Jan Molby is adamant that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers must start with Mario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge against Tottenham on Sunday.

The Reds snapped up the controversial £16m Italian on Monday, but due to the deal going through late on he was forced to watch the loss at Manchester City from the stands.

The 24-year-old has since been training with his new team-mates all week ahead of the trip to White Hart Lane, with Brendan Rodgers having talked up his fitness after a pre-season with AC Milan and the prospect of him featuring against table-topping Spurs.

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Since the exit of Luis Suarez, the Northern Irishman has been using Sturridge as a lone striker instead of in a pair, and Molby believes that the Merseysiders will have to go back to a ‘two up top’ set-up in London to make the most of the ‘Balotelli factor’:

“To make the most of the buzz around the signing of Mario Balotelli the striker needs to start Liverpool’s game at Tottenham.” He wrote in the Liverpool Echo.

“Brendan Rodgers might be considering easing him in gently by bringing him off the bench but I hope he’s unleashed from the first minute.

“The fact is the last name Spurs will want to see on that team sheet on Sunday is Balotelli’s. He’s unpredictable and having him in the starting line up would give the players around him a lift, as well as the club’s supporters.

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“The manager played with two strikers last season in Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge and I hope he finds room for both Sturridge and Balotelli. We want to be as brave as we were last season. One will obviously need to drift wide at times and both will need to work hard.”

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The Week of Football – UEFA president Michel Platini’s ingenious solution to making the international break more exciting (or rather, more lucrative) – is upon us once more, with all teams involved preparing for a brace of fixtures as they continue on the path to Euro 2016 qualification.

The expansion of the tournament to 24 teams sees the top two sides in each group qualifying automatically, as well as the third-placed team entering a playoff round, which for many has made the whole process even more dull than it already was, given that progression to the finals for the big sides is now all but guaranteed.

Nevertheless, there is cause for genuine excitement amongst fans of the smaller nations who are seeking to take advantage of the simplified qualification process by securing a rare appearance at a major tournament, while England fans will be keeping a keen eye on a few rookies who will be donning the Three Lions jersey for the first time.

Here’s what you should look out for this week in particular…

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Can England’s newbies (and Hodgson’s favourites) impress?

Results-wise, there will not be much to glean from England’s forthcoming games against San Marino and Estonia, with two comfortable victories virtually in the bag already. However, Nathaniel Clyne’s first call-up to the England squad gives Roy Hodgson the opportunity to gauge how quickly the talented Southampton full-back can adapt to international football. After an impressive start to the season, Clyne is expected to make his England debut against San Marino – a solid performace could see him challenge Kyle Walker and Glen Johnson as Hodgson’s first-choice right-back. Elsewhere, Fabian Delph and Jonjo Shelvey will be hoping to convince Hodgson that they belong in his long-term vision for the national side, while the pressure is on for Andros Townsend and Rickie Lambert – both of whom were handed their debuts by the England coach – to prove that they merit their inclusion in the squad after underwhelming domestic performaces. While the results may be a foregone conclusion, a big week awaits for these England players.

Wales prepare for campaign-defining week

Tell Wales fans that the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign is pointless; after decades of disappointment, embarrassment and abject failure, punctuated by the occasional heroic charge that falls apart in heartbreaking fashion, UEFA’s decision to expand the tournament presents Wales with their best chance to qualify for a major tournament since 1958. A narrow, Bale-inspired away victory against Andorra in their opening fixture last month was a crucial way to begin the campaign, and with back-to-back home ties against Bosnia and Hercegovina and Cyprus coming up, Chris Coleman’s men could find themselves topping the group this time next week. The withdrawal of a number of players through injury – most notably Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen – has not been ideal, yet Gareth Bale is fit and ready, and with the Real Madrid man in the team, Wales always stand a chance. Bosnia will go into Friday’s game as favourites, and Cyprus are no pushovers, having secured a shock victory at Bosnia in September. However, Wales must surely fancy their chances with Bale and the backing of the home crowd, and with a tough away fixture against group favourites Belgium to come in November, a minimum of four points should be the target. Emerge from these two games undefeated, and Wales can begin to dream.

Can Scotland get up and running?

Gordon Strachan deserves ample praise for reversing the fortunes of Scotland since he became manager last year. Two brilliant victories against Croatia ensured that what started as a disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign ended on a high, and although the Scots lost their opening match of the current qualifiers, they did so by succumbing to a creditable 2-1 defeat to Germany, the reigning world champions who just two months previously had put seven past Brazil. The Germans will almost certainly top the group, which realistically leaves Scotland, Poland and the Republic of Ireland to battle it out for the remaining automatic and playoff spots. A solid victory at home against Georgia – where the Tartan Army will be at their vociferous best – is therefore a must, before the Scots head to Poland for a pivotal midweek tie. After seeing their qualification hopes end in premature fashion in the last campaign, Scotland need to pick up the points early on.

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Goalfest in Dublin?

Across the North Channel, Scotland’s Celtic brethren and qualification rivals will also be in action. The Republic of Ireland will be looking forward to welcoming Gibraltar – who are playing their first campaign of competitve international football – to the Aviva Stadium, and whilst a comprehensive victory is to be expected for Martin O’Neill’s side, the manner in which they do so could be significant. The battle for qualification with Poland and Scotland will be a tight one, and deciding who goes to France in 2016 and who doesn’t could very well come down to goal difference. With the Poles giving their goals scored column an almighty fillip with their 7-0 trouncing of Gibraltar last month, the Irish will be hoping to do the same in their easiest fixture in the group. Expect goals galore in Dublin this weekend.

A big factor in becoming a Football Manager legend is hoovering up young talent early on. The nature of the game allows for the latest youth prospect to be discovered, with the likes of Kaka having been tipped for the top early on in their careers due to being decent on the game.

As always, this year’s instalment has plenty of promising talents to spot, but here are 10 to get you going…

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Martin Odegaard

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We’ll kick off with a player who’s not actually on the game yet… Martin Odegaard, the 15-year-old Norwegian sensation, is one of Europe’s hottest talents and is set to be added to the database imminently after his father gave the game’s developers permission to add his teenage son! A promising winger, the youngster plays in his homeland for Stromgodset and is already a first-team star. Liverpool are set to hand him a winter trial, so he could be in the Premier League in the not too distant future.

Simone Scuffet

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An often forgotten role when assembling a young team, the goalkeeper position is a key one for any top side. Scuffet is the pick of the options, with the 18-year-old stopper being talked up as one of Europe’s top emerging goalies. Udinese are often reluctant to sell, but a decent offer can get the youngster.

Sam Byram

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Leeds’ right-back is by no means an ‘unknown’, but he’s certainly one to check out. The Whites defender is top quality going forward and solid at the back, with a price tag of around £5m (if you’re a shrewd negotiator) he can be picked up early on.

Ali Adnan

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The Asian Gareth Bale, Adnan is a flying left-back with a mean shot. Plying his trade in Turkey with Caykur Rizespor, he is easily obtainable early on, and at 20 he can mature into a top quality full-back.

Ruben Neves

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17-years-old and already a Porto first-teamer, Neves is certainly one for the future. A creative yet remarkably solid central-midfielder, the teenage ace may be more costly than some other ‘wonderkids’ but is certainly one to look out for.

Will Hughes

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Another Englishman tipped for the big time is Will Hughes, who has been shining in the Championship for some time. The likes of Liverpool and Manchester United are already after the Derby ace, but if you’re in charge of a decent level Premier League side you can nab the 20-year-old.

Adama Traore

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A product of Barcelona’s famed youth set-up, Traore is already being touted as a future first-teamer at the Nou Camp. Unlike some other players to have made it out of the Catalan set-up, the 18-year-old has awesome physicality with pace and power matching his decent finishing abilities.

Patrick Roberts

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Fulham’s 17-year-old attacking sensation Roberts is well worth a look. Able to play on the right or left flank, the English talent possesses good speed and shooting abilities and is certainly destined for the big time, just make sure it’s your side he joins!

Anthony Martial

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With Radamel Falcao gone, Martial is a big player at Monaco, despite being just 18! Lightening fast and ruthless in front of goal, the young Frenchman has the potential to be a true great.

Youri Tielemans

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A 17-year-old midfielder with bags of creativity and a few tricks up his sleeve, Tielamans is one to get early. Anderlecht have produced a number of decent FM legends (Anthony Vanden Borre springs to mind) and they look to have another here.

After leaving the Bundesliga and joining Barcelona in the summer, Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s brief career with the La Liga giants has been far from easy.

The 22-year-old has fallen behind Chilean World Cup star Claudio Bravo at the Nou Camp, and since making a few blunders with his new club already, ter Stegen may be on his way out of his way out of Luis Enrique’s star-studded squad.

Now that the mid-season transfer window is upon the footballing community once more, Enrique will be asking himself, does ter Stegen have any meaningful future at Barcelona?

The young German shot-stopper has been one of the several foreign signings that have failed to find their feet under the new management of Luis Enrique, and for Marc-Andre ter Stegen in particular, the keeper’s form has dramatically suffered as a result. The Nou Camp faithful just haven’t taken to their new man between the sticks. Unless his fortunes perform a real u-turn in the near future, a place on the bench could be all that is left for the promising 22-year-old.

Prior to his summer’s move however, ter Stegen was known as an undisputed rising star of the Bundesliga. With Borussia Monchengladbach, the former Borussia-Park favourite made countless heroic saves that subsequently won major points for his team, and dragged his side up the league as a result. The Barca starlet was even considered worthy of challenging Manuel Neuer for the German no. 1 shirt before he moved to Spain.

Whilst ter Stegen’s Barca career is by no means over at this moment, the fact that the January transfer window is upon us again means that several teams across Europe are reportedly circling the young German in an attempt to land his signature. As a move back to the Bundesliga seems unlikely, several English teams are reportedly in the running to sign the 22-year-old, so a high profile move to the Premier League could therefore be on the cards sooner rather than later.

Arsenal, with their reputation of signing young European talent with a view to make them into future stars at the Emirates, could particularly benefit from the services of Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The German keeper would add to the contingency of young foreign keepers at the Gunners, but is already a much bigger name than most of the other shot-stoppers on Arsenal’s books.

A shock move to Old Trafford has also been touted as of late, but with David De Gea in such fine form for Louis van Gaal’s side this season, it seems unlikely that the former Borussia Monchengladbach star would make the switch to Manchester United this winter.

Liverpool – with their current crisis at the back – would be ter Stegen’s most likely destination should Barca decide to release him to the Premier League in the next month. Simon Mignolet, for one reason or another, has simply been all over the place between the sticks this season, and as Brad Jones is also not quite the standard Liverpool should be reaching for, ter Stegen could be the perfect fit for Brendan Rodgers in his attempts to restore the success of last season at Anfield.

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As the young keeper is currently out of favour at the Nou Camp, this is a deal that the Reds could easily afford, especially if the negotiations are thrashed out on a loan basis with a view to buy to next season.

Whatever becomes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the young German is undoubtedly a top keeper with bags of potential at his disposal. Despite his recent difficulties with Barcelona, and the odd howler here and there, expect to see this ‘Neuer-esque’ keeper make a real name for himself in the near future.

West Ham were struggling to find central defenders to play against Manchester United at the weekend, but Senegalese midfielder Cheikou Kouyate showed just how important it is for Premier League teams to have versatile players available in their squad. The former Anderlecht man filled in at centre-back and played brilliantly, adapting to the position as if he was a regular.

Kouyate also took his goal incredibly well, juggling the ball in the penalty box before lashing home. A man-of-the-match performance was something Sam Allardyce needed against a Man United team that have only lost once in their last 14 Premier League games. West Ham defended well throughout, only to be denied by a last minute Daley Blind strike that gained the visitors a crucial away point.

If it wasn’t for Kouyate’s excellent performance, it could have been a different story for West Ham. The Senegalese man made more clearances and more blocks than anyone else in the West Ham team, as well as winning the highest amount of tackles for the Hammers, joint with Kevin Nolan and Alex Song. His versatility was one of the reasons as to why Allardyce purchased the midfielder in the summer and although Kouyate prefers to play in a midfield role, he showed just how capable a footballer he is with his mature performance. Although players like Kouyate may not be the shining stars that will sell their names on the back of supporters’ shirts, they are still incredibly vital to the team.

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It isn’t just West Ham that benefit from having a player that can play in more than one position. Wayne Rooney is another good example at United. Although there is a lot of debate surrounding whether he is wasted in his current midfield role, the fact that he can play in that position is a massive advantage for Louis Van Gaal, who can then accommodate both van Persie and Radamel Falcao in attack. Although this particular line up may not be working as well as Van Gaal would like, Rooney’s ability to play in more than one position on the pitch gives the manager the opportunity to experiment with his side without dropping the England captain from the starting eleven.

There are other players throughout a number of Premier League teams that perform well in a variety of roles. Holding midfielder Emre Can of Liverpool has shown that he is a very capable central defender in recent weeks, slotting into Brendan Rodgers’ preferred 3-4-3 formation at Liverpool. James Milner proved he can operate across the midfield as well as filling in up front when Manchester City suffered an injury crisis in attack earlier this season.

All of these players become very useful when seasons take a turn for the worse in terms of injuries and suspensions. Without Kouyate on Sunday, Sam Allardyce could have been forced to play 16-year-old centre-back Reece Oxford who, despite receiving a number of plaudits for his performances in the Academy this season, would have found it a daunting task to play against the likes of Falcao and van Persie on his first taste of professional football.

This may not be the last time West Ham look to Cheikou Kouyate in order to provide defensive cover, with games coming thick and fast for the Hammers this week. Although Kouyate may prefer playing in a more advanced position up the pitch, his contribution to the Hammers’ point against Manchester United as a centre-back is one of his most valuable performances in a West Ham shirt to date.

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Manchester City were never really in this game after going 2-0 down before half-time, with the gulf in class between the two sides shockingly wide. Aguero’s goal means they’re not out of this tie just yet, but they do have to go to the Nou Camp and win. Here are the THREE Things we learned from Man City’s loss to Barcelona:

Messi doesn’t do hangovers?

The rumours that the Argentine had spent the wee hours of Monday night in a Casino seemingly did little but spur the Barcelona man on. Messi was excellent throughout, in particular for Luis Suarez’ second goal. However, perhaps he was running on empty at the end when he missed his penalty attempt:

City are in regression

Manchester City feel like they’re only going one direction this season – backwards. Manuel Pellegrini has failed to take this side forward and team often looks clueless without Yaya Toure. How much longer the Chilean manager will be in a job remains to be seen.

Suarez can still succeed at Barca

Luis Suarez has not made the kind of impact many were expecting when he made the move to the Catalan club but he proved his worth tonight with two goals against City. Suarez was never going to be able to score at the rate he did for Liverpool due to the relative importance of Messi in the Barcelona team, but the Uruguayan forward can still be a success.

There was a time when Liverpool were considered an unwavering member of the top four. For a few seasons this hasn’t been the case and except for last year’s second placed finish, the Reds have been completely squeezed out. Despite getting their star man Daniel Sturridge back and a new year revival resulting in a 10 match unbeaten run, Liverpool in April find themselves once again on the outskirts of the top four. Even manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Champions League football next season is probably beyond them.

Back to back defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United were the final nails in the coffin, leaving the Reds down in fifth, a huge seven points adrift with only a handful of games to go… and their competitors are only getting stronger.

Liverpool did feature in this year’s tournament, but crashed out of the Champions League in December, making it only as far as the group stages and, as a result of this, would surely have liked another run at it next season. But having picked up only three points from a possible nine and with crucial players refusing to discuss contract renewals, perhaps the Reds are in for another difficult league campaign next year.

With forward Raheem Sterling stalling contract negotiations Liverpool may have to look at other options in the up-coming transfer window. The Reds have been linked with Paris St Germain’s Edinson Cavani, but with competition for his signature coming from clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United why would the Uruguayan leave the French champions for a team that look likely to be playing in the Europa League next season?

Liverpool are no longer the dominant force they once were and if Sterling does depart for a wealthy team like Arsenal or Real Madrid, then they will start to look like a feeder club – especially after the loss of Luis Suarez to Barcelona just last summer.

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Big names will not want to join the struggling club if they can’t consistently break into the top four. Even if Liverpool do win the FA Cup it will not be enough for most footballers, particularly the foreign ones, who want to compete for big trophies and that is only made possible by climbing the Premier League table.

After such a successful season last time around this one has been quite a stark reminder of how easily and quickly fortunes can change. Some key signings and a new and improved manager has reversed Manchester United’s luck within just a handful of months and it is they who have now stolen Liverpool’s top four spot.

The loss of Suarez and injury to Sturridge meant that the Reds did not start the season as well as they would have hoped. The uselessness of Mario Balotelli further reduced their effectiveness and confidence going forward and his future at the club despite what he may produce in these last few weeks remains highly uncertain.

Whichever way you look at it Liverpool are missing that special something up front. Sterling is good, but generally not prolific enough and Sturridge can’t be relied on to play through the entire season. Liverpool need another centre-forward, someone who can partner Sturridge in a similar way to last season’s winning dynamic duo formula.

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If Rodgers can find that special player then the club should throw all the money they can at him to ensure they get his signature. Otherwise they are destined to stay on the outskirts of the top four while the current victors tighten their grips on domestic and European glory.

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Louis van Gaal’s first season at Manchester United looks like it will be considered a success and a lot of that is down to the talented squad he both inherited and added to.

The signings of Angel di Maria, Marcos Rojo and Ander Hererra have undoubtedly provided the vision and ambition that was lacking for huge parts of United’s disappointing previous campaign, so now as the current season comes to an end United will be evaluating which players have and can continue making a positive impact for the club as they look to return to their place at the top of the Premier League next season.

Here are three players that don’t make the grade and United are better off getting rid of.

Robin van Persie

In the Dutchman’s inaugural season he helped United win their 20th Premier League title, in turn giving Sir Alex Ferguson the send off he deserved. But between that joyful day and the present, Van Persie has seriously struggled. RvP has only one year left on his contract and at 31 he is fighting a losing battle. United tend to only give one year contracts to players over 30 and even then it is dependent on their recent contributions. Injuries and inconsistent form has meant that both the manager and fans have lost faith in him so a move may be his only chance to find regular football. Turkish side Fenerbahce are reported to be interested in signing him in a big money deal that would also see him reunited with Netherlands teammate Dirk Kuyt

Nani

For the past seven months Nani has been in Portugal playing for Sporting Lisbon and apparently he’s been doing quite well. The 28 year old, who was once expected to follow the same trajectory as ex-United star Cristiano Ronaldo, may have thought that his hard work would prove him worthy of a return, but if anything it has proven that a smaller club suits him better. Van Gaal wants to create a formidable team full of as many stars as possible and frankly Nani is not, and will not ever be, of that quality. Nani looks happy at Sporting, the club he started his senior career at, but whether or not they can keep him remains unclear. Everton have also been named as a possible destination but yet again his wage demands might unfortunately see him back on United’s bench next season.

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Javier Hernandez

Goodness knows how a player who is struggling to get opportunities at Manchester United would somehow rejuvenate his career at Real Madrid, where expectations are even higher. Unsurprisingly Hernandez has made only one league start since arriving in the Spanish capital and a permanent deal with the club seems highly unlikely. Used as a substitute in Real’s smaller games, Chicharito has scored only three goals and insists that his lack of playing time is what has held him back. That might well be the case but Manchester United will surely not give him the playing time he believes he deserves. The 26 year old has scored some important goals for United, 37 in total since joining in 2010, but he is not prolific enough for Van Gaal to consider regularly playing him. If another club are willing to sign Hernandez then United should let him go.

In the season just passed Liverpool were wonderful at times, but at other times they were simply woeful.

Some of the problems Liverpool faced this season might be addressed before the start of the new campaign – some of the new recruits needed time to gel and the squad needed time to adjust to the departure of Luis Suarez are problems that may not exist come August.

But Liverpool face some problems that they need to address over the summer if they’re to progress further next season, and here are three reasons why they might struggle next season…

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Lack of a settled formation

Last season Liverpool settled on a diamond in midfield, but losing Suarez forced Rodgers to experiment a little. When Liverpool finally settled on a back three they played well – unbeaten from December to March – but at the start of the season they couldn’t find one that fit.

Then after the unbeaten run ended, Rodgers flip flopped between 433 and 343 in a desperate attempt to keep Liverpool’s season together as they lose out on Champions League football and crashed out of the FA Cup in the semi final.

That’s a problem that might be linked to the fact that new signings hadn’t yet gelled together, perhaps Rodgers was simply trying to find the best way to assemble his team. But if he can’t settle on a formation next season Liverpool may have a problem.

No Champions League means no big name signings

Although Milner and Ings are good players, they aren’t of the quality Liverpool need to add to the squad this summer.

They’re players that Liverpool would presumably want to add depth and quality to their squad, but they aren’t going to transform the side from a Europa League team to a Champions League team.

Liverpool have a young team full of good promising players and Ings will fit into that. But the marquee signing, like Balotelli was supposed to be last season, may not arrive given the club’s European status. In fact, they face a fight to keep one of their best players in Raheem Sterling.

James Milner is the established signing and definitely adds something to the team, but he’s not the missing link that makes Liverpool a force to be reckoned with.

This might not be so easily fixed. No Champions League football to tempt a marquee signing will probably mean no marquee signing. So Rodgers – or the transfer committee – are probably doing the right thing in adding to what they already have whilst fending off interest in Raheem Sterling.

It’s just a shame for Liverpool that they can’t add a player to take them to the next level. On the other hand, that progress can come from within – Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana are progressing nicely and big seasons from those two could negate the need for a big signing.

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Expectations and pressure

Last season, expectation weighed heavy at Anfield and after the departure of Suarez it was always going to be difficult for Liverpool to match their second place from the season before. Despite the disappointing finish to last season expectation will still be huge next time. Rodgers will instantly face pressure if results don’t go his way.

Add that to the fact that Liverpool will have less money and less chance of attracting big players to the club this summer and you might just get a recipe for disaster.

Liverpool have lots of promising players at the club, but we’ve seen they’re a momentum team: they win games when they continue to win games on the bounce, when they have a bad spell, the wheels can come off. Rodgers himself has to take a lot of the blame for that, but some players do too.

They need to be stronger in the face of a crisis, and the manager will need them to step up this season because his job is on the line – a bad season and Liverpool’s owners may start to look elsewhere. If the players can’t handle the pressure after a few bad results things could go from bad to worse very quickly.

By and large, Manchester United have had a very successful transfer window so far. But now, they might be able to strengthen their ranks even more with double the Pedro.

Yes, you read that right. The Red Devils are pursuing not only the Barca striker, but have now also launched a £2.8million bid for Palmeiras right-back Joao Pedro, according to the Metro.

The 18-year-old defender scored one goal in 17 appearances for Palmeiras in 2013-14, but spent much of the last season playing for the Brazil U20 team, and impressed while doing so. Pedro started 13 times in total for Brazil in the 2015 U20 South American Championship and the U20 World Cup, playing the full 90 minutes in every game but one.

The latter tournament, though, was where he really excelled. The right-back’s performance drew praise from many critics who had underestimated Brazil’s defensive ability after the Green and Yellow barely snaked into the top four in the South American Championship.

Pedro started every game of the U20 World Cup, providing two assists to propel Brazil to the final. Pedro and the Brazilian defence didn’t concede a single goal through the play-offs until the final, where they eventually suffered a tough 2-1 loss in extra time to Serbia.

Manchester United have a wealth of defenders — including new signing Matteo Darmian — and a reliable left-back in Luke Shaw, but what happens when Antonio Valencia retires from the right side?

Up until this past season, the 29-year-old Valencia played most of his career as a winger or attacking midfielder, but has seen his consistency lag in the last few years. Although he did quite a good job as a defender in the 2014-15 campaign, it would serve Louis van Gaal well to have a young out-and-out right-back like Pedro in the squad.

Similar to Valencia, Pedro likes to dribble and is very aggressive. He averaged 2.4 tackles per game in 2014, the second-highest of the Palmeiras team, all while blocking 0.5 shots per game.

The Brazilian also has very good ball control on the ground and uses it to his advantage, able to dribble past opposition inside his own half and pass out a short ball to teammates waiting on the flank. He struggles with long balls and crossing, but still maintains a pass success rate of 81.4 percent.

Where Pedro needs improvement, however, is controlling the ball in the air and controlling his challenges. The 5-foot-10 player is more often than not overmatched in aerial duels, and commits a lot of fouls.

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However, for a player so young, the pros far outweigh the cons. Especially after van Gaal announced his intention to switch to a 4-3-3 formation for the upcoming Premier League season, the Red Devils need defenders willing to not only push the line up, but to intuitively and fearlessly defend against the system’s vulnerability to counter-attacks.

It is time for United to begin building a team that can last long-term, and Joao Pedro is an essential brick to be laid in his defensive foundation.