On Arsenal
Arsenal are scared and missing a world-class striker
I don't want to be too rude about Arsenal, but it looks like they are scared to take advantage of the opportunity they’ve been given this season. They are crapping themselves! Manchester City dropping off has given them a massive opportunity top win the Premier League and they haven’t taken advantage, and when Liverpool have dropped points, and I think they will drop more, Arsenal haven’t capitalised.
At Arsenal, it’s been the same problem for years. They are missing a world-class striker! We’ve been talking about it for years! Did they make a mistake by not signing a proper striker in the summer? When you look at the chances they are missing the answer is obvious. Not having a killer has cost Arsenal too much this season. Out of the FA Cup in a game they dominated, hanging by a thread in the League Cup and dropping points in the Premier League. It’s not a good look for the Gunners when they keep missing so many chances.
Who is to blame for what is happening at Arsenal?
Firstly, you have to blame the Arsenal players because they don't really realize the opportunity they have to win the league – they’re not performing in every game and that is what you have to do if you want to win the Premier League. They are not consistent.
I also think you have to blame the Arsenal board and Mikel Arteta for refusing to buy a proven striker in the summer.
When Arsenal have challenged for the title over the last couple of seasons, the players were playing at the top of their game. This season, there have been too many mediocre performances. Martin Odegaard, what is going on with him? He doesn’t look like the same player we’ve seen dominate games over the last two years. I know he had an injury, but he has been really poor by his standards. Declan Rice. Where has he been this season?
Arsenal have run out of gas
Arsenal don't have gas anymore, you know? Why didn’t Calafiori start the game against Newcastle?
We know football, it is a game of hope. Maybe something can happen for Arsenal in the second leg, but, right now, they are out of the FA Cup. They are almost out of the League Cup. They are in the Champions League, but I don't think you're going to win that. And in the Premier League, you’re six points behind Liverpool who have a game in hand.
Arteta has to focus on the Premier League. Six points with one game in hand for Liverpool. Everything can happen and I do think that Liverpool will drop points. They’ve got two difficult games this week away from home against Nottingham Forest and Brentford, those are tricky fixtures. Arsenal need to be ready to capitalise on that. It’s a long season; Liverpool have a lot of games to play. Arsenal need to wake up. Odegaard needs to wake up.
Saka is out, and that is a massive loss, but Arsenal can’t just rely on one player. They need to do something – they need to respond. Also, Saka’s loss isn’t the same as Rodri at Man City and the reason is because Rodri has won everything in the game – Saka hasn’t won anything yet.
Arteta needs to find the magic words
I said in December that Liverpool were going to drop points, and when they have, Arsenal haven’t been able to make it count. You can’t lose games to Bournemouth and draw with Brighton is you serious about winning the Premier League.
When that happens, it makes me question if Mikel Arteta can find the right words to motivate his players. In 2025, Arteta has to find the magic words.
When do you start to doubt a managers message in the dressing room as a player? Surely those words carry less weight when you haven’t won anything.
Sometimes players need to look at themselves. That’s what I did. Sometimes, the players need to be the ones that help the manager and start shouting at their teammates.
When Mourinho came into Chelsea, we hadn’t won anything, we got close, but he took us over the lines, and he knew exactly what to say to motivate his players. Then after we won the title, we won it again the next season.
For Arsenal, because they were so close last year and two years ago, this season, I don't know what Arteta said to his players, but because they haven’t had that success as a group yet, then it can be difficult, but they have to change that, and the players need to find the energy and the power inside to give everything to win every game.
The players need to take some responsibility too. They can’t be reliant on Arteta.
The Arsenal players know what is missing from their team
The players in the dressing room know which type of players they need. They are colleagues, they are friends, they will talk about this all the time. They will say: ‘Maybe we need that player. Maybe some of our players aren’t good enough.’ It’s normal for players to have these conversations.
Even when I was at Chelsea, and we won almost every game. We were still talking about some players if they had a bad performance. In the dressing room, we would look at individuals and say, ‘Look at him, he's down, he's given us nothing.’ It may sound harsh, but this is what happens in the dressing rooms of teams that win titles.
I’m sure in the Arsenal dressing room, players are talking to each other, and they speak about individuals who haven’t performed or didn't have a good game, and they might think that player is not good enough, or we need another player.
Gallas worried about Arsenal’s ability to win major honours this season
I'm a little bit worried about Arsenal’s ability to lift major prizes this season. Some players are not at their best level. You’ve got some players who are injured. That's why I'm a little bit worried about the next games.
The players have to clear their minds and come back to training with the belief they can still do something special this year. I'm sure they're going to have a meeting with the manager, and they have to find the strength to come back on the pitch and to win the next two, three games in the Premier League. Liverpool is going to drop points, I’m certain of that. Arsenal need to believe, but they now can’t afford to make any mistakes.
Do they need Odegaard to get hold of the team and start shouting at his player not to let this season go?
The problem is Odegaard is not like this. When you look at the squad, tell me where are the characters? Who are the players with character?
Maybe Declan Rice. He’s got character, but he's not a guy who is going to shout. I never see any of the Arsenal players shouting at each other. The players are too nice. That is a big problem. I want to see Arsenal’s players challenging each other, get a little bit nasty. You want to help your teammates, and sometimes, shouting at people can be a way to get a response, it doesn’t always have to be a negative thing.
Any players can become leaders. You don’t need to be the most decorated player in the dressing room to be able to have a pop at someone. You want your players to have that personality. You want them to hate the feeling of losing. You want them to be warriors; competitors.
When I was at Chelsea and we hadn’t won anything, Makelele was there, he won the Champions League, La Liga. Paulo Ferreira, Carvalho, won the Champions League and league in Portugal. They would challenge the other players, but the biggest voice was John Terry, and he had won absolutely nothing at that point, but people listened to him because of what he did on the grass. Everyone respected John.
Havertz isn’t world-class, but it’s not his fault that Arsenal aren’t winning games
Kai Havertz, unfortunately, is not a world-class player. He's not a world-class player, so that's why I don't blame him. I just said my opinion, he’s not a world class player and everybody can see he's not a world class player.
He's a good player but not a world class player, so that's why you need one striker to be a world class player. That striker is going to score goals or is going to do a lot of damage to the defenders.
I know it's hard to make signings in January, but do you think Arsenal should try and do something?
I know it would be very difficult to bring a big, big player in to the team in January.
Isak from Newcastle? Forget him. Newcastle won't let him go because they need him until the end of the season to try to qualify for the Champions League, and then they're going to sell him if they don’t make it, so Arsenal fans have to forget about him, and think who else can come?
That is a problem especially for the big clubs, everyone knows that you do your shopping in the summer. You don't wait and just believe in the squad. You have to improve every single season. It’s been two or three years we’ve been talking about Arsenal missing a world-class striker.
People from outside can see what the problem is. How, as a manager, can't you see the problem?
Injuries are no excuse for Arsenal
I don't like when a player is injured. Jesus is going to be out for a few months, maybe. Saka is out until March.
You know what they're going to say? If Arsenal don't win the Premier League, they’ll say, ‘We had some injured players at a bad time.’ That’s Arsenal’s fault for not having a squad that is strong enough to compete when key players are missing. Arteta built his squad, he chose these players.
Why didn't Arsenal buy a striker in the summer? That is a question Arteta has to answer, but journalists are too scared to ask him.
Saka was injured, Jesus was injured, Odegaard was injured, but to win the Premier League, you can’t just rely on three players. Everybody knows the Premier League is a marathon, that means many games, and you need to have a strong squad. If Arsenal don’t win the title, that means the squad is not strong enough.
On Arsenal vs Tottenham
They’re always special, special games, it’s a special derby. I can smell it right now. It's going to be a big, big derby. Tottenham, their position is 12th. Unbelievable. Tottenham’s season has been a disaster, to be honest. Even if they won against Liverpool in the semi-final, in the League Cup, okay. We've seen it too many times, they can give you one good performance and in the next game, they are not there. They are not consistent.
But against Arsenal, anything can happen because it's a London derby. Arsenal, after losing to Manchester United, are a little bit fragile. If you ask me who is going to win, I don't know. I would love to say Arsenal, because I said at the beginning of the season, Arsenal is going to win the league, so to win the league, they have to win against Tottenham. But after that defeat against Manchester United, it looks like they're going to be frightened.
The players will be tired after playing extra time against United, but that is not an excuse. I don’t want to hear any excuses about Arsenal’s performance. They have to beat Tottenham on Wednesday night.
On Tottenham
Tottenham have beaten some big teams in the Carabao Cup, they've beaten Man United, they've beaten Man City, they've beaten Liverpool in the first leg of course.
How do they use that cup form as a springboard for their league form?
They haven't lifted any trophy yet. Okay, they won against Manchester United, Liverpool, but they didn't lift any trophy, and they still need to go to Anfield and get through e second leg before they can start thinking about Wembley.
That game, Liverpool away, it won't be easy for them. It's going to be really, really difficult. Look at their position in the Premier League. It's because they were not consistent. In the League cup, in the FA Cup, at the moment, they are consistent. But until when?
So that's why we have to see when they will play the second leg against Liverpool, we have to see if they will go through for the final. Then you have to win the final.
Do you think that they can? Could they finally lift that elusive trophy?
I don’t think so. I don't think they will win the League Cup. Against Liverpool, Liverpool will be so close as well, to go to the final. For Slot, it will be very important for him for his first season, because he hasn’t got any trophies in his hands at the club yet.
He’s in all the competitions, Liverpool are challenging for multiple trophies, but they haven’t won anything yet.
It is very important for a club to win the first trophy. The first one is going to give you that boost to get the second one, even if your players are a little bit tired. That's why I think Liverpool is going to do everything to lift that trophy.
What would a successful season look like for Tottenham and Ange this year?
For Tottenham, a successful season is to finish in the top four and to win a trophy. It's not about getting to the final and losing it, it's to lift a trophy. I don’t think they are going to qualify for a place in the top four now, so they need to win something.
Champions League, it's beyond them, it's finished. The manager makes some mistakes. We know what that mistake is for Postecoglou. He's too stubborn, isn't he? He won't change the way he plays and that's why Tottenham is in that position of 12th.
He’s got big pressure on his shoulders, because the only way he can save his season is to win the FA Cup or to win the League Cup.
They're still in the Europa League as well. Do you think they could do that?
At the beginning of the season, I said they can't go far, but I said that it would be difficult for them. When I look at them now, I don't think they will win the Europa League. Every team knows how they play. That's why.
The players are not consistent. After one big game, one big result, they lose the next game. It looks like they are not focused. Itt's very difficult for me to understand why.
On Chelsea
Do you have any concerns about Chelsea finishing in the top four? They were so good before Christmas and then they had that spell over Christmas where they dropped quite a few points, they lost to Fulham, they lost to Ipswich.
If I'm not wrong, they lost two games, and I think they played with Enzo Fernandes next to Caicedo. That partnership simply doesn’t work.
I'm sure Maresca realises that now. I'm sure he's going to change it again. He will have someone who can defend in the middle of the park next to Caicedo, and then he can play Enzo further forward. Enzo does his best work higher up the pitch. He needs to be free. He should be closer to Cole Palmer at the top of the pitch.
Chelsea and the top four
I think it will be very difficult for Chelsea to finish on the top of the Premier League. They will be very close, but I don’t think they will win the title.
Nottingham Forest, I didn't expect them to be there. I don't think Nottingham Forest will qualify for the Champions League because, even if they are very strong, they have a lot of character, they are really unique, but once they lose a few games, it will be difficult for them. At the moment, everything is very positive at Forest, but things can change in football very quickly.
I still see Manchester City coming back. I think they will come back, so that's why Chelsea can be that fourth team to qualify for the Champions League. But it will be very close.
Newcastle as well, they are nipping behind them, and they are in great form at the moment.
Is it possible that Enzo Maresca’s comments about Chelsea not being in the title race when they were second had an impact on his players and possibly contributed to some of the results over the Christmas period where they dropped points?
No, I don’t think Enzo Maresca’s comments about not being in the title race had any effect on Chelsea’s December. He knew (they couldn’t win the title). He’s in charge of Chelsea. Even if he is doing a good job, he knew it would be very difficult to compete for the title, because he knows his players. He knows they still need something to really compete for the title.
I said Chelsea, this season, won't be competing for the title, they won't be there, but next year they will definitely challenge for the title. I don't think it’s because he spoke about this in the media that Chelsea started to have some bad results.
It's not because your coach said something that your team then collapses.
A manager can feel something because he is so close to the players, he knows them very well, knows their personality and if they are ready or not.
They’ve been heavily linked with signing another centre-back in January because of Fofana's injury. The one name that keeps popping up is Mark Guehi, who of course was a Chelsea academy player. Do you like you think he'd be a good signing?
Marc Guehi would be a good signing, but in January, I don't know. They've already got defenders. Why do they want more defenders? If they buy, they have to sell. I think he would be an excellent capture for them though.
Colwill would be a monster if he had an experienced player to learn from
Young players are getting their opportunities in the Premier League quickly. That is one of the key areas where football is changing.
A long time ago, to get in the first team, especially as a defender, it was, really difficult. Now, young boys get that opportunity. I've seen some defenders who are only 18 years old. I was a little bit surprised, but I was very pleased for them.
What is very important for players is to be given the opportunity to learn next to an experienced pro. Between 18 and 20, you’re never, ever going to be the finished article, you’re still developing. You’re probably not ready for the rigour of Premier League football week in, week out. You’re building towards being a top player. To help you develop faster; to help you master the art of defending, you need to have an experienced player by your side who is going to teach you.
I don't want to see young players play a few games and then disappear because they didn't have that experience. I had that opportunity to play with a world class defender in Marcel Desailly. So did John Terry.
We both learned a lot from him, so that's why even if we had the quality, we learned a lot from him. When you look 20, 30 years ago that's how it was. Now, football has changed but I think it's still important to give the opportunity to the young players to play with experienced players.
For example, for Levi Cowell. He's 21 years old, but it’s a shame that the boy could not play maybe one or two more years with Thiago Silva. If he was playing with Thiago Silva for two more years, he would develop into a monster.
Right now, because nobody is around, he has to be the boss of the defence, but he's still too young. He can't manage his defence line because at the moment he's thinking about his performance first. When you play for big club like Chelsea, and you’re the leader of the defence, you have to manage the entire line.
I've seen only one player do this from a young age, John Terry, but it was natural for John.
If you look at Liverpool, they have the best defence in the Premier League this season. Van Dijk has nurtured Konate. He has given Konaté the opportunity to Konate go to another level and Liverpool have been rewarded with a monster.
That partnership, they are very strong, because van Dijk, even if he's a captain, he is still the boss of the defence line.
Konaté, when you look, he doesn't speak really to the defence. He just follows what van Dijk is doing. That's how Konaté has gone to another level and, when van Dijk leaves the club, it will be the turn of Konaté to be the boss of the defence and to next to teach the next player that comes along. That's how it works.
With Levi Colwill, he's 21. He has already played many games for Chelsea. He plays a lot. At the moment, I don't I don't see any improvement in his game, so that's why it's not easy for him. If he had someone to learn from, a top class player like van Dijk or Thiago, he would be well on his way to becoming one of the best central defenders in England
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