6 Oct 2020
On The Premier League
We’re five games into the Premier League season, has anything stood out for you?
After five games, Aston Villa have confirmed what a good football team they are and continue to be under Unai Emery. It’s not a surprise because they started the season so well, but Emery has now established Aston Villa as one of the best teams in the country and it looks like he will keep them there.
Since he took over from Steven Gerrard, the work he has done at the club has been amazing. He’s took them into the Champions League - they smashed Young Boys in their first match. Young Boys aren’t a giant, we all know that, but you still have to beat them. He did that and he followed it up with a home win the Premier League.
Emery has proven that he’s a top coach. I think there were some doubts about him after what happened at Arsenal, but I don’t think he was given the time and support to get the job done. He’s been well backed at Villa and the club are reaping the benefits of the trust they have placed in him with results on the pitch.
I like what he’s done in the transfer window. Morgan Rodgers, he’s a player that I was looking at when I was managing Burton because he was on loan at Lincoln. He’s an excellent player and it’s great to see him make the step from The Championship to the Premier League so easily.
Villa are one of the club’s that I really enjoy watching play. They’re so well organised, they play nice football.
Which clubs are you tipping to finish in the top four and why?
Arsenal and Man City will be one and two, maybe not in that order, but Arsenal has got a different edge about them this season and I really like it. They’re a team that is enjoying the art of defending and they can make life very difficult for any opponents.
Man City, they do the business, they’re a football machine. We saw Rodri get injured and it looked like it could have been a nasty one. If he is out of the team for a long time that will make a big difference. He is so dominant; so important for them.Liverpool will finish third. I like what they’ve done so far this season, but I think they are a level behind Arsenal and Man City when it comes to competing for the title.
Fourth place is really up for grabs. That will be between Aston Villa, Spurs, Newcastle, Man United and, I think, quietly, Chelsea.
What would you consider to be the best signing of the transfer window?
I like Chiesa’s transfer from Juventus to Liverpool. I think that could end up being the best piece of business by a club in the Premier League this summer because it was a bargain!
Signing a player of Chiesa’s quality and experience for that price was a fantastic piece of business. I think it’sa great value for money transfer because of what he brings to the team.
Erling Haaland has won two Premier League Golden Boots - like yourself. He’s started the season on fire - does he look like a player that is going to smash the goalscoring record books this season in your opinion Jimmy?
I don't know if Erling Haaland will smash all the goalscoring records this year. He’s a player that needs to be served chances. At Manchester City, he is always the final piece of the puzzle and applies the final touch to their attacking moves.
For Haaland to break those records again, he will need lots of service. He’s a player that is deadly in the box - that is where he comes alive.
Outside of the box, he doesn’t really get involved. He doesn’t play a part in the buildup or create things. He’s a finisher in every sense of the word. Of course he is a target, he allows City to go long, and sometimes they do that, but he is reliant on others to give him the service.
His one touch finishing is the best I've ever seen.When he doesn't have to think and it is instinctive, he knows where he has to be and what he has to do. He has that striker’s instinct that all the best strikers have. He can smell the goals. That’s the hardest thing to teach a striker.
Who are the top three strikers in the Premier League?
If you look at the top three strikers in the Premier League, you have Erling Haaland, you have Alexander Isak and then there is Nicolas Jackson.
I love Isak as a player. I think he has everything that all the best strikers have. If you put Isak in the Manchester City team, would he score more goals than Erling Haaland? I don’t think he would, but would he make their overall play better? That’s a different question, but we know that Haaland is in the team to finish things off, not create them.
If you put Haaland in Chelsea’s team, would he score the same number of goals that he’s getting at City? I don’t think he would. How many goals will be provided for Haaland where he could deliver a one-touch finish if he played for Chelsea?
They’re all great players, and they all have different qualities.
On Man City
Rodri recently complained about the number of games elite players are being asked to play. He said he would go on strike and that is an idea that is supported by others - do you agree with him, and do you think players could strike?
I don't disagree with Pep Guardiola often, but the idea of him supporting a strike by one of his players isn’t something that I agree with at all. When we were young, all we wanted to do as players was play as many games as possible. You can say there are too many games. The Champions League has added more games and that is purely about making more money, but I can’t see a situation ever where players are striking because of the number of games they’re being asked to play. I just can’t see it happening.
I think players need to see it differently. You need to flip this back and ask, ‘OK, there are a lot of games, but is there an audience for it?’ Are the stadiums full? Are people watching it on TV? Is the demand there? The answer is yes to all of them.
Striking would be the worst thing that could happen while the demand is there. Footballers shouldn’t be saying things like what Rodri said and threatening to go on strike.
I agree with him that there are lots of games, but that is a problem for his club to address and the clubs to look at.
All of the football clubs in the elite bracket want more money from more games, so they need to start creating bigger squads. They need to add more depth to rotate their players more often. I don’t disagree with Rodri’s comments on players getting tired, I’m all for player welfare, but the answer has to come from the clubs, they must find the solutions. You can’t have a situation where players are going on strike!
Football is a game that is played for the fans. We can’t forget that. While there is that demand, then clubs should be thinking about adding their squads and the governing bodies should allow bigger squads in competitions.
On Arsenal
Arsenal have become a mean defensive team
I love watching Arsenal play, I don’t want it to sound like I don’t. Don't get me wrong, I like that they have mastered that defensive side of the game.
When you look at what they did against Manchester City, keeping them at bay for an entire half with ten men right until the last kick of the game. You can see the camaraderie and the togetherness in the team, and you need that to produce a defensive effort like Arsenal did.
Arsenal arereally close. They are really close to being a team that can compete against anybody - they just need to win some trophies to underline their status in the game as one of the best teams.
Arsenal are becoming too reliant on set pieces
I don’t think that Arsenal are lacking a plan b when it comes to the way that they attack - I don’t think that is a problem with Arsenal at all.
The club has changed how they play this season. The season before last, they were playing a brilliant, dynamic football, but they were leaving themselves open and conceding too many goals.
They started to tighten things up more last season and they’ve continued to follow that path. They are a team that has mastered the art of defending, they have become so hard to break down and beat. The players look like they love it - they enjoy the battles, you can see it on their faces.
This Arteta team actually reminds me of George Graham’s Arsenal. He build his title-winning teams on the defence - that’s why he won two titles with the club. Arteta knows that if he wants to win the Premier League, he needs to keep a lot of clean sheets.
On top of that, Arsenal are lethal on set pieces. For me the bigger issue is that sometimes, when you’re having so much success from set pieces, mentally, you can start to rely on them too much. You don’t want to be a side that becomes too dependent on scoring goals from corner or free kicks. At the moment, Arsenal are relying on that a little bit too much - they need to start scoring more goals from open play.
Are they missing a different type of striker? I don’t know. They aren’t playing the same football as Manchester City. If you’re Erling Haaland, you know that you will get lots of opportunities in a game. The problem isn’t the strikers. They need to start creating more chances for the strikers in open play.
Bukayo Saka is a player that you know really well. He’s become one of the best attacking forwards in the world - what is the next step for him and how good can he become?
For me, Bukayo Saka is in the best in the world category when it comes to wide forwards. You can put Saka up against any other wide forward in the game - he’s that good.
What I love about Saka is his attitude. He’s so humble, doesn’t have an ego, and he has the character to do every single part of the game. If you ask him to do the defensive work, he does with the same commitment as he does when he attacks. Other players don’t do that. Saka scores goals, he creates goals. Watching him and working with him for England, he surprised me how strong he was physically because he’s not really a big boy, but he'svery strong on his feet.
His mentalityis super.When I asked him (at the European Championships), “Do you want to take a penalty?” He said: “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?” He is a player that takes responsibility and isn’t fazed by anything or any scenario - he wasn’t concerned by the weight of the occasion or the size of the task, because he backs himself to be the best in any situation. That’s why I praised his mentality.
He's a big-time player and it was a pleasure to work with him. When I used to go through videos with him, analysing different opponents and their weaknesses, he always listened; he always wanted to improve. He is a player with an amazing attitude and, in his desire to be the best player he can be, he leaves no stone unturned.
On Chelsea
There will always be demands when you play for Chelsea
There is always going to be enormous pressure to succeed at Chelsea. Over the last twenty years, the club has only known success and the supporters are used to competing for and winning trophies.
Chelsea are a massive club, not just in London, but all over the world. If they didn’t qualify for the Champions League this season, I don’t think it would be a disaster because the owners are building something.
Maresca was a long-term appointment. He is the type of manager that is going to need time to implement his playing style and philosophy. When you watch them play, even if it’s only after five Premier League games, you can start to see the patterns and the ideas that he is bringing to the team. You can tell what his identity is and what football he wants his players to bring to the pitch.
I think Maresca has got off to a good start.
Chelsea are red hot on the road. Do you think there style is better suited to playing away from home?
I don't have the evidence or the stats but knowing football and looking at it with my eyes, I think Chelsea are finding things a bit easier away from home because they’re given a little bit more space and they can expose teams on the counter-attack.
At Stamford Bridge, most teams come and put men behind the ball. It’s a small, tight pitch at The Bridge. It takes a little bit more time for Chelsea to open teams up at home and that is going to take a little bit more time to hone on the training ground.
Chelsea top four hopes
I don’t really want to be talking about Chelsea and setting them targets as a club this season. I love the club, and I want them to be successful, but I don’t want to put the players under pressure.
For me, I think they can get fourth place this season, but I want them to go about their work diligently, almost in stealth. Let Enzo Maresca and the players work in silence; let them do their thing; stay in contention.
Let’s not jump to conclusions on a weekly basis, let’s not get too up or down if a result doesn’t go our way.
If Chelsea can stay within touching distance of the top four with ten or eleven games to go, then I think they can kick on and take that last Champions League spot. Let them do their work away from the spotlight. That would be the perfect scenario.
On Nicolas Jackson
I like Nicolas Jackson a lot. Not just because he's playing at Chelsea, but because he causes defenders so much trouble.
He scored fourteen goals in the Premier League last season. That’s not a bad return in your first season in the Premier League. A lot of the goals he scored were in 3-0, 4-0 games, sot the challenge to him is to score goals when your team really needs you - be the difference-maker - and that is what he is starting to do this season. That is when a striker really earns his money, the games where the pressure is on your shoulders to win your team the game. I want to see if he can handle that pressure every week.
He's progressing really well. I think he’s coming along nicely in his development as a top, top striker.
Comparing Jackson to Haaland
Nicolas Jackson and Erling Haaland are similar ages (23 and 24 respectively). The major difference is, Haaland has a lot more top-level experience in terms of Champions League football. He’s been playing at that level since he burst onto the scene playing for Salzburg and has stayed there. Jackson has done that.
That is what Jackson needs to do to be considered one of the best strikers in the world. He needs to be decisive on the pitch and he needs to score goals regularly at the highest level in the game. It’s a big challenge for him, but he has the potential to get there.
If Jackson fulfils his potential, he will be a £150 million player.I’m convinced of that.
He’s a player that has the potential to be able to do everything. He can play outside the box. He can play with the ball at his feet, those are things that Erling Haaland can’t really do.
The only thing that Jackson needs to understand is, when he gets involved in the build-up, that game outside the box, sometimes he can try and do too many things. He doesn’t have to do that.
Sometimes the best way to get in behind is a simple one-two, a give and go. That was the type of goal he scored first against West Ham; take the ball, play it back to the midfielder andgo into the space. When the midfielder can find him, he’s in one-against-one with the goalkeeper. Jackson has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world.
On Manchester United
Erik ten Hag has come out and said that Marcus Rashford’s lifestyle wasn’t right and that is why he had a disappointing season last year.You’ve seen Rashford at close quarters. What do you think he needs to do to get his career back on track and to fulfil his obvious potential?
When you look at Marcus Rashford and you look at his body language, and I'm not saying this is true, but it looks like football is not his main priority.
Do we know if Rashford can play football? Yes. Hell yes. When he’s playing off the left and he's playing his best football, he'sa very, very good player. He’s a top player.
When he was at his top level, he used to sprint so much and run in behind the defence. He used to work so hard running at defenders, scaring defenders. That’s when Marcus is at his best and I just don't see that enough anymore.
For a player like Rashford, when one of your main attributes is that explosive pace, you have to suffer for your art. You have to be prepared to give everything to work as hard with and without the ball, and that means, you need to feel a little bit of pain because it takes a lot of physical power to ask your body to do that in every single game.
I don’t see a player that is willing to push himself like he used to, and he needs to get that back. He needs to get back to being a menace with and without the ball. He needs to work harder on the defensive part of the game.
There is no doubt that Marcus Rashford has the ability. It’s a mental thing. It’s about unlocking his mind and mentally.
Can Erik ten Hag unlock his undoubted ability as a player?
Only Marcus Rashford can unlock himself. It’s down to him to see that improvement.
As the manager, I'm sure that Erik ten Hag is doing the right things for Marcus. I’m sure he’s trying to give him the perfect environment to enable him to flourish, but it’s a two-way street. It’s not just Erik ten Hag’s responsibility for Rashford to improve, there has to be the desire from the player as well.
On Liverpool
Have you been impressed by how your fellow Dutchman Arne Slot has taken to life in the Premier League?
To be honest, I’m not surprised by the start that Arne Slot has overseen because a lot of football people in Holland, people that I know, all told me the same thing, they expected him to be a success.
He’s not typically Dutch in his style. A lot of Dutch managers can struggle outside of the Netherlands, but people told me that it would be a different story for Slot. I don’t know him personally, but you can see what he’s trying to do after five Premier League games.
His teams are very good on the press, and they’re very flexible tactically. He isn’t the type of manager that is afraid to make big decisions with his players and the starting eleven.
He’s gone in and made an impact quickly. From the outside, everything looks good. I like the football I’ve seen from his team. It looks like the perfect match and the perfect replacement for Klopp.
I expect Liverpool to be up there at the end of the season. I don’t think they have enough to win the title, but third place, no problem.
On England
What was it like inside the camp and were the players and the coaches aware of the criticism during EURO 2024? Did that negativity feed into the overall vibe in the squad and onto the pitch?
I think the best way to describe it is like this, when you play for Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Newcastle, that is a heavy shirt to wear because you need to win every game.
When you come and play for England, that pressure goes up a level and everybody knows that. The players know that the criticism is always higher because you’re not leaving yourselves open to criticism by just the fans of your club, it’s the whole country. Everyone is going to have an opinion.
That criticism is the reality of what comes when you play for England. Was some of it unfair? Yes, it was, but you have to deal with it. The players know that it will always be part of playing for England. Is that right or wrong? That’s not for me to decide. The only thing I can say is that we did know what the media were saying and that they were giving us stick (during the tournament). The stick actually brought everyone closer together and the vibe and the atmosphere in the camp was absolutely magnificent.
The England manager's job, is a bit of a thankless job? You’ll always be given stick in that role.
I don’t think there can be an argument made to say that Gareth Southgate didn’t do a fantastic job managing England. He brought everyone together and was completely responsible for generating a brilliant mood in the England camp between the players. The atmosphere, the camaraderie, the togetherness, you have to give credit to the manager for that.
I think the England job is a thankless task. Look at what Gareth Southgate achieved in the time he was managing England. When he took over, where were they? They were going nowhere. He took over and made an instant impact.
Now, when people think of England at a major tournament, they are always one of the favourites and Gareth is responsible for changing that narrative because of what he’s achieved with the team.
He got to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup. In 2022, it was the quarter-final and England lost against France on the finest of margins. England were so unlucky in that game.
He guided the team to back-to-back European Championship finals. Again, that’s a massive achievement. I don’t think a lot of England fans understood the size of the achievement and also the fact that Gareth took England to its first final on foreign soil. England had never played a final outside of its own country before. They’ve never won anything anywhere other than Wembley in 1966.
Whatever people will say, Gareth made history with England, and he put the team back on the map. Yes, I hear the criticism about the team’s fluency, but you know what, we got England to within 90 minutes of becoming a European Champion.
People forget what Southgate did - he was magnificent
Gareth Southgate was absolutely magnificent for England. People forget that. I was on the bench; we were desperate to win that European Championship in the summer. We wanted it badly.
When we lost, did it hurt? Hell yeah. It hurt like crazy. I had sleepless nights for weeks after the final. In football finals, someone always has to lose. That’s football. It was an amazing experience for me. Absolutely unbelievable.
It was a real eye-opener for me as a coach. Of course, I have managed before, but this was a different experience, coaching players at the highest possible level at the highest standard of football. It was great to be part of it.
I had a great experience as a player, but this was totally different. I think players don’t necessarily appreciate all of the level of detail that goes into managing a team like England. Being part of the team, seeing everything from behind-the-scenes, Gareth and Steve Holland put so much work into everything. You’re flying back from a game, you get back at 3am, and the next day you’re doing analysis and working on improvement at 8am. It was hard work, but I loved every second of it.
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