In March of this year, the Football Association conceded that there were a number of matters that were no longer within the scope of their governance, as it officially relinquished its authority in areas of vital importance. One such power given up by the FA, the distribution of wealth away from the Premiership, has left clubs in the Football League dangerously exposed.

It is inherently natural and correct that those in the highest division of football should be reaping the highest rewards; after all, they have earned their right to play amongst the nation’s best and should be granted the financial benefits which follow. Football has always been a meritocratic system whereby the cream of the crop are most adequately endowed with cash. Yet the sheer magnitude of divergence in wealth between the Premier League and the Football League in modern football is threatening the very existence of football clubs in the lower leagues.

For all the rampant riches which have seen the English Premier League become the most watched and most talked about in the World as well as bringing significant continental success to English clubs, there exists a more sinister side to the deluge of wealth which has flooded English football in recent years.

In the past five years alone, clubs in the Football League have gone into administration a total of twelve times, whilst former league sides Rushden & Diamonds, Chester City and Halifax Town have all been liquidated and reformed lower down the Non-League pyramid. Particularly in the case of Chester and Halifax, these are clubs with rich, enduring and vibrant histories in the Football League which have been needlessly cut short. Whilst some financial mismanagement of behalf of the clubs may have contributed to their demise, it is predominantly the disparaging state of finance in comparison to the Premier League which is responsible.

When analysing the fortunes of clubs relegated from the Premier League, it is evident that the transition into the Football League is one fraught with innumerable difficulties. Of the teams relegated since the turn of the Millennium, eleven have subsequently dropped into the third tier or lower at some stage: Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford, Leicester, Leeds, Norwich, Southampton, Sheffield United and Charlton with Wimbledon folding altogether, whilst Portsmouth and Coventry will play in League One as of next season.

Intriguingly, most clubs have seen their subsequent fall into the third tier come in a period of 2-5 years after relegation from the Premier League; around the time parachute payments dry up, around the time attendances begin to fatally fall as a result of loss of stature, and around the time any income made from the time spent in top flight is fluttered away to simply keep the club afloat. Of those highlighted above, Bradford, Leicester, Leeds, Southampton and Portsmouth would go into administration in the following years, whilst the same fate fell upon Crystal Palace in 2010.

Not only are former Premier League clubs affected, but lower down the pyramid sides with little or no notable success yet equally abundant histories are most perilously positioned. In the past two seasons both Plymouth Argyle and Port Vale have both received ten point deductions for entering administration. Neither club have ever reached the top flight of English football, yet are two of the most distinguished institutions in the Football League. Despite being two of the best supported clubs in the lower leagues, the traditional revenue streams of gate receipts are almost invalid as clubs engage in utter dependence upon television money, sales of top players grants from the Football League.

Yet with the Football Association surrendering increasing power to the Premier League, there remains no tangible system of regulating wealth distribution. The Premier League as a political institution now nurtures a frightening level of influence over football’s finances, which in the coming years will only result in a widening of the poverty gap. The separation of the FA and the Premier League has rendered the FA a lame duck, sitting and waiting for its successor to assume power, as the pure monetary potency of the Premier League eclipses all else. The Football League, try as they may, are held captive in this power struggle whilst their members bare the full consequences.

Clubs pour ill-affordable resources into reaching the promised land. But once the dream has died, once the dazzling hyperbole of the Premier League fades away, only strife remains. There is a contingency plan in place in the form of parachute payments, but these are of no measure to the millions that clubs commit in trying to retain or attain Premier League status. Meanwhile, even those with more modest ambitions are fighting for survival as funds fail to drip down from the very top and leave those at the bottom struggling to persist.

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Unless the Football Association are able to wrestle power back from the Premier League, the juggernaut will continue assuming greater financial clout and endanger the existence of the rest. There is life outside the Premier League, yet it is slowly being suffocated by the incessant greed of top flight clubs. It is time to start sharing.

Agree or disagree, I want to hear from you – @acherrie1

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Is the dreadful June weather currently matching the mood at White Hart Lane? With no Champions League football to lure potential transfer targets and Cold War like tensions between Harry Redknapp and Daniel Levy proving terminal, it looks set to be a summer of upheaval in N17.

Such uncertainty over the managerial post at White Hart Lane certainly isn’t helping a team with more than a fair bit of work to do in the transfer market. The departures of Emmanuel Adebayor and Louis Saha leave a frontline that is in some need of addressing and the destinies of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale could have quite an impact on the personnel coming and going this summer.

But the Lilywhite’s will, as ever, remain an attractive prospect to players both at home and on the continent. And just in case Spurs’ shortlist gets scuppered by the absence of Europe’s premier cup competition, here are ten more realistic targets for Harry Redknapp’s successor, that won’t mind plying their trade in the Europa League.

Click on Giuseppe Rossi to unveil the top 10

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What do you think of the players mentioned? Happy to see any of these boys in a Spurs shirt? Or are you still gunning for the Llorente’s of this world? Follow me on Twitter and let me know who you’re craving, @samuel_antrobus

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Everyone loves their football rumours and therefore the summer can often be one of the most exciting times in football despite the lack of playing action. This summer has been filled with more football than you’d usually expect to see at the end of a season though, thanks to the European Championships. Whilst the football on offer was of the highest quality, the tournament did have one downside; all the coverage surrounded events in Poland and Ukraine and not the open transfer window.

However, the Premier League clubs have still been busy, tying up a number of deals before pre-season starts again and making the adjustments to their squads to try and better their league position from last year. A lot of this movement has taken place under the radar and is easy to miss unless you keep a keen eye on proceedings. However, using our A-Z of the transfer window, you can check out any deals you might have missed and catch up with the summer’s transfer activity so far.

Click on Xisco below to unveil the A-Z of the transfer window

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Arsene Wenger has reiterated his desire to keep Robin van Persie at the Emirates Stadium next season but the Dutch striker is not the first player the Frenchman has tried to keep at the club. After forcing the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry into one final stint in North London with mixed results, many Arsenal fans are questioning the merits of keeping another unhappy player at the club when the potential money received for him could be reinvested in the squad.

It’s a debate that has split Gunners fans down the middle for many believe Van Persie is such a talented player that keeping him is must while others feel his motivation will be affected and struggle to see the value of losing upwards of £20m for one more season. After all the prolific form he enjoyed last time out has not been a consistent part of his injury prone Arsenal career and having only signed for £2.75m from Feyenoord back in 2004, any fee received would still represent a decent profit for a player with only one impressive season on his CV. Clearly the forward possesses enough talent to attract admirable stares from Europe’s top teams but it’s unclear how inclined Arsenal will be to offloading him onto one of their rivals. Ultimately it boils down to some all important questions, would Arsenal fans prefer to keep Van Persie or sell him and if the latter then who would they be happiest selling him to?

So far Manchester City, Manchester United and Juventus have all been credited with an interest and while keeping their cards as close to their chest as possible, each team has reportedly made a tentative offer that falls well short of Arsenal’s valuation. The inevitable cat and mouse of transfer negotiations will most likely rumble on for most of the summer as Arsene Wenger plays hardball and prospective buyers try to keep the fee as low as possible but after the fiasco surrounding Fabregas and Samir Nasri last summer, many supporters are keen to conclude the issue and move on. This is because it’s becoming increasingly likely that the striker will be seeking pastures new and it’s unproductive to delay his departure so much that it becomes increasingly difficult to find a replacement, especially if transfer deadline day has anything to say about it. Many believe it’s far better to sell Van Persie before the season starts and concentrate on organizing the remaining players for an important campaign than have their preparations disrupted by uncertainty. After all one season of RVP upfront isn’t worth £20-£30m and however nostalgically fans want to remember his stint in North London, he’s often been injured and has only recently proven his worth before deciding he’s bigger than the club.

They have moved on without the likes of Henry and Patrick Vieira so clearly they can continue without the Dutchman’s influence. In fact few players who leave North London go on to bigger and better things so perhaps cashing in on a player who could leave for free next season is the wisest option. That is as long as the club receives a suitable fee for his services and unfortunately while the earlier mentioned sentiments are perfectly valid, the reality is a vicious cycle is set to ensue. The club want any deal to be done quickly and have a price in mind but buyers want the best deal and are willing to wait until Arsenal lower their demands. While they would happily keep the player, they also appreciate his desire to leave and as such require a suitable deal to satisfy all parties. It remains to be seen who will break first but it’s complicated drama that will dominate the rest of the summer transfer headlines.

Such is the inevitability of the situation that if, as expected, the striker does leave then the biggest concern is where his future actually lies. While fans may be resigned to his departure, the prospect of seeing another of their stars defecting to Manchester City is indicative of a shift in dominance currently transpiring in the Premier League. While Manchester United have openly admitted their own interest, there is still a distinct rivalry between the teams that implies Van Persie will not be allowed to join Old Trafford out of principle while City’s ‘new kid on the block’ mentality seems to allow them to take Arsenal’s top players without the club feeling quite so aggrieved. Links with Juventus are perhaps more acceptable in the eyes of the Gunners faithful as he would be playing in a different league and as such would not be reminding them of the ever increasing shift in Premier League power. It’s certainly a move that would appeal to both clubs but the Turin based side do not offer a particularly attractive challenge for a player who insists he is not concerned by money and is looking for a better chance of winning silverware.

If United and Juventus cannot conclude a deal for the striker then the sad truth is Van Persie will be plying his trade in Premier League next season but this may not be want Arsenal fans want to hear and given the lack of viable options on offer it’s becoming more and more likely the striker will be lining up in Sky Blue rather than Red and White next season.

Should Arsenal cash in on Robin van Persie? Should they keep the striker and let his contract expire to get one last season out of him?

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

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Chelsea are interested in signing Marseille right back Cesar Azpilicuenta for a reported £7 million, according to the Daily Mail.

22 year old Azpilicuenta is currently in Great Britain as he focuses on representing Spain in the Olympics, and Roberto Di Matteo is interested in signing him as the right back position remains vacant after the release of Jose Bosingwa earlier in the summer.

Chelsea had been heavily linked with Inter Milan full back Maicon since the transfer window opened earlier this month, but a potential move to Real Madrid tempted the Brazilian full back more, leaving all talks regarding a move to England on hold.

However, this is not the first time the West London club have been linked with Spain international Azpilicuenta, having enquired into his availability when Andre Villas-Boas was manager at Stamford Bridge.

Should the Blues sign the Spaniard, it would mark their fourth bit of business this summer, having earlier signed Marko Marin, Eden Hazard and Oscar, with £64 million already spent.

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QPR manager Mark Hughes is also a big fan of the 22 year old full back, having tried to sign him during his managerial spell at Manchester City, but a move to Loftus Road seems highly unlikely.

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Everton and Tottenham have received opposing fortunes in recent games but both firmly have their eyes fixed upon the Champions League positions.

The Toffees are winless in three as they look to re-build their early season momentum, especially at Goodison Park. They are proving difficult to beat as they have been involved in eight draws already, but they need to start picking up three points to rejuvenate the side and mount a fourth-placed challenge.

Spurs are not having any such troubles and are flying at the moment. Andre Villas- Boas’ side have secured maximum points in their last three outings including impressive wins over West Ham and Fulham. The North London side even managed to ensure qualification to the next stage of the Europa League with a 3-1 victory over Panathinaikos on Thursday night.

Now that Tottenham have re-established themselves to be level on points with third-placed Chelsea, they will want to ensure that they maintain a level of consistency.

AVB is expected to be without Michael Dawson who has a slim chance of recovering for Sunday. Gareth Bale is also not expected to make the trip to Merseyside while Lloris should replace Friedel in goal, following the American’s start on Thursday.

David Moyes will have the luxury of being able to select the same starting XI as he has done for the third game running if he so chooses. There are no new injury or suspension concerns, so Everton remain fresh going into this fixture.

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Despite Everton being draw specialists, Tottenham have gone 12 games without a draw in the Premier League.

Prediction: Everton 1-1 Tottenham

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As Brendan Rodgers tucked himself into bed on Friday night, never in his worst nightmares could he have conjured up how his first Premier League match in charge of Liverpool would unfold.

It was supposed to be a routine victory at The Hawthrons, a ground Liverpool have relished playing at in the past. It was supposed to be a chance to build on the pre season optimism, to impress fans and pundits with a performance and to implement the new  ‘philosophy’ Rodgers has been preaching about ever since he walked through the famous Anfield gates.

Instead, mayhem followed. Three goals, two penalties and a red card later, Liverpool and Rodgers were walking back to the dressing room knowing they had suffered their heaviest opening day defeat since 1937.

If Rodgers was under any illusions as to how difficult a task it would be to awake this sleeping giant, he certainly wasn’t anymore. His post match comments certainly suggested he was more than aware of the enormous task in front of him.

“I knew the task was a big challenge, but obviously when you lose a game like we did on Saturday then it’s difficult to take,” said the Northern Irishman.

“I’ve known along the way it’s a big challenge and that’s something we need to make right.

“We are bitterly disappointed, but we’ll use that as a lever and learn from it, and go again.

“There are going to be more days of hurt as well, in terms of where we are trying to go.”

Rodgers added: “You never like to lose a game to have anything proven to the fans. Our supporters are very educated supporters, they know where we’re at.

“For 45 minutes we played some terrific stuff, and should have been in front.

“But we didn’t, and we lost the game. All managers want time but I understand the pressures of this game.”

Rodgers was backed up in his assessment of the game by his iconic captain Steven Gerrard, who insisted it was ‘no time for panic.’

Gerrard said:

” It’s only the first game and it was one bad day at the office.

“We’ve got to look at the bigger picture. There’s been so much hope around the place and rightly so.

“After a 3-0 defeat everyone is going to be concerned. It’s important that the likes of myself and the other experienced players take responsibility for a poor defeat.

“We have to put it behind us. We’ve got to dust ourselves down and bounce back against Hearts (in the Europa League) on Thursday night.

“We have to react in the right manner and look to put things right in the coming games.”

It had all been going so well for Rodgers and Liverpool up until this point, with optimism high amongst supporters following some good pre season results and performances.

Fabio Borini, Joe Allen and Oussama Assaidi had been added to the ranks, and talks of Nuri Sahin joining on loan from Real Madrid was the hot topic of conversation amongst fans, although now it seems the Turk is destined for the Emirates.

It seems Rodgers is going to have to bring in some more faces if his side are to mount any sort of challenge to to the top four, and prove that Saturday was a minor blip.

The main problem seems to lie in front of goal. Luis Suarez could have easily bagged himself a hat-trick on Saturday, but failed to even hit the target with three clear cut opportunities inside the box. Two were free headers, which makes you wonder what the story would have been had Andy Carroll been given the opportunity from the start.

With so much changing off the pitch for Liverpool, Saturday showed not much has changed on it as failure to finish countless chances again proved costly.

There is no doubting the ability of Luis Suarez, but in all honesty his finishing leaves a lot to be desired. He scored under 10% of his chances last season and bagged 11 Premier League goals.

It seems Liverpool are still a top class finisher short of realising their ambitions. Rodgers clearly doesn’t fancy Carroll, which is a shame considering the form he showed towards the back end of last season and during the Euro’s.

A poacher in the mould of Jermaine Defoe or Darren Bent would have put the game out of sight by half time on Saturday, and when you think of all those near misses last season and how costly they proved, it is remarkable a goal scoring striker has not been seen as a priority.

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Fabio Borini has been bought in but is operating on the left of a front three. With Downing not offering much at present, you feel a front three of Suarez Borini and Carroll could be the way forward for Rodgers. However, the fact Joe Cole was bought on ahead of the big number 9 with Liverpool 2-0 down and looking for a goal, suggests Carroll does not have a future at Anfield.

It is too early to draw conclusions, but perhaps the most worrying aspect following Saturday’s defeat was the tough run of fixtures Liverpool have to follow. Rodgers next four opportunities to get it right come against Manchester City, Arsenal, Sunderland and Manchester United.

It is not all doom and gloom for Liverpool. A positive result against Manchester City and everything changes. It is important the fans get behind Rodgers and the team, and do their best to make Anfield a fortress once again this season.

Rodgers has the spine of a fantastic team. A top goalkeeper in Reina, two fine centre backs in Skrtel and Agger, and the England full back in Johnson set the basis of a top defence.

The return to fitness of Lucas Leiva will prove crucial, whilst Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez need no introduction.

If Rodgers is smart in the remaining days of the transfer window, and a finisher is bought in, it could yet be a season to remember for Liverpool.

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Arsenal will receive a major boost next week when Jack Wilshere starts training with a football again. The England midfielder, 20, has not played for 13 months owing to ankle, foot and knee injuries. But he is close to completing a fitness regime designed to prepare him for full training and first-team football.

Wilshere is set to start another specially designed programme which will for the first time include extensive ball work, and Arsenal hope he will return to first-team action by the end of next month.  The news will be welcomed by manager Arsene Wenger, who has cited Wilshere’s pending return as one reason why he did not sign a central midfielder despite the loss of Alex Song to Barcelona.

Arsenal will be further lifted by the pending return of Bacary Sagna, 29, four months after he broke his leg against Norwich. The France right back is expected to resume full training by the end of the month.

Wenger made three major  signings this summer in Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud at an outlay of around £40million, but that expenditure has been offset by the key departures of Robin van Persie and Song, who between them have allowed the club to recoup £39m.

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Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has confessed that Demba Ba could well leave the club in January.

The Senegal international is said to be frustrated with a lack of opportunities for the Magpies, with the African forward being used from the bench by the Sports Direct Arena side of late.

With negative comments in the press by the player’s agent, Pardew has stated that a £7 million buyout clause in Ba’s contract could cause problems when the transfer window reopens.

“There is that clause in his contract and it makes us vulnerable. It’s still open in the next window,” Pardew told reporters, published on BBC Sport.

“‘I have spoken to Demba [about his agent] and told him I was disappointed with some of the comments around him. Sometimes it’s out of his control and out of my control.

“But we know each other well enough, and I’ve got no problems with him, because he is a team player who wants to do his best for the team. He has always been like that.

“I just think the agent stuff was people saying things they shouldn’t say, really. It doesn’t really affect myself and Demba, because we’ve got a very good relationship,” he concluded.

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Ba has been left out of the largely fringe 19-man squad that will travel to Portugal to take on Maritimo in the Europa League on Thursday.

By Gareth McKnight

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has insisted that Darren Bent remains an important player for the club, and hailed the striker after he bagged an equaliser against West Brom on Sunday.

The Scottish coach decided to start Gabriel Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke up front against the Baggies at Villa Park, however the England international came off the bench to cancel out Shane Long’s opener.

Lambert has insisted that Bent is an important man at the Midlands club, and the player took the news of missing out on a starting place well.

“He was great. There was no problem. I just named the team and that’s the team I picked,” he told Sky Sports after the 1-1 draw.

“It was a world-class substitution! I need everyone, it’s a collective thing, I never look at individuals. The goal was brilliant, it was a world-class finish.

“He was fine at full-time. I spoke to him in the dressing room as well. He was totally fine, totally, no problem, none.

“We played a world-class game in the first half and I thought we might even have gone a goal up before half-time.

“But I’m absolutely thrilled with their efforts. It was outstanding after playing 120 minutes the other night. They were excellent and kept on going.

“I thought we left ourselves a little bit open at times but I credit the team as they gave me absolutely everything.

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“West Brom are a good side and they’ve started the season really well, but we’re doing just fine at the moment,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight