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With last night’s 1-0 loss at the hands of Stoke, the pressure on Alan Pardew has once again been ramped up. The Newcastle chief has managed just a handful of wins (five to be precise) in 2014, which is a record that has irked supporters on Tyneside who have been calling for change for some time.

Newcastle now sit at the foot of the table on level points with Burnley – favourites for relegation – after six fixtures, and the poll at the end of last season which revealed that 86% of ‘Toon’ followers wanted Pardew sacked would appear to be increasing in numbers by the week.

But despite receiving the dreaded vote of confidence today, who’s out there to replace the controversy-riddled gaffer? Well we have FIVE candidates right here…

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CLICK ON PARDEW TO SEE WHO COULD REPLACE HIM

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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…

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David Moyes

The pick of the bunch would appear to be Moyes. The Scot’s wonderful work at Everton seems to have been all but forgotten after a disastrous season at Manchester United, but there’s no doubting that he has the ability and track record for success in English football. A move to Newcastle would likely appeal to Moyes, who will be eager to repair his reputation at a big club and prove to the Red Devils’ hierarchy that he was worthy of the “Chosen One’ tag.

The Magpies would benefit from his experience, while Mike Ashley will surely be attracted to the work his did on a shoestring budget at Everton.

Tony Pulis

The shock of the summer managerial merry-go-round was Pulis’ decision to leave Crystal Palace. His heroics last season at Selhurst Park saw the former Stoke boss drag the Eagles back from what looked to be certain relegation after Ian Holloway’s awful start to the campaign, which gained him the Premier League manager of the year award. A dispute about transfer funds is understood to have been the major factor in his decision to leave south London, and Newcastle could offer him a new home.

Pulis may have a reputation for agricultural football, but his time at Palace was one in which he brought in some flair to go with his often direct approach. A good record at the bottom end of the table could help to keep the Tynesides away from the drop zone.

Tim Sherwood

Despite possessing a decent record as Spurs manager over the back end of last season, Sherwood was unceremoniously dumped by the Londoners shortly after the last ball of the campaign was kicked. His outspoken nature and penchant for the gilet may have made him a laughing stock, but he did get the best from the divisive Emmanuel Adebayor while handing young players their debuts on the way to getting big results.

There are worse options out there for Newcastle.

Neil Lennon

After three back-to-back Scottish titles, Lennon opted to leave Celtic over the summer in search of work south of the border. Despite his experience and talents, the Northern Irishman has, as of yet, been unable to get himself a big job, but his name is in the mix for the Newcastle hot seat. He may be unproven in the Premier League, but the former Bhoys midfielder has bags of passion and plenty of know-how, which could make him a big hit at St James’ Park.

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Like Moyes, Lennon has operated on low budgets in the past while bringing success, so his methods may appeal to Mike Ashley.

Steve Bruce

There may be plenty of Sunderland baggage with Bruce, but the former Manchester United defender has been mooted as a favourite to patrol the touchline at St James’. Bruce is an underrated manager in the Premier League, with his achievements at clubs such as Wigan, Birmingham and now Hull City having never been enough to land him a job at a club with top six aspirations.

The 53-year-old has already confessed that he would have liked the Newcastle role earlier in his career, and his North East roots could make him a favourite among Magpies supporters… even though he has taken charge of Sunderland in the past.

Southampton boss Nigel Adkins will be failing the pinch after his side failed to beat Swansea at St Mary’s.

Saturday’s clash with the South Wales club was deemed as must win after Adkins held clear the air talks with chairman Nicola Cortese following Monday’s loss at West Brom.

But true to form they failed to hold onto the slender lead handed to them by Morgan Schneiderlin and have now sacrificed 13 points from winning positions.

The Swans were grateful to former Saints academy graduate Nathan Dyer for his equaliser that ended a run of three away trips without success.

After eight defeats in the last 10 games the hosts needed to somehow diffuse the tension in the stands and goal would have been the perfect remedy with Adam Lallana and Gaston Ramirez going close early on.

The visitors rarely threatened aimed a majority of their first half attacks down the right flank towards 17-year-old Luke Shaw, who became the youngest player to make a top-flight start for Southampton.

After the break the hosts started to take a semblance of control and Rickie Lambert was only denied a goal by a superb block by Sung-Yueng Ki, before Gary Monk threw himself in front of a Ramirez rasper.

But their pressure finally bore fruit as Schneiderlin did brilliantly to control Lambert’s header back across goal before nodding the ball beyond Gerhard Tremmel in the 64th minute.

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However, Michael Laudrup’s side regrouped and restored parity nine minutes later as substitute Dyer stole the ball from a nervous Maya Yoshida before driving the ball across Paulo Gazzaniga and in off the post.

There were still chances for both sides to snatch a late win but Lambert twice going close with his head before Danny Fox’s denied Itay Shechter at the other end.

Judging by the transfer gossip pages, Liverpool are keen to recruit a new goalkeeper before the window closes in August.

Loris Karius hampered his case to be number-one choice for the upcoming season after making two huge mistakes in the team’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

The Reds have been linked with numerous names, including Alisson, Jan Oblak, Jack Butland and Jasper Cillessen.

A new name has emerged from the rumour mill – Bild specifically – and he goes by Jiri Pavlenka, who currently plies his trade at Werder Bremen.

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The 26-year-old, who has earned six caps for the Czech Republic, joined Bremen from Slavia Prague in July last year.

He is relatively unknown, and last season in the Bundesliga the shot-stopper conceded 46 goals and kept 10 clean sheets in 38 appearances in all competitions.

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Pavlenka does not exactly share the same profile of the world-class names being linked with a switch to Anfield.

At this point, the fans are just frustrated by the constant speculation.

Rafael Leao is the next Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang according to some. To others he’s the next Gabriel Jesus, though given that the brilliant Brazilian is still a mere twenty years of age it could be said that a fully developed Gabriel Jesus is the next Gabriel Jesus. Whatever the truth is Leao – an 18-year-old starlet accumulating professional experience at Sporting B and on the cusp of promotion to the Sporting first team – is one of the hottest striking properties in the world right now with an array of attributes that astonishes for one so young.

Naturally then the roll-call of prospective buyers amounts to some very familiar names. Real Madrid are reportedly keen, as too Manchester United. Chelsea have been thrown into the mix also but with less plausibility. And topping the list and leading the chase is Manchester City with a figure of £25m being bandied around as gospel. Though Transfermarkt value him at £1.35m.

Between now and August we can expect a multitude of players linked to a multitude of clubs and some will be very far-fetched and made up in blogger’s spare bedrooms while others make perfect sense. This one lies at the latter end of the scale. This one really could happen.

Firstly though let’s concentrate on the player himself. Tall, pacy and powerful is always a good start for any forward but when it’s coupled to quick feet, an equally rapid footballing brain, and no preference for going one side over the other when facing a retreating opponent then suddenly people start talking.

His seven goals in 12 games for Sporting B has already seen him rewarded with a Portugal Under-21 cap and a fast-track to the more challenging climes of the Primeira Liga with Sporting where he enjoyed a 41 minute debut earlier this month. He widely impressed and especially so his coach Jorge Jesus who said soon after: “He is a strong kid and he was serene. Everything he did was done with quality. We will work step-by-step with Leao, who is one of the great talents our academy has.”

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What makes his swift emergence all the more remarkable is that Jesus is hardly known for trusting in youth. Sometimes though, so good is the prospect that exceptions have to be made.

Last October, Sporting extended the teenager’s contract to 2022 while upping his release clause to €60m but even this inflated figure for a player with so little game-time at an elite level won’t put off potential bidders. City are expected to return this summer after their initial water-tester of £22.2m was strongly rebuffed recently and here is where a direct comparison with Gabriel Jesus certainly can be made.

The Blues’ pursuit of the Brazilian international was ruthless and motivated, out-manoeuvring Barcelona and Real Madrid who each believed they were in serious contention.  Consequently Pep Guardiola secured a young superstar for a fee of £27m that is already looking an absolute steal. Crucially they tried to replicate this approach with Kylian Mbappe but were unable to tie him down at an early juncture with the French forward then becoming the centre point of a ferocious bidding war that eventually escalated to a farcical sum.

Lessons were learned in both instances with the first acting as confirmation that quick, decisive action is always the best approach when targeting emerging talent. Mbappe meanwhile was a mistake that the club is determined not to repeat anytime soon.

It is worth considering how City’s first bid was allowed to enter the public domain in the first place with a leak from the Portuguese club the most likely origin. Sporting will understandably be very keen for other bidders to enter the fray and whipping up an auction will surely result in a colossal pay-day if such a strategy is successful. For their part City will be resolved to head such a plan off at the pass by swooping early and strong within weeks of the summer transfer window opening.

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This is the intriguing proposition that awaits us in the months ahead and that’s before we even get to the mouth-watering idea of Leao cutting his baby-teeth in the Premier League, raw and sensational and learning each and every week under the expert tutorage of the Spanish Grandmaster.

Guardiola has already reportedly said privately that should the 18-year-old be secured he has no intention of loaning him out in a similar vein to so many of Manchester City’s youthful talent. Leao would instead be assimilated into the first team squad, presumably on the periphery but adding to an attacking arsenal that has broken records this term for their goal-scoring prowess.

A front three of Leao, Jesus and Sane ripping into top flight defences next year with nascent relish is a realistic possibility then. Their average age will be twenty. They will be coached by an individual who improves players ten-fold. Just the pace alone among the trio is frightening as hell. God help us all.

This has been a fairly muted prelude to the World Cup for England. It’s a big help. There are no declarations of reaching unattainable targets. There’s resignation among most, an acceptance that England aren’t as good as many of the top nations set to compete in Brazil. In fact, there’s an enormous case to be made that England aren’t even the second best team in their group.

The only disquiet, albeit one that gradually faded, was in Roy Hodgson’s team selection and the omission of Ashley Cole. There was fleeting unhappiness at the inclusion of Frank Lampard; if you’re going to go the way of a youth-dominated squad and in preparing for the European Championship in France, why not go all the way? But Lampard’s place in the squad can easily be explained. Above all, he’s a good leader.

Here’s my confusion on the Ashley Cole debate: why is there so much focus on the left-back spot? England have Leighton Baines, a good attacking full-back; Luke Shaw, who most project to be England’s first-choice for the next decade; and Kieran Gibbs, who, despite having another good season at Arsenal, has been left out altogether. The rush of bodies aiming to be first in the queue to question the England manager’s decision to leave Cole behind and ultimately push him towards international retirement is fuelled by little other than ill-preparation for change.

Would Cole really have been the difference for England this summer? A good left-back, yes, but a left-back in a position that is arguably England’s strongest. Hodgson doesn’t have a plethora of options at centre-back; he’s already lost a couple of wide players; who plays second fiddle to Daniel Sturridge in the even Hodgson goes with both him and Wayne Rooney in the starting XI?; and the real area of concern that’s been overlooked by most: how on earth can England expect defensive safety in what you’d assume will be a conservative setup with Glen Johnson at right-back?

That’s the really worry. Forget Cole and who plays at left-back; that position is fine. The problem area is on the other flank, where Johnson is the only natural right-back set to travel with the squad. His involvement rests on whether Chris Smalling or Phil Jones can find fitness and form.

But the other problem that some have had with Hodgson’s squad selection is the overall leaning on youth. I don’t have a problem with it. It makes sense. It’s good preparation for what will come afterwards. But the attack on Hodgson’s squad, intertwined with a defence of Cole, is that coaches should pick their best team for now, their best players and the ones who will make an impact at this international tournament, not one a few years down the road.

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I can see the logic in that argument and I accept it. Where it falls flat is that it doesn’t apply to England. This is a country that develops its players differently to the way Spain or Germany wok – and probably most countries, for that matter. Young players with the tag of ‘next big thing’ are thrown into the deep end.

There’s no time to waste with U21 tournaments and even the steady ascent to the top level of youth international football. Teenagers are thrown into the first team because the coach, whoever it may be at the time, is constantly battling pressure and the need to create the impression that he’s making progress. Essentially he’s fighting for his own job, rather than the safety and proper education of young players.

Adding to that, England don’t really have a ‘best team’ in the sense that the omission of players like Cole will severely weaken an area of the pitch and in turn the entire XI. We can debate all day and land on a starting XI that might be good enough to compete, but it’s not to say there are many, if any, players who are essential to the squad. ‘England must take their best squad.’ Well who qualifies for that?

Here’s an example: Vicente Del Bosque must decide on which strikers to include in his squad. Spain are a team whose strength comes from their midfield, so taking more of those and less strikers is natural.

The Spanish coach will have to figure out who can bring the max out of his team, which combination of Diego Costa, Fernando Llorente, Fernando Torres, David Villa, and Alvaro Negredo will increase Spain’s chances of winning the tournament. England aren’t asking those sorts of questions. Any of those strikers would walk into Hodgson’s team and probably start.

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It’s for that reason that I don’t really see the point in taking players like Cole, and I certainly don’t see the point in fighting his corner so passionately. Go with youth – or basically the group of players who will help to form most of the squads in the future – because honestly Hodgson and England don’t have much else to turn to. There is nothing available to the team that would make them certainties to advance out of the group, let alone lift the trophy at the Maracana.

The most pleasing aspect of Hodgson’s squad selection was in the evidence that England have a head coach who can be bold, who can make difficult calls which should in the long run prove to be to the benefit of the national team.

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One of Arsene Wenger’s most grating qualities is his inability to not pass judgement on everything. The Frenchman has recently chipped in criticising Chelsea’s allegations against Mark Clattenburg accusing the Blues of “going public with little proof”.

While I agree with the sentiment that Chelsea should not have gone public unless they were absolutely certain Clattenburg had discriminated against Jon Obi Mikel, due to the permanent damage they have already done to the official’s reputation. Considering the serious nature of the allegations it seems unnecessary for Wenger to weigh in before the truth has been revealed.

The 63-year-old is one of many managers who offer their opinion too often, considering what a difficult vulnerable position football managers are in, you’d think they have too much to worry about to get involved with things which don’t immediately concern them. Sir Alex Ferguson had a brief public dispute with Rio Ferdinand other the ‘Kick It Out’ debacle. Ferguson ended up in a strange morale position where he appeared to be directly against the personal beliefs of his long-serving defender. Both parties were intelligent enough to soon quash the row but for a brief period Ferguson seemed to be involving himself in a personal matter which was outside of his jurisdiction.

Ian Holloway has become one of the most polarising figures in British football and is known as much for his sound bites as managerial achievements. I almost like to separate Holloway’s persona in football into two: the affable comic at Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth and then the man who returned at Blackpool after being sacked by Leicester City. Holloway used to come up with some of the best one-liners in football never taking himself too seriously.

For example, “To put it in gentleman’s terms if you’ve been on a night out and you’re looking for a young lady and you pull one, some weeks they’re good looking and some weeks they’re not the best. Our performance today would have been not the best looking bird but at least we got her in the taxi.

“She weren’t the best looking lady we ended up taking home but she was very pleasant and very nice so thanks very much let’s have a coffee.” This brilliant, bizarre quite unique anecdote sums up the way I pictured Holloway as a jovial character who was great for football.

Contrast this however, with the more bitter tirades he launched during his year in the Premier League. For some reason rather than concerning himself with Blackpool’s suicidal approach to Premier League match-ups in the second half of the season, he continued to give his two cents on every single footballing issue. This misplaced desire to comment on everything made him a media darling, regularly featured on Sky Sports News but also in my opinion made him come across an egocentric man, with ill-judged priorities.

Holloway’s thoughts on the World Cup in Qatar best sum up my view on the man, “Well obviously they’re so important, that we’ll have to change our tournament. It’s so vital that they have our tournament that belongs to the world and I think I’m a world person aren’t I, I come from England. So we’ll just change everything cos your weather’s really hot. Cos we can’t play it we should do.

“Brilliant, if it was up to me heads would roll and I know which head it would be and I’d love to do it. Why don’t we get the people of Blackburn to do it because they seem to love sacking people. Sepp Blatter and all of them lot Mr Platini I know he was a good player but he ain’t very good at what he does, I don’t think. I think he’s useless you can quote me on that.”

This bad-tempered monologue further confirmed my fears that Holloway was someone who likes the attention and sound of his own voice too much; I’m also sceptical as to how much time Holloway focuses on goings on at UEFA before deciding Michel Platini was unfit for his job.

Another manager who seemed too concerned with saying controversial quotes and concerning himself with entertaining the media rather than focusing on his football team is Roy Keane. One of the best British footballers over the past 20 years, I consider him one of the worst managers seen on these shores during that period. While at Ipswich Town the former Manchester United captain launched a cynical rant in the direction of Republic of Ireland fans.

“I’d be more annoyed with my defenders and goalkeeper, than Thierry Henry. How can you let a ball bounce in the six yard box? How can you let Henry get goal-side of you and if the ball bounced in the six yard box I’d be saying, ‘where the hell’s my goalkeeper?”

Keane raised some good points going against the crowd here, but his comments also stank of hypocrisy. Keane was hammering an Ireland defence and accusing the media and fans of being too soft on the Ireland players, but a key culprit in the conceding of the goal was Paul McShane. McShane was signed by Keane for Sunderland where he was found worryingly out of depth in the Premier League, if Keane had focussed more on his scouting system instead of offering harsh criticism of an unlucky Ireland team, maybe his managerial career would work out differently.

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Managers especially at Premier League level are put in front of a microphone and camera on an almost daily basis, and are asked to discuss various different issues. But considering how vulnerable manager’s are to the sack in football, I often think they should pick their fights more carefully. Manager’s in my opinion are too keen and too readily speak on issues which simply don’t concern them.

Let me know your thoughts on Twitter @jimmylowson.

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Liverpool fans have been given encouragement that a proposed deal to sign Lyon midfielder Nabil Fekir is not dead in the water.

The Frenchman’s agent Jean-Pierre Bernes is responsible for giving the Reds’ fanbase hope after suggesting that the transfer could still go through.

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Earlier this month, Fekir seemed destined for Liverpool, and it was only a matter of time before the deal was officially announced.

However, the proposed move collapsed at the eleventh hour, sending shockwaves through the Liverpool fans.

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It has been widely suggested that an underlying knee problem was the cause of the Reds opting not to risk a £53m deal.

However, while speaking to French television channel LCI – as reported by the Liverpool Echo – Bernes said:

“He didn’t sign because um… it is not over! This is not the end of the story.”

At the moment, Fekir is with the France national team at the World Cup in Russia, so if any deal is to happen, then it is unlikely to be completed prior to the end of the tournament.

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Liverpool fans, the majority of whom have been desperate for the midfielder to sign, have been reacting to the latest update on Reddit.

Comment from discussion Nabil Fekir’s agent: “Nabil Fekir passed the medical checkup for Liverpool – He did not sign because uh it’s not over! The story isn’t over.”.Comment from discussion Nabil Fekir’s agent: “Nabil Fekir passed the medical checkup for Liverpool – He did not sign because uh it’s not over! The story isn’t over.”.Comment from discussion Nabil Fekir’s agent: “Nabil Fekir passed the medical checkup for Liverpool – He did not sign because uh it’s not over! The story isn’t over.”.Comment from discussion Nabil Fekir’s agent: “Nabil Fekir passed the medical checkup for Liverpool – He did not sign because uh it’s not over! The story isn’t over.”.Comment from discussion Nabil Fekir’s agent: “Nabil Fekir passed the medical checkup for Liverpool – He did not sign because uh it’s not over! The story isn’t over.”.

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Comment from discussion Nabil Fekir’s agent: “Nabil Fekir passed the medical checkup for Liverpool – He did not sign because uh it’s not over! The story isn’t over.”.Comment from discussion Nabil Fekir’s agent: “Nabil Fekir passed the medical checkup for Liverpool – He did not sign because uh it’s not over! The story isn’t over.”.

Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has attracted interest from other clubs, according to Sky Sports.

What’s the word?

So far, the Spanish coach has stayed loyal to the Magpies ever since he took over in March 2016.

Transfer windows have not gone to plan for Benitez, but the 57-year-old has a good relationship with the fans, who have given the coach hero status.

After failing to keep Newcastle in the Premier League during his first three months in charge, the Spaniard guided the club back to the top tier by winning the Championship in the 2016-17 season.

In the current campaign, the Magpies are fighting for survival as they sit just one point above the relegation zone, but Benitez’s job has not been in doubt from the club’s point of view.

According to Sky Sports, the manager has a number of suitors keeping a close eye on his situation at St James’ Park.

The broadcaster believes that Newcastle will struggle to keep hold of Benitez if a proposed takeover does not go through and Mike Ashley remains in charge.

Could Benitez be tempted away?

As the report states, a lot will depend on the direction that the club are heading in with regards to new owners.

Benitez has made his unhappiness with lack of transfer funds clear before, and that could be a main priority of his when deciding his future.

The Spaniard has a strong pedigree having coached Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli and Real Madrid.

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If the opportunity comes along for Benitez to be coaching a team vying for titles and trophies, nobody could blame him for moving on from Newcastle.

The North-East outfit are a long way from competing for silverware.

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The much anticipated coronation party on Merseyside didn’t quite pan out as expected at the weekend.

In the managerial encounter between the former allies, it was the master that resoundingly triumphed over the apprentice. Jose Mourinho played the role of pantomime villain perfectly as his “shadow” Chelsea side dented Brendan Rodgers’ hopes of delivering Liverpool’s first league title since 1990.

But it was also a defeat which perfectly illustrated the gap between Liverpool and their title rivals. While Chelsea and Manchester City have an embarrassment of riches at their disposal, Rodgers is betrayed by a lack of genuine quality beyond his first XI. With the demands placed upon the elite clubs, modern football is very much a squad game. And unfortunately for Liverpool, they learnt that lesson the hard way against Mourinho’s much-changed side.

With the millions invested at Stamford Bridge by Roman Abramovich over the years, it is difficult to truly label any XI which the “Special One” can select as a “shadow” side. Tomas Kalas was handed a Premier League debut but the Blues were still able to call upon the experience of the likes of Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Jon Obi Mikel.

But true to Mourinho’s word, it was a much-changed team. For one reason or another, it was an XI deprived of a number of key individuals. Petr Cech, Samuel Eto’o, Eden Hazard and John Terry were all ruled out through injury. Ramires was suspended whilst Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Oscar and Willian were all rested or dropped to the bench ahead of the visit of Atletico on Wednesday.

It was a team selection which ultimately still secured the victory whilst still managing to prioritise the Champions League.

In contrast, Rodgers named an unchanged eleven from the side that secured a 3-2 victory at Carrow Road to record their eleventh consecutive Premier League victory. In the absence of any European commitments, Liverpool have benefited enormously from a relaxed schedule in their domestic pursuits.

Aside from the suspended Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge, Rodgers arguably selected his strongest team. Due to the conditions of his loan agreement, Victor Moses was ineligible but having failed to impress in his stint at Anfield so far, the Nigerian would likely have only occupied a spot on the substitutes bench.

For all of Liverpool’s possession and territorial advantage, the Premier League’s top scoring side failed to fashion any clear chances of note over the entire ninety minutes.  Trailing 1-0 and failing to break down the resolute Chelsea defence, Rodgers turned to Sturridge as his only substitute that realistically could have changed the game. When that didn’t work, Liverpool’s hopes were then unfortunately pinned upon Iago Aspas. Inevitably, the flop from Celta Vigo failed to make an impact.

When Plan A failed, Rodgers looked to his bench and realised that he didn’t have a Plan B. Given time to adapt, maybe Aspas and fellow summer recruit Luis Alberto will prove to have something to offer at Anfield in the future. But as it stands, Liverpool don’t possess the same quality within their squad as their title rivals and it is perhaps surprising that this wasn’t exposed until the last weekend of April.

In contast, Mourinho was able to call upon a £50 million replacement for Demba Ba in the shape of Fernando Torres. £32 million summer signing Willian provided fresh legs when the Brazilian replaced Mohamed Salah just past the hour. The crucial goal in the contest was scored by arguably the club’s third choice striker, with Ba finding his opportunities limited under the “Special One.”

How Rodgers must envy the depth of talent his managerial adversary had to call upon.

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It is a defeat which cruelly stripped Liverpool’s destiny from out of their own hands. Twists and turns in the remainder of the title race are still to be expected. But Liverpool need to learn the lessons from this demoralising defeat regardless of the season’s outcome.

With Champions League football beckoning and future title challenges now expected, the club’s owners need to back Rodgers in the transfer market this summer. Liverpool possess a starting eleven capable of mixing it with the country’s finest but without a capable squad, the Anfield outfit will struggle to continually compete with their rivals.

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If ever there was a good barometer for a player’s general respect in this league, perhaps you need to look no further than the fall out from Clint Dempsey’s summer transfer from Fulham to Tottenham Hotspur.

While the American had been linked with a move away from Craven Cottage this past summer, neither Dempsey, his new manager Andre Villas-Boas nor the associated media, appeared to give away any inkling that a move to White Hart Lane was ever in the offing. His subsequent deadline day move to N17 felt something of a marriage of convenience, rather than a victorious end to a hard fought transfer chase.

But with 17 league goals to his name last season, an imperious work rate and an ability to perform consistently in a number of positions, fans received Dempsey’s signature with a warmth that belied his somewhat muted arrival. And from what we’ve seen so far, the American has done exactly what he says on the tin.

Since making his debut for the Lilywhites in the 3-1 win away to Reading, Dempsey, has hustled, harried and even buried the winner for Spurs’ first win at Manchester United in 23 years. But although he’s performed adequately enough since his arrival, is he really a player that fits the needs of this Tottenham Hotspur team?

Because as efficient and as effective as Dempsey may be, it still feels difficult to see where he really fits in within the confines of how Andre Villas-Boas wishes to play. The reality, as harsh as it may seem, was that Dempsey was brought in, as something of a back up to a multitude of other deals that Tottenham didn’t manage to complete on time. The lack of touted speculation and the deadline day timing of the deal, are no coincidence.

And it shows, too. You can’t shake the feeling that Dempsey was brought in the hope that he’d click into the AVB jigsaw, rather than looking at the necessary facts. Because if you were going to construct a shortlist at the beginning of the window of players that would effectively play in the Portuguese’s 4-2-3-1 set-up, the chances are that Dempsey probably wouldn’t be making it very high up. Yet nonetheless, now he’s here, Villas-Boas is making a very good go at trying to eek out the best from him.

The problem with a player like Dempsey, is that it seems extremely cynical to critique a player who hasn’t been playing all that badly. Of course, the American turned in arguably his worst performance since his time at White Hart Lane in the 4-2 defeat to Chelsea. But then again, that statement rings true for a vast majority of his Spurs teammates as well.

Indeed, judging him after five games is hardly offering a fair representation within a team that is still by virtue, still in transition, although watching Dempsey certainly offers some interesting evaluations. He’s been predominantly deployed in the central position of Villas-Boas’ attacking three, behind the lone front man, which has so far been Jermain Defoe. And he’s not done too badly at all.

Keen to join in the build up play with a few neat, if not frenetic touches, Dempsey’s looked an intelligent player since arriving in N17. His solitary goal in a Tottenham shirt may well be the easiest he puts away all season, but he showed a decent bit of nous to carry on his run and take the gamble when Bale took his shot for the third goal at Old Trafford. You don’t get 17 Premier League goals in one ter without a degree of footballing intellect.

Although it feels significant that what was arguably Dempsey’s best personal showing in a Spurs shirt so far, came in the 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers last month. After a lackadaisical first 45 against Mark Hughes’s side, Andre Villas-Boas switched his side to a 4-4-2, with Dempsey supporting Jermain Defoe and the difference in quality was palpable. Dempsey looked dangerous, offering a genuine goal threat and wielding what felt like far more of an influence than what we’ve seen in his other outings so far.

The distinct problem is of course, that Andre Villas-Boas doesn’t set his team out in a way designed to suit Dempsey. Spurs’ new number two might have scored a lot of goals for Fulham last season, but it’s worth noting that Martin Jol focused his side’s play around him. The American is by no means a poor choice in the central role of Villas-Boas’ attacking unit, but he his game isn’t hugely suited to playing that role, either.

An intelligent player he may be, but he’s not someone who you can perhaps look to directing the play through as an attacking focal point. Again, short, sharp touches, clever late runs into the box and neat attacking bursts are Dempsey’s game. Play to these strengths and you can milk goals out of him. But looking to Dempsey to create the link between the frontman and the rest of the side is asking a lot and although he’s performing the job admirably, it doesn’t feel organic. At home especially, this certainly isn’t helping to the side’s sometimes-labored efforts going forward.

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Playing in that role with Defoe in front of you can’t be particularly easy and despite his goal scoring prowess, the more esteemed all round play of Emmanuel Adebayor, could offer a better foil for Dempsey. He has time on his side to grow into his new position.

Clint Dempsey is a proven commodity in the Premier League and his versatility and reliability, are real assets to Andre Villas-Boas; he gives the Portuguese a number of options and an element of variety in the final third.

But for however admirable his merits are and for however effective he may prove to be, you can’t shake the feeling that he’s a component of compromise, as opposed to one of change.

How do you feel about Clint Dempsey’s place in this Tottenham side? The right man for the position or an awkward piece in the jigsaw? Let me know what you think on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus to talk all things Tottenham.