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Propelled by a shrewd summer in the transfer market and led by a coach in Nuno Santo who impresses more and more, Wolves were unquestionably the surprise hit of the Premier League last term.

They enjoyed victories over Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United and did so by playing expansive football that was easy on the eye.

A defence marshalled by Conor Coady, meanwhile, conceded 35 fewer goals than Fulham, a team they came up with the previous May. Eventually, they finished a highly commendable seventh.

That rarefied position, however, now brings with it the eternal dilemma after Wolves secured European football by virtue of qualifying for the Europa League.

Do they fully commit to the competition, thereby jeopardising their league standing as the fixtures condense and the subsequent fatigue inevitably impacts on a smallish squad?

Or does Nuno persistently play a weakened side, thus rendering their participation pointless as an early exit would surely follow?

To make this decision sentiment must be discarded as tempting as it is to include it as a pertinent factor.

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That sentiment, in a nutshell, is that Wolves last featured in European competition all the way back in 1981 so understandably their involvement will be very meaningful for both players and fans alike.

Furthermore, as proven last season, Wolves have the aptitude to take on and beat more ‘prestigious’ sides, taking 16 points from the top six. With Roma, Lazio and Sevilla et al lurking in the group stages some famous and unforgettable nights under the Molineux lights potentially await.

The flip-side to that argument though contains the same ingredients.

The competition includes the aforementioned teams along with many other dangerous foes and the odds on Wolves going all the way is so slight as to be far-fetched.

The chances of them going deep, however, is fair but with that comes an unavoidable detrimental effect on their domestic progress that they have fought hard and incrementally for.

Examples of which can be illustrated most recently by Arsenal in 2017/18. They threw all their eggs into the Europa League basket, only to sacrifice their place in the top four.

Determined to go out on a high Wenger fully invested in the Gunners’ Europa journey, often selecting his strongest available talent. Ultimately though they went out at the semi-final stage – so near but no cigar.

In the league, their form suffered, dropping points in seven matches from late January onwards and they finished a disappointing sixth.

A six-week injury to their arch-poacher Alexandre Lacazette certainly didn’t help, sustained during a routine win over Ostersunds.

Are Watford the most likely club to break the top 7 next season? The fans in the video below certainly agree the ‘W’ part in the statement is correct…

In 2010 Fulham raised the continent’s eyebrows by making it to the Europa League final. Yet the effort in doing so resulted in a team that was on the verge of breaking into the top six slipping down to mid-table that year and not since have they worried the higher echelon of the Premier League.

That season Fulham played an extra 19 games to make it to Hamburg: for Wolves, due to an expanded format, it will take 20 matches before they can dream of a final.

And it is this that presents the major problem. Nuno has shown that he thrives best when working with a tight-knit coterie of players – last season he utilised 17 players for ten or more league games.

By comparison, Jurgen Klopp, another advocate of small squads used 19 – and should he keep to that remit when fighting on four different fronts surely injuries and fatigue will prevail.

Additionally, Wolves are also thrown into competitive action against Crusaders a full 17 days before their league season even begins.

The Europa League is so often a memorable night here, a half-glory there, but at what price?

It is a cost that a club very much on the up cannot afford at this juncture.

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After a disappointing season for Manchester United, one positive to come out of the campaign was the club’s reported pursuit of a sporting director.

Reports in recent months had suggested the club were looking to appoint someone to the role before the start of the next season, and there were even claims that United legend Rio Ferdinand was in the frame to take on the job.

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Instead, a few months later, United have no-one to show for it and are staring down the business end of a transfer window that is threatening to spiral out of control.

A muddled mess

More than anything, the sporting director would have provided greater clarity. For far too long, criticism has been aimed at United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward over his apparent influence on the footballing side of things despite his relative lack of experience or inside knowledge.

Appointing someone like a Ferdinand would have given the club a figurehead to rally around and an authoritative presence of whom people would know what their job was. In contrast, United’s work in the summer transfer market – both in terms of incomings and outgoings – has been muddled to say the least.

Their reported interest in Bruno Fernandes has developed into somewhat of a parody. Ander Herrera’s comments that United left it “too late” over reaching an agreement with him was a damning statement of their indecisiveness. And the cherry on top – Paul Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, continues to run rings around the Old Trafford bureaucrats with his finely-tuned PR machine.

The club look totally out of their depth from top to bottom and it’s hard to shake off the nagging feeling that they would have been better served by showing some due diligence and getting a deal done for a sporting director, before they made any moves in the transfer market.

The next three to four weeks are set to define United’s future not just for next season, but for the following ones too. If things don’t work out, they will certainly regret not following through on grabbing their very own transfer guru.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Rangers legend Ally McCoist believes Steven Gerrard is better off at Ibrox rather than making a managerial move to Newcastle United, speaking to radio station talkSPORT.

What’s he said?

According to a report in The Telegraph earlier this week, the Gers boss is one of the names on Newcastle’s shortlist to succeed Rafa Benitez, alongside other famous former Premier League midfielders like Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta.

McCoist though reckons a Gerrard move to St James’ Park would be a step down for the Liverpool icon.

The fans in the video below had some very strong words for Michel Platini who was detained over alleged corruption this week…

Speaking to talkSPORT, the former striker said:

“Well, Newcastle play in a far better league but I think Rangers are a bigger club.

“I love the football and the people in the north east, but what kind of step would it be for Steven Gerrard?

“They’re both massive clubs, similar clubs in terms of the support. They have absolutely fanatical support, the best supporters in the country, I feel.

“But I’m not sure right now it would be a great move for Gerrard to be honest. He certainly has unfinished business at Rangers.

“I wish Newcastle the very best in their search for a new manager, but as we would say in Glasgow ‘Leave ours alone’!”

No reason for Ibrox panic

Unless Newcastle firm up their reported interest in Gerrard, which at this point still seems to be a distance away, then there is no reason for anyone at Ibrox or the club’s supporters to entertain the notion of a managerial exit this summer or next season.

The Gers boss is committed to his project at the club and given he is only a year into his managerial career, a step up to the Premier League feels too soon for him in any case, just in terms of the challenge of facing some of the world’s best managers and opponents.

The merit of McCoist’s case for Rangers being a bigger club depends on your perspective, he would say that as a club legend, but one thing he says is undoubtedly true – Gerrard has unfinished business at Rangers.

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After joining Liverpool’s academy from Sporting CP at the end of the 2015/2016 season, it’s fair to say things haven’t quite worked out for Rafa Camacho at Anfield.

The Portugal U18 international has struggled to breakthrough in Jurgen Klopp’s first-team side and has only made just a late cameo appearance in the Premier League back in a 4-3 win over Crystal Palace in January.

Now, Portuguese publication A Bola claim Camacho is edging closer to a return to Sporting this summer, and that the 19-year-old is keen on having his transfer back to his homeland completed as fast as possible so as to avoid joining up with pre-season training at Melwood.

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The latest update on the 5 ft 9 talent’s future saw Reds fans take to Twitter to voice their opinion on the matter and many eagle-eyed supporters thought there was something far bigger going on.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Sporting star Bruno Fernandes – valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt – is a player Klopp’s side are interested in, and some Liverpool supporters seemed to connect the proverbial dots and hoped Camacho’s move could smooth a potential deal for the 24-year-old.

Check out some of the reaction of Reds fans on Twitter below:

وجه مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي إنتر ميلان، لاوتارو مارتينيز، صفعة قوية للغاية لطموحات برشلونة في إمكانية ضمه بنهاية الموسم الحالي في الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل.

وكان اسم لاوتارو قد ارتبط بنادي برشلونة منذ بداية الموسم الماضي للانتقال إليه في صيف 2020 ولكن جائحة فيروس كورونا قد منعت النادي الكتالوني من التحرك لضم الأرجنتيني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ماركا تكشف الموعد المقترح لإجراء انتخابات رئاسة برشلونة بعد تأجيلها

واستمرت أنباء انتقال لاوتارو عبر الصحافة الإيطالية والكتالونية، حيث أكدت التقارير الإخبارية أنه من الممكن أن يتحرك برشلونة لضم اللاعب في صيف 2021.

ولكن رغبة لاوتارو يبدو وأنها قد تغيرت من خلال حواره مع شبكة “توتو ميركاتو” الإيطالية، وقال: كان صيفًا متعبًا، لكنني اليوم في إنتر ميلان وأشعر بسعادة كبيرة وميلانو مدينة رائعة”.

وعن التجديد: “وكيل أعمالي والنادي يعملان على الأمر، أنا هادئ، أركز فقط مع الفريق وتقديم كل ما لدي من أجل تحقيق الفوز وسنصل لاتفاق في أقرب وقت ممكن”.

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According to reports in The Sun, Liverpool have been looking at Leeds United’s left-back Leif Davis as a potential understudy to Andy Robertson.

The 19-year-old played only 91 minutes in the league for the Whites last season, but that has been enough to put the Champions League finalists on alert.

The paper have placed a £4 million price tag on the youngster’s head, and if a bid of that amount comes in Leeds should consider their options.

A good fee

£4 million is an excellent fee for a teenager who has made just five appearances for the club. It could go a long way towards financing future transfers for the Whites, or more importantly, it could go towards paying Marcelo Bielsa’s wages.

There have been questions asked as to whether or not the Yorkshire club can afford to keep hold of their manager next season, but if they can use the funds from the sale of Davis to pay for their boss’ contract, then it’s a no brainer.

Davis is probably the fourth-choice left-back at Elland Road behind Ezgjan Alioski, Barry Douglas and Stuart Dallas, so he wouldn’t be missed much if he went to Anfield.

Think about the now

The teenager may have all the potential in the world, but if Leeds aren’t promoted in the next couple of years, he would be on his way anyway.

The Whites have to prioritise getting to the Premier League as soon as possible, and negotiations with Liverpool for the left-back could go a long way towards helping that.

Not only could the fee help the Whites in the future, but they could also use the Merseyside club’s interest in their player to potentially leverage a deal for one of their young players.

The likes of Ryan Kent, Rhian Brewster and Harry Wilson are certainly candidates to go and play in the second division next season, and there’s no reason for Leeds to not ask for any of those players on loan if Jurgen Klopp makes a move for Davis.

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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has delivered his last set of Premier League score predictions for the season ahead of the final day on Sunday, and he has made an interesting claim about Newcastle United.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Magpies travel to already-relegated Fulham this weekend in what is a largely meaningless match for both sides, with only the visitors able to finish higher – by a single place – in the top-flight standings.

It is no surprise then that Lawrenson was keen to focus on what the uncertain future of Toon manager Rafa Benitez instead, talking about what the future holds for the Spaniard under owner Mike Ashley.

The former Liverpool boss’ contract runs out this summer, as of yet there has been no suggestion as to whether he is going to stay or not – the fans have certainly made it clear what they want.

Lawrenson certainly seems to sympathise with Ashley when it comes to investing his own money though, telling BBC Football:

“The big questions, as ever, for the Magpies are will manager Rafa Benitez stay, and will he get the money that he wants to spend?

“I think the answers are ‘yes’ and ‘no’… but he will get some of it, and enough to make some more improvements to his squad.

“We already know Magpies owner Mike Ashley is never going to splash the cash, because he could give Benitez £100m and he is realistically only going to finish seventh, at best.”

Fair comments?

They probably are, yes.

Even if Benitez was given a war-chest to spend by the controversial business tycoon, he would undeniably find it difficult to finish any higher than seventh.

The likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United have been so inconsistent this season, yet seventh-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers are still nine points adrift of the latter.

It will therefore be difficult for Newcastle to make a dent in the top six, but Lawrenson has also missed the point slightly.

What’s the point for the Tyneside outfit and their supporters if they can’t show the ambition to go and try and do exactly that?

Who is your club’s Lionel Messi? Fans of Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle and more answer in the video below…

Otherwise they will just keep petering along and finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League year after year, with no hope of doing anything more.

Showing that willingness to at least want to push on is important, and in Benitez the Magpies already have the man capable of taking them a lot closer to where they dream of being.

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Phil Hodgkinson’s recent comments in the media have gone a long way towards settling the nerves of Huddersfield Town fans after long-serving chairman Dean Hoyle was replaced.

The new owner came across very well when speaking to HTTV this week and that has seen Terriers fans give him their full support.

The majority shareholder has been a lifelong fan of the Yorkshire club, and he promised that he would give the team the financial backing it needs.

“The reality is I wouldn’t be doing this if I couldn’t afford to do it,” Hodgkinson said (via Sky Sports).

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have the personal wealth to invest in the football club at this level.

“I know exactly how much money I’ll need to put in in the next 10 years. It doesn’t worry me, it’s not daunting or a concern.”

The businessman takes charge at the John Smith’s Stadium during a time of uncertainty as Town have just been relegated from the Premier League.

There will undoubtedly need to be changes at Huddersfield, but his interview has settled the nerves of supporters, and they now believe that he is the right man to take them forward.

It remains to be seen what type of business they will conduct this summer, but it will certainly be an exciting transfer window with the new man at the helm.

Here’s what Terriers fans have been saying on Twitter…

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Loads of Rangers fans have been reacting to some positive news from the club, as the reserve side came from two goals down to beat a strong Hibernian XI on Monday.

Rangers have fallen behind in the title race since the beginning of March, as Steven Gerrard’s side have struggled to turn dominance of the ball into goals and wins.

Still though, there is a real feeling that Gerrard’s reign is a work in progress, a work that is going to bring success eventually.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

The gaffer will look to trim and reshape his squad again this summer after a busy transfer window last year, but could he have some gems in the youth set-up that will save him some money?

The young Gers played a Hibs side with several first team players in it on Monday, and Glenn Middleton’s first half brace levelled things up after Hibs had shot out to an early 2-0 lead.

Stephen Kelly then decided the game with an inch-perfect free kick, and fans are heaping praise on their youngsters.

Could the likes of Middleton, Kelly and Cameron Palmer, who captained the side, make an impact in the first team next year? The Twitter reactions down below are impressed…

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According to O Jogo, Liverpool would be interested in signing Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, who has shone in patches during the Molineux outfit’s return season in the Premier League.

But the Portugal international could set them back a staggering £110million according to reports from September and Liverpool already have a wealth of options in central midfield, few of whom – much like Neves – offer a consistent supply of creativity and goals.

So, should Liverpool swoop for Neves at the campaign’s end? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below…

Billy Meyers

“I think Neves is just what Liverpool are missing in the midfield. Admittedly, they have a lot of options already, but the Portuguese midfielder is a general in the middle of the park and a man capable of dictating things from deep. He is also used to hitting long-range passes to speedy attackers at Wolves, so he wouldn’t need much time to adapt at Anfield as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane would make life easy for him.”

James Beavis

“Liverpool already have a plethora of midfielders who are decent defensively – Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Naby Keita – but don’t offer enough going forward, and Neves hardly breaks that mould. Yes, he is capable of getting up and down the pitch, dictating the play from deep and scoring the odd brilliant goal, but he hasn’t shown that he has that creative brain in the centre that the Reds are crying out for next season. In truth, he’s no better than Wijnaldum. Maybe in another year’s time a move could happen, but he isn’t ready yet.”

Ben Goodwin

“With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming back, Jurgen Klopp now has two options in each of this 3 midfield positions. The “6” can be occupied by Henderson or Fabinho, both of whom can also fill the box-to-box role usually occupied by Wijnaldum or Milner, while Oxwlade-Chamberlain will return to compete with Keita for the most advanced midfield spot. There is simply no room for a big money signing who will expect to play week in week out.”

Jack Saville

“I can’t see why Klopp would be interested in a move for Neves. Liverpool’s squad is stacked with quality options in central midfield and Neves’ influence has diminished as the season has developed. The early season hype was thoroughly justified but he has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Joao Moutinho. That in itself is enough to suggest Neves could damage his career by trying to play his way into an incredibly competitive midfield unit – just look at Keita.”