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A difficult tour of the Championship last time out for West Ham; of course ending with a glorious last gasp Play-Off victory over Blackpool at Wembley; forced contrasting emotions but that’s nothing compared to what is to come. This time last season year I said that relegation could be a blessing in disguise and I stand by that.

Looking at the squad that was relegated, losing the likes of Scott Parker and Demba Ba was a blow, but numerous experienced replacements and more importantly a new manager that knows what he is doing arrived. Sam Allardyce has had his critics from the media and inside Upton Park over the past 12 months but I wouldn’t want anyone else in charge in East London going into this tough Premier League season.

Big Sam’s nous in the transfer market has been evident this summer with free signings Mohamed Diame and Jussi Jaaskelainen joining, as well as adding Alou Diarra, 31 and James Collins, 28 to his ranks.

One key aspect that runs through the entire West Ham squad for the forthcoming season is experience, and more importantly Premier League experience. It’s very rare, in fact I would say I’ve never seen a newly promoted squad that is littered with experience as much as West Ham’s is.

Jussi Jaaskelainen, James Collins, George McCartney, Kevin Nolan, Matty Taylor and Carlton Cole have spent the majority of their careers in the English top flight as well as the likes of Mark Noble, Mo Diame, Ricardo Vaz Te, Jack Collison and James Tomkins spending at least two years in the best league in the world.

New additions Modibo Maiga and Alou Diarra are yet to taste Premier League action, but have plenty of experience elsewhere and last season’s impressive defenders Winston Reid and Guy Demel seem more than capable of roughing it with the big boys.

It’s is in no way the be-all-and-end-all of Premier League football, but I can’t help but feel this wealth of experience could come to Allardyce’s aid during the long season and could earn the Hammers vital points along the way.

Whether it is being able to handle the pace of the league or simply not being overwhelmed by certain situations, using the word experienced rather than ageing about the West Ham squad would be the way to go for this season at least.

The likes of Swansea and Norwich showed last season that despite a lack of Premier League experience, if you get the right system and team bond you can succeed. However, both of those sides may now have been ‘found out’ to some extent and you wouldn’t expect either club to improve on last season’s performance, so their lack of experienced individual could be key this season.

Reading and Southampton both deservingly finished above the Hammers last season, but the step up can’t be underestimated and their summer recruitment so far hasn’t been particularly eye opening. Looking through both clubs’ starting XI it is hard to find many players that have more than 50 Premier League appearances and so it will be interesting to see how the naivety of their squads match up to the vastly experienced West Ham side as they all inevitably fight relegation.

Sam Allardyce himself is also a hugely experienced manager at this level having spent well over a decade at the helm of Premier League clubs. Vitally, Allardyce will know how to set his team up as massive underdogs. Last season the responsibility was with West Ham to push forward and go for the win week-in-week-out with most teams sitting ten men behind the ball, this season however most teams will go into the game favourites to beat the Hammers and so Allardyce can use all of his experience, mainly gained from success at Bolton, to overcome the underdog tag and cause shock results that was a trend in his time at the Reebok.

That may be something the likes of Reading and Southampton will fall down on. How to set up against the top six clubs. Admirable as it is, insisting on attacking from the off is a dangerous tactic in the Premier League that you may be able to get away with in the Championship.

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Like I said you need a lot more than just experience in your squad going into the Premier League season, but the fact that West Ham are smothered in it can only be positive. It is going to be a long hard season at Upton Park but looking at the current squads I feel confident that the Hammers can avoid relegation and build on their talented squad.

Will experience be that important for West Ham? Can they avoid the drop?

Let me know below or on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard

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Bayern Munich are considering a January move for out of favour Chelsea winger Florent Malouda according to talkSPORT.

The Bundesliga giants were linked with a move for the 31-year-old in the summer and are now mulling over whether a bid when the transfer window re-opens.

Malouda’s future at Stamford Bridge has come into question over the last few weeks after the arrival of Juan Mata from Valencia with the Spaniard preferred in the line up by Andre Villas-Boas.

Mata’s early form in West London has been a shining light so far this season and could prove to be the death knell for the French midfielder.

The Portuguese coach stated he was looking to freshen up his squad with some younger faces and with Malouda now peering over the wrong side of 30 he could be sacrificed.

A move to the Allianz Arena could now be in the pipeline although they could face a fight from Italian sides Juventus and AC Milan who have also been credited with holding strong interest in the Frenchman.

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The Germans are desperate to capture their man and will be confident of beating both Serie A sides to Malouda’s signature who has been a consistent performer for Chelsea over the last three seasons.

The excellent run of form for Premier League clubs in Europe continued last night, as both Liverpool and Manchester City secured their places in the next round of the Europa League. There they will be joined by Rangers, as the SPL giants went through on away goals against Sporting Lisbon.

In the newspapers this morning much of the coverage on the back pages concerns Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, with the Spaniard claiming he is fit to play on Sunday despite being ruled out by Gunners manager Arsene Wenger. Elsewhere Tottenham are looking to strengthen their defence in the summer with right back Gokhan Gonul and Newcastle have tied down Cheik Tiote to a long term deal at St James’ Park.

Arsenal fitness trainer: Cesc could have played on Sunday – Mirror

Dzeko disappointed with display – Guardian

Glazers set to announce their commitment to Man United – Telegraph

Redknapp leads chase for Gokhan Gonul – Mirror

Tiote signs new Newcastle deal – The Sun

Moyes scouring the Championship for Sven’s stars – Daily Mail

Top clubs face tough TV schedules – Telegraph

Barry Hearn threatens to sue ‘everyone’ – Guardian

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It’s referees and not just players getting into trouble on Twitter – The Sun

Owen Coyle eager to sort out Elmander’s future in the next fortnight – Daily Mail

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The journey to South Africa has been a long and tumultuous one for 1998 champions France. Raymond Domenech’s charges stuttered through their qualifying campaign which ended in the infamous Thierry Henry handball incident; a microcosm of the problematic and desperate situation France find themselves in with weeks to go before the World Cup kicks off. The much maligned coach who will step down at the end of the tournament is guilty of making some questionable decisions not only in selection and tactics, but with bizarre and counter-productive comments to the media that have left the nation pessimistic that Les Bleus will win their second world title this summer.

Lloris and Mandanda have been Ligue 1’s most consistent performers between the posts for the past few seasons and will fight it out for the number one jersey, though Sebastian Frey, whose form for Fiorentina has been stellar, has been overlooked for reasons unknown to anyone but Domenech. The French have an embarrassment of riches at full-back with Sagna operating down the right and one of Abidal, Evra, Clichy or Cissokho providing threat down the left. In the middle though, the tiring legs of William Gallas may prove a liability against dangerous attackers of group opponents Uruguay (Forlan and Suarez) and Mexico.

Domenech has been widely criticized for his insistence on deploying two holding midfielders in the shape of Toulalan and Lassana Diarra to sit in front of the defence. His reasoning is that it frees up the more creative talents of Ribery and the superlative Yoann Gourcuff further up-field, but results have been far from fruitful; France scored just 18 goals in qualifying, against the likes of Lithuania and the Faroe Islands. Ribery has endured a somewhat inconsistent term at Bayern, with questions regarding his next club perhaps taking precedent over his form on the pitch. If his future is resolved before the World Cup, a focused and undoubtedly talented Ribery will be France’s most potent attacking threat…

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Read the full France World Cup Preview in which the decline of Thierry Henry is discussed as well as the struggles that they’re likely to face at http://topcam.wordpress.com/

Arsenal fans are quickly losing interest in the on-going Robin van Persie saga. A lot of which has to do with the rumoured positive moves the club are making to once again compete in the Premier League.

The Arsenal captain has made his bed with that ridiculous statement earlier in the summer, and maybe he overestimated his value to both Arsenal and the rest of the market. A key player for the Gunners, of course, but that importance was highlighted through 18 months of outstanding performances, rather than the year-on-year expectations that many had for him.

When Thierry Henry decided his time was up at Arsenal in 2007 (although a lot of that decision was made by Arsene Wenger, rather than the persistent nagging from Barcelona) everyone wrote the club off for the upcoming season. Fair enough, the team were hardly outstanding throughout the previous year, and the club’s only real and established star was moving on.

At that point, Cesc Fabregas wasn’t considered the focal point for the team, and van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor were not really viewed as the obvious partnership to take on Henry’s production. But maybe in football, like other sports, it’s the moves you don’t make that are the best choices. And for the club to seem willing, for now, to avoid any contract extension and part with van Persie can only be a good thing for the rest of the squad and new arrivals.

When Henry left, the rest of the team were liberated. It was no longer about getting the ball to the captain, and players like Alex Hleb really emerged as outstanding talents away from the shadow of Henry.

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With the new signings of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, and the increasingly likely arrival of Santi Cazorla, the team have a chance to re-brand themselves away from van Persie. Arsenal need a quarterback and a playmaker, but not one who is only looking for van Persie in the end zone. The much-desired talent is coming in, so why cast the new and exciting arrivals in the dark behind the Dutchman?

Arsenal fans have rightly built up van Persie to be an indispensable asset because there was no one else. There were no alternatives to provide the goals and, most importantly, in the absence of Jack Wilshere, there was no one else to really get fans out of their seats.

But in a surprising turn of events, the club have called van Persie’s bluff and moved very ambitiously to pursue two exciting products from La Liga. And while Nuri Sahin was not at his Dortmund best for Real Madrid last season, there is room for him in the Arsenal line up to be a key figure.

As with the departure of Henry, the club need to be liberated from the one-man-team moniker and create a strong base throughout the club. Arsenal may be losing a little bit of their identity that was present during the early-2000s via the possible departure of van Persie, but considering the way Wenger is moving in the transfer market, there is every reason to be hopeful ahead of the new season.

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Bringing in established players who are ready and good enough to perform now, the club can move away from the culture of big names holding the club to ransom and demanding moves away. If Theo Walcott or Alex Song want to make similar noises to the tune of Cesc Fabregas or van Persie then fine, both can be replaced.

But the pursuit of players like Cazorla or Podolski is what should be getting everyone excited for a new season. There are surely very few Arsenal fans who wouldn’t trade van Persie for the two big names who are likely to add to the two earlier purchases. And that’s what the fans needed, the ambitious signings to soften the blow of losing a valued a previously much-liked captain.

The new signings, however, will do more than just soften the blow of losing van Persie, they will help to lay the foundation for a new chapter in the reign of Arsene Wenger. Hopefully a much more successful chapter than the one which spanned the last six years.

Of all the derbies within the English game, Tottenham Hotspur versus Arsenal is one of the most fierce rivalries. This weekend’s upcoming fixture sees the red half of North London starting on the back foot which has been quite rare in the Premier League era.

The last time Spurs finished above the Gunners was in 1995 but this season, the Lilywhites look like they can mount a serious challenge again for 4th place. Last season, the Champions League sapped a lot out of them and from 2011 onwards, the White Hart Lane side never appeared front runners for 4th place.

This year, Spurs have a great opportunity to finish higher than their fiercest rivals. Their chances should only increase after being knocked out of the Carling Cup early on and with manager Harry Redknapp fielding youngsters in the Europa League.

So why is the game so important for each side?

The rivalry cannot be overlooked. A derby victory for either side will help to drag onside any disillusioned fans. This particularly applies to those of a red persuasion. To the supporters, any bragging rights will be priceless come next Monday morning, so they want to see total commitment right from the first whistle.

For Arsenal, currently North London’s top dog, they have to start winning away. If they don’t turn around their form fast, they will find it very difficult to get into the top 4 this season. Arsene Wenger needs his team to find some consistency. If the Gunners were to record back-to-back victories, it would show some steadiness in his so far inconsistent side. Momentum is important to any team and although they probably have held it for much of the Premier League era, in the last four years Arsenal have struggled against Spurs.

The significance of the game for Tottenham will have the White Hart Lane faithful purring with excitement. They have the opportunity to record their fourth consecutive win in the league. They have only lost to Arsenal once in their last six league meetings and they’ll be desperate to continue that run. A win on Sunday would send a powerful message out for the season especially after their convincing victory against fellow Champions League challengers Liverpool.

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Having Emmanuel Adebayor in his ranks is a feather in Harry Redknapp’s cap. He scored against Arsenal for Manchester City in 2009 and his celebration of that goal is part of the reason he will receive a fair amount of verbal abuse from the away support this weekend. That day at the City of Manchester stadium proves his ability in the face of adversity. The way he’s started at Spurs, the chances of him making his mark on Sunday look good.

They shouldn’t count out Arsenal’s strike force either, though. Robin van Persie demonstrated against Bolton why the Spurs defence cannot afford to take him lightly. Bagging a brace and in the process his 100th goal for the club, van Persie has definitely been a consistent threat in the Arsenal side during 2011.

Should Arsenal win at White Hart Lane on Sunday, it would be a massive result in the context of their season so far. It would scare away some of the encircling vultures around the future of Arsene Wenger. Ultimately even if the Gunners were to lose at the weekend, although it would be a tough blow, it wouldn’t represent a change in power.

If Tottenham displaced Arsenal in the Champions League, it would certainly signify a sizeable momentum shift in North London. Still, it’s hard to argue it would show the passing of the baton though. Spurs will need to finish above Arsenal for a few years before this can be declared and there’s a long way to go before that happens. However, a victory for Spurs on Sunday could be a watershed moment in this rivalry.

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Wellington Phoenix are through to the A-League finals series after beating North Queensland Fury 3-1 on Sunday.

Needing just a point from the last match of the regular season to secure the sixth and final play-offs spot ahead of Newcastle Jets, the Phoenix did it with relative ease against a team that has not won a match since mid-December.

They will now travel to South Australia to play Adelaide United onFriday.

Chris Greenacre got the opener in the seventh minute and Dylan Macallister doubled the lead four minutes later.

But it was the penalty by goalkeeper Danny Vukovic – in his final home game for the Phoenix – that got the biggest cheer from the 12,718 crowd in the 93rd minute to seal the win in dramatic fashion.

Brett Studman’s goal in the 66th minute had given the Fury some hope of a comeback.

But when he pulled back substitute Mirjan Pavlovic in the box in the dying stages of the match he went from hero to villain as referee Peter O’Leary had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and showing Studman a straight red card.

Vukovic also left no one in doubt he wanted to take the spot kick.

“I went straight over to (coach) Ricki (Herbert). I’m not sure what he said but I didn’t really care what he was going to say to be fair,” said the keeper with a grin.

“I knew it was the last kick of the game and there’s probably no more perfect way for a goalkeeper to score a goal than with the last kick of the game.”

“There were probably four or five boys putting their hand up. But once they saw me up there they were happy to give it to me.”

Meanwhile, a last-gasp goal from attacking midfielder Patricio Perez gave the Central Coast Mariners a 1-0 win over Newcastle.

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Perez was in the right spot to tap home from close range for his sixth goal of the season after a great run and cross from defender Josh Rose in the 90th minute.

In the first half Perez had a host of great chances to open the scoring but failed to hit the target.

The Mariners now take on Brisbane in the first leg of the major semi-final at Gosford on Saturday, but will have to be more decisive in front of goal to challenge the premiership favourites.

Team GB have recorded a 3-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates on Sunday night.

Captain Ryan Giggs had given the hosts the lead in the first half, but the Asian nation pulled together to get an equaliser through Rashed Eisa on the hour mark.

However, Stuart Pearce rang the changes and subs Scott Sinclair and Daniel Sturridge got the goals to ensure three points for Team GB.

Stuart Pearce felt that his side were good value for their win, which brings them back into qualification contention.

“The result was the most important thing this evening. We needed to win this game to give us a lift and enhance the belief in the group.” he told the BBC.

“Some good parts of our play I thought and some things that we’ve still got to work on; we won’t go away from this thinking ‘it was a bed of roses totally’ but some real solid performances

“Certainly [Craig] Bellamy and [Ryan] Giggs, Joe Allen, [Tom] Cleverley, some real solid performances within the group. We have to build once again for the last game,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Honduras beat heavily-fancied Spain 1-0 also to send the Iberian nation crashing out of the competition.

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By Gareth McKnight

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The higher they climb, the harder they fall. Sadly, with football being as brutal as it is these days, there is simply no time for sentiment. One day you can be flying high with your club, the next you’re old news, and you’re out on your own.

Through a combination of poor performances, long injury lay-offs or simply because they just weren’t as good as everyone thought they were, the following 10 payers have plummeted down through the football leagues, in this country and around the world.

And while some might seem harsh inclusions, it is important think about where they were, how much promise they had and how badly they have failed to achieve that, through their own fault or otherwise.

Football is now a cruel and uncaring game. Let’s exploit that. Have a cheap laugh at the expense of others. Go on…

Click on Alan Smith to unveil the top 10 fall from graces

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List compiled by Tom Close

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Socceroo star Tim Cahill remains in some doubt for the Asian Cup quarter-final with the striker missing training due to a corked thigh.

Cahill injured himself late in the 1-0 win over Bahrain on Tuesday and Australian medical staff have opted to take cautious approach ahead of Sunday’s knockout clash with Iraq.

The Everton man will be given every chance to prove himself while David Carney and Luke Wilkshire, who have overcome shoulder and groin injuries respectively, should play at least some role in the game. Brett Emerton will sit out the match through suspension.

Meanwhile, midfield pair Mile Jedinak and Brett Holman have denied there is any sense of revenge against the Iraqis for Australia’s loss to the Lions of Mesopotamia in the 2007 Asian Cup group stages.

“I don’t think revenge is the word,” said Holman. “But it would be nice to get a win as they’ve won the last couple of games against us and had the upper hand.”

Jedinak said: “Personally, not being there last time, I’m not thinking about that, though I’m not sure about the rest of the boys and this is a different game.”

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“But let’s not kid ourselves – they are the defending champions for a reason. They are a good side and we are expecting a tough game.”