Beyond The Pitch show

Summary: Phil and Anto are joined by former Arsenal midfielder and Sky Sports commentator Paul Merson to review the top headlines in the Premier League and the overall performance of the England national team at Euro 2012. We begin with the recent declarations by Robin Van Persie about ambition at Arsenal Football Club and what that means for the transfer strategy for the organization and whether supporters will continue to be as patient as they have been in past years as the steady line of top flight players leaves for clubs with more means and realistic opportunities to actually be competitive for trophies and titles. This includes the missing figure of David Dein which endures for Arsenal and if there could be a backlash by fans over some of the most expensive match day tickets in the business. Then we turn to the matter of Tottenham who has let Harry Redknapp go and has brought in Andre Villas-Boas against a changing landscape for a team two years removed from the Champions League with several key players who look to be moving on, including Luka Modric, who pushed back a move just a year ago. We examine the potential of a Real Madrid move, what happens for Harry Redknapp next and how big a risk the AVB appointment could be for Spurs. Then we turn to the matter of England and whether the national team performance is based more on tactics or endeavour and gauge whether the players coming through are more capable than their veteran teammates on an international level. How far is England from Spain and how should Hodgson approach Brazil 2014 are discussed. We also examine this England team which never really played like a traditional team at this European Championship and how the Italy match revealed something rather curious about the mentality and approach by this edition of the team. Also mentioned here is how David Beckham has been excluded from the Great Britain Olympic team and why he should have been included by Stuart Pearce. Lots here from Paul Merson who always offers great perspective and wonderfully direct opinions.