Soccer Star caught an Interview with Arsenal manager Jamie Best.

How are you enjoying your time at Arsenal now you've had time to settle?

Its good to be back in England I must admit but I had a good bit of success in Italy with Inter so my time there was worthwhile. I think Arsenal are a great club with a superb setup, the stadium here is good and the chairman is a good man to work for so I am happy with my decision to come here. I wouldnt say I have settled quite yet, I havent found the best combination yet with regards to tactics and team selection and I have still got money to spend to strengthen the squad so Im trying to be patient.

You must be pleased only being 1 point off 2^nd and sat in 4^th place so far?

In a way yes but as I said I think there is still a long way to go, we havent played United or Liverpool yet this season and they will be key games so I think well get a much clearer picture of where we stand once we reach the halfway stage. I think its clear to say though that Chelsea will win the league this year. Theyre strong in all areas and I think it will take a season or two for them to be really challenged.

Who do you see your key signings to be since your arrival?

We havent made too many signings, weve rather sold a few more than weve brought in, but Bastia in the scouting window gives me some defensive cover and Rossi was a good signing from Chelsea, he has great attributes and has already contributed highly in the games that hes played.

You have two world class left midfielders, Downing had been important last season but Vukcevic has played fantastically in the last two games, who will play?

The situation is a little bit complicated actually. I built up a decent kitty prior to the scouting window and I was hoping to bring in some real quality. A left sided midfielder was not top of my priorities and Craig Radford at Man Utd was keen on him and asked be to bid on his behalf so I agreed. I dont mind doing a favour for a fellow manager as Im sure he would do the same for me and Vukcevic has allowed me to give a much needed rest to Downing. If he wants to return the favour he can always sell me one of his centre halves! Unfortunately though Vukcevic will be heading for Manchester after this weeks game against Newcastle.

You play Chelsea in the final Euopean Cup game, how far can you progress in that competition?

Realistically we need to beat Chelsea to progress as I cant see Inter Milan getting a result against Barcelona. Well take every game as it comes and hopefully we can spring a surprise against the champions.

Finally, do you think you can deliver the silverware the Arsenal fans crave?

Well Id like to think so, I did it at Inter and im keen to reproduce that achievement and deliver on the pitch not only for the fans but for the chairman as he has put a lot of time and effort into the club. Id also like to win one of the major trophies for Simon Newcombe as I think he did a tremendous job before I came in and built a solid foundation for me to build on so a lot of credit goes to him for that.

(Q) You must be delighted with the table as we reach the half season point?

(A)  Pleased, but not delighted, its still very tight at the top and a couple of games either way could see a big change in overall positions. I have a tough game against Genoa this week for example and no game in this division is easy (even Ascoli managed to get in a couple of shots in this weeks game.!).

(Q) What do you think is the secret behind the 7 wins and 1 draw in the league this season?

(A) With a number of talented youngsters out on loan my squad is smaller than I would like (coincidently I think Fiorentina and Juventus have the smallest squads in the division) - but then I am used to managing in such situations and it does mean that I know the best formations and tactics for my team without constant changes of personnel. Many teams rely on a key playmaker or one person to score most of their goals. My teams have always emphasised balance in all parts of the team and consequently goals and assists can come from anywhere on the pitch. The team is very difficult to beat and the balance means it is hard for other teams to find a weakness, plus I have one of the best young strikers in the game to spearhead my attack. One draw? Well it was against Fiorentina and as I consider them the main threat it was a point gained rather than two points lost.

(Q) Why has your team begun to score more freely this season when the only noticeable additions are young players in the strike force?

(A) Building from the back. My defence isnt quite as I would like it (but it very nearly is) and teams have to throw attackers at it if they hope to break it down, which weakens them elsewhere. If they sit back I have too much of an attacking threat to be contained, and so my team now poses problems for whoever they play. Last season the team was a little unbalanced after Whittinghams departure to Spain, the loan of Giggs from Man. City reduced the impact but he could only play in selected games so it was useful bring in Keita this season to balance up my attack. The bigger teams can beat me if they throw all their resources at me (Man. United for example gained a narrow victory in the first European game by commiting his best eleven) but they tend to suffer in the long run as their older players get busted up in a hectic encounter.

(Q) Do you believe the title race will come down to a two horse race??

(A) Before the season started I felt there was only one genuine threat in this division, and that was Fiorentina, which is proving to be the case. Of the other big teams in this league they all have inherent weaknesses that will make it difficult to sustain success without significant rebuilding. The trouble is that for most of them they see rebuilding as getting loads of cash rather than putting in the time and effort.

AC Milan are a decent team and tend to put weaker teams to the sword but they struggle to finish off the stronger teams in the league, hence so many draws last year. They have tried to compensate for a lack of investment by frequent transfer activity which has just produced an unsettled squad and the buying of players who were not really wanted in the first place and who never really settled or improved (such as Schweinsteiger). Genoa will unfortunately always be labeled as buying success - no matter what their manager does - but they are currently finding the true cost of buying aging superstars. Hit by retirements last year and another wave pending this year they are not strong in all areas and are at risk of an early burn-out again. Inter are a good example of too many Italian sides - manager moves in for short term gain with no effort to build for the future - and leaves behind a failing squad. Inter won the league last year but look where they are now (minus the manager), Roma are a good previous example before Iain took over, and so it goes on. Such points have been well made in discussion in the media before by people such as Luke Coakley. Fiorentina are a side similarly at risk as they are caught in a dilemma, I think they want to re-build but are worried about taking the risk of shipping out their old players. Kuijt is in devastating form for Fiorentina but one must suspect his contribution will fade as the second half of the season approaches. Nobody wants to be off the pace long enough to build.and that is one of the reasons Juventus have become so tough, because they are one of the few teams to sacrifice short term success for long term strength, such as sacrificing progress in Europe for a couple of seasons and being runner up in the league last year for the sake of general progress. Italy is full of teams that have such tough decisions to make; it just doesnt have enough managers willing to make those tough decisions. Meanwhile the previous managers who failed to take those decisions have grabbed a trophy and cleared off to pick up big name teams elsewhere.

(Q) You face fierce rivals Fiorentina in the last European group game, how do you see the European campaign going?

(A) Despite the hassle from the Italian FA it isnt a main priority for me. Progressing to the latter stages is good but I wont lose any sleep if we dont go through this year. I have a great team but my squad, though developing, still needs to be stronger if it is to succeed in Europe and in Italy. I am sure the Juventus v Fiorentina game will be a very exciting affair whoever wins, a great game for the neutrals and a risky one for the gamblers.

(Q) You spent a very long time at Cardiff before moving to Juventus. Could you be tempted away in the near future by any clubs?

(A) I only leave clubs when jobs are done, so it depends whether anyone would consider my job to be done at Juventus. I always listen to offers, I just dont always take them.

Atalanta Team News.

This small article from manager Terry Manifold will be printed in the program for this weeks clash with Top of the Table Parlermo.

I think this year has been a very special year so far. The disappointment felt with last seasons relegation really hit hard, and it wasnt just felt by you the fans, but by everyone linked with this old established Club. Up until last week we had not lost a league match this season, the fans that left during the early part of the season are starting to come back, and things were looking rosy. I take full responsibility for the result last week, I admit to getting it wrong. But I think it will be the next three matches that will sort out this league for this season. We have top of the league Palermo this week, Livorno away, and then another tough match at home against Chievo. We need to take 7 points over that period to secure a top place this season or I will have to drop onto plan B and look at rebuilding for another shot at the title next season. I still believe we can do it. Defensively we are a lot tighter at the back than we have been for a long time. We also have a mix of youth and experience and the squad is big enough for me to practice a little rotation.

I would like to see more goals, of course, but when we pass it around, like I know we can, we can beat anyone.

I havent the money at my disposal to buy success and therefore the pressure on each individual player to go out and perform on every occasion is very high. The team spirit here is currently better than I have experienced at any time during my limited time in football management, and I have every faith in the players ability to go into the next three weeks with confidence.

Thank you for your continued support and may you all have a wonderful Christmas and may the New Year bring you the success at this Club that you deserve.