At this point in the season last year, Tottenham Hotspur had 6 more points and were sitting 5 places higher up in the Premier League table. They also had a positive goal difference, whereas of right now it’s negative.

In charge for that (so far) superior season was Tim Sherwood. A man never really given a particularly fair crack of the whip, and who wasn’t well liked among the Spurs fans.

Those same supporters were considerably happier to have Mauricio Pochettino on board after he excelled in his previous position. Pochettino proved excellent at Southampton in the 18 months that he was there.

In his only full season with the club he managed to get them to the lofty heights of 8th place. A superb season that is now only marred by the increased success since his departure – The Saints currently sit in 2nd place and they don’t show signs of stopping.

Meanwhile Pochettino’s Tottenham are struggling to find form and find themselves in the bottom half of the table. Given the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs, it’s not hard not to question the job that Pochettino is doing.

Is the issue at Spurs deeper than the management staff? The current squad has plenty of talent, and they’ve added to that consistently in recent windows. There’s been plenty of money available to recent managers at White Hart Lane, but they’re not succeeding.

The resources and current talent are there for the Argentine but he hasn’t of yet produced the results. He is now approaching the amount of games that Sherwood was in charge for, and he has so far only managed to get marginally better results.

So how much longer will the powers that be at Tottenham give him to improve the situation? After all, he’s not been as effective as Andre Villas-Boas was, and he didn’t last long either.

The effect of performing below expectations in the league isn’t a as big deal for Spurs as it may be at some other clubs. Tottenham are under little financial pressure, so as long as they’re not in a relegation battle (which is certainly not going to happen) they can afford to give Pochettino more time.

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A few quid will be lost with a lower finish, and a little pride, but they might welcome the lack of European competition in the following season.

Perhaps it’s time to stick with a manager for the long-term, regardless of whether their initial performances are optimal. Daniel Levy in particular has most certainly been gun-ho with his managers in the past with Spurs’ managers rarely getting more than a couple of years in charge under his damning eye.

Pochettino doesn’t seem like the ideal appointment currently, but it’s crucial that he’s given enough time to build the foundations. There’s no question that he should be doing better with the talent available but a few lesser seasons may lead to a brighter future, it’s up to Tottenham to decide if Pochettino is the man to guide them through those times.

Carlos Tevez has been in excellent form for Juventus this season. The Turin club are currently top of the table courtesy of Tevez’s 10 goals so far, the best scoring figures in Serie A at the moment.

He has also notched up five assists, suggesting that Tevez has not lost the form which turned him into one of the most threatening strikers in the Premier League.

Despite his current spell at Juventus going incredibly well, he recently announced that he would not be extending his current contract, a deal which expires in 2016.

“I said I wanted to fulfil my contract and that’s my idea, I’m not thinking of signing an extension because that’s not how I feel at the moment,” Tevez admitted.

“As I always said, my idea is to complete my contract. Everyone knows I said so from the moment I arrived at Juve.”

Tevez’s recent comments suggest that he feels his time at Juventus is nearing an end and his reluctance to sign a new deal could mean that he will leave the Italian club in the summer. One of his most likely destinations would be a return to his homeland, playing for Boca Juniors. However, he has also been linked with a shock return to West Ham United, a place where he is idolised after his excellent form for the club guided them to Premier League safety in the 2006/07 season.

Although it would be a tough ask for David Gold and David Sullivan to bring in a player of Carlos Tevez’s magnitude, stranger things have happened. If the striker does decide that he wants to leave in the summer, a return to the Premier League could be an exciting prospect for him, but a lot depends on how much West Ham can achieve this season.

If the East London club find themselves playing European football next season, the likelihood of attracting a name like Tevez to the club automatically becomes more likely.

The other advantage for Tevez is his love for West Ham. The Argentinian has always expressed his appreciation for the club that first introduced him to European football. Upon a recent return to Upton Park in an international friendly for Argentina, Tevez told whufc.com what the club means to him: “I’m very, very thankful for everything, I’m No.1 West Ham fan for ever, because of the way they welcomed me, the love they showed me and everything, it was my first time in Europe and they made me who I am today.

“I will always be very thankful to West Ham fans and I’ll be West Ham’s No.1 fan.”

The Argentinian forward is only 30-years-old so he will still be able to produce consistently at the top level for a few years yet. The problem for West Ham is trying to lure him back to east London instead of returning to Buenos Aires. The owners will be looking to make a marquee signing ahead of the final season at Upton Park before the switch to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.

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Therefore, Tevez may be attracted by the idea of becoming the face of West Ham’s bid to reach the next level in club football, returning to a club he knows well and is very fond of.

Although a deal at this moment in time looks unlikely, Carlos Tevez is no stranger to a surprise transfer. Juventus will be desperate to keep hold of him but his reluctance to sign a new deal suggests he has already made up his mind. If West Ham can cough up the wages for their former striker, a transfer fee will not be astronomical due to the striker entering the last few months of his contract.

If an attractive offer is made for Carlos Tevez, it could lead to a sensational return to the Boleyn Ground, causing Tevez to reunite with the Hammers faithful who have never forgotten what he did for the club back in 2007.

The more I watch West Ham’s Andy Carroll assert his height, brawn and firepower on Premier League defences, the more I’m left giddily confused. No, not sexually – although he is blessed with chimpish good looks. Not as a football fan either, although there is something bizarrely enjoyable about watching the Hammers kick their opponents more frequently than the ball, like a buffet of anti-Barcelona propaganda.

Rather, when the England striker leaps majestically in their air above the opposition backline, elongating his lanky limbs like an imperious gazelle, elbowing one defender in the face and a second in the luxuries, before controlling the ball with his chest, pulling off a few step-overs and slamming the ball into the top of the onion bag, as he did, albeit in a slightly less romanticised fashion, against Swansea City two weekends ago, what am I actually watching?

Am I watching, simply, an old-fashioned, dying breed of No.9 enjoying a superfluous run of form, arguably his most convincing yet in Claret and Blue? Or, is Andy Carroll something greater, something uniquely unappreciated, something more beautiful in its complexity, than your run-of-the-mill, 6 foot 4 target man?

Carroll has always been unplayable when in top form; his lurching frame too aerially dominant to effectively overcome, his ruthlessly combative Geordie spirit too physically draining for opposition defences, his flamboyant hairstyle so distracting and drawing that space develops in the box, with almost miraculous uncanniness, for veteran goal-hanger Kevin Nolan to readily exploit. Lest we forget, such performances for Newcastle convinced Liverpool to invest £35million in the pony-tailed front-man back when he was just 22 years of age.

But the same can be said for most players in the Premier League, ranging from Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero to Stoke City’s John Walters. On his day, Emile Heskey was unplayable, as was equally maligned England team-mate Darius Vassell; the infrequency of such occasions was always the predominant issue.

There’s been far more consistency about Carroll this season however, perhaps due to it being the first campaign in which Sam Allardyce hasn’t forcibly rushed the England international back to fitness following yet another long-term injury. The honeymoon form of Enner Valencia and Daifra Sakho subsequent to their summer arrivials, bagging nine goals and three assists combined before Carroll’s return in November, allowed him the time to rehabilitate and he’s now reaping the rewards.

The influence of added competition is clearly a positive one too. Not only is Carroll’s place in West Ham’s starting XI contested by Valencia, Sakho and Carlton Cole, but his destiny within the England set-up is now intertwined with Charlie Austin, Saido Berahino and Harry Kane’s – three home-grown products amongst the Premier League’s top eight goalscorers this term.

Carroll’s liberty from injury combined with the plethora of competition he now faces suggests a player in improved form. The subtle changes in philosophy at West Ham, effectively ending the days of him being a sole figure in the opposition half for the majority of any given 90 minutes, is also beneficial. The front-man’s receiving a higher quality of service than in prior campaigns and he’s no longer contesting entire defences single-handedly. It’s all got a bit easier, a bit less of a one-man-band ordeal, for Carroll to impress this season.

That being said, the technical side of the England international’s game is almost incomparable to last season. The afore-described goal against Swansea, in addition to a divinely guided lob against Leicester in December, wouldn’t be out of place on the wall of the Tate Gallery for their aesthetic quality and required skill, whilst Carroll’s link-up play, those deft touches into the paths of on-running midfielders, those cute flick-ons with chest, foot and head, have been equally sublime.

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Combine that with easily the best aerial duels record in Europe, an incredible 9.3 headers won per match – the next best is Hannover’s Joselu with eight – and it suddenly becomes very difficult to spot a weakness in the Hammers front-man’s game. Are we finally seeing the striker Kenny Dalglish and Sam Allardyce saw fit to pay a combined £50million for? Is Carroll verging upon world-beater territory?

Well, the answer will surely lay in his form between now and May-time, and perhaps more importantly, whether or not Carroll can stay fit for so long. If the West Ham striker has always been a worldly prospect disguised in the body of a cumbersome, 6 foot 4, gypsy fashionista, its his injury record that’s prevented the exposure of such potential.

Nevertheless, at 26 years of age, perhaps it’s finally all clicking to place for a front-man verging upon his footballing peak. I’m not suggesting the spirit of Diego Maradona possessing the body of the Geordie giant, but if you’ve always been anti-Carroll snob, then watch this space between now and the end of the season. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

The last-gasp comeback against West Ham at the weekend was a typical showing of how Tottenham manage to fight until the very last seconds to pick up points in the Premier League. A mishit Danny Rose shot fooled Adrian before Harry Kane went down in the penalty area as a result of an Alex Song tackle in the 95th minute.

The subsequent penalty was saved by Adrian before Kane pounced on the loose ball to strike home. Around 20 minutes prior to the two goals, it looked as if Tottenham were dead and buried, as they were playing poorly and showed little killer-instinct in attack.

So just how do Tottenham keep rescuing points at the death of games such as the one against West Ham? It can be argued that some of it is down to luck. Danny Rose’s goal was one that won’t be remembered for years to come as it freakishly looped into the bottom-right hand corner of the goal. However, you need a bit of luck to complete a turnaround and Tottenham seized the opportunity to make West Ham suffer.

After Rose’s goal, the pressure was relentless. Spurs were not necessarily creating chance after chance but they played most of the latter stages of the second half attacking West Ham’s goal. It was this constant pressure that eventually forced the Hammers to crack, as Song rushed a challenge to bring down Harry Kane as the in-form striker looked to bulldoze his way into the box when time was quickly running out.

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So a distinctive formula to Spurs’ late showings is luck. However, if you’re good enough, you can make your own luck. This applies to no team more in the Premier League than Tottenham. Pochettino has moulded a team that not only plays good football but is also incredibly fit. This allows Spurs to keep pushing until the 90th minute whilst other teams may be suffering with tiredness at late stages in the game. Pochettino set the tone in Tottenham’s first game of the season, a game also against West Ham.

Eric Dier was the hero for Spurs that day as he scored the winner at Upton Park in the 90th minute. This last-gasp winner seemed to set the tone for the rest of the season as West Ham were not the only team on the end of a number of late showings from Spurs.

Eriksen’s late strikes against the likes of Hull City, Swansea City and Sunderland ensured that Spurs grabbed very late wins. Harry Kane is also no stranger to a late goal as he scored at the death against Aston Villa, Arsenal and of course West Ham, which gained vital points for Spurs. It is this psychological strength that almost echoes the days of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Tottenham do not relax when the game is coming to an end, it is this time that they really hit top gear.

Although Pochettino may like his team to perform at their highest level for slightly longer than the last five minutes, it is still a very valuable team trait to have. If Spurs do qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season, they will look towards the 90th minute winners that were instrumental to picking up more points across the entirety of the season.

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Some may call it luck but Tottenham’s late efforts are more a force of habit which could lead to them playing Champions League football next year.

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Everybody in the BT Sports studio let out a dry chuckle when Harry Redknapp joked about Liverpool and Tottenham scrapping it out to avoid the Europa League following the former’s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal earlier this month, but that may well be the deepest, darkest, most paradoxical wish of his twice-removed successor, Mauricio Pochettino.

Not to suggest Spurs’ tepid form since a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United in March has been in any way unnaturally orchestrated; there’s no Europa-League-gate conspiracy requiring unearthing.

But as Redknapp proclaimed in 2011, the Europa League is a ‘killer’ for Premier League clubs; it saps squad fitness, causes unnecessary injuries, obliges league fixtures to be rescheduled on Sundays and adds an extra 19 games to the campaign if you’re unfortunate enough to reach the tournament’s final.

Spurs are hardly in a position to be turning down silverware, especially trophies of such continental repute, and winning the tournament next season would give Pochettino an unorthodox route to his ultimate task as White Hart Lane manager – qualification into the Champions League.

However, the track record of the Europa League’s pejorative impact on English clubs speaks for itself. On average, teams finish 2.3 places lower in the Premier League the year after qualifying for Europe’s second tier tournament, the biggest slide being Newcastle’s eleven-place plummet in 2012/13. On only eight occasions since 2004, out of a possible 31, have English sides finished in a higher position than the year previous during campaigns of Europa League participation. And, albeit by the miniscule difference of just 0.02, Premier League sides claim less points than the 1.43 average in games immediately following Europa League fixtures.

So no matter how well-dressed ITV4 attempt to make it, as if the channel’s sheer name and lowly listing in the Radio Times isn’t conclusive enough, the Europa League is statistically proven to more likely hinder than help Premier League clubs – which makes you wonder how Pochettino’s first season at White Hart Lane would have gone if it hadn’t coincided with his first season in the Europa League.

Not that the Europa League has been a complete waste of time for the Argentine. He’s used it to examine the extremities of Tottenham’s holistic squad, giving fringe players and youngsters the opportunities to impress, and without his superfluous run of form during the tournament’s early stages, scoring five in his first four appearances, it’s unlikely Harry Kane would’ve found the confidence to unleash his godly netting prowess onto the Premier League in such emphatic fashion.

But following a campaign in which Tottenham have neither progressed nor regressed under their new manager, instead slowly transforming into a different kind of 6th-place animal, it’s a headache Pochettino simply doesn’t need.

So let’s look at the situation in reverse – how many clubs have benefitted from not playing in the Europa League. Although there’s no coherent pattern as such from the last decade, since 2008 (and assuming current league standings remain as they are at the end of May) seven out of a possible nine clubs to have finished in the top eight but not qualified for the Europa League have gone on to improve their league standing in the following season – the biggest difference being Liverpool’s jump from seventh to second between 2012 and 2014. The Anfield outfit are the only real anomaly – they didn’t qualify in 2010/11, but dropped two places to eighth the term after. Meanwhile, Everton maintained seventh place without qualifying two years in a row.

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To suggest not qualifying will have the same effect on Tottenham next season would be pure speculation – albeit, speculation based on some pretty solid quantitative evidence. But for a club that have regularly toyed with the top four during the last six years – and this season spent 15 weeks in the top six – non-involvement in the Europa League might finally provide the respite they need to fully focus on a successful Champions League bid. Admittedly, that would still likely require one of England’s regular representatives in Europe’s most coveted tournament to endure a disastrous campaign.

Unfortunately, however, barring a minor miracle, Spurs’ fate for next season is already sealed. With Chelsea winning the Capital One Cup and Arsenal widely expected to thump Aston Villa at Wembley in the FA Cup, it would take a plummet to eighth place to avoid next term’s Europa League. Currently, eighth-place Swansea are eight points behind.

But a man can dream and if its not already, only one thought should be crossing Pochettino’s mind at night; how to throw away Tottenham’s last four games without being done for match-fixing.

Manchester United supporters were full of excitement when the club announced they’d signed Real Madrid attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria for a club record of £59.7 million.

But after just one season some believe that his time at the club may already be coming to an abrupt end.

Manager Louis van Gaal has been working on a formation that will get the best out of his newly assembled squad, but unfortunately for Di Maria the team have been playing well without him. A suspension he received back in March meant the Dutchman had to rely on a different system, which coincided with United going on an unbeaten run.

The Argentine started the season in good form, but as time has gone on his relevance at the club has become debatable. He has made 30 appearances so far this term, and if some of the media reports are right then he only has another four possible games left as a Red Devil.

There are a number of clubs that have reportedly shown an interest, but Paris Saint Germain seem to be the favourites for his signature. After winning the Champions League with Real last season it is unlikely that he would join a club without European qualification and PSG are about to crown their campaign with the Ligue 1 trophy, therefore qualifying for the tournament.

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The French champions are used to winning their domestic title but are still struggling somewhat to make a proper impact in the Champions League, going only as far as the quarter-finals this season. A small summer clear out is expected to include forward players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, meaning that manager Laurent Blanc will need to restock those attacking roles.

According to the Mirror, they will offer around £45million to take the winger off of United’s hands, which will be a loss for the English club but will mean the Red Devils won’t have to pay Di Maria’s huge wages if they no longer have a need for him.

But the fact is that they do need him.

Just because United are having success with the upfront pairings of Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for Di Maria. If Di Maria was playing at his best then he would surely push one of those three out but for the last few months things just haven’t been clicking at Old Trafford for the Argentine.

But with it being his first season at a new club in a league in which he has never played in before then failing to impress is not uncommon and when the campaign started he was every inch the player United had hoped he would be.

Where Radamel Falcao has been terrible across the entirety of the season, Di Maria has just failed to recreate his early performances in the latter stages of the campaign.

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United need to give him another chance, especially with Champions League football on the horizon. When that campaign gets going they are going to want a player with Di Maria’s experience and talents among their ranks, rather than having to play against him if he does indeed sign for PSG.

United need to nurture him and in time he will get back to winning ways.

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Stoke City are desperate to keep their in-form goalkeeper, Asmir Begovic from the “big guns” in the Premier League.

The Bosnian international has admitted he may jump aboard the League’s goalkeeper carousel over the summer transfer window and he has already been linked with Chelsea and Arsenal. Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United have become the latest club to show an interest in the 27-year-old who has one year left of his current contract with the Potters. Begovic intends to sit down with boss Mark Hughes, to discuss his options because he is really keen to play at the highest level and test himself. It is believed he could be bought by a suitor for as little as £10million.

Manchester United look set to lose their current number one, David de Gea to Real Madrid and there has been many rumours as to who the gaffer will bring in to replace him. Chelsea veteran, Petr Cech is also heading out of the door and Arsenal are on the lookout for a new keeper so Stoke are going to find it hard to keep him at the club. Begovic has already stressed that he is very happy at the Britannia Stadium and has no intention of leaving unless the decision is mutual. Speaking before the last game of the season he told reporters, “It’s about trying to be ambitious as possible, and to win and compete for as much as possible because I’m going to be 28, I’m not 20. I want to be part of a successful team and achieve things – that’s my goal going forward.”

He added, “Any player as ambitious as myself wants to play at the highest level. I’ve played in the Europa League, the World Cup and World Cup qualifiers and they are the sort of games you want to be involved in. I know the club are ambitious and trying to move forward, trying to get into European competition. So if the plans are right then hopefully we can get something in place there. That would be awesome too. But, like anyone, I’d love to play at the highest level.”

Begovic has established himself as one of the best keepers in the Premier League which has attracted interest and this season he has managed to keep nine clean sheets in all competitions. The Bosnian is currently 5/4 to be Manchester United’s next keeper according to odds checker but many believe while he could be the next goalkeeper at Old Trafford he may not be the new number one. While he has played excellently for the Potters it is a big step up to United. Begovic may have to start as the understudy to Victor Valdes as he doesn’t have any experience of playing for such a big club.

Begovic may love being at Stoke but if he is offered a deal with a Champions League club like Manchester United, he is going to have a hard time turning it down. Time to batten down the hatches, Stoke.

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With less than a week to go until the resumption of the Premier League, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has spoken of his delight at the way in which his side and his backroom staff have prepared their excuses for the season ahead.

Having come close to winning the title in 2013/14, Liverpool started poorly last term and Rodgers has since spoken of being unprepared with his excuses for the slow manner in which his side got out of the blocks. Speaking to assembled journalists today, the former Swansea manager said he won’t allow it to happen again.

“We knew after last season that we had to prepare our excuses for poor performances better,” said the Northern Irishman. “Our main excuse was a half-baked one about Mario not being settled, and people have cottoned on to the Suarez excuse so that’s gone. I should have known better, thankfully I do now. We’ve worked on our excuses thoroughly this summer and we’re really pleased with the professionalism that has gone into them.”

Rodgers confirmed that he and his coaching staff got to work on this season’s excuses as soon as last season ended. “We got to work straight away. The Stoke defeat was ideal and presents us with a really great opportunity to refer to the hangover from it should we lose to them on the opening day. Aside from that we’ve got some real gems with – of course – Raheem and especially Steven’s departure being first and foremost.”

The under pressure coach stated that of course any side would struggle during their first season without a long-standing captain and that he intends to let everyone know that, should the moment present itself.

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The manager added. “We couldn’t be happier with our preparation for the season. We’ve got seven new players in who themselves are walking, talking excuses for us right there. It’s a very exciting time to be at Liverpool.”

Arsenal defender Calum Chambers posted on his official Twitter account after the 2-2 draw against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, and Gunners fans were quick to respond to his social media message.

Having failed to make a single Premier League appearance until the 3-2 win against Crystal Palace on December 28, the 22-year-old made his third consecutive top flight start against the Blues as Hector Bellerin’s last-gasp equaliser secured a point for Arsene Wenger’s side.

However, it wasn’t an easy night for the former Southampton man, who was thankful for Alvaro Morata’s poor finishing after he failed to stop the Spaniard getting a clear opportunity on goal.

Arsenal supporters were quick to react to Chambers’ tweet, and while one said “you are just a burden to Arsenal”, another said “take off that jersey and don’t ever wear it again”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

It’s hard to think of tougher circumstances to make your Premier League debut than those which faced Stoke City signing Mortiz Bauer last night; turning out for a managerless side stuck in the relegation zone at Old Trafford against a Manchester United team refreshed by a ten-day break since their last game.

A routine and unsurprising 3-0 defeat (Stoke have conceded on average three goals per away game this season) suggested it was a difficult evening for the right-back. But amid a ninety minutes that Manchester United mostly controlled without having to hit top gear, the two-cap Austrian international showed real signs of promise.

We haven’t seen much of the former Rubin Kazan defender over in England, but it quickly became clear that he adds something valuable to this Stoke team – blistering pace in wide areas. That was put to good use in the first half when the Potters looked capable of upsetting the odds, overlapping Xherdan Shaqiri to great effect and at one point even finding himself latching onto a through ball and charging towards David De Gea’s goal.

But there was quality and intelligence behind Bauer’s forward play too. He twice provided the pass before the pass as Stoke launched efforts at goal, he created one direct scoring chance himself and launched two accurate crosses into the box – the most of any Potters player. Bauer also used his guile and body positioning to win five fouls, many of which were vital in stopping United’s momentum going forward and turning over possession to the Potters.

Defensively, Bauer – who Transfermarkt value at £.27million – was a little more suspect. Although left winger Anthony Martial eventually had to come inside twice to make his impact on the game – first curling an effort into the top corner and then setting up Romelu Lukaku for United’s third – Bauer finished up with just one tackle, two clearances and no interceptions to his name. Stoke desperately need to stop conceding goals, having let in the most of any Premier League side this season but Bauer appears to be a far more offensive-minded full-back.

Nevertheless, with Glen Johnson sidelined through injury, the ex-Grasshopper youngster has a huge role to play for Potters over the coming weeks as the only senior right-back option in Paul Lambert’s squad. Likewise, he already appears to have developed something of an understanding with Xherdan Shaqiri – simply because his pace on the overlap allows the Switzerland international to drift inside – and if he can get the best out of Stoke’s most important but often mercurial talent while improving his side’s shape defensively, he could prove to be a key influence in turning a dismal season at the Bet365 Stadium around.

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