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On the back of an excruciating week and season as a whole for Arsenal fans, there could be some light at the end of a very gloomy tunnel in North London. It surrounds their talismanic captain Robin Van Persie and his future at the Emirates. Just where would the Gunners be without the stream of goals as scored by the Dutchman this term, in a side which more than ever needs a shot in the arm. Van Persie is reportedly ready to start preliminary negotiations surrounding his future at the club. It could just be the biggest deal that Arsenal make in years.

Arsenal fans haven’t had much to cling onto this season but the small token of Van Persie’s intentions to at least listen to the club’s stance, speaks volumes in the hearts and minds of all connected to the club.

Arsenal already pays their top earners significantly less than at other top Premier League clubs such as Manchester City whereby Samir Nasri found the grass isn’t always greener this summer. But Van Persie is undoubtedly a world class talent and at a time whereby Arsene Wenger needs him more than ever, the club are ready to break the bank and improve his pay packet to some £100,000 a week; a £20,000 advance on his current salary.

Arsenal indeed recouped some £55 million in the summer from the departures of messrs Fabregas and Nasri, and whilst the club continues to be linked with names such as Eden Hazard, Yann M’Vila and Matias Suarez, the first cash priority should be the keep hold of Van Persie, and build the squad around their captain.

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The Gunners keep finding themselves in this kind of transfer quandary whereby their best talents are being poached each summer and Van Persie could even find himself in a similar position to Nasri. This is as, if a new contract is turned down, there would be robust reasoning to keep hold of the striker and let him leave for nothing in 2013, as Arsenal fans all realise they need his attributes more than at any other time.

Arsenal fans would have experienced many jibes this season such as ‘one man team’ but amidst the juvenile nature of this chant, there is some credence there. The Gunners second highest scorer is Theo Walcott on just six goals and the overriding notion is that when Van Persie doesn’t score, Arsenal simply doesn’t win.

Van Persie himself is currently enjoying an injury free season; something of a rarity during his time in North London, and his consecutive participation has finally yielded the goal tally many always thought he was capable of after signing from Feyenoord some eight years ago.

But with a CV of injury snags and an age of 29, despite his scintillating form, potential summer suitors may not pay as much as you would think for the Dutchman’s services.

Sticking with Arsenal may be his best bet, but Van Persie and Arsenal fans alike will desperately want to see mass change this summer, with the likes of the underachieving Djourou, Fabianski and Park Chu Young shipped out and experienced pro’s brought into the ranks; something as discussed recently be ex-Gunners Dennis Bergkamp and Emmanuel Petit.

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So the question remains; deal or no deal? For Arsenal and Robin Van Persie, this deal could be the biggest in years.

Do you think Robin Van Persie will sign his new Arsenal deal? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

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Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has stated that the club’s experienced players still have an important role to play at the club.

The Blues made a barnstorming comeback to beat Napoli 4-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday and reach the Champions League quarter-finals, with the likes of John Terry, Didier Drogba and Lampard himself all scoring and playing a key role in the victory.

The England international feels that a successful side needs experienced campaigners, and that there is life in the older players still.

“Of course it is. You can’t win these sort of competitions without that,” he told The Daily Mail when asked if experience is key at the top level.

“We need to be on top form and we need to be playing well but you can see the desire in the players.

“There is a lot of talk about old boys and their careers flickering out but these are the players who want to play, want to win. You could see that against Napoli.

“When you’ve got that, you can add to it with youth and quality players to fit in around the team. That’s the recipe and we have to carry on with that.

“A lot gets said on the outside but people here just want to win. You need old and experienced boys in the team as well as the young ones coming through with their enthusiasm.

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“The amount of nights that Didier has stood up, John and so on, that’s what Chelsea is all about. It can get us a result like this,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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As Andy Carroll wheeled away after his FA Cup semi-final winning header found the Everton net, the feeling of relief was visible to all. Not just for the £35 million striker, but also for Dalglish, as his much criticised centre-forward notched an almost priceless goal, to secure the club’s second domestic cup final of the season, and amazing third trip to the new Wembley. Just a week earlier the inclusion of the big man would have been somewhat of surprise, but after his last-minute heroics against Blackburn, King Kenny stuck by his striker, and is now reaping the rewards.

It’s been a slog of a season for both player and club, with Carroll appearing, for the vast majority of the campaign, out of his depth, while his manager has taken criticism left right and centre. But, as the business end of the year approaches, there appears to be a glimmer of light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel.

The term ‘transition’ has been a little overused in modern football, with clubs suffering a drop off in form, wheeling out the excuse of the side needing to settle, and find a playing style. However, the phrase can be applied to Liverpool, who have had two years of total upheaval, with board-room changes, managerial shifts and the acquisition of numerous players. Carroll has bore the brunt of the criticism this campaign, with his, sometimes, clumsy appearance frustrating fans and pundits, who are all too quick to raise the issue of his price-tag.

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Although he may be an easy target for insults, the one thing about the England international is that he doesn’t hide, and this has been evident over the past few weeks. Many players would have retreated into their shell, after the horrific afternoon the number nine suffered at his former home ground, but that hasn’t been the case with Carroll. Despite never openly wanting to leave his former club, and the fact his sale brought in a much-needed financial boost, Newcastle fans still booed his every involvement, which culminated in the forward storming off the pitch and straight down the tunnel upon his substitution. Some players would have said enough is enough, and shied away for a while, yet the powerful centre-forward seems to have used this to springboard his season, netting two goals in his following two starts, the second of which secured the Reds’ spot in the FA Cup final.

Dalglish may be a bit stubborn at times, but this approach could be the right one with Carroll, who has needed time to adapt to life at Anfield. With all of the talk regarding wages and transfer fees, it’s easy to forget that Carroll only turned 23 in January, and is relatively inexperienced on the Premier League stage. He showed great promise at Newcastle, where he was the focal point of the entire team, yet with the vast array of talent surrounding him on Merseyside the style of play cannot necessarily be dictated around his strengths. As a result Carroll has taken a little longer to adapt than originally hoped, but if this spell can be overcome, he will, likely, emerge as better player, stronger, both mentally and in terms of technique, than he was before his deadline day switch to the North West.

Kenny Dalglish has received a fair bit of flack this term, some deserved, some not so deserved, but his handling of Andy Carroll could prove to be a masterstroke. It would have been easy to cast the striker away, perhaps forcing him out of the club In January, but King Kenny has stuck by him, allowing him minutes on the pitch to adapt to life at a completely different type of club. Next season we could see the real Carroll, which will be a daunting prospect for defences across the league.

Will Andy Carroll come good? Have your say with a comment or follow @Alex_Hams on Twitter

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If you have got your breath back from an enthralling final day in the Premier League, your pulse might be set racing one final time on Saturday evening! If you are of the Chelsea persuasion, you may be aware of a small, little game in Munich that is occurring. The Champions League final they call it, or something or other. But seriously, Saturday evening’s game represents arguably the pinnacle of all footballing competition, with many believing that securing the big eared trophy eclipses even World Cup final glory in terms of prestige and difficulty. It remains whether Chelsea can hold their nerve and be the first London club to lift the Champions League when they take on Bayern Munich at the weekend.

Last week I was invited along to a press day in Central London by male grooming enthusiasts BRUT who this year launched their ‘Man Up’ Challenge; a series of high pressured moments that makes the modern man step up, take a risk and rise to the ultimate test – in sport or life. The series which has previously featured Premier League stars such as Tottenham’s Benoit Assou-Ekotto separates the men from the boys with spider removal from a bath, gutting a freshly caught fish, dealing with the dentist’s drill and taking a penalty kick representing a few anxious incidences which require a manning-up to the challenge.

Distant (to say the least!) in my attempts to even stand near the frightful-looking tarantula enclosures, I side-stepped the eight-legged friends to acquaint myself with two of the human variety in polar adventurer and doctor Ed Coats and GB Olympic Team Sports Psychologist Dr Steve Bull. Coming from a football standpoint myself, I was eager to learn how they have dealt with the pressure of superhuman ventures and managing sporting spectacles of a lifetime.

Dr Coats who was selected to join James Cracknell and Ben Fogle in their race to the South Pole, captured in the BBC documentary ‘On Thin Ice’ feels a lot of the personal preparation employed to land on the ice can be applied to football, with the management of expectation, one of the key hurdles for Chelsea to man up and face head on.

‘There is an awful lot of expectation; that is the toughest thing for anyone. Managing that expectation from the fans, that they put on themselves, from the manager and all the backroom staff around them. I think that is a really big thing to conquer and its taking them out of their comfort zone. Everybody wants to be in that position, to come within reaching distance of that trophy’.

Of course, Chelsea have indeed been within touching distance before in Moscow in 2008, with John Terry’s slip and missed penalty representing one of the cruellest denials of glory within recent footballing history. With Terry and Chelsea fans likely to have had more than their fair share of sleepless nights reflecting on that devastating moment, stewing on old mishaps and issues of what could’ve been need to be flushed away, disposed of and buried for at least ninety minutes in Bavaria at the weekend. Dr Steve Bull spoke of how his athletes utilise one or two ‘swing thoughts’ ahead of athletic competition, which are just enough to focus the mind, yet not expose the competitor too much, to over-analyse their destiny.

‘They (athletes) will have a very simple swing thought. Now it might change from day to day, it might even change by the hour but you absolutely need to keep it simple and that’s true for a sporting event, job interview or driving test. Chelsea’s preparation should not be thinking about raising the cup after the game. It should be what have I got to do in this game. What are my swing thoughts for this game; that first tackle? That first pass? Those positive orientating swing thoughts need to be in the mind’.

Of course, UEFA will again position the silver and gold clad trophy right at the end of the tunnel before kick-off, but as we have seen before, some players choose to walk alongside it without even the merest glance and some choose to stare into the prize, almost checking their nervous reflection in its proud body. This is where the mind must remain focused and whereby nerves either grab hold and detriment or are overcome and channelled into good energies. Dr Ed Coats continued and paid diligence to those incidences whereby a good run in a competition can be met with an almost anti-climaxing final appearance whereby all that hard work is undone by nerves.

‘As soon as you get in a situation where it matters, you can go to pot and it’s that standing up in front of people thing, it’s that first hundred metres or it’s that first flight landing on the ice where you’re thinking it could be minus thirty out there; there could be a blizzard or anything. It’s just about keeping calm, believing in what you’ve done beforehand because you’ve got to remember I’ve done this a hundred times, I can do this and like I say, embrace it, get out there and think I can take this on’.

Chelsea can’t forget the road which has led them to Munich, whereby they toppled the odds to overcome not only Napoli from a precarious situation but also favourites Barcelona who were widely believed to win the tie with relative ease. These are the real incidences of survival instincts in a way and these experiences cannot be understated going into a big game such as at the weekend.

As we have seen this weekend, anything is possible in football and Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp league winner serves as evidence to that old football cliché that it really isn’t over till the fat lady sings. If like me, you are slightly jealous of the Chelsea personnel in stepping out at the Allianz Arena, in front of the watching world on Saturday, BRUT will be bringing the stadium experience direct to you as early as in September. If you are a supporter of a Championship club, football enthusiasts will be invited to ‘Man Up’ and face that excruciating pressure of taking a spot kick in front of their own fans in the watching arena. In the meantime, what better way to make your dad ‘Man Up’ by offering him the BRUT Father’s Day Gift Set which is available at a cost of £6.99. Details of both this offer and the forthcoming ‘Man Up’ Challenges can be found at the website www.brutformen.co.uk

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Chelsea fan? How do you think you will fare in Saturday’s massive game? Can they hold their nerve? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

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A season beyond the fans’ wildest expectations could have one glorious gift still to give for Newcastle United. Defeat to Manchester City has dampened expectations, but the chance of Champions League football once more is still there. And it would be a fine end to the season if it could be achieved, though plenty of obstacles remain, not least the possibility of Chelsea winning the Champions League and taking away the 4th place entry into the qualifiers (and pushing third down that road instead). But for Newcastle, there is added pressure in securing that Champions League slot. It is not just about the excitement of pitting yourself against Europe’s premier teams. The added incentive is keeping together your team.

Alan Carr is a comedian with his own chat show, who feared telling his dad Graham that he wasn’t going to follow him career-wise down a footballing route. Graham Carr is a success in his chosen career, but any mention of him is always done by association with his famous son. But Graham Carr is a massive factor in Newcastle’s resurgence. As chief scout at Newcastle (once Dennis Wise had moved on), the Newcastle supporter’s eye for a good player and detailed scouting of foreign talent has helped transformed the side into a potential Top Four side, and all on an admirable budget. It involved a lot of hard work along the way – Carr, who has scouted for Manchester City and Spurs amongst others (following Sven Goran Eriksson for many years), watched Tiote for four years before concluding he was worth the risk. But this is a trick he may well have to continue for many a year, as predictably with any team that breaks through and exceeds expectations, the vultures are already circling.

This is the problem with doing well. You need to keep doing well, to really excel, or you will be picked off by the stronger animals in the pack. The Champions League revenue is there for a reason, to protect the status quo, to allow certain teams to dominate and take their pick of players. This is partly why Manchester City have upset many as it has broken the cartel, and their wealth means their players can’t be picked off. So if Manchester United want Wayne Rooney off Everton, they will inevitably get him. If City want Gareth Barry off Aston Villa, then likewise. Not that you can blame the players of course. Players may be portrayed as money-grabbing mercenaries, but they want to win things too. The Manchester City of old, or the current Everton or Aston Villas of the world have no chance of long-term success through prudence as the power of the “big” clubs will always see them off eventually. They may have their moment in the sun, but it will barely colour their skin.

Or perhaps Newcastle will prove otherwise, and buck the trend. It would be nice to see Newcastle make the Champions League for this reason. It would be good to see the team stay together for at least one year, interesting to watch how much further they can go with a couple more additions. They are guaranteed to be playing in Europe next season one way or another, but would the Europa League be enough for Newcastle’s most talented players?

Well probably. You would think that these players would want to continue the progress, as a matter of pride. They must surely have enjoyed their season, and would have little desire to leave. Cisse has only just joined anyway, so won’t be going anywhere. Ba may be more of a problem, with a reported (low) release fee in his contract. Ben Arfa must be happy to be playing again, and at the peak of his potential. The likes of Cabaye, Santon and Krul will make Newcastle a force next season should they remain.

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Whatever happens on the final weekend of the season, for many Alan Pardew will be the Premiership’s manager of the year. As a victim of his own success though, he will now be under extra pressure next season. But extra pressure will come in rebuffing bids for his star performers. Already, the early summer gossip has mentioned that Arsenal are plotting a double raid for Ba and Cabaye. In what should be a summer of excitement for Newcastle fans eagerly awaiting bold new signings and wondering what the next season will hold, will be tinged with the anxiety caused by the inevitable transfer stories linking moves away for some of their players. Let’s hope the team can stay intact, for the sake of the fans and for the competitiveness of the Premier League, as now Newcastle have a great springboard to progress even further.

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Holland coach Bert van Marwijk is confident his side can beat Germany and avoid early elimination from Euro 2012 when the pair meet in Kharkiv on Wednesday.

A shock defeat at the hands of Denmark in their opening game has left the Dutch teetering on the verge of an early exit from the finals but Van Marwijk believes his side can come out on top against the Germans who have been tipped to win Group B.

However the 60-year-old did admit his unhappiness with the treatment he and his players have got from the Holland media but insisted he is used to fielding criticism as he paid little attention to any negative questioning during his post-match press conference.

“I am used to it by now,” he said. “We are here preparing for one of the most important games in the last few years and so I don’t want to talk about other things.

“The Germans are very strong, but we can beat them, but I won’t tell you how we are going to do that.”

After beating Portugal 1-0 on Saturday night German boss Joachim Low knows a win will guarantee progression to the quarter finals and is debating over whether he should alter the side that won in L’Viv.

Low is aware that a draw or defeat wouldn’t be good enough to secure a place in the knockout stage and emphasised need to stay focused during a fixture that is brimming with historical undertones.

“We have got to ensure we qualify for the next round so it plays no role what their situation is,” he said. “We want to win the game and take a decisive step towards qualifying.”

“For me, the phrase ‘never change a winning team’ does not apply. There are always different situations in which, as a coach, you get the feeling that a change or two may do you good.”

Team News

Joris Mathijsen could replace Ron Vlaar in the Holland defence after returning to full training whilst Klaas Jan Huntelaar could start at the expense of Robin van Persie or Ibrahim Affelay.

Germany have a fully fit squad after Bastien Schweinsteiger came through the Portugal game unscathed despite nursing a calf complaint that kept him out of the pre-tournament friendlies.

Key Player

Arjen Robben

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Despite misfiring against Denmark the Bayern Munich winger is still a vital cog in the Dutch attack. Having operated from the right in the opening game it’s likely Robben pitched there again to keep Germany skipper Phillipe Lahm occupied and create space down the wing for full back Gregory Van der Wiel to exploit.

Mario Gomez

Whether he’s in the game or not Gomez is always a threat and he displayed against Portugal that he only needs one chance to make a difference for Germany. His winning goal against Portugal displayed all the all hallmarks of a top strike and came after a frustrating 72 minutes in which scoring opportunities were scarce justifying Low’s decision to play him ahead of Miroslav Klose.

Prediction: 1-2

New Tottenham signing Gylfi Sigurdsson has admitted that a conversation with Andre Villas Boas was enough to convince him to sign for the north London club.

The Icelandic midfielder impressed last term on loan at Swansea, and has been the subject of a transfer wrangle between the Welsh club, Liverpool and Spurs this summer.

Despite this, the talented playmaker has agreed to move to White Hart Lane, and has revealed that a conversation with new club boss Villas Boas swung his decision.

“I like him (Andre Villas-Boas) and the ideas he has,” Sigurdsson told mlb.is, translated to English by Sky Sports.

“He has faith in me and I’m looking forward to working under his leadership.

“I enjoyed playing under Brendan and I am grateful for everything he has done for me, but after careful consideration I liked Spurs best.

“The team has world-class players in their ranks and they play good football, which I like.

“I was impressed with the club’s plans for next season and the coming years. There is clearly great ambition at Tottenham and the club intends to do big things.

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“It is a pleasure to see that Gareth Bale has signed a new contract. There are top players in the team and the club is getting a new training ground,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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West Ham are set to try and lure Liverpool striker Andy Carroll to Upton Park by offering him £100,000 per week, Mirror Football report.

The England international forward is thought to be surplus to requirements at Anfield, with Brendan Rodgers willing to part with the burly frontman.

The Hammers want to bring Carroll to London, but it is believed that the player rejected the opportunity to move to Sam Allardyce’s men on loan.

However, West Ham are not taking no for an answer, and will return with a transfer bid for Carroll, and will try to convince him to join by upping his current wages to £100,000 per week.

Meanwhile, West Ham are also closing in on a move for former defender James Collins, The Sun report.

The Wales central defender left the Hammers to move to Aston Villa, but is set for a return to the club in a £2.5 million deal.

A deal for Collins is thought to be on the verge of completion, with confirmation expected on Wednesday.

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By Gareth McKnight

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West Ham are concluding the final details of Matt Jarvis’ move from Wolves, The Daily Mail report.

The England international winger has been scouted by a number of Premier League sides after the Molineux outfit’s relegation, with the Hammers agreeing a reported fee of £10.75million including add-ons and personal terms with the player.

Sam Allardyce is excited about the club’s new record signing and intends to use Jarvis straight away once a deal is concluded.

“From my point of view it is a big piece of business. I think a quality young man who has got a lot of qualities that will add to the team we have already got,” Allardyce stated.

“When you are trying to create in the Premier League and score goals, he is one of those players who can certainly give defences a really hard time and that is what we are hoping he can do for us.

“This is not a player that is coming in from abroad or coming from a foreign club.

“He had a full pre-season at Wolves, he played on Tuesday night for Wolves and I watched him play against Leeds sat in my office waiting for our first game last week, and was obviously thoroughly impressed with him again.

“He has been a huge success at Wolverhampton Wanderers since his move from Gillingham and we hope he will be as big a success for us as he was for them.

“He is fit, he is eager and he is ready to go.

“This is a player of dribbling skills, pace, trickery, a player that not only provides chances but also relieves pressure on your defence.

“When he takes the ball he will keep hold of it and can take it from one end of the field to the other on his own and then produce a cross.

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“His stats are extremely good and he delivers in the business end of the field,” Allardyce concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill was shocked that the Black Cats opening home game of the Premier League season with Reading was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Heavy rain fell over the majority of England, but the Championship game at neighbouring Middlesbrough went ahead without problems which led to Sunderland launching an internal investigation into the issue of why it affected them so badly.

Sunderland were set to let new big money signings Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson loose on the Stadium of Light pitch but both managers agreed with referee Neil Swarbrick that the game shouldn’t go ahead.

Water was left covering the top of the pitch and the drainage system had clearly failed which led to a surprising August abandonment of a Premier League game, quite unheard of until now.

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Martin O’Neill told the Independent: “It’s inexplicable, really. For it [the rain] to lie there there must be a problem with the drains.”

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