On Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea has enough problems, and then the Enzo Fernandez incident happens. Can you believe it? They are so many issues inside and outside the club and then that happens.
The club has so many enemies outside, so don’t bring any into the building. Don’t create trouble for yourself. Its already a difficult enough environment for the players as it is, and this will make things much worse. A dressing room needs to be harmonious; you can’t have players fighting with each other.
If I’m Wesley Fofana or someone else who would be personally affected, I’m angry. The song will not be forgotten and will have left a scar. This is not something you can brush under the carpet. This is a really serious issue and a really serious incident.
If I’m someone in that dressing room, I will feel concerned. OK, he apologised. It’s easy to apologise and say to your teammates we’re all brothers fighting for the same badge. Perhaps they can forgive him, but, emotionally, it would have left a big scar. I just don’t think that on the pitch, after what he said, the Chelsea players will fight in the same way for him. I can’t see it. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the players will show something different; a different example when they cross the line.
The problem that I have is that this is not the first time when it comes to Argentinian players and their racist actions. There is a lot of bad blood between Argentina and France - it started in the World Cup in Qatar and hasn’t gone away. It happened last week at the Olympics when the two teams played each other. The comments from the Aston Villa goalkeeper and his antics, you hear the apologies from the players, but nothing changes. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in the Olympic football game.
It's abject behaviour from the Argentinians. I've been defending Messi when he was playing for Paris Saint-Germain because he's the king of the football and I was very tired and very upset about all the criticism he received. I defended Argentina as well during the World Cup, but I cannot do that again when I see that kind of behaviour from Fernandez. You can’t say you’re sorry for doing these things and keep on doing them! I don’t believe your apologies anymore. I don't trust you anymore.
Are we going to fight together on the pitch to win games and competitions? Really?
Explain to me how the Chelsea players are going to do that. Are they going to run through brick walls to help Fernandez? I don’t think they will. It’s not going to be the same and it can’t be the same after what he said. You can’t normalise racism in society. You see it everywhere and it’s really upsetting. Social media allows people to lose their inhibitions. It’s bullshit. It’s becoming normal in our world.
I think this incident could really curse Chelsea’s season. As I said, they have so many troubles in the club, don’t bring any more in, especially from your own players.
French Connections
Manchester United recently signed Leny Yoro from Lille. What can you tell United fans who are unfamiliar with him about the player?
He forced his way into the Lille team from their academy and, straight away, he impressed everyone with his ability. He is a very mature player for someone so young and I love his ambition to make a move to the Premier League at eighteen years old.
He's got great qualities. I like his abilities as a player, and I like him as a person. He wants responsibilities on the pitch, and he's never hidden from that.
He had a great season last season with Lille. He played something like 45 games in his first season, which is remarkable for a young player. A lot of big clubs were looking at him, including PSG and Real Madrid. I can see why Madrid were interested because in France he is known as the new Varane.
PSG were really, really interested, but they would only spend 70 million euros on him if there were guarantees with his fitness and physicality. In the end, they were concerned about his physicality, which is why they walked away from the deal. Now, after he got injured for Manchester United in pre-season, we can see why PSG were concerned.
It's unfortunate for him, he's out for three months. He’s fractured his metatarsal…I think maybe he played too many games last season at such a young age. He’s got a lot of developing to do in terms of his physicality, he needs to work on gaining some more muscles and becoming more robust, but he’s a young guy and he will get there.
When he comes from his injury, Manu, do you think he's got the quality and the ability to quickly establish himself in that Man United back four as one of the main defenders?
Yes, Yoro has the quality to establish himself in the Manchester United’s first team this season. If you asked him, he would tell you he’s a fighter and he’s a player that enjoys the responsibility of being a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room, which is a wonderful characteristic to have as a young player.
He needs someone beside him in the central defence with personality and character, someone that can conduct, you know, the defence. It would be unfair to ask him to lead the defence of Manchester United at such a young age. I think Lisandro Martinez will help him a lot. He will need someone alongside him that can help him develop and grow into an even better player. They have also been linked with a move for Bayern’s Matthijs de Ligt, who ten Hag knows very well. He needs an experienced player alongside him because playing as a centre back at eighteen in the Premier League will be very challenging.
I have no concerns about his ability, but the physical side is a bit of a worry for me.
Manchester United are on the market for a defensive midfielder. You know a little bit about what a good one of those looks like, is PSG’s Manuel Ugarte the man to provide a little bit of steel to the United midfield?
I like Manuel Ugarte but I think he's limited. I think he has the quality to play in the Premier League, but I would question if he was what Erik ten Hag is looking for in a holding midfielder. He is a player with a lot of limitations with the ball and with the football that Manchester United are trying to play, with ten Hag’s philosophy, Ugarte doesn’t have the required technical ability.
He's got energy, he's got a good mentality, and he's a fighter on the pitch. At PSG, he was in the first team for a few weeks at the beginning of the season, but Luis Enrique realised that he couldn’t play the way he wanted him to and he was on the bench for the rest of the season. Enrique wants players that are very comfortable on the ball and can build the play, he looks for technical ability above everything else in his footballers, and Ugarte didn’t have the quality that he needed or the ability to come out with the ball and to break the first line.
After the Newcastle game in the Champions League, we didn’t see him again. He had a nightmare that night. He looked completely lost under the pressure of Newcastle’s press. He had other poor games, but that was the match where Luis Enrique knew he couldn’t do the job he wanted him to do.
On the plus side, he is a player that is physically very strong. He never gets injured, and he would bring a lot of energy to the United midfield. If ten Hag is looking to add more of a presence and energy, then I can see why he would be looking at him.
They already have Casemiro, but he has struggled with the pace of the English game and, in Manchester United’s pre-season game against Liverpool on Saturday night, he looked completely lost.
If ten Hag is looking for a player who fights for the ball, picks up second balls and adds a bit of steel, then I can see the appeal.
PSG are looking for between 60-70 million euros for him. There are much better midfielders on the market at that price. I think that is a lot of money to spend on a player with limitations.
A number of English clubs have been linked to a move for Adrien Rabiot, who is a free agent. Does he have the physical attributes to play in the Premier League and are all the rumours about his attitude unfair? He seems to be a player that can create problems.
Adrien Rabiot is on the way to Real Madrid, or at least that is what the press are saying in France. His mother, who is his agent, did an interview and said that she was very upset to see Rabiot linked with a lot of different clubs and to see other people speaking on her son’s behalf.
She said that she is the only person who manages his career and knows what offers are on the table. She manages his career and said that there is no truth to the reports linking him to clubs in the Premier League.
Reports in France said that his mother has found an agreement for him to join Real Madrid.
His mother is such a massive influence on him and has managed his career since he was a boy. Sometimes she has upset a few people at some of the clubs he has played for and also some people connected to the France national team.
He’s a good player and he will have some interesting options, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to be playing in England any time in the future.
Elye Wahi the young Lens striker is attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs including West Ham, Leicester and Chelsea. He scored a memorable goal against Arsenal in the Champions League last season and was signed for 30 million euros from Montpellier last summer. Do you think he has the attributes to succeed in the Premier League in your opinion and would kind of player would his potential new club be getting?
I think it's too soon for Elye Wahi to come to the Premier League, and there are better strikers on the market for the money it would take to sign him.
He joined Lens from Montpellier last season for a lot of money. He had a difficult start to the season, but he improved and towards the end of the season he was showing the signs of the player that he was the season before at Montpellier.
Is he ready for the Premier League and the demands that go with that? I think it would be too soon for him. I don’t think he has the maturity to fit in a big club in the Premier League, actually.He needs to improve a little bit more because, he went from Montpellier where you play one game per week to Lens where he played every three days because of the Champions League, and he struggled. He needs a few more seasons playing in France to build up his experience before he moves to the Premier League. I don’t think he has the mental strength for the Premier League either. He admitted that he struggled to deal with the criticisms he faced last season playing for Lens. He said he found it difficult to settle into the team at Lens.
I love Lens as a club, but that isn’t a club with a massive spotlight on it. That isn’t a club that generates a lot of media attention, so he shouldn’t have struggled. If he was playing for PSG, he would have been murdered! If he goes straight to a Premier League club, with all the demands and the pressure that goes with that on a daily basis, I don’t think he would be able to manage it. The Premier League is a different world. At the moment, he doesn’t have the maturity and the mental strength to handle that. He should focus on improving with Lens.
Bet On The Premier League
On Arsenal
It’s a big season for Arsenal. Do you think this could be the year where they can take the extra step and win the Premier League title?
I can feel the positivity in the club. Over the last couple of seasons, Arsenal reduced the gap with Manchester City. They’ve been fighting for the title late into the season, last season, losing it on the final day.
Arsenal is showing more and more commitment and improvement as a club. They are back in the Champions League, and I think they will be better in that competition this year.
They need to look at adding some quality, but I have full confidence in Arteta and Edu to find the right players.
With all the problems that Manchester City are facing, this could be the year that Arsenal beat them to the Premier League title. This is the most uncertain that Manchester City have been going into a season. They have all of the financial charges hanging over them, there are doubts about the long-term future of their star player Kevin De Bruyne and the future of their manager Pep Guardiola. Of course, they are the team to beat, the champions, but I don’t think that this season they will be as strong as some of the Manchester City title-winning teams from the past. We still need to wait and see what Arsenal do on the transfer market. Don’t forget that a lot of the top players have only just finished their season because of the European Championships and the Copa America.
The Premier League starts in two week’s time, so it will take a bit of time for some of these guys to find their rhythm. Speaking from my experience as a player, this is going to be a really long season for a lot of them.
I’m confident that this could be the year where Arsenal win the Premier League.
Why do you think this could be Arsenal’s year?
I'm fully confident on the team ability; it’s quality. The ambition of the players is to become a Premier League champion after getting so close last season. The environment in the dressing room and the club is wonderful at the moment.
All of the lights are green at Arsenal, and everyone is moving in the same direction with the shared ambition of winning major trophies. If you want to compete with City, you must give more than 100% all the time, and that is exactly what Arsenal have been doing for the last two years.
You mentioned in your answer there that you are confident in what Arsenal are going to do in the transfer market. What areas of the squad do you think the club needs to strengthen?
I think Arsenal need to add a striker and I think they need competition on the wings as well. I always say it, I said last season, when you’re trying to win the Premier League, you need to have exceptional quality in your squad.
Every summer, Arsenal should be looking to improve, and that means bringing in five players to increase the competition and raise the level. Arsenal’s squad isn’t complete yet, they need more quality.
New signings sharpen minds. They demonstrate a commitment to the players that are already at the club that sends a message that says we mean business. Finding the right players who have the same vision and personality to fit in can be difficult, but that’s what Arsenal must do.
I think the most important signing is a striker. Then they should look at adding competition on the wings and in midfield. It will be a very long season because of the international competitions, and when you can see the finish line in the Premier League, that is when you need to have options. The Premier League is so physically and mentally demanding, if you want to win it, you have to be able to rotate your players. That is what Manchester City have been able to do for years and years. Arsenal didn’t have the strength in depth to have that luxury. They must add more quality to the squad if they want to be competitive in all of the competitions and challenge for trophies.
Arsenal recently signed Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori. Were you surprised that the first signing the club made this summer was a defender given Arsenal’s defensive record last season?
I watched him at Bologna. He was very good, so I wasn’t surprised when Arsenal signed him or that the first player the club signed was a defender because they will be looking to improve every part of the team. They may have had the best defensive record in the Premier League last season, but you can always improve, and that is what Mikel Arteta hopes will happen with the addition of Riccardo Calafiori.
He brings so much energy on the pitch, so much commitment. He's so strong mentally and physically as well. He's got great abilities as well with the ball and he can play in several different positions.
I'm not surprised at all (that Arsenal signed him) and I was very happy that Arsenal signed him. After everything I've heard about him, I can only say good things about who he is as a human being. He will add quality on and off the pitch.
He will bring competition as well. From what I’ve seen of him, he’s a killer on the pitch. He loves defending. He loves the physical duels and winning challenges. He plays with so much energy, he's got great ambitions.
You mentioned earlier about a striker. Arsenal have been linked with so many different strikers this summer. Is there one candidate who you believe would be a perfect fit for the club?
Arsenal needs a striker that fits perfectly into Arteta’s philosophy, which means that they must find a player with strong technical skill and the ability to keep the ball up front. They need a striker that can play with his teammates in a small space and someone that can feel the same movement of his teammates in terms of combinations and off the ball movement.
Signing a striker should be Arsenal’s number one priority in the transfer window. They need someone that is good in the air and can also be physically imposing. It’s good to have different options, and with Arsenal, you know how they will play on the attack, and it can be too predictable. We’ve seen them struggle to break down teams that play with a lot of men behind the ball.
Arsenal need a plan b. The need a striker with a presence in the penalty area, someone that can keep two defenders with him, someone that is strong physically and strong in the air because they don't score many goals from headers. With the amount of balls they put into the box, they need to find someone to score headers. That is one part of the attack that must improve.
There are a few players who tick all these boxes on the market. I’m a huge fan of Ollie Watkins. I love him! He's strong physically. He has the pace to run in behind defenders.
He's able to fight with two defenders all the time and can hold up the ball. I think he would be perfect for the football that Arsenal play. He has the ability to play one-on-one combinations and I think he would fit like a glove into an Arsenal team and system.
One player that appears to be close to joining the club is Mikel Merino. He’s 28, coming into his prime, is that a move that you would endorse - can he be our new Manu Petit?
Did you see what Mikel Merino did with Spain during the Euros? He was not a regular first team player, but every time he came in or he played, he did well. Obviously, he scored that crucial goal against Germany to knock them out.
I watched him against Paris Saint-Germain when they played against Real Sociedad in the Champions League. I like him, and when you look at Spain and you look Arsenal, they play the same way. Possession of the ball, technical players keeping it on the ground. Both teams are happy to be patient to wait for an opportunity to get the ball to the wingers and strikers. He is a player that rarely gives the ball away and is always looking for it. He would be a great fit for the type of football that Mikel Arteta plays because he has everything that he looks for in a midfielder.
He's not the type of players that is going to run around the pitch. He will read the game, intercept things and cut off the passing lanes. He would bring something a bit different to Arsenal’s midfield and I think that is something the club needs.
With all the incomings, there will have to be exits, and it seems like homegrown talents like Emile Smith-Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah are going to be leaving the club this summer. Fans can get a bit sentimental when they lose an academy player, do they need to back the club’s thinking in moving these guys on and understand that it’s just business and that the money generated will help Arsenal be even more competitive?
At the end of the day, emotions can’t get in the way of ambition. I understand that it’s hard for the fans when academy players are sold because they are the DNA of the club and there can be deeper connection to some of them.
At the moment, if you look across London, the Chelsea fans are very angry about how the club have handled Conor Gallagher and don’t want him to leave. It’s always painful to lose these guys that have been at the club since they were kids, but if you asked an Arsenal fan would they be happy to win the Premier League without Emile Smith-Rowe or Eddie Nketiah, they would all say the same thing. I’m sure that all of the Arsenal fans want to see Emile do well at Fulham. They will wish him well, but to be honest with you, Smith-Rowe and Nketiah were given chances at Arsenal, and they didn’t take them. They had the opportunities to shine.
Smith-Rowe was unlucky with injuries. Nketiah did some good things on the pitch but when you play for Arsenal and the demands are so high, you have to be good in every single game.
I get the fans frustration, but they must understand the ambition from their club to be better. Football at the highest level is ruthless. You need to be ruthless if you want to be the best.
I think that is one of the biggest differences between Mikel Arteta and Arsene Wenger. Wenger was always very loyal to his players, whereas with Arteta, if he doesn’t think you’re good enough to play for Arsenal, then you’re gone. Although, when I left Arsenal and went to Barcelona, Wenger was pretty ruthless. He didn’t put up a fight to keep me. He wasn’t emotional. But football is also about business.
You have to be ruthless if you want to succeed at the top level in football, don’t you?
You do need to be ruthless as a club and as a manager, especially when you’re competing with Manchester City.
You might laugh at this analogy, but I think top level sport is like what the cattle farmers did in the Wild West. They travelled for hundreds of miles with their herds and on the journey, they have to decide whether they are going to wait for the ones that are dragging behind and leave them to die or if they are going to move on. That is the reality of life.
You work, you run, but if you stop working, you go back. For those players, the players that Arsenal are happy to sell, they have to understand that if you want to play and to stay at Arsenal, you have to reach your standards. You have to be able to fight with the best in the Premier League and on the continent.
It’s simple. All of the big clubs think and behave like this. That is the philosophy and mentality of elite football clubs. Every single player understands that. They are not betrayed, clubs don't lie to them, they know the reality.
So, if you have been given the opportunity, game after game, to show your qualities and you don't reach the target, at the end of the day, you have to be honest with yourself.You have to realise that as a player, you don't have the talent and the qualities to stay at the club. Simple as that.
Arteta must win a trophy
I don’t believe that Mikel Arteta would choose to swap Arsenal for Manchester City if Pep Guardiola decides to move on at the end of the season. I don’t think for a second that he would walk away from Arsenal without winning some major silverware after getting the club so close. It wouldn’t make sense to walk away.
That’s the major difference between Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta when you’re discussing their futures. Pep has won everything and has nothing left to prove at Manchester City, while Arteta’s Arsenal story hasn’t had the silverware required for him to even think about leaving the club. I think it’s unfinished business for Arteta at Arsenal until he wins the Premier League. I can’t see him leaving without managing that club to a Premier League title. If he decided he wanted to move on after that, then you could understand it. He may feel like his work is done.
But, if at the end of the season he doesn't win something, Arteta will have to ask himself a very important question. How can the players continue to listen to me and fight for me if we haven’t won a single medal in the last three years?
It will be hard for him to convince the players that he is the man to lead them to glory. Without winning silverware, how can you convince the players of your ambition and your ability to win the Premier League title? How can you convince them to keep going on the journey if they haven’t won anything? The commitment these players put in, the sacrifices that they make in terms of their diet, private and family life - they eat the same food, sleep in the afternoon, can’t really go out. You don’t have a life outside of football when you want to be the best. You have to live like a priest if you want to have a career that’s full of trophies. If Arsenal don’t win a trophy, how can Arteta convince the players to commit again with the same effort and enthusiasm? It's a huge season for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta. They must win a major trophy this year.
I also think that it’s a huge season for some of these players. If Arsenal go close but don’t win the Premier League season again this year, that will be three seasons where they have challenged but haven’t been able to win. If that happens, then the club will need to change things.
I think even if Arsenal were to just win the FA Cup, that wouldn’t be enough.
During the Euro’s you mentioned that you didn’t recognise the version of Declan Rice that plays for England. Are you concerned that he may carry those poor performances with him into Arsenal this season or do you think it will be business as usual when he pulls on the red shirt?
I don’t think that Declan Rice will take his England form into the new season with Arsenal. I don’t think a player like Rice, with his mentality, will be suffering from a hangover because of what happened in the competition - he will be thinking about what he can achieve as a footballer with Arsenal.
My only concern with him and Saka is physical and mental. They will be exhausted. They had a very long, demanding, Premier League season where they pretty much played every week and have just got to the final of the Euros - it will be hard for them physically to be at their best.
Huge players looked very tired at the Euros. The new season starts very soon. Will Rice and Saka be ready for the opening game? Can they go through an entire season without getting injured? They are players that play with so much commitment. Are they ready to do that again physically and mentally? That would be my only concern with them.
I'm pretty sure that Declan Rice would have been upset about his displays at the tournament, but he wasn’t the only England player that struggled. Tactically, it was not the same environment to what he used to at Arsenal.
You have to love Saka’s attitude. How he responded after what happened to him at the last Euros was magnificent. He missed the penalty, he was killed in the press, a lot of people were complaining on social media. He showed great character and great personality. After that incident, he became one of the best players at Arsenal.
Bet On The Premier League
On Manchester City
On Pep Guardiola’s future
Guardiola has proven so much as a manager. He cannot do something better with Manchester City - there is not improvement because he has won everything.
With all the troubles that City are facing, you never know what will happen. Maybe after nine years, this will be Pep’s final season in charge, and he will walk away from the club. You could understand if he decided to do that because he has nothing left to prove and nothing more to win.
When you look at Pep’s career, he always manages club’s with a lot of money and resources. He spends a lot of money to build teams that play the type of football he wants to play. If he joins another club, it will have to be a giant that can offer him the chance to compete and win the Champions League. Managing one club for nine years is a long, long time. I think it’s quite normal to have doubts about continuing after what he has achieved.
When he starts to lose the energy and the enthusiasm, then it’s time to go. He said a couple of years ago that he was thinking about retiring. So maybe with all the troubles to do with the financial charges and with two of his golden generation coming to the end in Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, maybe he has already decided that this year will be his last in Manchester.
Rodri capped off a magnificent season by winning the European Championships. Do you think that this could be the year that he wins the Ballon d’Or - do you think he deserves it?
Honestly, I would love it if Rodri won the Ballon d’Or. Based on the history of the Ballon d'Or, I don't believe he will ever win it! It's all based on marketing, stats, things like this. It's not based on the importance of the players during the season and how valuable they are to their teams. Rodri has been the best holding midfielder in the world for the last couple of seasons.
If he were to be recognised with the Ballon d’Or, then he would be winning it for all the players that normally go unrecognised when it comes to individual awards. He would be winning it for all of the defensive midfielders in the world!
When was the last time they gave the Ballon d'Or to a defender, to a holding midfielder or a goalkeeper? The last time was Fabio Cannavaro after he won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.
When you play in the less glamorous roles in a football team, you’re not concerned about the Ballon d’Or.
It's a pity. I think Rodri deserves something different as an individual. It’s like with Xavi, how in the hell didn’t he win a Ballon d’Or? He should have got one and so should have Iniesta. Look at what they did for Barcelona for all those years and for Spain. Those players never won a Ballon d'Or Can you understand that? It's crazy.
Bet On The Premier League
On Chelsea
When you see what the club is doing in terms of player recruitment, does it make you want to pull your hair out? They don’t seem to be learning from any of the mistakes of the last couple of seasons.
There is always something happening at Chelsea! It does make you want to pull your hair out sometimes - it doesn’t look like this ownership group has learned from any of the mistakes they have made.
I'm very frustrated with what's happening at the club. I’ve been worried for the last two years under this ownership, there have been so many bad decisions and so many changes. They have changed everything. The environment is not that same at Chelsea anymore, inside and outside the club. The connection with the fans is missing.
I look at the project, signing all these young players for huge money on incredibly long contracts and it doesn’t make sense. The Americans have spent over a billion and what did they get? Some of these players have been given massive contracts without achieving anything in the game.
Then you look at the players they are selling. They are selling their best players and academy graduates. Conor Gallagher was Chelsea’s best player last season and was practically the captain for most of it because Reece James was injured. He plays for the national team. He came through the academy and you’re going to sell him for how much? £30 million? He’s probably the best midfielder in the squad.
How can Gallagher be worth £30 million is Manuel Ugarte is worth £60 or £70 million? It doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t get it. I don’t understand the decisions being made at the club.
They must sell players because they signed so many and are counting the cost of those mistakes in the transfer market. £30 million for Conor Gallagher is a bargain in this market. They should have done more to keep him. They’ve been trying to sell him for two years. I think he’s been disrespected. They should have offered him a contract in line with the best paid players at the club. Give him the same money you offered to those players who are strangers to the fans and who aren’t academy players.
Chelsea need to be careful. It’s really important to keep those English players, players that have grown up in the club, in the squad. You need them there to set the standards and to keep the culture.
Chelsea should have done everything they could to convince him to stay. I thought he improved a lot last season. His performances and development were a pleasant surprise. They’ve put him under pressure. They gave him an ultimatum, which was sign the contract or we’ll sell you. If I was Gallagher, I would be screaming with anger.
He gave everything for the club and fought for the badge. He saw other players coming in who had achieved nothing getting better terms.
I think it’s very sad and I feel sorry for the player. It reminds me of what happened with Mason Mount. He was one of the best players at Chelsea and they didn't give him the contract he deserved, but they gave big money to new players.
It’s exactly the same situation and it’s almost like this ownership ignore their own developed talent because they are always chasing the next signing.
Manu’s advice to Boehly and thoughts on decision to sack Pochettino
My advice to the American owners is simple. They have made so many mistakes since they bought the club. You must realise what football is. We are not in an America. You must be very realistic about what you want to do and what understand your limitations.
You brought in a new manager in Enzo Maresca, well it will take months for him to stamp his authority on the team and for the players to understand his methods. I still don't get why you sacked Pochettino because the improvement was there for everyone to see in the last few months of the season. Now, you turn the page on Poch and open a new book with a new manager and a new playing philosophy. On top of that, you decide to make that change in a summer when there is the European Championships and the Copa America. That means the preparation for the next season will be spoiled because most of the players won't be there and it makes Maresca’s job even more difficult.
You decide to change your manager. You decide to put your best player on the transfer market for a bargain price. Come on, guys.
Do you have to be billionaires to make those kinds of mistakes? You have the luxury to be able to afford to make those kinds of mistakes when you don't care about money, right?
What would happen if Enzo Maresca gets off to a bad start do you think?
Who knows what will happen if Maresca starts the season poorly. What will the ownership do if in October, Chelsea are 10th or 11th in the table? He and his coaching team signed five year contracts.
The football club needs stability. You would hope that Chelsea will stick by him if he gets off to a bad start, but with this ownership, you don’t know what will happen. You can’t change your philosophy every six months. You can’t think that because you’ve spent the most money, you will be successful. That’s not how it works and that’s not how you build a winning team.
You can spend all the money in the world, but if you don’t have the right leaders, the right culture and the right philosophy on and off the pitch, you will achieve nothing in football.
I don’t understand the owner’s philosophy or vision. Every day I expect to read something in the paper or hear something about the club that I don’t understand.
What chance do you give the manager being there when the season finishes? Because it feels that volatile. It's like a volcano.
As I said, if things don't go well after two or three months, I'm pretty sure that the fans will be very unhappy, and the players as well. They will think, here we go again, another bad season.
It’s time for the fans to see something positive, especially after all the money that has been spent. It’s time to see a return on the investment. I still believe that Chelsea has the quality to do something, but they haven’t had any consistency in the dugout and in the dressing room; it's always something difficult to cope with.
When I was a player, when you play well and you're improving, you don't want things to stop, you want things to continue. They were moving in the right direction under Pochettino and now they have to start again. There must be a disconnect between what the players think and how the executives act - they can’t be on the same page because a lot of the players were upset when Poch was sacked.
If I am a Chelsea player, I'm thinking, what the hell is going on here? If I'm Reece James, the club captain, I'm looking at this and thinking, what the hell? What are we doing? What is the sport direction? What is the ambition for the season? What do you want to do on the pitch? What's the philosophy?
It will take months for Maresca to implement his philosophy and for James to have any answers.
There are a few players at Chelsea that didn’t feature much last year due to injury. One of them is Christopher Nkunku. Will this be the season where he shows Chelsea fans what they’ve been missing?
I've been following him Nkunku for years. I watched most of his games when he was playing for Leipzig in Germany, and even when he was here in France at PSG. You could tell that he was a player with a lot of quality. He has wonderful technical ability, amazing movement and vision.
He was the missing link last season at Chelsea, especially when you look at the improvement of Gallagher. With Gallagher and Cole Palmer behind him, supporting him and feeding him balls, I think Chelsea would have been really, really strong. It was a shame that he wasn’t fit enough to play with those guys between the lines.
That was an attribute that was missing from Chelsea’s game last season.
The main problem with Nkunku is physically. He’s had so many injuries, which is a big concern. He has to change and to adapt to the Premier League, it’s a step up in terms of the physical demands, and he still hasn’t done that yet because he has been injured.
I hope he can have a very good pre-season physically and that we can cope with all the demands. If he's fit, he will be a difficult player for defences to deal with.
If he can get off to a good start, I would back him to keep his place in the starting eleven. If Chelsea let Gallagher leave, then they will definitely need to get someone between the lines and behind the strikers, and that is a job he can do.
