The statistics make stark reading for any Liverpool fan this season, as their side are officially the least effective attacking force in the whole of the Barclays Premier League.

With a chance conversion rate of just 8.5% and a total of 28 goals after 24 games, equal with 18th placed Bolton, Liverpool’s attacking deficiencies are there for all to see, and are putting their top for ambitions in real danger.

The Reds have only scored three or more goals in league games on three occasions this term, which when compared to their main rivals in the fight for fourth place Chelsea (8), Arsenal (7) shows where King Kenny’s men are failing to deliver.

In fact its only due to their strong defensive performances, which have seen the Anfield club concede just 21, (second only to table topping Manchester City’s 19) that they are within touching distance of a place at Europe’s top table next season.

Liverpool have been missing, arguably, their most talented attacking player in Luis Suarez, after his eight-game suspension for racially abusing Patrice Evra. But, even the Uruguayan’s statistics in the league make for grim reading with only five goals from a whopping 76 attempts, giving him a 6.6% success rate, which is lower than the much criticised Andy Carroll.

It’s not so much chance creation that Liverpool have struggled with, but the ability to just apply the final touch in front of goal. This was summed up perfectly on Monday night, as an unmarked Suarez headed directly at Brad Friedel in the dying seconds. A yard either side of the American stopper and Liverpool would have taken all three points, in a game where they enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and chances but failed to bag the win. An all too worrying trend this season.

It’s a strange change in fortunes for the Reds this campaign, with results at the back end of last season, including the 5-1 drubbing of Fulham, and a Dirk Kuyt inspired 3-1 win over arch rivals Manchester United, suggesting that Liverpool would be a fluid attacking force.

Yes, there are excuses for the men in red, such as striking the post 17 times in their opening 17 games, and the absence of skipper Steven Gerrard. But, to have any chance of securing a top-four finish and Champions League football, Liverpool must begin to turn chances into goals, subsequently draws into wins and quick.

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From holding a commanding lead in third spot, Tottenham Hotspur have endured a recent poor run of results, slipping behind North London rivals Arsenal into fourth place. Now, the White Hart Lane side hold just a five point gap over Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification, casting a shadow of doubt over their ability to hold onto the current position, and book a spot at Europe’s top table for next season.

For the men in white, missing out on top level European football could be a real set-back in the bid to become one of the Premier League’s powerhouses, with much hinging on their ability to re-establish Champions League status.

Having managed to keep hold of Luka Modric after a summer of uncertainty, the Croatian’s future may be plunged into doubt once more, if the club cannot show an ability to match his growing ambitions. The former Dinamo Zagreb midfielder is instrumental to the way in which Tottenham play, pulling the strings from midfield, with his superb range of passing aiding the side with their fluid attacking approach. He made it clear last summer that a move to London rivals Chelsea or Champions Manchester United was his aim, yet Daniel Levy stood firm keeping the playmaker at the club in a bid to re-join UEFA’s top club competition. However, such exploits may be impossible this term, with the 26-year-old entering the peak of his career and keen to secure major honours and a larger pay packet, both of which will be more achievable at a new club.

As well as Modric, Gareth Bale may decide to call time on his spell with the club. Although the Welsh wizard is more likely to stay than some of his team-mates, given his young age and guaranteed first team football, the level of displays he has produced over the past few seasons have attracted many of Europe’s top-sides. Names such as Barcelona and Real Madrid have been banded as potential suitors for the 22-year-old, and if the chance to join one of the world’s finest sides on large wages arose, it would be almost impossible to reject. Losing such players will undoubtedly damage the club in the long run, as to challenge, they will need to cement the club as an attractive prospect, and top players leaving regularly will not allow that.

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The financial repercussions of missing out on Champions League football may also halt Spurs ambitious transfer plans. The retaining of Emmanuel Adebayor would prove to be difficult without the guaranteed increase in income, with the Togo striker likely to demand wages in the region of £100,000-per-week, to complete a move from Manchester City. Also the acquisition of talents such as Eden Hazard and Loic Remy would become increasingly difficult, without the lure of demonstrating their abilities on biggest stage.

Perhaps more important than playing staff is the ability to keep hold of Harry Redknapp, who has been linked with the vacant England managers role since the departure of Fabio Capello. Although ‘Arry may swap Spurs for England regardless of where his side finish this term, another crack at the Champions League, allied with the increase in spending power, could be enough to convince the manager to stay with his employers. But, if they were to miss out, the appeal of leading his nation would increase, casting doubt over the long-term future of the club, which he has galvanised since arriving in 2008.

Both Tottenham and their closest rivals, Chelsea, find themselves at a crossroads ahead of the run-in for different reasons. Tottenham have, perhaps, their most promising generation for quite some time, and to lose key components, or be unable to build upon what they have will see the club move backwards. If the likes of Modric, Bale or Rafael van der Vaart decide to leave the club, which is a possibility, the message that conveys to future players and current stars is extremely negative, hinting at a lack of ambition. It’s been a long, physically enduring season for Spurs, but if they can just hold on, and limp across the line, they have the makings of a team that could challenge for the title in years to come. Keeping Modric remains the key, as his exit could open the floodgates, but if Champions League football is secured, he may be convinced to stay in North London, where he has become a crowd favourite.

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Chelsea however, are not likely to give up without a fight, as they look to lay the groundwork for, what could be, a busy summer. The lure of top-level European football and the financial benefits it brings are key in their pursuit of high quality, young talent to begin a new era at the club. Without this they could struggle to attract the players needed, making the final eight games massively important.

It’s going to be a tough run-in for Tottenham, who must focus on securing at least fourth spot, if they are going to build upon their impressive foundations. Champions League football is a must for the club, who have more riding on their European status next term than any other side in England.

What are your thoughts? Comment or follow @Alex_Hams and have your say

Luka Modric, arguably Tottenham’s best player was put on the spot by FATV to name his Fantasy 5 A Side football team.

His choices were interesting, especially when you take into consideration he didn’t actually nominate a goal keeper.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=iNHPHKFmaic%3Fversion%3D3%26hl%3Den_US

Five-a-side rules

1. Five players only

2. You must have played with or managed

While our Friday Fives series is a bit of fun with fans, current or ex-professionals, The FA Umbro Fives competition allows every five-a-side player in the country the chance to replicate the feats of these greats, with the overall winners being crowned the official five-a-side champions of England at Wembley Stadium.

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The competition offers the best teams in the country the chance to play in the national final at the national stadium and follow in the footsteps of some football legends.

The deadline to enter a team is the 29th of July and the first round of heats will get underway in the new season.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is set to meet with the north London club in the next 48 hours to seek assurances that he still has the board’s backing according to Mirror Football.

The White Hart Lane trainer is entering the final year of his contract with the Premier League side, with an extension yet to be signed due to the continued rumours over him taking the England job.

However, with Roy Hodgson getting the nod over Redknapp, the Spurs man is keen to sort out his future.

It is thought that Redknapp is eager to see whether the club still will back him despite the fact that Champions League football was not delivered in 2011-12, and under whispers that Daniel Levy could be interested in bringing in a new manager to instil a breath of fresh air at the club.

It is also believed that a Middle-East consortium are preparing to mount a financially lucrative offer for Redknapp to take over a coaching role in Qatar.

As yet there has been no official statement or comment from Redknapp, Levy or the club in terms of the manager’s future, but it is thought that there may well be news in the coming week.

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By Gareth McKnight

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A new kit, a new sponsor, even a new manufacturer go with a fairly new regime at the Stadium of Light and yet it’s the same old story when it comes to Sunderland’s transfer dealings.

Martin O’Neill is the man tasked with curbing the expectation of the Mackem faithful but despite strides made to help Sunderland become more than just an established Premier League side, are fans preparing themselves for summer of transfer market disappointment?

Having seen archrivals Newcastle regain their place as the North East’s top side, it was thought the latest transfer window would signal a recruitment drive to aid O’Neill and his troops in their quest to compete in the top 10 again. Names such Carlos Cuellar, Keith Andrews and Louis Saha haven’t exactly set fans’ heart rates pulsing and rumbles from the Stadium of Light suggests that cost cutting is the main priority, not investment.

Like many clubs, Sunderland will fall foul of the new FIFA Financial Fair Plays Rules but given the amount of money wasted by previous managers Roy Keane and Steve Bruce, fans cannot understand why O’Neill, the man many felt would be the clubs saviour, isn’t being backed as heavily. The Northern Irishman may have a better history in the transfer market than his predecessors but his track record at other clubs is more than questionable. Despite receiving praise for his impact on players like Ashley Young, James Milner and Stewart Downing, Aston Villa fans hardly remember their former manager’s transfer antics fondly. O’Neill spent roughly £120m at Villa Park and while finishing 6th in the Premier League three times, he also brought the likes of Curtis Davies, Wayne Routledge, Steve Sidwell, Habib Beye and Fabian Delph to the club. No manager ever has a 100% market success rate but if Sunderland are trying to cut down expenditure then giving O’Neill free reign may not be the wisest idea.

The former Celtic boss’ history of wheeling and dealing is far from respectable and his overspending at Villa is made to look even more amateur when analysing his striking choices. Emile Heskey, Marlon Harewood and Chris Sutton are just a selection of ill advised forwards bought by O’Neill and the Black Cats are currently in desperate need of firepower having decided against the permanent signing of Nicklas Bendtner and lost the likes of Darren Bent, Danny Welbeck and Asamoah Gyan in recent seasons. Heskey is a player that has already been linked with Sunderland and if O’Neill decides to compliment his team with players of that ilk then it will speak volumes about the Black Cats’ aspirations for the future.

Regardless of Steve Bruce’s attempts to flesh out the side with a number of permanent signings last summer, the newly appointed Hull City manager was criticised for bringing in too many squad players and not enough genuine quality. It’s widely understood that Sunderland will require another overhaul of their squad but chairman Ellis Short told BBC Newcastle that he and O’Neill are looking for quality not quantity this time around.

“We don’t want to sign players for the sake of it, or if it feels they’re inexpensive. We want to identify players who are good and will definitely improve us.

“We’ve been talking all summer about what we’re going to do, the fans have a pretty good idea of what we need to do.

“Martin is looking at specific players that we might want, and then there’ll be a lot of work in trying to get those players here.”

While there’s little to suggest O’Neill will wantonly fritter away his transfer kitty, potential bargain basement free transfers were not what fans expected to hear about when their new messiah was appointed back in December. They let a quiet January window slip by because the manager needed time to assess his squad but now the team’s weaknesses have been highlighted by a poor end to the season and it’s time to buy strength in depth. After all Bruce spent £13.1m on Asamoah Gyan as well as £12m on Connor Wickham so the club’s hierarchy are clearly willing to spend when necessary. Hindsight would suggest both of these signings have been fairly unsuccessful but Gyan’s impending departure should recoup most of his initial transfer fee and Wickham could well mature into a talented forward. If O’Neill can find suitable reinforcements to build on foundations laid by Bruce then the club could easily push forward. At the moment they may have a team full of squad players but a few choice signings would take the pressure of stars like Stephane Sessegnon and help build a formidable team.

Ultimately it will come down to how much faith Short has in O’Neill. If the Texan billionaire allows him the freedom to spend then Sunderland could shoot their way back into the top 10 but unfortunately there’s a flipside, a lack of funds means the manager is forced to look for more bargains and fans could end up with Saha and Heskey spearheading their attack next season.

Do you think Sunderland should spend big this summer? Can they afford better than bargain basement signings?

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Let me know your views and opinions by following me on Twitter – Tweet me@Alex_Churcher

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This morning’s Daily Mirror reports that new Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is working hard to find the right new signings in an attempt to bring attractive football to Anfield.

Reported to be following the blueprint set by Barcelona, Rodgers is looking to bring in a few individuals who can add to the Reds attempt at embracing the philosophy which got the Scot so may plaudits at Swansea.

Already heavily linked with Gylfi Sigurdsson who was on loan to Rodgers’ Swansea last season, the new Anfield boss is also expected to give Joe Cole a second chance; ‘Joe is obviously a player who’ll want to come back and show his worth to the group’ said the 39 year old who met with Cole in Spain.

Having been appointed manager just three weeks ago, Rodgers is eager to make changes to the club following the departure of Kenny Dalglish, including introducing a completely new brand of football. He has also stated he knows who could make a difference immediately.

“I know what we’ve got, more or less, in the squad, but I also know there are a couple of signings that could really improve what we do,”

In introducing this new brand of football, as well as adding to the team in the form of certain individuals, Rodgers will have to make decisions on members of the current playing squad, such as Alberto Aquilani and Daniel Agger, whose futures on Merseyside are in the balance.

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The Rodgers Revolution starts here for the Reds.

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While Millwall are the early starters for pre-season this coming term, there is one rumour that doesn’t seem to be going away, Liam Trotter.

Southampton FC have kept an interest in him for the last two years and if he did leave, the Lions would be losing a player with Premier League potential. On his day Trotter is a world-beater, but when it’s form, its like playing with 10 men.

Rumours circulated during the summer that Southampton tabled a  £2million bid for Trotter, these rumours were quickly denied by the club, and rightly so, no way under any circumstances should Trotter leave for 2 million, he’s worth more then that.

His quality pushing forward, goals from midfield and potential to be a player at the highest level would surely push he price up, plus the stupid prices go for in modern football, especially by the Saints themselves, paying £7million for Jay Rodriguez from Burnley. A good player? Yes, but nowhere that price. I wouldn’t let Trotter go below the price of £3.5 million, but I could see Berylson selling him on for 2.5 million with percentage sell on clause added on.

Despite Trotters’ bad parts of his game, he has the potential to play in the Premier League; even manager Kenny Jackett has stated this. So if he did leave did this summer I believe he could end up at a lower Premier League club such as West Brom or Fulham (who have already scouted him) plus Everton have apparently been on scouting trips for Trotter, but it looks like the most likely club to sign him would be Southampton, a long standing interest and the backing of a billionaire would make them favorites.

If he went who would replace him?

Fans favorite Jimmy Abdou would most likely fill one of the midfield spaces due to his play last season, but he is more of a defensive one, unlike Trotter. One replacement could be Josh Wright, signing a 3 year deal in May, Wright filled in when Trotter was injured and this brought excellent results with 6 wins out of 7.

Despite his great technique from long-range shots he’s still not quite as attacking as Trotter. Ex Charlton midfielder Thierry Raccon could be the answer after being a strong pacey midfielder at the South London club, but the Lions faithful have only seen him play once competitively due to injury, so I don’t think we’ll see him in the squad anytime soon. If the Lions want to buy an attacking midfielder like Trotter they might have to get the cheque book out.

If Trotter did leave, some of the money would most likely be spent on replacing his position in center midfield, and a strong attacking midfielder. A Peter Whittingham-esq type of player, but a strong attacking midfielder would mean a high price tag.

Kenny Jackett doesn’t just sign million pound plus players on a whim, so I could see Josh Wright being molded into a Trotter-esq player and start to push further forward to support the strikers.

If Trotter did leave he would be missed in the squad, his strong play and finishing helped the Lions out at crucial times this season, like his double against relegation rivals Doncaster Rovers for example.

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But this somewhat ruined by the other side to his play, his inconsistency. Trotter could go from being world class to shocking in just one game, his game blows hot and cold. Plus little niggling injuries are starting to creep into his play, with the midfielder missing the final games of the season with injuries, but when Trotter was missing from the team, the Millwall starting XI played better then when he was in there. Strange.

I still believe that Trotter is a quality player and should stay to fulfill his potential, but sooner or later a Premier League club will come calling.

Would you sell him for under 2.5 million? How can we replace him?

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Aston Villa look set to name striker Darren Bent as their captain for the 2012-13 season as Stiliyan Petrov continues his recovery to health.

The Bulgarian midfielder has been struck down with acute leukaemia and is currently in a rehabilitation process to get back to health.

In the absence of the eastern European star the Villa Park club need a new skipper, and have identified the England international forward as the main candidate.

Bent, who missed Euro 2012 through an ankle injury, has confessed that he is keen for the accolade.

“If I can hang on to it, I’ll be delighted. It’s a big goal of mine,’ he said, ‘the gaffer just said to me “I’ve given you the armband for now, and I just want you to justify why I’ve given it to you”,” The Daily Mail report Bent as saying.

“I want to just try and lead by example and try and be a good role model. I was captain of Charlton for a year and I enjoyed that and if I get to keep it this year I’ll be delighted,” he confessed.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Referees, the bane of every supporter at least once during the season. Consistency, fairness, and general intelligence seem to be beyond the enforcers of the beautiful games rules.  

It’s a challenge in itself to determine five of the worst to have ‘refereed’ a football match, the possibilities remain endless, but here are five who take the ‘prestigious’ title of being the worst referees.

Graham Poll

Not the worse ever referee, doing fairly well in his 26 years of officiating, Poll managed to effectively ruin his reputation worldwide in a matter of minutes during the 2006 World Cup game between Australia and Croatia. Booking Croatian Josip Simunic not once, not twice, but for a third time before sending him off the pitch. This rather monumental gaffe at the biggest tournament in football ended Graham Polls chances of officiating the final.

Mark Clattenburg

Mark Clatternburg, a name that still brings out the derision of Tottenham fans everywhere for an incredibly stupendous error in a game he has officiated with them. The most famous being the 2005 Premier League contest between Spurs and Manchester United, as Pedro Mendes sensational 45 yard strike was laughably fumbled by United keeper Roy Carroll one metre into the back of the net. Such a goal was noticed by the players, the benches, the crowd, and the TV cameras. But not to Clattenburg, who ruled the goal to have not crossed the line and allowed play to continue. Perhaps going blind is part of the job?

Martin Hansson

Mr Hansson certainly won’t be going to the local pubs in Dublin for the foreseeable future, not after crushing an entire nations dreams of qualifying for the World Cup. With the second leg of the tie locked 1-1 on aggregate, Ireland were well within a chance of qualifying for the tournament at Frances expense. However, just outside the Irish post France striker Thierry Henry, a worldwide idol for his talent and typical sportsmanship, displayed a juggling act that would have made Maradona proud, controlling the ball with his hand and laying a pass to William Gallas to send France through 2-1 on aggregate. Such a blatant foul was seen across the world, but Hansson let it stand.

Lee Mason

To many fans, referees seem to take bias towards the bigger clubs in matches, especially when such clubs are playing at home. Mr Mason providing a blatant example of this during Manchester United’s home match against QPR last season. With United gunning for another league title, Ashley Young was brought down in the 14th minute by Shaun Derry, and despite the rather easy nature in how Young went down, and the fact he was in an offside position at the time. Mason sent of Derry anyway and awarded a penalty. A decision that could have drastically altered the title race, and the relegation battle a few weeks later.

Howard Webb

Howard Webb, leading English referee,  counted as one of the best at his profession, closet Manchester United fan. Webb has been selected for many of the most important games in recent football history, including the 2010 World Cup final. That doesn’t however, make him exempt from some of the worst gaffes in recent times, a notable one being Kenny Dalglish’s first game in charge of  his return to Liverpool against Manchester United.

It didn’t take long for Webb to make his first error of the game, mistakenly deciding that Daniel Agger had fouled Dimitar Berbatov inside the box inside the Liverpool box, and awarding United a first minute penalty. Later on Webb continued to make a farce of the match by sending off Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard for an alleged two footed lunge, leading to Dalglish to criticise him after the game for such a harsh decision. This led to Liverpool  being knocked out the FA Cup 1-0, and Ryan Babel to famously post a picture of Webb wearing a Manchester United shirt.

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Arsenal and Stoke City played out a 0-0 draw at the Britannia last weekend, as two contrasting styles went head-to-head in the Premier League.

Arsene Wenger hasn’t made a secret of his dislike of Stoke’s style of play and yet again the Potters got a result against the Gunners.

Here is Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen getting in a tangle with Stoke defender Andy Wilkinson.

Can you come up with a funny caption for this picture?

Leave your suggestions in the comments section below…

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This week you can win a copy of Red Card Roy!

Red Card Roy is the jaw-dropping story of terrace cult hero Roy McDonough – Britain’s wildest footballer who was sent off a record 22 times in a career of more than 650 games, 100 goals, thousands of beers and, allegedly, 400 women.

For the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here

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Check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.

Last week’s winner: sitesired – click here to see all entries