When is enough not enough – how about three Premier League titles (’98, ’02 & ’04) and four FA Cups (’98, ’02, ’03 & ’05). For a perfectionist such as Arsene Wenger you can bet that it’s never enough. If Arsenal fails to advance against Liverpool on Tuesday night in the Champions League the ache will felt deeply as it will be three years since he last tasted that perfection in the form of silverware.

Three years is the longest trophy drought for the man known as the Professor since he arrived on English shores and took the reigns of Arsenal FC in 1996. In those days he was known as ‘Arsene Who’, no one calls him that anymore but one can’t help but wonder whether the three time Manager of the Year is beginning to lose his alchemists touch in the winning department?

You’ll find no argument from me regarding the quality of football that the Gunners have sometimes displayed this year. On occasions its reach a height that I’ve never seen before. The fluency, movement and sheer exhilaration of 100mph football being played flawlessly would take your breath away and it looked for much of the season that his boldness and belief in his kids would be rewarded – but then the lights were turned out.

Some may ask ‘where it all went wrong’ while others may say that this grand experiment in re-inventing football is a year ahead of schedule and that there were bound to be the odd hic-cup along the way.

If we look back at the campaign, Wenger’s decision not to aggressively enter the transfer market in July ’07 and in January ‘08 initially looked sound as they’ve topped the table for a total of 23 weeks. He only spent $16 million on Bakari Sagna and Lassana Diarra (who later moved to Portsmouth at a profit!) but its money that was not spent that looks like eventually hurting him.

I like many pundits thought that the squad while bursting with fresh, new and exciting talent was dangerously paper thin and above all lacked a ‘big’ personality. This has been borne out since the strange 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United in the 5th round of the FA Cup. What was once fast and stylish has now become slow and ponderous – it’s as though they’re punch drunk.

You can point to the win in Milan, which was epic, as was the comeback against Bolton last weekend but if you swing enough you’re bound to eventually connect. What’s missing is the stinging jab that’s landed over and over again.

Of course ‘Big’ personalities cost ‘big’ money and although Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry were all past their ‘sell-by-dates’ when Wenger wisely moved them out, their charisma and strength of personality has not been replaced. It wasn’t that he didn’t have a war chest though and when you consider that his three main challengers have spent in excess of $200 million since 2007, you have to wonder why the Emirates purse has been kept stashed firmly in his codpiece. For sure the players that have replaced the three ‘Highbury Titans’ are fitter and younger but it takes years to own a dressing room. When you look at the current behavior of club skipper, William Gallas, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

Supposedly Henry had too much of a say in the dressing room and with his diminishing skills was the reason that he was let go. Fair enough Arsene, I say but who is in charge now?

I know Wenger takes great pleasure in developing talent and his record is second to none but I can’t help but wonder whether he’s letting his ego get in the way of signing someone to boss his club where it matters – out on the park.

If you believe that Cesc Fabregas or Mathieu Flamini are the future, you’re correct, but they are not the complete finished article…yet!

At the end of the day Arsene Wenger wants to be in charge – he is in charge – he rules Arsenal and the Emirates, however, he needs to make available some space on his throne - for someone who is going to cost him a lot of money - and who will arrive in North London with an ego as big as his if not bigger.

Currently there is no danger of Wenger getting fired, in fact uttering that phrase would be considered sacrilegious but with football increasingly becoming more about the bottom line, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal Football Club need to start winning trophies again.

Until then, I’ll see you at the far post.

When the final whistle blows at the end of the Barclays Premier League on May 11th one member of the ‘big four’ will be writing a new chapter in their history.

When the final whistle blows at the Champions League final in Moscow on May 21st one member of the ‘big four’ will maybe writing a new chapter in their history.

It’s incredible to think that after eight months of the most intense competition on the footballing planet, in seven weeks time, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool could end the season empty handed – that means trophy-less.

Last season it was Arsenal and Liverpool that spent a summer asking ‘what if’. This season it’s almost impossible to predict ‘what if’ however the draw for the Champions League and a tense weekend in the Premiership have given me a clue where the last two major pieces of silverware are heading as far as the ‘B4’ are concerned.

Manchester United: 1st in the Premiership and a quarterfinal tie with Roma in the Champions League.

When you’re top of the league with nine to play its obvious that the title is in your own hands but in a way it isn’t. Sir Alex Ferguson still has to play his fiercest rivals, Liverpool, host Arsenal, who boast a decent record at Old Trafford and visit Stamford Bridge in late April. Three draws and tonking everyone else will guarantee Premiership trophy number ten. They’ll do it.

Last year Roma were slaughtered 7-1 at the Theater of Dreams, this year it’ll be slightly different. If there was one club to avoid in this round it was Roma. The Italians led by Francisco Totti are a serious footballing outfit as demonstrated by their remarkable victory over Real Madrid. If United do not get a positive result in Rome, the Premier League trophy will be the only piece silverware the cleaning lady gets to polish over the summer. A one-trophy season.

Arsenal: 2nd in the Premiership and a quarterfinal tie with Liverpool in the Champions League.

Four consecutive draws have cost Arsenal the title, which is a crying shame. For my money the Gunners have been the best footballing team in the world for the last seven months but a lack of depth will deny them the title their football so richly deserves. Dropping six points to the bottom feeders of Birmingham, Wigan and Boro is like losing the winning lottery ticket. Arsene Wenger must put his ego aside this summer and sign the best.

Last season, Arsenal pulled down Liverpool’s shorts and spanked them harder than they’ve ever been spanked before in Cup competitions – it won’t happen this season unless Arsenal take a 2-0 lead to Anfield which in their present condition is almost impossible. Wenger has shocked us in the Champions League but they’ll be no more electricity coming from the Frenchman. A trophy-less season.

Chelsea: 3rd in the Premiership and a quarterfinal tie with Fernabache in the Champions League.

After consecutive draws versus Portsmouth and Liverpool it looked all over for the Blues however if they beat Arsenal next Sunday they’re right back in it especially as they host United on April 26th for a potential title showdown except…under Avram Grant this is a side incapable of winning the ‘big one’. Chelsea does not regain their crown.

What is it about Cup competitions and the Blues getting the softest draw imaginable? If there was one name in the hat ‘everyone’ wanted it was Fernabache. Granted and no pun intended, the 1st leg in Istanbul might be a little hairy but just look at the respective squads. Unfortunately this means another semi-final clash with Liverpool (pull my eyes out please!), a team they can’t beat. A trophy-less season. 

Liverpool: 4th in the Premiership and a quarterfinal tie with Arsenal in the Champions League.

The gap is eight points so stop thinking you’ve got a chance of the title – you blew that back in December when you thought the Champions League was more important. Rafa Benitez has all but rotated himself into the sack unless…

Call me crazy but Liverpool are peaking at exactly the right time. They’ll beat Arsenal, bore us to death against Chelsea and win a sixth Champions League title against Barcelona or Manchester United. I know it doesn’t seem fair after their horribly inconsistent season but that ladies and gentlemen is football. A one-trophy season.

You may wonder how I can predict with such certainty what will happen – it’s called ‘genius’ and when you look at all the available information plus the knowledge of twenty plus years - you too will come up with exactly the same conclusion if and only if you follow your brain and not your heart.

No one likes to be empty handed at the end of the season but at least two of the ‘B4’ will be asking ‘what if’.

Until then, get the beers in.

It’s been a rough seven days for Birmingham City defender, Martin Taylor, and Arsenal forward, Eduardo. The two men have taken a battering, one psychologically, the other physically. I sincerely hope that both men recover…they may not but they both know injuries are a part of football.

By now I’m sure you’ve all seen the horrific pictures of Eduardo’s left leg after Taylor mistimed his challenge at St. Andrews. Sights like that sicken the soul and stay imprinted on your mind for years to come.

Not surprisingly the response by players, fans and the media has run the full range. From sympathy to outright disgust both players have had their lives changed forever.

In the immediate aftermath, an emotional Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, called for Taylor to be banned for life saying, “people will say he is not the type of guy (Taylor) who does that. But it is like a guy who kills only once in his life. There is still a dead person.” Sensibly he later retracted that comment but a seed was planted amongst those less sophisticated. Death threats have since been made to the Birmingham defender while irate Croatian journalists tried to visit him at the clubs training facility .

In an interview with the English paper, The Independent, later in the week, Taylor gave his view of the events saying, “all I remember was him going deep into midfield, turning and taking a touch. I felt he showed me enough of the ball to win it. In my head I definitely thought I could get that ball. There was never any intention to hurt him. It is not in my mentality to be premeditated or hurt someone. I'm not even the type to be physical with an opponent to 'show him that I am there'. It was just a fact that I thought the ball was there to win and – as other people have said – Eduardo was too quick for me.”

This last statement ‘Eduardo was too quick from me’ seems to have fired up many people I’ve spoken to. Their argument being that if Taylor know that Eduardo was too quick, hacking him to pieces was the one sure fire way to slow him down.

Eduardo though has taken a more thoughtful view on his injury stating “I see this as a risk in professional football. Sometimes you go up, sometimes you go down.”

I can appreciate their comments having been on both sides of the coin they currently inhabit and this is my take.

Playing in the LA Municipal League eighteen years ago for boot money, my coach, told me to mark a very talented forward. The instructions were simple…‘don’t let him score’. In the opening minutes of the game what I thought was a 50/50 ball was up for grabs. My opponent, like Eduardo, was too quick for me though. Instead of playing the ball, I played his knee. The ‘pop’ was unmistakable. His ACL was torn. I’d gone in hard and aggressively - it looked from the sidelines like a terrible foul. It was a terrible ‘mistimed’ foul however there was absolutely no intent to injure this guy. I don’t know what happened to this kid – it was part of the game.

Ten years prior to this match I was a talented teenage midfield prodigy in England. I was playing youth football for a local club however I showed so much promise that the club I was affiliated with wanted to see me play with men. I was picked to play with the second eleven. I remember the day like it was yesterday.

It was cold, overcast and drizzling at Hackney Marshes otherwise known as the ‘Mecca’ of football as there are over 80 full size pitches. I was played through by a  teammate and attempted to chip the goalkeeper with the outside of my left foot while running diagonally right. The keeper game through me hard and aggressively – he wasn’t going to let a kid beat him. I didn’t hear the snap but my captain later told me, matches three fields away stopped playing. He said it sounded like a pistol shot.

I looked down at my left leg and didn’t recognize it. Then the shock kicked in and I became a frightened, young boy in more pain than I’d ever known in my life. My fibula and tibia were broken. I never saw the goalkeeper who broke my leg again – it was part of the game.

I have no doubt in my mind that Birmingham manager, Alex McLeish, told his team to mix it up with Arsenal. ‘Don’t give them time on the ball’ he would’ve said. Wenger on the other hand would’ve have told his players to test the Birmingham defenders early ‘run at them and make them scared of you’.

Ultimately as bad as Taylor’s challenge was and as horrific as Eduardo’s injury is, it’s part of the game. The day you take the physical side of the game out of football is the day that football dies. You have to have the cloggers because they’re the guys that make the skill players look so great.

Boxer, Ricky Hatton eloquently stated recently that his sport “ain’t a tickling contest” after getting a beating from Floyd Mayweather – football ain’t a tickling contest either and hopefully it will never become one.

Until then, get the beers in.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

With Old Trafford sizzling on Saturday as Manchester United and Arsenal readied for battle, the menu was set for a feast of football. The two best chef’s in the business, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger all set and ready to cook us a masterpiece but sometimes too many cooks spoil the broth. This time around the Frenchman was left with egg on his face because United deep fried, battered, poached, broiled and finally baked his Arsenal team with a performance that would’ve had Gordon Ramsay licking his lips.

Ferguson got his ingredients just right despite not having the secret sauce of Cristiano Ronaldo. Picking Darren Fletcher off the shelf looked a stroke of genius as the Scotsman only responded with his first two goals of the season while Nani was a times deliciously unplayable. Can you also imagine what the score would’ve been if Wayne Rooney had had his shooting boots on. The England striker by my own generous count missed three stone cold sitters that on any other day he would’ve tucked away with relish, dip and mustard. Throw in a majestic performance from the often criticized, Michael Carrick, and you can start talking about breakfast, lunch and dinner because the ‘Treble’ won in 1999 looks to be back on the table.

I don’t know the FA Cup draw yet but rest assured United will probably get Chelsea in the last eight after meeting Villa/Spurs and now Arsenal. Lyon provide the opposition in the Champions League while in the Premiership the Gunners currently have a five point lead but have yet to visit Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford for a massive six-pointer. No wonder the Scotsman has a spring in his step.

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger on the other hand looked to have lost the recipe that has made them the tastiest morsel this season. Wenger surely must’ve known that he couldn’t pull off an Anfield special at the Theater of Dreams. If Justin Hoyte and Armand Traore were waiters your meal would’ve surely been all over the floor. Whether it was a case of nerves, rust or lack of confidence, Wenger got it wrong defensively. What a time to relegate Mathieu Flamini to the bench as well. Flamini has been the engine room for the Gunners allowing Cesc Fabregas to prompt and conduct – not to knock Gilberto but the Brazilian’s best days are behind him.

And a problem that I thought Wenger had finally solved came back to leave a bad taste in the mouth…discipline. Emmanuel Eboue is an athletic chap but having an outstretched leg six feet of the floor with studs leading is asking for trouble – a straight red was the only course of action for the maitre d’, Alan Wiley. Luckily for captain, William Gallas, Wiley must’ve have spotted a fly in his soup because he missed the Frenchman lashing out at Nani, which would’ve been an instant red card. With Emmanuel Adebayor flopping around like the fish of the day and Gilberto somehow escaping a second yellow card after booting Luis Saha up in the air, there are some worrisome signs for Wenger ahead of their epic AC Milan clash in midweek.

Of course writing off Arsenal has proven to be a mugs game this year but we’re now at the stage of the season where the Michelin stars are being handed out. The pressure cooker is steaming and simple, silly mistakes can ruin the entire dinning experience. Wenger has a young squad that plays with a verve and panache unmatched in England they’ve just got to watch out for the wet floor.

So get your diaries out and make a reservation for April 12th and a battle between the Iron Chefs. You know that on that day, Old Trafford will be the culinary centerpiece of the universe.

Until then, get the beers in.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

With Old Trafford sizzling on Saturday as Manchester United and Arsenal readied for battle, the menu was set for a feast of football. The two best chef’s in the business, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger all set and ready to cook us a masterpiece but sometimes too many cooks spoil the broth. This time around the Frenchman was left with egg on his face because United deep fried, battered, poached, broiled and finally baked his Arsenal team with a performance that would’ve had Gordon Ramsay licking his lips.

Ferguson got his ingredients just right despite not having the secret sauce of Cristiano Ronaldo. Picking Darren Fletcher off the shelf looked a stroke of genius as the Scotsman only responded with his first two goals of the season while Nani was a times deliciously unplayable. Can you also imagine what the score would’ve been if Wayne Rooney had had his shooting boots on. The England striker by my own generous count missed three stone cold sitters that on any other day he would’ve tucked away with relish, dip and mustard. Throw in a majestic performance from the often criticized, Michael Carrick, and you can start talking about breakfast, lunch and dinner because the ‘Treble’ won in 1999 looks to be back on the table.

I don’t know the FA Cup draw yet but rest assured United will probably get Chelsea in the last eight after meeting Villa/Spurs and now Arsenal. Lyon provide the opposition in the Champions League while in the Premiership the Gunners currently have a five point lead but have yet to visit Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford for a massive six-pointer. No wonder the Scotsman has a spring in his step.

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger on the other hand looked to have lost the recipe that has made them the tastiest morsel this season. Wenger surely must’ve known that he couldn’t pull off an Anfield special at the Theater of Dreams. If Justin Hoyte and Armand Traore were waiters your meal would’ve surely been all over the floor. Whether it was a case of nerves, rust or lack of confidence, Wenger got it wrong defensively. What a time to relegate Mathieu Flamini to the bench as well. Flamini has been the engine room for the Gunners allowing Cesc Fabregas to prompt and conduct – not to knock Gilberto but the Brazilian’s best days are behind him.

And a problem that I thought Wenger had finally solved came back to leave a bad taste in the mouth…discipline. Emmanuel Eboue is an athletic chap but having an outstretched leg six feet of the floor with studs leading is asking for trouble – a straight red was the only course of action for the maitre d’, Alan Wiley. Luckily for captain, William Gallas, Wiley must’ve have spotted a fly in his soup because he missed the Frenchman lashing out at Nani, which would’ve been an instant red card. With Emmanuel Adebayor flopping around like the fish of the day and Gilberto somehow escaping a second yellow card after booting Luis Saha up in the air, there are some worrisome signs for Wenger ahead of their epic AC Milan clash in midweek.

Of course writing off Arsenal has proven to be a mugs game this year but we’re now at the stage of the season where the Michelin stars are being handed out. The pressure cooker is steaming and simple, silly mistakes can ruin the entire dinning experience. Wenger has a young squad that plays with a verve and panache unmatched in England they’ve just got to watch out for the wet floor.

So get your diaries out and make a reservation for April 12th and a battle between the Iron Chefs. You know that on that day, Old Trafford will be the culinary centerpiece of the universe.

Until then, get the beers in.

Arsenal Football Club should be thrown out of the Premier League with immediate effect!

Firstly, manager Arsene Wenger doesn’t play English players and secondly they don’t play English football - perhaps, La Liga or the Serie A would be a more suitable environment for the finest football I’ve seen this season. Actually, on further reflection Spain and Italy don’t really deserves this dreamy stuff either.

 How about this…you and me start a mass petition and persuade Phil Anschutz, Randy Lerner, Tom Hicks, George Gillette or the Glazers to stump up the cash and bring the whole club, lock, stock, the bloody lot right here to the US of A. For those of you that remember the Lakers and ‘Showtime,’ forget that because it looks pedestrian when you compare it to Arsene and his Roadrunners…peep, peep!

One could argue that Tottenham is a team that is looking for an identity however this was the North London derby and regardless of their mental state the fans would supply the needed energy for this clash.  This makes the Gunners performance even more impressive as they went to hostile territory and simply blew Spurs away despite falling behind early on.

The statistics tell a story of domination as Arsenal took 16 shots of which 10 were on target forcing Tottenham goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, into one spectacular save after another. The possession percentage was ridiculous as Wenger’s kids controlled 59% of the game and they showed steel as well booting the home side in the air on 22 occasions. No wonder Wenger was moved to say “there is something in this side; quality, of course, but also a mental strength’.

It’s interesting to me that throughout Wenger’s post match interview, he constantly referred back to this ‘mental strength’ because before the season began I think that was an aspect of the team that was being questioned. With the departure of Thierry Henry to Barcelona, there was a void as the Frenchman was the talisman and undisputed spiritual leader. That void had also shown itself last season whenever Henry was missing which unfortunately for the Gunners was frequently. Now after a few matches it’s Thierry who as they sit unbeaten at the top of the table - and to think this has been achieved with a suspect goalkeeper in the form of Jens Lehmann makes it all the more remarkable.

I believe that the Professor is in the process of laying the foundations for his third great steam after the 97/98 double winners and of course the ‘Invincibles’ – and this one could be the best of the lot if it sticks together for a few more years.

There is a sparkle within the squad that was missing in the waning months of the Henry era and according to a conversation I had with ex-Arsenal great, Lee Dixon, the Frenchman carried far too much power within the dressing room. Without that powerful personality casting a shadow, Cesc Fabregas has simply taken his game to a new level while Alexander Hleb and Tomas Rosicky have a year of Premiership football under their belts. Up front, Robin van Persie now knows that he is the ‘man’ and Emmanuel Adebayor despite still missing chances has a hungry looked that he never previously possessed. And at the back, Gael Clichy looks better than ever alongside the super consistent Kolo Toure and new signing Bakari Sagna.

When you look for a possible weakness within the squad I think there are two main concerns. One may be a possible lack of depth, which was the Achilles heel during the last campaign and I’m not entirely convinced that this has been properly addressed either. Two is the desire to score pretty goals instead of just lashing it into the back of the net.

The key for Wenger and any team for that matter on topic number one are to avoid injuries at crucial times -will the Premiership gods smile on them?

Question number two is the essence of Arsene Wenger and is something that we’ll endlessly debate – sexy football versus effective football.

For the sake of football and the pleasure that Wenger’s team gives us let’s hope that injuries do not become a factor and that they’ll always play the sexy way.

Until then, get the beers in.

The English Premier League super scheduling computer often throws up mouthwatering match-ups but rarely has it allowed the ‘fantastic four’ Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal or more appropriately the managers Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger to collide on the same day with so much at stake.

With the phrase ‘must win’ being tossed around like dice at a Las Vegas craps table for the Gunners and the Reds in their respective road trips to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, you knew that goals would be at a premium – however pride, power and passion, the intangibles of football would be the key factors and so it proved in 180 minutes of compelling, absorbing and utterly fascinating Sunday morning action.

With the smoke now clearing the battlefield it’s time to evaluate the performances and what it all means to the managers of the ‘FF’.

Chelsea & Jose Mourinho

Much was made of the ‘handshake’ row between Mourinho and Benitez before the start of this contest in the hopes of ####ing it up to Tabasco proportions – not that it needed it. My own view is that it’s a football match not an arm wrestling contest and thankfully that antagonism was put to rest in the tunnel between the two managers.

As for the Blues display it was typical Mourinho football and he summed it up perfectly in his post match comments. "Sometimes if you win with just quality, playing fantastic and scoring a lot of goals you can feel you are a great team. But you need these matches where you feel you are a team ready to fight. My players were very brave and the team fought very hard."

There was no doubt about the fight in Chelsea’s play as they had to compete for 40 minutes while playing a man down after Michael Ballack departed the pitch after a nasty and spiteful challenge on Mohammed Sissoko. With John Terry and Ricardo Carvallho  marshalling the back four in the most dominating central pairing in the Premiership, it was always going to be a long day for the visitors. The fact they didn’t create as many quality chances as Liverpool will not rankle the ‘Special One’ either especially if Didier Drogba can keep finding the net in spectacular fashion. His 41st minute strike was a goal worthy of the occasion and a fitting way to decide the destination of the points.

Liverpool & Rafa Benitez

Benitez has an abundance of riches at his disposal for the 1st time in his Anfield reign and that is his problem at the moment. I believe he doesn’t yet know who his best XI is yet. Leaving the red hot Peter Crouch on the bench seemed a waste and slap in the face to a man who is in the best form of his career while Chelsea killer, Luis Garcia didn’t even make the trip to London.

“I think that we deserved more because we created clear chances but at the end you need to score to win” he said, obviously not looking in Crouch’s direction. 
An eight point gap has now opened up between the two teams however Benitez isn’t being trapped into pushing the panic button just yet. "We need to think about the next game (Newcastle). It's a long race and the most important thing is that the team is improving. If we can win the next three points we will be closer and we will see what happens”, he said. If they don’t get the maximum against the Magpies on Wednesday that finger will start looking for that button.

Manchester United & Sir Alex Ferguson

If there is one thing in life Sir Alex Ferguson loves doing it’s beating Arsenal and in particular Arsene Wenger - their psychological battles over the years have been legendary. With Chelsea now in ascendance though the spotlight has been off the two competitors in recent seasons, however that hasn’t stopped Fergie owning the Frenchman in the Premiership in their last eight meetings.

With the chance to all but cosign Arsenal to also-rans this season the Red Devils fluffed it big time. Previous defeats of this nature have seen the Scotsman blame all and sundry and true to form he pointed to the exertions of Wednesday nights Champions League game against Celtic as the culprit for a flat performance. “With the emotions of it and the pace of the match, it was a real Scotland-England type of match with that type of tempo. It was end to end all night and that's without question one of the things I have to look at. Today we lost momentum in the second half when we stopped passing forward, and that was a sign of tiredness. It was the second-half that disappointed me. We tired as a team in the last 20 minutes.”

Perhaps Sir Alex should look to the fact that Arsenal was the first real side his club has played this year and that maybe the 100% start was a little smoke and mirrors. United is still a team in transition despite the addition of Michael Carrick who surprisingly didn’t start and was instead replaced by the limited John O’Shea. Wayne Rooney is still not match fit while the central pairing of Wes Brown and Rio Ferdinand does not fill me with any confidence.
With three relatively easy fixtures before the visit of Liverpool on October 22nd there is enough time for the Scotsman who recently stated his desire to stay at the helm for another two years to get the machine humming to the right tune.

Arsenal & Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger attempted to play down the importance of this match but even he would’ve been aware that if Arsenal had lost, the gap between them and United would’ve been a massive and insurmountable 13 points – but in epic fashion they did the unthinkable.

One can’t help but think that this Arsenal team is a club in transition and not capable of mounting a serious challenge for the title this season however Wenger believes differently, “transition is a word you don't want, we want to win the championship. I said it before the game and I say again afterwards this team has great potential and spirit as they have shown again today and I strongly believe in the ability of the players and the team.”

Without their talisman, Thierry Henry, I thought that the Gunners would be very lucky to escape with a point but they outplayed and outfought United in every department playing Arsenal football. It was fast, lively, and attractive and more importantly disciplined defensively – no doubt the result of the season to date.

Over the course of these two matches the ‘FF’ will have learnt more about the character of their new look teams and I’m sure come the dog days of January they’ll all be at their familiar places in the table.

Until then, get the beers in.

I was lucky enough to run into the Professor, Arsene Wenger very late on Wednesday night in Munich as he was out celebrating after France had beaten Portugal. Incredibly he didn't recognize me so I quickly introduced myself!

As I always imagined he would be, Wenger, was a complete gentleman and gave me far more attention than was really neccessary although he was very cagey. However the 'vibe' I got from him was very interesting.

Has France overachieved in reaching Berlin - Les Bleus has surprised us all especially after their very poor showing in the 1st round but like we've stated all along, the World Cup tournament is about gaining momentum. It's no use spanking teams 6-0 (Argentina over S & M) if you've gone home before the final.

Zidane - Doesn't have enough gas left in the tank to play 90 minutes but the theory is to let Malouda and Ribery do all the running while Makalale and Vieira do the holding. This allows Zizou to coast but have the energy turn it on when neccessary.

Henry - Say all you want about Thierry not showing up on the biggest stage. This season he has led two teams to the biggest finals in football. If that's not showing up, I'll take that every season.

Will France win on Sunday - In football you sometimes have to suffer. In Berlin, I'm sure both teams will suffer and it may take longer than 90 minutes.

Arsene's a class act and a lot taller in person than he comes across on the telly. I'm 6 0' and got neck ache yacking with him!