I am shocked by some negativity hanging over Tottenham Hotspur at the moment. With the club sitting just three points off of the Champions League places with a game in hand and on fantastic form surely they should be favourites to steal that fourth Champions League spot for the second time in three years ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool.

Yesterday Roman Pavlyuchenko slated manager Harry Redknapp for failing to select him after praising his form and now defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto believes the club will fail if they don’t spend big this year. Having been worryingly quiet in the transfer market this summer, Redknapp managed to bring in Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor and more importantly hold on to his key players that have started the season well.

With Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart firing up front and Parker and Luka Modric combining in midfield, the first eleven is looking very strong. There is a lack of strength in depth at White Hart Lane but that does not seem to be affecting the results on the pitch with five wins in six games moving Spurs up the league to fifth.

Left back Assou-Ekotto, has urged the club to offer new, improved contracts to van der Vaart, Modric and Gareth Bale to prevent them leaving the club in the near future. Modric was persuaded to stay at Spurs in the summer by chairman Daniel Levy after Chelsea came in three times to buy the Croatian. With a current contract not set to expire until 2016 and the club rejecting a £40million bid in the summer, surely he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Bale has also stated his confidence in Spurs going forward, and is in no rush to move on; however Real Madrid and Inter Milan are interested in the Welsh winger. Van der Vaart has started to score goals again, playing in his favoured attacking midfield position and may attract interest in January or the summer.

Assou-Ekotto told the Evening Standard: “If we want to become great, the club have to do certain things differently so as to match what the top teams do in a financial sense. Since we qualified for the Champions League, we can say, yes, we have become a big team.

“Now, to become like Chelsea or Manchester United, we need to keep the same team for the next couple of years and make everyone happy to stay, rather than being in the situation we were with Luka Modric during the summer.

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“There’s a lot to be excited about at Spurs now with the new training ground and maybe a new stadium. It feels like the future could be really good for the fans but if the players don’t stay, we could end up like Aston Villa. Instead of being able to build on what they had, players ended up leaving Villa, so I hope Tottenham will make the right steps.”

Is Assou-Ekotto right to be worried or have Tottenham shown their ambition over the summer in rejecting a £40million for a player and now showing the rewards on the pitch looking very impressive?

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So far this season we have seen Man Utd concede eleven goals in their opening ten games, Tottenham fourteen, Chelsea fifteen and Arsenal twenty-one. All had conceded less at this stage last year and for a club like Arsenal the news is particularly grim. They have conceded just under half of the total number of goals they did in the whole of last season in their first ten games this year. Have we got to the stage where the naivety of managers has reached new lows amongst the Premier League’s top clubs?

Man Utd

Manchester United’s figures for this year may not seem too bad at a glance, but you have to consider that they could have conceded a lot more. They have allowed more shots on goal than any other club this season and for a team that just spent almost £40m shoring up its defence with the signings of Phil Jones and David De Gea there defensive display’s have been mediocre at best. Fans might point to the injuries and suspensions to Vidic and Ferdinand but frankly Man Utd endured much worse injury crises last season and fared a hell of a lot better. To be conceding over a goal a game as champions is not what you’d expect and United fans will be hoping for an improvement.

Tottenham

Spurs too have bolstered their defensive options this year with the signing of Brad Friedel in goal and Scott Parker protecting the defence. On top of that they have regained Kyle Walker at right back to give them options that they didn’t have last year and club captain Ledley King has already played as many games as he did in the entirety of last season. However, if they carry on conceding at the rate that they are then they would end up conceding far more than they did last year.

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Chelsea

Chelsea has the excuse of a manager new to the Premier League that promotes attacking football. But to go from one of the meanest defences in the league to conceding five at home in one game then we can see that there are clearly problems to be addressed. Villas-Boas has said that Chelsea will not change their attacking style of football and whilst this is admirable and entertaining it also reminds me of a certain stubborn French manager enduring torrid defensive troubles of his own at the moment. Chelsea has proved under previous managers that the players they have can form a formidable defensive force and the subsequent, present frailty suggests naivety from the young Portuguese manager.

Arsenal

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The odd defensive faux pas is nothing new to Arsenal fans but even they will admit this season that there are worrying signs. Yes, they have new players who are struggling to adapt to the English style and language. But that is nobody else’s fault but their own. They could have signed these defenders at the end of last season and given them time to settle in but they did not. To concede seventeen goals in four away games is shocking by anyone’s standards, let alone a team playing in the Champions League. Whether the defensive coaching is conducted by Wenger, Pat Rice or another there has to be someone held to account for such meek defensive performances. In over two decades of watching Arsenal I have become used to watching them spontaneously implode as a team but to lose 8-2 at Old Trafford and be the only team beaten by bottom of the table Blackburn this season are new lows. The victory at Stamford Bridge will have gone some way to building confidence but to again concede three away from home is worrying. Arsenal cannot always expect to score five away from home against such tough opposition.

You could argue that these defensive frailties are merely signs that the league as a whole is becoming more competitive but to say that is to ignore the swathes of pitiful defending exhibited by most of the top teams this year. By and large the defenders for the teams in question are the same with perhaps one or two new faces added yet their performances are less convincing than ever. Chelsea Arsenal and Man Utd have all conceded at least five goals in one game this season. Does anyone remember the last time that happened to top teams after only a quarter of the season gone? The fault lies with both the management style and off field preparation. On Sky Sports over the weekend the commentary team, including ex-Gunner Alan Smith commented on the difference in coaching techniques between George Graham and Arsene Wenger saying that under Graham defensive coaching took place every single day – a stark contrast to Wenger’s methods. Obviously we want to see exciting attacking football in our league but sooner or later certain managers will have to look at their defensive performances for the current season and realise that something must be done.

Follow Hamish on Twitter @H_Mackay

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Goals from Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham were enough for Swansea as they arrested their mini-slump to beat in-form Fulham at the Liberty Stadium and move back up to 11th in the Premier League table.

Brendan Rodgers side had gone five without a victory prior to the visit of the Cottagers but produced a superb performance with goalkeeper Michael Vorm the start of the show. The Dutchman kept out Clint Dempsey’s penalty late on with the game poised at 1-0 with Graham going on to double the minutes later as the Swans leapfrogged Martin Jol’s side in the table. It would prove to be a testing afternoon for Dempsey as he went from hero status after scoring the winner against Liverpool on Monday to villain in Wales as he played a big part in Fulham’s downfall. Prior to his penalty miss the American offered a helping hand to the home side in the first half deflecting Sinclair’s tame effort into own goal. In all fairness the West London side didn’t perform that badly but just couldn’t find a way past Vorm who kept his seventh clean sheet of the season as the hosts secured a fourth win at the Liberty Stadium this season.

It was Swansea who started the brighter of the two teams with the away side still visibly suffering from exerting so much energy in the win over Liverpool five days ago. Leroy Lita had the home side’s first real chance but could only head over Mark Schwarzers crossbar after finding space in-between Brede Hangeland and Phillipe Senderos. Luke Moore then fizzed a 25-yard drive wide before Sinclair shot tamely at Schwarzer as the Swans failed to take advantage of their first half supremacy. It would be a different story after the break with Sinclair seeing his weak effort clip the leg of Dempsey and fly into the Fulham net. The England under-21 will most certainly claim his first goal from open play this season although without the American’s intervention the ball looked likely to end up in Schwarzer’s grasp.

Making amends was now on Dempsey’s mind and he almost set up Bryan Ruiz with a defence splitting pass only for the Costa Rican to see his shot saved by Vorm. Remy Agustien then rattled the visitors cross bar with a stinging 25-yard drive before the Londoners were awarded a penalty following Ashley Richards’ foul on Kemy Frei. Dempsey stepped only for Vorm to guess correctly and diving to his right to palm the ball away from goal. It proved to be crucial as £3.5 million record signing Graham wrapped the points up in stoppage time stabbing home Mark Gowers centre for his fifth goal in eight games.

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Howard Webb took centre stage at the Stadium of Light after his controversial penalty decision allowed Everton claim a well deserved point against rejuvenated Sunderland.

The World Cup final referee pointed to the spot after Leon Osman mis-kicked in the penalty area and fell to the ground with Leighton Baines converting from 12-yards after Jack Colback had given the home side a first half lead. The Toffee’s dominated for much of the game but their profligacy in front of goal cost them again with Baines whipping in a series of fine crosses from the left in what was an accomplished display from the defender. For Sunderland the draw means they haven’t beaten Everton in their last 14 encounters although there has been some progressing under new boss Martin O’Neill who claimed his seventh point from a possible 12 since taking over from Steve Bruce.

Confidence oozed out of the Black Cats as they went into this game looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season after beating QPR last Wednesday. They were pegged back for much of the first half though as the visitors dominated with Tim Cahill and Louis Saha both having chances to score with the former still yet to score in 2011. The Australian has an impressive goal scoring record against Sunderland but couldn’t  find the net on his occasion with Kieron Westwood saving his effort from eight-yards before watching his header fly past the post. Saha also had opportunities to score and should have done better when meeting Royston Drenthe’s corner but could only head wide from close range. Despite being on the back foot for much of the opening half hour the home side suddenly burst into life and took the lead through Colback who fired crisply across goal with the ball clipping Sylvain Distin on it’s way past Tim Howard after Stephane Sessegnon burst into the area and teed him up.

Everton still managed to fashion more opportunities before the break with Leon Osman curling wide and Drenthe driving an effort wide from long range. It didn’t take them long to find the net after the break with David Moyes’ side benefiting from a huge stroke of luck after Webb awarded a penalty for a foul on Osman. The home support were incensed by the decision after midfielder appeared to loose his footing with Webb adjudging Lee Cattermole and Wes Brown had caused him to fall despite making no contact. Baines took no prisoners smashing the ball past Westwood and into the top corner before Drenthe tangled with Craig Gardner in the area with Webb waving away the protests this time. That seemed to take the sting out of the game with no clear cut chances being presented to either side although both seemed content to take a point.

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Dortmund’s triumph last season in the Bundesliga. Man Utd’s dominance at the beginning of this Premier League season. These two occurrences have one thing in common – an emphasis on youth. More so than ever before, younger players are being thrown in at the deep end at the higher echelons of the game and rather surprisingly, much to the chagrin of their elders, the majority have yet to be found wanting. With UEFA cracking down on the way clubs operate with concerns to their finances, football clubs are having to change the way they approach the make-up of their sides’, and this could have a lasting effect on the age structure of football.

Dortmund are a fine case in point. They cruised to their first Bundesliga title in 9 years last season, finishing 7 points ahead of nearest rivals, second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

Under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, Dortmund won the Bundesliga last year with a squad that had an average age of 24.3 years old – the youngest Championship-winning side in Bundesliga history.

At the heart of this vibrant outfit were Nuri Sahin (22 years old) and Mario Gotze (19). Add into the mix Mats Hummels (22) Sven Bender (22) and Shinji Kagawa (22) and the spine of their side was largely made up of what would traditionally be considered youngsters.

But what exactly is a ‘youngster’ these days?

In seasons gone by a youngster could constitute a player up to the age of 23 years of age (sometimes still young enough to represent their country in an under-21 international tournament). However, nowadays, the old adage of ‘if you’re young enough, then you’re good enough’ seems to most definitely apply.

Players have begun to break through at a younger and younger age. Arsenal last season were built around the influence of Jack Wilshere, a player whose maturity on the pitch belied his relative inexperience at a mere 19 years of age. Cesc Fabregas broke into the very same side at just 16 years of age and was an ever-present until his departure to Barcelona this summer.

The much-vaunted Man Utd side this campaign, or ‘Fergie’s Babes’ as some have rather bafflingly termed them (note to the Sun; they’re not his babes, just how much did they collectively cost?) had a starting eleven with an average age of 23.9 years old, despite the presence of wiser heads such as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest legacy is his determination to constantly reinvent his Man Utd side and this season could arguably hail the dawning of his fourth great side. The likes of Wayne Rooney, David de Gea, Phil Jones and Tom Cleverley occupy key positions in a title-chasing side, despite none of them being older than 25.

So why are the top sides beginning to get younger and younger?

As far as I can make out, it simply comes down to the rigours and pace of the modern game. Seasons are much longer than they used to be, the pace of the game has quickened and there are simply more games than ever before to occupy a coaches mind.

Dortmund’s youth coordinator and scorer of that now infamous goal against Juventus in the 1997 Champions League final, Lars Ricken, had this to say on the matter: “Athletic demands have increased enormously, so it could be that the age structure is changing because young athletes can cope better with that.”

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Not since 2006 when Fabio Cannavaro won the FIFA World Player of the Year award has a player won an internationally recognised individual award older than the age of 25 years old. Of course this statistic is somewhat distorted by the two freaks of nature that are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the point remains (disclaimer: you can use stats to prove anything).

Traditionally, outfiled players approach their peak, dependent on their position of course, between the ages of 27-29 years of age, but is that accepted truth now starting to change?

The pace of modern football is quicker than ever before. The demands that it has on your body must have increased exponentially over the last decade. The space between defence and attack has also shortened when compared to a decade ago; this in turn means that there is now a lot more congestion in the middle of the pitch. Expansive play, which grants the player more time on the ball, is  a lot rarer than what it once was.

Of course, there will always be exceptions to this rule. Xavi Hernandez, the metronome around which the most successful club and national side in world football conduct their style of play, is hardly a spring chicken at 31 years of age. Andrea Pirlo has revitalised his career at Juventus so far this campaign at the grand old age of 32 and I very much doubt whether any club given half the chance would turn down the services of Samuel Eto’o at 30 years of age.

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Germany’s strong showing at the last World Cup was, in the main, built around the fluid attacking play of a younger generation. Brazil are currently going through a rebuilding process of their own which has thus far been built around the mercurial talents of both Henrique Ganso and Neymar at just 21 and 19 years of age respectively.

While the age of the golden oldie is far from over, as Ryan Giggs demonstrated on Wednesday, there has certainly been a noticeable shift. Certain positions will always suit players with more experience, such as centre half or goalkeeper, but on the whole, the sides that have proved the most successful over the past 3-4 years or so on both the domestic and national stage have revolved around the individual talents of players around or under the age of 25 years young.

Football is a game that deals in cycles, and this article may be entirely redundant by this time next year, but the financial fair play rules that FIFA are looking to enforce, helping to bring the larger clubs into check, could not only promote competitiveness in the long-run, they could also have a lasting effect on the ages of the talent within those squads. The age structure looks to be shifting with an emphasis now placed on youth; it would be surprising if this concerted move was reversed any time soon.

You can follow me on Twitter at – http://twitter.com/#!/JamesMcManus1

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Football has always had its fair share of run-ins with the law – just ask Terry Dyson. He was some striker was Terry – he’s still the last Tottenham player to score a hat-trick against the Arsenal – but things didn’t always go quite as well for him when it came to matters off the field. Terry was involved in the biggest football-related court case of my era when he was hauled up for receiving a batch of stolen Rothmans. Apparently, he’d got a couple of thousand from someone on the cheap, they got nicked and Terry was in the frame as well.

We went to Liverpool after he’d been done and there we were, me and Terry, knocking the ball into Bill Brown as part of our warm-up. All of a sudden the whole Kop – around 20,000 people – erupted into a chorus of, ‘Ee-aye-addio, Dyson nicked the ciggies’. I don’t know how they start these things, but it went all the way round Anfield. It was magnificent to experience and everyone was laughing, even Terry. “Hark at those b*******, Jim,” he said. “Well, you did nick ’em,” I replied and he countered, “No, I just received them.”

Harry Redknapp will know that, despite the outcome of his case, he’s going to get some stick at away matches as well. But the one thing he has got is a great sense of humour and laughing off the chants is the only way he’ll really be able to deal with it. I have to tell you that offshore accounts weren’t really something you heard mentioned back in my day – not unless you banked at Barclays on Canvey Island, anyway.

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Alfie Stokes, who played for Tottenham in the late 50s and early 60s, was another one who had found himself in a bit of bother with the beak. In his case, it was for the bus pulled away, the conductor would start collecting fares and the lads would jump off just before he got to them. It was a great trick and, being athletic, they could do it.

But Alf wasn’t quite so nimble this one day. He got caught and was hauled up before the magistrate. Bill Nicholson said to him: “Alfie, whatever you do, keep a low profile. We do not want any publicity out of this.” “Okay, guv’,” came the reply, yet he then turned up at court in his club blazer and tie – and you can imagine dear old Bill’s response to that. But they were all petty crimes, quite innocent, really.

When I was at Chelsea, I remember going round to Peter Sillett’s house one night because we were going to present some award and then have a couple of pints afterwards. I’m waiting while Pete and his wife are bathing the three kids and, suddenly, there’s a knock on the door. He opens it and it’s the gaffer, Ted Drake. In walks Ted and Pete’s gone, “For f***’s sake.” All the kids were being dried in Chelsea club towels. But it wasn’t just the players or managers back then, either.

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I remember at one club during the monthly board meeting, the groundsman would sneak up to the chairman’s motor, pop the boot and drop in a couple of bottles of scotch that had come from the club’s stash. Even the chairman was on the take. We had a band of followers at Tottenham and we all knew a lot of them were villains and petty criminals. They’d always be saying, “I’ve got a few washing machines, do you want one?” You’d ask what sort and they’d say, “Well, what sort do you want? I’ll get you one.”

I never did hear of any of the lads joining the police or becoming a judge once they’d hung up their boots. Although I did always used to chuckle at the fact that Alan Gilzean’s wife was a policewoman. It was the most unlikely combination and I’ve no idea how it ever worked. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, they always say. Perhaps that was what Gilly was thinking.

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It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, the Sky Sports news ticker has transformed into that eerily seductive yellow. Jim White interrupts proceedings, you’ve edged to the very cliff face of your seat in anticipation and then your dreams materialise right in front of you. After months of speculation, weeks of negotiations and hours of medicals, YOUR club has finally signed THAT player.

It’s a momentous day; this is the man who can transform the fortunes of your beloved team. He arrives with a big reputation, he might even bag a debut goal but somewhere down the line the wheels of your shiny new superstar begin to fall off. He’s fallen out with the manager or started using the physio’s room as his new living quarters. Whatever the reason, he hasn’t lived up to expectations and is now likely to wallow in the reserves until being ushered out the back door, the minute that transfer window opens.

It would be easy to include Fernando ‘cow’s arse with a banjo’ Torres or Andy ‘cow’s arse’ Carroll in this list of faltering superstars but at least they are enjoying first team football at present. These ten players find themselves making impressive bottom indentations on the dugout bench or have been hastily shipped out on loan when no one was looking.

Click on Delph below to unveil the top 10 wasted talents in English football

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Post your suggestions @theunusedsub and I’ll make sure I lament their ability in a future article. 

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Glenn Hoddle has put his hat in the ring for the vacant England manager’s position.

Hoddle was the head coach of the Three Lions between 1996 and 1999, before being sacked for making controversial comments about disabled people.

He has largely been out of work since then, but has admitted he would love another chance to lead the nation.

“If I were to die tomorrow, my life would be incomplete,” he told The Daily Mail.

“Would I get that opportunity (to manage England again)? Probably not. But I don’t dwell on the past and, if we fast-forward to the present, I think we have a batch of players capable of going to the Euros and doing well. I find it a very interesting moment.

“Because Stuart Pearce, Harry Redknapp, Roy Hodgson, myself – anyone – who went to the tournament with the status of a caretaker would have the pressure off him and the players would be liberated too, not least those who have been on the fringes and are accustomed to thinking that the manager doesn’t fancy them.

“Look at how a caretaker has worked for the England rugby team in the 6 Nations – they’ve done fantastically.

“Everyone’s got an edge. No-one’s sure of a place and everyone has an incentive. So I’d back the FA if they decided not to go for a full-time manager yet,” he explained.

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By Gareth McKnight

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It has been a tough time for Arsene Wenger this season with pundits, ex-players and the press doing everything to stick the knife into the Arsenal manager this season. The decision to take off Oxlade-Chamberlain earlier this year against United caused more headaches than the Frenchman could have imagined and scrutiny over his management like he has never received before.

One aspect that is often overlooked is the very fact that he lost arguably his two best players this summer in Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas; therefore it is slightly harsh (especially with Jack Wilshere being injured all season) to start questioning Arsenal’s performances this season. It wouldn’t have been the first transfer mistake that the Gunners’ boss has made during his time at N5 and it will undoubtedly be his last.

This top 10 highlights the players that Wenger should have retained (with the exception of Nasri and Cesc) over the years and were perhaps moved on before their sell-by date.

Click on the Gunners badge below to unveil the list

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A major problem for Dagenham and Redbridge is having to repeatedly sell our best players.

The club’s brilliant reputation for signing rough non-league diamonds and making them better is a huge part in our success, yet also the biggest downfall.

Over the years the likes of Craig Mackail-Smith, Sam Saunders, Paul Benson, Romain Vincelot and Danny Green have all left the Daggers for clubs in the higher echelons of the Football League.

Take last season for example, the clubs highest ever League finish of 21st in League One, one point away from safety. This wouldn’t have been achieved without a squad effort, but yet again it was a couple of the rough diamonds who shined when given the chance to play at a higher level.

Danny Green and Romain Vincelot were pivotal performers in giving us hope of survival against the pundit’s predictions. Scoring 23 goals between them in a side battling against relegation is likely to attract many potential suitors, and it did. From the start of next season they will both be plying their trade in the Championship, Green having been one of the mainstays in a Charlton side that has finished with 101 points in League One. Add to these two the sale of prolific striker Paul Benson (who incidentally this season has done wonders for League 2 winners Swindon) leaves me wondering if Dagenham weren’t a ‘small, selling club’ where it would actually be.

However, and this is the most crucial part-the special nature of the club would not be the same if we had 10,000 supporters through the gates every game like the Swindon’s and Bradford’s of this world. The family atmosphere that a Dagenham and Redbridge home game provides for home supporters and neutrals alike is something I have not come across elsewhere in the Football League. Of course having a relatively small fanbase means the club simply can’t compete on wages even with the so-called bigger clubs in League 2.

So, when players eventually do move on to bigger and better things no one is surprised and no one begrudges them the move. The reality is without a clause written into their contract allowing them to move on if the opportunity arises the fans may not have seen them bring the club established Football League status.

We are Dagenham, and we know that John Still and co. will be working their socks off to find the next group of Dagenham diamonds to develop give the club success on the pitch and then sell on for profit.

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You can follow me on twitter @scottycrowe92 

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