Arsene Wenger has been at it again, criticising Stoke for the rough treatment they dished out to Tottenham last week. He may have a point - especially considering what happened with Aaron Ramsey at the Britannia - but he is sounding like a broken record.

He can expect his players to be in for a similarly tough time at Ewood Park this weekend. ...

Fulham's point against another of my former clubs Manchester United did not come as any surprise at the weekend.

Craven Cottage is becoming a bit of a bogey ground for United, Fulham having won the pair's previous two league encounters there before the weekend's stalemate.

It can be a difficult place to go to. When it's sold out, it can be quite a good atmosphere and other big clubs may struggle there this season. ...

Match of the week: Manchester City v Liverpool

You have got to feel for Roberto Mancini at times. With all the money City have spent the onus is on them to attack, to excite, to be positive. ...

Of the many expensively acquired summer recruits to take their bows over the weekend, the player who most impressed on his Premier League debut didn't cost his club a penny.

Marc Albrighton eclipsed everyone around him on Saturday with a superb performance on his first top-flight game for Aston Villa. ...

Match of the weekend: Liverpool v Arsenal

It is not often two big teams meet on the opening weekend and both sides would probably rather have a more gentle first match. It should provide great entertainment, however, with Roy Hodgson looking to win over a sceptical public at Anfield. He has made a good start by keeping Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres at the club, and seems to be getting the dressing room on side in his understated way. ...

You have to wonder as to the motives for arranging an international friendly three days before the start of the new Premier League season.

I just wonder whether the FA planned the match with Hungary on the pretext that England would do well at the World Cup. ...

The Community Shield may be played for charitable causes, but that doesn't mean it isn't an important game.

Certainly in terms of performance, Sunday's curtain-raiser to the new season is hugely significant.

It gives the two sides a chance to show how they have improved over the summer and a decent run-out will give them a springboard to get the new campaign off on the right foot. ...

Liverpool fans can be forgiven cautious optimism over the possible takeover by a Chinese billionaire, but they should remain sceptical until the offer becomes clearer.

It sounds too good to be true: Kenny Huang intends to buy out the hated Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks, pay off the club's debts and provide Roy Hodgson with transfer funds. ...

It has been a frustrating summer in the transfer market for Manchester United, and I think they need one or two more players if they want to contend for silverware this season.

The club's top brass insist that the £80 million they received for Cristiano Ronaldo is still available for Sir Alex to spend, although there are those who doubt this. ...

After the shambles that was England's World Cup, it's a relief to see a team with three lions on their shirts go to a major tournament and manage to avoid total embarrassment.

Better than that, Noel Blake's U19 team have reached the semi-finals of the European Championships in Normandy - no mean feat by any stretch of the imagination.

Okay, they haven't set the world alight, but they're in the final four and that alone is highly encouraging. ...

When you look at the number of players that Manchester City already have in their squad, especially in midfield, it looks as though James Milner will be just another to arrive on big money and not play regular football.

At Aston Villa last season he was one of the first names on the team sheet, but it's not going to be that way at Eastlands. ...

Liverpool are taking a big risk in signing Joe Cole.

Surely there is a good reason why Chelsea deemed him unworthy of £90,000-a-week wages. Why would he be available on a free transfer if he is the player Liverpool are hoping he is?

There must be a reason why a succession of managers, including Carlo Ancelotti and Fabio Capello, have refused to regularly pick him in their teams.

It might be his injuries. Or it might be his erratic form. ...

I read some quotes from Fabio Capello saying England can win Euro 2012 and nearly burst out laughing. Does anyone honestly think we can overhaul Spain, Holland and Germany within two years?

Instead he should look to the longer term and build a team for the 2014 World Cup. Now is the time to look beyond the present players and give the next generation a chance to settle into the team. ...

The eyes of the world were on the Netherlands in the showpiece final in South Africa, and they disgraced themselves in what was a disgusting display of anti-football. ...

With England's dismal World Cup campaign ending in humiliating fashion, the need for change has never been clearer. Fabio Capello has already targeted several players he thinks can inject some life into the future of the national game; here are five players who travelled to South Africa but who in my opinion should never pull on an England jersey again. ...

Roy Hodgson has been appointed as the manager of Liverpool for one reason: to restore the team ethic which was so desperately lacking under Rafael Benitez and the sale of Steven Gerrard will help that.

It is as yet unclear whether the Liverpool skipper will definitely be sold but, at the age of 30, Gerrard would be crazy not to leave Anfield and I am certain that Liverpool would actually benefit from his departure. ...

England now have to do it the hard way, but considering their performances so far at the tournament, a runners-up place in Group C - and a tough game against Germany - was entirely merited. ...

If there is one thing more harmful for a team than speaking out against the manager, it is upsetting the rest of the players and undermining the skipper.

That is exactly what John Terry has done by trying to muscle his way into power within the England camp. While his attempted mutiny may have been quashed, it was still hugely disrespectful and bang out of order. ...

Franz Beckenbauer angered Fabio Capello with his barbs about England resorting to long-ball tactics against the USA, but the German legend got it right.

The problem against the USA, like many other nations' opening game at this tournament, was Capello's overriding defensive stance.