Both Andre Villas-Boas and Brendan Rodgers were badly let down by their owners in the summer with concerns to Tottenham’s and Liverpool’s movement and dealings in the transfer market and a repeat performance in January, with both still harbouring very real hopes of a top four finish at the moment, must not be allowed to happen again.

With each manager enjoying their first season in their respective jobs, it’s interesting that both felt they didn’t quite have the stock to stand up to Daniel Levy and John W. Henry, as you’d have thought that  head coach never wields so much power and currency as when they’ve first been brought to the club.

The job on both of their hands is a similar one – negotiate the club through a period of relative instability and restore them on a consistent basis to the higher echelons of the top flight, with securing the Holy Grail that is safe passage into the Champions League group stages, with all the benefits it brings such as wealth, power and status the main aim.

Nevertheless, that didn’t stop Levy taking control of negotiations during the summer and while many, rather strangely considering what a safe and solid financial footing he has put the club in under his stewardship, have taken to criticising him for their lack of movement in securing preferred targets.

With the side sat in fifth in the league table at present, behind Everton in fourth on goal difference, considering the sheer pace of change at White Hart Lane over the past few months, ranging from a new manager, coaching staff, training ground, style of play and departure of several key players, coupled with the media’s near obsessive agenda to try and paint the Portuguese man at the helm as some sort of clown, they are well on course for a good season at the moment.

The main critique often levelled at Levy is that he is a businessman first and foremost and that he doesn’t listen to the needs of the fans. It happened when he club let Dimitar Berbatov leave on the final day of the transfer window to go to Manchester United in 2008 and the dithering over the Joao Moutinho deal, even after an extension had been granted, left them just hours to complete a complex move. As a result, Villas-Boas has been robbed of the natural heir to the Croatian in midfield and they remain heavily reliant on Moussa Dembele.

They lack control in the middle of the park and unfathomably seemed to prioritise tying up a deal for France international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris instead, despite the club already possessing the very serviceable Brad Friedel, which has only served to create more problems further down the line than it has solutions.

Moreover, you sense that the signing of Gylfi Sigurdsson was very much a pre-meditated move by Levy and that Villas-Boas was simply forced to give a tacit agreement to the deal upon signing on the dotted line as manager. While it’s difficult to doubt Levy’s ability to get great deal for the club, with the ‘financial partnership’ agreements involved with the Modric to Real Madrid switch sure to benefit the club financially for years to come, on top of the £33m fee, the 35-year-old boss needs to be given more of a say and more control over player recruitment and Levy needs to sanction early deals in several ears of the side that need addressing; namely a replacement for Modric, a new centre-back, cover at full-back and perhaps even another centre-forward, with string case to be made for either Klaas-Jan Huntelaar or Fernando Llorente in January.

Switching back to Anfield, though, and the constraints placed on Rodgers are equally as frustrating but for entirely different reasons. The focus from Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and chairman Tom Werner and owner John W. Henry in particular has been to drastically reshape the club from within, with an emphasis on reducing the hefty wage bill of paramount importance.

This has seen useful fringe players such as Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez and Craig Bellamy all leave, while Andy Carroll and Jay Spearing were farmed out on loan and Charlie Adam moved on to Stoke on deadline day. It’s fair to say that the 39-year-old has held up his end of the bargain and the situation whereby he has had to rely on a number of youngsters to pad out a threadbare squad has been foisted upon him, all while trying to engineer some sort of Europa League campaign at the same time.

The balancing act always meant that things were likely to slip through the net, though, and with Rodgers speaking about ‘operational issues’ after the travesty that was the summer transfer window for the club, he was left with just one senior forward to rely upon for six months, with managing director Ian Ayre once again proving that he’s simply not cut out for this sort of level.

Quite why Andy Carroll was allowed to leave on loan without a replacement already in the door is anyone’s guess, and FSG’s refusal to go above £3.5m for Clint Dempsey was ill-advised at best, seemingly trying to make up for the ruinous excesses of the previous 18 months with one flail swing to get themselves back into the game. Rodgers torpedoed any move for Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge due to a reluctance to part ways with £15m for a player of questionable temperament, with the player refusing a loan deal. That despite all of this, the club sit just four points outside of the top four is somewhat impressive, even if they sit as low as 10th in the table.

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Neither club can claim with any sort of certainty that they have a top four place all but sown up at this stage in the season, and negotiating a fair price for any player can often prove tricky in January, but the extent to which both managers were hindered in the summer by their owners, therefore creating the conditions by which their jobs were made much more difficult for a number of months means they are owed a debt of gratitude.

Nobody is asking for silly money to bandied about willy nilly, but sensible, long-term purchases to improve both squads in key areas where they lack depth is a necessity, and it’s time for both Levy and Henry to back the men at the helm that they have emplaced so much trust in to shepherd them through this period of transition with the sort of support that is not only required, but should be mandatory.

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Each season it appears as though at least one club supposedly falls victim in the face of the demands of the Europa League.  Is the competition an unwelcome distraction? Or just one in a whole line of excuses teams use to justify poor league displays?

There is certaintly a haziness over the value of the cup with sides not knowing how to approach it. Platini himself even appears confused as to whether it works after suggesting a 64 team Champions League to try and add some impetus to European football as a whole.

The blurred lines between the two European competitions already has been created at the knockout phases of the Europa League when 3rd place teams from the Champions League groups enter the trophy. Whilst finishing 3rd in the initial phases of the most elite option is frustrating, rewarding failure surely is a farcical idea, and should be scrapped immediately to restore dignity to the Europa League.

Thursday night football certaintly does not help the cause, it isolates the competition. If the trophy is not to become stale, then surely playing all European football all on the same evening would make sense.  It would help psychologically help the players, and give them an increased rest period. They could then treat it with respect and the fans would still watch their team play, even if given a variety of options. Just because Barcelona may be playing AC Milan does not mean Tottenham fans suddenly have a dilemma whether to watch their team if they are on the same evening.

If we are to put the issues with the competition to one side, does the competition actually prove detrimental for the teams that enter it? There is no escaping the fact that is has an effect, with squads being tested to breaking point.

Newcastle this time round have had their squad tested to its very limit and have been littered with injuries as a result. Alan Pardew was quick to thank his supporters for their patience following Monday night’s 3-0 victory over Wigan, with the side suffering four league defeats in a row prior to this. It is not a mere coincidence that they happen to be in bad form as well as being in the Europa League, it has weighed down Newcastle. Pardew was quick to say as much in his post-match interview with Sky Sports saying about the Europa League “It’s really difficult puts us at a major disadvantage.  Thursday to Sunday just doesn’t work. It’s a great competition hopefully we can give our fans some away trips in the New Year and something to shout about.”

He has a point too; it hardly seems fair when you consider that Newcastle had to travel to Belgium and back before facing West Ham a few weeks ago at St James’ Park. West Ham were far fresher and had longer to prepare for their visit to Tyneside. If the Magpies were to be able to handle both competitions then surely having an extra 24 hours rest is crucial. Earlier in the season they had to play Chelsea on the Saturday after a trip to Martimo with there being just a 48 hour recovery period for the players, and they were duly dispatched 2-0 at Stamford Bridge as a result.

Liverpool haven’t exactly sparkled either, struggling to strike a balance between the league and Europe, as they languish in 11th position. The striking problems at Anfield have made such outings even more painful for Rodgers’s side. They have had to call upon Luis Suarez in some of these ties to secure a positive result, when he needs to be rested as they can ill afford an injury or burn out to the on form Uruguayan. Birmingham City too were unable to take it within their stride in the Championship, and it ultimately cost them promotion. They had to fit extra games into what is an already gruelling 46 game campaign, before any potential playoffs. The team had completely run out of gas by the time they faced Blackpool in the semi-final of last season’s playoffs as the Tangerines brushed them aside.

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Tottenham’s attitude to the competition had been to view it as a breeding ground to their young players such as Jake Livermore before they can be integrated into the first team. This has meant that Spurs were still able to register successful league campaigns, finishing 4th twice under Harry Redknapp. This tactic does not come without shortfalls though. For those fans that paid to see Tottenham field an understrength side in both the Ukraine and White Hart Lane in the last 32 in 2009, against Shaktar, were left dismayed. The supporters expressed their anger at their manager’s disregard for the competition. It certaintly wouldn’t be stupid to claim that Redknapp’s attitude to the Europa League played its part in a large section of Spurs fans not being all that devastated when the club parted ways with Harry ‘Houdini’ last season. So it shows that even if you keep all your players fresh rather than using them in the competition you come a cropper, the hangover the trophy provides for fixtures preceding it is unavoidable.

Similarly, a lot of Tottenham fans are worried that now AVB is taking the Europa League seriously it could cause their league form to suffer, which they desperately don’t want with the side surprisingly sitting in the top 4. The fans are aware that this season is as good a chance as ever to qualify for next seasons Champions League. If they are to avoid the curse of the Europa League they will need to heavily reinforce their squad. Essentially the Europa League is only worth the hassle if the team and its supporters accept the competition as the sole focus of their season, and this I feel is too much of a bitter pill to swallow.

Manchester United are preparing a summer swoop for Pachuca midfielder Hector Herrera, according to reports in South America.

The 22-year-old was a key member of Mexico’s Olympic Gold Medal winning team over the summer, attracting the attention of a number of Premier League and European clubs.

Red Devils chief Sir Alex Ferguson was thought to be preparing a bid after the competition, but instead chose to pursue other options.

This left Herrera free to join Portuguese outfit Porto on a year-long loan deal.

However, reports are now circulating that the Scot may return with a bid at the end of the season.

It is expected that Herrera will leave Pachuca permanently sooner rather than later, and club president Jesus Martinez confirmed that there are many parties interested in the player’s signature:

“There is nothing concrete on the table but there are some attractive offers,” he is quoted by Esto.

“It’s not just Porto either, there is also an English and a French club who are interested.”

“We only want him to leave in June if it is a good deal.” (Daily Mail)

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Herrera is renowned for being an all-round midfielder, with his ability to break up opposition attacks equal to his eye for the killer through ball.

It is thought that a bid in the region of £9m will be enough to secure his signature

The life of a goalkeeper can often be a lonely one. After all, If you make a mistake as an outfield player, although you will be criticised, you can hide among your fellow teammates to an extent. However when you’re between the sticks and you make a costly error, there is very little escape, in particular if it results in the side dropping points.

David de Gea was close to completing one of his best performances in a Manchester United shirt, until his timid punch in the dying minutes of their game at Tottenham which cost his side three points and blew the title race open again. This isn’t the first mistake the young Spaniard has made in what has been a relatively inconsistent start to life at Old Trafford since his arrival in 2011.

Many have called for the man who cost in the region of £17million to be replaced already, despite the belief that he was one of the best young keepers in Europe when he was signed. I however disagree that he should be axed so soon regardless of his latest error.

At 22-years-old, he is still extremely young for a goalkeeper considering the majority play into their late 30’s. He still has a lot of maturing to do and has shown enough quality to suggest that he deserves a longer crack at the whip. Even yesterday, his performance was actually very good up until the error at the end, and people are quick to dismiss the fact he made several impressive saves to keep United ahead in the first place.

It is a slightly fickle view by many that a new goalkeeper can be signed, and United’s problems in that position will be solved. Is there really anybody that can come in and guarantee they will be any better? Unless a Casillas or a Neuer are on the agenda, this would be a pointless move in this moment in time.

The kind of names being linked with a switch to the club are Pepe Reina and Asmir Begovic. Reina has struggled a bit himself at Liverpool of late and looks to be on a downward spiral in his career and while Begovic has done very well for Stoke, making the transition to play for one of Europe’s elite is a different kettle of fish.

It takes a certain mentality to play for a club like Manchester United, one that not everyone has. We saw how many keepers Sir Alex Ferguson went through before finding a suitable replacement for Peter Schmeichel, in the shape of Edwin Van Der Sar. Ben Foster and Tim Howard are examples of those who struggled with the pressure of being United’s number one, but have gone on to be very solid and consistent performers currently for West Brom and Everton respectively.

Don’t get me wrong, De Gea himself may not possess the mentality needed, only time will tell. However I feel it is beginning to be embedded in him and he is starting to look more confident. His main flaws remain his ability to command the area and his aerial strength when coming for crosses, but as a general shot stopper he is excellent.

Although the whole ‘time to adapt’ excuse can seem rather cliched, it can’t be forgotten that he came from Spain and it does take time to get used to a new league. He was brought up on a game that has more focus on passing through teams, isn’t as direct and he would have no doubt had less crosses to deal with.

So far this season he has definitely improved in his general play in comparison to his first season. The ever changing back line in front of him, also without the presence of influential captain Nemanja Vidic until recently, wouldn’t have helped him either. I think he has been rotated too often with Anders Lindegaard as well as Ferguson has struggled to make a decision on the two, both often being axed after making costly errors. Consistency is key and I think the United chief must stick with De Gea in the next game and in my opinion give him the vote of confidence he deserves.

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While I understand how important a consistent goalkeeper is and he can’t be allowed season after season without showing any improvement, I feel his second season is too early to decide that he isn’t good enough.

While his errors could cost the side this season, I believe that by sticking with him, United will reap the rewards in the future.

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Tottenham have turned down an offer from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for defender Younes Kaboul.

Anzhi restart their season next month and have been struggling to find a replacement for Chris Samba who left for QPR in January. They were hoping that they could strike a loan deal with Spurs for Kaboul but the offer was refused first in January and then when the transfer window in Russia closed on Wednesday night.

The North London club want to keep Kaboul and Villas-Boas personally indicated that he very much features in his future plans, according to The Guardian

Kaboul has been out since the first game of the season with a knee injury that required surgery but he has just returned to training. The defender was impressive last season for Spurs and there is a good chance he might return to fitness in time to play in the remainder of their chase for a Champions League place.

The Frenchman, who earns around £35,000 a week, has a contract with Spurs until 2014 and he will most likely be offered an extension to stay at the club if he can manage to stay fit until the end of the season.

Anzhi resume their domestic season next month after the winter break and are currently in second place behind CSKA Moscow. They are in pursuit of top place and have signed Brazilian winger Willian and  left-back Andrey Yeschenko to aid them in their chase.

Meanwhile Gylfi Sigurdsson has warned his Spurs team mates that even if they beat rivals Arsenal this weekend then they will still have to perform to qualify for the Champions League.

“It is going to be a massive game for us,” said the Iceland international.

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“However, anything is possible in football. The league was won in the last minute on the last day [last time], so even if we beat them it is not finished. We want to get in to the Champions League, that is our aim. If we achieve that, we want to finish as high as we can.”

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Sometimes here at the Football Transfer Tavern we think it can be a bit of a challenge to compile top ten lists – for example if we had to make a list of Fernando Torres misses, we would not know where to start there is simply so many of them.

Struggle and debate as we may there has not been a more difficult one than this – ugliest Liverpool players of all time. Quite frankly a top ten is not enough we think a top one hundred may just about cover it as all we need to do is go through their current starting eleven which has some absolute draw droppers in it. In fact some in the tavern even quip it may be a Howard Webb conspiracy that the side have such a disproportionate amount of ugly players in it.

As it is we have done our best to narrow the list down and get some crackers on here – there is still debate that we have not picked the right ones but when you know the rest of a side makes Jamie Carragher look like the next pin up for the club it is over before it has even begun. Here are our top ten ugliest Liverpool players of all time.

Click on Anfield to reveal the top ten ugliest Liverpol players of all-time.

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Reading striker Adam Le Fondre has refused to concede defeat in the Royals’ quest to avoid relegation, despite Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Southampton.

The result leaves the Berkshire outfit eight points adrift of safety, with only six games to play.

But Le Fondre, who featured for the full 90 minutes against the Saints, believes that the fight is not over yet and insists that the whole squad will keep going:

“We’ll pick ourselves up and go again. It’s not in our make-up to give in.” He told Sky Sports.

“Never say never and until it’s mathematically impossible, we still believe.

“We’ll always battle to the end – that’s what the fans expect from us and it’s what we expect from ourselves.”

Reading’s next fixture will see them play host to Liverpool, a side who have been playing attractive football since the turn of the year.

Although the Reds pose a difficult challenge, Le Fondre feels that his side have a chance and will give Brendan Rodgers’ men a tough time at the Madejski Stadium:

“We’ve got Liverpool here next weekend and we love games like that, so we’ll welcome the challenge and try to make it horrible for them.”

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Le Fondre has enjoyed a relatively successful first season in the top flight, managing ten goals in 29 appearances.

He has often played back-up to Pavel Pogrebnyak, bagging the majority of his tally from the substitutes bench.

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Sunderland will be able to handle the mental pressure of a relegation battle, according to keeper Simon Mignolet.

Defeat at Aston Villa drew the club back into the scrap at the bottom of the table, although Wigan’s home defeat to Swansea on Tuesday night has eased the worries, but Mignolet says they can cope.

The keeper claims that as well as the physical battle they face, there is a mental one as well that takes its toll but the players are ready for the final two weeks of the season.

Mignolet told the Journal: “It’s tough for us mentally at the moment. If you’re a goalkeeper it’s already mentally a very tough job, I’ve played 35 times during the season.

“After every game you have to mentally refocus and prepare yourself fully for the upcoming game.

“When you’re in the position we’re in, it’s even tougher.

“However, we’re all professional football players and we should be able to deal with those kind of things. I think we have proved that.

“When you’re 1-0 down with 10 men then you have to have the courage and mentality in the second half to come out and press and push on, which we did – and we deserved credit for that.

“We have to do it again on Sunday. Of course, we all care and we’re all up for it.

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“We’re all trying our very best in every game and it’s imperative we do it again on Sunday.”

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that the club are likely to make a bid for Lyon’s Clement Grenier in the summer.

The midfielder came through the ranks at the Stade de Gerland and after a couple of seasons on the fringes of the first team, has now established himself as a regular in Remi Garde’s line-up.

His form has drawn comparisons with Lyon legend Juninho but with chairman Jean Michel-Aulas recently admitting that he could sell a number of the club’s players to help balance the books, it now looks likely that he will leave in the summer.

Arsenal are apparently winning the race to secure his signature and Wenger admits they are interested in him, comparing the 22-year-old to a young Samir Nasri.

“We are following him,” he told Telefoot. “His intelligence of play pleases me. He has interesting qualities. He reminds me of Nasri.”

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When the manager merry-go-round displayed its entirety earlier on this summer, it was clear that some transfers between the teams would follow.

David Moyes had been the Premier League’s third longest serving manager at Everton. Yet, he took up the once in a lifetime opportunity to replace Britain’s longest serving manager- Sir Alex Ferguson who was in charge for an incredible 26 years at Old Trafford in a feat unlikely to ever be seen again. When two of the league’s longest serving managers move on from their respective clubs, you have to expect a degree of player upheaval. Exacerbating this was the fact that Roberto Martinez stepped up to the challenge at Everton after several years defying the odds by keeping probably the Premier League’s smallest club Wigan in the top flight.

Cue the speculation over which loyal players would be following their trusted managers in transferring teams between Wigan and Everton, and Everton and Manchester United. Much of the media’s attention focused on two players- in most people’s eyes Everton’s two prized assets. Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines had proved in 2012-2013 that they were a cut above a team jostling for a European squad. Baines’ form had led many to believe he was more worthy of a starting berth for England than a stalwart of the team like Ashley Cole- a high proportion of Everton’s goals came through him or were affected by him bombing down the left side or taking some of the most ferocious set pieces the league saw last season. Yet, in a huge boost to the Toffees, Baines stayed put at Goodison Park. There is no doubt that Manchester United expressed a huge interest in bringing the England man to Old Trafford but Everton displayed the best quality stiff upper lip to avoid selling him.

It was Fellaini who was looking the more likely to move on, and move on he did- in dying embers of the transfer window. In a move that could be indicative of a panic buy, United purchased the 25 year old for around £27 million. Adding to the chaotic nature of the transaction, Fellaini reportedly put in a last minute transfer request to Roberto Martinez to force through a move as well as agreeing to funding £4 million of United’s transfer fee himself. This ensured Everton received above their minimum fee release clause for their midfielder- something which would not have happened had United acted quicker in their pursuit.

Despite the loss of Fellaini, the retention of Baines is arguably an even bigger feat for Martinez and Chairman Bill Kenwright. If you had to ask them who they would rather have sold out of the two, it’s pretty certain they would have given you Fellaini every time. Crucially, Everton put at least some of the transfer fee to good use. Martinezs had already gone back to former club Wigan to sign three players- goalkeeper Joel, defender and former captain Antolin Alcaraz and Ivory Coast striker Arouna Kone. All displayed last season that their natural level is probably above that of the Championship. All added depth to the blue side of Merseyside’s squad but their addition can hardly be described as ground breaking.

Everton saved their key business for the last day of the window with good incisiveness in replacing Fellaini. Martinez went back to his regular hunting ground to sign Republic of Ireland man James McCarthy. A younger player than Felllaini with the potential to be as good. Former England man Gareth Barry also headed through the doors. He is keen to re-establish himself in the Three Lions squad for the World Cup in 2014. Again this, adds experience to the ranks at Everton- big game experience. The third acquisition is probably the most impressive. Many people were tipping Romelu Lukaku for a regular spot in the Chelsea team this season, but Jose Mourinho’s decision that he is not ready represents a clear gain for Everton who beat Lukaku’s former loan club West Brom to his signing.

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All three give Everton depth that they haven’t really enjoyed for the past few seasons. Often the pundit’s line with Everton has dubbed their starting XI as capable of beating anyone on their day. Yet, a statement that often follows is ‘they’ll have a good season if they get no injuries’. This is because (often due to lack of funding) their squad has an alarming lack of depth. This is not the case this season.

With youngsters like Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman getting better and better every game, experienced heads like Leon Osman and Sylvain Distin as strong as ever, and new additions like McCarthy, Barry and Lukaku giving Everton a genuinely strong spine, Martinez can be commended for making Everton stronger in the wake of losing one of their star players. Good management has resulted in Everton becoming stronger. No one will surprised if they are up there challenging the elite for a top four finish as the end of the season approaches.