heade eded

Blackburn can have a field day against Sol

WEAKNESS:

Sol Campbell

Tackle Keeley by writing to Sportsdesk, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, High Street, Blackburn. BB1 1HT. Or email: pplunkett@the-let.co.uk

IT'S Cheltenham Festival week and that time of year when the bookies make a real killing out of part-time punters like me.

But I think even I could confidently predict the next winners of the Premiership because Arsenal have managed to turn it into a one-horse race.

Eight points clear of Manchester United with just nine games to play, Arsene Wenger's men are bang on course to retain their crown.

But for all the wonderful talent they might have in their team, the one man they've never truly replaced is big Tony Adams, which is why I think Rovers have a chance of beating them this weekend.

For me, Sol Campbell has talent and ability in abundance but he doesn't have the authority of an Adams - in fact, he doesn't even come close!

Adams was an awesome figure, a defender who oozed authority, and one of his greatest assets was his ability to lead a team.

If you were going into battle, he'd be the man you'd want alongside you in the trenches.

But he wasn't just a leader, he was a great natural defender as well.

He seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to sensing danger and I don't think you can say the same about Campbell.

He might be a very classy player but I wouldn't describe him as a natural defender.

So if Arsenal do have an Achilles heel then it could be at the back where they have shown signs of being vulnerable.

Don't get me wrong, I rate this current Gunners team as highly as anything I've seen in the Premiership in the last 10 years.

Going forward, they're incredibly powerful and with players like Henry in their side they've got the talent to blow anyone away on any given day.

But for me, they still can't hold a candle to the old Liverpool team of the late 70s and early 80s.

That was a fabulous side which dominated Europe for years on end and when you're talking in terms of greatness then you've got to be there or thereabouts in Europe year after year, which is something Arsenal have yet to achieve.

Given time, I could see them becoming a real force in the Champions' League because they've got some truly wonderful players.

The likes of Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp are brilliant talents but the one man that really stands out for me is Henry.

He must be one of the top men in Europe, and probably the world.

His main asset is his pace and it's deceptive pace as well because you don't realise just how quickly he's travelling.

But he's not just about speed. He's a terrific finisher as well and he's very, very bright and intelligent.

So he's going to be a major threat on Saturday but it's never about one player, it's about several performing together.

We've just got to hope that all our players can play to their full potential and one or two of the Arsenal lads have an off-day.

But the gap isn't that big between the two, as we proved by winning at Highbury.

With a bit of luck on the day, there's no reason why we can't do the double over the champions-elect which would be a phenomenal achievement in anyone's book.

Stig is not known for his goalscoring, but he actually scored the first Premiership goal of the 1996/97 season while playing for Liverpool.