On International Football
What’s the vibes like towards Didier Deschamps in France.
The vibes aren’t good for Deschamps because people in France are complaining about how France are playing. Most French fans think the team doesn’t play attractive, offensive football; the football that we should be playing when you consider the talent at our disposal.
The memories of Euro 2024 are still fresh. That was a poor tournament for France.
Everyone is speaking about Zinedine Zidane. In France, everyone wants Zinedine Zidane to be the new manager of the national team. The calls for Zidane to come in have been strong for a number of years now, but I think they are the loudest that they have ever been at the moment. The French Federation gave Deschamps a new contract in an attempt to add a bit of stability and also as a show of support after Euro 2024, but it hasn’t worked.
Some people were happy with France’s performances at Euro 2024, they said that he did his job by getting to the Semi-Final, others were disappointed. I’m in the latter category; I think we could have and should have done better in the tournament, especially with the way that we approached the game against Spain.
There is some frustration about the negative style of play considering the talent that we have in France.
Is there a danger that he may outstay his welcome?
There is definitely a concern that Didier could outstay his welcome, and if things turned sour, that would be a shame.
Look, we just lost 3-1 against Italy. People are unhappy about the style of play.
Everyone agrees that Didier did a brilliant job for the national team. He won the World Cup, he won the Nations League, but, maybe after 12 years, it's time for him to stop and to let another coach to manage that squad. It’s no secret that Zidane is the man that everyone wants to see managing France, and that isn’t being disrespectful to Didier.
On Zinedine Zidane
If Didier Deschamps moves one, then Zinedine Zidane is the best choice. It's not only me who thinks it, everybody does. Everybody is waiting for Zidane to be the coach of the French national team.
Arsenal new signing Calafiori put in a good performance before going off in Italy’s win in Paris. Is he now ready to start his first game for Arsenal?
I was watching the France vs Italy match and Calafiori stood out. I thought he was really impressive before he was taken off with an injury. During the game, I’m texting my friend, Ousmane Dabo (former French international), and he played for Inter, Lazio, he spent most of his career in Serie A, so he knows the league and he knows Calafiori.
We’re talking about this player, and Ousmane tells me that he is the best defender in Italy and has been for a while. He said that he was outstanding last season, and I’m watching it, and I’m thinking this guy reminds me of Paulo Maldini.
Before Arsenal fans get too excited with the comparison, I’m talking about the way that Riccardo Calafiori moves, his style. I like his movement, how he reads the game. He’s got great awareness and ability for a 22-year-old.
Maybe it’s the long hair and the position he plays, because he can play as a left back that also makes me think of Maldini. Against France he played as the left centre back in a back three, but without the ball he moves into midfield. He’s very comfortable on the ball in those areas of the pitch; doesn’t panic.
Dabo said he was one of, if not the best defender in Italy last season. Every time I’ve seen him, I’ve been impressed.
On The Ballon d'Or
The nominations are in for the Ballon d’Or. Who would you like to see recognised with the individual award?
I think there are two outstanding candidates this year: Rodri and Vinicius JR. It should be between those two players, and I would give it to Rodri, but Vinicius JR, what he did for Real Madrid this season, and the fact that he is a goal-scorer, perhaps that gives him the edge.
I would love to see the defenders and the defensive midfielders given more recognition in the game. If you don’t have players like this at the top of their game, then the strikers and the attacking players can’t do their thing. Players like Rodri give those guys the freedom to express themselves!
If you’re a defender or a defensive midfielder, you also need to add some goals to your game now if you want to be recognised as the best. I realised that when I played in England, I wanted to be better. The only way to do that was to add more goals. I started doing it at Chelsea, and I kept doing it at Arsenal.
William Saliba is one of a handful of centre backs on the list along with Matts Hummels, Antonio Rudiger and Ruben Dias - is he the best of the lot?
There’s no doubt that William Saliba is a great defender, he’s been fantastic for a while now, and he deserves the recognition he’s getting. Is he the best defender in the World? To be recognised as the best defender in the world, he needs to lift some trophies. I can’t say that he’s better than Antonio Rudiger, because Rudiger has so many medals.
If William Saliba had the trophies in his locker, then, I’d put him above Rudiger. He’s been playing at such a high level for the last few years, he’s established himself in the national team.
He has to stay at the level he’s been performing at. He also has to do more than his job as a defender now. For him to be considered the best, I want to see him scoring goals. Let’s see him get five goals a season. Corners, free kicks, get in there and make the difference for your team. That’s what the very top players do. Put some goals on your stats.
Cole Palmer is also on the list. Have you ever seen a player make as big an impact as he has over the last 12 months - he’s come from nowhere to be recognised as one of the most exciting and talented players in the world.
Cole Palmer needs to stay at his level. Produce a season like that again. And again. And again. Season after season, that’s what the very best players - the legends - do.
Messi and Ronaldo, these guys were the best for almost 15-20 years. It’s remarkable, and that is the standard if you want to be considered the best.
What Palmer did last season with Chelsea was just incredible. I want to see him do it again. We’ve seen a lot of players have one season at the top level. The most difficult challenge for players is to stay in that level. To do it takes unbelievable commitment, huge sacrifices. You must live your life like a monk. You must be happy knowing that you’re going to have three weeks in the year to switch off, and then you have to work even harder than the year before.
It's not easy to do that. Not many players have the mental resources to deliver that kind of commitment.
Have I ever seen a player emerge like him? I can’t think of many players that have had the twelve months that he has had, but it was only twelve months. He needs to show that he can do it again.
I want to see what he does this season. We know he’s a cool guy, but after a season like last year, his teammates are looking at him to make the difference; the fans are expecting him to make the difference. There is a bit more extra pressure on him this year, but, without doubt, he is the best young player in the Premier League.
On The Premier League
Has anything stood out for you so far this season?
After three games, what has stood out for me is how good both Manchester City and Liverpool look. It’s a frightening thought, especially if you’re in the Arsenal camp. Both of those teams look really scary.
Manchester City, we know all about their quality, but Liverpool, that was a surprise. I don’t think anyone expected them to start like this. I’m looking at what they did at Manchester United; I’m looking at Mo Salah - he looks like he is in his prime - if he can keep this up and Liverpool can keep on performing like that, then they will be in the title race this season.
I tipped Arsenal to win the Premier League this season, and that’s where I’m putting my coins, but from what I’ve seen after three games, it is going to be really, really hard for them to do it.
Arsenal can win the Premier League. For them to do it this season, for me it isn’t a question of their quality, it’s a question of their mentality. They have to be really strong mentally to win the title.
Arsenal have already dropped points. When you’re competing against Manchester City and you’ve got Tottenham and City away, back-to-back, you can’t drop two points at home to Brighton, even if you are playing with ten men. They had the chances in that game to win it, a killer would have won that game for Arsenal, a Salah or Haaland, but they didn’t do it. That’s my concern about Arsenal. They don’t have a killer who will score twenty or twenty-five goals this season.
On Erling Haaland
I’m watching this player and thinking, this is a guy who is in beast mode. Seven goals, two hattricks, three games. Wow.
I don’t know if he has set himself any individual targets, but he looks like he is going to break every single goal-scoring record in the Premier League this season. It’s impossible to predict how many goals he will get this year, but you can say with confidence that it will be loads.
Pep Guardiola has got his team firing early. I don’t know what he has said to his players, I would love to know, but every single one of them looks on it. Whatever he has said to them has had the desired effect.
People need to understand how difficult it is to win one title, then it’s even harder to win the second. With every title you win, it gets harder to keep doing it. Four in a row. That’s an insane achievement for many, many reasons. For the players to do that, mentally and physically, the sacrifices that they make. It’s unbelievable.
Normally, when you’re a player that has won the Premier League, a champion, you ease your way into the first three games because you know that the season is long. These guys have done the opposite. It looks like City don’t want a tight title race this season.
On Arsenal
Do you have any concerns about any areas of the team?
I’m worried about Arsenal’s options up front. I think Gabriel Jesus is a great player, but he’s never going to score more than 15 goals in a season and, unfortunately, you can’t rely on him. He’s had so many problems with injuries, and he’s injured at the moment.
In the summer, Mikel Arteta said that he expected him to have a big contribution this year. He had the summer to work on his fitness, he looked sharp, and then, when the season starts, he’s out. You can’t be a killer if you’re injured, and that’s what Arsenal don’t have, they don’t have a killer up front.
For me, the rest of the squad is complete. The midfield looks good, in the wide areas they have quality. The defence is really, really strong. They are just missing that deadly striker. That’s my main concern. If they had a killer up front, they would have beaten Brighton, even with ten men because they had the chances.
We’ve spoken about Raheem Sterling before, you mentioned that Chelsea wouldn’t lose much if he left, he has, and he’s joined Arsenal. What did you make of that move?
Listen, I think this can be a very good move for Raheem Sterling. It looks like it will be a positive move for Arsenal, and you can see that Sterling looks really, really pleased to have joined the club. I’ve seen the pictures of him in training; he looks happy. He looks relaxed. His body language looks good, at Chelsea, that wasn’t the case.
I don’t know if this is true, but I look at him, I hear the things he’s said about Arsenal since he joined, maybe he always wanted to play for the club. He’s a London boy, maybe this is the shirt that he’s always wanted.
When I said it wouldn’t be a loss if he left Chelsea, that was fair. He didn’t show his ability at the football club. It’s simple. He has an opportunity to show people what he’s all about as a player, and perhaps working with a manager that knows him, will help him do that.
Arsenal have got a lot of wingers, but he adds to that. They need a striker, and they didn’t get one. It would be very good news for the club and Mikel Arteta if Sterling can score goals. I’ve got a feeling that he may just do that playing for Arsenal.
Sterling left Chelsea in circumstances that would have hurt his pride. Does he have a point to prove?
I’m sure that Raheem Sterling will have a point to prove, that’s what I would expect from a player with his background and pedigree, but at the same time, he can’t have any complaints about getting moved out of Chelsea. It’s his fault because he didn’t perform while he was there. He wasn’t good enough. Chelsea wouldn’t have been so happy to let him go if he delivered, but he didn’t.
It's easy for players to blame the manager or the club when things don’t work out, but the reality is, Sterling had plenty of chances at Chelsea and he didn’t deliver.
On Tottenham
What have you made of Tottenham’s start to the season so far?
It’s been a disappointing start to the season for Tottenham. I’ve spoken about this so many times, Tottenham’s high line is a problem. The second goal at Newcastle, that is down to the high line.
Spurs have played three games, won one, drawn one, lost one. It’s not a great start, but if they didn’t play with that line, if they were tighter at Newcastle, then perhaps they would have had more points on the board.
Ange Postecoglou has to be careful because all the opponents know how Tottenham play.
I don't know how they're going to play against Arsenal, if it will be the same, but if it's the same, there will be some goals for Arsenal.
On Ange Postecoglou
Everyone in football, apart from Arsenal fans, they fell in love with Ange last season, especially at the beginning.
He brought something to Tottenham that we haven’t seen in a very long time at the club. The fans were enjoying watching their team play - it was a blistering start. I think most people found the way that he dealt with the media refreshing, honest.
After Christmas, things got a bit harder for him. Other managers started to understand the Tottenham approach, and the season drifted a little bit. The most important thing for the fans is results. That’s what they judge you on.
Tottenham fans want to see their club qualify for the Champions League; they want to see the club win a trophy. It’s been way too long since the club won any silverware. They’ve been waiting for sixteen years…I hope that he can end that record this season.
For Tottenham fans, it’s been tough. Football can be a cruel game, and they’ve got close on a few occasions to winning something, but it hasn’t happened.
On The North London Derby
It seems crazy to say this, but is this a must-win game for Arsenal in the title race?
Listen, if you want to be a champion, every game is important. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing against Ipswich at home, or you’re playing against Tottenham away in the North London derby.
To have this game so early in the season, that adds a bit more spice to it. It’s a really important game for both clubs, not because it’s the derby, that matters, but more because both of them need to win.
Three points here, against your local rivals, that is going to provide a massive boost to the winner.
From an Arsenal perspective, they won’t want to be further away from Liverpool and Manchester City this early in the season. They want to stay within touching distance, especially when Arsenal’s next game is a trip to Manchester.
It’s a long season. The best clubs make winning a habit. Arsenal don’t want to be losing ground in the title race after four games.
Does Ange Postecoglou need to change his approach for this game to get a result?
For me, Ange Postecoglou has to change something in his approach for this game if he wants to win it.
As a manager, you have to surprise your opponent. That's why Guardiola is the best manager in the world, and I think Rodri recently said in an interview that Pep was the best because he always brings something new. He’s always innovating. You never know what surprises he will bring to the pitch.
Give the opponent something to think about. Be disruptive. I don’t know if Ange will change his defensive line because Tottenham are playing at home, he may be even bolder with his approach, but against an opponent like Arsenal, that’s risky.
Arsenal will be without Declan Rice. Of course they will miss him, but do they need to win in his absence to underline their title credentials?
With or without Declan Rice, Arsenal need to win. It’s not going to send anyone a message if they beat Tottenham without Rice, because that is what champions or teams that want to be champions, do.
Do you think Manchester City would be thinking that they sent a message to their rivals if they beat Manchester United without Rodri? No, they just get on with it. They just win.
Arsenal will miss Rice because he is a quality player, but teams that want to win the Premier League title deal with the absences of their key players.
Who are you tipping here?
I think it will be a draw. I don’t think Arsenal look as strong as they did last season. If the team had beaten Brighton with ten men, I would have had more confidence in them going here and winning.
On Chelsea
What did you make of Chelsea’s transfer window? Can you understand why the club didn’t bring in another centre back?
If you want to be a successful club, if you want to challenge and compete in the Premier League, you must have a good defence. The Chelsea defence isn’t good. I can’t understand how the club can allow Thiago Silva to go and not think that they need to bring in someone that can run the backline with authority.
The Chelsea defence is missing a top-class centre back. It’s too much to expect Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana to run the defence, they’re both promising players, but they need someone to guide them.
It’s always the same problem. If you don't have good defenders, if you don't have a strong base, you can score goals but you're going to concede goals, and you will drop points. That’s what happened against Crystal Palace.
As a Chelsea fan, especially after beating Wolves 2-6, you would be right to think that your club, after everything you’ve seen from them, everything you’re used to historically, is going to beat Palace at home. Chelsea fans would look at that fixture three years ago and think, that’s three points. They don’t have that confidence anymore. They are so inconsistent, but that is what you get when you make so many changes and are missing top, top players in key positions.
There will be matches where everything clicks, but there will be more matches where it doesn’t. I don’t think Chelsea will finish in the top four this season. Top six? Yes.
All is not well behind-the-scenes at Chelsea, with media reporting that Todd Boehly and Behdad Egbhali have fallen out - when you see what’s happening at your old club, you must be shaking your head.
Honestly, it’s very frustrating to see what is happening at Chelsea as a former player. As someone that won two Premier League titles with the club, it’s really hard to accept what has happened to them over the last two years.
The club is in a real mess. I don’t like talking about Chelsea in this way, it’s a big shame, but I said at the beginning when the owners came in it was a big mess, and I’m saying the same thing two years later. I was proved right, but I’d rather have been proved wrong.
I think its always difficult when you have two groups of people, or two stakes in one football club. There needs to be total alignment if you want to have a successful club, both on the pitch and in the boardroom. The best clubs have one leader, with everyone pulling in the same direction. It’s not difficult to get the structure right at an elite club with the resources of Chelsea, but it’s all over the place.
The best owners don’t want to get involved. They provide support, but most of these guys have no expertise in football or running football clubs. They employ a Sporting Director; the Sporting Director sets the philosophy and brings in the players and the right coach. It’s a simple chain of command. It works when you have the right people and the right communication. That’s why the club were so successful during Abramovich’s time. If the owner trusts his Sporting Director, he normally agrees with all of his requests.
There are too many people at Chelsea trying to call the shots.
After everything that happened with Enzo Fernandez over the summer, are you surprised to see him wearing the Chelsea armband this season?
I was surprised to see Enzo Fernandez named as the vice-captain, wearing the armband in Reece James’ absence.
What concerns me is, if Enzo is your second choice, where are all the other leaders in the club?
There is a lack of leadership. You want your captain to represent your values, be the face of your club. They need to understand what it means to play for the club, what the badge represents and the importance of the fans.
I think Conor Gallagher did the job perfectly last season. He was the perfect vice-captain. With his connection to the club, I can’t believe that they let him go. He had the Chelsea identity. I don’t see any other players apart from Reece James with that Chelsea identity.
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