On Strikers And Football Headlines
Is Alexander Isak the hottest striker on the planet at this moment in time?
I think that Alexander Isak is the hottest striker on the planet right now. I've said that for a while, he is the one that is the best number nine, and I know he can play in the 10 as well or off the side, but through the middle, he’s deadly.
For me, Isak is very good. If you look at the chances that he gets, how he converts them, how he finishes them, he scores in important matches. He scores against the Arsenal’s, the Liverpool’s. He doesn't only score against the bottom 10 teams for instance.In big matches he is there.
That tells me that he is the best striker that is around at the moment. His outside of the box play, making combinations, he understands it.How he finishes, he's always in control - that is a trait of a striker that is hard to teach.He’s got the killer instinct, and he’s really calm when he gets opportunities. He buy’s himself an extra tenth of a second. That is massive. So, for me, he is top.
Who are the other strikers that have caught your eye in world football?
You have the likes Gyokeres at Sporting, who is hot at the moment, but I have not seen enough of him to say that he could be a top, top player.
I have my doubts about him because Brighton let him go, and they are very good with their talents, but they were happy to let him go to Coventry, and then he moved to Sporting. If Brighton rated him, if they really believed in him… he would have stayed.
He’s doing well, but I don’t know if he’ll make it at the top of the Premier League. I know a lot of clubs are reported to be looking at him, but I’ve got my doubts that he can cut the mustard with the best strikers in the Premier League.
Then you have Sesko at Leipzig as well. Again, a lot of clubs are reportedly looking at him. He’s very mobile, scores easy, moves well, but the one that makes me excited is Isak. He's number one.
Jimmy outs Nicolas Jackson just behind Isak in number nine pecking order
I must say, I really rate Nicolas Jackson. Jackson gets himself a lot of chances.
Yes, he's not as calm as Isak yet when he gets the opportunity. But he does create a lot of chances, and you can see how badly Chelsea is missing him at the moment. His energy and all that kind of stuff. He does excite me a lot and I like him a lot. He's got a lot of potential.
The only thing with Jackson is you can see that he has not been playing for a long time as a striker that plays centrally. He's still learning, he's still improving and there's still a lot more improvement to come in his game.
Who is the striker you would break the bank for in the summer if you’re Mikel Arteta?
First of all, I don't know if they have to break the bank. Mikel Arteta will know it better than me. If they're going for a striker and they want a proven striker, really there is only one: Isak.The problem is, will he leave Newcastle? Or will Newcastle let him go? Newcastle is a big, big club. Look, Arsenal is a massive, massive institution. Don't get me wrong. One is bigger than the other…
If they get Isak, wow, what a force they are. With all the problems that Manchester City have, and I don't think that Liverpool is going to repeat what they’ve done this season next season, because they have got a lot to restructure in the summer.
If Isak goes to Arsenal, it’s awesome for them. It’s a complete game-changer because of how good he is. If Arsenal can sign him, they’ll be big, big, big favourites for the Premier League title next year.
Liam Delap. From what you’ve seen of the young man, do you expect there to be a queue of clubs looking to take him this summer? What’s happened to the good old fashioned centre forwards?
The good old fashioned number nines, they are not in fashion at the moment. They will come back. Because football is always in cycles, they will come back.
With Delap, I know big clubs are looking at him, I think it's important for him and his development if he goes to a big club that he plays. First and foremost, if he joins a club that plays 65-70 matches, he needs at least 40 matches.
If he thinks that he's not going to play or if he's going to be second choice, if I'm his agent, I would advise him not to go. I know Ipswich are looking like they're going down. It's mathematically not decided yet, but it looks like it.If he goes down, preferably, he needs to find a club in the Premier League. If it is not a top club, if it is one of the top six, then he needs to make sure that he plays 40 matches. If it is not the top six, then he needs to be the main man. But he needs to stay in the Premier League.
He's got so much potential, he's doing things really well, he's playing in a struggling side at the moment, where he's showing that he can deliver, and hold his own. With all due respect to Ipswich, if he’s playing in a more established Premier League team, what can he deliver? We don’t know until he does that, if he plays every week.
There isn’t an abundance of strikers coming through for England. Should we be concerned about who the long-term replacement for Harry Kane will be?
The thing is the FA and England, they can't do anything about it because talent is talent, isn't it? It comes through or it doesn't come through. You have to be lucky sometimes.
It's up to the coach to put an 11 together that is going to work, and maybe after Kane decides to call time on his international career, England may play without a recognised 9, or they look at Solanke or Watkins.
Maybe Thomas Tuchel can find a way to play with Watkins and have different kind of players around him.
But I think Watkins can lead the line. You have to approach it a little bit differently.
Solanke is playing at a top club, at a big club. It's only consistency that he needs.He's got everything, Solanke. And they need to show consistency to put pressure on Harry Kane. Harry Kane needs that pressure to deliver more. To feel that his place can be taken. That is only healthy.
Did Ronaldo’s performances at EURO 2024 tell us that he should probably walk off into the sunset of the international stage rather than have one last dance at the 2026 World Cup? Does a 2026 World Cup need him?
Football doesn't need Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup. Ronaldo has been one of the best players for a long time; one of the best players in history. I think, at the moment, he’s doing himself more harm than good to be playing for Portugal still – it’s impacting his legacy.And if you ask me, Messi or Ronaldo, I will always say Ronaldo because of what he had to do to get to that level and to stay there.
We all know as footballers, and I know this really, really well from my playing time, there's a time when you come and there's a time where you need to go. I think his time had come a while ago, and he needs to give somebody else the opportunity.I don't think that he is at the moment better than the other options that Portugal have. Some games you need to press, some games you need to do different things, and I don't think that he can do that anymore. There’s no shame in that. For him to even be playing at 40 is a landmark in itself. There comes a time when you have to hang the boots up. I think that time will come when Messi stops. I think when Messi decides to call it a day, so will Ronaldo.
Did last week ruin any chance that Mo Salah may have had in getting his hands on the Balon d’Or?
It’s hard to say if Salah’s chances at winning a Balon d’Or will be harmed by Liverpool getting knocked out of the Champions League.
I do think it will cost him, because normally they choose somebody that wins the Champions League. It shouldn't hurt his chances, because he's been absolutely magnificent this season.
In a way, Liverpool are a little bit lucky because they're getting their dip that happens to every team at precisely the wrong time.Getting eliminated from the Champions League before the quarter-final rounds. Out of the FA Cup against Plymouth, even though Slot made lots of changes. Losing the Carabao Cup final. Because of how well they were playing, at one stage you would say that Liverpool would have been favourites in all of those competitions. They’ve gone from potentially winning four to winning one, and that will hurt Salah’s chances too.
I actually think he deserves it. It should not depend on winning the Champions League. I hope he gets it.
Who are the latest Dutch prospects who might be looking to move to the Premier League? What are your thoughts on Feyenoord's striker Zépiqueno Redmond, AZ Alkmaar's midfielder Kees Smit and Ajax's centre-back/wing-back Jorrel Hato? Do you see Chelsea interested in any of the players mentioned?
The only real one for me is Hato, at Ajax. He's still very young, but he's playing week in, week out. In the Netherlands he gets away playing as a centre-half. He won't be able to do that in England.
Technically, he’s very good. When he plays at left back, he has the ability to come into midfield.
He's got everything, he's good with the ball. He can defend, he's quick enough.
Will Hato be on the move soon?
I think it all depends. He listens; he's got a very good agent that is not pushing him to leave the Netherlands quickly. He had an option, he had an offer two years ago to go to one of the big English clubs, I'm not going to name names, but one of the big English clubs.
They decided not to do it because they wanted to play week in, week out for Ajax and get experience, make mistakes, learn and that's what they've done.
They took a lot less money. I don’t know where Hato is mentally, if he is ready for the Premier League or if it’s better for his development to play for another season at Ajax.
People forget how young the kid is. If he moved next year, at 19, a bit more mature, maybe that’s the better option.
There’s so much pressure on you when you're that young. But, he's obviously able to handle that. He's playing for the biggest team in Holland and in the national team as well.
Is Micky van der Ven good enough to be playing for a club that competes for the biggest and best prizes season after season?
Is Van de Ven good enough to play for a huge club? 100%. 100 million percent. Van de Ven is a player that I absolutely love.
I was actually so surprised that in the Euros Holland didn't play him more because he’s good enough to bet into the best Netherlands team. If you out him next to Van Dijk, it would have been a lot harder for us (England) in that semi-final.
I don't think that it is fair to compare him with Van Dijk because he's totally different He's so much more explosive. I love him, he's so quick, he wants to defend.
What a good buy from Spurs. What a buy. He can play left-back, can play left-center half, can play in a three.
On Chelsea
Are Chelsea in danger of tailing off just like Leicester did under Maresca last year? Are you worried about Champions League qualification?
I am just a little bit concerned about Chelsea’s Champions League qualification given the amount of teams still fighting for those positions.
The performance against Arsenal wasn’t at the level we’ve seen this Chelsea side can show, and we haven’t been as consistent as we were in the first half of the season.
That said, there was not a lot in it (against Arsenal) and it was a tight game. There were moments when we were dominant with the ball and put Arsenal under pressure, but we didn’t create enough attempts on goal.
But after the international week, Jackson is back. I think he will give the team more energy and more opportunities andthat will make it a little bit easier for the attacking players because opposition defenders do tend to focus on him, which will give more space to other players.
I'm confident that they're going to be in the top four or five, as it’s looking increasingly likely that England will be awarded five spots in the Champions League. If Chelsea qualify for the Champions League and they win the Europa Conference League, it's been a very successful season for Enzo.
On Leeds
Do you think Leeds will secure promotion this summer?
They will get it over the line. They drew against QPR, but I've got all the confidence that they will get it over the line.
Leeds are one of those clubs that hold a special place in English football. We know that the Premier League will be a richer place with them in it, and because of the size of the club and the way that it’s run with the new owners, if you’re a Leeds fan you would be pretty confident that they could put up a very good fight in terms of staying in the division.
After what happened last season, the agony of the play-offs, I expect them and Daniel Farke to have learned from that experience, while also using it as motivation to ensure that come May, Leeds are celebrating returning to the promised land of the Premier League.
On International Football
Thomas Tuchel has the top job now ahead of the World Cup, can you give some insight into the preparations for a big event like that and the planning needed for building a squad to compete this far out.
Trust me, Thomas Tuchel would have been thinking about the World Cup since his appointment as England’s manager was confirmed. The preparation starts on day one because the prize is so great.
Obviously, they need to qualify but I would think that he would be confident enough that qualification won’t be too difficult given the talent that he has at his disposal.
In terms of his first selection, I think he is selecting players that he is 100% sure of, but wants to find out about their character. You can only do that when you work with them, not just from people telling you, or watching them on television. Then you see how they are in a group, and what the dynamics are.
He is looking at players who he might think are interesting, calling them up and giving them an opportunity and seeing how they will do. It’s the first step to building a team and I think we would all be surprised if he hasn’t experimented a little bit in terms of personnel when the 2026 World Cup comes around.
The most important part if getting the right characters in the building, it's not only about getting the best talent.You need the best team. Mentally, physically, how they work together, the camaraderie, because you're going to be on each other's toes for six weeks, in a high-pressure environment.You need team players. You need team players; players that are number 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 are just as important as your first 11 because you have to keep those players really happy, even though they won’t play a lot or don't play at all. They are part of the team, and you don't want them to walk around being negative. Having the right characters is absolutely essential.
There's so many factors. You need that balance – it’s not an easy job. You don't want groups. You want everybody to mingle. You don't want to see Liverpool there, Arsenal there, Chelsea there and then a little bit of a mix of other players there.That's what Gareth did magnificently well.
Gareth Southgate is going to be a hard act to follow
Whatever people say about the results, we were almost there. We almost won Euro 2024. Spain was better on the day, but we equalised and got the came to 1-1, conceding the second on 86 minutes, that was a killer because there’s so little time to change things. It was a goal that came against us at precisely the wrong time.
We weren't far. Gareth is leaving behind a very good squad, team, staff, behind-the-scenes, now it’s up to Tuchel to take the final step. Trust me, it isn’t going to be easy.
Henderson and Rashford call-ups
On Henderson, I must say, that was a very difficult decision when he wasn’t selected not least because of how important he was in the squad.
I think the main thing was that it was felt his fitness had declined. But that was a very, difficult decision and he’s a player that not only myself but everyone involved in the England set up who worked with him, has the highest respect for.
He is at Ajax playing week in, week out and I can absolutely understand why Tuchel has taken him back into the fold. He’s been around the England set up for almost 15 years and I’m sure his experience will be something Tuchel is tapping into.
A good Rashford would have always been selected. A Rashford that was playing week in, week out for Man United would have always been selected. And that was the problem. He didn't play. And there were other players that were playing and were fitter and had better momentum.Rashford was a bit unlucky because England is blessed with a lot of good wide players. I'm not surprised that both have been called up, they’re both great players.
Has Tuchel been in touch?
Has Tuchel been in touch with me? No. I have had no call. After the Euro 2024 final, we all went home. The next day I had a call from Gareth and he said that he was going to leave. I already felt that he was going to do that. Then it came out on Sky that afternoon.
Then Lee Carsley was appointed as caretaker. I got a call in early August saying that my contract as an attacking coach won’t be renewed. They let me go because Lee Carsley wanted to bring in his own people.
I thanked the FA for the opportunity because it was absolutely magnificent being able to have experienced working with Gareth and getting so close to bringing a trophy home for England. Of course, I was gutted that we didn’t get It over the line and expressed that to the people at the FA, but we couldn’t have come much closer.
After that, I've spoken a little bit here and there with one or two people and with some staff, but that’s it. I only have fond memories and I’ll be eternally grateful to have been part of it.
What are Southgate’s plans? Would you like to work together again?
I don't know what Gareth’s plans are in terms of future management. Honestly, I don't know what his plans are, what he's going to do. I do know that he wanted to take a proper time out and I understand why.
If he goes into another job and he asks me, I would love to work with him again.It's good to work for him. He’s direct. He’s honest. You know where you are with him. If he asked me, yeah, let's do it.
No Jack Grealish again. Does he need to move on from Man City to get his England career back on track?
You always wantJack in the England squad because he's a big game player. Nothing fazes him, and he will take the ball anywhere on the pitch. He will take the ball, he will take the ball, he will take the ball. When you play for England, you need players who are fearless.
But then on top of that, you need to play regularly for your team, fitness-wise. Even if it is not week in, week out, he needs to play a lot more. And he needs to stay fit.In the last 18 months he's had a lot of injuries.So, if he can get fit and he plays regularly for Man City or whoever in the Premier League, I think he will be selected.
Does Ben White come back in in the future or is that a line England shouldn’t cross?
He's not been selected this time. I think the door is massively open. It's up to Ben if he wants to go. If Ben says yes, I'm available, I think he will be selected straight away because Ben is versatile.He can play centre half. He can play right back. He can play in a three. He can play in the middle of the three. Look, you need versatile players, especially in a squad of 26. And more importantly, he's very good.
Talk to us about your experience being part of Gareth’s coaching team in 2024
There is an element of regret because we didn't win, and we went to Euro 2024 to win. It was a massive achievement as well because of the problems that we had, and how we had to navigate around them, and still got where we got, England playing in its first ever final outside of England.
You have to take the pluses. I'm a competitive person and I wanted to win badly. We went out there and we were very close. It was a great experience that will always stay with me forever.
I'm very grateful that I was part of that experience. It was great. So yes, a lot of happy memories, because in the camp, it was great, a lot of laughter, made lots of friends. I got to know people, met really interesting people and that will stay with me.But at the end, it's all about winning and we didn't win. So, there will always be bitterness, always.
After the final, I didn't sleep. I had so many nights where I was awake thinking about what might have been – it really hurt me, it was hard, and I’m not even an Englishman! We were that close.
Hopefully Tuchel will win, and that bitterness might go away a bit.
