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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has spoken of his happiness at his side’s 1-0 win over Swansea on Saturday, stating it was vital for the Gunners to get their first win of the season.

After just one point from their first three games, and the 8-2 humiliation against Manchester United in their last outing, The Gunners were under pressure to get a win against the newly promoted team.

An Andrey Arshavin goal five minutes before half-time gave the London side a 1-0 victory, but the home team were helped by a mistake Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm.

Despite this, the French trainer was pleased with the victory.

“It was vital for us to win the game. I think we started quite well and slowly the nerves took over. We played handbrake-ish, restrictive in the second half,” Wenger told Sky Sports.

“It’s not often that we pass the ball back to the goalkeeper from halfway. We just wanted to get over the line. We didn’t manage the second goal and any mistake and then you don’t win the game – a game that we absolutely had to win.

“Swansea make it difficult for you because they keep the ball well and are quick on the flanks,” he continued.

In a new look Arsenal team, Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta made their first appearances for their new club, and their boss was happy with the manner of the performances.

“Mertesacker was calm and composed – he leads the line well but needs to adapt to the pace of the game. Arteta played well overall, especially in the first half. You could see that he will bring us some technical security,” he praised.

Russia international Arshavin has had a dip in form of late, but Wenger has backed the goalscorer to get back to his best.

“Arshavin has a very good spirit. He had lost confidence and has a good attitude in training – people sometimes think he doesn’t care. That’s not true at all, he cares very much and he had just lost confidence – you could see he was himself again,” he concluded.

Arsenal will now face a tough test in midweek as their Champions League campaign starts on Tuesday with a trip to Germany to take on Bundesliga holders Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park.

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It’s amazing really what a little bit of time can do in football. Cast your minds back to last season and Dimitar Berbatov was something of a whipping boy in the stands at Old Trafford. Now though, the Man United striker is the focal point of the attack and pretty much saved his side from an embarrassing defeat to Blackpool on Tuesday night.

United supporters aside, most would deem this type of behaviour towards a footballer as fickle. Those who deemed the Bulgarian surplus to requirements may have been over-reacting, but they certainly had a point to be annoyed.

Berbatov was a direct placement for the outgoing Carlos Tevez. The Argentine represented something of a work-horse, which always goes down well with the home fans. Berbatov has never really had that in his locker, and was ultimately labelled ‘lazy’.

What was most infuriating for the fans though was that they never saw enough of his unquestionable quality. He’s one of the most technically gifted players to be playing the game but last season in particular, he rarely showed it.

United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson has suggested that the reason his £30 million striker is now finally starting to show his worth is because Berbatov himself and his team-mates are starting to realise just how good he is. If we were being pedantic, his one fault this season is that he becomes overly frustrated with his colleagues because they’re not capable of matching his ability.

I could also offer another reason why he is now producing the quality which made Fergie spend so lavishly on him. Berbatov was always the star-man at Tottenham. He was their main attacking threat and played like a man determined to carry the weight of his team. He then joined United, who at the time already had Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. Is it just a coincidence that Berba’s form comes at a time when United had lost two of those stars and the third is lost looking for form? Ferguson would have recognised that his attack was depleted compared to that of the Champions League winning 2009 season. It was time for the big Bulgarian to step up, and I would put good money on the manager telling him so.

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The player himself as suggested that the best is yet to come, so United fans will be hoping that the likes of Rooney will let him have the limelight for a little bit longer. Was he too expensive? Is he lazy? Maybe so, but his contribution this season has elevated him from the United boo-boy to the Stretford End hero whose name is now sung along with past greats such as George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo. What’s that United fans? Give it to Berba? Oh how times have changed indeed…

Swansea boss Michael Laudrup has confirmed that Liverpool have not made an approach for Joe Allen.

The Liberty Stadium midfielder is said to be one of Brendan Rodgers’ summer transfer targets at Anfield, but as yet the Welsh club’s former boss has not been in touch.

“I haven’t heard anything from Liverpool. If it comes to more than rumours then I am sure I will talk to the chairman about it, but it is a part of football,” the Dane told The Guardian.

“You have to deal with it, talk to the player and see what he wants. We all have our own positions, the manager, the club, the player and there are a lot of things we have to look at.

“I want him to stay here because I think he is very important for the team, but we will have to deal with that when it becomes something more than rumours,” the new coach continued.

Speculation in the press was that one of the conditions of Rodgers leaving Swansea was that he would not try to sign their players for a 12-month period, but Laudrup is unaware of this.

“I don’t know about the agreement, but of course I will do everything to keep the best players here. When that moment arrives and we have to deal with it then we will do it. For now it is only speculation,” he confirmed.

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By Gareth McKnight

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If there was one concern to take from the 1-1 draw against Sunderland on Saturday, it was the lack of pressing and the deep defensive line which Liverpool adopted, especially in the second half. Although Liverpool struggled to establish themselves on Sunderland in the second period, utilising at times some aimless long passing, a big reason why the Reds lost control of the match was because of the team shape.

Certainly a lack of control of the ball in the second half was a main contributory factor in the Reds not pushing on from their first half display, but what was strikingly evident was how deep the Reds back line was playing at times. It was not only the backline which withdrew deeper though, the Reds midfield also began to stand off Sunderland which inevitably meant less possession and less opportunities for the Reds to attack further up the pitch.

No pressure on the ball allowed Sunderland back into the game, and when Larsson scored, Liverpool failed to grab back the initiative. Instead they continued to play pretty deep. This defensive line led to some of the problems Liverpool had in the attacking half of the pitch in the second period.

Rather than having the ball in more advanced areas, the Reds more often than not had the ball in the back four, and with the Reds not pushing up in midfield, there were very few options for the backline to pick out. It all began to go a bit ragged as the second half went on with the Reds resorting to long ball tactics, trying to pick out an increasingly isolated Andy Carroll . This inevitably led to the ball being given away which became part of a vicious cycle where the back four gave possession away, leading the backline to go deeper and deeper.

So what may have led to such a deep backline and to a lack of pressing in midfield? Would this have been a planned tactic by Dalglish and Clarke? Although there were times under Dalglish last season where the Reds didn’t press the ball very well (e.g v Tottenham), in most matches it was noticeable that there was marked return to higher pressing than there was under previous manager Roy Hodgson. Against teams such as Manchester United and Manchester City, this was very evident indeed.

Against Sunderland however, there was one big difference: personnel. The Reds team is still gelling together, and in the second half especially, the lack of communication was evident as the Reds gave the ball away a lot more. The Reds looked good with possession in the first half and had a lot more of it, but still they did look unconvincing off the ball. In the second half, with less possession, this meant more problems and it is clear that the likes of Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson are not used to pressing as much without the ball.

Again, I must reiterate, this is only one match and things will take time to get right, and I hope that on the training ground this week, Kenny Dalglish and Steve Clarke take measures to address this lack of pressing, which led to the backline moving deeper and deeper.

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Read more of David Tully’s articles at Live4Liverpool

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Juventus boss Gigi Delneri returns to Sampdoria on Sunday for the first time since taking the reins at the Turin giants in May.

After leading Sampdoria to a fourth-placed finish last season and into the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, the 60-year-old was looking for a new challenge with Juventus, who finished a disappointing seventh in 2009/10.

When asked what type of reception he expected from the supporters at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Delneri was not sure how he would be received.

“What reaction do I expect from the fans? Recognition, the same as I feel for the supporters. I don’t think Sampdoria miss me or (former striker, now at AC Milan) Antonio Cassano and every season is its own story,” Delneri said.

“Besides, it is always exciting for them to take on Juve, regardless of who is on the bench. We had an extraordinary year together that culminated in the Champions League, thanks also to the fantastic atmosphere around the club.”

Delneri downplayed talks of a Serie A title challenge, with his side sitting in sixth position, seven points behind league leaders AC Milan.

“Let’s go easy on talk of the title. I think Juve must always fight to get the best and will improve when we get everyone back from injury,” he said.

Brazilian striker Amauri is back in the side after fracturing his nose, and Delneri has not ruled out a move for Sampdoria front man Giampaolo Pazzini.

“Both strikers are very talented. Pazzini has played more often than Amauri this year, which is why he has scored more goals,” he said.

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“As for other signings, for now we have brought in Luca Toni and will see what else happens. It is a tough moment for the club and we’re trying to improve the squad, but know it is not easy.”

“We’re keeping our eyes open to check out any bargains, but unfortunately at times we want players beyond our budget.”

Tottenham’s proposed bid to sign Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen is still in the offing, despite the exit of Harry Redknapp from the club.

The White Hart Lane outfit have made the Belgium international centre-half their number one transfer target this summer, but it was feared that the deal could be damaged by Redknapp’s dismissal.

However, the player’s agent Mustapha Nakhli has revealed that Redknapp’s exit will not change anything.

“Nothing has changed at all. He is coming to Tottenham for the club and not for the manager,” Sky Sports report Nakhli as saying.

“Managers come and go. Of course Jan is sorry that Harry Redknapp is no longer there but he is going for the club.

“We have a good relationship with Daniel Levy. He wants the deal to happen and there is a good atmosphere (between us).

“I don’t know when it will happen but the deal is close, very close,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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A hard fought draw was all that Liverpool could muster in their opening day of the season. It will take time for the new boys to gel and supporters should show the team great patience in Kenny’s new look team before it starts to turn out results.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include Liverpool’s transfer pledge; King Kenny to finally deliver, while it is time for supporters to move on from Alonso.

We also look at the best Liverpool articles around the web this week.

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What to expect from Liverpool FC

Caption Competition: Newcastle’s loss is Liverpool’s gain

FOUR Liverpool players whose future lies away from Anfield?

Will this new transfer strategy see other Premier League clubs follow suit?

The perfect way to fast-track Liverpool’s development?

Liverpool’s trump card in Premier League title race

Will King Kenny finally deliver silverware to Anfield?

Time for Liverpool to move on

Liverpool chief’s transfer pledge

Liverpool lining up Dann swoop

A genuine cause for concern at Liverpool?

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Best of WEB

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Reality Check – This is Anfield

How Liverpool Can Win The League Title – Tomkins Times

Player-by-player 2011/12 Preview – This is Anfield

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Fan Focus: Getting The Lowdown On Liverpool From Paul Tomkins  –  Roker Report

SO WHAT WILL WE BE GETTING FOR £6MILLION? – Live4Liverpool

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Click on Miss Blasi below to see her in all her glory

Last week the International Football Federation of History & Statistics’ (IFFHS) released it’s ‘manager of the decade’ list.

All the familiar faces were there and there were no glaring omissions but the thing that did catch my eye was the order in which the managers were ranked. Now a list like this will all was be open to be questions but the IFFHS have a system in place to rank managers annually and at the end of the decade using these scores they were able to compile this list:

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1. Arsene Wenger (France) 156

2. Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland) 148

3. Jose Mourinho (Portugal) 135

4. Fabio Capello (Italy) 120

5. Guus Hiddink (Holland) 112

6. Carlo Ancelotti (Italy) 108

7. Luiz Scolari (Brazil) 101

8. Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina) 101

9. Rafael Benitez (Spain) 97

10. Marcello Lippi (Italy) 88

As I said they have a system in place to rank the managers but what system would allow a manager who hadn’t won a trophy in the later half of the decade to be named the best manager of the decade? I do not write to speak ill of Wenger, he is a good manager but from 2000 to 2010, I’m pretty sure there are managers, namely Sir Alex Ferguson, who could and should have ranked higher than him.

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If we look at the the decade and compare United’s results and achievements with Arsenal’s it becomes apparent that Wenger was actually the best manager in England over the past decade let alone the world.

United won the league in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009; the FA Cup in 2004; the league cup in 2006, 2009 and 2010 that’s just domestically if you add to that the Champions League in 2008 and the Club World Cup in 2008 the sum dwarfs Arsenal’s haul of the league titles in 2002 and 2004 and FA Cups in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Of course Arsenal’s unbeaten season has been taken into account as well as the times they have finished as runner up domestically and in Europe but in a competition to decipher who exactly has been the best manager over the past 10 years it kind of defeats the purpose to reward not actually winning!

I have only mentioned Sir Alex’s achievements in comparison, if  we were to then look at say Jose Mourinho’s too it would make for lugubrious reading from an Arsenal perspective considering Mourinho has did the treble twice in the time span being considered (albeit he spent the early part in Portugal, considered a weaker league in terms of European football).

I’m not 100% sure how exactly points are awarded by the IFFHS but I would imagine having to declare a manager who hasn’t won a trophy in nearly 6 years kind of harms their credibility.

Read more Manchester United articles at the excellent ‘The Busby Way’

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With Premier League teams clamouring for home grown talent, big spending Manchester City have snared their fair share of Britain’s best players but one man who appears to be heading toward the exit door is Adam Johnson.

The young winger has impressed during a relatively short spell at the Etihad Stadium but with question marks over his defensive motivation and bigger stars waiting in wings to replace him, manager Roberto Mancini has deemed him surplus to requirements this summer. The Englishman is attracting interest from Liverpool, Tottenham and Sunderland among others but at 24 years of age is still relatively unproven at the highest level. With that in mind is Johnson genuinely worth the £15 million being touted around?

Given the overinflated prices being paid for British stars, it would appear Johnson is a snip at £15 million. He’s a Premier League winner, a full International and possesses that sought after quality of being a left footed Englishman. Lesser players like Jordan Henderson have demanded undeservedly high transfer fees so teams should be jumping the queue in order to sign him but for some reason Johnson’s personality and mentality are tarnishing his obvious talent.

Fans have heard various whispers regarding his failings and apparently his rise to prominence has made him too arrogant at an early age. To make matters worse his lack of defensive motivation doesn’t serve his teammates very well when defending as a unit. It’s something a tactician like Mancini has been quick to point out. The Italian manager said:

“Sometimes he thinks, ‘OK, in this game I scored one goal, I did an assist, that is enough’

“He can play for England but if he wants to continue doing this he needs to play well in every game for us. Some dribbling or two crosses don’t make him a good player. He must keep his feet on the floor. It’s important all the players have good behaviour during the week. He’s a fantastic talent but he’s not a top player at this moment.”

While many fans were surprised when Stewart Downing was chosen ahead of Johnson in Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2012 squad, having seen the defensive manner of the England setup during the tournament, it’s clear that Hodgson agrees with Mancini’s concerns over the winger’s willingness to defend in unison. That very same lack of work rate seems to have held him back when breaking into the City first team and meant he played a bit part role in their title run in. Edging out the likes of Samir Nasri is no mean feat but Johnson is the same age as the Frenchman and he knows Mancini is strict because he rates him so highly. He said:

“He can criticise as well as praise you and I’ve never had a problem with that. I’m not the type to let those things bother me. I take it on board and continue to work hard in training every day so there’s no problems there.”

Johnson’s comments appear to be fairly level headed but his omission from the England squad and the City first team tells a different story. If a controversial personality like Mario Balotelli can earn Mancini’s trust then Johnson must be doing something wrong and now less establish stars like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have leapfrogged him into the national side. The youngster may be able to talk the talk but clearly he hasn’t walked the walk enough to persuade either his domestic manager or his national team coach to select him. If he’s not trusted to put a shift in then why are other Premier League teams so desperate to sign him?

Of the clubs being linked only Sunderland have any prior history having come close to signing Johnson when he was at Middlesbrough. In the end City’s finances blew the Black Cats out of the water but they’ve monitored his progress and retain an interest in bringing him to the Stadium of Light. Few Sunderland fans would refuse his signature but in reality the contract extension he earned last year has priced them out of a permanent transfer. Now on higher wages and with the experience of European and International football, the Easington born star is unlikely to return to the North East anytime soon unless it’s on loan. That leaves clubs like Tottenham and Liverpool at the head of queue but should these teams be spending £15 million on a potential flight risk?

Liverpool could certainly use another skilful winner with only Downing currently on their books but, as another former Middlesbrough winger, Johnson is of a similar mould to his fellow countryman. Tottenham’s quest for UEFA Champions League football could lead them to splashing the cash but they already own Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon so do they really need another first choice winger? Johnson prefers to cut inside from right midfield so could find a place in the side but would Spurs fans prefer him or Lennon on their right wing?

For such an obvious talent, it’s a shame Johnson’s personality has led to his stock falling so far. Since he’s no longer first choice for club or country it’s vital he finds a suitable transfer this summer in order to guarantee regular football. Whether or not prospective teams are willing to risk their hard earned pennies remains to be seen but if Henderson’s reportedly worth £16 million and Downing £20m then Johnson must have enough on his CV to warrant another Premier League team investing in his services.

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Do you think Johnson is worth £15m? Would you be happy if your team signed the winger?

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

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New Sunderland signing Sebastian Larsson has revealed that working with Steve Bruce again was the key factor in the Swede’s decision to move to Wearside, amid interest from other clubs.

The Scandinavian was available on a free transfer following Birmingham’s relegation, and despite interest from Newcastle and Arsenal, he was eager to link up with his old Blues boss again.

“The gaffer showed an interest in me quite early, a lot of interest, which is obviously nice. I have worked with him before and it is a big club, a massive club,” he is stated as saying in The Telegraph.

“I wanted to take the next step and I really feel I have done that by coming here. It has a huge fan base, great stadium and facilities and that is what you want when you play football. The club are trying to push forward. There have been quite a few new signings which, hopefully, will make the squad better,” he stated.

The midfielder is one of nine additions to the Black Cats squad in the transfer window, and the 26-year-old is impressed by the outfit’s ambitions of spending money whilst they can.

“That is what they told me before I signed – that they were really going to try and have a go. How far that goes, we will have to wait and see,” he concluded.

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Sunderland open their 2011/12 Premier League campaign against Liverpool at Anfield on August 13th.