Chris Sutton – CaughtOffside

Video: Celtic legend tips Ange Postecoglou for Man United job

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 09:08:33 +0000

Currently sat 11 points behind leaders Tottenham with five losses in their first 10 games, Man United manager, Erik ten Hag, finds himself under incredible pressure at present.

Compare and contrast his position with that of Ange Postecoglou, who has taken over the reins at Spurs and turned them into one of the best teams in the division.

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Coming from Celtic, it’s not unfair to suggest that not much was expected of the Australian in his first season in the Premier League, so just how well Tottenham are playing has probably shut a few mouths.

Another former Celtic employee, Chris Sutton, speaking on the All Kicking Off podcast, was unequivocal when asked who should replace ten Hag should the Dutchman be sacked by the Red Devils.

“Big Ange,” was the immediate response, before he went on to discuss why.

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Chris Sutton agrees with Steve McManaman’s view on “most impressive” Premier League title contenders

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:48:14 +0000

What’s great about this season’s Premier League race is that no one team has pulled away from the chasing pack thus far.

Whilst it’s true that we’re only nine games into the season, it bodes well to have the top five teams at present all within four points of each other.

It shows that whomever is going to emerge victorious at the end of the season will be doing so by sheer hard graft.

Manchester City have already looked vulnerable this season under Pep Guardiola, though that might have always been expected given that they coming off the back of a treble winning season with desire and focus perhaps not quite where it should be.

Aston Villa are one of the surprise packages with Unai Emery seeing his side playing some sparkling stuff so far in 2023/24. Whether they have the squad to sustain a challenge for the remainder of the campaign is a moot point at this stage.

Tottenham are playing with a freedom not seen for years, whilst north London neighbours Arsenal have the bit between their teeth again, despite the disappointment of last season.

Steve McManaman, unsurprisingly, has picked out Liverpool as his title dark horses.

“I would say that Liverpool have probably played the hardest games so far out of the teams in the title race,” he said on BBC Radio Five Live, cited by Liverpool World.

“They’ve played away from home against Brighton, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham, so the fact that they’re sitting close despite competing in those difficult fixtures is an indication that they’ve potentially been the most impressive so far out of all the title contenders.

“I believe that all the teams around the top of the table currently are the sides that you’d expect to be there.”

Fellow pundit, Chris Sutton, agreed.

“I went early on them,” he noted.

“Just because of the midfield players they have brought and the rotation they can have in forward areas. You never leave Salah out, but the options they have in forward areas…I’m still worried about them defensively, but I was at the Etihad at the weekend, and Man City were brilliant in the first half, but they are looking…I don’t want to say vulnerable, but I think Liverpool will be a bigger challenger to Man City than Arsenal will, I really do this season.”

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Chris Sutton on why Man United CEO’s position is “under scrutiny” and the transfer deal that “can’t happen”

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 09:41:25 +0000

It seems that everyone has an opinion on how Man United have conducted their business during this summer’s transfer window, and that’s extended to former professional player turned broadcaster, Chris Sutton.

The ex-Chelsea man isn’t happy with what’s been happening at Old Trafford, particularly in relation to the Mason Greenwood scenario.

So much has been said and written about whether the club should have brought the player back into the fold, before ultimately deciding it wasn’t in their best interests.

That hasn’t stopped Sutton giving his two penneth.

“Manchester United only had one decision to make and they got there in the end,” he said on the Daily Mail’s It’s All Kicking off! podcast.

“It was the only decision (they could make), the sensible decision. No, (he can) absolutely not (play in this country again). The pressure on his team-mates and the scrutiny on whichever club he went to, that’s a no-no.

“He will have to move abroad and just try to repair his career.

“[…] It can’t happen (a move to an English club, it won’t happen. I think from the outside looking in, I think, the country where he may end up playing is Saudi Arabia.”

Mason Greenwood

With such a backlash to United’s apparent dithering, it’s no wonder that Sutton also feels that the finger needs to be pointed at United’s CEO, Richard Arnold.

“I suppose scrutiny will be on Manchester United and Richard Arnold, especially because of how long they took to make this decision, but they got there in the end” he added.

“There’s no doubt about it this has taken too long to come to a conclusion. Richard Arnold is paid a hell of a lot of money to make big decisions and be decisive at Manchester United.

“But, I think it has to be said that he seems to have faffed around with this one, tried to tiptoe around a situation and get outside opinion.

“It seems to have backfired and I suppose his position must come under scrutiny because if he can’t be decisive and make these big decisions then it’s going to be a problem for him.”

If, as The Sun report, Sheikh Jassim will takeover the club in mid-October, then it’s highly likely that Arnold will be out of a job in any event.

For Mason Greenwood, the situation is entirely different. Whichever club decides to take a chance on the player runs the risk of alienating a significant portion of their fan base.

There may even come a point, if the youngster can’t find a new club, that he has to accept that his alleged misdemeanours have cost him his football career.

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Chris Sutton claims £30 million ace wasn’t David Moyes signing

Andrew Walker — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 10:49:22 +0000

Chris Sutton isn’t convinced James Ward-Prowse was David Moyes’ preferred signing.

Recently joining the Hammers from Southampton in a deal worth £30 million, Ward-Prowse, 28, became the Londoners’ first official signing of the summer.

[moretories latest]

However, despite being one of the Premier League’s best midfielders last season, Sutton feels the 28-year-old England international may not have been Moyes’ ‘first choice’ addition.

“I don’t think that he would’ve been David Moyes’ first choice,” the former Villa player said.

“We know how good he is from set plays and West Ham have great height in their team.

“He’ll slot alongside [Tomas] Soucek in midfield. I don’t think it’s a midfield that has great legs. I just worry about him if he plays alongside Soucek, whether West Ham have the legs in the middle of the park.”

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“They’re not good enough” – Sutton predicts winner of Man City vs. Newcastle game

Andrew Walker — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 10:01:08 +0000

Chris Sutton does not expect Newcastle United to take anything away from Manchester City on Saturday.

Preparing for their second Premier League game of the season, the Magpies, top of the table after thrashing Aston Villa 5-1 on last weekend’s opening day, will be hoping for another good result.

Travelling to the Etihad is arguably a team’s toughest fixture of the campaign though, and Eddie Howe will know his side will need to be at their absolute best if they’re to come away with at least a point.

‘Clearly a downgrade’ – Pundit savages Tottenham as new managerial candidate linked

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 26 May 2023 18:23:57 +0000

Things aren’t getting any easier for Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, as he looks to fill the vacant managerial position at White Hart Lane.

It’s been two months since Antonio Conte agreed to leave the club by mutual consent, and it appears that the north London outfit are still no closer to being able to announce a new man in charge.

Feyenoord’s title-winning manager, Arne Slot, was believed to be a heavy favourite to take over at the Premier League club, though it does seem that any potential interest being attributed to him was a red herring and, perhaps, a ploy from him to get the Dutch giants to raise his terms.

One of the new names in the frame, as Levy goes from pillar to post to see just who might be interested in steering the club in a new direction, is Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou.

The 57-year-old Australian has worked wonders north of the border, and former Celtic player, Chris Sutton, has really put the boot in after learning of a suggestion that Postecoglou could be the right man to solve Spurs’ woes.

I want Ange Postecoglou to stay at Celtic and have a crack at the CL next season and Tottenham Hotspur is clearly a downgrade/smaller club than Celtic but nobody can deny the fact that Ange will want a crack at the Premier League down south at some stage…

— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) May 26, 2023

‘I want Ange Postecoglou to stay at Celtic and have a crack at the CL next season and Tottenham Hotspur is clearly a downgrade/smaller club than Celtic but nobody can deny the fact that Ange will want a crack at the Premier League down south at some stage…,’ he wrote on Twitter.

Being a former Chelsea man too, Sutton won’t have won any more friends in north London after that comment, however, Spurs are becoming a bit of a laughing stock now.

Forget the performances on the pitch of late which have been abysmal, the club appear to be in complete disarray.

Why on earth would you want to walk straight into that?!

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“He can’t run anymore” – Liverpool star’s alarming decline highlighted by pundit

Mark Brus — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 13:12:44 +0000

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has been heavily criticised by pundit Chris Sutton after his poor form this season.

The Brazil international has been a hugely important part of Jurgen Klopp’s side down the years, but he’s been one of a number of players to suffer a major dip in form this term, along with other big names like Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson.

It’s been a hugely disappointing campaign at Anfield, and there’s no doubt that someone like Fabinho could and should be offering a lot more.

Discussing Fabinho’s decline, Sutton admitted that the 29-year-old now looks completely shot and like he can no longer run.

Fabinho in action for Liverpool

Pundit blames ‘miserable’ West Ham star for David Moyes’ current woes

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 11:54:04 +0000

It hasn’t been the best of seasons for West Ham and David Moyes, and one pundit has blamed a ‘miserable’ player who he believes has let his manager down.

Ever since signing for the east Londoners from Sassuolo, Gianluca Scamacca hasn’t really done the business in front of goal.

If he was signed to be a replacement for Sebastian Haller, then it wasn’t the best decision that the club have ever made.

Of his eight goals only three have come in the Premier League, with the remainder being scored in the Europa Conference League, per WhoScored.

He found the net again in the European competition on Thursday evening against Larnaca, but after the game, BT Sport’s Chris Sutton ripped into the Italian.

“Blimey in that interview he (Scamacca) was more miserable than me which is saying something,” he said in the post-match BT Sport studio discussion.

Scamacca has had to deal with injury while at West Ham

“I’m not so sure his heart is in it, that’s the truth. I mean three Premier League goals this season, I think he’s let David Moyes down in a way.

“I think Moyes would have expected far more from him – the Italian (national team) centre-forward. He’s a very talented player but I’m not sure he’s totally committed.”

When you consider Scamacca has only played for 90 minutes on three occasions since his switch, then perhaps his insouciance is understandable.

Could it even be a question of Moyes’ style not being suitable for the towering centre forward of whom so much was expected?

Whatever the why’s and wherefores, the Scot is on borrowed time at present.

Ten wins in a row in the Europa Conference League doesn’t make up for a terrible campaign in the English top flight where the Hammers remain perilously close to the bottom three.

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Pundit sends message to Liverpool players ahead of uphill task against Real Madrid

Mark Brus — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 13:27:06 +0000

Former Premier League star Chris Sutton has explained what he feels needs to go right for Liverpool against Real Madrid in tonight’s Champions League clash at the Bernabeu.

The Reds are major underdogs as they travel to Spain, with Real winning 5-2 at Anfield in the first leg to put themselves firmly in control of the tie against a Jurgen Klopp team that just haven’t been themselves for most of this season.

Still, we’ve seen occasional glimpses of what Liverpool are capable of, including their memorable 7-0 win over Manchester United recently.

It’s surely not impossible for Liverpool to produce something similar tonight, and Sutton has called on Alisson to have a strong performance in particular.

While we all know what attacking players like Mohamed Salah are capable of in attack, LFC haven’t defended well enough this season, and will need to keep Los Blancos quiet this evening to have any chance of punishing them at the other end.

‘They will lose’ – Sutton makes surprise Spurs – Newcastle prediction

Mehdi Gokal — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 17:57:51 +0000

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has backed Newcastle to beat Antonio Conte’s Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend.

Spurs will be looking to bounce back from Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at Manchester United with a win against Newcastle. However, Eddie Howe’s team has been extremely impressive this season, having only lost once to Liverpool. They are playing some of the best football in the country with Howe setting up his team to attack. They sit 6th in the league, just 2 points behind Chelsea who are sitting at 4th.

And Tottenham, according to the BBC Sport pundit, will need their goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to be on top of his game if they are to win against Newcastle, predicting them to lose 2-1. He wrote:

“I really like what Eddie Howe is doing at Newcastle. They are defensively sound, but they always create chances too and they are a team full of confidence.

“Tottenham have been getting some good results without playing particularly well, or at least they were until they went to Old Trafford on Wednesday.

“That defeat would have been worse if not for some good saves by Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, and they might need him to keep him in this game too.

“Sutton’s prediction: 1-2.”

Newcastle will not be lacking in confidence and will come out firing. But, Conte’s team has proven multiple times this season that they can grind out wins.

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