Don Hutchison Exclusive Interview with BestBettingSites.co.uk

Are Manchester United a better team than Liverpool?

I think I would say they are. Just because Liverpool have been horrendous and we could do, I reckon, a five-hour show on the problems that Liverpool have got. This includes the fact that we’ve seen the best of Alisson, we’ve seen the best of Robertson, seen the best of Van Dijk, seen the best of Mac Allister, seen the best of Salah, and maybe the best of Gakpo.

The surgery and the rebuild that has to happen there is enormous, whereas I feel as though one or two signings for Manchester United—I don’t think they could win the title next year—but one or two signings for United would put them in a brilliant place. You know, if they added, say, a Tonali, Cunha, Mbeumo, Šeško, and Bruno, you go, “That’s starting to look pretty good.”

Does Carrick have an easier job than Slot?

Yeah, because I think—and I might be really in the minority on Slot—but I think the board have been shocking in what they left him with at the start of the season. If you go back to last year, on their bench was Kelleher, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Endo, Curtis Jones, Darwin Núñez, Jota, and Gakpo.

With the players that have left like Trent and Luis Díaz and Darwin, and obviously the passing of Jota, the bench now is a half-fit Chiesa, and a couple of kids. So, the rebuild has to happen where Liverpool need—because they’re going to lose Robbo in the summer and they’ve obviously got to lose Salah in the summer—to fill the void on the pitch in terms of the XI, they probably need two or three.

But to boost the bench, they probably need a total of about seven or eight signings because, from where they were last year, Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards have left Arne Slot with a limited squad and an unbalanced squad.

Michael Carrick’s job is that little bit easier if he can just fill in the blanks. You know, buy a top-class, quick centre-back; buy a top-class midfield player that can get on the ball but get around the pitch as well. Not too much tinkering is needed in wide areas, the top end of the pitch, and at number 10. So, it feels as though Michael Carrick’s job is that little bit easier than Slot’s.

Is CL qualification enough for Slot to keep his job, and should it be?

I think it is. However, I wouldn’t go down that route. I would personally take a step back and go, “Right, are there better managers out there than what we’ve got?” And if the answer is yes, change him.

This is a summer where so many managers are going to be out of work. You’re not going to have a bigger pool of managers to choose from if they wait and all those managers have gone. Unless you say Arne Slot has a terrible five games and they sack him—where on earth do you go from there? You’ve got to do your work, you’ve got to be diligent, and you’ve got to go, “Right, do we change him in the summer?” Do we not just rest on, “Yeah, he’s got us Champions League”? Have a look at the style of football that he’s produced. Again, on top of what I’ve said with Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards, they’re all culpable.

Do you think Isak will score 20+ next season?

I think Isak, and Premier League footballers need to focus on getting fit generally, before worrying about scoring 20+ goals. It’s disappointing that he didn’t play against United, and If I’m Alexander Isak, I’d have done anything I could to play against Man United.

It goes back to when Liverpool signed Ekitike. I wouldn’t have signed Alexander Isak; I would have broken the bank for Julián Álvarez. I don’t know in what world, really, you sign two Harry Kanes, you sign two Erling Haalands—you signed two Isaks in him and Ekitike. They’re both the same player. So again, it goes back to the board and what they thought. Maybe the board were arrogant and thought, “Yeah, we’ll get Ekitike. Yeah, we’ll get Wirtz. Yeah, we’ll get Isak. We’re going to be amazing.” Sometimes you’ve got to buy the right players for the team.

Do Liverpool need a fresh start in the summer whatever happens between now and the end of the season?

Yeah. And the elephant in the room as well is we haven’t seen the best of Frimpong and we haven’t seen the best of Florian Wirtz. Xabi Alonso managed these two guys at Leverkusen last season. So, it screams to me: bring him in to get the best out of those two and to add more style and substance to what Liverpool have got.

Can they keep Iliman Ndiaye this summer?

I think so. I think Everton will keep him because I think if Everton get European football, I think he’s a player that’s—I mean, just a sensational player. Probably their best player.

Now, I’m not sure what he’s got left on his contract, but you can still rip that contract up and give him a brand new one just to entice him to stay for longer, put him on more wages, and make him feel settled. So, if I was David Moyes and Everton, I’d be sitting him down pretty quick and go, “Right, let’s give you a new deal.”

Would you move for John Stones?

He could, mate. I think he’s one of them where I would take him at Newcastle in a heartbeat. I would take him at Aston Villa in a heartbeat. Lindelof’s gone there and done quite well; an experienced player.

Yes, that’s the link. Everton—him and Grealish might be a brilliant double signing. And Calvert-Lewin’s proved, you know, since he’s gone to Leeds when he was hardly fit at Everton, a change of environment and all of a sudden Calvert-Lewin’s churning out the goals and the games.

So, I think John Stones is one of these where whoever signs him, you’ve got to be smart. You don’t ask him to be on the training ground Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You put him in a bike session or a swimming session, and you get him ready for games because he’s still good enough. He’s still young—I mean, he’s 31. John Stones… like, Luka Modrić is still playing and he’s 40.

Stones had the same problem as Ledley King: osteochondral defect, which is basically a hole in your cartilage and you’ve just got bone on bone. And Ledley just couldn’t train. He was just resting and swimming and biking from a Monday to Friday; wheeled him out on a Saturday.

The best player I played with, Paul McGrath at Sheffield United, was exactly the same. I’ve never seen a guy who—Paul McGrath used to have a day off Monday, a day off Tuesday, day off Wednesday, day off Thursday. He’d stand with a cup of tea on Friday doing a little bit of shadow play, walking through stuff, and then play on the pitch on a Saturday for us. Incredible player.

You’ve said Everton need a new striker – who should that be?

Vlahović is on a free. I think the strikers are out there. I think they need that sort of player because, again, they’ve got two similar players in Barry and Beto. It’s like the Isak-Ekitike scenario where you’ve got both identical sort of players, and Beto’s probably been the best one out of the two this season. So, yeah, I think Dušan Vlahović on a free—I think that would work. Tammy Abraham maybe’s not getting as much game time as he’d like; he might be an option.

Would you try to keep Jack Grealish?

Oh, 100%. I think a double signing would look great in the summer. Like I said, you could have a picture there with Jack Grealish and John Stones and that would be a pretty good window. I mean, the obvious thing is I think they need a top-class number nine.

How do you rate Karren Brady’s legacy?

I don’t think she’s left one. I don’t think she’s got a legacy. You know, the whole taking West Ham from Upton Park to the London Stadium—that hasn’t worked. Fans hate it. It’s an athletics stadium. West Ham are the only team in the Premier League that haven’t got a home.

It never happened at Man United, it would never happen at Liverpool, and it would never be allowed at Newcastle. So how on earth have Karren Brady and the owners thought that taking West Ham out of Upton Park into an athletics stadium was ever going to be a good idea and work? Because if West Ham go down this season, that’ll be empty next season; fans won’t turn up. So, to be brutally honest, she hasn’t left any sort of legacy.

Do you think it’s now inevitable that David Sullivan leaves soon?

I’ve got a relationship with David Sullivan and it’s very much “emaily.” We’re not mates or anything, but over the years we’ve bounced one or two things back and forth. My take, from the little bits that I know of David Sullivan, is he’s like a kid in the sweet shop. He’s got the sweet shop, and he wants to try and do everything—he wants to have an input on signings, he wants to have an input on not so much who plays, but he wants to try and do everything.

It’s like he wants what’s best for West Ham, but the best thing for West Ham now, I think, is to sell up and sell to the right owners on the proviso—again, I don’t know the details on how long the lease is at the London Stadium—but sell on the proviso that you have to build West Ham a home in a stadium. It’s ludicrous, really. I feel sorry for West Ham fans that they’re the only ones that are now renting a stadium. How can you rent an athletics stadium in the Premier League in these days? Someone’s got to build them a home.

Honestly, it breaks my heart, really, to think West Ham fans are turning up in a stadium that’s leased.

I played at Upton Park; I know what nighttime games under the lights are like there. They’re amazing. I’ve seen some famous results. I played them last game of the season against Man United when we stopped them in the league. I’ve played in games where they’re memorable, and for fans, they’d go to work, it was a nighttime game, and then coming into the stadium, the atmosphere was crackling. Now, it’s like a stadium next to a shopping centre. It breaks my heart, really.

What are your memories of denying Manchester United the title?

Fergie called us a disgrace afterwards, and he was absolutely right. He went, “These lot are a disgrace. They’ve only turned up for one game a year.”

It is fascinating because players need to—and again, if we get onto a Chelsea chat—it’s like, you’ve got to have that fire in your belly to want to play for something. We’ll get on to players having seven and eight-year contracts, which I think is shocking at Chelsea and it doesn’t put the fire in their belly, but you’ve got to have something to play for.

Our position at the time, on the day, was stopping Man United winning the league. So, of course, we’re going to try. It’s like the only thing we can play for. If we had been in a relegation battle, we still would have tried. If it wasn’t Man United, it could have been anyone. It just so happened that because of the Paul Ince scenario, when Paul Ince was pitching and leaving West Ham, that rivalry sort of grew over the years, so it added a little bit more spice to it.

The fact that Kenny Dalglish was manager of Blackburn, going to Anfield for Blackburn to try and win the League—there was like a split screen on the day and it was just adrenaline. It was like all the big games, like me playing for Scotland against England; the more that’s on the game, the more that fire should be in your belly to run that bit harder.

It’s difficult for fans to try and understand because they say, “Well, you should do that every single game,” and they are correct to say that. But sometimes you just get that extra spark where you think, “We can stop whoever we’re playing against today winning the League.” And it just so happened to be Man United.

Do you think they will be able to stay up?

Honestly, this time last week I was 100% sure West Ham would stay up. Now I’ve gone completely the other way because of the two wins that Spurs have had before a ball was kicked this weekend.

I commentated on the West Ham-Brentford game on Saturday, and West Ham’s first 45 minutes was superb. Like, they were brilliant. They were 1-0 down, but it was superb—hit the crossbar three times in total, goalkeeper pulling off saves, Castellanos was excellent. Then, in the second half, Todibo sort of dives in to give the penalty away. 2-0 away from home, then I knew the game was over. And then three, obviously.

Then I’m thinking, “Right, there’s not a chance in this world Spurs go to Villa and win,” and they did. And the fixtures this weekend just sort of lean toward me thinking Arsenal will just beat West Ham by a goal to nil. Then, I think—off the top of my head, so correct me if I’m wrong—I’m pretty sure Spurs play Leeds at home. So, unfortunately, I think West Ham are going to go. But that’s only happened in the last seven days or so. Off the back of Spurs getting two wins back-to-back, you’d make them big favourites to beat Leeds.

West Ham vs Arsenal has been described as a ‘nightmare’ game for the Gunners in the title race by Gary Neville – is that hyperbole given the performances the Hammers have served up?

I’m not sure it’s a nightmare game. I mean, I’m not sure where he’s gone with that one. If Arsenal go to West Ham and win, they win the League. I’m not sure how he’s gone “nightmare game.” I mean, it’s just a London derby, but if Arsenal want to choose a place to play and go and play football with no massive atmosphere on it, West Ham is one of the teams. Now, West Ham beat them under Graham Potter, I get that, but I think “nightmare game” is a bit strong coming from the Oracle.

The thing with Gary Neville is he’s got an opinion, and he’s got a strong opinion, but he doesn’t let anyone else in on the opinion. He doesn’t let anyone else in on the debate. That’s why I sort of say “the Oracle,” because whatever he says, it’s like that has to be the truth.

Football’s a game of opinions. The great example—going off-piste slightly—is on how you see the game. Now, Arteta sees Hincapié and he sees Ben White, and he sees Saliba and Gabriel—four massive centre-backs, hard to beat, hard to score against. Whereas Enrique sees Nuno Mendes and Hakimi flying with flying fullbacks. It’s just how you see the game; it opens up to debate. The Oracle thinks when he says something, it’s got to be—that’s it. That’s the truth there. He doesn’t leave anything for anyone else to debate footy.

Do you back them as favourites in the play-off?

I think it’s between them and Southampton. Those two seem to be the two teams in form. Boro will obviously be in the conversation, but I don’t think they’ve been consistent.

From my memory of watching all the teams and playing in teams when you’re in the playoffs, momentum’s a great thing. If you’ve got form going into the playoffs, I think it puts you in good stead, whereas Boro are just too inconsistent. So, I’d say it’s 50/50 between Southampton and Millwall.

How much fun would it be seeing Millwall in the Premier League?

I think the fun element probably comes from—I mean, I don’t know if you can print this—but the police might have an absolute nightmare when they see a Millwall, Leeds, West Ham… well, if it’s West Ham, Spurs, Chelsea, Man United, it feels like a 1980s Division One league.

But no, I’ve not seen loads of Millwall, I must admit. But I think the job that the gaffer’s done there has been superb to try and get them in the conversation. I do feel, football-wise, I think Southampton are the best side. So, again, I think it’s 50/50. The playoffs are nervy.

Is it the right decision to back Eddie Howe for next season?

I think it’s a good decision. I think Newcastle are like a team where, if you look across the board this season, Man United have been nowhere near it—apart from when Carrick took over. Liverpool have been nowhere near it. Newcastle have been nowhere near it. Chelsea have been nowhere near it. Aston Villa, at the start of the season and middle of the season, were nowhere near it. Spurs, nowhere near it.

I think we’re just looking at a Premier League season where you think, whoever’s in charge—and it’s Eddie Howe at Newcastle—don’t panic. Give him the next window to get rid of four or five players and freshen things up, because I think he’s an outstanding manager. I just think he’s had a season where, like most others, it’s been a struggle.

The identity that Newcastle have had over the years—the best version of Newcastle is when they’re horrible to play against. You think of Newcastle at St. James’ Park in their pomp, and it was Anthony Gordon, it was Isak, it was Murphy, it was Tonali, it was Bruno, Joelinton stepping on and tramping over teams. Now they’ve lost that and they’ve turned into a soft touch. They’ve got to get that back. And that, I think, will come from Eddie Howe having a clear-out in the summer and freshening things up.

Does selling these players give Newcastle the chance to rebuild?

I think Newcastle fans are quite happy if Livramento goes. Because if they get £60-70 million for a player that’s never fit, I think that’s a good return. The problem is if you sell Livramento and obviously Trippier is going too, you potentially need another—well, you do need another right-back. You might need two. But Lewis Miley’s proved over the last three or four months that he can play at right-back. So you might need one outstanding right-back.

I would sell Woltemade. Woltemade is a contradiction, really, where technically he’s a very good player, but you lose a lot of territory in a game when he plays because he comes short all of the time. If you play him as a number nine and he comes short, the team comes 60 yards away from goal. Your build-up play has to be exceptional to try and get a shot at target.

Whereas, again, if you close your eyes, you think of Newcastle when they demolished Spurs and many other teams—Chelsea for half an hour, 45 minutes—it was: close your eyes, midfield whip it over the top, Murphy run, Isak run, Gordon run. Three midfield players go and step on and put them under pressure. Woltemade takes you back the other way; he comes towards his own goal, which for another side could be amazing. Not for Newcastle. So I would cash in. I would sell Wissa because… unless he can have a pre-season where he gets himself fit again. But again, he needs to do more. I would certainly look at selling Woltemade. Talented player, yes, I get it—just not for Newcastle’s style.

Would Manchester United be the right move for Sandro Tonali?

Being a Newcastle fan, no, because I want him to stay. But he’d be great at Man United; he’d be great for Man City. I think, depending on where Elliot Anderson goes, the knock-on effect could be what happens to Tonali. It feels like Elliot Anderson’s going to go to Man City; that feels like the move.

Now, Newcastle’s board and Eddie Howe have got to sit down with Tonali and his agent and say, “You can go to Man United if you want, but what we’re going to build in the summer will be ahead of Man United in the league.” And there’s no reason why Newcastle can’t if they recruit well. So that’s the conversation. And then they’ve got to say to Man United, “Right, we value him at over £100 million,” because that’s his true worth. Are you going to pay it? And then if you do sell him, like the Isak money, it can’t be wasted. It can’t be squandered. You’ve got to buy well.

How have the owners done for Newcastle in recent years?

I think it’s a difficult one because I think you’re getting into the politics, where the owners have come in and they had a big meeting last week about the future of Newcastle. The future of Newcastle was trying to make them more globally successful because of PSR; they need to grow the brand more. They also need to build a new stadium or upgrade St. James’ Park—that’s on the table. They need to build and upgrade the training ground.

So there are lots of things on the table where I think Eddie Howe has done a fantastic job over the piece. We can go into what he’s done to get Newcastle away from second bottom and into two European campaigns—Champions League campaigns. That is a trophy in the cabinet; he’s been successful and made Newcastle attractive and brilliant to watch. It’s been a poor season, yes.

But the owners need to do a little bit more with their investment, and that doesn’t have to be on the pitch. That could be a brand-new stadium or a brand-new training ground, or making Newcastle a global brand where it takes away the PSR issues. Because of late, Newcastle’s problems have cracked: get into the Champions League, then sell your best players.

Could Newcastle move for Elliot Anderson?

There’s no reason why—and this could be an example where people might think I’m a little bit crazy—if Newcastle sold Tonali to, say, Man City. Just talking: Elliot Anderson. Bring him back home again. Spend £100 million on Elliot Anderson. It would be a massive coup getting him back to Newcastle, and one that Newcastle fans would love—bringing a Geordie boy back. So if Newcastle are smart, you don’t sell Tonali to Man United; you sell to Man City and bring Elliot Anderson back.

Who is Sunderland’s player of the year?

I think that’s a great question because I think Omar Alderete has been a massive signing; I think he’s been brilliant. I think Nordi Mukiele’s done really well. Brian Brobbey’s been an absolute handful. And then Granit Xhaka. Robin Roefs has been great as well—a summer signing. Was he there?

I want to say Xhaka. I wanted to go different because I think if you asked everyone, they will say Xhaka, and I wanted to go different. I’m trying to go different, but I think the answer is Xhaka.

How impressed have you been by Sunderland?

Their results came actually when Granit Xhaka got injured—the bad results. I think some of it is all psychological. And again, we were talking about West Ham and that extra running adrenaline when we beat Man United, but I think from a Sunderland point of view, the adrenaline was in them from day one. Brand new to the Premier League, a massive club in Sunderland, back for a Northeast derby—it’s a great addition. Loads of signings, a fantastic manager. Adrenaline. They were unbeaten at home for months and months until Liverpool went in and broke that record.

Then you have that little dip because you get the 40 points and then you go, “Right, we’re safe.” So the adrenaline just drops out of you just a little bit. And then the impressive thing, like you said, is trying to kick on now and try and finish in a European spot. That would be the target. That would be the adrenaline—the thing that you look up and you go, “Right, forget about what’s behind us. Who can we reel in? Can we get a Conference League or Europa League spot?”

Can Luton Town push for promotion next season under Jack Wilshere?

Yeah, it’s a hard division when you’re trying to get out of it. I’ve been down there myself. It’s dog-eat-dog. You’ve got to be durable. You’re playing two games a week. You need a big squad; you need a young squad and a fit squad.

If you’re Jack Wilshere, I think… I heard a quote from Frank Lampard the other day and it was a good one, actually. He said when they lost in the playoffs last season, he told his players to bring their spikes in the summer. He said, “We’re going to be the fittest team in the Championship.” I think that’s probably what Jack Wilshere needs to do: get this team fit, get them hungry, and make them durable. Then your football stamp and your philosophy is what it is, but make them hard to beat.

Is fitness the biggest factor in success in League One?

I think so. I think the way to go in the lower leagues is fitness first, and then you sprinkle your team with two or three really good, intelligent footballers—that can be experience, that can be a maverick. But if you can’t run in the lower leagues against all the teams that can run and want to play long ball, long throws, set plays, and “jewels” football, you’ve got no chance. So fitness is probably 95% of the way to get out of the division, but you do need quality.

Do you expect them to push for promotion next season?

I think there’s no reason why not. Under Chris Wilder, they could.

Would you keep Kalvin Phillips next season?

I would. I think Chris Wilder can get the best out of him. I think he’s one of these players where he suits Sheffield United. I think he suits the city, and suits the work ethic of what Sheffield United fans want and expect from a player. So yeah, he’s a player that can roll his sleeves up, and I think he’ll do well for them.

Was signing Patrick Bamford a masterstroke by Wilder?

It was a brave signing, wasn’t it? Taking him from Sheffield Wednesday—it’s a brave one. Not many players have sort of done that. So yeah, I think he’s got a big summer on. Chris Wilder has steered Sheffield United away from relegation; they couldn’t quite get a run together and have been a little bit inconsistent, trying to get them toward the playoff spots, but maybe that was a little bit unrealistic.

So the job that he’s got in the summer, again, is clearing deadwood. It’s making Sheffield United hungry again, like that first spell when he brought them up and had them playing some super football. So I think it’s a big summer for Sheffield United and Chris Wilder. I think he’ll turn it around and do much better next season.

Do you think Frank Lampard will stay?

I think he’ll stay at Cov. I think he’ll stay at Cov. I think he’ll look at Coventry as a group of young players that he likes to try and manage. He’s put his stamp on the football club. I don’t think it’ll be a good move if he left now. Some people might look at it and think, “Well, he’s got them up; what more can he do?” I think stay on and keep them in the division. I think that’d be amazing. Like we talked about Karren Brady—if we talked about Frank Lampard at Cov, that’d be a great legacy.

Might Chelsea be tempted to come calling once more?

I don’t think Frank will be what Chelsea want. I understand he’s been there twice, and I get the “Chelsea legend” thing, but I think they need someone with real authority because Frank’s still a young manager. They need someone that’s not going to accept the players being half-assed.

Now, BlueCo and Todd Boehly and the five sporting directors that they’ve got—which is shambolic—have got to do something with the model and the structure. How on earth you turn that ship around when you’ve put these players on seven-year contracts, I don’t know. It’s not like you can rip them up, start again, and put them on two-year contracts and say, “Right, run for the next one.” Because they’re all sitting there going, “Well, right, so we’re all right—we’ve got seven-year contracts.”

If we don’t play well this week, there’s another game next week. If we don’t play well and win that one, and we lose six in a row—which they’ve done—and only score one goal… that’s a cup final to look forward to. I mean, what if they finish in the Conference League again? That’ll be a shambles for the ownership, Chelsea, and the players.

So you might see a group of players that have got long contracts but don’t want to be at Chelsea anymore. Enzo Fernández might say, “Well, I want to play for Real Madrid.” Caicedo might say, “I want to go to Liverpool.” That is probably the only thing that might happen to this group of players, because an experienced manager coming in—which has to be a must—is still going to have to put some authority down to the group of players that are on seven-year deals. I mean, where on earth is their motivation? It’s an incredible scenario.

Should Michael Carrick get the permanent job?

100%. I think so, I think so. I think Man United and the owners, Jim Ratcliffe, are in a position now where it’s easy to say, “Well, let’s go for a winner,” but they’ve been down that route.

Actually, I’ll bring that 100% down to 99%. Because surely they’ve got to be having conversations with Marco Silva, Iraola, or Xabi Alonso—one or two managers like Pochettino, maybe, that might be coming out of work after the World Cup—but on the basis of what he’s done, I mean, why wouldn’t you give him the job? Because I think if you’re the owners, you speak to Bruno and you speak to Harry Maguire and ask, “Do you think he’s the man?” and they’re going to say, “Yeah.” So it feels like Michael Carrick should get the job.

Who are you tipping to win the Premier League?

Arsenal. I was—again, things can change in 24 hours—and I was Man City before they drew 3−3 last night against Everton. So it’s in Arsenal’s hands. Go and win the League. I think it could be theirs.

Do you think this will be Pep Guardiola’s last season?

I think if he won the league, he might say, “That’s it,” potentially. If he doesn’t win the league, I think he’ll definitely stay and I think he’ll rebuild.

And in all honesty, I think City win the league by a massive margin next year if Pep stays, because I think they’re going to go again. I think the signings… Gay… I think the standards of Semenyo on top of Khusanov is going to be better. Sorry, O’Riley… Cherki, who’s been excellent. Haaland—they’ll still have him. Maybe they need that extra bit of legs if they move Rodri on or Tonali. Again, I think they’ll improve with their signings and I could see City, if Pep stays, winning the league by more than 10 points next year.

Flop of the season?

Do you know? I’d have to say Florian Wirtz. I expected so much more because I think when you look at the season that he’s had in his first year… yes, difficult circumstances inside of the dressing room with—I know he wasn’t there—but the effects of Jota passing away, and the transition that Arne Slot and the club are in. I think if you compare him and you look at Coutinho and the body of work that Coutinho did, he needs to improve to get to Coutinho’s level in a Liverpool shirt. I expected so much more. I see the potential in him—I watch him and I go, “Brilliant little flick, great little trick”—but he’s 60 yards away from goal. He needs to do more at the top end of the pitch.

Hero of the season?

I was leaning toward Igor Thiago at Brentford, and then my brain kicked in and went, “Actually, it’s Keith Andrews.”

I was one of them in the summer where I thought: relegation, lost the manager, lost loads of players. We’ve got a young manager in his first big job; he’s going to struggle. They’re going to be close to the bottom three, might just survive, scraping their heels through—and now he’s fourth? Potentially going into contention for Champions League football? If Villa finish fifth and win the Europa, then the sixth spot opens up. I think, without a doubt, it’s Keith Andrews. I think he’s done an amazing job.

Are Chelsea the biggest banter club this season?

I don’t get what the owners want.

I’ve seen some quotes this week from John Obi Mikel. He said Abramovich used to say, “I’ve got so much money; if you don’t sort your stuff out, you can F-off.”

It’s brilliant from an owner to say, “I’ve got so much money—sort your stuff out or F-off.” It’s like, whoa, yeah—I need to get my “A” into gear here.

What is Todd Boehly and his men telling the Chelsea players? “Right, it’s okay if you don’t sort your stuff out, because here—there’s a seven-year contract.” It’s the complete role reversal of what Abramovich was doing, and Abramovich made them successful. Now, his model was a little bit bonkers—sacking managers here, there, and everywhere—but at least the standard was high.

You go back to Chelsea managers over the last 10 years; the standard of managers was unbelievably high. Now, after Maresca, signing a guy from Leicester, then Liam Rosenior from Hull and Strasbourg, and then an interim manager—the standard of manager has been dropping year on year. So, it’s all on the owners and what they’ve done to the club and the team.

Does Phil Foden need to consider leaving Man City this summer?

I think that’s the right move for the club. Being a Man City fan and being a brilliant player. For Phil Foden, it’s a question because, all right, you’re staying at Man City where you’re comfortable and you know the manager and you know the setup and it’s your team—but surely you want to go and play.

So maybe he signed that four-year contract with the thought process: “Right, next year is the big year. Next year, off the back of a World Cup, I’ve got to try and get back into Man City’s starting 11.” But the thing is, when you go, “Right, where’s he going to play?” It’s not going to be in Doku’s position, it’s not going to be in Semenyo’s position, and on current form, it’s not going to be in Cherki’s position.

His thought process has to be: “Right, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got for one year to play for Man City. If I’m not playing, then I’m going to move.”

If Newcastle come in or someone else comes in, they’re going to have to pay a lot of money for him. So it’s a smart move.

Who do you think will win the SPL?

Hearts beat Rangers yesterday. I watched the game yesterday. I was hoping Rangers would win to make it a proper three-horse race, but I’m leaning toward Hearts. I think they’ve got momentum, and I think they’ve got a goalscorer in Shankland. We’ve talked about him; he is a must for Scotland’s World Cup in the summer. Steve Clarke was at the game and his finish was excellent.

It’s probably turned into a two-horse race now. There’s a big game for Rangers coming up where they play Celtic at Celtic Park, which is massive. That’s going to be huge to try and get Rangers back into a title race and make them contenders again. But I think the gap that Hearts have got on Rangers might be too much. So I think it’s a straight shootout now—a straight duel between Hearts and Celtic for the league. I’d like to see Hearts win it.

Is this the biggest Old Firm game in years?

I don’t remember one. I think you’d have to go back to when Walter Smith was manager. I think you have to go back to those times where the titles were literally on the line.

I think the Martin O’Neill story is a great story if he can win the league. You know, I think that’s an amazing story for him, and I don’t think he’d stay on. I think he’d walk away as a champion. But I still think it’d be great for Scottish football if Hearts won the league, because it might just liven Rangers and Celtic up to think, “Right, we can’t just think this is a closed shop.”

The attitude in Scotland over the last five or so years has been, “Right, it’s only Celtic and Rangers that are going to win the league; we don’t need to really improve—one of us can just get by winning the league.” If Hearts win, it might shake them both up to think, “Right, we’ve got to raise the standards again here,” and I think that would be a good thing.

Robbie Keane has been strongly linked with the Celtic gig. Would that be a good appointment in your opinion based on his knowledge of the club and what he’s done in Hungary?

I’ve watched his team a lot. I commentate on the Europa League and Conference League, and Ferencváros have done really well. I think he plays good football. I think one day he’ll want to come back. He got linked with the Spurs job, didn’t he? When Postecoglou was leaving, or just before, and I think Spurs were angling to give him a contract at the end of the season. He said no—and why would he? If he comes back, he’s going to want years on his contract so he can put a project in and build. So I think if Martin O’Neill left, Robbie Keane would be a fantastic signing. I think he’d probably be the number one candidate, actually.

Could Celtic be tempted to appoint Derek McInnes?

That’s a hell of a question. I would say, from my point of view, it wouldn’t be a problem. But hardcore Celtic fans are too green-and-white to potentially take someone from Rangers. Now, that might have changed over the years; that might have softened slightly. I don’t know, because I’m not in Glasgow—I’ve not got eyes and ears on the ground for how much it really matters anymore. They might have the intelligence to think, “Well, you know what? We’re going to get a cracking manager and we’re going to get a manager that’s won the league, so why wouldn’t we take him?” So yeah, it’s a fascinating question which I’m not sure actually what the answer is.

Could Motherwell be next year’s surprise package?

I think for a team like Motherwell, you need investment. I think that’s the key, because that’s what Rangers and Celtic will bring, and Hearts might do the same.

The most important cog in their wheel is keeping hold of Derek McInnes—if he wins the league—because you can imagine Rangers and Celtic might be sniffing all over him. More so Rangers, I think; he was an ex-Rangers player, so that’s the link. But for Motherwell, they’ve proved—I think when you’ve watched Motherwell this season—they’ve been, to the eye, the best footballing side. It’s just: can they get that bit closer, and then can they find the money to compete with the Old Firm? That’s the problem.

Does Jude Bellingham deserve to go?

I would. But he’s got to prove his fitness. I think you’ve got enough time between now and the end of the season to watch him, judge him, and then you’ve got a few weeks to get him fit. So, even if he’s at 80% by the time La Liga finishes, you’ve got a couple of weeks to run him and maybe you play some games behind closed doors and judge his fitness. But I think you’ve got to take him.

Who would you take as No. 10?

I would probably say Gibbs-White is, you know. I’ve been saying about Newcastle—like, I’d sign him in a heartbeat. I’d say with the form that he’s been in, it feels like him and Rogers, but Rogers has dipped slightly lately. Out of all those number tens, it feels like Gibbs-White.

Do you think Gibbs-White will be fit for Thursday?

I think he will be, you know, because I think Pereira was really clever afterwards when he said it’s not concussion, it’s a cut. Because if it’s concussion, obviously the protocols come into place where he actually can’t play. So Pereira was really clever saying he’s absolutely fine, it’s not concussion. And as the pictures of the stitches have shown, he’ll stick a headband on and he’ll play.

He’s the one where I was saying before about players having an injection to play in big games. He’s got that old-school mindset: Aston Villa, Thursday night, semi-final—I’m playing.

Should players take injections to play in big matches or protect their long-term fitness?

Yeah, but I’d rather finish at 33 having known I took every injection possible to play in the big games. I would sleep well knowing I never pulled out of a game because I was half-fit.

I’ve had loads of times where, the morning of a game, you have a fitness test and you actually say to the physio, “I’m proper struggling, I can’t do it,” but I’m at least willing to go for it. When do you ever see anyone have a fitness test these days? No one has them! It’s like, “I’m not fit. I’ll be fit for next week, though.” I guarantee you Isak will be fit for next week. If you can be fit seven days later, how can you not take an injection to play against United? I just don’t get it. I don’t get the mindset.

Sunderland v Man Utd

Sunderland win. Just the home form—and you know it—again, it’s like the West Ham-Man United game. It’s Sunderland playing at home against Man United. It’s a big draw for the Sunderland fans, so the atmosphere will be brilliant. Let’s go 2-1 to Sunderland.

Liverpool v Chelsea

Oh, God. Do you know, the funny thing is all I could think of when Chelsea were getting hammered by Forest is that there’s every chance they go to Anfield and win. That’s all I was thinking of. It was a little bit like when Spurs went there and got a draw. Everything about you says this should be 5-0, but the way Liverpool have been a shambles this season, it’s like Spurs will get a point—and they did. I’m going to go for a draw. One-all.

Palace v Everton

Off the back of Thursday night, I’m going to go 2-2.

West Ham v Arsenal

0-1 to Arsenal. Scrappy. Arsenal get the job done.

Hull v Millwall

Oh, see, these first legs are horrible. I played them, and you’re not sure how to manage them. I’m going to go 1-0 to Hull.

Celtic v Rangers

Oh, that is a horrible question. I’m going to go 1-2 to Rangers to keep the dream alive.

Motherwell v Hearts

That is hard. I’m going to go with a draw. I’m going to go 1-1.

Who are you tipping for the Snooker Seniors?

I think you’d have to go Ronnie, with that field. Yeah, I think you’d have to go Ronnie. He’s still capable of winning the main championship normally, so I think going into the Seniors, you’d have to make him favorite.

As for Jimmy White, I mean, never won the Worlds, did he? Played in like a million finals. Just such a maverick. Coming through that era when I was growing up watching snooker—you know, Bill Werbeniuk and Kirk Stevens and all these boys, Terry Griffiths and Cliff Thorburn “The Grinder”—and then Jimmy White coming in, just potting things off the lampshade! Just an absolute maverick of his time but couldn’t get over the line. But everyone was desperate for him—the “People’s Champion”—everyone was desperate for him to win.