Football Insights – William Gallas
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Football Insights – William Gallas

Former Chelsea. Arsenal and Spurs defender William Gallas gives his verdict ahead of Chelsea v Newcastle.

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On Liverpool vs Manchester City 

Liverpool’s Disappointment 

I was a little bit disappointed with Manchester City’s performance against Liverpool. I mentioned this a few months ago, I said that City don’t look the same. They aren’t defending as well as they were last year – they are giving their opponents too many chances to score. Liverpool had a lot of good chances in the match. 

As a defender and being honest, it’s very hard to see how Manchester City can put themselves in a situation where they are giving up so many big chances in a game. City have so many brilliant footballers with unbelievable quality, but I know they try to build play from the back, but they couldn’t handle the Liverpool press and gave away so many chances.  

Luis Diaz should have won the game for Liverpool. I think they will be thinking about the result this week and will be disappointed that they didn’t win.  

On Erling Haaland 

I don’t think Erling Haaaland looks the same. His game, the way he makes runs, his desire, it’s not the same as the all-conquering Haaland we saw at Manchester City last year.  

Last season, he was running and fighting for every ball – he tired defenders out because he put them under so much pressure with his physicality. Defenders were always on their toes around him.  

He’s come back from his injury and his football has changed. Is he still trying to get up to speed after the injury? Maybe. Something about Erling Haaland is very different this year. If you compare him to last season, his debut in the Premier League, his physical play was completely different. He was fighting. He was holding the ball.  

There was a fear factor to Haaland last season. Defenders were scared of him. 

He was an animal last season. Defenders were frightened of his physicality – he didn’t give defenders a second to breath. He was running and fighting for every ball. For defenders, it’s so difficult to play against someone like him.  

In the game against Liverpool, he had two direct duels with Virgil van Dijk and he lost them both. In one situation he got off a shot, but it was an easy effort for Kelleher to save.  

Perhaps he is still tired. He was out for a few months and, since he has come back, he has played in almost every game for Manchester City. It’s normal for your energy to drop after a spell on the side lines. It looks like he could do with a breather at the moment.  


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de Bruyne and Guardiola crossing paths


Kevin de Bruyne and Pep conversation 

We can’t speculate on the conversation between Kevin de Bruyne and Pep Guardiola after he was substituted. If you look at the TV footage, of course, people will want to talk about it and the media will look to create a story out of what happened.  

I think Guardiola has a great relationship with his players. I’m sure that’s still the case and there won’t be any problems between Kevin and Guardiola over the remainder of the season.  

De Bruyne is a player with a lot of experience. He is a leader within the Manchester City team, and he wants to be on the pitch during big games, helping his teammates with his experience.  

The conversation won’t be a problem. It was two colleagues sharing an opinion. We’ve seen these kinds of things happen on the City bench before when a player has reacted to being substituted, Pep goes and explains the decision. He has an open relationship with his players.  

I like this kind of relationship between a manager and the players. If you want to be successful, you have to challenge each other respectfully.  

City are not the same defensively  

Over the last couple of seasons, City rarely gave away any chances at the back. They were watertight. They were so compact and strong. It looks like the teams that are brave enough to take the game to them can have opportunities to score against them in every single match this season.  

They are making mistakes at the back that they didn’t make before. You can get at this Manchester City team. You can press them. That’s why I think next season, Manchester City will not win the title. It will be a different type of season for Manchester City.  


On Arsenal 

It was written in the stars that Aaron Ramsdale was going to be part of the story against Brentford. Did Arsenal’s response to that setback demonstrate a new level of maturity in the side when compared to last season?  

I think Arsenal’s response to Aaron Ramsdale’s mistake shows an improved maturity in this Arsenal team. The players were united, and they kept fighting until the end and picked up the three points.  

This is the type of game that Arsenal wouldn’t have won a couple of years ago. That shows you that this team is more mature and more experienced. The players look like they are handling these kinds of setbacks in a different way, so the experience in this team is showing.  

Jorginho has recently come into the team, allowing Declan Rice to play further up the field. Is his experience giving Arsenal more security and freedom to play? Have you been impressed by what you’ve seen by both players as a result? Does it bring the best out of Rice?  

You can see that Jorginho gives Arsenal’s attacking players the freedom to play, and that is having a positive impact on Declan Rice. Declan Rice is showing his quality further up the field and he can do that because he knows that Jorginho is behind him. If Jorginho wasn’t there, Rice wouldn’t be in the box to score the first goal against Brentford.  

We knew that Rice had that ability (to score goals), everyone can see Declan’s quality. At West Ham he had to sit in front of the centre backs to offer them protection, but we’ve seen that Declan has the ability and appetite to play further up the field.  

Jorginho has the experience to help this team. This is a player that has won everything and he is having a positive effect on Arsenal.  

Only good things can happen when you have three players like Jorginho, Rice and Odegaard in the middle. They are unbelievable players and the balance in Arsenal’s midfield is perfect at the moment. Jorginho can sit, Declan Rice has the engine to play box-to-box and Odegaard can play further forward to find the right passes for Arsenal’s attacking players. It is a great combination. 


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Jorginho gives Arsenal's attacking players freedom 


You’re often asked about William Saliba, but I wanted to talk about his partner Gabriel. What have you made of his performances?  Do you think he has improved as a player this season? Is he starting to develop into a world-class defender.  

I think Gabriel has improved from last season. He is making less mistakes. He has improved his game season-on-season, and he is twenty-six-years-old and looks like he is developing into a very good defender.  

I think that Jakub Kiwor coming into the team has really helped him. Gabriel has a player on his left side that offers more defensive ability than a player like Zinchenko – he has really helped turn Arsenal’s back four into a tight defensive unit. Gabriel doesn’t have to worry about covering big spaces that would be vacated by Zinchenko and he can concentrate on his own job.  

Gabriel and William Saliba have a great partnership. They know each other really well and can control things together at the back.  

On Kiwor 

When we are talking about defenders, the first job is to always defend very well, and putting Kiwor at left back has given Arsenal more defensive security. They look stronger at the back with Kiwor in the team. They are a very tight back four.  

Zinchenko’s first thought is to go forward and get on the ball, which can leave Arsenal’s defence open. Arsenal are a lot more solid with Kiwor at left back and if I think that Mikel Arteta has found his defensive blueprint for the remainder of the season.  

Arsenal have the players in front of the defence that can make the difference. Ben White has been chipping in with assists, but he hasn’t been as marauding as he was last season – his first job is to protect his teammates. That has also helped William Saliba concentrate on doing his job. It is a very strong defensive line. It isn’t a coincidence that Arsenal have been scoring so many goals with this back four protecting the team.  

The result between Liverpool and City leaves Arsenal at the top of the table with ten games to play and a huge fixture against City on the horizon. Do you have more confidence that this Arsenal team will be able to last the distance in the title race this season?  

I think this title race will be really close. It will be so close between Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. I think the three teams will take it all the way to the end – and I think clubs will trade places over the next ten games.  

Now the pressure of winning the title is on the shoulders of all three clubs. We will see between now and the end of the season who can deal with that. It is going to be a very exciting end to the season. 

Arsenal’s performances over the last eight games – scoring so many goals – that is the perfect way for the club and the players to build confidence and the belief that they can win the title. Those performances from Arsenal will be scaring their opponents in the title race. Arsenal have been blowing teams away recently and have shown a desire to keep scoring goals. They are on top of the league at the moment and they deserve to be there. They have sent a strong message to their title rivals and I think that Arsenal and Mikel Arteta’s players will believe that they can win the title this season. 

Arsenal vs Porto 

Arsenal face Porto on Tuesday night, one nil down on aggregate. It was a disappointing result and performance in the first leg. What lessons do you think Arsenal would have learned from that first encounter?  

I think that the first leg defeat to Porto came at exactly the right time for Arsenal. I think it was the right time for Arsenal because the players would have learned a lot from that experience; valuable lessons about how teams can choose to play in continental competition.  

It will be a different game against Porto at the Emirates tonight. Arsenal will play their football and will try and get off to a fast start in this game. I think they will control the tempo and the game. They will score goals. We expect Porto to come into this game and try to frustrate Arsenal. They will set-up not to concede a goal and play on the counter-attack, but I think that the players Arsenal have and the form they are in, they will have too much for Porto.  

Arsenal are really solid at the back. Since Kiwor has come into the team from the beginning of February, Arsenal have become more difficult to break down and are not giving their opponent many chances to score. The Arsenal back four is defensively sound and their first job is to defend and provide a platform for the players in front of them to do their thing, so I think they will be ready to handle anything that Porto throws at them. Porto won’t be able to cause them any surprises.  

I think it will be a good game tonight. Arsenal doesn’t have any choice, they have to score goals because they lost the first leg. I can see Arsenal winning this one by at least two goals.  


On Chelsea 

Chelsea vs Newcastle 

There is a lot of pressure building around the club and the fans have voiced their opinion recently, how important is it for everyone to be united at the club? The team will need their fans support tonight in what will be a tricky fixture. 

I think the time for unity at Chelsea was a long time ago. I know the Chelsea fans well – they will support their team against Newcastle just like they support their team every single week. If something happens in the game, if Chelsea concedes the first goal for example, then things will be hard for the players and for the manager.  

You can understand the Chelsea fans frustration with what they’re seeing on the pitch. The performances haven’t been good enough this season.  

If Chelsea scores the first goal tonight, the atmosphere will be good (at Stamford Bridge). It will be a positive place.  

The open hostility that the fans are showing in games isn’t really aimed at the players – it has everything to do with what is happening at the club and how the club is being managed. The Chelsea fans aren’t happy with the owner and they aren’t happy with the manager.  

The players make the difference on the pitch. They know the situation at the club, and it is hard on them to produce their best with everything that is going on. That is why when they are playing, they are playing with more pressure on their shoulders because they are playing in front of a crowd that demand better than what their club has shown them under the current owners.  

Newcastle, they haven’t been performing that well this season, but they are away from home and will go into this game without the same pressure as Chelsea.  

I think this feels like a very important game for Chelsea and Poch.  

When you play for Chelsea, you don’t have a choice. You should be looking to win every single game that you play. They need to beat Newcastle tonight, but because of their inconsistent performances this season, it’s hard to predict what will happen. I hope they can win tonight, but Chelsea can let you down.  

If Chelsea are to have any chance of qualifying for Europe through their league position, they must win. With games against Burnley and Sheffield United on the horizon, then with a tie against Man United, would you give them any chance of this group of players putting together a run of victories?  

A few months ago, I tipped them to qualify for a place in the Europa League. If you look at the table today, that looks like it will be a very difficult challenge for Chelsea because they are so far behind Manchester United in sixth place.  

We don’t know what will happen with Chelsea. When you look at the fixtures, yes, we know that this team is capable of beating clubs like Burnley and Sheffield United, they could also do something against Manchester United because we have seen some good performances from Chelsea against the likes of Manchester City this season, but they have been so inconsistent. It’s impossible to say with any real confidence that Chelsea can go on a run and start picking up win after win.  

With the games they have coming up, you would want them to take a minimum of nine points from the next three Premier League games to have any chance of finishing in the top six or seven.  

Chelsea General 

Cole Palmer has been the pick of the bunch of Chelsea’s new signings. Do you think his performances demand that he is included in Gareth Southgate’s European Championship squad?  

Before last night, he had a few games where he didn’t score, but against Newcastle he looked back to his best and I want to see this version of Cole Palmer for the remainder of the season because he is one of Chelsea’s main men and they need him to make the difference.  

He would have impressed Gareth Southgate with his performance against Newcastle. He definitely has the quality to be included in the England squad for the European Championships.  

He needs to keep up the same level of performances with Chelsea for the rest of the season. The challenge for him is to deliver consistent performances where he is scoring and creating goals, so Gareth Southgate doesn’t have a choice (to include him in his England squad).  


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Poch remains under pressure


We know that Poch is under pressure. Some fans were never going to take to him because of his Spurs connections, can you see him turning around his difficult relationship with the fans? 

Everything in football is about the results. The fans aren’t happy with him, not because he used to be the manager of Tottenham, but because the results haven’t been good enough for Chelsea this season.  

If the results were better, if he won the Carabao Cup, if Chelsea were in a position where they could qualify for the Champions League, then the fans wouldn’t have a problem with Pochettino.  

The Chelsea fans want to see their team winning. They want to go to Stamford Bridge, see a positive result and enjoy their weekend. That is what football is all about. His Tottenham history wouldn’t mean anything if he was getting the right results for the club.  

Chelsea vs Leicester (FA Cup QF) 

Is the FA Cup a chance for Chelsea to save their season and Poch to potentially save his job?  

Look, when you’re in the quarter-final, with the opportunity to go to Wembley, you have to keep going. I think Poch’s future will depend on him winning the FA Cup. If he can lift that trophy, then I expect him to be in charge next season. He also needs to win it for himself because he has never lifted a trophy in England as a manager. He is under a lot of pressure to show that he is capable of winning trophies with Chelsea.  

It's not easy when you’re the manager of Chelsea, but this is a game that they must win. Every game for Poch is like a final. Every game will be difficult for him from now until the end of the season.  

Getting a victory against Newcastle would have helped him and the team’s confidence going into this game against Leicester. The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge will be positive.  


 On Tottenham 

What an impressive victory by Tottenham at Aston Villa. What were your thoughts on the performance?  

I think Tottenham controlled the game very well against Aston Villa. They were patient with the ball and didn’t force the issue.  

When Tottenham can out their best starting eleven, they are a really difficult team to beat. Against Villa, it was a big test for this team in a difficult game away from home. There would have been a little bit of pressure going into this game because of the league position, but they responded to that test really well.  

The gap has closed between Aston Villa and Tottenham now. I think Tottenham will have the momentum to climb above them in the table over the next few weeks.  

The impact of Pape Sarr 

There is one player that I must speak about in this game and that is Pape Sarr. The ball that he delivered for James Maddison’s goal was absolutely incredible. It was perfect. Oh my god! People think that sometimes it’s easy to do that, but if you look at it again, that cross was absolutely perfect. He put the ball between the two centre backs and to do it with that speed, wow! It was magnificent. That was a world-class delivery.  

Sarr is really starting to blossom as a football player. Everything about his performance and his role in that first goal was brilliant.  

He’s a player that has the energy to do everything on the pitch. Offensively, defensively, technically. He always makes the right decision, and he plays with a good tempo. He might not get the headlines that some of Tottenham’s players get, but people who understand football know how important Sarr is to Tottenham. His football is great to watch and he has formed a great partnership with Bissouma in the middle that enables Maddison to play further up the pitch. Maddison has the freedom to express himself because he knows that behind him, he has two players that are very good.  

Van de Ven’s injury the only negative 

Unfortunately, Tottenham lost Van de Ven to an injury again. It’s a shame because he is also having a great debut season and has formed a very good partnership with Cristian Romero. That is the only negative thing for Tottenham to take away from the game. 


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Ange impact 


How much of an impact has Ange Postecoglou had on this team, and can you see Tottenham challenging for the title next season? 

I think everything is possible at Tottenham next season. If you want to have a team that is capable of fighting for the Premier League title, then you need to look at the depth of your squad.  

Tottenham will need to bring in more players if they want to challenge for the title. They will need reinforcements. If you look at the teams fighting for the title this season, their squads are stronger than Tottenham’s.  

I think the fans can dream under the management of Postecoglou. Everything is possible with him in control of the club, and we are talking about him again because he got a good result against Aston Villa, he is passionate, and the fans love him. I think we have to give credit to his staff as well. He has the right people around him and his coaching team are preparing everything brilliantly. They are playing nice football. 

I watched Postecoglou on the bench against Villa and he was really composed. I didn’t see him shout at any of his players – he is very calm and you can tell that he knows exactly how to communicate with his players in the dressing room.  

I was looking ahead to the fixtures towards the end of the season, and Tottenham play Manchester City, Arsenal (home) and Liverpool (away) in a row. Will these fixtures tell us if Tottenham will be ready to challenge for the title next season?  

If Tottenham really want to know what their level is and where they can go next season, then playing these three teams is a good test to see if they are ready to challenge for the title next season.  

I think if Tottenham can take five points minimum from those games, then they will be ready for a title push next season. It’s that simple and that should be the objective for Tottenham because it demonstrates that they are ready to take points of the three best teams in the Premier League at the moment.  

The home ties, if you want to be a title-winner, then you should be looking to win these games. City and Arsenal will provide a difficult test, the Arsenal game is a different story because of the rivalry. That will be a crucial game that I’m looking forward to seeing. I have my diary marked for Tottenham against Arsenal in late April.  

Given Bayern are not expected to win the Bundesliga this season, some Spurs fans have been pondering a possible return for Harry Kane. Can you see that happening any time soon?  

No. Listen, Harry Kane won’t be returning to Tottenham next season. It looks like Bayer Leverkusen are going to win the Bundesliga, so Harry will be really, really disappointed because he went to Bayern to win trophies.  

Bayern can still fight for the Champions League. It looks like it will be a difficult first season for Harry in terms of trophies, but he can be very happy with his own performances because his stats from this season are just unbelievable.  

He has thirty goals in twenty-five games, and it looks like he will beat Robert Lewandowski’s record of 41 Bundesliga goals. Nobody thought that he would be able to do that, including Robert Lewandowski (laughs)!  

He is scoring so many goals. That is the positive that he will take from this season.  

Listen, I don’t think that he will be thinking about returning to Tottenham. I know the fans love him and are still dreaming about him coming back – they wish he was still there – but next season he won’t be going back. Maybe in the future, but not next season.  


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