During an exclusive interview with Oddsboom, former Liverpool, Everton and West Ham midfielder Don Hutchinson lets us know which player Liverpool could replace Mo Salah should the Egyptian leave in January. Don gives his opinion on Alexander Isak’s time at Anfield so far, Everton’s transfer targets, which one signing Newcastle should make, the battle for the SPL title and Jarrod Bowen’s chances of going to the World Cup.
West Ham have been linked with a long list of strikers in recent weeks, is there anyone you think the Hammers should sign in January?
I like the boy, Valentin Castellanos, at Lazio. I think he’s a very good player. I’ve watched a lot of him in Serie A. He’s very good. He’s the profile of player that West Ham need now.
They need to really home in on exactly what they want and not just buy a Fullkrug – someone that’s static, an orthodox No. 9, that can’t really move. I think the Premier League’s moved on so much now. You need a bit of intelligence. You need a little bit of movement. Castellanos would be an excellent signing.
That’s what Nuno probably wants. West Ham have had windows over the last couple of years, and they’ve been at a little bit of standstill.That squad needs desperately improving.
Do you think Antoine Semenyo can fill the shoes of Mo Salah if Liverpool sign him?
I suppose if you’re Richard Hughes, then you’re operating within real-world budget constraints, which makes things different. Ideally, I’d like Michael Olise from Bayern Munich. He is the player who is just different class. He’s got a swagger about him.
He’s confident, he takes a ball into his feet. He’s got brilliant ability. He could pull on that Liverpool shirt and it wouldn’t faze him. Then there’s players like Semenyo who is clearly a brilliant young player.
He can play off either flank. So he’s versatile. But you know, it’s a big step up as we saw with Milos Kerkez, when you go from Bournemouth to Liverpool.
It’s a different shirt to pull on. I do think he’s got the ability and I think he would be a really good signing, and he definitely would be a hit because he’s quick, he’s direct, he’s got pace, and he scores goals.
It depends on the money that you’ve got to spend. Like I said, No. 1 choice, Michael Olise. Second choice, Antoine Semenyo.
LIVERPOOL
What do you make of Mo Salah’s outburst? Do you think this is a blessing in disguise as it gives Arne Slot the chance to focus on fewer players to find the right combination?
I think the clear winner out of this debacle is Arne Slot because Mo Salah said what he said, and everyone’s got their opinion on it. Fundamentally, when you criticise the coach in private, it’s basically fine. We’ve all done it. We’ve never really done it in public, but you have spats in training.
However, the minute you bring the football club into the equation and the minute he said, ‘Liverpool have thrown me under the bus,’ then you have to then face the consequences. You can’t just walk around in life in general and just go about willy-nilly, just hammering and criticising everyone.
You’re gonna have to face the consequences. So Arne Slot was forthright in his opinion to not take him to San Siro for the Inter game. Liverpool played really well. They got the win – Slot wins out of that.
Then he put him on the bench against Brighton, brought him on and Mo Salah’s attitude was brilliant. I thought he was excellent. It was a superb team performance. Again, I think the winner is Arne Slot, because Mo Salah probably realises now if he gets in a battle and tries to turn the Liverpool fans for him or the manager, I think the Liverpool fans have shown who they’re going to back – that’s going to be the manager.
When he comes back from AFCON, he’s going to have to fall into line.
Does Salah come back or does he wave goodbye in January?
I think he will stay. I got the impression when he was walking around Anfield, when he went to the four corners of the stand, he was applauding Liverpool fans and they sang his name really loudly.
It was quite passionate the way they were singing his name. I got the impression when he was walking around clapping them, he was thinking, ’ I really want to leave this? Do I want to leave this now? Could there be a better send off?’
So I don’t think he’ll go in January. The summer’s a different question because it will be Liverpool’s last chance at getting some money for him before he goes on a free the year after. My gut feeling is he will not go in January. They’ll have Mo Salah until the end of the season. Then let’s just see what happens there with his relationship with Arne Slot. Let’s see if it’s mendable and see if they can fix it.
Have they blown their chances of signing Marc Guehi and is that the worst call Richard Hughes has made in his role at Liverpool?
I’m still stunned by that one. To be fair to Richard Hughes, he never had a crystal ball. He didn’t know that Leoni was going to do his ACL. But however, when you’re in the market and you’ve got Marc Guehi down in London doing a medical, it’s gone that far, you’re going to sign him.
And if it was £5 million more, just pay the extra. Just pay the extra few million, and you’re going to have him for six years at least. The kid is a Rolls Royce defender.
He’s a superb professional. Fantastic footballer. Left foot, right foot, a really good defender. A quiet leader. I was stunned and I’m still stunned to this day. And I’d love to say to Richard Hughes, why didn’t you get that one over the line?
He might say, well, Palace never had cover. But in terms of Liverpool not signing him, that was a major error.
Could defeat at Tottenham cost Arne Slot his job?
That would be horrendous. While they’re off the back of some good form, then I think they need to build on it. We’ve just seen Nottingham Forest turn Spurs over at the weekend. Tottenham are just a very hard side to get a handle on under Thomas Frank. Their home form is terrible.
I never fancied them to go to Forest at the weekend. I knew Forest would have too much about them because they are like a deck of cards at times, the way they play. Once they give up a goal, Spurs, they just crumble.
The way Liverpool played against Brighton, but for an hour, it was easily the best that Kerkez has played, easily the best that Ekitike has played, and easily Florian Wirtz’s best game. So I think they’ll take confidence in that. If they lose it’ll be a blow, but I don’t think it’ll put Arne Slot under pressure. If they win it, they’re in good form and they can try and get closer to Villa in third.
Could Liverpool be in the bottom half of the table come the start of the new year?
No chance. They’ve got too many good players. The Spurs game is the one that leaps out as the only potentially troubling one, which they’re playing next. Then I think they’ve got Leeds, Wolves and Fulham. Those are all games they should be looking at and expecting three points.
I think the current top three are nailed on for the top three and it’s one position now up for grabs for the Champions League. It might be a case of Liverpool finishing in the Europa League spots unless they get a move on.
Will Alexander Isak be regarding this as a wasted season already?
Yeah, it’s been a difficult season so far. I think even he must think that he and his agent a mistake not doing preseason with Newcastle. Because I’ve said many times there were only two outcomes. It was a move to Liverpool – so do a preseason and be match ready and match fit to go to Liverpool.
Or if that move fell through, be match ready and match fit to play for Newcastle – so do a preseason. The fact that he’s still playing catch up in December is not ideal.
Is it time to bring Harvey Elliott back from Aston Villa? What is going on there?
I don’t know the logistics of that one because I don’t know if he can actually go on loan anywhere else in the Premier League. I’m not sure what the actual law is on that one. So if you’re Liverpool, you’re probably best off bringing him back and keeping him in the squad.
They only had a short number on the bench at the weekend and, probably that’s why Mo Salah was a little bit fortunate that he made the bench, because you know, Gakpo was injured, Endo was injured, and Bradley was suspended. So I think it’ll be a good move from Liverpool to bring him back.
But it’s bizarre how he’s not got any game time over at Villa. The only thing I can put it down to because he’s got the ability and his attitude’s good, but he was really close to Diogo Jota and he’s just feeling it really deeply.
Would a move to MLS or Saudi Pro League be too soon for a player of Salah’s talent?
I think so. Personally, I think he’s still got more to offer. The trouble is he’s on hundreds of thousands of pounds a week, so there’s only a couple of clubs in Europe that could pay that. He’s not going to go to Man City. I think PSG are pretty much stacked in wide areas with fast, young players, so they wouldn’t need to pay the money. I don’t see anyone else in Europe buying him. I don’t see Bayern paying that amount of money.
Especially when they’ve got Olise, Gnabry, and Karl, who’s a fantastic teenager.
So you’re probably looking at the MLS or the Saudi market for where he goes. But personally, I think it feels like the right thing to do is two years at Liverpool, and then just have the best send off ever. Just don’t go under a cloud.
Try and win a trophy for Liverpool whether it’s this season or next season. Go out on a high and then he will go down as a Liverpool icon, a Liverpool legend, and he’ll go in the right manner.
Would Salah be the best player that MLS have ever signed in terms of his current ability?
I would say so. I mean they’re getting a world class player that’s not really in decline. Just because his numbers have been down for the last four or five, six games, it doesn’t mean that he’s gone for good. He’s still fit. He proved against Brighton at the weekend that he was still at it. I thought he was excellent.
I think they would be getting a brilliant player if he goes there. I just wonder if the Saudi Pro League might appeal to him a little bit more. But in terms of the MLS and their brand, it would be a major coup for them.
EVERTON
What do Everton need to do to beat Arsenal?
I think Sunderland have sort of proved the blueprint and Wolves nearly did the same, but they couldn’t hang on.
You’ve got to be defensively sound. You’ve got to be good in your defensive shape. I think you’ve got to go into low blocks at times. Don’t allow Gyokeres to run in behind, because that’s what he wants. So you’ve got to try and play probably 20 yards deeper.
But Sunderland were excellent. They rattled Arsenal when they got a draw at the Stadium of Light. They were the only ones I think that have rattled Arsenal all season, because they got in amongst them. It stopped them from playing. They made it edgy, they made it bitty. Wolves did it again to a certain degree at the weekend and that’s got to be David Moyes’ blueprint.
I know he’s got good players but it’s a body blow that Dewsbury-Hall did his hamstring at the weekend. That’ll be a blow for Moyes. But it might put Everton into a more defensive shape, which might suit them. But that’s the blueprint. You have to get in and around Arsenal, upset them and make things a little bit ugly, and a little bit nasty and prickly.
Could Everton stomach selling Iliman Ndiaye to Liverpool?
I mean there’s always a fee. I think the last one to make the move was Nick Barmby. Abel Xavier, who I played with at Everton, went across the park. I’d done it a few clubs later, but I didn’t go straight across Stanley Park. It has to be some fee.
I wouldn’t say Ndiaye is in the £100 million bracket, but to get Everton to sell to Liverpool it would have to be a hefty number. They might look at it as a chance to raise funds for a rebuild. If they sold him for £80 million, they could rebuild and buy two or three players.
It could be done but it would mean losing a brilliant player. So it’d be a bit ballsy.
Is there another manager who has improved as consistently over the years as David Moyes?
I think he’s incredibly underrated. I think he’s one of the most underrated managers. Listen, the Man United job off the back of Fergie was never going to be easy. Similarly, Unai Emery couldn’t succeed off the back of Arsene Wenger, and he’s a top class manager.
It’s got to be incredibly difficult. Arne Slot sort of broke the trend, really, coming in off the back of Jurgen Klopp and winning the league. That just feels like a one off. So going into Man United when they were in decline was going to be difficult. He’s gone away, he’s rebuilt his career. West Ham fans will not have it, whatever I say, but I think the job that he’d done there was incredible.
In four or five years he had them in European football, he had them in European semis, and obviously won the Conference final against Fiorentina. He’s put a major trophy in the cabinet for West Ham and then they thought they could do better. They paid the price.
Three managers later, now they’ve got Nuno. I think he’s a superb manager in my opinion. I played under Howard Kendall, who was a legendary manager and he was at Everton three times. David Moyes is back with his second time in Everton and I think, I’m not going to say he ranks alongside Kendall, but I think while Evertonians are so glad to have him, there’s going to be the odd negative result, because that’s the way in the Premier League.
Football fans are emotional, so they will be critical, but I love David Moyes. I think he’s really underrated. He’s a good manager. He’s a good communicator to men as well. He calls it as he sees it. He’s very honest. I think he’s superb.
Everton have been linked with a move for Evan Ferguson, what do you make of that?
Dusan Vlahovic is on a fee transfer from Juve in the summer. The problem with Vlahovic is he’s on an awful lot of money. He’s on about 300 grand a week, so that ain’t going to work at Everton.
I think Evan Ferguson is a fantastic young player. He probably needs to be with a David Moyes. Can you imagine? Because I think what he does, David Moyes, is he gets the best out of players. He’s getting the best out of Jack Grealish, he’s getting the best out of Dewsbury-Hall, he’s getting the best out of Ndiaye.
If they signed Evan Ferguson I think Moyes would get the best out of him. I think he’d allow Evan Ferguson to be a young lad and, you know, if he wants to go and have a beer every now and again, then I don’t think David Moyes – like Howard Kendall – would be against it as long as you’re performing.
I do think they need a number nine that’s going to be a little bit more prolific than Barry and Beto. Dusan Vlahovic is the top one but money-wise I don’t think it’s feasible. So I think Evan Ferguson will be a brilliant young signing for David Moyes and Everton.
SUNDERLAND
Are you worried by Sunderland’s slip in form?
No, not at all. I mean the home form is incredible. It’s a fortress at the Stadium of Light. They’re unbeaten at home. They have unbelievable home form. When they went away to Man City and lost three-nil, well, that can happen. But they rectified that at the weekend. It was a brilliant win against Newcastle, their arch rivals.
That’ll carry them a long way. That energy and that adrenaline having beaten Newcastle and taking the mickey at Newcastle with the picture that Newcastle did a few years back when they beat them in the cup – they’ve replicated that at the weekend. Sunderland fans will be bouncing into the factories this morning. They’ve got the bragging rights. I’ve got no worries about Regis Le Bris whatsoever.
I think he’s a brilliant coach.
He signed lots of players in the summer which normally goes against the grain. Normally when you sign that amount of players, you think well how’s that going to work? How are they going to integrate all those players together? But he has done it and he has done really well.
Do they need to strengthen in January to avoid the season falling away?
Not really, no. I think they’re pretty much set. I think behind the scenes they’ll be working on Diarra coming back. They’ve got loads of good defenders. Alderete has been a good signing. Ballard, who’s been at the club for quite a while, is doing well. Wherever you look across the pitch, even Traore who I wasn’t sure about, he’s done really well. Brobbey’s done well. You know, Robin Roefs in goal has impressed.
Every signing that they’ve made is really performing and really been a hit.
Would Matteo Guendouzi add what they need?
I think it’d be a good signing, if they can get him. I mean Diarra is their main signing from Strasbourg, and he’s been injured lately. But the form of Sadiki and Xhaka, what a pair they are in midfield. And Guendouzi will add legs, he’ll add energy. I think the way he plays, Guendouzi, I think would suit Sunderland. He’ll get in people’s faces and stop them from playing. That’s his trait really. That’s his forte.
I think when you look at the profile of players, I could see him in a red and white shirt. I could see him doing well.
NEWCASTLE
Would another League Cup win this season keep Eddie Howe in a job?
I think the haters of Eddie Howe are really in the minority. It’s not been a great season. I think it would be more than enough to win a trophy again, whichever it might be. My worry watching Newcastle against Sunderland is, while I’ll excuse an off-day from Tonali and Bruno because they’ve been so consistent – is Anthony Elanga’s performance.
As well as that, the one that worried me the most was Anthony Gordon’s performance. If he wants to move to another club, he has to start performing. Anthony Gordon over the years at Newcastle has been really good. But he’s not had a good season.
It didn’t sit well with me. But it was a real off day and they’ve got to sort their form away from home out. Newcastle have horrendous away form. That’s what’s going to cost them. But I think any fans that are criticising Eddie Howe – and they’re right to have a pop, that’s the nature of the beast – need to recognise that he’s an exceptional manager.
He took Newcastle from second bottom into the Champions League. He took Newcastle from second bottom to win a trophy. He’s taken Newcastle from second bottom into the Champions League twice. I’d say be very careful what you wish for. I think he’s a brilliant manager.
Would defeat to Chelsea dash any remaining hopes of a top-four finish?
Yeah, but I think they’ll beat Chelsea. They walloped them last year, didn’t they, Newcastle. Newcastle are a strange beast. Their home form is really good.
They lost against Liverpool, but that was when Newcastle were down to 10 men. That was a last second goal, too. They should have beaten Arsenal at home, but Arsenal scored two goals in the last five minutes, one at the very end of the game.
But apart from that, I would back Newcastle. You saw against PSG in the Champions League a couple of years ago when they walloped them. I’d back Newcastle against any team in Europe at home, and I think they’ll beat Chelsea.
If they beat Chelsea would that be the perfect launchpad for their clash with Manchester United on Boxing Day?
I don’t think there’s any huge difference between Newcastle and Man United. I still think Newcastle are a better side on their day. The league table might say otherwise, but I’m still not sold on Man United’s best team. I’ve not seen them be outstanding this season apart from the Wolves game. But that was pretty low bar opposition.
Those two teams I’d say are evenly matched. Newcastle have got a better team, a better squad. But I think when you look at the energy or momentum, Man Utd have got that over Newcastle.
It’ll be a tough game to call. Beat Chelsea and then Newcastle might bounce into the United game, lose it and then it’s a bit of doom and gloom again. Then you potentially favour Man Utd to win in the game.
What advice would you give to Nick Woltemade and new signings from abroad on how to cope with festive fixtures in English football?
I think it’ll be fine. I think the major worry for him now is mentally after scoring his own goal against Sunderland and how he will recover.
Part of the problem when you watch Newcastle is that Woltemade is a real contradiction. He’s a really good technical player. But what he does, is he comes short and links play.
Now on their day, Newcastle, when they’re flowing and it goes into his feet and you see Elanga, Barnes or Gordon run off him when he gets the ball, it works. But when he’s coming short all of the time, it can be a nightmare for midfield players because you haven’t got the ball to clip over the top, and you lose a lot of territory because he’s got zero pace.
He cannot run in behind. So you can’t say to him, when we’re under pressure, go long and I’ll find you, we’ll gain some territory.
He’s never going to get there. So effectively you’re actually just giving the ball away. It’s a hard one for Eddie Howe, because they’ve spent a lot of money on him and you look at the profile of the player, and he’s a good player, but they might be better off playing Wissa through the middle. He’s got that pace to get in behind.
I actually thought Anthony Gordon against Liverpool, before he got sent off, started to look like a Newcastle No. 9, because then they were really pacey. Gordon through the middle. Murphy, Elanga, Murphy or Barnes out wide.
That gives Newcastle a way to go over the top, and that seems to suit them a lot more. So Woltemade is a strange one. When it works, it works. When it doesn’t, it doesn’t work for Newcastle as a team.
Which one signing would you like Newcastle to make when the transfer window opens?
It’s difficult because when you look at Newcastle’s back four it’s the strongest it can be at the moment. However, if they sell Tino Livramento to Manchester City in January, the priority is signing a right-back.
I think they’re looking at Kees Smits of AZ Alkmaar, but it would be asking a lot of a 19-year-old to come into Newcastle’s midfield and make an immediate impact. He won’t be cheap, either, and at a certain point you might as well just push to get Elliot Anderson back from Forest. You know he knows the league, and he knows the club.
I think Morgan Gibbs-White is an interesting one, because last year he leapt out at me as the option, but it seems like he might have back problems. I don’t think you’ll get Morgan Rogers out of Aston Villa, because they have leapfrogged Newcastle. So, they will have to be clever.
It might be an underwhelming answer, but for Newcastle, January might be most important in terms of keeping all the players they already have. Don’t lose Tonali, Livramento or Bruno. If you need to raise funds, sell Anthony Gordon if it means you get Anderson. Maybe that’s the move to make.
Should Newcastle sign a striker in the January window?
I don’t think they need a third striker. I don’t think they need Woltemade, Wissa and another striker. What they might do is try and be creative. They might look at Anthony Gordon.
If Eddie Howe sees it the same as I do, and thought he was a passenger at the weekend, and has been for a number of games. They might think right, do we sell? Liverpool were in the market for him a year ago.
Do they still want a left sided player? That move might have passed him by. Do they try to be creative and move Anthony Gordon on, and buy a different left-sided player? They might think they’ve got enough in Harvey Barnes. Then they could buy something different like a faster centre-half, or another midfield player. Someone like Elliot Anderson.
They’re going to have to do something, Newcastle. I don’t get the sense it’s another number nine. I don’t think you need three on your books.
LUTON TOWN
Can Luton afford to miss out on promotion?
I think it’ll be one of those situations where they’re going to need a late push. I think they’re going to have to be really consistent under Jack.
They’re a club that needs to steady the ship. I think it might be a season where you go, let’s just consolidate, let’s not get in any trouble. Let’s just make sure we finish in the right positions, push for the playoffs if possible.
I know Gary Sweet, the CEO there, and he’s a very stable guy, he’s a very sensible guy. He always looks at the bigger picture, the wider picture. He’ll be thinking of stability and then let’s see where we go after the Christmas period.
Coventry were a great example last year in the Championship, how they had a really late push and nearly got promotion via the playoffs. So it can be done and I hope they can get there again, but I just think they need to stabilise things.
Will Jack Wilshere be operating on a tight budget in January?
Yeah, I think he probably knew that when he came in, knowing they’ve dropped down a second time after their Premier League relegation. Suffering back to back relegations, they’re not exactly going to have loads of money to spend. I know it’ll be hard for him, because as a first-time manager in a new job, you’re going to want a bit of backing and you’re going to want some funding. He’ll ask for it and hopefully he gets it.
WEST HAM
Should Nuno Espirito Santo just look for damage limitation against Manchester City or can they get at least a point at the Etihad?
I don’t think they can get a point. In truth, I think the way Man City are playing, they’ve just hit four wins on the spin, they look like they’re flying. Halaaland’s in the goals. Foden is getting close to his best. Cherki’s playing really well. The chink in the armour for Man City is that I’m still not sold on them defensively. I still think they’ve got a mistake in them.
It’s gonna need Jared Bowen or Paqueta to do something amazing. I don’t see it. I don’t see Nuno’s men being good enough at the back. They don’t really keep clean sheets. They give up a few goals. The ambition is, I think, damage limitation. Just don’t go there and avoid getting walloped, which could be on the cards.
You said you wanted the current regime out of the club. Do you still stand by that?
Absolutely. I won’t go away from that. I go back to the job that Daniel Levy did. Love him or hate him, but he’s left a legacy behind in the form of their new stadium. I’m not sure what David Sullivan’s legacy is.
I played for the football club twice. I know what the fans are going through. I’m quite close to West Ham fans on the ground. I listen to what they say on social media. I live in a sort of West Ham area and it feels quite tragic really, that they haven’t got a home.
You know, it just feels as though it would never happen at Liverpool. Liverpool fans wouldn’t allow it. It wouldn’t happen at Man United where they sold Old Trafford and rented a stadium. Wouldn’t happen to St. James’s Park. It just wouldn’t happen anywhere else apart from West Ham.
The one I feel sorry for are the fans who turned up to the London Stadium not having a home.
If I had one wish… that’d be my one wish for David Sullivan to fund a stadium. Whether it’s just by selling up, get West Ham a home and build them their own stadium.
Is West Ham’s form risking Jarrod Bowen’s chances of going to the World Cup this summer?
No, I don’t think Thomas Tuchel is that way inclined. I think when you look at Crystal Palace, I think they’ve probably got more potential England players than any club in the Premier League.
They’ve got Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton, Tyrick Mitchell, Eddie Nketiah. I don’t get the sense that Thomas Tuchel is a guy that worries about whether you’re playing in the Champions League or whether you’re playing for Liverpool or Man United.
I think if you’re doing it, that’s good enough for him. That’s got to be Jared Bowen’s aim. He’s got to make sure he does the business for West Ham and I think it’s a good thing that he’s got Thomas Tuchel as the manager who will give him a chance if he’s playing well.
MILLWALL
Can Millwall push for a top-two finish from here?
No, I think the best two teams in the Championship are Coventry and Middlesbrough. Boro have hit a bit of form. Coventry had a slip-up at the weekend but they’ve been great almost all season.
For Millwall, I think it’ll be a little bit too much of an ask to get into those automatic promotion spots. But listen, the Championship is unique. The best thing about it – I played in the Championship with Sheffield United – and it’s the amount of games, especially in the Christmas period.
Games every three or four days at any given time. You could put three or four wins on the spin and it could propel you into the top two.
But I think they can go up by the playoffs. After watching Coventry and Boro a lot this season, they seem like the best two teams in the Championship for me.
SHEFFIELD UNITED
What did you make of the rumours of a merger between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday?
It’s bonkers. I mean, I could see a stadium share. I could see that. I love Italian football, and when you watch Inter and AC Milan share the San Siro, I think it’s a pretty cool thing that they do that. I think it’s part of the history and the heritage and it’s pretty cool. Of course, the hardcore fans and ultras want their own stadium. I get it.
I could see the two Sheffield sides ground-sharing if the city of Sheffield built them the most amazing stadium. I think that would be good. But a merger would never ever happen. Never in a million years would the Wednesday and United fans ever allow the two teams to merge. No chance.
Chris Wilder appears to have turned things around. Can they reach the play-offs? Should they be aiming even higher?
That would be a bit of a stretch. It’s crazy that the hierarchy at Sheffield United decided they finished on 100 points and only just fell short, that they should sack him. What a terrible move that was.
I mean, how can a Championship manager get 1000 points and get sacked? That is very short-term thinking, right? You didn’t take us up, you got sacked. I mean, it’s bonkers. So it was the right move to bring him back. He should never have gotten sacked in the first place. He knows Sheffield United better than anyone. I think he’s perfect for that football club. He gets his players playing, he demands hard work.
I would just be happy that Sheffield United, being an ex-Blade myself, have steered well away from any sort of drama.
If they finished top half, I would take it. I think it’s too much of a stretch to get into the play-off positions. It’s too many points in between where they are and the top six.
Do you think Chris Wilder and Patrick Bamford have put their spat well and truly behind them or do you think this is a marriage of convenience for the rest of the season?
It’s quite interesting how there was a bit of heat between the two of them and they hated each other, and then he went and signed him. I thought it was a bonkers move from Chris Wilder, but at the same time brave. It just shows the man that he is.
He could quite easily have said, no chance, no way am I signing him. But he’s thought, right, is he a little bit better than what we’ve got? If I sign Patrick Bamford in the short-term, I’m gonna get a bit of stick, but in the medium, long-term, he’s going to get us away from the bottom three and he’s going to keep the club, which is the most important thing, away from relegation.
So I quite like it.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Who are you tipping to win the Champions League?
It’s a great question. I think PSG’s best is still better than anyone else out there. But Arsenal, they’re a team full of men. I mean they’re a big side, they’re physical, they can score in different ways. I put them in the conversation. The only thing that might go against them, whether it means anything or not, is having not won the competition before. Do you make Arsenal favourites when they’ve never won it? I’d definitely put them in the conversation.
I think Bayern have got a really good chance the way they’re playing. I don’t see Real Madrid, this Real Madrid side, winning it. I don’t see Barcelona winning with their high line. They’ve got a great midfield and fantastic forward line, but they’re high line can hurt them.
I think ranking them in sort of the top three: Bayern, Arsenal and then PSG are the favourites, with PSG the likeliest.
Who is the player in Europe you’d pay to watch?
It changes all the time. When I watch PSG, I go through Neves, I go through Vitinha, I go through Dembele. I think I’d lean towards Vitinha. I love watching Lennart Karl play, the teenager at Bayern. I think he looks like a wonderful young talent.
You know how much I love Michael Olise, but I think as an ex-midfield player I always tend to have a keen eye on the midfield players all around Europe. I think Vitinha comes out on top for me.
Someone who goes under the radar, though, is Fabian Ruiz. He’s a really underrated player. He has won a lot of trophies, and plays at the highest level. He doesn’t mind doing the work for the superstar players like Dembele or whoever, those getting all the limelight. Ruiz just does it. But I think Vitinha is the man for me.
PREMIER LEAGUE
Is Mikel Arteta putting the mistakes of Arsene Wenger to bed?
Years ago, I was talking to one of the coaches at Arsenal, who I know quite well and it was almost like Arsene Wenger was obsessed with winning the Premier League, and he got rid of the majority of his six foot players. He had a really strong, physical team, and he looked at Barcelona with the likes of Xavi and Iniesta and Messi and David Villa, sort of diminutive guys. He wanted to prove that you could win the Premier League with diminutive players.
He was a little bit stubborn, and he went that way and he was proved wrong, and everyone else was proved right because you have to have physicality to win the Premier League.
I think Mikel Arteta looked at it and thought, that’s what I’m going to build. I’m going to build a really strong side with really good technical players. But we’re going to be strong at set plays. We’re going to be strong when long throws come in the box or crosses come in the box. We’re going to have no weaknesses. We’re not going to say, well, we’ve got diminutive full-backs, so we can get done at the far post.
Of course, Zubimendi’s small – you still need the technical players.
I think Arteta probably looked at past Arsenal sides and thought, you cannot win the league playing that way with really diminutive, all technical players. You need to mix it up a little bit now.
Do Chelsea have a worrying injury problem?
I think the Club World Cup might catch up with them. One or two players might be paying the price for playing all that football through the summer. Now they have a busy domestic season on top of Champions League football.
Delap’s injury, it’s one you can’t really nail to this, because I think it was a dislocated shoulder. But I think it’s a major worry if you’re Maresca, and you’ve got two or three players that you can’t play for four or five games.
Reece James is a fantastic player, but you’ve literally got to wrap him up in cotton wool. Cole Palmer is the same at the minute, but he might be a player that comes out the other end of it because he probably needs the games to get his match fitness and durability back.
That’ll play into Newcastle’s hands if Reece James is not fit or Cole Palmer’s not fit. Because Palmer’s a world class player. So that’ll be a worry for Maresca when he’s trying to pick a team one week, knowing he can’t play the same individuals the week after.
Do you think Mikel Arteta is losing trust in Viktor Gyokeres?
When you look at the profile of the player that Gyokeres is, he’s the same as Alexander Isak. He’s a good player, but he’s a run-in-behind player. That’s his strength. That’s when you see him scoring his goals by being powerful.
Erling Haaland, he’s just a freak of nature. But if you look at Dortmund’s goals when Haaland scored them, it was powerful, running in behind, no one could catch him. That was Viktor Gyokres in Portugal.
Now when teams play up against Arsenal – Sunderland and Wolves, cases in point – they defend really deep and go into that low block. There’s no room for Gyokeres to run in behind anymore. So that’s how you play against Arsenal. You play on the edge of your own 18-yard box.
You go deep and you don’t allow any space in behind. That’s how you play against Gyokeres. That’s how you play against Alexander Isak. The quick players don’t give them any yardage to run in behind. So I think that’s what’s happening to Arsenal.
That’s where everyone’s probably looking at Gyokeres’ numbers and questioning his signing a little bit. His numbers are low, but he’s playing against opposition that are really deep, satin a low block, and doesn’t get many chances.
Are Arsenal still favourites for the Premier League?
I still think Arsenal are favourites, but it’s close now. I think Man City are closing the gap. Not just in points, but mentally too. When City lost to Newcastle, you did start to think that Arsenal might open up a 10-point gap and start to run away with this.
Then Arsenal lost to Villa in the last seconds, and only just got over the line against Wolves, two own goals helping them along the way. It’s probably put them in a negative mindset.
City have chased them down twice before, and they’re only two points behind. I think Arsenal fear City a bit, and they’ve seen them close the gap. It’s important that they don’t look behind them and they don’t look at City’s form, just their own.
I think Arsenal need to focus on their games, but it’s 55-45 in their favour still.
If Manchester City catch Arsenal in the coming weeks, does that call Arsenal’s mentality into question?
Those are the fine margins at play. If Wolves had hung on at the weekend and got a draw, City would have been joint-top as it stands. That would have really panicked Arsenal fans.
As a fan – not just Arsenal fans – when you watch your football club, it’s always the negatives that you draw on, isn’t it? It’s never like, ‘Oh, we’ve got a great squad at Arsenal. We’re playing really well. We’ve only been beaten once in about 20 games.
It’s always all negative. City are closing the gap. They’ve gone from five behind to two behind. That’s just the nature of the beast.
They’ve got to start looking at what’s in front of them instead of what’s behind them.
Who has been your best player of 2025?
Haaland’s form is still crazy. He’s improving as an all-round player, even though he’s just a prolific goal machine, I think he’s proven to everyone despite a lack of touches that he’s getting better.
Morgan Rogers scored two great goals at the weekend. Going into midfield, I think Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson are the standout two English players. I think as a Newcastle fan I would love Elliot Anderson back at Newcastle.
Who has been your worst player of 2025?
The biggest disappointment is Alexander Isak. I think you have to say that. You have to hold your hands up and be honest. I watched the Inter Milan game and they played in a different shape.
They played a diamond with split No. 9s and Isak played with Ekitike, and Liverpool as a team were outstanding. But he still looked a yard off it.
Ekitike is eclipsing him at the moment. If you’re picking one No. 9 to go into a Liverpool game, you pick Ekitike.
I think Florian Wirtz had his best game and he will come good. I think it’s taking a little time for Wirtz and his team-mates to find the same wavelength. You can see his progress but it isn’t showing up in the numbers just yet. But when you look a little bit deeper and you watch him like the Brighton game at the weekend, he was phenomenal.
COVENTRY
If Lampard’s Coventry team were in the Prem now, would you back them to survive – do they look like a PL outfit in waiting?
Not better than Sunderland – the standout team – they wouldn’t finish above Sunderland. I think they’re a better side than Burnley, though.
I do look at Leeds, and I think individually they’ve got some fantastic players now. Daniel Farke has bought really well. They’ve got a good nucleus of players. Okafor is a good player. Calvert Lewin if they keep him fit is a good player. Gnonto too, and Tanaka in midfield.
I think they’re a better side than Burnley but Sunderland are the best side by far. You know what, what Regis Le Bris has done, galvanising a team with countless summer signings, it’s just an incredible job.
But I hope Frank Lampard and Coventry do come up because then that’s the acid test isn’t it? It’s like Burnley last year. They were keeping clean sheets for fun. Now, against the Haalands of this world in the Premier League, it’s a completely different challenge.
TRANSFER RUMOURS
Would Sergio Ramos be a canny addition for a PL club – is there a club he would suit – or is he past his best?
I think he could, I think he would fit in at the right club. I’ve seen him get linked with Man United. I don’t think that’s the move. I think at his age, with all due respect – for all the trophies he’s won and the length of his career – Ramos at United only makes sense if it’s a stop-gap solution, like Jonny Evans.
But I don’t see that in Ramos. I think he wants to play, and he could do a job for the right club. He could go in at Leeds, maybe he could go in at Everton for the short term. They’re crying out for O’ Brien to play there. Maybe that pushes O’ Brien to right-back. I think for the teams outside the top six or seven, I think he could quite easily do a job.
Adam Wharton or Elliot Anderson – who partners Declan Rice for England this summer?
I’d have Elliot Anderson alongside Declan Rice. For me, there’s not much between them but I think the one thing that he’s got that he trumps Adam Wharton on is the energy to go box to box.
Adam Wharton technically is a very good player. He’s got a real football brain, and that’s what the similarity between Florian Wirtz and Adam Wharton is. He sees a picture, he sees a pass.
His range of passing is good. Whether it’s 10 yards, 30 yards, 50 yards. He’s got the most passes in his locker. I think when you look at Elliot Anderson, he’s got a similar sort of passing range but he can get around the pitch more. He can be aggressive, he can get touch tight and almost man-mark someone. If both of them are standing there, which one do you want? It would be Elliot Anderson.
Noah Sadiki has been linked with United or Chelsea? Who should he choose, or should he stay at Sunderland and learn his craft for a season or two more?
United, I could definitely see him there. He would suit both United and Chelsea, but Chelsea are pretty stacked in midfield, with Caicedo, Fernandez, Lavia and Reece James playing there this season. I think they’ve got enough in that central midfield area. But I think if United signed him, I think he’d be a fantastic signing.
I’m not sure if they’re still looking at Baleba, who’s not had a great season at Brighton. I think the young kid’s head got turned and he’s not quite recovered yet in terms of his personal performances.
I think Sadiki would match up better for Man United than Chelsea right now.
Should any PL club take a punt on Neymar and if so who?
You can’t carry him. It’s quite romantic but you know, he was never looking like coming to the Premier League even five years ago. Now, he’s carrying the weight of a fair few injuries over the years. I don’t think he’s as fit as what he once was, which is natural when you get older.
I think what he’s playing for now, he’s playing for minutes to try and get into Brazil’s World Cup squad.
I don’t think any team can carry him. If you’re in a relegation scrap, you can’t risk that. I don’t see the sort of mid-table teams going for him, and then definitely not the teams that are fighting for Europe. So unfortunately, I don’t think we’re going to see him in the Premier League.
SCOTLAND
Could Rangers now finish above Celtic?
Maybe. Right now, the standard of Scottish football is terrible. This is the reason why I think Celtic fans are having a pop at their board. It’s almost like the Celtic board just thought, right, as long as we finish above Rangers, we’ll win the league. That’s been their mentality forever.
Rangers are going through a really bad spate of form, managers, signings. The club’s at an all-time low and they forgot about Hearts, who are now sitting top.
For Celtic, that’s a terrible outlook to have and it’s pretty shameful to have that outlook. It’s quite disrespectful to the Celtic fans, thinking we don’t really need to spend, we haven’t got to spend loads of money on top-class players because we’ll just finish above our rivals.
That drags Celtic down, it drags Rangers down. I hope that Hearts win the league and put both of them to shame this season.
Does Nancy at Celtic feel like Russell Martin at Rangers?
He’s got some job to turn it around, by the way, because he’s got to convince the Celtic fans that he’s the man.
It feels exactly like Russell Martin at Rangers. I don’t think it’s even his fault at this point because I’m not sure who can turn up and do that job. You kind of almost shouldn’t take it unless you take it in January.
But again though, the feel-good factor under Martin O’ Neill was there. Why wouldn’t you leave Martin O’ Neill in the job for the Cup Final and let him go out on a high anyway? I know he’s a legend anyway, but it doesn’t make sense. It would have been brilliant for Martin.
Could you see Robbie Keane take over at Celtic?
I think he gave a great interview after the Rangers game, in his post-game press conference. He said, look, I am at a big club, I’m winning trophies, I’m at a huge club. He sort of dismissed the idea of moving on.
But I think having played for Celtic, it would be a major test if Celtic come calling for him. He’s willing to learn his trade. He’s been abroad twice before. I think it would be a huge pull for him. I think if push came to shove, and I don’t know Robbie Keane at all, but I think he’d leave Ferencvaros and take the Celtic job. I think that could possibly happen.
