Birmingham
On Birmingham avoiding relegation, the sacking of Gary Rowett and the survival job by Harry Redknapp…
“In hindsight you have to say that sacking Gary Rowett has turned out to be a bad decision for the club. Saying that, as someone who played under Gianfranco Zola, I have full respect for him as a manager, but he seemingly found it difficult to implement his system and style at Birmingham and that magnified the criticism of the decision to sack Rowett.
“With Harry coming in, it was a very bespoke job. When you looked at the people out of work and available, he was the perfect fit for it. One of the most powerful things about him is how infectious he is with the players and that’s the main thing you need when you’re in a scrap – playing for someone you respect and want to play for. He’s certainly done the job that was asked of him and I’m glad to see Harry has got the job on a one-year deal.”
On what Redknapp needs to do next season…
“Firstly, it’s fair to say that teams coming down from the Premier League will likely have the financial firepower to outspend Birmingham, so it’s a tough job. I think the one thing they’re missing is a 20-goal a season striker. I would expect Harry will get the team organised and defending well, but they miss that creativity and goal-scoring threat. That will cost a lot of money, which is why I think the level of investment could dictate their fortunes.
“There’s potential for the club to make the play-offs, but I’m unsure if they’re ready for that at the moment because over the past few seasons there hasn’t been that financial backing to go and make some key signings. To write off their chances now would be naïve but, looking at it from the outside, if they were to have a stable season and gain some consistency in their results, that would seem like a sensible ambition for next season.”
Arsenal
On Arsene Wenger’s comments that he could not work with a director of football…
“With everything that Arsene Wenger has succeeded with in his career, in the set-up that he has been used to, I’m not sure if he’d be able to work with a director of football, which he himself appears to have ruled out with his recent comments. It’s understandably difficult to change and adapt to that. The person that they would have to bring in has to have the same level of power and experience as Arsene Wenger, so who are you going to choose to fill that role? Very few can match his experience or power in the game.
“A manager and a director of football may have moments where they have differences of opinion and Arsene has, for many years, enjoyed control without having anyone in that position. If you add the role now, Arsene Wenger may feel distracted by it and that could be bad from the get-go. If you’re going to have a director of football in place, I think perhaps it may be better to implement one, if and when the club appoint a new manager.
“David Dein had a fantastic relationship with Arsene Wenger and it is well documented that he dealt with all the transfer dealings between clubs – they both supported and respected each other because David was already a massive figure at the club and one who personally brought Arsene in. I wonder if Arsene Wenger feels if he can replicate that relationship with anyone else.”
On what needs to change at Arsenal moving forward…
“From the manager to the board, to the coaches, the players and the medical practices, the structure of Arsenal has had small changes in the past 20 years. Looking at it, there maybe are some changes that could be considered to help the team and it’d be great to see them find a solution that would see their players being fit and medically available to play more regularly, but ultimately you have to respect the job Arsene has done over such a long period.
“The players currently in the set-up tick a lot of boxes – technically gifted, strong, quick – but you could argue what they lack, and have done for a while, is that drive and determination to win the game no matter what. Performances such as the recent ones away at West Brom and Crystal Palace arguably demonstrated that.”
On coaches underneath Wenger and former players as coaches…
“A lot of those relationships between Wenger and his former players are in a playing capacity, not a coaching one. Arsene has his own well-documented philosophy on how he wants the set-up to be and how he wants to teach players. As I joined the club, Steve Bould was travelling to Hale End regularly to complete his coaching qualifications and he’s put the hours in and worked his way up through the club to be Arsene’s assistant.”
On why the players are accused of showing a lack of drive and determination…
“I’m not in that dressing room, so I can only speak from the outside, but as with any team a lot of the mentality will depend on the balance of the dressing room. The main accusation often levelled against the Arsenal team is that you’ve got very similar players across the board; nice, technically-gifted players and you get the odd one, like Sanchez, who stands out because he plays with an intensity and in a manner that people want to see.
“In my opinion, you can’t simply give a footballer drive and determination to fight and display those characteristics – that comes from within the player. You look at the likes of N’Golo Kante and it’s a shame that Arsenal were unable to bring him to the club as he’s an example of a type of player many believe that Arsenal could benefit from. He has the drive, determination and the tenacity that fans love.”
On whether he’d keep Sanchez or Ozil…
“They are both incredible players so it’s a difficult choice and ideally Arsenal would keep both of them. If pushed on only keeping one, I’d personally keep Sanchez. I don’t think they can afford to lose someone with his energy and determination on the field. I’m not saying Ozil isn’t committed, but Sanchez displays it on a more regular and intense basis. I think the players look at Sanchez and are inspired to play with him, because he doesn’t give up. That’s a powerful thing that you can’t lose.”
On who Arsenal should invest in this summer…
“Instead of one player, it’s a type of player I would like to see them sign. Arsenal don’t necessarily need big names, but they have to display that drive and determination. You need a presence, whether that’s in defence or in the centre of midfield, to win the ball back and be dynamic and aggressive.”
On Rob Holding as someone who could be that leader and captain on the field…
“From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think that’s unreasonable to think. He could certainly benefit from more game time, that’s clear, but looking at the position he’s in and how he’s done, he has given himself a great opportunity to be given a place in the starting XI. Based on his character and how he plays, I think it’s important for Arsenal to keep him for the foreseeable future – he’s totally committed, calm and reassuring.”
On top four or an FA Cup win…
“At the moment, from an Arsenal perspective, I’d rather see them win the FA Cup. You always want to see a club win trophies and the FA Cup is still a massive trophy for me. Many will rightfully reference Arsene’s achievement on so many years of Champions League qualification, but there are potential short-term positives should the club fail to make Champions League football this season.
“It will give them time to step away from the intensity that the competition brings and they can focus on getting themselves back on track in the League. Look at Chelsea – you can turn no Champions League football into a positive.”
West Ham
On West Ham adapting to the London Stadium this season…
“The old ground was fantastic, rich in history, stature and presence, but every forward-thinking club has to look at improving their stadium or moving to a bigger one. I think the focus on the atmosphere has been largely overplayed this season – from what I could see and hear, the atmosphere against Spurs was amazing and the team played very well with a high tempo. Many clubs seemingly find it difficult initially when moving stadiums, but West Ham the other night looked like they’re settling in to the stadium now. That result showed that the London Stadium can be home for West Ham fans and it really rocked.”
On whether this is West Ham’s ceiling or if they can challenge for Europe again…
“It’s definitely not their ceiling finishing mid-table, it’s a big enough club with a brand new stadium to push on. It has the supporting structure to push into that Europe conversation but they’ve got to find the right players, with the right balance on the pitch.”
On John Terry’s potential next move…
“I’m not sure where John will move next, I would have thought he’ll have plenty of offers, both here and abroad. He looks great, he’s training hard and he’s going to want to play every week. You can’t underestimate the presence of someone like John Terry in a changing room, with his proven Premier League experience and knowledge.”
On the rumour that Daniel Sturridge could be on his way to West Ham…
“Both Andy Carroll and Daniel Sturridge bring a lot of great attributes to the team, but the downside recently of Andy Carroll is that he’s not fit every game and given that reality, I’m not sure they can risk replacing him with another player who has struggled to stay fit.”
Brighton
On whether missing out on the Championship title will affect Brighton psychologically…
“No. I think once they got promoted, their intensity dipped and they had a really bizarre game at Norwich, where things went against them a bit. Given their history of the past five seasons, where they’ve been in play-off positions but never made that jump up, they were probably all relieved to finally make it to the top flight. I was disappointed not to see them win the title but I don’t think it will have any effect and I’m sure they’ll enjoy themselves in the Premier League.”
On whether Brighton can stay up next season and if so, where they need to bolster…
“I think the most important thing for them is to have a clear vision on how they want to approach the league next season – to have a clear identity. Being cautious at times might work but they shouldn’t rely on this. You look at the likes of Burnley and yes, they may not be the most attractive team to watch, but they have a clear way of playing and have made Turf Moor a fortress, difficult to play against.
“For a club that has had no experience in the Premier League, it’s important they have an identity. They are an unknown entity next season, so it’s going to be exciting to watch them. I think Brighton will stay up next season. They need to bolster the squad and a lot will, of course, come down to the performance of existing Premier League clubs.
“From a Brighton perspective, they’ll hope at least one of the existing Premier League clubs suffer from a really bad season in the manner that we’ve seen from Sunderland this campaign, so that you have at least one of three boxes ticked as it were.”
Luton
On Luton manager Nathan Jones, who he is friends with, and their play-off semi-final against Blackpool…
“Nathan can change his style, he has a philosophy of how he wants to play but he’s very adaptable and that has made him successful in this league. I think Jack Marriott and Isaac Vassell have been really good this season and they’ve got the star man in Danny Hylton back which makes them very dangerous – they can score goals from anywhere. The work rate and hold-up play of those forwards will hopefully have too much for Blackpool and I think they’ll win this tie and make it to the play-off final.
“Luton are a great club who are really starting to bring themselves back, have some good owners and they’ve got a great manager – I hope they get promoted.”
