Wimbledon Legend Dave Bassett Looks Back On The Season So Far...

Dave Bassett is one of the most respected names in English football after more than 40 years in the game both as a player and the as a manager where he had more success. The 67-year-old is perhaps most famous for his time at Wimbledon where he took the club from the fourth division to the first division with three promotions in four seasons.

His development of the crazy gang saw the likes of Dave Beasant, John Fashanu, Dennis Wise and Vinnie Jones all develop their reputations at Plough Lane. Subsequent spells with Watford, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Barnsley and Leicester, but was unable to replicate the success at Wimbledon.

Now a successful pundit, 'Harry' is still very much involved in football and decided to give us his thoughts on the season so far.

Which players have impressed you most this season?

There are a few candidates here:

Phil Jones (Manchester United) has impressed me. He's come in at such a young age, he's played centre-half, right-back, midfield and has been a star signing.

David Silva (Manchester City) has really settled down after a year. He is looking inspirational in his play. His vision, passing and creativity have been a highlight of the season.

Joe Hart (Manchester City) has done excellently in goal, he looks head and shoulders above everything else in the Barclays Premier League.

Robin van Persie (Arsenal) has had a great year. Where would they be without him? He has kept Arsenal going, and enjoyed the responsibility of being captain.

Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur) has been superb. If Van der Vaart plays well, the rest of the team do well. He makes the rest of the players play. He scores a lot of important goals.

Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) has settled in, seen off the challenge of Vedran Corluka and made the position his own. He has pushed himself into the England team and is a superb athlete.

Demba Ba (Newcastle United) has done a brilliant job with the goals he has scored, pushing them into the top half of the table.

Moussa Dembele (Fulham) has hit form. He has got this position where Martin Jol has got him playing a bit deeper, which allows him to use his brilliant ability to see a pass and play people through. Over the last month he has been sensational.

Which manager deserves the biggest plaudits?

Again, I've got a few:

Roberto Mancini (Manchester City) must be credited for getting City to the top of the Barclays Premier League. They've been very strong, and have changed from being a defensive side last year to being more expansive this season. He has settled a club with a lot of egos and good players that are not necessarily in the team. It could get a bit volcanic but he seems to have smoothed things out.

David Moyes (Everton) deserves credit. He is unsung. With no money to spend, he keeps Everton going, well above the relegation zone competing with teams that have a lot more money. He brings the youngsters through and has been really consistent.

Tony Pulis (Stoke City) has been fantastic. His team get criticised for various reasons, but they are such an organised, well-drilled side. They have a mentality that they don't care what other people think about them and Tony is running a very tight ship there. Now they are competing in Europe and holding their own in the top half of the table. They just get on with it, and have no superstar egos. People talk a lot of nonsense about Stoke not playing the right way, but that stems from not being able to cope with them. I think Tony should take it as a compliment.

Steve Kean (Blackburn Rovers) deserves a mention because he has put up with a hell of a lot. They are down the bottom, but he has been completely unfairly criticised. He has kept going through a load of injuries, and no manager deserves to endure what he has been through, whatever you think about him. He's working hard for Blackburn, and the people who have criticised him have done their club no favours at all.

What do you think of Manchester City's performances so far?

They have developed into a more rounded side, with new players like Sergio Aguero, and have been able to keep the ship steady through the Carlos Tevez episode. They stuttered a little bit over Christmas and the New Year, but their form was phenomenal at the start of the season, in the way they disposed of Tottenham and Manchester United, and they have beaten Arsenal and Liverpool.

Historically City have been a bit of a volcanic club; all sorts of things happen, and they are under pressure for the money they have spent. Mancini has handled the pressure extremely well and is a top professional. They'll be there at the end, without doubt.

Mancini has done a great job with Balotelli. He knows him and believes in him as a player. That is the most important factor. Balotelli is going to have a few ups and downs, but Roberto feels he can cope with that.

Often top players have a flamboyant, difficult character. The likes of Tevez, Rooney and Van Persie often have an edge to them that is part of what makes them great, but sometimes can create problems. So I think Mancini has done excellently with Balotelli.

Harry Redknapp says Tottenham are genuine title contenders; what’s your view?

People seem to think they are exceeding expectations, but I disagree with that. It's a fallacy. They have spent a lot of money putting a great squad together, so it surprises me that people seem to think they have burst in at the top.

They should be a top four team with the players they have got. You look at their squad, and it's comparable with anyone. In terms of depth, they are arguably stronger than anyone around them apart from Manchester City.

It promises to be another thrilling relegation battle, with 10 clubs in or within six points of the bottom three. Which clubs do you see pulling away to safety, and which could be fighting until the very end?

At this stage, it looks like it could be between five: QPR, Wolves, Wigan, Blackburn and Bolton. However things can change right down to the very last game of the campaign as we saw only too well last season.

Sunderland have got enough momentum to pull themselves clear and should be able to buy some players. Swansea are very strong at home and have put themselves in a decent position. West Brom have slipped back a bit, but Roy Hodgson has got the experience to keep them moving forward. Norwich have done well, too.

There is usually one team that slips who you don't necessarily expect to see down there, and I don't know who that will be.

I did have a hunch it would be Fulham, but my opinion of them has changed in the last four or five games. They have got enough to push on and make themselves safe.

You had an exceptional record of keeping clubs up – what are the keys to turning things around in mid-season?
 

If you're down the bottom, you've got to have the belief, togetherness and the right atmosphere at the club.

Morale has got to be good, with all the players, coaches and staff pulling in the same direction.

It's important to have laughter, not being too serious. It lifts a lot of things and stops doom and gloom setting in.

A manager can't do that on his own, but he sets the tone for others. He has got to show he believes the team can stay up and pass that on to the players.

If they sense the manager's belief is starting to wane, you've got a big problem.

There have been fewer managerial changes than in previous recent seasons - why is this, and do you see it as a trend?

I hope it's a trend. Clubs thinking: 'Do we really need to change the manager?' If you believe the manager is the right man, you have to stick with him and deal with the ups and downs. If a manager gets sacked a level of compensation will usually be due and maybe clubs are wondering whether they want to spend all that money to change a manager and his staff when things might not improve. Ultimately, clubs need to take a long-term view and not make knee-jerk reactions every time they lose a few games.

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