Alan Shearer Exclusive: I admire Postecoglou's confidence but it hasn't been a good start to the season | OneFootball

Arsenal's back five is the best in the Premier League

I was very impressed with Arsenal in the North London derby. Their back four, back five including the goalkeeper, are the best in the Premier League.

Nothing got through them and when Arsenal go 1-0 up, they're a very, very difficult outfit to break down.

Tottenham simply didn't have enough. I said last week about Spurs' inability to put the ball in the back of the net or get good balls into the box, and it was the same thing that happened as when I watched them lose at Newcastle three weeks ago.

They got into so many good positions, but their final ball was wasteful, hopeful, or lacking quality and unless that improves, then Tottenham will have a tough season.

The other side of the coin is that Arsenal know they are brilliant at set pieces, and Spurs are not at this moment in time.

When you've got someone like Bukayo Saka to put the ball in with such quality, and someone who really, really wants to get on the end of it like Gabriel, then they're very difficult to stop, and Arsenal will be throughout this season.

When you consider that Arsenal won the game without Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, two of their main players, that's a good sign for Mikel Arteta.

Spurs continue to underwhelm in forward positions

Looking at Spurs' attacking options, James Maddison and Son Heung-Min need to shoulder more responsibility, especially when Dominic Solanke isn't quite up to speed yet. Solanke's form is understandable with the niggling injury, but there's no doubt they're misfiring in forward positions.

Brennan Johnson has to improve too, and I'm sure he can because the ability is there, but so does Son, and so does Timo Wermer when he comes on. That is where they have to improve.

They had one or two half chances in the first half, I think of Kulusevski's chance which he hit straight at Raya, but in the second half, it was more hopeful than anything else. There was no real quality at all.

One goal will help Solanke to forget about his price tag

On Dominic Solanke, I know how it works as a centre-forward when you're struggling to get a goal and there's no doubt that once Solanke gets the first one, it'll be a huge relief for him.

How it comes does not matter, he just needs to get that first goal and then I'm pretty sure he'll relax, calm down, and stop thinking about the price tag. He then will hopefully go on to get a few more, but that needs to come sooner rather than later for your belief and confidence as a player.

Solanke has to keep getting in there and believing that it's going to change.

Ange is still the right man for Tottenham

Ange Postecoglou was brought into the football club because of his style of play and because of his beliefs. It would be crazy for Spurs or Postecoglou to change that now, and he's not going to. He plays with a high line, with his full-backs going into midfield and at times, the opposition will catch them out.

However, from set-pieces, teams see that as an area to exploit. I don't know whether that's the goalkeeper, or the Tottenham set-up, but he's not changing it.

Let us not forget how Ange's style worked for them in a lot of games last season and it was exciting football, but it is high risk. Sometimes fans have to be patient because it'll work one week and maybe not so much the other.

Spurs must stick with Postecoglou, there's no doubt about it. Unfortunately, you know as a manager, and as players, that you have to deliver on the pitch and if you don't, you'll get criticised.

Unfortunately, Tottenham haven't had a good start to the season.

I admire Postecoglou's confidence, but they'll need to win a trophy

Reporters know what they're doing when they're asking the questions; they ask them at the right time and if their side had won, then the manager is happy and energetic, but if there's been a disappointing result, you get angry and you're still a bit prickly. That is for players and managers.

Sometimes you don't want to answer questions that are put to you, but I admired Postecoglou's confidence and his belief, just very much like his style of play, and that's not going to change for him.

It was interesting when he said, 'I always win trophies in my second season', but that has been the case during his career.

They're not going to win the league, so a cup competition will have to be their chance of some silverware, so they are going to have to go out and win one.

Whether they can or not, we'll have to wait and see.

Celtic are a huge club, but the Premier League is chalk and cheese compared to Scottish football

Ange has come down from Celtic where the pressure is huge because they're a massive football club and you have to deliver there, which he did. However, in terms of the standard of football, the Premier League is chalk and cheese compared to the Scottish Premiership. There is no comparison.

Ange is now coming up against better teams, players, managers, and set-ups down in England, and he knows that.

He knows that the pressure is on him to deliver; he's spent a few quid and bought a centre-forward for a lot of money so he now has to get that right.

Players and managers need trophies, not top four finishes

The Chairman at Spurs may prefer a top four finish, but for the players and the manager, they must value a trophy over Champions League qualification.

In 20 years' time, you don't want to look back and say, 'we got into the top four', you would rather look back as a player or manager and remember the trophy you won. There's no doubt about that.

Arteta has improved Arsenal, compared to Ten Hag at Man United

On the eve of the game, Mikel Arteta signed a new contract, and his time at Arsenal can be considered a success because they have improved and are still improving. They're trying so hard to keep up with the juggernaut of Man City.

Liverpool managed to get over the line a few years ago and win the title, but we are talking about a genius in Pep Guardiola and the finance he's got behind him at Man City, means when you put all that together, they're almost impossible to get through.

That's what the challenge is for Liverpool, for Arsenal or any team that's hoping to get near Man City. It's a very, very difficult job.

I understand that Arteta has only won one FA Cup in his time there, but there's no doubt that there's certainly progress within the football club, and they're improving all the time.

When we compare that to Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United, we'd be speaking about the pressure Arteta's under if Arsenal were finishing eighth or ninth, like Man Utd did last season, albeit they did win the FA Cup.

These teams must be getting into the Champions League every season, and they have to be challenging at the top like Man City.

City have won the last four titles and they're going for a fifth which is incredible, but Man United have been nowhere near challenging Man City in terms of league positions and that is the big difference in why Arteta has been a success at Arsenal, compared to Ten Hag at Manchester United.

Barnes will now be knocking on Eddie Howe's door to get into the side

Newcastle won yet again thanks to a superb strike from Harvey Barnes. There has never been a doubt of the talent there, and if Barnes can stay clear of injuries, then I'm pretty sure Eddie Howe would look to shift Gordon to the right and play Barnes on the left, with Isak down the middle.

You've even got Joe Willock who can play on the left as well because he adds a different dimension. It's great for Eddie Howe to have those options.

Newcastle did well in the opening 20 minutes against Wolves, but the manager didn't like what he saw in the rest of the first half, and he made three changes at half-time. When you make those changes, you're doing it because you want them to come in and affect the game, and that's exactly what the substitutes did, so credit to Eddie for that.

Harvey Barnes' goal was unbelievable. It opened up really, really nicely, inviting him to attack the space and curl it in with his right foot. The bend he put on it meant the goalkeeper had no chance.

He just needs to stay fit and what that then does is say to the manager, you've got a decision to make.

Eddie asked him to come on and change the game, and Harvey did exactly that, so when this weekend's team sheet goes in, you'd hope that, if he's not on it, he's got every right to go and bang on the manager's door.

Newcastle and Villa are breaking the top four mould as Champions League begins

Aston Villa's Champions League campaign got underway this week, and let's not forget we are talking about a former European Cup winning side.

With Newcastle getting in last season, and now Villa, it is a good thing for English football. Whether one of those two can break into the top four this year again, we'll have to wait and see but without doubt, you can hear and feel the excitement at Aston Villa.

I know there's an issue with the ticket prices at Aston Villa which is a shame, but for the players and the football club there'll be a great buzz because all their hard work from last year is here.

That's what they all played for last season, to get into the Champions League.

The Champions League is different, but Villa need Watkins to fire to succeed

It was interesting and perfect timing for Ollie Watkins to get his first couple of Premier League goals for the season vs Everton. That'll be a huge confidence boost for him going into this weekend, and he'll be desperate to take that confidence into the Champions League every other week throughout the season.

Villa will need him to be firing to do well in the Champions League this season.

He's played international football, but the Champions League is different at times. The feeling's different, the atmosphere is different, and the travelling abroad just changes things ever so slightly.

There's a different feel to the Champions League and a different atmosphere. The pace of the game can also be a little bit slower at times, certainly compared to the Premier League.

If Ollie Watkins has a good campaign in front of goal, then we'll see what Aston Villa can do with the new format, compared to the old group stages.

Villa have a bigger squad than they did last year, albeit they had to sell Douglas Luiz, which they probably didn't want to, but they brought in other players to cover.

They're going to have to rely on their squad because the manager will have to rotate at some stage because the games being played are so intense across the Premier League and Champions League.

New Champions League format gives Celtic a greater chance of going further

The new format increases the chances of a side like Celtic to do well, because we know what the atmosphere can be like at Celtic Park. If they can finish in that middle bracket and take a side back to Celtic Park for the home leg of the playoffs, that'll be great for them.

This format absolutely enhances their chances of going further in the competition.

Rooney loves his football, and I admire his courage to manage Plymouth

I saw the reaction from Wayne Rooney and his coaching staff on the touchline when Plymouth got their winning goal vs Sunderland at the weekend. I was delighted for him because I was sat watching the scores come through for Match of the Day, and I'd seen Sunderland get it back to 2-2, but then the winning goal came so late on that you knew Plymouth had just won it.

I'm pleased for Wayne because he's shown some courage to go down to Plymouth and take that job on, and I really hope he can be a success.

You saw what it meant to him and his coaching staff when the goal went in, and they were able to win the game against a team that had won their previous four games. It was a big result for Plymouth, and I hope they can take a lot from that.

I'm really impressed with how Wayne wants to stay in football. He had his time at Derby, Birmingham and went back over to DC United as well. It takes a lot of courage.

He loves coaching, managing and, because of his status as a player, it'd have been easy for him to sit back and do the job I'm doing in TV. I'm sure he'd have had plenty of opportunities to do so. However, he still wants to go and get his hands dirty on the touchline.

It's not an easy job to go all the way down to Plymouth, leave the family once again, so I admire him for doing it.

EFL is getting worldwide spotlight thanks to high profile owners

Staying in the EFL, when you've got high profile owners who are determined to make a statement, and when you look at what Birmingham have spent, and where Wrexham have come from to where they are now, they're both great stories.

You're getting David Beckham sitting next to Tom Brady, with Rob McElhenney also in Birmingham on the same night, and the pictures of the three of them have been beamed all over the world, so it's great for the EFL.

David Beckham has grown soccer in USA and could have similar impact in England

We've seen what David Beckham has done with Inter Miami, bringing Lionel Messi to the club, and what that has done for soccer over in America.

When you put Messi together with the brand David Beckham has, then it is huge for football, and it would be huge for an English side if Beckham were to invest here too.