Ian Adams is State of the Game’s new Arsenal columnist

If anyone had told me after the final whistle on “that night” last season in Paris that getting beaten in the Champion’s League final would be the best thing that could have happened to Arsenal Football Club then I probably would have lamped them one.

No defeat in any previous season compared to the heartache we felt after Barcelona’s comeback but looking at it now, and especially after last night’s performance against Porto, I think I’m ready to say that last season was just the final part of the European learning curve for Arsenal and this season we are ready to claim what should have been rightfully ours so many times over the past ten years - the Champion’s League.

It might have taken a last day stroll past the Spuds to get into the qualifying rounds this time but did anyone really doubt that we’d get there especially past the lasagne eaters and bottlers from down the road and with hindsight I think it was meant to be like that. We broke the Spuds hearts just like Barcelona broke ours and now as we power through clubs who have won the European Cup in the past few years they are struggling against the second best team from Prague in the UEFA Cup. “Big club”? Yeah right.

Big clubs sign players like William Gallas who has been immense for us since we stole him from Chelski. Big clubs have players like Thierry Henry who is never afraid to stand up and be counted when it really matters and big clubs play on the biggest footballing stages that the world has to offer. Comparing Arsenal to Spurs these days is as useless as comparing Arsenal to Accrington Stanley. At least Accrington Stanley can put the ball in the net occasionally.

This is Arsenal’s year for European glory, Henry has got his 50th European goal now and we look unstoppable. Watch out Europe, the big boys are in town.

Stephen Duke is a Tottenham Hotspur fan originally from North London but now living in Tel Aviv in Israel

In between eating Palestinian children and plotting to take over the world, I?ve found space in my diary to head for my favourite pub in Tel-Aviv and enjoy the attractions of the English Premier League?s ?football connoisseurs?. At the beginning of August, I had high hopes. Spurs pre-season results had been promising; we?d signed quality players to strengthen the team and aside from Carrick?s departure and the visible absence of a man in the mould of Karl Marx there was a genuine belief that that this year we would push on from last year and once more dine from English Football?s top table. So why is it that six games into the new season I?m wondering whether the only dish on the menu is humble pie with a side dish of hat?

Whilst the Pavlovian response of many Spurs fans is to man panic stations at the first sign of trouble, the rocky start to this season is hopefully both temporary and short-lived. No doubt the ?Sack Jol? contingent amongst Spurs fan will be building the gallows or sharpening the guillotines should we get the wrong result either on Thursday against Slavia Prague or on Saturday against Pompey. However, the majority of fans seem to have kept faith in Jol and for good reason.

Martin Jol worked wonders with our team last season and whilst the football wasn?t always inspiring stuff, our form was consistent. Admittedly the displays so far haven?t followed in smooth progression from last season?s form but this has as much to do with the introduction of four new players and injuries in key positions as it does with the skill of the coach. Perhaps this is also down to the World Cup interrupting pre-season but even this is only half the story.

Its clear that Spurs main problem so far this season lies in midfield and there is one reason for this. Over the summer Spurs lost their key player. We knew the sale of Carrick would upset the balance but it also appears to have affected the confidence of the midfield. Overnight the club have had to find a whole new style to their play. We no longer have a player with international experience at the heart of our midfield who possesses the ability to control the pace of the game, break up opposition attacks and who rarely squanders possession. Its was obvious that it would take the team time to adjust to this new reality. If we want to blame anyone for this situation then its Carrick because he gave the club little choice but to sell him. It is certainly not the fault of Martin Jol.

Naturally, under these circumstances, Jol has chosen to rely on experienced players to help get the team through a difficult transition. Those who think a first choice midfield in these circumstances should consist of three twenty-year olds (Ziegler, Huddlestone and Lennon) plus a 24 year old with no Premier League experience probably also believe that Pompey will finish in the top four or that Arsene Wenger really is a paedophile. Of course Huddlestone is the closest player we have to Carrick but it is sensible to let Zokora find his feet before thrusting Huddlestone into the limelight. It would be further recklessness to play the inexperienced Ziegler alongside him.

Finally we come to Jermain Defoe. Despite Defoe promising during the early stages of his career to be the next Michael Owen, he appears to be content with turning into the new Darius Vassell. If one player could be said to epitomise our football club it has to be Defoe. All that promise and yet one disinterested performance after the other leaves the fans scratching their heads. He does have a lack of quality service to complain about but that doesn?t explain the collapse in his game since January 2004 (clue: the time when most Premier League defenders had played against him twice). A run in the team may yet bring a return to form but if time and excuses are running out for anyone the first candidate is Jermaine Defoe.

So let?s stick to the reality. Jol hasn?t turned into a bad coach overnight. Ajax didn?t want him last year because he?s no good and he?s still shown enough ability to turn things around and get our team back up the league and I?m still confident that this is exactly what he?ll do.

Don’t forget about the latest competition from State of the Game where one lucky winner will be getting their hands on a signed copy of Alasdair Gold’s brand new football book “Ode To Jol - A Spurs Fan’s Diary”.

Ally Gold is a former State of the Game columnist and one of the funniest football writers I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with in my time running this site.

To get involved just move over to the Ally Gold competition thread on SOTG Forums, register as a member (it’s completely FREE and only takes a few seconds) and have a read through the few rules for entering.

Basically we just need you to sign up as a FREE registered member of our forums and you will be entered into a draw on the 30th September at 5pm to win “Ode To Jol” , whether you are a Spurs fan or not, Ally Gold’s “Ode To Jol” is well worth a read for any football fan.

Check out the Amazon.co.uk reviews and availability now for Alisdair Gold’s “Ode To Jol”:

and then enter the State of the Game competition to win your own signed copy!

If you’re of a football betting persuasion at all take a look at our sister site Football Punter for a run down of the expert’s predictions over there of a whole raft of tonight’s games from the Champion’s League, English League One and English League Two.

Football Punter’s team of seasoned experts will be picking their way through the best and the rest of the matches that matter from all over the English leagues and Europe this season and should be your first stop before handing any of your hard earned cash over to your bookie.

Take a look at tonight’s match previews now on Football Punter

Following Newcastle United’s announcement to the Stock Exchange that assistant manager Kevin Bond has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect, should we look on the BBC’s Panorama programme with a fresh outlook after their much maligned Premiership bungs inquiry now appears to have borne fruit, starting with Bond’s sacking?

I was among the football watchers who were initially enthralled at the tales of underhand payments and corrupt football managers as told by the BBC’s undercover team byt by the end of the Panorama programme the only hard evidence we seemed to have accumulated were that the BBC had launched a vendetta against Bolton manager Sam Allardyce, aided and abetted by his opportunistic and slow witted son Craig, and that Harry Redknapp thought Andy Todd was a “tough bastard”. Hardly earth shattering news for Premiership opponents or rival fans it has to be said.

While Panorama centred on Allardyce they give only a few minutes to the former Portsmouth coach Kevin Bond and a carefully edited taped phone conversation which seemed to imply that Bond would be agreeable to some illegal payments and that he might be willing to speak with his then boss Harry Redknapp about the same. hardly conclusive evidence but seemingly good enough for Newcastle United to sack Bond over and it’ll be a day in court for Mr Bond now as he tries to prove that firstly Panorama were in the wrong to try and discredit him and secondly, that Newcastle jumped the gun and unfairly dismissed him from his job as assistant manager and will have caused irreparable damage to his professional reputation.
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I am trying to work out whether the BBC headline, ?Roeder plotted Ameobi opener?, is entirely serious.

Glenn may have expected the Everton defensive line to play the offside trap during at least one set-piece opportunity during the match, but did he really envisage a completely incompetent linesman forgetting the offside rule? And the Referee as well? I doubt it ? the hilarious comedy sketch that was the opening goal in last Saturdays 1-1 draw with Everton was capped by two wonderfully synchronised pieces of comedy acting by Ameobi and Moore. Finding himself with the ball at his feet, no whistle (as of yet) and only the keeper to beat, Strolla stopped and, along with Moore, gave a sideways look to see if the linesman really was that inept. He was. And a somewhat bemused Shola still had the time to put the ball in the net, just.

?It happens. I make mistakes and today the referee’s assistant made one,” was David Moyes? shockingly placid comment on the matter.
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Apologies if you find any broken links or errors on State of the Game over the next hour or so (up until around midday), we are in the middle of a software change and are working frantically behind the scenes to make sure that any disruption is minimal.

Thanks for your patience and keep reading

Alan
www.stateofthegame.co.uk

EDIT: 26th September 2006 - 11:39am

I’ve finished bridging the comments system between SOTG and the forums. Any problems you encounter please report them and let us know - Contact State of the Game

When asked once what visiting teams could expect from a trip to Liverpool, Bill Shankly?s reply was, as ever, to the point and destined for perpetuity. Put simply (and to paraphrase), he suggested that opponents expecting anything more than a comprehensive defeat followed by a nice cup of tea were on a hiding to nothing. The current vintage may have stuttered on travels near and far this season, but it seems that business as usual has been restored in the hospitality suite at Anfield. A least Messrs Roeder and Jol would have enjoyed their respective cuppas before the long trip home. Doubtless Jermaine Jenas was after something a little stronger altogether, though a clip around the ear courtesy of Edgar Davids may have been all he ended up with.

Battered and bruised after a humiliating derby and a luckless encounter with the champions, Liverpool may have been hoping that both Newcastle and Spurs would be practically sitting up and begging to be beaten given their indifferent form. And while they didn?t exactly roll over and play dead, both duly obliged in the end. Both managers may have been left cursing referees and missed sitters over their brews, but will have agreed on the quality that left them pointless. After all much of it came from one man that both clubs pursued enthusiastically but ultimately in vain ? a certain Mr. Kuyt, whose name is rapidly becoming a fixture in this column and doubtless several others too. Shortly before Liverpool captured the Dutchman, Roeder had voiced concerns over Kuyt?s pace. One can only surmise he knew the race to sign him was already lost.

Roeder may have muttered darkly again into his tealeaves when recalling Alonso?s virtuosity on Wednesday night, claiming bad luck on behalf of his keeper Harper. He may also have acknowledged in private, however, that it was the Spaniard?s vision and technical excellence that forced the unfortunate understudy to back pedal so calamitously in the first place. Meanwhile Alonso himself can reflect on another footballing hole-in-one to cherish, and one that puts him in elite company (with the exception of Nayim, perhaps). Few will have thought he could top his strike at Luton Town but while that effort bounced and bobbled on its merry way goalwards, this latest effort sailed sweetly over the flailing custodian concerned and bounced obligingly on the right side of the line ? just. Even the usually sober Mr. Benitez had to praise his number 14, though not before gently berating his failure to pass to a well-placed Gerrard, of course.
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I should have known it was going to be a difficult weekend. It all started for me on Wednesday evening. In London on business, I decided to go to White Hart Lane to get the new Spurs shirt?s as they are not currently available in the North East. Although getting to Seven Sisters tube was fine, the train to WHL was problematic, mainly because I needed the toilet! Not been too familiar with the station, I had to ask four train stations guards where to go and it ate up about 10 minutes. When I eventually got to WHL at 5:31pm, the stores had all shut a minute a go! Back to Seven Sisters and a tube into Oxford Circus. Guessing which exit to take, I came out on the John Lewis side.

I tried there, House of Fraser, Footlocker and numerous other shops on my way up to Marble Arch. Nothing. Back down the other side and I finally secured the away shirt at JD Sports, which was right next to one of the other exits for Oxford Circus! Back on the tube to Kings Cross to the Hotel, well that was the plan. Somehow, I missed the stop and as I was on the Victoria Line, I end up at Highbury! With my Spurs shirt in hand, I quickly get across the station and back to the Hotel. A three-hour pilgrimage for a shirt my fianc?e describes as ?weird?!

As it approached 12:45pm on Saturday, I sat proudly displaying my new Spurs top and hoping for a decent performance. I did not expect a win but a draw would be a bonus. I had already checked the team line ups and noted that it was Keane and Defoe up front. They could not get past Grimsby last season in the Cup so I was very concerned however, I have faith in Martin! To be honest, I thought it was a very good game and that Tottenham were playing very well. There were chances, not too many clear cut, but chances. When Murphy whipped the ball in and King rose, it was one nil and I was screaming with delight. Well, that is what I expected. No connection and the ball goes out for a goal kick. It was tense and 0-0 at half time was good by my estimations. The first ten of the second half were key and again, we did not concede. Then football was summed up in about one minute. Davids screams into the box and squares it for Jenas. GGGooooaaaallll!
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In an uncharacteristic act of petulance Craig Bellamy has taken a not so thinly veiled swipe at the club and fans he used to think he owned by saying people in Newcastle are still bitter at losing him to Blackburn and would hate to see him succeed anywhere else.

Bellamy reignited his war of words with Newcastle last week after a tunnel row with Newcastle coach Terry McDermott who accused the former Magpies striker of being a “little upstart” and claiming (quite correctly IMHO) that “Everywhere he (Bellamy) has been he has been in bother and it is starting again at Liverpool.”

Bellamy just can’t seem to stay out of the negative limelight and whether he’s brawling with students and women in nightclubs all over the UK, spitting and snarling at referees and officials on the pitch or windig up the opposition in the tunnel, it’s plain to see that he is an odious little man and one of the worst examples of modern day professional footballers.

I’m sure there are plenty of Newcastle United fans who love to answer Bellamy’s accusation face to face especially after he now claims that “This (Liverpool) is the club I have always wanted to play for and maybe there are people who are not too happy about that.” Unsurprisingly the little scumbag is now claiming that the club he’s at is the one he always dreamed of playing for, cue Photoshopped pictures of a young Welsh child with no neck in a Crown Paints Liverpool kit arguing with his own teammates and officials in a primary school match during the 1980s.

I have no time for the vast majority of modern footballers but there is just something about Craig Bellamy above all others that makes my blood boil and after yet another display of his fabulous personality I think there may be a few more Geordies who may share the same opinion as I do.