Manchester United host bitter rivals Liverpool on Saturday in a battle that has taken on extra significance with the two sides so tightly matched in the race for second place.

Liverpool undoubtedly play the more attractive football and Jurgen Klopp has fashioned a frightening attack while Jose Mourinho is still struggling to transform his star-studded frontline into a cohesive unit.

That makes looking at the individual quality of the players quite interesting as Liverpool have not spent to the same degree as United but appear to be working in better harmony.

A combined eleven between the two clubs might still struggle to catch Manchester City but it would certainly give it a good go.

FootballFanCast have put together a combination in a 4-3-3 system – so Paul Pogba can have no complaints about his best position – with six representatives of one club and five of the other.

But which side comes out on top? Take a look…

GK: David de Gea

It’s no contest to start off with. De Gea has been constantly outstanding for five seasons now; saving United countless times and surely establishing himself as the best goalkeeper in the world.

The Liverpool goalkeeping situation has been well-documented. Both Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius oscillate between the sublime and the nervous but the German has stepped up his game in recent weeks and pulled off an outstanding save against Newcastle last weekend.

As the younger man, he represents the better bet if Klopp is to rectify his goalkeeping issues from within but he isn’t in De Gea’s league right now. Although that begs the question, is any other goalkeeper?

RB: Antonio Valencia

This one is a toss-up between youth and experience. With Nathaniel Clyne having been ruled out all season, Klopp has overseen the emergence of two very promising English right-backs.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was thrust into the corresponding fixture last season and marshalled Anthony Martial impressively while Joe Gomez was man of the match in this season’s 0-0 draw between the two at Anfield.

However, Antonio Valencia has become a fixture in the United backline in recent years. He gets up and down the right well, generally delivers with quality and has scored some screamers this season. He just about gets the nod.

CB: Virgil Van Dijk

Eyebrows might have been raised over the transfer fee paid by the Reds for Virgil Van Dijk but he is the best centre-back either side has at their disposal.

Liverpool have had issues at centre-back since Rafael Benitez left the club but it looks like the Reds have finally found the answer in the shape of the Dutchman.

Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren marshalled Romelu Lukaku with relative ease earlier in the season and while the Belgian striker is in better form now, Van Dijk will fancy his chances of keeping him quiet.

CB: Eric Bailly

Bailly has struggled badly with injury this season and there is little doubt it has hampered United this season. He is easily the best centre-back at the club and his return to full fitness cannot come soon enough.

He has been on the bench in recent weeks, watching on as Chris Smalling delivers nervous performances alongside Victor Lindelof.

He has the pace, power and quality to make a real difference to the United backline when he’s fit.

LB: Andy Robertson

It is easy to forget that James Milner had to fill in at left-back for a whole season last time around so the arrival of Andy Robertson at Anfield was genuinely exciting.

He took a little while to find his feet but his form over the past three months has been outstanding. Meanwhile, United have been using another former Aston Villa midfielder as a makeshift left-back – Ashley Young – ahead of Luke Shaw, who still can’t impress Mourinho.

CDM: Nemanja Matic

Matic netted his first Manchester United goal against Crystal Palace last time out, a stunner to grab all three points in stoppage time.

With Michael Carrick’s influence waning badly, Matic has brought a steadiness and positional discipline to the United midfield.

Emre Can and Jordan Henderson offer energy at the back of midfield but still leave the back four exposed at times, which means the former Chelsea man gets the nod in the holding role.

CM: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Chamberlain moved to Liverpool because he wanted to play in central midfield and develop under Jurgen Klopp, after years of being shunted around under Arsene Wenger, which caused his progression to stall.

He has forced his way to the front of the queue at Anfield, despite the energetic and talented midfielders at the club and gets into this team ahead of Ander Herrera and Scott McTominay.

That is testament to a man who has come on further in six months under Klopp than in years under Wenger.

CM: Paul Pogba

He isn’t enjoying the best of times right now but Pogba is the most talented midfielder on either squad.

He gets into this side on the left side of a midfield trio – his supposed best position – and Mourinho must be hoping he will come good if he continues to play there.

He needs a big performance against Liverpool and it would go a long way to silencing the ever-increasing number of doubters.

RW: Mo Salah

What else can be said about Salah that hasn’t been said already? His goalscoring return dwarfs Luis Suarez best season at Anfield and he is on course to match the form of Cristiano Ronaldo when he scored 42 goals for United and won the Ballon d’Or in 2008.

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Signed for £36.9m – but now valued at £72m by transfermarkt.co.uk – he has to be the signing of the summer by far. Whoever Mourinho chooses to go up against him – Ashley Young or Luke Shaw – will be in for a long afternoon.

He and De Gea are this team’s star men.

LW: Alexis Sanchez

It was always going to take a lot to break up the outstanding Reds front three but Alexis Sanchez’ individual talent edges out Sadio Mane.

He has struggled to integrate himself into United’s attack – which doubtless owes a lot to the fact that it doesn’t really have an identity – but he is capable of winning games on his own.

He is tireless and Mourinho will love that about him. He was the man Brendan Rodgers wanted to replace the aforementioned Suarez and things could have been very different if he’d got him.

ST: Roberto Firmino

Romelu Lukaku has been in improved form for United but there are still issues with his hold-up play, his first touch, his overall contribution in big matches and his composure.

Meanwhile, Firmino is so important to this Liverpool side. He can come short, he can go in behind, he starts the press and never gives defenders a moment’s peace.

If he was United’s main striker, he would have more goals than Lukaku has amassed this season.

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Eric Bailly made his first league start since November as he was thrust back into first-team action by Jose Mourinho for Manchester United’s crunch clash with Liverpool on Saturday.

Victor Lindelof put in a nervous performance in the Red Devils’ previous match, the dramatic 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, and Mourinho’s decision to throw Bailly back in despite a lack of match sharpness was justified as United largely nullified Liverpool’s previously rampant attack and won 2-1.

That victory was secured despite Bailly – valued at £31.5m by transfermarkt – contriving to score a bizarre own goal, when the Ivorian’s failure to reorganise his feet saw him divert an unthreatening Sadio Mane cross past David De Gea.

Bailly’s pace, anticipation and confidence gave United an extra dimension and allowed them to keep the Reds’ attack at arm’s length for much of the match as they invited Jurgen Klopp’s side forward with an advantage to protect.

He impressed in all areas of the game, making six interceptions and seven clearances to go with the winning of two tackles and three headers. United employed a no-thrills gameplan but his passing was still reliable, with a success rate of 84.2%.

Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling as well as the aforementioned Lindelof have all been at the heart of a patchwork United defence this season but Bailly is a level above. Mourinho will hope to have him available for the rest of the season.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Graham Roberts has advised Jan Vertonghen to keep quiet about the club’s Wembley advantage in the FA Cup.The North London outfit have been playing all of their home games at the national stadium this season as they wait for their new ground to be built.Initially, the club seemed to be under a Wembley curse as Mauricio Pochettino’s side struggled to win there, but now it has been suggested that the team have the edge when it comes to the FA Cup.The semi-finals and final will be staged at the home of English football, and Tottenham are one of the remaining four teams competing for the trophy.https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/twitter-report-1.mp4Pochettino’s men will take on Manchester United in the semi-finals of the competition, and a tweet has been shared online quoting Vertonghen as saying that his team will have the Wembley advantage.

In response, Tottenham’s former defender Roberts has issued the Belgian with a tongue-in-cheek warning.

Everton fans are getting excited about the future after reports that Marcel Brands is set to join the club, and they hope it means the end of Steve Walsh’s recruitment.

According to Sky Sports, PSV technical director Marcel Brands will replace Steve Walsh as director of football at Everton this summer.

PSV are currently seven points clear at the top of Eredivisie, and Sky Sports claims Brands will leave the club once they are crowned as Dutch champions.

Everton fans hoped it would mean the end of Steve Walsh as director of football when the links to Brands surfaced last month, and now they’re getting excited about the switch.

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Walsh has not been particularly successful since he was handed the role, and the influx of mostly disappointing signings last summer may have put the nail in his Everton coffin.

Brands is highly regarded in the Netherlands, having signed players like Davy Propper, Dreis Mertens and Georginio Wijnaldum before moving them along for tidy profits.

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The 55 year-old is represented by super agent Mino Raiola and Everton hope the pair can bring in the type of talent needed to break into the top six.

Fans have been reacting to the news on Twitter, and some of the best reactions can be found below…

Everton fans are certainly growing tired of the lack of end product from their wide men this season, but who should start on the left wing against Swansea on Saturday?

The Toffees have had their fair share of problems this season, but with the return of several experienced figures at the back the focus shifts once again to the lack of production up front.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s injury was a huge loss, and the enigmatic disappearance of Davy Klaassen continues to confuse fans, but the arrival of Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott has certainly aided the Blues in attack.

That said, fans are still unconvinced by Yannick Bolasie on the left wing, who has been anything but prolific since his return to the side.

The 28 year-old Congo international scored a wonderful consolation goal against Manchester City, but spurned a fantastic opportunity to keep his side in the game in the first half.

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Nikola Vlasic has received plenty of support from the Goodison faithful, but Sam Allardyce is yet to put any trust in the youngster

That leaves Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has been the Toffees’ most prolific player in the league this season in terms of goals and assists.

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Although he has played his best football more centrally, Big Sam has to go with the 21 year-old on Saturday against Swansea.

Everton fans, who do you think should start at left wing on Saturday? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

Newcastle fans are dreading the thought of losing Kenedy this summer, after the impressive Brazilian was linked with Bayern Munich and PSG.

According to Sky Sports, PSG and Bayern Munich are two of a handful of huge clubs keeping an eye on Chelsea loanee Kenedy.

The Brazilian winger has grabbed two goals and two assists since his loan move to Newcastle, and fans on Tyneside have fallen in love with his work ethic, audacious skills and passionate celebrations.

Apart from the obvious task of keeping Rafael Benitez at the club, the Toon Army have been stressing for weeks about the prospect of keeping Kenedy this summer, who seems to have formed a real relationship with St. James’ Park.

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Of course, the better he plays the more interest he will attract from elsewhere, and Sky Sports’ claims that he is wanted by some of Europe’s elite is troubling news indeed.

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While some fans are doubting the validity of the links, others are freaking out at the possibility of losing their new fan favourite.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Mauricio Pochettino’s insinuations over his own future after Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final have inevitably whipped up a storm.

The Argentine has never been one to discuss such matters in public, so suggesting the Lilywhites may need to break their trophy duck under a different manager is a significant change in tact. It’s been followed up by Duncan Castles’ exclusive for Yahoo, claiming Pochettino is seriously considering ending his reign at the north London club.

“I think Tottenham need to keep going in this direction, and to create that winning mentality is not about a few years. Tottenham need more time, with me or with another. We are now competitive, but to win a trophy, that is not easy.”

The assumption then, after another near miss in Tottenham’s hunt for titles, is that Pochettino feels the club can’t quite match his ambitions as Real Madrid linger in the background. For all of Spurs’ incredible progress under his guidance, they’re still the least equipped members of the Big Six in terms of experience and squad depth.

That’s largely inevitable due to the complexion of the youthful squad and Tottenham’s limited spending power, which will only be further restricted in coming years due to the rebuilding of White Hart Lane.

But perhaps the truth is somewhat more self-deprecating than that. Rather than Pochettino believing he’s destined for greater things, perhaps he believes he’s simply not capable of conquering the difficult challenge placed in front of him – the challenge of not only competing with but also bettering clubs that boast far greater financial resources.

To an extent, he’s managed that over the last few years, but Tottenham’s rise has only convinced Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea that they need to throw even more into staying above the north London club. Its made the rest of the Big Six more vigilant.

“The first thing that I did when I got there was open a bottle of win and stuff myself with unhealthy food. I think I let my frustration out on myself. I ate the lot: crisps, snacks… if we had pizza, some of that as well. No salad. The wine was Argentinian: a Malbec. Whenever I am slightly down, I like to smell Argentinian wine.”

And Pochettino has always been one to take defeat incredibly personally. According to his biography, Brave New World, Tottenham’s failure to hold onto second place in 2015/16 – conceding it to Arsenal after challenging Leicester City for the title – induced a delve into binge eating junk food and drinking Argentinean wine. Even when the European Championships were underway in France, Pochettino was still coming to terms with how Tottenham’s season had ended so disappointingly.

Likewise, the evidence is becoming harder to ignore, and Pochettino will be aware that some of his most crucial decisions have cost Tottenham dearly in their last two FA Cup semi-finals. Last season, the decision to match Chelsea’s 3-4-3 system and use Heung-min Son as an unorthodox wing-back backfired at Wembley.

Last weekend against United, Michel Vorm committed a costly error while standing in for the fully fit Hugo Lloris. Pochettino may not regret those decisions completely, but they’ll certainly give him cause for self-reflection.

No doubt then, there’s the potential for this storm to quickly blow over, it’s just a matter of Pochettino getting past a humbling defeat. He’s clearly disappointed by the way Saturday’s loss panned out, especially after Tottenham started the match on the front foot, and probably blames himself more than the club or the players.

But if that’s indeed the case, Pochettino needs to remember his responsibilities to Tottenham, which includes creating any uncertainties over his future with the club. That rings truer now than ever before, because the Lilywhites find themselves in such a precious moment.

The general feeling is that the vast majority of players are committed to the project at Tottenham, to the extent that they’re prepared to overlook the fact they could earn much more with divisional rivals, but Pochettino plays a key role in that, and much of the faith in Spurs’ ability to grow rests on how he’s managed to transform the club in such a short space of time.

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For how content Tottenham’s squad is at the minute, opinions and motivations could quickly change should there be sustained doubts over the Argentine’s future – he’s the spearhead of the operation, and the players will be more than aware of how integral he’s been to their development as individuals and a collective. Amid the backdrop of Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose and potentially Mousa Dembele seeking pastures new this summer, just the idea of Pochettino leaving and this squad breaking up could be as devastating as the actual act itself.

That makes the final few weeks of the season a key moment for Tottenham Hotspur, even though they have nothing left to play for. It appears Pochettino needs some sign that he’s still moving the club forward, that he can defy more financially endowed divisional rivals and that he can bring silverware to the north London club.

Whether that comes from the board, the players or the fans, the 46-year-old is clearly in need of some love right now.

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As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United are set to prioritise the signing of Alex Sandro this summer.

What’s the story?

With Ashley Young filling in at left-back for the majority of the season, United badly need a natural choice in the position. Young has done well in his role, but signing an elite player at his peak who can be a long-term option would be ideal when the transfer window opens.

One player who could end up at Old Trafford is Juventus defender Alex Sandro.

That’s according to the Manchester Evening News, who say that Jose Mourinho is cooling interest in other targets in order to secure the signature of the Brazilian international.

Rated at £45m, is he the man to solve United’s left-back problem?

Would he be a good signing?

Alex Sandro has spent over six seasons in European football since making the move from Santos to Porto in 2011 and since then has become one of the continent’s most talented full-backs.

With plenty of pace and power to his game, he also has versatility and can be used up and down the left flank at United in defensive and more attacking roles. His impact in the final third can also be impressive, demonstrated by his four goals and four assists this season.

With strong UEFA Champions League experience too, he tickets many of the boxes that a big side like the Red Devils are looking for.

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At 27 years of age he is coming into his peak and signing him now could mean United have an elite option at left-back for many years to come.

He’s a player they should be considering very strongly.

Michael Carrick was always going to get a wonderful send-off from Manchester United fans and so it proved in the 1-0 win over Watford on Sunday that ensured they finish the season with 81 points.

The playmaker, who criminally only won 34 caps for England throughout his career, has been the epitome of composure and class throughout his United career and as the final member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering squad to leave the club, his departure has been keenly felt.

Carrick will join the coaching staff at United and with Rui Faria set to leave Jose Mourinho’s side at the end of the season, the stage looks set for the former Tottenham man to take on increasing responsibility behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

Before that, United have an FA Cup final to contend with and Carrick had to navigate the Hornets match in the absence of a great deal of match fitness.

He, of course, did so with aplomb. His ambitious passing was again in evidence, trying 15 long balls to get the game going as well as creating the situation that led to the only goal of the game, scored by Marcus Rashford.

86% of his 69 passes found their target and as ever, he contributed at the back end of the pitch as well, with two interceptions and three clearances as he was charged with protecting that Reds defence one final time.

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Southampton had a brush with relegation this season, and for weeks it looked as though the coastal club would be dropping into the Championship.

However, the arrival of Mark Hughes in March made a difference as the former Stoke City boss managed to guide the team out of the bottom three.

The fixture against fellow relegation battlers Swansea City turned out to be the decider, and it was Manolo Gabbiadini who nabbed the one and only goal of the game to all but secure safety for the Saints.

In the end, the club finished the campaign just three points above the bottom three.

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The club will be hopeful that they do not see a repeat of that in the upcoming season, and some fans are already looking ahead to who their team will go up against.

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City have already earned promotion to the top flight via the automatic spots in the second tier.

The remaining place up for grabs will be taken by either Aston Villa or Fulham, who will go head to head in the playoff final this weekend.

On Reddit, Southampton fans have been discussing who they would prefer to come into the Premier League.

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