The January transfer window has never been an ideal time to buy players, Âbut it does give Premier League clubs an important opportunity to offload some deadwood before the season’s final run-in.Something Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino should bear in mind – his Tottenham side are currently caught in transition and there’s a number of players falling by the wayside, struggling to fit into the Argentine’s energetic philosophy.Getting rid of some fringe players will free up funds for more recruitment in the summer too, and thus, here’s a list of FIVE players the Lilywhites could look to axe when the winter window opens.

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BENOIT ASSOU-EKOTTO

In Ben Davies, Danny Rose, Kyle Naughton, Jan Vertonghen and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Spurs possess five players capable of playing at left-back. No club in the world needs five potential No.3’s – an issue the Lilywhites will surely look to address when the transfer window reopens.

And in regards to potential departures, the Cameroon international is by far the likeliest candidate.

He recently received a three-match ban for supporting Nicolas Anelka’s infamous ‘Quinelle’ gesture on Twitter:

That translates as “I congratulate you on your beautiful quinelle” – something a large contingent of the White Hart Lane faithful still rather shocked and appalled by, considering the salute’s anti-Semitic connotations.

But even if he was available, the 30 year-old wouldn’t be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s match day plans; despite having the early rounds of the Europa League to issue fringe players as much time as possible, Assou-Ekotto is yet to feature competitively under the Argentine, having also been left out of Tottenham’s 25-man Premier League squad.

Indeed, after a rather forgettable loan spell in the Championship with QPR last season, it’s alleged Spurs offered the defender out on a free transfer during the latter stages of the summer window:

But with a viable suitor yet to emerge for Spurs stalwart, who has made 155 top flight appearances for the north London side, Tottenham may be stuck with him until the summer when his contract expires. This headbutt on Cameroon team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo at the World Cup certainly hasn’t improved Assou-Ekotto’s limited market appeal: //www.youtube.com/embed/d_MtcEFnVdw?rel=0

Likely selling fee: £0

Roberto Soldado

How long can this sorry state of affairs go on for? Tottenham splashed out a club-record £26million on Roberto Soldado, but the Spain striker has found just six Premier League goals since – four of which were from the penalty spot. There’s certainly been moments of brilliance along the way, giving a glimpse into what the former Valencia star is capable of under the right circumstances:

//www.youtube.com/embed/aI_HGuZbPO8?rel=0 But measuring in at 5 foot 10, bearing no particular pace or power, Soldado has always looked out of sorts with the Premier League and even more so, Tottenham’s style of play. In 2011/2012 and 2012/13, the Lilywhites recorded the second-most shots per match of any Premier League side, 47% and 56% respectively of which were from outside the box, yet the Spaniard could count could count his amount of goals from over 18 yards for Los Che on one hand. With Spurs seemingly keen to recoup as much of their investment as possible before the 29 year-old loses all resale value, rumours liking him with a move away from White Hart Lane are not hard to find:

And having issued Soldado even less appearances than 21 year-old Harry Kane this season, Mauricio Pochettino is unlikely to stand in the way of a January departure. Likely selling fee:£12-£15million

Andros Townsend

Andros Townsend was labelled as England’s new hero when he netted this stunning strike against Montenegro to secure his country’s place at the World Cup last October: //www.youtube.com/embed/BAkOjFq1_Tc?rel=0

But based on his woeful form since, the 23 year-old has already experienced the highest point of his career. Indeed, last season he took 56 attempts at goal, yet, with only one actually hitting the target – believe it or not, a misguided cross which somehow looped it’s way over Aston Villa’s Brad Guzan – his conversion rate was a pathetic 2%.

The kind of player who appears to revel in the fact he can nearly score from anywhere on the pitch, despite never actually finding the net, Townsend’s become a huge frustration for the fans and seemingly Mauricio Pochettino, who has issued him just two substitute appearances in the Premier League thus far. The Lilywhites allegedly tried to offload the former QPR loanee during the summer, suggesting a swap deal for Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez, and they’ll likely attempt to rekindle this deal in January.

The winger may feel he needs a change of scene too, with Roy Hodgson warning that without regular game time, Townsend won’t be selected for future England squads:

Likely transfer fee:£7million-£10million, or a sum to that value taken off Jay Rodriguez’ price-tag.

AARON LENNON

Another winger who’s Tottenham career could be coming to an abrupt end – according to reports this morning, the Lilywhites are set to sell Aaron Lennon:

As the headline claims, the 27 year-old doesn’t want to leave, but he’s only mustered up one Premier League start under Mauricio Pochettino and is unlikely to see more game-time with Erik Lamela now beginning to find form.

Lennon has been an incredible servant to the Lilywhites – he’s made 353 appearances for them since moving to north London from Leeds United way back in 2005. Here’s a look at some of his highlights for Spurs:

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But after nine years, Lennon’s Tottenham tenure has likely run its course. In terms of potential buyers, QPR and Stoke were both linked on deadline day and could reignite their interest in the new year.

Likely transfer fee:£6million-£9million

Moussa Dembele

Powerhouse midfielder Moussa Dembele has muscled his way back into Tottenham’s starting Xi in recent weeks, having spent much of last season on the peripheries of the squad.

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But reports claim Everton are planning a January swoop:

And having never really replicated the form that earned him a £15million move from Fulham to White Hart Lane in summer 2012, as shown in the video below, the Lilywhites could be convinced into cashing in on the Belgium international.

//www.youtube.com/embed/xCZotD1jC9c?rel=0

Especially considering Spurs are hardly short of imposing, physical figures – like Dembele- in the middle of the park. Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin Stambouli all fit that mould too.

Likely transfer fee:£8million-£10million

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Norwich striker Cameron Jerome has claimed he was the subject of racial abuse from Leeds defender Giuseppe Bellusci during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw the two Championship sides.

The pair came together midway through the first-half when the Canaries ace appeared to react angrily after an exchange between the two players.

The 28-year-old squared up to the Elland Road enforcer, although the content of what was said is unclear, with referee Mark Clattenburg having not witnessed the event.

“Cameron has alleged that a racist remark was made,” Norwich boss Neil Adams told BBC Sport after the final whistle.

“I don’t think he’d have reacted in the way he did if it hadn’t happened.

“Mark came over to explain to myself and Darko exactly what had happened to put everybody in the picture, which I think was the right thing to do,

“He spoke to the players and representatives from each club at half-time and he’ll be taking statements from the players involved.

“Mark will submit a report to the relevant authorities and it will be dealt with from there. He didn’t take any action at the time. He merely relayed what Cameron had said. It must now go through the proper channels.

“Bellusci is the player who has been alleged to have made the remark. My concern was to speak to Cameron at the break to make sure his head was right.

“We back our player. I’m sure Leeds will back their player, but other than that we can’t comment any further because there is now going to be an investigation I would expect.”

Leeds boss Darko Milanic said: “It is difficult for me to comment because I didn’t hear anything,”

Clattenburg appeared to give Bellusci a warning after the incident, but the summer signing from Italian side Catania was not punished.

Jerome himself was booked shortly afterwards for a robust challenge on the defender.

Although English football has a good reputation when it comes to levels of racial abuse in football, there have been a few major incidents in recent memory.

Perhaps the most high profile occurrence came in 2011 when former Liverpool star Luis Suarez clashed with Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

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The Red Devils star alleged that the striker had made a comment referring to the colour of his skin, for which Suarez was eventually found guilty by a three man FA panel and banned for eight games, while being ordered to pay a £40,000 fine.

John Terry was also accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand in 2012, but the Chelsea captain was found not guilty, although the incident ultimately cost him his role as England skipper.

Should Bellusci be found to have made the alleged remarks to Jerome, the 25-year-old is likely to face a punishment on par with that Suarez was handed, with the defender having no history of such actions.

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American sport gets a bad rap across the pond from the football-loving British. Whilst interest in the NFL continues to grow – with talk of establishing a new permanent franchise in London following the success of the annual fixture at Wembley – ‘soccer’ remains king. For many, American football is too stop-start and drawn out, baseball too dull and repetitive, and basketball too high-scoring. What’s more, the mere idea of ‘franchises’ – not to mention the draft system and the fixed leagues – is often met with disdain by followers of football and used as supposed proof that Americans just don’t ‘get’ sport.

However, there is one particular and hugely important aspect of stateside sport that football could learn a lot from, and that is its stance on discrimination. The recent events at Wigan Athletic, whereby Malky Mackay (under investigation by the FA for allegedly making a series of racist, homophobic and sexist comments during his time at Cardiff City) was appointed as their manager – a controversial decision defended by club owner Dave Whelan who then proceeded to express bigoted views of his own – highlights how deep-rooted the problem is in football, and more damningly, how the inaction of the game’s governing bodies perpetuates the issue.

UEFA frequently hands out pitiful punishments to clubs whose fans are found guilty of racist behaviour. Sepp Blatter, the most powerful man in the game, once said that racism could be settled with a simple handshake. And while the FA may have charged Whelan for his recent comments, the Wigan owner only decided to appoint Mackay in the first place due to his conviction from inside sources that the FA probe into the Scot’s actions at Cardiff were going nowhere.

Slogans and campaigns such as Say No To Racism and Respect – bandied around every match in a desperate attempt to convince us that something is actually being done about it all – mean nothing if football’s governing bodies continue to approach serious cases such as these with such pathetic leniency. Racism, homophobia and sexism ought to be treated with absolute zero tolerance, and it is here that there is much to be admired from the American approach. The news that Donald Sterling – multi-millionaire and owner of NBA side LA Clippers- was handed a lifetime ban from the sport and fined millions of dollars for making racist comments would be unheard of in football, a game where John Terry was banned for just four matches for aiming a similarly reprehensible racist insult at Anton Ferdinand.

The way in which the NFL has striven to increase the number of black and ethnic minority coaches in the game through the adoption of the Rooney Rule in 2003 also goes to show how progressive American sport is and how seriously it takes issues of discrimination compared to football. It recognises the severity of racism and prejudice and deals with it in a way that puts the so-called ‘beautiful game’ to shame.

If football is to overcome the most toxic ills which have blighted the sport for decades, it must take heed of the American approach. Zero tolerance must mean zero tolerance.

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Got any questions? Follow me on Twitter @GruffuddOwen

It’s fair to say that Mario Balotelli has endured a very disappointing start to his Liverpool career. In 12 Premier League games so far this season, the Italian has managed no goals and no assists, he has also created a mere five chances in the 762 minutes he has played in the league.

The Italian has struggled immensely since he joined Brendan Rodgers’ side from AC Milan in the summer. He was part of the striker influx that was designed to replace the prolific Luis Suarez but unfortunately for Rodgers and Liverpool, Balotelli has failed to deliver not only goals but any real sign of effort whatsoever.

He came on against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup Semi-Final earlier this week and produced very little apart from an effort that soared over the bar. He was also marking Branislav Ivanovic in the box for the goal, allowing the Serb to convert his free header with virtually no challenge from the striker.

At times in Balotelli’s career, he has often looked a dejected figure when things are not going his way. His career at Liverpool has revealed this side of the Italian in an unwelcomed abundance; the striker has shown very little of what he can actually do and is not the type of player to really put the effort in when things are not going his way.

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The former Inter Milan, Manchester City and AC Milan striker certainly has the ability in his locker. Last season he scored 14 goals in 30 games and also provided six assists. The season before that, Balotelli joined AC Milan from Manchester City in the January transfer window. He went on a very impressive run of form, scoring 12 goals in 13 games for the Rossoneri and he looked like he was finally going to fill the potential that had once made him one of the best young prospects in European football.

It seems that in order for Balotelli to thrive, he needs to be the main man, the ‘why always me?’ kind of guy who is the face of the team. At AC Milan he was certainly this type of player, the team almost revolved around him, waiting for him to produce the spectacular. Now, at Liverpool, he simply doesn’t have the same effect.

Luis Suarez not only scored a lot of goals, he worked his socks off for Liverpool and chased down everything. Realistically, Brendan Rodgers has signed a player that is not even remotely like the Uruguayan. However, his nonchalant attitude has always been well documented and despite this he could still provide some goals. Liverpool are seeing the darkest side of Mario Balotelli and it shows no signs of improving any time soon as the goals have dried up but the attitude remains.

Liverpool fans will be hoping that Balotelli eventually delivers for the club this season. There is still time for Brendan Rodgers to sign a new striker in the winter window but he will want to see more from a striker he paid £16million for in the summer. The return of Daniel Sturrdige is good news for the club and Mario Balotelli, as it almost offers the Italian a fresh start, an opportunity to impress alongside Sturridge and form a successful attacking partnership.

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There is no doubt that Balotelli is still more than capable of producing the sublime, he just needs to fully focus and put the hard work in for both himself and Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers has a very tough job on his hands in terms of handling the striker but one lucky break could lead to Super Mario gathering form and goals at the same time.

Although there are no guarantees of this, Liverpool should not give up on their troublesome striker just yet but there is no doubt that patience must be running thin.

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For much of the season it seemed a formality that the top two spots in the Premier League would belong to Chelsea and Manchester City, with the pair battling it out in a two horse race for the title.

But although it seems just a matter of time before Chelsea secure the championship, City’s shock defeat to Burnley last weekend has well and truly opened door for a trio of sides to make a late bid and snatch second place.

With both Arsenal and Liverpool well in the mix, a three nil victory over Spurs on Sunday has also given Manchester United fans genuine belief that they can catch their city rivals as the season nears a dramatic conclusion.

United’s latest victory at Old Trafford, was a huge confidence booster following a disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Arsenal earlier in the week. Not only did they secure victory over one of their rivals for Champions League qualification, the manner in which they did so was most impressive.

Without doubt their best performance of the season under Louis van Gaal, United dominated from start to finish, and were good value for their three-goal victory. An impressive display full of attacking intent was long overdue having been lacking for the majority of the season, and will give the Red Devils plenty of confidence as they continue a difficult run of fixtures with a trip to Anfield this weekend.

Defeat against Spurs would have piled the pressure on both manager and players at United, and left them with a real uphill battle to secure a top four finish. But the way in which they performed on Sunday, not only shows they have more than enough to achieve their main aim, they may yet be able to challenge rivals City for a second placed finish.

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City’s defeat at Burnley has certainly begun to raise alarm bells, given the poor run of form they have been on. And with just four points separating City, Arsenal, United and Liverpool, their status as a Champions League side could be in jeopardy if results don’t improve quickly.

Despite a gap of only two points to City, it still looks unlikely United can realistically catch them with away trips to Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea on the horizon. Home fixtures against City themselves and Arsenal also look difficult, and it is conceivable Van Gaal’s side could drop plenty of points between now and the end of the season.

However, another positive result against Liverpool on Sunday, and there’s no telling how United may go on to finish the campaign. With Wayne Rooney thriving in a more attacking role, and the likes of Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini hitting form in recent weeks, there certainly appears to be more of swagger about United at present.

Their problems have been well documented since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, but they still have an array of quality at their disposal, and on their day can beat any of the top sides in the division. And what’s more they could be hitting form at the most important point of season.

Despite the fact their performances have attracted plenty of criticism throughout the campaign, for people to be even mentioning United as contenders for second place at this stage of the season, highlights a vast improvement from a year ago.

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Their primary target will still be to win as many games as possible in order to secure a top-four place, but make no mistake about it, the chance to get one over on their neighbours at The Etihad will only motivate them even more.

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Yet again Real Madrid look ready to pounce on a Tottenham Hotspur player. The Spanish giants are looking for a replacement for Iker Casillas, who is losing his sharpness between the sticks, and Hugo Lloris has now become their main target.

Lloris joined Spurs in 2012 from French side Lyon. At first the 28-year-old spent numerous games on the bench as then manager, Andre Villas-Boas, preferred Brad Friedel as his number one. Lloris was given his first Premier League start against Aston Villa, which also resulted in his first clean sheet and ended Friedel’s 310 match consecutive run. The Frenchman has started all but one game this season, and kept six clean sheets in the process. He has also had to make 94 saves, which is a huge 33 more than Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois.

As number one for both club and country,it is no wonder why Madrid have chosen him as a suitable replacement considering that their first option may not be a possibility.

In the last few months, Real Madrid have been heavily linked with Manchester United’s goalkeeper David De Gea. Born in Madrid and greatly expected to take over from Casillas for the Spanish national team, De Gea looked perfectly suited for Real. But United have made it clear that they want the 24-year-old to commit his future to the club and that no amount of money will sway them.

Now that United have made their position on De Gea clear, and with the club likely to qualify for Champions League football, Real Madrid have had to look elsewhere.

Real Madrid have enticed a Spurs player to join them before, despite the club publicly, stating that it wouldn’t happen. That player is of course Gareth Bale. It is easy to see why he left north London as many players see a transfer to Real Madrid or Barcelona as the highest peak of a footballer’s career at club level.

There is every chance that Lloris may feel the same, but Tottenham must try their best to hold onto him. Great keepers are hard to find and Lloris has proven himself at White Hart Lane. The supporters like him and no other keeper challenges him for regular starts.

Spurs have grown in confidence in the last few seasons and though they seem destined to be locked out of the Champions League for a while yet they have acquired a good manager and some outstanding players. It is true that Tottenham will need to get rid of a lot of deadweight this summer, but it is also true that they have one of the league’s most exciting and promising talents within their ranks and that fact will surely help attract others to join their aspiring project.

Fortunately, Lloris is only one year into a new five year deal so it would cost Real Madrid a lot of money to bring him to the Bernabeu, though money is not normally a hindrance for the wealthy club.

Instead, Tottenham need to convince Lloris that he is in the best place for him right now. He plays regularly and his family have settled in the capital. Champions League football might not be available at present, but he still gets to play against top opposition in one of the most competitive leagues in the world.

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Hopefully that is enough for now.

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Sam Allardyce is famous for claiming that he’d be a brilliant manager for the likes of Real Madrid.

The West Ham boss has enjoyed spells in the Premier League with Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn before taking the Hammers job almost four years ago.

But he has since admitted that it was always Manchester United who he dreamt of managing throughout the early days as a manager, and even concedes his disappointment in losing out to Steve McClaren for the England job.

Allardyce was appearing on the new series of The Clare Balding Show which airs tomorrow night at 10.15pm on BT Sport 1, and spoke openly about how he used Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United as model upon which he wanted to develop as a Premier League manager while he was at Bolton.

He said: “For me there has always been one and that was Man United.

“When I was trying to get promotion at Bolton to the First Division I used to always go and watch Manchester United play at Old Trafford. Then playing at Old Trafford myself and going there as a manager I think in this country was the one.”

Allardyce also goes on to speak in detail about how he interviewed twice for the England manager’s job, but eventually lost out to Steve McClaren, which he admits hugely disappointed him.

“I think the biggest disappointment for me was not being the England coach when it became touch and go between me and Steve McLaren at the end,” Allardyce admitted.

And the Hammers boss also speaks about the time he was seen laughing hysterically at Swansea defender Chico Flores last season, and what to achieve from it.

Watch the two clips below.

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Sam Allardyce was speaking ahead of his appearance on the new series of The Clare Balding Show. To see the full interview watch BT Sport 1 from 10.15pm tonight/tomorrow or on BBC Two at 10pm on Friday.

A disappointing end to the season sees Liverpool travel to Stoke this weekend having already failed in their quest to qualify for back to back Champions Leagues with a spot in next year’s Europa League the best they could manage.

It was always going to be difficult following last season’s success, a campaign that saw them narrowly miss out on the league title after some brilliant attacking displays, led in big part to the trio of Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling.

Liverpool’s failure to make the top four is largely down to their inability to replace their star man Suarez after he left for Barcelona last summer, and with Daniel Sturridge missing most of the season through injury, it comes as little surprise to see them miss out.

Unfortunately for the Reds, their lack of progress looks to have had an affect on the other star in that trio, as the main summer transfer saga surrounding Sterling continues to rumble on and he closes in on his Anfield exit.

Sterling has come under a lot of criticism lately for the way in which he and in particular his agent, have handled the whole situation regarding his reluctance to sign a new contract at Anfield.

And although this can certainly be justified, those questioning his motives for wanting to leave the club and criticising this decision, only have to put themselves in his shoes to realise he is doing the right thing.

He has every right to push for a Liverpool exit, with the main factor being something money can’t buy; trophies.

Sterling has two years remaining on his current £35,000 a week deal, and there in lies the first problem.

He may only be 20, but having become one of the club’s most important players over the past couple of seasons he certainly warrants far more money than that given the nature of today’s game.

He will see the likes of Mario Balotelli, who has contributed very little to the side and will certainly be on a great deal more than that, and feel like he’s not receiving his fair share given his performances.

They may well be offering him £100,000 a week now, but that it’s already too late and it seems no amount of money is going to keep him at amount.

Sterling’s main cause for concern is the lack of ambition Liverpool seem to be showing, and with no sign of it changing any time soon, he has to leave in order to give himself the best chance of winning things.

There’s no disputing he will get his £100k a week at a top four rival, and maybe more, but a move to the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal or Chelsea will certainly be a progression for his career.

Liverpool have qualified for the Champions League just once in their last six attempts, and having won just one trophy in nine years, you can’t blame the youngster for looking elsewhere.

He wants to be playing at the top level of European football on a consistent basis as well as challenging for domestic honours, and this is something Liverpool can’t offer him.

Last season has proved to be a spectacular one off, probably because of the Suarez factor, but even then they didn’t win a thing.

Their signings last summer, at a point when they should have been best equipped to strengthen and really push on have proved to be a disaster. And with no Champions League football to tempt any potential new signings, it’s hard to see this summer being much more successful.

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Just like Sterling, their targets are going to be more attracted to the top four sides, and this is something only a sustained period of successful league finishes will solve.

People look at Sterling and think, he just wants more money, but this is not the case, and his desire to win trophies and move onto a bigger club should be praised.

This will be Liverpool’s fifth season outside the top four in their last six, and aside from last year’s second placed finish, they are actually on course for their highest league position since 2009.

The harsh reality for Liverpool is they can’t cater for players who have higher aspirations, and unless that changes, they will face a struggle to hold onto their star names in the future.

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To the relief of football fans all over the county, the big transfer saga of the summer is over. After weeks of speculation Manchester City have signed Liverpool youngster Raheem Sterling for a massive £49m.

The next step for Liverpool is to find the man to replace the England international at Anfield. The Reds have been linked to several world class wingers including Dortmund’s Marco Reus and Barcelona’s Pedro in recent days, however the club already have the perfect replacement in their ranks, Jordon Ibe

Ibe has been patiently waiting in the wings and should now be given the chance to fill the void left by Sterling.

The teenager was signed from Wycombe back in 2011 and has developed into a very talented young player with a massive future at Anfield – a sentiment agreed on by Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, who ensured one of the first pieces of business he completed this summer was to hand Ibe a new five year contract.

The 19-year-old winger broke into the first-team last season and quickly established himself as a regular in Rodgers’ side, his versatility impressed his manager who used him as a forward and wing back.

The youngster is of a similar mould to his predecessor, Sterling. He is quick and strong with a great eye for goal, but importantly has that end ball that was missing from the now City man’s early game.

The most impressive feature of the player is his attitude and determination, which should be an example to all footballers – he cut short his summer holiday to return to pre-season training early in a bid to cement his place in the side.

The winger is perfectly suited to the Liverpool footballing philosophy with his impressive technical and aerobic characteristics perfect for the high tempo, high pressing and technical football they play.

He provides the fans excitement every time he touches the ball, you know something is going to happen.

Derby supporters will testify to the player’s talent. Ibe was a massive factor in their rise to the top of the Championship last season, and the club never coped after Liverpool recalled the player in January – they ended up out of the play-offs.

Brendan Rodgers is known for his impressive work with younger players and by giving him a long run in the first team, the talented youngster will only continue to come on leaps and bounds, and he may even possess an outside chance of making England’s European Championship squad.

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It won’t take long for the fans to forget all about Sterling, with all eyes on the new emerging wonderkid at Anfield.

The sky is the limit for the youngster and he certainly has the potential to go on to become a Liverpool icon.

Criticism has been a common theme of Paul Pogba’s second stint at Old Trafford, an inevitable consequence of being – momentarily – the most expensive player in the history of the sport. While some of the accusations during his first season were largely justified though, there has been a tendency to point the finger too quickly and place the France international at the heart of every shortcoming Manchester United have suffered under Jose Mourinho.

Paul Scholes provided a case in point last week, when he singled out the powerful midfielder after the Red Devils’ scoreless draw with Southampton. The price-tag was mentioned once again, yet there was a bemusing logic in criticising United’s second-deepest lying midfielder after a game in which they failed to find the net. Sure, Pogba is meant to be a match-winning factor for United – but can he really be expected to prove the difference in every single game, in the way Scholes’ latest critique alluded to?

“He doesn’t look like a player who will win you games – that’s what you pay £90m for.”

In any case, those criticisms have already proved short-lived after Pogba responded in convincing fashion against Everton. In a gritty New Year’s Day clash between two managers famed for their pragmatic approach, it was the former Juventus star’s marauding presence in midfield that had the biggest impact.

Indeed, Pogba set up both of his side’s goals with incisive passes to the edge of the box, supplying first Anthony Martial and then Jesse Lingard for similar finishes that curled around Ashley Williams and into the top corner. But they were just two of seven chances Pogba created throughout the ninety minutes, while only the aforementioned Lingard produced more efforts at goal than the Frenchman – who also completed two dribbles and 84% of his passes.

“I think the only thing Paul Scholes does is to criticise. I don’t think he comments, I think he criticises, which is a different thing, but not every one of us has to be phenomenal, like he was as a player.It is not Paul’s fault that he made much more money than Paul Scholes. It is not Paul Pogba’s fault, it’s just the way football is.”

In turn, that gave Jose Mourinho ammunition to do what he does best these days – moan about something. In a subliminal endorsement of Pogba’s influence in the 2-0 win at Goodison Park, much of Mourinho’s post-match discussion centred around Scholes’ comments and his quality as a pundit. While many will put that down to simply Mourinho being Mourinho, Pogba’s performance versus the Toffees highlighted the element of genuine truth behind it – while Scholes may be a United legend, there’s a superficial simplicity to his punditry.

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