. I think he wants to come.

“It basically comes down to whether the other team can find a superstar to replace him. We could go into the market and probably buy any player in the world, apart from half a dozen who are unbuyable.

“At the moment there are no plans to sign anyone, unless he finds a real superstar like Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez. He’s looking for one of those but there aren’t many available.

“We would back him to break the club’s transfer record. Apart from Messi and Ronaldo, he could have any player. We will probably have to break the club record to get the man he wants.”

Harris added that Wenger was already keen on Cech – their only major summer signing – last year and that he is glad Sterling went to Manchester City rather than arriving at the Emirates.

“Chelsea couldn’t sell him because they didn’t know how Courtois was going to settle in,” he added.

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“[Raheem] Sterling is a very, very good player but I’m very pleased Arsenal didn’t sign him. He’s got a lot to learn. They were looking at him and the way he treated Liverpool wasn’t good.”

Wenger, 65, has managed Arsenal since 1996, winning three Premier League titles and six FA Cups during his tenure.

Arsenal’s last Premier League meeting with Liverpool was an incredibly humbling experience. Amid the backdrop of uncertainty over the futures of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – who would go on to join the Reds shortly after – Arsene Wenger’s side put in an abject display at Anfield and returned to north London coming to terms with a 4-0 defeat.

That’s very much the crux of the challenge Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool pose; if you don’t match them for commitment and intensity, you’ll struggle to beat them. On top of that, the Reds boast so many attacking talents in good form right now – it speaks volumes that Sadio Mane isn’t an automatic starter this season – the whole team must be organised and prepared to defend as a cohesive unit.

With the January transfer window looming, those requirements will surely play on Wenger’s mind. Sanchez remains Arsenal’s most formidable attacking asset on paper but the Chile international just hasn’t been himself this season and particularly over his last five appearances, which have produced no goals and just one assist.

While even the top talents in world football go off the boil sometimes, Sanchez’s expiring contract inevitably leads to questions over his commitment. And when we recently asked Arsenal fans whether it’s time to drop the South American, the response was a resounding yes.

There’s perhaps still a fear of leaving out Arsenal’s top talent when welcoming a big six rival at the Emirates Stadium, but last night’s League Cup clash with West Ham did give Wenger the chance to at least consider the alternatives – the most obvious being Danny Welbeck.

In a cagey affair against the Hammers, it was the 36-cap England international’s strike that made the difference, poking home a Mathieu Debuchy knock-down from close range. That capped off a fairly productive afternoon from the winger-forward, who also produced three dribbles, created one chance and completed 97% of his passes as his athleticism and industry once again stood out.

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So, Arsenal fans, ahead of a fixture that could well decide which slot in the top six the Gunners take come the end of the season, who would you start against Liverpool on Friday night? Let us know by voting below…