Sol can handle the abuse

He needs games. He looks as if he has put on a bit of weight. Whether that is because of his injury, I don't know but I do feel he needs matches.

But quite apart from the impact on Sol, any north London derby means a lot to the supporters of Tottenham and Arsenal.

As someone who played for Arsenal and who has managed both clubs, I know better than most that as far as the fans are concerned, this is as big as it gets.

If the Arsenal players are being trivial about the derby this weekend, all they are doing is fuelling the passion of most of the Spurs players and their followers.

It would be wrong not to consider that as a big factor. For Teddy Sheringham, Les Ferdinand, Darren Anderton and the rest of the English lads at White Hart Lane, this is one of the biggest occasions in the football calendar.

There are not going to be too many home players in the Arsenal side, though if Sol Campbell is fit enough to play, he will be able to remind his team-mates what these north London skirmishes are all about. Who wants the victory more might well be a big factor in the outcome.

If Arsenal's French sophisticates feel it is not the be all and end all to beat Spurs twice in a season, then let them try to tell that to the Highbury supporters. And that comes from a man who has finished a winner and a loser in those matches. Of course it means plenty, especially when you live in the same street as a rival fan.

When I was at White Hart Lane, I told the players this was their chance to show Arsenal that Spurs were just as good as them. Having said that, I can't see Arsenal losing this game. Their away form this season has been excellent. It is their home form that has been surprisingly poor.

It is not an easy match to call and derbies can be notoriously unpredictable. What I would say is that the season seems to have been going marginally better for Tottenham.

They have a new manager in Glenn Hoddle, one with his own philosophy and he has been evolvinghis preferred system of three at the back.

Tottenham have bought five players - including some in key positions - since Glenn arrived at the club, most with a lot of experience.

On occasions Arsenal have been as good going forward this season as Manchester United, at times sensational. But in the same game they can go from one extreme to another.

If they don't score more than one goal in one of those purple patches, they look as though they could concede goals. That is not like Arsenal. They have not got that blend in their game at present.

Arsenal are great to look at going forward but they are missing the solidity that sides like Liverpool and Leeds have got this season.

Spurs are the underdogs, so they have the incentive because victory would lift them above Arsenal. That is a big prize for them.

But if Arsenal played this Spurs side six times, they would probably win four of them. They are more talented all round.

Interview by Steve Curry, Daily Mail