The Premier League can often be the cruelest of mistresses and as both Tottenham Hotspur and Andre Villas-Boas know only too well, it doesn’t care much for mistakes and misfortune.

A win against Arsenal on Saturday in the North London derby, could have seen the Lilywhites haul themselves back to within a win away from fourth, open up a four point gap over their rivals and give themselves a springboard to finally turn their disappointing run of form around.

Instead, a chastising 5-2 defeat at the hands of Arsene Wenger’s men awaited and despite going 1-0 up courtesy of Emmanuel Adebayor’s prodded effort, the big Togolese striker proceeded to leave both his team and most poignantly his manager, in a real hole of concern.

Of course, a three-match ban isn’t particularly welcome at any point of the season, but you can’t escape the feeling that Adebayor’s mindless lunge on Santi Cazorla couldn’t have come at a more crucial point in the season for Tottenham.

Make no mistake about it, the upcoming home games against West Ham United and Liverpool, followed by the trip to West London for the tie with Fulham, represent a make or break moment for Andre Villas-Boas’ Spurs side.

Should they loose to Sam Allardyce’s Hammers side next Sunday, the league table might not paint a very pretty picture at all. A run of results which is by no means beyond the realms of reality, could see Spurs sit tenth come this time next week, with the potential for a nine point gap between themselves and Champions League qualification to emerge.

And given the pressure that is slowly beginning to mount on Andre Villas-Boas, having the term ‘must-win game’ shoved down his throat is hardly going to help. But unfortunately, the inescapable reality is that the West Ham game is a must win tie for Spurs.

No one can deny that the Portuguese has had some relatively torrid working conditions that have contributed to his side’s difficult start to the Premier League season. The injuries that the likes of Younes Kaboul, Scott Parker, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Mousa Dembele and until recently Emmanuel Adebayor have picked up, hardly constitute the loss of squad players. That’s more or less five first team players that Villas-Boas has been deprived a consistent use of, let alone the prospect of the quintet lining up in the same XI together.

Furthermore, the failures of chairman Daniel Levy within the summer transfer window are hardly some urban myth, either. Villas-Boas has been left with mish-mash squad uncomfortable in fitting in with the brand of football he was brought to the club to introduce, courtesy of a needless game of transfer brinkmanship which has served to do nothing but balance the books and weaken the team.

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Unfortunately for the former Porto boss, sympathy is an emotion that remains difficult to find within the Premier League. The term ‘results based business’ sounds more at home in a Martin Scorsese film than it does within the realms of English football, although league tables and history books don’t look back on circumstance. Villas-Boas has to find a way to get his side winning games through whatever means necessary.

If Spurs fail to win against both West Ham and Liverpool, which considering how poor their home form has appeared is hardly out of the question, then both Villas-Boas and his side are in big trouble. Regardless of whether you’ve warmed to him, feel sorry for him, despise him or long for something else, the omens most certainly wouldn’t look good should results go against him in the next three games. Games which on paper, his side are more than capable of winning.

Such has been the inconsistency that the teams around Tottenham have shown in recent weeks, a run of three straight wins could see them propelled straight back into race for fourth, with the perfect platform to push on towards the busy festive period. But they’ve got to come through the next couple of weeks.

It’s time for Villas-Boas to make the sort of tough calls and cut throat decisions in which careers are defined and seasons are shaped. In the future, there is no reason why he can’t try and cultivate this Spurs side towards the 4-3-3 remit in which he was seemingly brought in to cultivate. But unless he gets through the next few games, he might not have a chance to try and rectify things in the January window, let alone the near future.

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He has to be ruthless and he has to make sacrifices. Michael Dawson might not be the sort of defender that offers a long-term solution to a possession-based way of playing. But he’s a fighter, a thoroughbred and he’s surely the sort of man you want in the trenches when West Ham come calling this weekend. Worry about playing the ball out from the back when the squad has recuperated from injuries – not during a set of make or break fixtures.

Again, Emmanuel Adebayor’s moment of madness has left Villas-Boas in the mire up in the striking department. But now isn’t the time to persevere with playing Jermain Defoe in an ineffectual role up front on his own. Go 4-4-2, play Dempsey alongside him as he did in the second half against QPR and go for the jugular. Of course it’s not an ideal world and it’s not building the vision that Villas-Boas clearly craves for the club – but unless they start picking up performances, he might not get a chance to build for anything.

Emmanuel Adebayor’s suspension represents simply the latest hindrance in the perpetual environment of turbulence of which Andre Villas-Boas has had to work in since coming to the club. But instead of looking into the future, he has to try and mould a team for the present, starting with this weekend’s fixture against West Ham.

Is the West Ham game a must win fixture? How would you set Spurs up without the suspended Emmanuel Adebayor? Join me on Twitter and tell me what you think. 

Everton and Liverpool FC are set to enter the race to sign young England international goalkeeper Jack Butland from Birmingham City in January, the Daily Star reports.

The motivation behind David Moyes’ intention to sign the young keeper is his desire to add competition for incumbent Toffees stopper Tim Howard.

The American has been at Goodison Park since initially arriving on loan from Manchester United in 2006. Howard then signed in 2007 for £3million, going on to make 214 appearances in the Premier League as an Evertonian. With his last clean sheet back on 22nd September against Swansea, Moyes feels that healthy competition is needed between the sticks at Goodison.

Meanwhile, news of Liverpool’s interest could spell the end of Pepe Reina’s reign in goal at Anfield. The Spanish keeper missed a portion of the season after a hamstring injury banished him to the sidelines. Liverpool’s No. 2, Brad Jones, then failed to impress Brendan Rodgers.

With Arsenal being a possible location for Reina – as reported by the Daily Mail – Butland could be a likely No. 1 starter for the Merseyside club. But with sources noting that Rodgers has faith in Reina, the young England keeper could just be a viable long-term option.

Birmingham manager Lee Clark isn’t keen on losing his most prized possession, although the allure of potential financial relief from Butland’s sale might be too tempting for the cash-strapped Blues to turn down.

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The youngster has starred for the Under-21s – as well as Team GB during the Olympics – and went onto make his senior England team debut in August as part of Roy Hodgson’s experimental side which faced Italy.

Swansea will be hoping they can secure a route back to winning ways on Sunday, but they won’t have it easy against the comfortable table toppers Manchester United.

The Swans have suffered back to back defeats to halt their rise up the Premier League table under Michael Laudrup.

There is positive news for them in the Capital One Cup as they relish a two legged tie with Chelsea in the semi-final of the competition in January.

They are currently perched in mid table but they are surprisingly still within sight of the top four and will be aware that a productive Christmas programme could put them in European contention.

United arrive to South Wales in ominous form and will be supremely confident that their great run of form will continue at the Liberty stadium.

Sir Alex Ferguson have secured the maximum points available to them in their last five league outings and he will see no reason why his side can’t extend that run to six wins in six games.

Man United have built their success on their immense firepower scoring a hefty 43 goals already and only Everton and Norwich have kept them at bay.

Swansea welcome back first choice goalkeeper and Dutch International Michel Vorm to the fold with the keeper being out since October. Pablo Hernandez is also set to return after shaking off a calf strain, and Angel Rangel can make it for this one as well. Neil Taylor is the only long term absentee.

Manchester United could have the luxury of welcoming back captain Nemanja Vidic into the starting XI. Rafael is also expected to return after being rested for Sunderland nursing a hamstring issue. Kagawa is also back in training.

15 different players have found the net for Manchester United in the Premier League this season; more than any other side. Swansea will know that they will have to neutralise threats all over the pitch if they are to get a result here.

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Prediction: Swansea 2-3 Manchester United

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Last week, Brendan Rodgers announced his ambitions for the season. I don’t know too many Liverpool fans, but I was surprised to say the least when the Northern Irishman told reporters that he is aiming for a top two Premier League finish. Perhaps it’s a case of “reach for the stars and you’ll hit the moon”, some Rodgers Rhetoric to spur on his players, but either way I think challenging Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs to a place in the top three is a rather overzealous prediction.

Before the defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend, there was a general rallying cry from the Liverpool players, most notably Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique, stating that they still intend to be a part of the Champions League race despite their poor start to the season. But is a top four, let alone a top two finish really achievable at Anfield?

Looking at the table, The Reds are currently in 12th place, although they were 10th before their home defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. As Alan Hansen often says, “The table doesn’t lie”, and that couldn’t be truer at any given moment for Liverpool than right now. Presently seven points off fourth place and seven points safe from the relegation zone, with a goal difference of exactly zero, the club’s average start to the season is fairly represented in the league table. The fact that Liverpool are yet to spend any time in the top six speaks also speaks volumes.

But it has been a difficult start to the year for Liverpool, with a great change behind the scenes, not to mention a vast amount of deadwood being shifted out of the back door in the summer. Damien Comolli has unbelievably defended the signings he made whilst serving as the club’s Director of Football, despite the fact the vast majority of them have been moved on or are well known at Anfield as constant underachievers, such as Stewart “no goals and no assists” Downing, who has now been told he can leave just 18 months after being bought from Aston Villa for £20million. Rodgers has been suffering from Liverpool’s spending binge hangover, and has Jordan Henderson and Joe Cole weighing the club down in addition to the soon-to-be-axed Downing.

But January could change all that, should money be available as Rodgers has insinuated throughout the course of the season. There’s a chance one of the clubs in dire straits at the bottom of the table could pick up some of the Anfield rejects – Rodgers probably goes to bed dreaming that Harry Redknapp will take Joe Cole off his hands, and has written to Santa begging him for a solution to the Andy Carroll situation for Christmas, perhaps by taking him to the north pole and retrain him as an elf – but if Liverpool stand any chance of getting into the top four they desperately need a striker.

Some of the names in the hat include Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott, then again any transfer rumour involving a striker and a fee lower than £12million tends to throw in Liverpool as a club that has “shown an interest”. But the most important factor should be ability to score goals. Although Luis Suarez is a formidable footballer who shows moments of genius on the pitch, and his efforts have carried the team at times, his finishing is by far the weakest part to his game. According to OPTA, the Uruguayan international has a shot accuracy of just 39%, and has missed eight clear cut chances already this season – two more than he’s scored. The fact that Liverpool have failed to score twice or more in all but three of their Premier League fixtures this year is no coincidence.

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But a striker alone is by far the least of Liverpool’s problems in challenging the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Everton for the final Champions League position. Rodgers is bringing a lot of youth prospects through to the first team and perhaps the team’s inability to push over the finish is in some part due to their lack of experience. The Reds have drawn seven times, often impressing for the first twenty minutes before letting the game slip from their early domination. Drawing was regarded as a problem last year, but considering Kenny Dalgish finished the season with ten draws, many of them being at home, Liverpool look set to exceed that record.

Down the other end of the pitch, Jose Reina’s lapse in form has been well documented. Youtube is now filled with videos dedicated to the Spaniard’s howlers, and his save ratio of 76% is less than you’d expect from a Goalkeeper regarded as one of the best in the league. Similarly, especially at the start of the season, the backline have struggled with Rodgers’ passing philosophy, and although the Reds now have an average of 59% possession per game, their defenders have often been caught trying to play cute balls instead of clearing into row Z.

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So, are these problems Liverpool can overcome? Can they make it into the Champions League? My simple answer is… No. Quite honestly, the team hasn’t improved since last season when they finished eighth in the table. However, I believe Rodgers (although he may appear a tad dim-witted at times) is pushing the club in the right direction. The club’s transition cannot be completed in such a short space of time, and it is clear that Roy Hodgson’s and Damien Comolli’s transfer mishaps have still not been fully overcome. The sheer number of talented youngsters in the Liverpool team suggest the club has a bright future should they be able to bring in enough quality to supplement the development process, but achieving anything this season is a tall ask.

Not only do the players have a lot of natural progression to go through – the manager does as well. It is one thing turning a club like Swansea into a decent Premier League outfit, but it is a whole different ball game driving a club like Liverpool, who are on the whole going through a period of decline, back into a Champions League team. For those of you unconvinced, I have a final thought, a litmus test if you will. Apart from Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez, would any of the Liverpool squad instantly command a place in any of the top four teams?

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Sam Allardyce has played down rumours of a contract dispute with Mohamed Diame and expects the midfielder to sign a new deal to stay at West Ham, Sky Sports understand.

Diame has been the subject of intense transfer speculation this month after it came to light that a £3.5 million release clause existed in his contract, alerting a number of Premier League admirers.

There were rumours on Tuesday that the Senegal international was angry with the Hammers for attempting to default on the agreement and would take the matter to FIFA if it wasn’t honoured.

Arsenal are keen on bringing the 25-year-old to the Emirates Stadium before the transfer window closes but Allardyce is hopeful that he will sign a new contract to stay in east London.

“I would’ve thought so,” he said when asked if an amicable resolution could be reached.

“I don’t think the story today that the Mail put out is right. It’s just disruptive agents as always.”

“It really is difficult to secure the player that we’re looking for. Price and quality has to go together for us.

When quizzed on his own progress in the transfer market Allardyce was less than optimistic hinting that January isn’t the ideal shopping period to unearth value for money signings.

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He added: “If the price is right and the player’s not good enough we have to say no, and if the player’s good enough but the price is too big we have to say no.

“It’s an unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in. I’m not trying to put the owners under pressure here at all whatsoever, it’s just a fact of life.”

West Brom winger James Morrison is hoping that the Midlanders can join their weekend opponents Swansea in the Europa League next season.

The Swans booked their spot in the competition after lifting the Capital One Cup last month, capping an impressive campaign.

But, The Baggies moved three points ahead of the South Wales-based outfit in the Premeir League with a 2-1 win on Saturday.

Morrison, who played in Europe with Middlesbrough, believes that West Brom are good enough to make it into continental competition and hopes they can maintain their form and push for qualification:

“We beat a team like Swansea, who’ve had a lot of credit this year, and so should we. We are delighted with where we are.” He is quoted by The Mirror.

“I’ve played in Europe before and we got all the way to the final. It was great, travelling to different countries and facing different opposition.

“I would like to play in Europe again but we’ve got to keep progressing.

“We’ve got a good group of players so let’s kick on from here. Hopefully now we can keep it going because we don’t want to let the season fizzle out.”

One man who has been in fine form for West Brom this season is on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku.

The 19-year-old Belgian has netted an impressive 13 Premier League goals since his arrival from Chelsea, becoming a key player under manager Steve Clarke.

Morrison praised the burly centre-forward and revealed that he hopes he’ll be with the club again next season:

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“His goals are one of the reasons we are where we are. Hopefully the club can get the deal sorted.

“He is a pleasure to have and I think he will be even better next season. I’m sure he is going to be a top player.”

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Manchester United have renewed their interest in Porto’s winger James Rodriguez and plan to make a move in the summer.

Sir Alex Ferguson has placed Rodriguez high on his wanted list and will sell in order to land the Colombian.

With Manchester United’s interest in Rodriguez last season, Porto have raised his buy out clause from 24 million to 36.

Ferguson is keen to improve his squad and is willing to listen to offers for Nani and Anderson to provide funds in the transfer market.

Anderson, who Manchester United signed from Porto for an estimated 20 million pounds, has hinted at a possible return to the Portuguese side.

“Porto are the one club I would consider moving back to Portugal for.” Anderson said

“My past is there.” (Daily Mail)

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With Anderson failing to hold down a regular place in United’s midfield, he could be used as bait in a possible Rodriguez deal. With his desire to return to the Estadio Do Dragao, United could use Anderson in a possible part-exchange deal.

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Although the thread QPR are clinging on to can’t snap on Saturday but there is already a sense of resignation in the air at Loftus Road. Accumulating 10 points from safety with five games remaining isn’t beyond impossible especially given three of those are at home. The R’s have lost just once on their own turf in 2013 and visit fellow strugglers Reading next week meaning all is not lost. However, the look of surrender on Harry Redknapp’s face after the draw with Wigan a fortnight ago tells its own story and that of their chances of remaining a Premier League club. Yet, with Loic Remy proving himself quite the goal threat recently, there’s always a chance of Harry Houdini pulling off his greatest escape act yet.

Plummeting out of the top-flight is a reality that is beginning to grip Stoke with each passing game. Tony Pulis’ men have plunged like a stone towards the drop zone since the turn of the year and have managed just five points in 2013. Unfortunately for the Potters they aren’t showing signs of arresting the slide any time soon unless they find form soon. Away from the Britannia Stadium they’ve struggled badly and have lost their last six on the road. Right now they need to adopt a win at all costs mentality if they’re to haul themselves back on the road to safety and can start by leaving west London with maximum points.

Team News

Bobby Zamora is unavailable again for QPR as he serves the second of a three-match ban. Full back Armand Traore (calf) is hoping to be available.

Stoke have doubts over winger Matthew Etherington as he struggles to overcome a back injury. Marc Wilson is also hopeful of a return to the squad.

What the managers said… 

“The dream is still alive – it’s not dead yet and we’ve got to keep going. We need four wins and a draw for the final five to have a chance. We’re still not down. We’ve still got five games to go – we all know it’s a tall order but we will keep going. If relegation happens, we’ve got to regroup and come back stronger, but we’re not giving up yet.” Harry Redknapp still believes QPR can avoid relegation (Daily Express)

There might be a small portion of supporters that have done that but it is not the majority. We have been having a difficult run and minorities get a lot of publicity in this country. The majority of supporters have been brilliant. They understand we are in a battle, a scrap, and they are right behind the team. We have got five games, five throws of the dice to get the six points we need.” Tony Pulis insists he still has the support of the Stoke fans (The Sun)

Pre-match Statistic: With just four wins in 20 Premier League games Harry Redknapp has the same win percentage (20%) as predecessors Neil Warnock and Mark Hughes.

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Prediction: QPR 2-2 Stoke City

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Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement will see Manchester City become the dominant club in the Premier League, according to Yaya Toure.

The Ivory Coast international midfielder was quick to speak out following the news that Ferguson would be ending his long reign of over 26 years at rivals Manchester United at the end of the season with Everton boss David Moyes the man to fill the massive void.

Toure was surprised at the timing of Ferguson’s decision to call time on his career after United had recently wrestled the Premier League title back from City this season.

However, he feels with the veteran Scot out of the way, it will pave the way clear for City to become top dogs in both the city and English football.

Toure told Talksport: “Man City have a great project for the future and, after this movement now, I think City will be dominant in the future.

“The most important thing for us is to try to be the top club in Manchester. Before it was United, but now I hope it will be City.”

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Yesterday’s announcement that Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet has completed a £9million move to Liverpool adds another name to the list of early summer signings at Anfield, along with Kolo Toure, Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto.

Brendan Rodgers’ busy month on Merseyside has surprised many, with the tabloids speculating earlier in the season that the Liverpool gaffer’s room for manoeuvre in the transfer market would be restricted by a rather slim summer budget, suggesting a difficult second campaign for the Northern Irishman.

Yet, so far it seems, that the Reds’ spending power may be limited in comparison to the past, but is by no means so slim that the Rodgers revolution will come to an abrupt end, having to compromise between revamping a squad in ill-health and a lack of financial backing.

The Anfield faithful are undoubtedly delighted with the series of smart signings, however, will the surprisingly high summer investment in new players begin to morph the reality on Merseyside, with fans’ expectations becoming too high?

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We have already seen throughout Rodgers’ inaugural campaign that he is not everybody’s cup of tea. We are a long way from hearing cries of ‘Rodgers out’ ring around the Kop end, yet there have been constant murmurings of discontent from the Anfield faithful, especially before the turn of the year, where the Reds failed to escape the bottom half of the Premier League table.

The fact is, the process of change under Rodgers is coming much slower than the majority of Liverpool fans would wish for. Whilst those outside the club tend to hold the view that the Northern Irishman has made the best out of a difficult situation in getting the Anfield house in order following years of instability, the fan base on Merseyside still hold memories of Champions League qualification, and even Champions League finals, and would prefer to return to former glories sooner rather than later.

Even the Liverpool boss himself has stated that the club’s aim for next season is to chase down the top four and hopefully claim a qualification place at the expense of one of their divisional rivals, a goal which has been further endorsed by a number of players, including skipper Steven Gerrard.

But can the signings of Mignolet, Toure, Aspas and Alberto actually get the Reds back into Europe’s most prestigious cup competition? I  recently wrote an article praising Rodgers on his summer transactions, citing that the mixture between ability, age and potential throughout showed a business sense and an ability to spot a good player that has been lacking throughout the tenures of his predecessors.

I still uphold that belief, in addition to the fact I see all four signings as a signal that Liverpool are once again moving in the right direction, yet overall, the new additions are by no means Champions League material.

Iago Aspas has risen from relative obscurity over the past few years to become a star for La Liga side Celta Vigo. He netted 23 goals in 35 appearances during the club’s promotion campaign from the Spanish second tier, whilst last season was his most impressive to date, with 12 goals and 7 assists in the top flight. At £6.7million, it’s clearly a smart piece of business, and the 25 year old certainly has a point to prove after being a late arrival to Europe’s major leagues, but the fact is he by no means a Champions League quality player, and Rodgers will not be expecting the forward to be the difference between finishing up in fifth and fourth place in the Premier League.

Similarly, Kolo Toure is very much a stop-gap acquisition, an attempt to put the issue of Jamie Carragher’s rightful successor on hold for at least another year, and although he provides the Liverpool roster with some much needed experience, with two Premier League titles and three FA Cups on his CV, he will once again not be the kind of player who will single-handedly claim the Reds extra points to close the 12 point margin between themselves and Arsenal this season, whilst Luis Alberto comes with enormous pedigree, but at the age of just 20 and only seven competitive league appearances at top level, he has a long way to go before he is ready to become a first team regular at Anfield.

Simon Mignolet on the other hand, could well prove to have the quality required at a top four club. The Belgium international was sensational last season for the Black Cats, with a number of exceptional displays that even Europe’s top goalkeepers would be proud of. The time is right for him to make the step up to a bigger club, and between the sticks is an area that has undoubtedly cost the Reds at times this season, with Pepe Reina still unable to shake off his knack of individual errors. But players cannot simply transform in quality over-night, and although Mignolet has a bright future ahead of him, the 25 year old is by no means the finished article.

The question is whether or not between them, Aspas, Toure and Mignolet can bridge the current 12 point gap between the Reds and fourth place. In my opinion, they cannot overcome such a vast difference, especially considering the Premier League’s top six, including local rivals Everton, are all expected to spend big this summer following a number of changes in management staff.

Furthermore, the 12 point difference could be much greater should Luis Suarez force a move away from the Premier League. The Uruguayan is determined to leave England behind him and start a-fresh following a string of controversial incidents, including his bite on Branislav Ivanovic, and although his £40million fee would leave adequate enough funds to find a high-quality replacement and maintain the Anfield tradition of a talismanic centre-forward, Suarez’s influence last season is undeniable and irreplaceable.

The 26 year old was the single focal point of Liverpool’s attacking play for the best part of the season, until the arrival of Daniel Sturridge. Everything going forward went through Suarez, with the striker not only instigating attacking moves, but furthermore being the only member of the Reds’ roster seemingly capable of finishing them off.

His 23 goals and 5 assists makes him directly responsible for over a third of Liverpool’s 71 Premier League goals this year, and although Daniel Sturridge  is rightly held in high regard at Anfield, the England international is unlikely to be able to immediately fill his strike-partner’s shoes, especially in the big fixtures.

A number of critics have seeked to praise Rodgers’ business this summer. The early approach has allowed the Liverpool boss to bring in the players he wants, and overall at incredibly reasonable fees. But the kind words should not be taken out of context; they are aimed at the Northern Irishman’s abilities in the transfer market, rather than the abilities of his signings.

The Reds still have a long way to go before they can claim to rival Arsenal, Chelsea or even Tottenham in terms of quality and depth, with still too many lacklustre underperformers on the roster, and too many starlets yet to reach their full potential.

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The club are certainly moving forward, financially and on the pitch, but a 12 point gap is impossible to breach in the space of one season without an abundance of investment, and the task will be made even more difficult should Liverpool lose their only world-class talent in Luis Suarez.

Next year will be the Premier League’s most unpredictable yet for a number of reasons, and I expect Brendan Rodgers to take advantage of that by closing the gap between Liverpool and the top four, but in terms of Champions League qualification, the Reds are still a few years away.

The blueprint is there however, and the Anfield faithful must remain patient in a talented manager who is slowly but surely pushing the club back where they want to be – it would be a shame to see his tenure was cut short by unrealistic expectations on the part of the incredibly vocal and militant Anfield fan base.

Will Liverpool fans expect too much next season?

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