Football Insights - Teddy Sheringham

Football Insights - Teddy Sheringham

Former England, Man United and Spurs striker Teddy Sheringham gives his insights about:

- Reaction to Liverpool v Spurs

- Erik ten Hag and his future at United

- David Moyes and his Hammers future

- England ahead of the Euro Championships

Read Teddy Sheringham's full interview below.


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On Tottenham

Reaction to Liverpool vs Tottenham

It’s the same old story for Tottenham. The football is intricate; they’re keeping the ball, but there are far too many gaps in the defence, and you’ll get punished at this level if you make the defensive mistakes that Tottenham have been making. 

The Premier League is giving Ange some concerns at the moment. It’s not all about pretty football, you need to be good in every single aspect of the game. We’ve seen this before at Tottenham. Ossie Ardiles, for example, his teams were playing beautiful football, it would have been fantastic for any player to play under him… the way the season started for Ange was fantastic. Everyone was excited. But when you lose a few games, it can be hard to get out of the rut. 

Ange will have to have a think about what he will change and adapt for the club to keep improving next season. 

The Liverpool defeat was Tottenham’s fourth in a row, the first time that the club has lost that many on the spin in twenty years. What has happened to Tottenham’s form with Champions League qualification in their grasp? 

I think Champions League qualification was always going to be tough, especially when you look at some of the fixtures that Tottenham had in the run-in. It’s been a tough period. Two London derbies, Liverpool on the weekend and City on the horizon. It was Villa before that who are an improving team and deserve to be where they are at the moment. 

Rather than judge Tottenham over these last four defeats, I think we need to look at the season as a whole. The club are fifth at the moment and if they finish fifth, then I think that is a reasonable outcome in Ange’s first season at the club. I’m hopeful that Ange is the right man and I’m optimistic for the future. 

The football has been brilliant at times this season, and I think Tottenham fans would have taken a top five finish at the start of the season, but it feels like its fizzling out for Tottenham. 

I think that’s fair. The club are getting pelters at the moment. There’s the set-piece thing, that’s obviously a problem for them (conceding so many goals from set-pieces). Ange has made a stand on that, but I think the point he was trying to make is that you can’t focus on the set-pieces – it’s everything. Tottenham have to better in a lot of aspects, not just set-pieces. 

Set-pieces are a key part of the game. I think Ange may have to change his language around set-pieces to get the punters and the press off his back because the more goals Tottenham concede from set-pieces, the more questions Ange is going to face about them. I don’t want the set-piece thing to be a stick to beat Ange with, and he will get fed up of constantly responding to the questions. He needs to address that and say, ‘look, I know we need to be better at set-pieces, and we will work on them, but we need to improve in other areas too’. 

As you say, it’s been a good season on the whole. What lessons do you think Ange would have learned from this season and will take into the next one? 

Tottenham need to improve in every aspect on the pitch. It’s small percentages, but that is where the improvement will come from. You can’t just turn up and play keep ball, possession football. That breaks down at times. You have to be a 100% in everything that you do in the Premier League.

You may be able to get away with not being at your best in the SPL, but when you’re playing against top teams with some of the world’s best players, they will always find a way to exploit any weaknesses. At the moment Tottenham are getting their arses smacked in a big way.

The boys need to liven up a bit, because this is what can happen in the Premier League (losing four games in a row). Ange will take that on board. It’s been an optimistic first season for him. There are no big question marks for me about whether or not Ange is the right man to take the club forward. 

We love Ange’s principles to playing football a certain way.  His tactical approach, with the high-press mut be physically draining because it asks so much of his players. Could that be something he looks at tweaking next season, possibly changing his approach in certain games? 

I think everything needs to be tweaked. Tottenham aren’t good enough in a lot of areas at the moment. The confidence is low with the players and the manager. Tottenham are making mistakes and getting punished – we’re being taught a lesson at the moment. Every game is difficult in the Premier League. You can’t have any chinks in your armour. 


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Plenty more work for Ange to do


If Tottenham go into the City game, with the Champions League an impossibility, and with what is happening on the other side of north London, how do you approach it? The players will want to win, but the fans won’t want to do Arsenal any favours. 

That would be the icing on the cake for Arsenal wouldn’t it? Can you imagine, Tottenham beating Manchester City and handing them the league title. That would just be the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake (laughs). It’s unthinkable for that to happen. It really is.

My life wouldn’t be worth living with all the Gooners about. They would find that hysterical, wouldn’t they? We’ve had an absolute beasting in the last four games, and then to go out and beat the champions to hand the Premier League title to Arsenal. Unthinkable. 

That would be like a six-tier cake with cherries and icing on every tier. 

(Laughter) You know. You know…

Looking at the positives, what has made you happy about Tottenham this season? What are you pleased with? 

With a very similar squad of players, he’s turned it around. The last few years the outlook from the fans was pessimistic. The football was dull. The home games were stale. Perhaps not in the last month, but Tottenham fans have been coming to the games with optimism. They knew that the football they were going to watch would get their bums off their seats; that they were going to be excited. He’s made the football entertaining, and the Tottenham fans want to see their players do something that they can’t do themselves on a Sunday morning. They want to be entertained. 

Ange has given the fans a reason to be optimistic next season. Hopefully he can get the players that he wants in the next transfer window – I’m not sure how many he will be able to get – but a few additions are needed to add to a pretty good squad. 

With European football very likely next season, he will need a bigger squad. I don’t think we can really talk about the Champions League anymore – I think that’s gone – but I think Europa League qualification wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for this Tottenham team. 

You have to gradually build at football clubs, and I think if we played in the Champions League next season, we’d probably get hurt by some of the big teams and that knocks your confidence. I think Tottenham will do well in the Europa League. 

Ange Postecoglou has told his squad that “change needs to happen” this summer. He’s trying to lay the groundwork for what will be a busy summer. He’s working with a group that have been assembled by different managers. Who are the faces that don’t fit Ange’s brand of football? 

I think that’s a bit harsh on the players. It would be unfair of me to say who Ange should be looking to sell – it would be harsh to let any of them go. You need to build a squad – you don’t want to be letting too many players go. 

I think Tottenham definitely need to add a centre forward to score goals, but a twenty-goals-a-season forward is hard to come by. That’s why the club will always miss a player like Harry Kane, because if he was still at the club, he would have taken a lot of the chances that Tottenham have missed and the complexion of a game changes.

Ange knows what he needs to add to the squad. I don’t think that means singling out players and putting them on the transfer list. 

A striker is surely on Ange’s wanted list. Is there a player that you would like to see your old club bring in? Ivan Toney and Dominic Solanke have been linked. 

I like both Ivan Toney and Dominik Solanke. I think either of those players could come into the squad and add something. Ollie Watkins and Alexander Isak are two players that I also like, but whether or not Tottenham would be able to get them is a different matter because they are two clubs that are on a similar level to Tottenham. Would the club be able to attract those types of players?

You’d be talking a lot of money to get them out of their respective clubs. Tottenham sold Kane for £100 million, and to get one of those two, you’d have to pay at least £75 million because they’ve both had good seasons. If they can find a golden nugget that no one has heard about for about £5 million, then I’m sure Daniel Levy will be very happy. 

They’re hard to find though aren’t they, Teddy? 

They are mate, they are. 


On Manchester United

In an interview with Gary Neville for Sky Sports, Erik ten Hag admitted that he really wanted to sign Harry Kane in the summer, but they couldn’t get a deal over the line. Does that highlight to you the lack of ambition from the Glazers and a lack of general football expertise in executive roles under them? Will that be rectified by Jim Ratcliffe coming in and looking at the football-side of the operation? 

I said at the start of the season, it was a damning lack of ambition for a club of Manchester United’s size not to be in the hunt for Harry Kane and Declan Rice. In the old days, Fergie would have snapped both of those players up. These are two top, top players at Premier League and international level. 

Fergie would have been in for both of them. You’re not just getting the player with Kane and Rice, you’re getting the professionalism, the winning mentality. You’re getting leadership. These guys drag players along with them and set your standards, good examples. There isn’t a single player doing that at Manchester United at the moment. Everyone is looking at each other and saying, ‘I’m doing my job, what about you?’ and that’s not you need if you want to win titles. 

Leaders don’t do that. Even if they’re not having a great game, they have the presence and the talent to lift everyone else around them. They get you through games and you pick up results in matches where you weren’t necessarily the best team because of the leadership qualities your experienced players demonstrate. 

When those two players weren’t even on the radar for Manchester United, it’s was a wake-up call. Wow! How times have changed at the football club. 

Of course, things are changing at the club with Jim Ratcliffe coming in to oversee the football operations. He’s already brought in Jason Wilcox, Dan Ashworth is likely to follow. What do you think is the first thing that Jim Ratcliffe and his team needs to look at in the summer to bridge the gap between the top clubs in the league? 

I think it’s got to start with the manager. I know it’s tough when you’re losing games as a manger – I’ve been there – you lose one; concede a late goal in the last minute; lose another one. You’re saying the same things to the players and the same things to the press… I just don’t see any improvement in any area under Erik ten Hag. 

When you look at the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, even Liverpool to a lesser extent, their players are playing with full confidence; they understand what the manager wants, and they deliver that. Those are well-oiled teams. 

When you look at Man United, it looks broken. The team is fractured. One person is closing down, the other one is sitting off. It’s all over the place and it just doesn’t look right. That is down to the manager. 

When Ralf Rangnick was appointed as interim manager, you told me that that decision sends a message to the players that you may as well throw the season away as there will be no repercussions for poor performances – the players will outstay the management. If the Dutchman does stay, with one year on his contract, are you concerned that a lack of clarity regarding his future could result in a wasted season? 

If Erik ten Hag makes a big signing early in the summer, then we will know that he will be in charge for the season. Proper teams and managers like to get their buying and selling done very quickly. They want the player to settle as quickly as possible and to hit the ground running in pre-season. 

If United go out and buy a £80 million pound player that ten Hag wants, then you know he’s staying. If things are a little quiet, then you think there’s a good chance that he won’t be sticking around. The football club must want to do their business with a new manager in place. 

If Manchester United win the FA Cup, will it give ten Hag a stay of execution? I suppose it probably would, but, for me, looking at this long-term, I think changes are needed and Manchester United need to get it done sooner than later. 


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Not convinced about Tuchel


I guess the challenge is that there isn’t an outstanding candidate on the market. Maybe Thomas Tuchel, but I can’t really think of anyone else.  Is there anyone that you think could be up to the task of wrapping their arms around Manchester United? 

I’m not convinced by Thomas Tuchel, especially if he’s getting bombed out of Bayern Munich. We knew he was leaving two months ago because of how poor Bayern have been in the Bundesliga, so why would you want him coming to the club? He’s hardly buzzing with confidence. Bayern had won eleven titles on the spin, and with Tuchel in charge for a full season, they are finishing second. That’s not an ideal appointment for me. 

It's a tough one. I still like Roberto De Zerbi. I think he has done well at Brighton again this season under difficult circumstances. They’ve sold a lot of quality players over the seasons, that’s the model they have there, and I’m not sure that they’ve reinvested that money to keep the team on the same level as last season. 

Even with that lack of investment, I think De Zerbi has still done a decent job. They made good progress in the Europa League; they’ve been comfortably in mid-table and that is difficult to do in the Premier League when you’re working with a stretched squad and managing the twin schedules of European and domestic football. 

He lost his two midfield generals in Mac Allister and Caicedo. It’s hard to replace those type of players. He’s conducted himself well and got results for his football club – Brighton are nowhere near relegation, and because of the quality of the Premier League, it’s quite easy to slip into. 

I’m still looking at De Zerbi and thinking he could have the ability to manager Manchester United. He seems a little bit temperamental, but I quite like his ethics and the way he speaks about football and plays the game. He wants his teams to play in a certain way and you can tell that he loves football. I like his optimistic view of football and I like the way his teams play. 

This drift can’t continue forever. Are you confident that United will start taking the rights steps forward in the summer? 

It starts with the leadership. If your leader, the manager, is not leading in the right way, other people follow that standard. Ten Hag isn’t leading from the front. I know he’s had some difficult decisions to make with certain players, but for some reason he just doesn’t come across with the personality required to take Manchester United forward.

He doesn’t have the personality. It’s all a little bit dreary. He’s trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the journalists when he says that the club are doing well and controlled the game – what game is he watching? It’s delusional. He’s giving out the wrong vibes as the leader of Manchester United. 

Who do you think has been Manchester United’s best player this season? 

One player that always shines for me, is Scott McTominay. I think he could have played in Fergie’s teams. Fergie demanded that his players play with pride. He demanded those standards, and he reminded the players of the privilege it was to play for Manchester United and it’s fans. 

He approaches every game with commitment. He plays with aggression, desire. He wants to win every duel and, even when he’s not having the best game, he’ll keep trying to get on the ball to see if he can make things happen. He doesn’t hide. I like his general demeanour and his attitude and approach to the game rubs off on the other players that are around him. 

After Jadon Sancho put in a glittering performance against PSG in the Champions League, there has been a lot of chat about his United future. Do you think he has one with the club or should they be looking to move him on? I felt like he was given a lot of support at United and didn’t reciprocate that with his performances and commitment. 

I don’t think he’ll be going back to Old Trafford with ten Hag in charge. I know it’s not always his decision, he is on loan, but I can’t see him going back under ten Hag. If there is a managerial change, then maybe there is a future for Sancho at Manchester United. 


On West Ham

Is it regretful to see how Moyes’ tenure at the club is coming to an end in such an abject fashion? He hasn’t been helped by the constant discussion about his future. 

It’s a shame that it appears to be fizzling out, especially after what Moyes has achieved at West Ham. This is what happens at football clubs when players find out that the manager won’t be there next season. Form dips, you’re getting told off by the manager, but the players are looking at Moyes and thinking ‘you’re not going to be here next year anyway, whatever boss,’ and that can happen.

All of a sudden there is a little bit of a lack of respect or professionalism and that can spread like a virus in a dressing room. There’s a domino effect when a players’ level dips by a few percent and, before you realise, you’re getting performances where you’re getting hammered like what happened against Chelsea.

You can’t go to Stamford Bridge and just coast through. Everyone has to be at it, and West Ham’s players are obviously not at the moment. 

The vibes are horrible at the club at the moment. Moyes has banned the director of football from the dressing room and the training ground, it’s not great. After what Moyes has done there, he’s had some decent results in the Premier League over the last few years. European qualification three years running. Nowhere near relegation. He’s obviously been doing something right. 

I think it’s crazy really. European football three seasons running. Always comfortably in and around sixth to eighth position. A European trophy. I can appreciate that some fans want to go in a different direction and don’t like Moyes’ brand of football, but is this a case of being careful what you wish for?

I think it could be a case of be careful what you wish for (if West Ham appoint a new manager). If you’re not one of the top clubs, with multi-millions to spend, it’s tough to stay competitive in the Premier League week-in, week-out. Moyes has easily done that and more. Traditionally, West Ham wouldn’t have been expected to be an established top six to eight club, they would have been fighting for survival, so I think he’s excelled at the club. 

He's come through that test with flying colours. He’s taken a team up a level. It’s not easy to do that. 


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Moyes has taken the Hammers up a level


Julen Lopetegui is the front-runner that West Ham are reportedly looking to appoint as their next manager. Is that a name that excites you? If I was Moyes, looking at what Lopetegui achieved with Wolves, I’d be feeling betrayed and let down by the club

I wouldn’t be overly excited by the appointment of Lopetegui. He does have Premier League experience, which is important. He knows what he’s walking into if he does come to the club. 

He did OK at Wolves. Maybe that’s being a bit harsh, because it’s not easy managing football clubs, which is why I’m sat here talking about managers rather than working as one. He’s got a decent reputation; he did well in Spain. 

The other name in the frame is Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Almorin, who, according to reports, has the strong backing of Mark Noble and Tim Steidten. That feels like a more ambitious appointment. Would that be a statement appointment given Almorin’s growing reputation in the game? 

He’s been managing Sporting Lisbon, he’s working with a big club in Portugal with a big budget, but the Premier League is a different kettle of fish. It’s similar to Erik ten Hag – he was working with the biggest club in Holland, you’ve got the resources, and you’re expected to win. It’s not quite the same over here. 

If he were to join West Ham, where you’re not one of the top teams in the division; you have to scrap for your results at times. If he gets off to a bad start because he’s not used to the level or how competitive the Premier League is and West Ham have one point after five games, then all of a sudden, that becomes a very pressurised situation for a young manager to deal with. 

You have to be careful what you wish for. I know that the fans want to look forward, they want to be optimistic and want change for the right reasons, but you’ve got to be careful. Sometimes you need to understand the level you’re at. 

If/when David Moyes departs the club at the end of the season, how do you think he’ll be remembered and do you think he won’t have to wait very long for another Premier League opportunity? 

I think he’ll be remembered by the West Ham fans with respect. You have to give David Moyes the credit and respect he deserves for winning a European trophy with the club. People will say that West Ham should have won the trophy regardless of Moyes because they were playing teams that they should be beating, but once you get to the business end, you still need to see it through. 

Moyes is a decent Premier League manager. He’s shown that over the years. He understands what it’s all about. It’s tough to manage in the Premier League – we don’t know the challenges that he is facing every day managing a football club. His results speak for themself. 


On Nottingham Forest

Forest are waiting to understand if they will be given any points back after they were hit with a four-point penalty. Has that uncertainty over whether or not they will get some points back been a distraction that has contributed to them being in a relegation battle? 

I don’t think the points deduction and appeal has helped. It can’t be easy when there is that level of uncertainty and it’s been tough season for Everton as well. 

It’s like when you have to go to court and you’re not sure what will happen – it drains you. That process is draining. Everton have had a draining season (after the points deductions) and it has done exactly the same for Nottingham Forest. The optimism of what could have been a season of progress in their second year has been taken away from them.  

Regardless of the points deduction, as things stand, Forest’s future is in their own hands. Do you think they have enough quality to stay up? 

Absolutely. I’m not worried about Nottingham Forest getting relegated. They’ll be alright. They are three points in front of Luton, and they may get a couple more back in the next couple of days.


On England

England have got one of the most talented pools of players for Gareth Southgate to pick from. The old cliché is that that is a nice manager to have, but is it actually? 

I think it’s a great problem for Gareth to have. As a manager you would rather have a lot of brilliant options than relying on one or two key players to keep you in a job and to get you through games. You don’t have to sweat about the fitness of a one or two players. 

I suppose Gareth Southgate’s job has been made slightly easier because the squad size has been confirmed as 26. Even so, some players will miss out. Who are the big names that you think may be in danger of missing out on a place on the plane? 

I don’t think that Gareth will be taking three centre forwards, so one of Ollie Watkins or Ivan Toney will be missing out. Halfway through the season, when Ivan Toney came back, I think everyone expected him to be in the squad because he was flying. It looked like he was playing his way into the England squad, but, latterly, Ollie Watkins has been more consistent, and I think he’s above Toney in the pecking order now. It looks like Toney will be the one to miss out. 

We’ve got an abundance of right backs. I don’t think anyone is going to start over Kyle Walker, Trent can obviously play there, and he also offers an option in midfield. I think Trippier could be a player that could miss out, even though he’s been excellent for Southgate in the past, but he’s had some problems with his fitness this season and is out at the moment. 

Luke Shaw has some fitness issues, so left back is an area where we look a little light. When you have twenty-six players to choose from, it gives you more options. 

What about Rashford? Could he be in danger of missing out? 

I think that Marcus Rashford could be in danger of missing out on a place on the plane. When you’re getting dropped for your club team, when he should be one of the first names on the team sheet, and he’s not getting in the team at the moment, that will be a big concern for Gareth. 

Gareth is a loyal man. He likes to keep the faith with players that have done it for him in the past, but as we’ve seen with Raheem Sterling, sometimes that faith can run out. That was a tricky decision to make, and we haven’t seen Sterling in the last few camps because he’s had a dip in form. He could do the same with Rashford. We’ve got a lot of players that can play in that position on the left. Rashford has done well for Gareth in the past, he’s been in most of his squads, so it would be a surprise if he was to leave him out, but you never know. 


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Southgate expected to remain loyal to Rashford


England have been accused of being a bit too cautious at times. I appreciate that balance is required, but I would love to know how you would set up your England midfield given the talent that will be available. 

I wouldn’t be thinking about picking Cole Palmer on the right instead of Saka. Palmer has had an excellent season, but Saka is a fantastic player that makes the right decisions at the right time and that’s what it’s all about at the highest level.

Rice would definitely be my sitting midfielder. You only need one sitter when Rice plays because he is that good. He can cover so much ground and he knows his position – he is very rarely caught out.  

Bellingham picks himself. He should be playing with a roaming role in front of Rice that allows him to get up in support of Harry Kane. Foden would be the other player that I would play alongside Rice and Bellingham. 

That leaves the left wing and I think Grealish would be the best option there. I think Grealish is fantastic in what he does. You could also make a case for Marcus Rashford, he can be a menace in that role. Cole Palmer, you could put him there, although I don’t really think that he is a left winger very much in the sense that I don’t think Phil Foden is a left winger. I would have loved to have all of these left footers on the wing when I played, because you want them to put the ball in the box for one-touch finishes. 

I think Cole Palmer has played his way into the squad and is a good option to have if Bellingham or Foden aren’t doing it. You could maybe play him in Saka’s role if you needed to, but England like to play with a right-footer on the left, so Rashford will probably get the nod. 

My choice would be Grealish because then you’re taking the game to the opposition. You have more control over the game with the possession of the football, which is needed at the top level of international football when you need to drop the tempo and give your defenders some respite. 


Teddy’s Premier League Picks

Phil Foden was named the Football Writers Player of the Year. It was an award that you won in your career – do you think he deserves the award this season and how do these individual awards compare to winning titles? 

I think Foden deserves the recognition. He is a player that is definitely coming of age and has been playing some of his best football this season. Pep Guardiola has said how brilliantly he has been this season. 

He’s playing in a fantastic football team at the moment. The players are full of confidence and the manager is full of confidence. I love it. I think he’s on a par with five or six players that could have won it this year. I think he is quite deserving of it. 

Who have been your stand out players in the league this season? 

Rodri has to be up there. He is ever-present in my mind whenever the best footballers are discussed. He always delivers a nine out of ten performance, but a lot of his best work goes unnoticed. He is the type of player that makes everyone else better. 

Foden, he’s a different sort to Rodri. What he does captures the imagination more, but footballers know footballers and Rodri makes everything tick. To have that central midfielder in your team – his win record is ridiculous, which isn’t by luck – he’s always in the right place at the right time. 

You could probably pick one of four Arsenal players who are having outstanding seasons. The two centre halves William Saliba and Gabriel. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in the midfield have been class. I really like Saka, but I don’t know if he has been as good as last season.

If you look at why Arsenal are doing so well, that’s one reason. Those five players have been at the top of their game for them. If they nick the Premier League, then any of those Arsenal players could be named player of the season and I don’t think anyone could argue with the decision. All of those players have been very, very consistent. 

We have to talk about Cole Palmer. He’s been brilliant in a side that is underperforming. He looks nailed on for that Young Player of the Season. I imagine that he is a player that you like because he has a bit of that cuteness in his game that you had. 

Cole Palmer is a clever player. He’s someone that I really like, and you can see how much confidence he has at the moment. He joined from Manchester City and he could have struggled with Chelsea, because in the early and middle parts of the season, they have been below par. 

He has kept his standards very high throughout the season, which is very unusual for a young player. I think he has been absolutely brilliant. He’s a bit Gazza-ish with his ability to take the ball in any area of the pitch. He takes responsibility, it’s like he’s saying, ‘give me the ball and we’ll be alright’. Chelsea are having a late surge, but if they had been up there in third or fourth, then you could have probably gone for him as Player of the Year because of his goals and his assists. He is a must-win for Young Player of the Year. 

Which player do you think has been the signing of the season and had the biggest impact on his club? 

Declan Rice. You don’t really care about the £100 million price tag when someone does that well. I looked at it last year, and I said that he would do the job of both Xhaka and Partey and that’s what he’s done. He’s given Arsenal the balance in the midfield that allows them to release two players in front of Declan Rice. 

He allows other players to go out and play. Martin Odegaard has a new lease of life with Rice in the team. Havertz has come alive and he’s fitted into Arsenal’s style – one minute he’s floating about, coming deep, the next he’s scoring headers and acting as a target man, but Rice allows Arsenal to get more out of him too. Declan lets other players express themselves. He’s that good. 

I called it last summer. I knew he would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, and I think he has transformed Arsenal from a good team into an awesome one. 

Hopefully he will move on to one of Real Madrid and Barcelona (joking) because he’s too good for Arsenal! 

Who do you think has been the biggest flop in the Premier League this season? 

Rather than singling out a player, I’m going to go as a whole. The biggest disappointment for me this year has been Man United. End of story. It’s been so powder puff. It’s just not right to see Manchester United going through the motions in the way that they have this season.

They’ve gone from decent to average to poor, and that’s not good enough for a club the size of Manchester United. They are floating around in mediocrity. You have to produce 9/10 or 10/10 out of ten performances when you play for Manchester United because everybody wants to beat you.

If you’re not at the level, you get pushed by the wayside and that is exactly where Man United are at the moment. They’ve been a big disappointment for me this year. 

Which manager do you think will be lucky to go into next season still in charge of their club? 

I think Erik ten Hag will be very fortunate to keep his job this summer. You can’t have those sorts of results and keep going in the job. I know that they’re in an FA Cup Final, I would love to see Manchester United beat Manchester City, but it would take a terrible performance from City and a brilliant one from Man United for that to happen. 

For a club the size of Manchester United to be such a massive underdog in a final is unheard of. It just highlights the size of the gulf between the two clubs at the moment.  


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