There is no trophy for finishing fourth in the Premier League. Just ask Arsenal fans. However, Arsene Wenger has repeatedly told anyone willing to listen that finishing in that spot is more important than winning a cup competition. Of course, he would say that. The Gunners have not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup but have qualified for the Champions League for 16 years in a row. For many years, Arsenal finishing in the top four should not have been considered a success. Last March, however, Wengers men lost 2-1 at White Hart Lane to fourth-placed Tottenham and trailed their North London rivals by seven points with ten games to spare. Spurs would go on to falter, while Arsenal hit top gear, going on to maintain their qualification record for Europes elite club competition. Andre Villas-Boas team finished fifth, one point behind Arsenal for the second straight year. Over 38 matches the margin was as slim as it was painful. Tottenham became the first team in Premier League history to get to 72 points and not finish in the top four. The 1.89 points per game was their most successful season point-wise since 1967. Yet, nobody knew or cared. They had finished outside the top four, missed out on the Champions League and were about to lose their best player in Gareth Bale. Bales brilliance last season made him virtually irreplaceable. In the 17 Premier League games he scored in last season Tottenhams record was 14 wins, two draws and one loss. He was that important. However, under the guidance of new technical director Franco Baldini, Spurs had a fabulous summer in the transfer market, spending over 100 million pounds on Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue, Paulinho, Vlad Chiriches, Nacer Chadli, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen. None of those players were Bale, but Bale was winning Tottenham matches last season which regularly featured players such as Scott Parker, Tom Huddlestone, Clint Dempsey and Benoit Assou-Ekotto. "We are stronger than the previous year, we had problems last year when we had a couple or replaced some key players, now we have quality in depth," said Villas-Boas after a win over Norwich earlier this season. Quality in depth has not led to an improvement so far. The 2013/14 season was supposed to be a season where Spurs fans wouldnt be reminded of the loss of Bale. Sixteen games into the Premier League season and the White Hart Lane faithful are still waiting to move on. If their Premier League campaign took a wrong turn in a recent 6-0 thumping at Man City, it officially went off the rails on Sunday when they were humiliated 5-0 at home to Liverpool. "This is a game all about the brilliance of Liverpool," preached the commentator at the conclusion of the match, and although Brendan Rodgers side performed very well, the harsh reality for Villas-Boas was his side were absolutely pathetic. Sure, Luis Suarez scored at least one goal, of his two, that few players in the game could have scored, Jordan Hendersons runs from deep terrorized Tottenhams makeshift back four and Paulinhos red card at 2-0 didnt help, but anyone who could make a claim that Tottenham didnt deserve to lose by five goals would be missing the point. They were outclassed in all departments by a Liverpool team who last season won just one game from 12 against the top six. It was an alarming defeat that even his admirers struggled to back him after. It was a minority group growing quieter by the week. By Monday morning, when he was sacked, few felt it was the wrong decision. You see, the 36-year-old does not endear himself to others. Publicly, this season he attacked his own fans, his own players and the media. When he said his team needed to be ashamed of themselves following the loss at Manchester City those in his camp could have said the language barrier may have been to blame for a misguided, harsh attack on his players. However, when he took on the teams supporters following a home win against Hull City there was nothing for his backers to hide behind. "This victory belongs to the players, they did it themselves, playing in a very difficult atmosphere, with almost no support coming. We have a wonderful set of fans but I am pretty sure they can do better and they know they can do better." It was the sort of quote, Jose Mourinho wouldnt have even got away with. It was a remarkable statement from a man who has had been at the club for less than 18 months, and achieved nothing as a manager in England. A win in the league cup a few days later, against Hull again, apparently, according to Villas-Boas, saw the fans get back to the level the manager demanded. However, football fans have long memories and the manager had picked on the wrong group. His next target was the media. After drawing 2-2 in the week, following the loss to Man City, he said: "the pressure this week was aggressive and agenda driven, (I am) very fortunate to have a group of players who responded in this manner to show the unity of the group." There is little doubt that some writers, and radio personalities, in England did not believe Villas-Boas is good enough to manage Tottenham. However, targeting certain individuals for things they wrote, online and in the newspaper, showed a touchy, oversensitive side from Villas-Boas at a time when he needed to stay away from the headlines. He is not a man blessed with the charisma of Mourinho - very few are - but in his media interviews, through the directness of his answers, comes confidence and a self-assurance that would point towards not caring what others think. Yet, the current court of public opinion is England, a country, yet to be convinced by a man who Chelsea fired less than a season into the job, and easily influenced by what pundits and writers have to say. It is a battle that Villas-Boas, who was hired, for a reason, to take charge of two huge clubs in England before he turned 35, could only win by proving himself with his team. And that is where he needed to turn, to his players, to find the vindication he so clearly needed. However, the players, bankrolled by Daniel Levy, and trusted by Baldini, to deliver, so far did not perform anywhere close to the level Tottenham require and thats why Villas-Boas has lost his job. The nonsense in the media, making him bigger than the club, certainly contributed to it but ultimately he didnt get the best out of the players and the way they were humiliated at home to Liverpool is sure to send thoughts of doubt into the players mind about their manager. Once that happens, a change is necessary. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was signed to excel behind a high back line but he repeatedly made poor judgements coming off his line and has costed the team a number of goals already this season. The 6-0 loss at the Etihad embarrassed the incredibly high line their defence play with and they were able to take seven points from a possible nine following that when they sat deeper, yet they returned to that style against Liverpool and were badly exposed in that area again. It is clear Capoue and Michael Dawson have no understanding together but the fact the manager decided that approach at the start, and stuck with it throughout the game, leaves many to question his tactical acumen. Surely, Capoue, covering for many injuries at the centre back position, would have been helped by playing closer to his goalkeeper and keeping Suarez in front of him more. Further up the pitch confusion remained. Against Manchester United, Spurs started, and finished with, three central midfielders for the first time, but Paulinhos inclusion, alongside Sandro and Moussa Dembele, was merely to play off the front striker, pushing the wingers slightly deeper in a formation that could be labelled 4-4-1-1. That is how he began the match against Liverpool, but by the time Paulinho was sent off, he had gone from being the most attack-minded central midfielder to the deepest holding midfielder behind Lewis Holtby and Chadli, after Sandro left through injury and the ineffective Dembele was substituted. Paulinho is one of the clubs best players and his manager needed to decide whether he is best suited as an attacking midfielder, like he played at Corinthians, or as a defensive midfielder, sitting deeper and making occasional runs forward, like he does for Brazil. Spurs could have played a midfield three the way Liverpool did - having one holder and two runners in front of him - but that requires their wide players to perform and this season this has not been a strong point for Tottenham. In Soldado, they have signed a player who scored all of his La Liga goals last season in the penalty box. He needs service. He is certainly culpable for the clubs issues in front of goal as well, but Villas-Boas system did not get the best out of his wide players with many cutting in too often, and those staying out wide delivering far too many poor crosses. It is easy to point to the many shots on goal and the brilliant performances of David De Gea and Tim Krul, in particular, to deny them in recent matches but there is a glaring issue with their unity in attack. Too many goals have come from long-range shots, errors by their opponents or penalty kicks and too few have come from moves created by themselves. The Villas-Boas high defensive line has some strengths but the fact is he has just 22 clean sheets in 81 Premier League games as a manager. Games come thick and fast this time of year and we are less than two weeks away from the Premier League season being half over. Villas-Boas ran out of time to find a system and style of play that can get the best out of his players. On Sunday he disagreed, saying: "I do not need to convince anybody, our run in the other competitions have been magnificent, our form in the Premier League is not there but our ambition to win trophies is still the same, the ambition to qualify for the Champions League is still the same." It turned out beating up on the likes of Aston Villa, Hull (on penalties), Anzhi, Tromso and some team called Sheriff meant little at this time. A trophy for the fans would be great but at the moment many of those matches have become an inconvenience where the form simply does not translate to the league. Finishing fifth last season, and not fourth, denied Villas-Boas a real European theatre to perform, allowing him time to get over any issues he has domestically. There is no trophy for finishing fourth in the Premier League. But there is little doubt it offers a manager real security. Just ask Arsene Wenger. Kolton Miller Jersey . With the players association in the midst of meetings in Las Vegas, a vote will be held on Friday to decide the CFLPAs presidency and other executive positions. Oakland Raiders Jerseys . Calgarys Bo Levi Mitchell and Montreals Troy Smith will be the starting quarterbacks in a CFL season-opener for the first time in their careers. Both want to reinforce their No. 1 status. You can watch the game live in the first half of a doubleheader on TSN and TSN GO at 3:00pm et/Noon pt. http://www.footballraidersmall.com/Youth-Emmanuel-Lamur-Elite-Jersey/ . Marie rink got back in the win column at the Olympic mens curling tournament with a 7-4 win over the host Russian squad on Wednesday. Arden Key Raiders Jersey .Just like old times.Only this time, just one got to enjoy a victory.James return to Miami as an opponent was a success — for the Heat, that is. Wade scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half, Luol Deng had 25 points and dogged James defensively all night, and the Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91 in a hyped Christmas matchup Thursday. Marcus Gilchrist Jersey . - Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors will coach the Western Conference in the All-Star Game on Feb.BEREA, Ohio -- Barkevious Mingos injury has gone from maybe serious to mysterious. Clevelands rookie linebacker remains sidelined with a bruised lung, a "freakish" injury the first-round pick believes he sustained nearly a week ago on the opening kickoff of an exhibition against Detroit. Mingo was hospitalized for two days with the injury, which he said caused him to twice spit up blood and gave him shortness of breath before he was taken out of last Thursdays game. Mingo said he has been symptom free since last week, but its still not clear when he was injured. Mingo will not play in Saturdays preseason game at Indianapolis, and its likely he will be kept of the final exhibition against Chicago as well. On Wednesday, Mingo was seen taking a nap while lying across several chairs in the locker room. After he woke up, he told reporters that he has improved, but that doctors still arent allowing him to practice. He reiterated that he does not think the injury occurred before last weeks 24-6 win over the Lions, and said he had never had those symptoms before experiencing them on the sideline. "Everything is feeling good," Mingo said. "Everyone is happy with the progress and now were just waiting to see what the doctors say, so we can get back." Mingo was last seen by doctors and had more tests on Tuesday, but the No. 6 overall pick has not been cleared to practice and hasnt been told when hell be able to return to the field. For the moment, hes only allowed to observe practice, and doctors have discouraged him from doing any running. Mingo was joined on the sideline by starting outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard, who was held out with an unspecified knee injury. Browns coach Rob Chudzinski did not mention Sheard as one of the players who would miss practice when he was asked for a list earlier in the day. During practice, a team spokesman said Sheard is day-to-day. The sight of Mingo and Sheard standing side-by-side on the sideline with towels draped over their heads had to be concerning to the Browns, who are counting on the pair to rush the quarterback. With Sheard out, Quentin Groves worked with Clevelands first-team defence on the opposite side of Paul Kruger. The Browns will wait for Mingos bruise to heal completely before hes allowed back on the fieldd.dddddddddddd Hes promised hell try to be a patient patient. "Im listening to the doctors, listening to the coaches," he said. "Thats all I know." Chudzinski didnt provide much of an update on Mingo. "The timeline nobody really knows exactly," he said. "It is just a matter of how quickly his body heals." Mingo doesnt recall being hit on the opening kickoff last week or remember any significant impact that may have caused his unusual injury. As he waits for medical clearance, Mingo is doing all he can to stay sharp. Hes asking veteran teammates for pointers and offering encouragement as they go through drills without him. He said its not difficult to stay upbeat while watching. "This is what we do as football players," he said. "We listen to our coaches and if they say we want you to run down there and hit that guy on the play, you go down there and hit the guy on the play. If youve got to sit out for a couple weeks or whatever, you sit out and then you come out ready to go." Mingo, who last month signed a four-year, $16.35 million contract with a team option for a fifth year, could only remember missing one game because of injury. He said its weird having to watch. "Thats one thing they (doctors) were talking about," he said. "You feel great but youre not going to be (great), so you might as well rest up." ---- NOTES: DE Brian Sanford was back after his trade to the Seahawks was rescinded when guard John Moffitt failed his physical with the Browns. Sanford flew to Seattle, took a physical and thought he was starting a new NFL chapter when he was told to head back to Cleveland. It was a strange 24 hours. "Experiences like these, you should soak in, because in this league you never know where youre going to be or whats going to happen," he said. "Im just gonna play as hard as I can and hope I can continue my career playing football." ... Chudzinski named Tashaun Gipson the clubs starting free safety alongside T.J. Ward. ... Chudzinski said Clevelands starters will play most of three quarters on Saturday against the Colts, but running back Trent Richardson and others coming off injuries may play less. ... Rookie CB Leon McFadden intercepted two passes during practice. ' ' '