To many soccer fans, this name may not ring a bell, that is, until the European Championships which concluded last month. Andrei Arshavin caught the eyes of soccer pundits and bigwigs with his scintillating performance in Euro 2008.

Russia were all but written off after a 4-1 loss to Spain in the qualifying rounds but came back from the dead with Arshavin’s return. The live-wire set the stage alight and raised the profile of Russian soccer with their giant-killing feats. Eliminating Netherlands was the watershed as the world sat up and took notice of this “backward” nation.

It was unfortunate that the semi-final match against Spain saw a relatively muted Arshavin due to the superior Spanish executing their tactics seamlessly and a generally lackluster performance by the Russians.

However, in all fairness, that was no embarrassment. After all, Spain went on to claim the title as they eliminated traditional powerhouse, Germany, in the Euro 2008 Finals.

Actually, even before Euro 2008, Arshavin had won rave reviews. In May, he illuminated the Uefa Cup Final and clinched the first-ever European crown for Zenit St. Petersburg. Zenit can proudly lay claim to the title as they added the scalp of Bayern Munich en-route to the finals.

Arshavin did not get on the score sheet but he was clearly the player who made the difference when he crafted both goals. His pace, vision and creativity proved too hot to handle for Rangers throughout the match. Though Rangers worked their ass off, played as a tightly knit team and with lots of determination, they were undone by Arshavin’s electrifying movement.

Andrei Arshavin, after spending a solid 8 seasons at Zenit, has already amassed an impressive haul of medals and personal awards. The former Russian Player of the Year has won 37 caps for his country since 2002 and scored 13 goals in the process.

I viewed this video on YouTube recently and it is an excellent compilation of his best soccer moments. Unleashing Andrei’s potential as a star playmaker in the EPL will further consolidate its position as one of the most competitiive league in the world.

Granted that the video footage were mostly in the Russian League, and the Premier League is a different ball game with more talents competing for the same places. Thus, Arshavin will not find the Premier League to be a bed of roses. Without strong work ethics and a willingness to adapt, he may be relegated to the bench before he can prove his worth.

Shevchenko, who is far more accomplished in European football, failed to make an impression in the Premier League for Chelsea. In fact, the player today is a pale shadow of himself. Unable to recover his confidence, lethal killer instinct and ball control, I doubt Shevchenko will feature much for Scolari.

Notwithstanding the risks, I believe Arshavin should take up the Premier League challenge if he hungers to be the best in the world. Dick Advocat should let the player go if the price is right. I will discuss more about Arshavin’s possible transfer to Tottenham.

True to form, Juande Ramos’s stranglehold on the Uefa Cup was relinquished with a 6-5 scoreline in PSV Eindhoven’s favor. It was a pity as Tottenham had recovered strongly from a 1-0 first leg deficit, thanks to Dimitar Berbatov’s goal in the second half, and a Uefa Cup hat-trick for Ramos was a solid bet.

Against a languid PSV, Tottenham were frustrated by their impotence in front of goal – Berbatov and Ledley King wasted superb opportunities to send the Dutch team to the point of no return. For their efforts, Tottenham had only crucial bookings to show. Jenas was yellow carded, ruling him out of Spurs’ next European game, while King picked one up for a foul on full-back Kromkamp.

After the break, Tottenham continued their pressure and Ramos tweaked his formation and tactics. He substituted Lee for Darren Bent who immediately wasted a glorious opportunity; Bent fired weakly at Gomes after Keane, put through on goal, had made an excellent reverse pass. PSV had their best chance in the 55th minute when they chipped the ball into the box from a free-kick, allowing Koevermans to fire on sight from five yards out, but the shot was wretched.

In the 82nd minute, Spurs fans rejoiced. Chimbonda crossed the ball which was met by Berbatov’s stunning volley on the edge of the box and Gomes was rooted in disbelief. Another volley in extra-time by Berbatov could have settled the match but it headed for penalties instead. In the shootout, Robinson saved Lazovic’s spot-kick but Gomes deprived Jenas and Chimbonda fired wide to gift PSV a passage into the quarter-finals.

“Every player who takes a penalty is courageous, I can only congratulate them for their courage,” said Ramos. He also revealed that his players had not practiced penalties, saying: “Penalties in training has nothing to do with penalties in a game. The situation and the nerves are different.”

I am inclined to believe a penalty training session may yield different results. While the mental toughness of the players is instrumental, “practice makes perfect” is still the mantra in sports. Whether you are a golf, basketball or football player, perfecting your techniques through constant practice is the only way to ensure you stay on top of your game.

Putting aside the disappointment, there are some positives for Tottenham. Jenas experienced a new lease of life and the potential he showed in his early days are being uncovered by Ramos. Jonathan Woodgate is repaying the faith and investment Tottenham made on him, and Ledley King is back to his imperious form.

For the rest of the squad, it is anybody’s guess. Certainly, there will be sweeping changes implemented next season. Ramos has access to substantial funds to restyle his inherited team, and he will raise more money by offloading some fringe players. Stalteri, Gardner, Rocha, and Lee Young-Pyo will struggle to warm the bench if an influx of players come in.

Radek Cerny, the reserve goalkeeper, is out of contract and a new deal is unlikely. Chimbonda sees his future away from White Hart Lane. He demanded a transfer in January, after the signing of Alan Hutton and Chris Gunter, but his hefty wages and uninspiring performances are not attracting any buyers. There are some fans who suspect that he missed the decisive penalty on purpose, but well, I believe that is just speculation.

Darren Bent is likely to remain on the sidelines too, unless he improves dramatically. A favorite can become tomorrow’s condemned as Aaron Lennon found out in the PSV match, he was dropped rather than rested for the first time and the message is clear – shape up or ship out. Such is Ramos’s ruthlessness in enforcing discipline and quality.

Luck had followed Ramos in his previous Uefa Cup triumphs with Sevilla in 2006 and 2007 – a memorable goal from keeper Andres Palop at this stage of the competition last year comes to mind. This time, Lady Luck deserted him and the Carling Cup is scant consolation, even if it is the club’s first silverware since 1999.

“For us to win something means that the season will still go down as a positive one,” said King. I am sure Ramos think differently, while this may not be a barren season, it is not good enough for a manager of his calibre.

After the fans have tasted success, they will demand more and there is indeed plenty of work to be done in maintaining a consistent standard for every competition. I believe Tottenham will learn from this defeat in the Uefa Cup and come back next year stronger than before. And yes, once-bitten, twice shy, do practice the penalties before hand.