Despite their excellent start to their campaign the pressure is on Chelsea ahead of their Champions League opener tonight. Carlo Ancelotti’s men travel to MSK Zilina and the general consensus amongst the footballing world is that they need to succeed to in Europe this season.

While last year saw Chelsea return to the domestic heights of the Jose Mourinho days, their capitulation against Mourinho’s Inter Milan would have no doubt infuriated owner Roman Abramovich in his quest to complete a clean sweep of trophies.

The Champions League is the only trophy to elude Abramovich during his time in West London and you can bet that urge for success in Europe is bigger than ever for the Russian, whether the urge will be satisfied is another question.

The problem that Ancelotti now faces is that it is really last chance saloon for this squad. I know we criticise Chelsea’s ageing squad year in and year out but now you really do feel that this is the last year when this squad could achieve any success in Europe.

But what worries is me is that I can see Abramovich putting the blame on Ancelotti for any failure, rather than seeing the common sense argument that the squad needs some investment in some younger players.

You can’t help but feel that Premier League success won’t be enough for Ancelotti this season. He himself admits a challenge for all four trophies is what he wants, saying:  “The normal step is to want to do better in the Champions League. We went out too early and want to do better this season.

“Our aim is to improve, to do better and stay involved in all the competitions until the end of the season, to give continuity to the victory of last season. I’m not under pressure but I will put myself under pressure.”

From that statement you do get the sense of added importance in Europe for Chelsea this season. My personal feeling is that if Ancelotti doesn’t deliver the Champions League trophy at the end of this campaign then Abramovich will wield his ill-timed axe once again.

Eighteen minutes in to their Champions League debut and Tottenham fans could have been forgiven for thinking life in the planets elite club competition was easy. 2-0 up and pressing for a third against a beleaguered Werder Bremen side, Spurs seemed to be adjusting to life amongst Europes top clubs in fine style.

But unfortunately things began to go wrong for Harry Redknapp’s side and conceding a goal just before the break proved to be costly as Bremen fought back to claim a deserved point. It was disappointing for Redknapp but at full-time he was probably relieved to have escaped Germany with just a point.

It was rude awakening for Redknapp and a harsh lesson was learnt. In the Champions League you need to make the most of spells when you are dominating the game.  Tottenham should have been out of sight by the time Bremen got their first goal, but they weren’t and in the second half they were made to pay for not killing the game off.

Against the quality you face in the Champions League you need to be clinical because if you give one chance away you are often cruelly punished, although I suppose if you had offered Spurs fans a point before the game – most would have taken it.

Redknapp himself was relatively satisfied with a draw. He told BBC Sport “I can’t be angry. That first half was as good as you could wish to see.

“Barcelona might be better, but that was as good as Tottenham can do. We passed the ball and opened them up time and time again. But then we conceded a bad goal which suddenly bought them back into the game.

“At 2-1 it gave them a massive lift and they got the early goal in the second half, but overall it was an excellent performance. “

Redknapp’s assessment summed up the game for Spurs, and I now expect them to work harder at making the most of the good spells they will have. Generally though I feel the point will prove a good base for the White Hart Lane club to go on make it through to the knockout stages, which I feel they will manage to do thanks to some positive results in their crucial home Champions League games.

What do you think? Was a point a good enough for Spurs tonight? Will they make it to the knockout stages? Was that the best that Redknapp’s side can play?

With the transfer window slamming shut tomorrow Tottenham have surprisingly been one of the most inactive clubs. But should Harry Redknapp make a last ditch attempt to strengthen his squad ahead of their assault on the Champions League?

Redknapp’s quiet summer has been quite surprising when you consider his reputation as a bit of a wheeler and dealer. But in truth I think he has been shocked at the sheer cost of strengthening a side that was able to qualify for the Champions League.

Champions League football has meant that Tottenham are in the market for elite players, but elite players means inflated transfer fee’s and although Spurs aren’t short of money Redknapp appears to be reluctant to risk value for money.

Take Luis Fabiano, Spurs were unwilling to meet Seville’s valuation of over £20million and quite rightly so for a player who only has a year left on his contract. But Redknapp must understand that this is the price you pay for a player of Fabiano’s ability. Transfer fees are greatly inflated but for the top bracket players they are inflated even more.

Spurs look set to make a deadline day move for Ashley Young who himself will come with a greatly inflated price tag, even more so after James Milner’s departure from Aston Villa, so in truth a deal looks unlikely.

The question though is do Tottenham need reinforcements? The defeat to Wigan would suggest they do if they are going to challenge domestically and in Europe this year. Redknapp shouldn’t buy for the sake of buying but he should be aware that his side may struggle with the lack of quality in depth.

That eventually proved to be the downfall of Liverpool and is the reason why they are not in the Champions League this year and Tottenham should have invested in the squad a long time ago and not left it to last minute because that will only inflate prices further.

I think they are one or two additions away from having a side that can compete for the Premier League however I can’t see them arriving to White Hart Lane now. If injuries hit Spurs may struggle and Redknapp may live to regret not delving in to the transfer market.

Can Raul Meireles (Right) add some bite to the Liverpool midfield?

Fernando Torres returned to goal scoring form to give Liverpool’s season a much needed kick-start against West Brom. But will this be the start of a bright season for Roy Hodgson’s side or will the men from Merseyside disappoint once again?

It’s been a bit of strange week for Liverpool. It started with midfielder Javier Mascherano apparently going on strike and refusing to play in their embarrassing 3-0 defeat to big spending Manchester City. But the week ended with their first league win of the season and a couple of very astute from Hodgson.

Hodgson has wasted little time in spending the money that will come when Mascherano completes his move to Barcelona and while neither Paul Konchesky nor Raul Meireles are of quite the same standard as Mascherano they will make the Reds a stronger side.

Meireles is very much in the Mascherano mould and would appear to be a like for like replacement. He was criticised by the Portuguese media before the World Cup for not having enough guile in his game, but this could be exactly what Liverpool need. He will add the steel and protection to the midfield that looked so desperately against Manchester City.

Konchesky is another who will improve Liverpool. He may not have the glamour of an Ashley Cole  type full back, but he is steady and will be a reliable player for Hodgson to turn too.

I would argue that Liverpool are in a better position for a successful season then they were at this time last week. Although losing Mascherano is a blow he was an almost a luxury player to have in midfield, and other players can do equally as good a job but for considerably less of the price. Namely Meireles.

I still don’t think Liverpool will have enough to challenge for the title, but if they can keep Torres and Steven Gerrard fit, the likes of Meireles and Konchesky will add a stern resolve to their side which was so bitterly missing during the Rafa Benitez era and I expect them to pose a much greater challenge for a Champions League spot.

All Manchester City fans were expecting a busy summer at Eastlands and while they have brought in £75 million pounds worth of talent, the players that have arrived will not spark fear into Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

City have added David Silva, Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng and most recently left back Aleksander Kolarov to their already impressive squad but it is not the statement of intent many including myself were expecting. City may have more money than any of their rivals but the fact remains that until they qualify for the Champions League or mount a serious title push players will still prefer to move to other clubs around Europe. The players City have brought will ultimately add depth to their squad but for the money spent if I was Manchester City fan I wouldn’t be able to feel anything other than slightly short changed .

When Roman Abramovich first came to Chelsea and they begun their spending spree the players they brought in were of the highest level which ultimately aided them in their two Premier League title successes. Manchester City are still a long way of achieving anything like what Chelsea did and until they make two or three world class signings that is how it will remain. Manchester United and Chelsea who have both been reasonably quiet in the transfer market this summer will still go into the season  as title favourites and Mancini and his coaching staff will have a hard task on the training ground to try and stop this from being a reality come the end of the season. How do you think Manchester City will fair this season?

Derek Rae, one of the most talented US-based soccer commentators, will call his last game for ESPN US next week before he heads to the United Kingdom to work for ESPN UK.

Rae will be the ESPN UK’s main commentator for the Scottish Premier League, where ESPN UK will air 30 SPL games from the 2010-11 season, beginning on August 15 for Europa League qualifiers Motherwell against Hibernian. He’ll also commentate Europa League games as well as some English football games (mostly FA Cup) and the other European leagues that ESPN UK covers such as Serie A, Bundesliga and Eredivisie. In addition to ESPN UK, you may see Rae on ESPN’s Press Pass, which is shown around the world on ESPN affiliates. And there’s always the chance that you may hear him on a world feed again, or see him reporting for ESPN.

His last game as a commentator for ESPN US will be next week’s friendly between Manchester City and Club America.

Born and bred in the Scottish city of Aberdeen, Rae joined ESPN in 1994, and is best known for his work as the lead English language play-by-play commentator for the UEFA Champions League.  In June 2008, he served as a play-by-play commentator for ESPN’s critically acclaimed coverage of the UEFA European Football Championship 2008 (Euro 08). And during June and July of this year, Rae served as play-by-play commentator for ESPN and ABC during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Rae’s professional broadcasting experience dates back to 1986, when he made his debut with BBC Scotland, while still a student at Aberdeen University.  The following year he was named “Sony British Sports Broadcaster of the Year” for his work as a soccer commentator.  While with BBC Scotland, Rae was assigned to matches in 19 different countries, and was behind the microphone at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. After leaving the BBC in 1991, Rae moved to Boston, MA, initially to serve as a Venue Press Officer for the World Cup USA 1994 Organizing Committee.

Rae, for many soccer fans in the United States, is synonymous with being the “voice of the Champions League.” His caliber of commentating was, by far, the best in the United States. And his level of research and pronunciations were exemplary. Rae raised the bar with his commentary style and will forever be fondly remembered in the hearts and minds of soccer fans who were witness to his professionalism and pure class.

The big question for soccer fans in the United States is where will ESPN go from here? Will Adrian Healey step into Derek Rae’s shoes to fill the gaping void? Or will ESPN hire additional talent to help balance the load of commentating Major League Soccer games and upcoming internationals? We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, let’s wish Derek Rae the best of luck.

The 2010 Champions League Final featuring Inter Milan against Bayern Munich drew a 1.1 overnight rating on the Fox Network.

How does that compare to last year’s final on ESPN? The 2009 Final, which was shown on a Wednesday afternoon, drew a 1.0 rating. So, in comparison, Fox’s rating is a disappointment. That said, you have to consider which teams played last year — Barcelona and Manchester United, two of the biggest clubs in the world. Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are big too, but they’re not in the same league as the Red Devils and Barca.

On Saturday afternoon, Fox had competition from other sports in terms of attracting viewers. The match was shown at the same time as Game four of the Flyers against Canadiens NHL Eastern Conference Final, which drew 1.6 on NBC. The third round of the PGA Tour Byron Nelsen Championship on CBS, meanwhile, drew 1.1

The last time a soccer final was shown on network television was the Euro 2008 game between Spain and Germany, which drew a rating of 3.1 overnight on ABC.

As of September 1, 2009, there are an estimated 114.9 million television households in the United States. A single national ratings point represents one percent of the total number, or 1,149,000 households for the 2009–10 season.

So what’s the verdict on the ratings? Fox was handicapped by having two teams in the final that don’t have massive appeal in the United States. Plus soccer fans (and sports fans) are not used to seeing soccer finals shown on the Fox Network. Despite all of the promotion Fox did, there were still soccer fans confused on Saturday who didn’t know what channel the game was being shown on. If the final had featured Barcelona against Manchester United or Manchester United versus Inter Milan, I have no doubt that the ratings would have been MUCH higher.

If you want to get Barney Ronay’s thoughts on today’s Champions League Final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, watch this short trailer which was created and produced by the video design team of Laurence McKenna and Max Bell.

The entire interview with Barney Ronay, which was filmed inside The Guardian’s offices, will be released soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this trailer.

If you’d like to watch the above video in HD, visit the Barney Ronay interview on YouTube. Or be sure to subscribe to the EPL Talk channel on YouTube to get an alert when each new video is added as well as to search through the library of 35 similar videos and interviews.

The Man Who Still Holds the Key to Arsenal's Future

At first glance, this question looks bleedingly obvious. With their massive fan base, a beautiful new 60,000 plus seat stadium, and their years of success and trophies, Arsenal should be quite clearly considered to be a “big club.” For the past decade and more, they have been considered part of the so-called Big Four, along with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. But now that old order is crumbling, and Arsenal are struggling to keep pace with the other big clubs.

Just about three weeks ago, when Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal, Guardian pundit (and EPL Talk award winner) Barry Glendenning made an offhanded comment that should really stick in the gut of all Arsenal fans. He stated that of course Spurs should beat us. They spend significantly more money than us on players. He’s dead right. And now it has come to this: Tottenham are on the verge of finally, and perhaps permanently, overtaking Arsenal as the dominant club in North London.

My fellow Gooners. Read that again. That should strike fear in the heart of every Arsenal fan around the globe.

But the numbers and the reality doesn’t lie. Sure, Arsenal has finished above Tottenham for 15 straight seasons. But you don’t get a trophy for that. And now that Tottenham has finally reaped Champions League riches, these days are certainly numbered as well.

Which leads me back to my original question. Can Arsenal continue to call themselves a big club over the long-term without spending the requisite money?

While Arsenal continue to stay amongst the strongest clubs in Europe on the Forbes list, they have definitely fallen behind domestic rivals Chelsea and Man U, and most certainly behind Barcelona, Real Madrid, and perhaps even Bayern Munich. With the rise of Manchester City and Spurs, it won’t be long before Arsenal find themselves behind these clubs.

But the question has to be asked: Why?

When did Arsenal fall behind to the point where they may simply not be able to keep up? Arsenal have sold big players before, most notably Nicolas Anelka. What makes them different now, and why can’t they recover?

1. Inability to Market Themselves, Especially Outside Europe. By all measures, Arsenal play the perfect style to be the most popular club in North America and Asia. They play wide open, attractive football, and their skill and talent makes crowds want to see them play, even in opposing markets. But Arsene Wenger remains very stubborn. As the Gaffer wrote just six months ago, the fact that Arsenal have not gone on such a tour is almost criminal. The fact that Arsenal have also ignored key markets in Asia, while allowing clubs such as Liverpool, Everton, and of course Chelsea and Manchester United dominate that region has been business malpractice by Arsene Wenger.

2. Smart Spending In Face of Massive Debt. This is one that i will credit Arsene for. While other clubs, most notably Manchester United And Liverpool, spent heavily in the face of massive debt, Arsenal actually made a large profit over the last three seasons, selling such luminaries as Adebayor, Flamini, and Kolo Toure. Liverpool, however, have spent freely, adding Aquilani, Torres, and others. That club may pay the ultimate price: if a new owner isn’t found soon, they may become the new Leeds, forced to sell off players and plunge through the ranks of the football league.

3. Lack of development and motivation of some key players. While I will not spend this column harking on the failure of players like Denilson or Theo Walcott to grow at the club level, it is important to note that a number of these young players have not developed in the way we all thought they would. Sure, some of it has to do with key injuries, but this can not be an excuse: it is Arsene Wenger’s job to highlight not just the top talent, but also durable talent. Every manager knows that the Premier League season is long and grueling. The manager must find players up to the task.

4. Lack of depth. Three and four are very much related. Everyone this side of Rotterdam knows that Robin van Persie gets injured. Everyone, that is, except for Arsene Wenger. When RVP is inevitably out for 3-4 months with some sort of calf/knee/ankle/foot injury, Arsene Wenger has no plan B. But the facts don’t lie. When Didier Drogba was out for a couple months, Nic Anelka was there to pick up the scoring slack. Arsenal simply have no other striker option good enough. Eduardo is not the same player he was before the injury; he may never be. Nik Bendtner is just starting to scratch the surface of his talent. At this point, however, he’s simply not a reliable option.

5. Arsene Wenger Himself. This is the one that is really hardest for me to write. But first, a confession. I generally hate all the coaches/managers of teams I root for. I have always disliked Jim Leyland, even when the Tigers made their first World Series in 22 years. My anger toward Lloyd Carr was unparalleled when he was the coach at Michigan. There has only been one coach who I have steadfastly supported: Arsene Wenger. It was hard not to. The man brought trophy after trophy to Arsenal. Every fan swore their allegiance: “In Arsene We Trust,” the banner reads behind the goal. But is Arsene Wenger really deserving of that? The past five seasons don’t lie: While the ship has been sinking, while Arsenal players struggled (especially in goal), Arsene Wenger behaved not like one of the winningest managers in history, but more like Baghdad Bob. “We have utmost confidence in (insert flopping continental keeper name here)” he would say, while that keeper flubbed one or two goals almost every game. Arsene Wenger needs someone to offset him, someone to say to him “Arsene, we really need a new keeper.” “Arsene, Silvestre and Billy Gallas aren’t good enough.” In other words, Arsene Wenger needs someone to tell him when he’s wrong. He’s been wrong on the keeper, he was wrong to not buy depth the last couple years (as stars were likely out of our price range), and he’s wrong not to strengthen the squad at the back and at the front. If Arsene Wenger is unable to notice these things on his own, he needs someone to tell him when he’s wrong. Before it’s too late.

While Cesc may walk now, and Gallas not long after, it is clear that Arsenal have a lot of decisions to make. While a lot of these fall on the shoulders of one man, it is important that he understands that his years of winning have bought him a lot of patience. But a fifth consecutive season without silverware, and a 4th without any sort of final appearance, will see the end of the patience from a lot of fans. While he can point fingers at Barcelona or Chelsea “tapping up” our players, it is clear that Arsene has not done enough to convince our players that their futures lie at Arsenal. In 2010-2011, Arsene has the chance to reverse the bleeding. If he does not, a steady and perhaps irreversible decline may be at hand at Arsenal.

Jordan Acker will continue to love his Gunners no matter what. Follow him on Twitter at @JAcker2L

So Tottenham are in the Champions League.

Well, not quite. They are not yet qualified to the group stage, which is what most people tend to mean by the Champions League, but for arguments sake let’s assume they are. What does it actually mean?

An increase in revenue, indeed. By qualifying and participating in the group stage Tottenham will bank €5 million. With three home matches they will also count on another €5 million in extra gate receipts. A similar amount, around €5 million, will be due to Tottenham because they will have a share of UEFA’s commercial revenues. Another €3 million, more or less, can be added courtesy of increased sponsorship opportunities. All in all that is 18 million Euros more simply by being in the Champions League group stage. That is an increase in revenue of nearly 20%. These are the types of numbers that have businessmen salivating.

There is even more.

For every match Tottenham win they will be rewarded with €800,000 and half of that for a draw.

Make the quarter finals and with prize money, gate receipts and commercial revenue Tottenham will be looking at another €7 million.

Before the tournament begins a sum of the money expected is likely to be reinvested in the squad. Another part of it will be set aside for bonus payments due to the current squad for actually making the Champions League. This is the nature of the business and obviously not unique to Tottenham.

The true beneficiary is likely to be the brand. Tottenham Hotspur plc. Being in the Champions League will increase turnover and improve the EBITDA (the all important figure) but it is the concomitant association with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich on those midweek nights where the true value of the Champions League rests for Tottenham. The clubs financial figures are already fairly healthy and prosperous. Tottenham even announced a fiscal 2009 pre-tax profit of £33 million in January 2010. Tottenham are moving forward financially with Champions League football but they will be making giant strides when they have their new stadium. The clubs share price was at its lowest figure for a year on 05/05/2010 but the reason for the fall was probably related to the delay in developing that very same new stadium. Perhaps investors are also wary of the total amount that will now be paid in bonuses affecting their earnings per share for the year. Ultimately, investors are counting on Tottenham Hotspur having a new stadium. It would be more beneficial to the club in the long run than Champions League football is in itself. Arsenal sell out almost every week and there are more than enough Londoners to go around. Having the stadium that Arsenal do makes Champions League football less of a necessity, not more. Liverpool’s position, having neither the new stadium or Champions League football, is disastrous. The plan in the Spurs boardroom was probably for the stadium to come first and then the Champions League after but Daniel Levy, the chairman, will hardly wish to complain.

Incidentally this will be the first time a single city will have three participants of its own. Three London clubs in the same year that the final is going to be in London.

To read the latest editorials from Andreas Vassiliades please check his site at http://wp.me/pULW5-4