AC Milan midfielder Robinho has claimed that Tottenham play the long-ball game and that he will use his ‘knowledge of English teams’ to help his side progress.

Robinho spent 18 months in England playing for Manchester City after a £32 million transfer from Real Madrid, but now faces Spurs for his new side Milan with a 1-0 deficit to overturn.

The Brazilian, though, is confident that the Italians will not be bothered by Spurs’ aerial assault this time around.

“We are in form and ready to win,” Robinho told the Daily Mirror. “Unfortunately, we lost the home leg in a difficult match. And we conceded a goal when we were playing better.

“But that does not mean we cannot win there. I honestly believe we can win in England. Spurs play in a different way, focusing on physical strength, plenty of crosses into the box – especially because they have a very tall player in Peter Crouch. I think they will play exactly the same way again in the return leg.

“I played for a year and a half in England and I know how English teams play – very well.”

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri also waded in, claiming that his side have nothing to fear from a side playing Champions League football for the first time.

“It must be said that, despite playing good football, Tottenham are not among the strongest in Europe,” he said.

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Former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham claims that the club are struggling because they do not have a real leader in the side.

United have lost three out of their last five Premier League games – including a painful 3-1 loss to Liverpool – as their challenge for the title has been somewhat derailed, with many critics pointing to a lack of quality in the centre of the pitch.

Sheringham won the Treble with United in 1999 under the captaincy of Roy Keane and now says that Sir Alex Ferguson’s current crop are desperate for a similar style of player to take command of the dressing room.

“When you are a top team, you have to have a leader, a power house,” he said. “It was always Roy Keane in my day.

“Wayne Rooney has been that talisman when he’s on top form, but he’s not been there for six months. When your main talisman isn’t firing and leading you, I think the other players need someone else to respond to.

“Someone else needs to take up the mantle. Dimitar Berbatov has at times, but he’s not really that sort of character. You need a leader for that great team.”

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Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has suggested that Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere would only get into the Spanish club’s reserve side, ahead of their Champions League clash on Tuesday.

Guardiola admits he has been impressed by the teenage England international, who was outstanding in Arsenal’s victory in the first leg, but believes the Catalan giants have many similar young players currently learning their trade in the second team.

“Wilshere is a top player. He has been a big surprise. I did not know him at the beginning of the season,” Guardiola said. “He is an excellent player, not just Arsenal, but also for the national team. We have many players like him in our second team. It is very good news for football to have players like him.”

The tactician rejects suggestions the Gunners are too mentally fragile to be successful, however. While Guardiola has enjoyed a deluge of trophies since being appointed Barcelona coach in 2008, Arsenal have been trophyless since 2005 and were recently defeated in the final of the Carling Cup by Birmingham to once again bring their mentality under scrutiny.

Wenger’s side remain competitive on three fronts though – including the Champions League, where they approach the last-16, second-leg tie protecting a 2-1 lead – and Guardiola believes the London side could be on the brink of sustained success.

“I keep hearing about the fragility in the minds of the Arsenal players, but I do not agree,” Guardiola said. “They are competing with Manchester United for the Premier League, reached the final of the Carling Cup and a few seasons ago were in the final of the Champions League.

“Arsenal are always in the top, when you compete every season at the top, it is because they are quality. Sometimes they sell players, but Arsenal always keep the same level. Many teams arrive at the top for one year, but then are finished. Arsenal are there every season.

“For many years they have kept up there, and that is the real merit. Yes, they lack something, but they are a young team. When they win the first time, they will change the mentality, they will realise they are good.”

Barca will be without both first-choice defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique for the game at Camp Nou so midfielder Sergio Busquets will partner left-back Eric Abidal in the heart of defence.

Busquets has occupied the role on previous occasions and has no problem doing so again. The Spain international has also warned Arsenal they will not have it easy when a partisan Camp Nou crowd, in excess of 98,000, gets behind the home side.

“Wherever I play, I feel comfortable with all of my team-mates,” Busquets said. “I am always prepared, and last week I played in defence against Valencia.

“This will be different from the first leg – we will have the crowd support here from the first minute. We must not be nervous, because the game is 90 minutes and even 1-0 would be good for us.

“It would be great to have a result like last year, but we will have to earn it if we want to be in the quarter-finals.”

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Liverpool stiker Luis Suarez has bemoaned the fact the club has a barren fixture list just as he was starting to show fans what he is capable of.

Dirk Kuyt scored a hat-trick against Manchester United on Sunday but Suarez was the real hero at Anfield as he tormented United’s weakened defence all afternoon. Suarez’s mazy run in the area, where he beat three defenders to set up Kuyt for the easiest of openers, was on of the highlights of the Reds’ season.

But with Liverpool out of the FA Cup and Suarez ineligible for the Europa League, Suarez will play a maximum of two matches for his club over the next month.

“It is hard for me to get to the right level physically, so it will take some time before the fans see my best – but I’m working towards that every day,” Suarez said in The Sun.

Midfielder Lucas Leiva believes Liverpool have found themselves a “game changer” in the form of Suarez. The Uruguay international has played only four matches since his £22.8million transfer from Ajax at the end of January but already he has shown he could prove to be an incredibly shrewd purchase. His Reds career got off to the perfect start when he came off the bench for his debut against Stoke and scored within 15 minutes of taking the field.

And Lucas believes the impact Suarez has already had, with the promise of better to come in the future, has helped erase the memory of Fernando Torres’ departure to Chelsea for £50million – funds which were used to bring in the Uruguayan and club-record signing Andy Carroll.

“I don’t think Liverpool would pay 25million euros for a bad footballer,” joked the Brazil international, who enhanced his growing reputation with another composed display in central midfield against United. “He has already settled and looks like he has been here for a long time.

“He is really happy and we have helped him to settle, especially outside of the training ground. You have to give him the confidence to show what he can do and he has already shown what he is capable of doing.

“We are happy because when you lose a striker like Fernando you expect to have another one. He is a fighter, he has a lot of quality, is very strong and quick and can change the game. What he did against United was good, especially the first goal, where he did a great job.”

Kuyt has already backed Suarez to write his name into the Anfield history books.

“His influence since he arrived here has been really good,” said the Holland international. “He scored in his first game, he was very close to scoring against Wigan and he created a goal against West Ham for Glen Johnson. For him to be at his best after just a couple of weeks at the club is impossible. But he has shown the will he has to be a great player for Liverpool and I think there is a lot more to see and expect from him.”

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