- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels teams need one great leader to lead them to glory.
Wenger thinks a talisman can make all the difference when it comes to the crunch at major tournaments.
“I believe that you can have a good team yet still not win trophies with a national team because you need one exceptional leader in the side,” he said.
“I remember the France side of the late 1950s and early ‘60s with Raymond Kopa in the team had a very good period. Then again in the 1980s with Michel Platini; then we had a very good period in the 1990s with Zinedine Zidane.
“Of course there were fantastic players around him, like Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit, but you need one outstanding leader who can absorb the pressure from the media. You need one player who can be the technical leader on the pitch, who can do something special to win a tight game.
“You must be lucky as a national manager to have that player available at the right moment.”
- FC Koln striker Lukas Podolski could be nearing a summer move to Arsenal according to club manager Stale Solbakken.
The Germany international has been heavily linked with the Gunners recently with reports suggesting he has agreed terms with the North Londoners and recent comments made my Solbakken regarding the future of the 26-year old indicates he could well be on his way at season’s end.
"Lukas' decision is important for us all, but also for him. We must respect this," he said.
"I know a little more than you," Solbakken added. "I know a lot, but for me it is important that he has everything under control and can concentrate on the upcoming games.
"Podolski is a Koln player at the moment and we know that he will be here until the end of the season. Then we will have to see what happens."
- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is confident Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will make England's Euros squad.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was omitted from Stuart Pearce's England squad for tonight's friendly against Holland at Wembley, but Wenger believes the youngster is destined to make the cut for this summer's tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
"Physically we have to monitor him because after every game he can have a little problem," Wenger said.
"We know now that a large percentage of players who play a lot of games between the ages of 18 and 21 have bony stress responses. I never expected the number to be so high.
"[It happens] because your skeleton is not completely finished and the bones are not completely developed to absorb the kinds of shocks you get in the Premier League.
"We have to be cautious about that. But you are always in a trap when the player is as good as he is, like Jack Wilshere is too.
"You cannot take him out of the team, you have to keep him there. They can win you games.
"Until the end of the season there is no problem and if he continues to play like this I am convinced he will go to Euro 2012."
- Manchester United and Arsenal are scrambling after Claudio Yacob was cut loose by Racing Club this week.
The tough-tackling midfielder, likened to Barcelona ace Javier Mascherano, is now a free agent, and can move to Europe immediately.
Racing coach Alfio Basile demanded the club take action against Yacob after he went AWOL for their defeat to Banfield.
Yacob's camp are now expected to take their time over his next move, with United, Arsenal and Benfica all expected to battle for his signature,
- Arsenal fullback Nico Yennaris is determined to make it at Emirates.
The lifelong Gunner, who made an impressive Premier League debut against Manchester United in January, said that he has taken the advice of Club staff firmly to heart.
“I’ve always believed that what you put in is what you get out,” said Yennaris.
“One of the coaches here once said to me that if you’re going to fail, do so through your ability and not your work rate. I’ve stuck by that and thought that if it’s not going to be, it can’t be because I haven’t tried.
"I’ve always been focused and worked very hard to give myself the best opportunity of succeeding."
- Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner is open to a move to Russia.
Bendtner is currently on-loan at Sunderland, where he's struggled to nail down a regular start.
"There are many strong players that have been taken to Russia. Players of a profile who have not previously done so. I'm loaned out at the moment, but I will consider my options when the time comes.
"In football you can never say never," Bendtner said.
- England chief Gareth Southgate is convinced of the talent in the U21 squad.
Southgate is also excited by the presence of another three London players; West Ham midfielder Henri Lansbury, who is on loan at Upton Park from Arsenal, Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran, who is on loan at Swansea, and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.
"Lansbury and Oxlade-Chamberlain have been excellent for the Under-21s, while McEachran is also very talented. Zaha has looked exciting for Crystal Palace this season and deserves his first call-up.
"We were unfortunate to lose in Belgium. We deserved at least a draw but the difficulty with Under-21 teams is that you don't know if Belgium were at full strength or if very good players might have emerged in the three months since we played them last, which can happen at this level."
- Joel Campbell gave Arsenal fans a sign of hope to come after scoring in Wales.
Campbell, signed in the summer, scored the winner for Costa Rica against Wales last night.
The striker is currently playing on-loan at Lorient.
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