A player of rare vision and ability, Bergkamp embodies Rioch’s brave new Arsenal; he has skill and a high work rate, a scandal-free personal life and moderate manner on the field.Gone is the ‘hoof and hope’ game which characterised many a Premiership performance in Graham’s last three seasons. Indeed, league form from ‘92/93 onwards had been poor, performances (and players) jaded and the formation defensive, a sad metaphor of the siege-like mentality of the man then pulling the strings. It took him a game or few to settle down, but against Villa at Highbury back in October, he and Wright appeared almost clairvoyant, finally becoming a partnership. In true ‘Buy one, get two free’ tradition, Bergkamp has been Arsenal’s best player in any position, picking the ball up in front of Seaman’s goal, playing it out (on the floor! to feet!), shielding the ball in the middle of the park and penetrating the opposition’s penalty area with intimidating precision, whether passing or shooting. Credibility was restored; the message to the world was: we’re back and we mean business.
And what an astute acquisition the Ice Man has been.

The in-coming governor wisely gave Thornton’s and the florists a swerve and opted instead to bestow upon Gooners the aforementioned Dutchman, smashing the archaic Arsenal wage policy to attract him. Not, perhaps, the first choice of the majority, Rioch won the Highbury hordes over with ease. It is customary in new relationships to greet the object of one’s wooing with a gift Chocolates, flowers, Dennis Bergkamp, that sort of thing. What was needed was, perhaps, not so much an Arsenal man, as an Arsenal-style man. A fine, upstanding manager, emphasising neat passing, clean living and freshly combed hair with straight partings in equal measure Stand up, Bruce Rioch. His subsequent sending-off, and the suspension to come, scuppered the deal.. Several candidates – former Arsenal players, all – were mooted to replace the disgraced George Graham after his departure from Highbury, but none had sufficient experience or managerial success to make them likely contenders.

The worst post-war run belongs to neighbouring Walsall, with 15 straight defeats, with the all-time record of 18 set by Darwen more than a century ago.So desperate are Albion that their manager, avowed purist Alan Buckley, tried to sign a certain Wimbledon midfielder on loan this week. Duncan Ferguson’s comeback continues on the bench, and Tony Yeboah may also have a watching brief for visiting Leeds if he returns from Ghana’s game in Egypt in time.The sight of Leeds’ Tomas Brolin – born and bred inside the Arctic Circle – wearing gloves at Bolton was a measure of how cold it is. Today, Burnden Park stages a meeting of the division’s bottom two. It may be premature to talk of six-pointers at the halfway stage of the season, but Bolton risk being cast adrift if they do not beat Coventry, or at least improve on a haul of three points from nine games.In the pursuit of Derby at the top of the First Division, second-placed Charlton face Southend (sixth) – with the home forward and best-selling author Garry Nelson primed for his 600th senior outing – while Sunderland (third) collide with Birmingham (fourth), a fixture never goalless at Roker Park in 44 starts.Meanwhile, spare a thought for West Bromwich Albion, beaten 11 times in a row and visiting Barnsley, where they last won in 1947/48. Everton have no such difficulties, though they do have the problem of rehabilitating their own angry young man. Only Newcastle, with a 100 per cent record, are stronger at home than the champions. Moreover, Alan Shearer is menacingly poised on 99 Premiership goals for Blackburn, having scored in every match at Ewood Park this season.Joe Kinnear, whose judgement is under particular scrutiny in the Republic of Ireland, must decide whether to include Vinnie Jones in Wimbledon’s line-up at Arsenal.

Ominously for the tattooed trundler, the club refused to exonerate him over his dismissal for pole- axing Ruud Gullit.With all the hot air emanating from Jones this week, perhaps he could be loaned to one of the clubs unable to beat the freeze. “Resilient” is a word not normally associated with London fancy dans, yet Spurs take the Premiership’s only unbeaten away record to Blackburn, those northern softies who have still to win on their travels.Something may have to give today. QPR shattered United with a 4-1 away win almost four years ago to the day but, unless they exploit the lack of familiarity which may undermine the home back four, hopes of a repeat look like hoop dreams.Tottenham – who receive Manchester United on New Year’s Day – may have emerged as Newcastle’s closest challengers by the start of next week. They could close the gap to four, Newcastle’s match at West Ham having fallen foul of the weather.With four centre-backs indisposed, the United manager, Alex Ferguson, has called up the French international William Prunier. A former Auxerre and Marseille player, like Eric Cantona, the 28-year-old Prunier has made only one reserve appearance during his trial from Bordeaux, but has the height to combat Mark Hateley as the Queen’s Park Rangers striker strives for his first English league goal in 11 and a half years.Prunier’s availability also means that Roy Keane, United’s most imposing performer of late, need not revert to defence.

By tonight, the top of the table could be more like a pantomime as Geordie voices bellow: “Behind you!”
United might have gone into the visit of Queen’s Park Rangers 13 points adrift. For all that, the festive spirit promises to prevail at Old Trafford today. After Manchester United’s victory in Wednesday’s Premiership summit meeting, Kevin Keegan described his Newcastle team as a circus without lions. We will soon see if a couple of other lines from “If” also apply to him.”If you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on youAnd if you can trust tourself when all men doubt youBut make allowance for their doubting tooIf you can bear to watch the things you gave your life to brokenAnd stoop and build ‘em up. He at least treats the impostors of triumph and disaster the same – witness his unsmiling reaction whether Rovers score or concede. The holly and the rivalry of the Christmas programme have given way to days when minus 20 refers to a temperature rather than Bolton’s goal difference. This is not entirely his fault – replacing Dalglish was an onerous task.