BRIAN Talbot's timing was usually spot on in the tackle during a distinguished career for club and country, but he'll be two days too late to personally witness events between his two old clubs at the Britannia Stadium this weekend.

The former Stoke and Arsenal midfielder is travelling to the area on Monday to meet up with the Maltese club he has been coaching for the past couple of years as they embark on a five-day training camp at Keele.

And so he'll be following proceedings at the Britannia from his North London home after admitting his son's football match takes precedent this Saturday.

"I always look out for Stoke's results," he said, "but I've got to be honest and say I'm a lot closer to Arsenal these days because of the family home being in North London.

"We all know they play some fantastic football and I personally always prefer watching teams who pass the ball along the grass.

"There's been no trophies in the last three years, but they've been exciting a lot of people with their football and you have to say the manager there buys and sells well.

"There's no question Arsenal are favourites for this one against Stoke. No disrespect to Stoke, but if they survive this season then they've done a great job, but if Arsenal don't finish in the top four it's a disaster for them.

"So you could say the expectation levels are slightly different.

"If Stoke get anything on Saturday they have done exceptionally well, but they've shown they can do it after defending so brilliantly at Liverpool to get a draw. I saw it on TV that day and thought they were first class.

"Arsenal are a team in form and with confidence, not to mention a few great players, but they have lost to Fulham and Hull already, while I saw them claim a very close 1-0 win at home to West Brom on the opening day."

Talbot, now 55 and a one-time manager at the likes of Albion, Oldham and Rushden & Diamonds, admires the manner in which Tony Pulis steered Stoke to that long-awaited promotion after 23 years in the wilderness.

"He's always been a first-class manager in my opinion," he said, "after working his way up through clubs you couldn't really describe as glamorous.

"I don't know him that well, but he strikes me as a very honest and hard-working man who deserves his success."

And the fans deserve it too, says Talbot, after remembering their support during his time at the Victoria Ground between October 1986 and January 1988.

"I enjoyed my time at the club very much," the former England midfielder recalled, "and what impressed me was the fans. They were fanatical and deserved a good team."

Talbot – 79 times a Stoke player and an FA Cup winner earlier in his career with both Ipswich and Arsenal – arrived at Stoke almost by accident after calling in to see then City boss Mick Mills, an old mucker from his Ipswich days, when driving home one night.

"I was a Watford player at the time under Graham Taylor and was also chairman of the PFA. I stopped on the way home one night at Stoke to take in a game. They were bottom of the league at the time and Mick said 'do you fancy it?'

"I wasn't sure to begin with, but they called a board meeting that night and made me a good offer, so I decided to stay.

"It was towards the end of my career, but we had a good little team there at that time with the likes of the two lads who later went to Arsenal, Lee Dixon and Steve Bould, then there was Steve Parkin, Peter Fox in goal, Carl Saunders was getting a few goals and then there was Tony Kelly alongside me in midfield.

"Tony was decent on the ball, but unfortunately a bit heavy. He was a typical Scouser, a bit of a jack the lad and you always took what he said with a pinch of salt.

"George Berry was also there at that time, a big character and a real joker in the pack. He was great for team spirit and, to be fair, a decent player with it."

Talbot has now scaled down his involvement with Maltese club Marsaxlokk, preferring to act in a more advisory capacity and so he only flies in for games these days.

Football in Malta also runs from August to May, but takes a four-week break at this time of year to allow for the re-seeding of pitches left parched by the summer sun.

His club is the smallest in the 10-team Premier Division, attracting crowds of around 500, but that hasn't stopped them lifting the domestic title in recent times and again qualifying for Europe.

"When it comes to Europe, we have to qualify for the qualifiers," he quips. "I think you can measure the standard of the game out there by the fact that the national team does well to score in full internationals, never mind get a result.

"The players are good in terms of technical ability, but are not strong physically and not as disciplined as you would like on the pitch.

"The game is played at a slower pace out there because of the heat, so bad habits develop.

"We are only allowed to bring in three foreigners and I've lost my five best players to countries such as Italy and Germany.

"Over here there is Michael Mifsud at Coventry and I'll be taking the lads to see him play against Crystal Palace next weekend."

He says the players were promised a training camp abroad after qualifying again for Europe – and it was Talbot's idea to come to England.

"Well it's better for me," he admitted. "I've brought West Brom and Rushden to Keele in the past and I'm happy to come again thanks to a friend at Newcastle Town who I've known since my days at Stoke.