Stan Collymore &#8211; CaughtOffside

Video: “I miss him a lot” – Liverpool assistant manager says top player will not be returning soon

Ten Hag’s pre-match decision ahead of Newcastle tie shows how bad things are at Man United

Cristiano Ronaldo caught being salty over Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or win once again

It’s hard to think he’s still just 20 years old. But let’s not forget… Everything is going well for him at the moment, but that won’t always be the case. He will have down periods in his career, whether that comes from Real Madrid not playing well as a team, or bad luck with injuries. It’s in those challenging moments that I want to see what Bellingham does. I want to see how he responds from a five or six-week injury lay-off. That will show exactly the player he is and is capable of becoming.

If he continues on this upward trajectory, he certainly can become one of, if not, the world’s best midfielder. At the moment, I don’t think he can claim that title because he’s pretty good at everything. What I mean by that is that he isn’t exceptional at one or two particular disciplines. He has been scoring a lot of goals recently, which is great, but can he keep it up? – Can he become the next Frank Lampard? – Only time will tell, but he definitely has the potential to go on and become the best English player of all time.

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp get their way (again)…

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have not shut up about ‘player welfare’ and how our crowded fixture list is too demanding on players, and after the FA confirmed they’re scrapping third and fourth-round replays, it seems both have once again got their way.

Listen, I don’t necessarily disagree with what both managers have said. There is more football than ever being played these days and footballers, although paid very well for what they do, are still just human beings. They feel the mental and physical effects of things and we shouldn’t pretend they don’t.

However, the issue I have with Guardiola and Klopp, and other managers who are demanding a reduction in games, is that they only ever target the English game’s heritage, and never Europe’s. They want fewer Carabao and FA Cup games, but never fewer Champions League games, so is it really their players’ welfare they have in mind, or do they just know what side their bread is buttered?

The day one of those two comes out and says ‘Right, our players are playing too much, in addition to scrapping third and fourth round cup ties, let’s do more, let’s reduce the number of European competitions’ is the day I will take them seriously.

To be this season’s Premier League champions, you will have to finish higher than Liverpool…

This weekend’s Premier League action should kick off with a bang. It’s the Merseyside Derby at Anfield and, like always, I am sure it’s going to be a brilliant contest. There haven’t been many occasions where the divide in quality between Liverpool and Everton has been as big as it is now so Sean Dyche has his work cut out. Obviously, Liverpool are the overwhelming favourites, and rightly so, but if Everton can put in a solid performance and show heart, determination and desire, their fans will forgive them even if they lose – the most important thing for the Toffees is that they are hard to beat, and I think they have a chance of being just that.

Liverpool still have a very new squad, especially in midfield, so it’s going to be interesting to see how some of those new names handle their first Merseyside Derby. I suspect they’ll come through it and continue to have another great campaign. I think if any team finishes above Klopp’s men, they’ll be champions. For me, Liverpool will either win the league or they’ll finish second. I think they’ll finish higher than Spurs and higher than Arsenal – the only team I see doing better than them over a 38-domestic game season is Manchester City.

The post Collymore’s column: Gambling in football, Phillips and McTominay on the move, Guardiola gets his way and why finishing above Liverpool will be reserved for champions appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Euro 2028 can bring us together again, player strikes, top man Saka and more!

Stan Collymore — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:13:58 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including Premier League funding of lower leagues, Bukayo Saka’s current form, why he supports player strikes, what Euro 2028 will do for the country, plus much more.

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English teams will dominate in Europe again but that might not be good for the game

Brighton got a bit of a bloody nose in in match day one and then they sort of regrouped by match day two. I think that Newcastle’s result against PSG was perhaps more relevant than ever and it made a change because it wasn’t just the champions putting on a performance like that.

West Ham winning the conference league last year – there were some very good teams in that tournament, and let’s not forget Aston Villa in the game in Warsaw. We’re in a very, very strong footballing zone, without a doubt, and I don’t think many people will be surprised that the Premier League with its riches would have the strongest teams.

When I was a kid growing up, I think it was six European Cups on the bounce. Liverpool three times, two for Forest and one for Villa over six consecutive years,. Then you had the likes of Ipswich Town and Tottenham winning the UEFA Cup, and even Scottish teams like Aberdeen were winning the Cup Winners’ Cup.

The Premier League undoubtedly is entering an era where it’s money has, and will continue to make, a difference in terms of getting the best players from around the world, and I wouldn’t be surprised that unless there’s some sort of real attempt from UEFA to implement some sort of financial fair play that allows teams in Holland, Belgium and Portugal, never mind in France, Spain, Italy, and Germany, to compete on a level playing field, then I don’t think it will be all English clubs that win the major European trophies.

Spanish clubs will always be there or thereabouts but we will get to a point if you’re not careful where it’ll be the vast majority of clubs are English with two or three Spanish clubs mixed in that are winning everything.

Let’s not forget that if we’re looking back 40/50 years ago, we’re talking about clubs from behind the Iron Curtain being very competitive. Russian teams, Ukrainian teams. Others like Dukla Prague.

Those days are gone, unfortunately, but for me, a healthy UEFA ecosystem means clubs in Eastern Europe, Portuguese clubs and others would be competitive in Europe, and I don’t see that being the case for some for some time to come.

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I’m in favour of player strikes but the caveat is managers need to play the game too

I don’t think authorities give a **** about players. They’ll be provided with analytics and data that shows a players physical state dropping off at times of the season but FIFA still want to push for a World Cup every two years because it makes them more money.

You also have the ridiculous situation that whenever there is a three or four week break, players are going off to America or Asia for lucrative pre-season or end of season tournaments.

The reality is that yes, I agree with Pep and I think if European players went on strike they would have to insist on two things.

Pep Guardiola

Firstly, a six-to-eight week, end-of-season, break. All of June and all of July off, no football anywhere except for a World Cup or a European Championship.

Secondly, a maximum number of games played, or a cap on how many minutes an individual player can play in a season.

For example, if Jack Grealish has played 45 games for Manchester City and then he’s got five more games to go in a season to make it 50 – and that’s the total amount he’s allowed but he has cup games and England games still to play – I’d want to see Pep Guardiola go ‘I’m happy for him to play five games potentially for England even if that means missing Manchester City games. We’ve got a big enough squad to cope.’

It would call out the managers that are bleating about player welfare, and show quite clearly who is serious about it and which managers are the hypocrites.

If Pep is serious, then I would absolutely follow him on this.

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Euro 2028 can bring the country together again just like in 96 but the experience will be diluted

Euro 96 was effectively the rebirth of the English flag for the English team. If you remember it was just a year before the Labour Party voted ‘things can only get better’ and there was a real sense of ‘we’re in the EU, we’ve got Italian baristas making coffee in even the smallest towns, we’ve got Polish builders and carpenters doing a great job…’

There were people coming from left, right and centre and working in all sorts of industries and Britain felt inclusive. It felt like the English flag was no longer a flag that traditionally had been flown by the National Front and the BNP. Euro 96 was a real galvanising force for everybody.

To be honest, I think that the vast majority of football fans are still in that mindset, despite the fact that the country has a very nasty post-Brexit feel about it at the moment.

With regards to Euro 2028, I’m not against more countries having big tournaments but I do think from a cultural perspective, that European Championships and World Cups should only ever be held in one country.

I think that that’s an important component of a tournament, so I’m not a massive fan of a Pan Britain or a Spain/Morocco/Portugal tournament. Even an America/Canada/Mexico tournament means a lot dilution of the full experience.

The experience is supposed to be as much about learning about the culture in that country, as it is about spreading football love, so to speak.

I’ll give an example of Germany 2006. There were at least 100,000 England fans over there and pretty much most of them came back with an attitude of ‘we’re only a generation or two away from our grandparents who are always talking about World War Two in Germany and whatever, but what a great country what a great welcome.’

I’ll go and I’ll enjoy Euro 2028, but I don’t think it will resonate in the same way as Euro 96 because that was solely an English tournament and it coincided with the feeling of England being comfortable in its skin politically for the most part.

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Bukayo Saka gets the nod ahead of Jude Bellingham as player of the season so far

The reason I’ve chosen Saka is because he’s not allowed missing the penalty for England, which is only two years ago, to affect him.

Being a particularly young man, a relative rookie, he’s already being thought of as the top man, the game changer at Arsenal and he’s taking that all on board whilst scoring goals and creating chances. Just brilliant.

I was sat amongst the families during the Euros for the semi-final and the final. I sat with Jack Grealish’s dad, chatted to my former captain, Stuart Pearce, and I saw Saka with his girlfriend after the game.

I said to my mate I’m gonna go over and say something. I said “you won’t know me from Adam, but I’ve been in your position. Not missing a penalty, but I’ve been in your position now as a footballer where you have days where something doesn’t happen for you. Just keep your chin up.” He looked really crestfallen and it could have been very, very easy over the next couple of years for his form to be really up and down.

You look at Marcus Rashford for example, getting involved with charities, school meals and taking on the government… Rashford’s been hot or cold on the pitch at present. There’s been no consistency.

I could equally say Jude Bellingham as my pick for the season’s best player so far. What an incredible start for life at the world’s biggest football club.

His trajectory – Birmingham-Dortmund-Madrid – has always been forward. That dude has also very cleverly done well to escape the spotlight. He comes back and plays for England and if he plays poorly, he goes back to Madrid and plays well. Nobody’s really gonna care if you play poorly.

For Saka at Arsenal, he’s still the top man, and he’s still doing it with the England squad. He’s been absolutely exceptional is for me, and I’m really looking forward to him scoring the match-winner in a semi-final or a final which would completely banish the memories of his penalty miss.

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The Premier League must help to fund the lower leagues to stop more clubs going out of business

The chasm between the Premier League and the other English professional leagues is growing, and I think that what has to happen is a clear pipeline of money from the English top-flight downwards must be established. Look at the Premier League benefactors and the system that they work in – it’s the football pyramid.

Luton Town were in the bottom tier of the professional game in League Two and went all the way up to the Premier League. They’re not an established Premier League club yet, but let’s say we’re looking back in 10 years time and Luton have the money to buy Jude Bellingham because they’ve spent their Premier League money very wisely. They’ve got into Europe, they’ve done a Brighton and then some and they’re competing in the top four of English football… you would say that’s impossible but with the with the money that’s available the game, it’s not impossible.

The thing that annoys me is, is that when when clubs get into the Premier League, they pretty much moan and bitch around the table ‘I gotta give more money to a team in the National League. Can’t we ever have the extra few million for ourselves?’

If 15% of all money that we generate in the Premier League is automatically going down the leagues in a very clear system that supporters can see, that the FA can see, that there’s nothing hidden and that every single penny is accounted for and it’s gonna be in perpetuity so that in 10 years time we will have seen the trickle down effect of that money, then that’s the way to do it.

We also need a fit-for-purpose ‘fit and proper persons’ test.

Ron Martin at Southend, the Oystons at Blackpool, those in charge at Charlton for years, Scunthorpe have problems, Oldham had problems… all of it could’ve been avoided if, on day one, when they owned their club, the authorities assigned the club a real world value and the new owners had to put down a 10% deposit in cash at an FA bank which was kept is a bond. Then if bills etc couldn’t be paid, the FA can release funds from the deposit.

Also, club owners must have their main source of business income in England. Not Scotland, not Wales, not tax havens, not Dubai, not America… Any business that runs Manchester United for example, or FSG at Liverpool – the business has to be registered in England, which is often not the case.

Clubs have got to look after themselves and work within their own financial parameters of course, but I do believe Premier League clubs are responsible for the pyramid up until a point probably not far beyond the National League South or North.

Perhaps the Isthmian League, where it’s a very good standard of semi pro teams, and you’re getting x amount of ex-pros, Academy kids etc.

That would be the starting point whereby those clubs upwards could get some sort of regular funding when required.

The post Collymore’s column: Euro 2028 can bring us together again, player strikes, top man Saka and more! appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Ollie Watkins for England, Marcus Rashford’s worrying form and can we please scrap VAR?

Stan Collymore — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 13:23:04 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including VAR’s latest horror show, Ollie Watkins’ England-worthy form, Marcus Rashford’s stop-start performances and which player Mauricio Pochettino is continually playing out of position, plus much more.

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Get VAR out of the Premier League NOW!

I was a big advocate for VAR. I really wanted to see it introduced into the Premier League because I thought it had the potential to make our game so much better, but I was wrong. I’m happy to admit that I have since changed my mind and would like to see it removed. It is absolutely killing the game. It has drained virtually all of the excitement and passion out of the sport, not only for the fans but also for the players. I don’t know about everyone, but I certainly watch games now and even when a belter of a goal goes in, I struggle to get excited because you never know – someone’s bollack hair might be deemed to be offside. It really is pathetic.

For the marginal improvement in correct decisions, and it is marginal, it just isn’t worth it. VAR was never supposed to be the main character in this show, it was introduced to stop the pub conversations about what decisions were right and what decisions were wrong, but it’s made it all so much worse. All we talk about now is VAR. There is more focus on the technology and the constantly adapting and changing rules than on the actual 90 minutes of action. I don’t care if the Champions League use it, or if it’s been a success in the World Cup, get it out of the Premier League now!

Ollie Watkins for England? – Absolutely!

Ollie Watkins is in great form and he managed to bag his hat-trick against Brighton and Hove Albion in front of an onlooking Gareth Southgate. There is no way Watkins cannot be considered for an England call-up later this month. It’d be his eighth senior cap and he deserves it.

Of course, Harry Kane, who is banging them in for Bayern Munich, is still going to be the country’s main man but he cannot be our only dependable striker. We need options and back-ups, and Watkins, in my opinion, is the best of the rest – at least right at this very minute.

More Stories / Latest News

Video: “I miss him a lot” – Liverpool assistant manager says top player will not be returning soon

Ten Hag’s pre-match decision ahead of Newcastle tie shows how bad things are at Man United

Cristiano Ronaldo caught being salty over Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or win once again

England have two international matches coming up including a friendly. If Southgate doesn’t want to risk playing him in a European Championship qualifier against Italy on 17 October, then he should give him a chance against Australia the week before.

Marcus Rashford is walking a Manchester United tightrope…

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Marcus Rashford is in dire form. His season hasn’t yet started and his head is very much down. It’s clear by now that Rashford is a confidence-player. He blows hot and cold with very little consistency to his game.

He’s a couple of weeks away from turning 26 years old; he’s no spring chicken and it’s very unlikely that his game is going to dramatically change – he is what he is. So if I were in charge of Manchester United’s technical performance analysis, I would be advising Erik Ten Hag to stick with him for so long, probably another two or three more games, and if he continues to misfire, drop him.

I would certainly be looking at a new left-sided winger in the summer though, and I would want a player to come in and look at Rashford and say ‘I am taking your spot and you’re never going to play for this club again. I’m the main man now.’ because I think it could be really easy to discourage and overwhelm Rashford and effectively end his Old Trafford career. He’s far too nice. If he stopped playing now, would he be considered a United legend? – Absolutely not.

Enzo Fernandez is not a number 10…

Chelsea play Fulham tonight and although we don’t know what Mauricio Pochettino’s starting lineup will be, it’s likely he’ll ask Enzo Fernandez to play in behind the forward again. I rate Pochettino a lot. He’s a top manager but I think he’s getting it wrong with Fernandez. I don’t understand the obsession of playing him as a number 10. He isn’t a number 10.

Fernandez is at his best when he’s playing a deeper role and allowed the freedom to travel between boxes. At the moment, he’s being penned into a very small area of the pitch and it’s restricting his best attributes.

The post Collymore’s column: Ollie Watkins for England, Marcus Rashford’s worrying form and can we please scrap VAR? appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Hannibal should start this weekend, why Sandro Tonali needs time and my prediction for Spurs vs. Liverpool

Stan Collymore — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:55:57 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including reports Barcelona are under investigation for alleged bribery, Hannibal’s impressive Carabao Cup performance and why Sandro Tonali needs time to settle into life at Newcastle, plus much more.

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If they’re guilty, throw the book at Barca…

The biggest story this week has been the Spanish police raiding the Spanish Soccer Federation’s office after payments totalling €7.3 million were allegedly made between 2001 and 2018 from Barcelona to the referee’s association, as per AP News.

If this turns out to be true, and it is a big if, because let’s not forget, while there is never any smoke without fire, there is also innocent until proven guilty, so if these shocking allegations turn out to be true, I hope the book gets thrown at them; not just Barcelona either, but the whole of Spanish football.

Barcelona should obviously receive the strictest punishments, but Spain’s male and female national teams should also be thrown out of all international tournaments for at least five years.

The same applies to any footballing nation that thinks they can use their financial power to undermine the sport’s integrity.

Hannibal deserves more Man United chances…

Manchester United and Erik Ten Hag are under pressure, and although they beat Crystal Palace 3-0 in the Carabao Cup mid-week, a cup win isn’t going to do much to ease that pressure. They’ve got to go again in the Premier League, and as it happens, their next game is against the same opponents.

I do expect Ten Hag to name a much-changed starting lineup but I think Hannibal is one player who deserves to keep his spot. We haven’t seen a lot from him yet but from what I have seen so far, particularly on Tuesday night in the cup, I thought he was excellent. He played a really good game and looks to have the energy and tenacity Ten Hag has been demanding.

I would like to see him start alongside Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro. I think Hannibal is certainly a better option than Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen in midfield. The only question mark is over whether Ten Hag will stick with Mason Mount or not.

More Stories / Latest News

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In my view, Mount is a jack of all trades, master of none type of player. It’s about time managers dropped the rose-tinted glasses and saw him for what he is. He’s a squad player who will give you average performances across multiple positions. He’s never going to be THE difference.

So stick with Hannibal and give him a run of games to really show us what he’s all about. If his form drops and he struggles to meet expectations, then rotate him out and that’s when Mount should be given a chance to come in, but as I have said, based on his recent performances, Hannibal at least deserves the chance to continue.

Sandro Tonali needs a full season to show his true ability…

Sandro Tonali started life at Newcastle United with a bang. He scored a few minutes into his competitive debut against Aston Villa on the Premier League’s opening day and everybody thought ‘Wow, this guy is going to be the signing of the summer’ but things have since dried up a bit.

I’ve seen he has received some criticism, but I think he’s a classic example of a player who needs time, perhaps the whole of his first season, to settle into life at St. James’ Park, as well as into the demands of the Premier League.

I feel like if he was honest and explained, in his own thoughts, why he has struggled in his first seven or eight games, he’d say the pace and physicality of the English league is getting the better of him a bit. He is more than capable of being one of the country’s best midfielders, but he is going to need time to adapt to how the game is played here. Once he does that, which may not be until his second season, I think we’ll see the player Eddie Howe saw when he decided to sign him from AC Milan in the summer.

Patience. He’ll come good and it’ll be worth it, I’m sure.

Goals galore in Spurs vs. Liverpool…

I can’t wait for this one – it should be a great game. I think there will be goals, and lots of them, when Spurs host Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.

There is no denying it – Spurs are in great form and they’re definitely re-energised under Ange Postecoglou but I am not sure they can beat Liverpool. I know both teams are within touching distance of Manchester City at the top of the table, but I think this weekend’s game will show exactly why Liverpool will finish higher than Spurs come the end of the season.

For what it’s worth, I think both of these teams are fighting for second when it comes to wrestling the title away from Pep Guardiola’s side, but they’re certainly two of the best of the rest; I just don’t think Spurs have the depth, nor the experience, to really challenge just yet. Hopefully that changes over time but I can see Jurgen Klopp delivering a bit of a tactical masterclass and the Reds coming away 3-2 winners.

The post Collymore’s column: Hannibal should start this weekend, why Sandro Tonali needs time and my prediction for Spurs vs. Liverpool appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Erik Ten Hag is under pressure, how to solve a problem like Mykhailo Mudryk and are we too bias when it comes to the Premier League?

Stan Collymore — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:07:52 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including the pressure Erik Ten Hag finds himself under at Manchester United, the possibility of Mykhailo Mudryk leaving Chelsea on loan and are English fans too biased over the quality of the Premier League? – Plus much more.

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There is no denying it, Erik Ten Hag is under massive pressure…

He’s massively under pressure. When you concede three goals in three consecutive games, it goes without saying the spotlight is going to be on you. Historically, the last United team that leaked goals to this extent were more of a cup side, so is that what Ten Hag is? – Is he a manager for the domestic cups?

We may look back at this column in a year’s time and say ‘wow, Ten Hag has done amazing’ but as things stand right now, saying he’s under pressure and struggling is not being too harsh. How United are doing right now is really concerning.

Jurgen Klopp was in a similar position when he took over at Liverpool. He was tasked with understanding the club’s philosophy and connecting with the fans, and he did it. He got it. He knew what the club were all about and he’s done it without spending the same kind of money that Manchester City and Chelsea have. When you look at the signings Klopp has made, the vast majority of them have been a success and have become important players. Andy Robertson is a perfect example. He was signed for peanuts from Hull City and has gone on to become arguably one of the world’s best left-backs. Virgil Van Dijk too, I know they did spend a lot on him, but no one expected him to be as good as he has been. The same can be said for Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Alisson and Roberto Firmino. Everything Klopp has done at Liverpool, up until this point, has worked. The same cannot be said for Ten Hag.

When you look at the signings Ten Hag has made, despite having three transfer windows, you still can’t really see which players form the spine of his team. There are question marks over pretty much every senior player.

One thing I will say about the Dutchman though – although he is undeniably under pressure, I think the Glazers will stay patient until the end of the season. Any big decision on the manager will come at the end of the season but there is a huge expectation for the side to qualify for Europe again, and the way things are going, that doesn’t look likely.

Scott McTominay criticism is a little harsh…

One player who raised the most eyebrows this week was Scott McTominay. The Scotsman came on against Bayern Munich on Wednesday and failed to put in a good performance. If anything, he was poor. There is a clip that has gone viral that shows his lack of desire to track back, and while I understand why some fans and pundits may be criticising him for what has been perceived as a lack of effort, I think it’s harsh on the lad.

I would not say McTominay is a player who downs tools and isn’t a good professional. Yes, he didn’t have a good game in the Champions League and was far from his best, and he definitely made a mistake in the lead-up to one of Bayern’s attacks, but let’s not be too harsh on him.

We all know he probably isn’t good enough to be Manchester United’s starting central midfielder, the same as Harry Maguire isn’t good enough to be their captain and first-choice centre-back, but it is hard for a player when you’re mocked when you play badly and mocked when you play well; and this is exactly what we see with McTominay. He does something wrong and he gets hammered but when he does something good all of a sudden it’s (sarcastically) ‘Oh, McSauce this, McSauce that’, so he has my sympathy in some regards, but I certainly think a transfer in January would be best for all parties.

Can Arsenal win the Champions League? Yes. Will they? No.

Admittedly, they have a chance of winning the Champions League; arguably their best for many, many years, but they won’t.

Just like last season was their best chance of winning the Premier League, Arsenal Football Club do not have what it takes to get across the finish line.

More Stories / Latest News

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I have said it time and time again, if you’re serious about winning football’s biggest trophies, you need a squad, or at least the majority of a squad, of players who have the bottle to drag themselves, and others, to the very end. From what I can see, Arsenal have three of those types of players – Declan Rice, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka.

Martin Odegaard has just signed a new five-year deal – that’s great news. He is a top player, but as I said last week, he is no captain. He isn’t the leader who is going to pick up heads when things aren’t going your way. We all saw that last season. Odegaard did nothing during the Premier League’s run-in when things were getting tough. Nothing.

So no, I don’t think the Gunners will win the Champions League this season. They just don’t have enough players with an unbreakable winning mentality yet.

One club would be perfect for Mykhailo Mudryk, but will they even want him?

There have been some reports that a January loan move for Mykhailo Mudryk could be on the cards. I actually think that’s a great idea.

Let’s not forget, this is a young player who played just 44 games for Shakhtar Donetsk before Chelsea signed him for nearly £90 million. Some players can live up to the hype, others can’t, and so far, Mudryk has massively failed. He can still fulfil his potential – he’s only 22 years old but he has to rack up more games before Chelsea can expect him to be their first-choice left winger. He is simply too inexperienced.

When it comes to what clubs should try and snap Mudryk up, I know Roberto De Zerbi is a big fan – he even said he could win the Ballon d’Or in the future, but I wouldn’t send him out on loan to another Premier League club. As for Brighton, it’d actually be an insult to the likes of Kaoru Mitoma to even suggest Mudryk could go there and get in the team ahead of him.

I think he needs to drop down a tier but go and play for a club where the expectation to win week in and week out is just as high as it is at Chelsea. Whether or not they’d have him is another matter, but I think Borussia Dortmund could be the perfect club to get Mudryk firing and on the right track to becoming the player he has the potential to be.

It turns out those ‘farmer leagues’ don’t have a bad crop of players…

The final word from me this week is on Aston Villa and Brighton; both of whom kicked off their European campaigns with disappointing defeats on Thursday night. Credit to West Ham by the way, who did win. David Moyes is doing some incredible work through the early stages of the season.

But unfortunately, when it comes to victories in Europe, the same cannot be said for Villa and Brighton. They both lost 3-2 against Legia Warszawa and AEK Athens respectively. Not the best of starts for both, and although they may well go on to turn it around, my question to readers is: do we overhype the Premier League?

The reason I ask this is that Villa and Brighton are supposed to be two progressive clubs that most of us view as at the top of the next tier, and yet, both conceded three goals against two sides who are viewed as ‘lesser opposition’ and play in leagues that a lot of us are guilty of considering weaker than our own.

So, what do you guys think? – Are Premier League clubs not actually as good as we make them out to be?

The post Collymore’s column: Erik Ten Hag is under pressure, how to solve a problem like Mykhailo Mudryk and are we too bias when it comes to the Premier League? appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Martin Odegaard isn’t captain material, who should replace Gareth Southgate and why do Man United want to sign another underperforming player?

Stan Collymore — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 11:25:07 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including news Martin Odegaard is close to signing a new contract at Arsenal, the ongoing criticism of Harry Maguire, and who could replace Gareth Southgate as England manager, plus much more.

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Martin Odegaard isn’t captain material…

Martin Odegaard is reportedly close to signing a contract extension at Arsenal. If and when that is officially announced, that will be really, really good news for the Gunners.

He’s been excellent since he joined from Real Madrid a couple of years ago, and with his current deal set to expire at the end of next season, making sure they do not lose arguably their best player for next-to-nothing is really smart from Arsenal. Odegaard is hugely important to Mikel Arteta’s plans and project so by keeping him on board really shows the ambition of the club and where they’re aspiring to be.

Odegaard was named the team’s captain last year, and while I think he’s a phenomenal footballer; he’s incredibly technical and easily one of the best midfielders in the country, I am not 100 per cent sure he is captain material. He doesn’t strike me as the type of player who is going to drag the others over the finish line. We saw that last season, or didn’t see it, I should say.

Let’s be honest – Arsenal bottled it last season. They bottled the league and are unlikely to have that kind of chance again for a very long time. Did Odegaard do all he could to guard the team against complacency? – Obviously not. Some may argue that the days of the Patrick Vieira’s and Roy Keane’s are long gone, but I disagree. Football teams still need that warrior-type leader in the trenches with them and I don’t think Odegaard is the type of player who offers that. I am not sure Arsenal have any players like that actually. Declan Rice may be the one in the future but it’s going to be very hard for Arteta to give the Englishman the armband without upsetting Odegaard, and potentially, the rest of the squad.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Man United? – Hmm…

There have been some rumours recently that Manchester United have added Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to their January transfer shortlist amid the uncertainty surrounding Jadon Sancho and Antony.

On Sancho – I have always defended the lad. My take on his time at Old Trafford has been that the club and fans should stick with him because he’s a real talent and has the ability to be the difference-maker. I have to turn my back on that now though. He came out, not for the first time in his career, and said he’s a scapegoat and went against his manager, and that never goes down well. As I said last week, I would be amazed if Sancho still has a future at Manchester United.

So to hear that United are looking for wingers isn’t surprising. I know there have been hints Sancho could return to Borussia Dortmund but I actually wouldn’t rule out a mutual loan move between Sancho and Kvaratskhelia. My only real concern would be that Kvaratskhelia has massively gone off the boil. He had a great first half to the season last season but he hasn’t scored a goal in Serie A since March and that’s a real big worry. Why are Manchester United looking to replace an underperforming player with another underperforming player?

Harry Maguire isn’t good enough for any top-six sides…

Harry Maguire came out earlier this week and admitted he isn’t used to receiving criticism but insisted he can handle it, and then his mum also came out and basically asked fans to stop picking on her son. Fair enough. It probably isn’t nice to see someone you love so heavily scrutinised by the general public, but let’s not go too overboard here.

Fans, and pundits, have every right to criticise a player if they believe they’re not performing to an adequate standard. Unless someone says something that breaks the law, then they’re not doing anything wrong.

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From what I can see, most people are either questioning Gareth Southgate’s decision to continue playing him when he gets such little game time at club level, or they’re saying how badly he has played. So if that is enough to get you cancelled, well, cancel me, because I agree. He isn’t good enough to be any top club’s first-choice centre-back. He’s a great career man. He’s gone from Sheffield United to Hull City, to Leicester and to Manchester United, and none of that is his fault. But he isn’t good enough. If you had Virgil Van Dijk playing next to him, you might get away with it, but no top-six club with serious ambitions of winning titles and silverware would choose Maguire.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m sure Maguire is a nice bloke away from football. I have never gotten personal with the man, but when it comes to discussing a player’s footballing ability, or lack thereof, reacting to their on-field contributions should not be viewed as if it is some sort of hate crime. One of the best things about football has always been how it sparks debate and promotes a wide variety of opinions.

What next for Gareth Southgate?

When it comes to the criticism Maguire is receiving, I have to agree that Southgate’s insistence on playing him for England every game is contributing to fans’ frustration. His loyalty to a player who is otherwise out of favour everywhere else could end up costing him.

He has a contract that runs until after next year’s European Championship and I do think that regardless of how England do in the tournament, 2024 will be when he leaves his position. He has done so much good work for England’s men’s team.

It’s really hard to say he’s been the country’s greatest-ever manager because of course Sir Alf Ramsey won the World Cup in 1966 but he’s certainly made the second spot his own. The Fabio Capello’s, Sven Goran Eriksson’s, Bobby Robson’s and the like are all fighting for third.

If and when Southgate makes way for the next England manager, I think the FA should make him the head of football technical operations. Basically a role that oversees everything from grassroots up to the senior team, including coach and manager development. That is how important he has been to this nation during his time in charge.

There are three obvious candidates to replace Southgate…

In terms of which manager could end up replacing Southgate, there has been talk of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, but I am a firm believer that international football should be all about a country showcasing the talent they have and that includes the manager.

If the FA are going to stick with hiring English managers, I think there are only three obvious choices at the moment. Eddie Howe will probably be a candidate but unless Newcastle United sack him before then I can’t see him taking over from Southgate. The other two, for me, are Graham Potter and Steve Cooper.

The post Collymore’s column: Martin Odegaard isn’t captain material, who should replace Gareth Southgate and why do Man United want to sign another underperforming player? appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Jadon Sancho will never play for Man United again, why Newcastle shouldn’t worry and which player is England’s best number 10

Stan Collymore — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 10:39:44 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including Jadon Sancho’s uncertain future at Man United, Newcastle United’s tough Champions League group and which player should be England’s first-choice number 10, plus much more.

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Jadon Sancho’s Man United career is over…

Obviously one of the biggest talking points this week has been Jadon Sancho’s public falling out with Erik Ten Hag. His decision to criticise, and effectively undermine, his manager on social media wouldn’t have gone down well at all. I just don’t see how he could ever come back from it. I actually believe the Red Devils will look to offload him, either on loan or permanently, at the next opportunity. The whole situation is very reminiscent of Romelu Lukaku’s second spell at Chelsea.

I know there are reports that he’s set for crunch talks with his manager and the coaching staff but I don’t think we’ll ever see Sancho play for United again.

An old interview he did while playing for Borussia Dortmund has resurfaced. In that interview, Sancho said something very similar about being made the club’s scapegoat so it seems to be a bit of a trend. It may be the truth; he could have just been really unlucky but almost every manager and coach will now be wary of him because he’s given himself this reputation of being a problematic player that, according to his current boss, isn’t the best trainer.

So it’s going to be difficult for him, and United, to find a club willing to take him; certainly in the Premier League anyway. I think European clubs are more likely to want him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich tried to bring him back to the Bundesliga but I feel Serie A would actually be the best destination for him at this stage. Working under Jose Mourinho at Roma might not be a bad idea but I don’t think he’ll have many takers in England.

Outcome of Antony investigation will determine winger’s Old Trafford future…

Another player causing a massive headache for Ten Hag is Antony. There have been multiple reports of an ongoing domestic abuse investigation against the Brazilian.

This is obviously a situation I can relate to. Back when I was involved in a domestic abuse incident that saw me hit out at Urika Johnson, I was at Aston Villa at the time, and I was immediately recalled to the squad. I wasn’t dropped by the club. But that was a very different time and that doesn’t happen anymore; as we’ve seen recently with Mason Greenwood, and rightly so, may I add.

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It is important to note that any allegations made against Antony at this stage are exactly that; they’re allegations. We do not know if the winger is innocent or guilty of the crimes he has been accused of.

However, once the ongoing investigation is concluded, if he is deemed to have done what he has been accused of, it is obvious Manchester United will cut ties with him. They wouldn’t even need to test the waters in terms of public response. Following what happened with Greenwood recently, when the club were deliberating over whether or not to reinstate him, the backlash confirmed what fans’ thoughts on the situation were, so there would be no hesitation over getting rid of Antony.

Newcastle could surprise a few in the Champions League…

I wasn’t overly popular with Newcastle fans when I said back in January that Eddie Howe could be sacked by November, so I am sure they’ll be pleased to hear how I have since changed my mind. I am no longer convinced the Magpies will be so quick to get rid of Howe.

I think the club will be looking at this season in the Champions League and be thinking ‘Well, we’re two years ahead of schedule, so let’s just enjoy it’. And don’t get me wrong, if anybody deserves the chance to manage in the Champions League, it’s Howe considering the remarkable work he did last season.

The interesting thing is, if the Magpies had held on to beat Liverpool 1-0 in Game Week 3, I don’t even think their season becomes a talking point. They have had a tough start; playing Manchester City and Liverpool in their first four games, and although they lost against Brighton last time out, they did thump Villa 5-1 on the opening day, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

They have some more favourable fixtures coming up, and although there are no easy games in the Premier League, Howe will be glad to see Brentford, Sheffield United and Burnley next up.

There is of course a huge Champions League group stage tie against AC Milan at the San Siro sandwiched in the middle of those fixtures though. I understand why some fans may be fearing the worst considering Newcastle have been drawn into the ‘group of death’ against AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, but I am feeling quite optimistic when it comes to their chances of qualifying. Make no mistake, Group F will not be an easy group to get out of, but I think they’ll stay competitive throughout. The Magpies have some really, really good players, who are going to be chomping at the bit to showcase what they can do on the biggest of stages, so be positive Toon fans, I really do fancy your chances.

So yes, I am happy to admit that I am turning my back on my earlier prediction. I believe the only way Howe gets dismissed this season is if the side totally bombs in Europe and their league form completely nosedives.

Levi Colwill and Phil Foden should start for England…

We’re on an international break so it’s only right to mention England. The Three Lions have two winnable European Championship qualifiers against Ukraine and Scotland coming up, and it’s going to be a chance for Gareth Southgate to play his best available side.

Although several positions are nailed-on, such as Harry Kane starting up top, two positions which you would assume are up for grabs is who will partner Harry Maguire at centre-back due to John Stones’ injury and which playmaker is best suited to the number 10 role.

We know Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice will be England’s preferred midfield pairing but with Eberechi Eze, James Maddison and Phil Foden all vying for what you would expect to be one other midfield spot, it’s going to be interesting to see which player gets the nod. Although Eze and Maddison have both been in excellent form recently, and both thoroughly deserve their call-ups, it’s a no-brainer for me; I would start Foden behind Kane. We know just how good he is; you don’t start over 20 Premier League games for Manchester City in both of the last two seasons if you’re average.

For England, we’ve mostly seen Foden played in a wide role, but with Bukayo Saka nailing down the right-wing spot and Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford the first-choice left-wingers, Foden absolutely must play in his preferred number 10 role.

As for which player should partner Maguire at the back, although Stones has been ruled out through injury, Southgate still has several defenders to choose from. Lewis Dunk, Marc Guehi, Fikayo Tomori and Levi Colwill are all available for selection, and if it were up to me, I would start the latter.

Colwill enjoyed an excellent season while out on loan with Brighton and Hove Albion last season and his talent and projected development was proven by Chelsea’s insistence on renewing his contract. He is a great player and at the age of just 20, why not start building for the future by embedding him now?

The post Collymore’s column: Jadon Sancho will never play for Man United again, why Newcastle shouldn’t worry and which player is England’s best number 10 appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Chelsea’s Palmer punt, Johnson should stay at Forest and Arsenal vs. Man United prediction

Stan Collymore — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 11:28:17 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including Harry Maguire’s latest England call-up, Brennan Johnson’s Nottingham Forest future, as well as a look ahead to Sunday’s featured Premier League game between Arsenal and Manchester United, plus much more.

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Gareth Southgate is too loyal for his own good…

I was surprised to see Raheem Sterling left out of Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad. I think Sterling, who has been quite consistent for his country, has been one of the Premier League’s best players during the first three games. I thought he was excellent against Luton Town last time out and is easily one of the first names on Mauricio Pochettino’s team sheet at the moment so to see him left out of England’s squad for their upcoming qualifiers was quite a shock.

Harry Maguire still being named in the team despite barely kicking a ball under Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United is obviously causing a lot of debate. I know Southgate quite well, I played with him during my pro career and he is a very loyal man. If he backs you, he’ll back you all the way, and the more pundits and fans call for Maguire to be dropped, the more likely Southgate is to stand by his man, so am I surprised to see the United defender still in the Three Lions’ squad? – Not really.

The same applies to Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips. Both players have performed well for Southgate, which admittedly, does go against his decision to snub Sterling, but both Maguire and Phillips have done the business for their international manager whenever called upon, which is why they’ve been, and will continue to be, selected.

Ange Postecoglou won’t mind losing Sergio Reguilon…

Luke Shaw’s untimely injury has forced United back into the market in search of a stand-in left-back. Obviously, Marc Cucurella from Chelsea wasn’t one that materialised, but it looks like they’re about to announce Sergio Reguilon, if they haven’t already done so by the time this column is published.

I’m not saying I don’t rate Reguilon, or think he’s a decent player, but managers have a full dossier of players, and in Ange Postecoglou’s case, he would have arrived at Spurs and given everyone a clean slate. Managers see their squad members day in, and day out on the training grand so if Postecoglou has taken a good look at Reguilon and still doesn’t fancy him and is willing to let him join a direct rival, then I think it’s very telling of what the Aussie thinks of him.

Chelsea have taken a huge punt on Cole Palmer…

Similarly to Reguilon, Cole Palmer to Chelsea is another example of where a club and a manager won’t be bothered by pundits and fanbases saying their team have pulled off a transfer masterclass.

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Don’t get me wrong – Palmer looks like a great young talent. He’s already scored important goals and should, all being well, continue to develop into a top player. However, there is a reason Pep Guardiola has let him leave and join a domestic rival – arguably one of their biggest too.

Palmer obviously wasn’t in his manager’s plans as much as we thought he was. Chelsea have taken a huge punt on him in the hope he goes on to emulate the career Phil Foden has had, but again, there are no guarantees, and Guardiola is obviously confident the lad won’t be as good as the rest of his City squad. Only time will tell which club benefits the most from the deal, but Guardiola will be confident he’s made the right decision.

Brennan Johnson will probably go, but he shouldn’t…

If recent reports are to be believed, Brennan Johnson is closing in on a deadline-day transfer from Nottingham Forest to Tottenham Hotspur.

He’s a player a lot of club’s scouts like. Brentford really like him; they were prepared to smash their club record fee for him. Tottenham Hotspur have been sniffing about for a long time, so have Chelsea and Aston Villa so he’s obviously highly rated.

He’s rapid, he’s creative and he knows how to score goals. His goalscoring stats at Forest, which I think are about one in every three games, aren’t the best, but if you put the lad in a better team; one that has more possession and creates more chances, I am sure his goal returns will improve. Regardless of that though, I think a move this summer is too soon for him.

I think he should stay with Forest for at least one more season. He’s from Nottingham, his dad played for the club and he’s come through the academy so he knows the club’s set-up very well. I think he should say no to a transfer this summer and spend the 2023-24 season continuing his development and perfecting his game before he looks to move on, because if he fulfils his potential, he won’t need to worry about securing a big transfer, the opportunities will inevitably come, and he probably could do better than Spurs anyway.

Arsenal to be this weekend’s big winners…

This weekend’s big Premier League game comes from the Emirates Stadium when title hopefuls Arsenal take on Manchester United.

Both teams have failed to impress during their first few games of the season but obviously, Arsenal, playing at home, will be the game’s favourites. However, the Gunners’ last result against Fulham (2-2) wasn’t great. Mikel Arteta will always expect more than a draw against Fulham but the fact they conceded against 10 men would have really frustrated the Spaniard.

Last weekend has been and gone now though, so looking ahead to this weekend’s fixture, I think if you offered Ten Hag a point now, he’d snatch your hand off but I actually believe Arsenal could edge it.

A 1-1 draw wouldn’t surprise me, but I think Arsenal will prove to be just too much for United to contain for the full 90 minutes, so I am going with a narrow 2-1 win for the home side.

The post Collymore’s column: Chelsea’s Palmer punt, Johnson should stay at Forest and Arsenal vs. Man United prediction appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: Liverpool should maximise Mo Salah opportunity, surely Saudi won’t want Mason Greenwood and why Ivan Toney’s teammate is my favourite Premier League player

Stan Collymore — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:07:59 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including Mo Salah’s links to Al-Ittihad, where Mason Greenwood could play next, rumours Ivan Toney could leave Brentford, plus much more.

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Liverpool should cash in on Mo Salah… But only for record-fee…

It’s a strange one because if this was before Salah had signed a new contract, it’d have been unthinkable for him to leave Anfield but I think it’s a little bit different now. The reality is, Liverpool aren’t in the same financial bracket as the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, so if Al-Ittihad, or any other club, make them an offer, and don’t get me wrong, it’ll have to be a mega offer, probably a world-record, then I can see them accepting because they just can’t afford to say no to something like £300 million.

I know it’s quite late in the transfer window but Liverpool aren’t struggling for attackers. They’ve got Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota so while I don’t think they could necessarily replace the impact Salah has had for them over the years, they’re not going to be left short of options if he does leave, and at the end of the day, he’s 31-years-old now, he’s going to depart at some point, why not get the absolute maximum you can out of a player that has already helped deliver every trophy possible?

Of course, it all depends on what Liverpool want to do, if they’re serious about not losing him, then if recent reports are anything to go by, the player will have to push for a transfer himself. I don’t see Salah as a disruptive type of player, but again, if reports he’s being offered £1,500,000-per week are to be believed, there is no way he’s turning his back on that. Who would? – But it isn’t just the money on offer that will appeal to Salah. There’s a huge cultural aspect to this touted move. He’s a strict muslim and let’s be honest, he isn’t a born n’ bred scouser. Yes, he will go down as a Liverpool legend but he’s a career professional that has already had several high-profile transfers in his time so why wouldn’t he move to the Middle East?

For me, it’s quite simple, if I’m Liverpool, I am holding firm and saying to Al-Ittihad ‘If you really want to sign Salah, you’ll need to offer £300 million, and if you do that, we’ll fly him to Jeddah ourselves.’

I can’t see Saudi signing Mason Greenwood…

The reality is, Mason Greenwood is still a professional football so while I understand some clubs in England not wanting to sign him, there is nothing stopping clubs from overseas being interested. He’s got a lot of making up to do and I would like to see him make those positive changes, both on and off the field. If he’s man enough to make mistakes, he should be man enough to own them and make the necessary changes to improve and develop both as an athlete and as a person.

In terms of football though, ironically, I can’t see him signing for any Saudi club. Saudi Arabia has a poor record and reputation when it comes to human rights, particularly those of women, so because they want to show the world how progressive they can be through sport, I think a move for Greenwood would be counter-productive to their ambitions.

I obviously don’t know where Greenwood will end up playing, but I would be extremely surprised if he moves directly to another Premier League club. I think the Portuguese league, or a similar league, would be his likeliest destination. But whatever happens next for him, it looks like he’s going to have to do it the hard way and start at the bottom.

Where are all the world-class players?

Chelsea started off with a decent performance against Liverpool but failed to get the result and they followed it up with a disappointing 3-1 defeat against West Ham United last weekend. While some fans might be questioning whether or not Mauricio Pochettino is the right man for the job, I think any talk of him being under pressure is far too premature.

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