Marcus Rashford’s perfect role back at Manchester United under Michael Carrick, Arsenal’s need for Julian Alvarez, and why this will not be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup
Q: What could Trent Alexander-Arnold offer to Manchester United?
Manchester United would be a very good move for Trent Alexander-Arnold. What a player. He would really help how Michael Carrick wants to attack teams and I think it’s clear he is not really enjoying himself at Real Madrid. He would be a great player to have, and I think anyone in the Premier League would want to sign him. Who wouldn’t have Trent in their team? I’m not sure he would be keen on United. Liverpool fans definitely wouldn’t be happy! But it’s not out of the question. Luis Figo left Barcelona for Real Madrid. Michael Owen played for United. If he doesn’t see his future at Real Madrid, we’ll have to wait and see.
Q: Has Thomas Tuchel made a mistake by not taking Trent Alexander-Arnold to the World Cup?
Trent Alexander-Arnold is a player that really can change the game when he’s on the pitch but Reece James is up there for me too. When you’ve got the ball, Trent is like having another midfielder, and his assists speak for themselves, but Thomas Tuchel has made up his mind on who he wants and you just hope it goes well for him this summer.
Q: Do Manchester United need to take a serious look at bringing Scott McTominay back to the club as Casemiro’s replacement this summer?
Should Manchester United bring Scott McTominay back to the club? Yes but not as a defensive midfielder to replace Casemiro. I kept telling people when he was at the club, he’s not a holding midfielder. Just because he’s big and athletic, people think of him like that but we all love Scott and he’s really shown his skills and talent at Napoli in Serie A.
If United could bring him back to play him in his best position I would say yes but Scott wants to get forward, make those runs, and is a different player to the midfielder you need to replace Casemiro. He plays in the same position as Bruno Fernandes. He’s not a holding midfielder. You have to let him bomb on.
Q: If you had to make a prediction now, how do you see next season in the Premier League panning out?
I think Manchester City win the title next season. Arsenal will come second. Manchester United will be third followed by Liverpool but I’ll say Aston Villa for fifth over Chelsea. I’d love to put United in the title race but Michael Carrick is still figuring it out and they’ll be a little bit closer next season but they don’t have the squads that City and Arsenal have that you need to go and win the Premier League.
Q: What more do you need to see from Chelsea next season?
Chelsea always have the players but sometimes you watch them and see these great individuals but they’re not a team. That’s what they will be hoping Xabi Alonso fixes for them. They need to learn from what Sunderland have done. If you can get Chelsea playing as a team, helping each other out, with the players they have at the ages they are then they could be real contenders. You see it in some games but then it just doesn’t continue.
They’re a team who needs to become a team. Sunderland have shown them the way. Being a team rather than a collection of players is massive in the Premier League.
Q: How impressive a job has Regis Le Bris done at Sunderland so far?
It’s a tough thing to do, taking a club like Sunderland up through the play-offs and then finishing in the top half. I know Sunderland have been a Premier League club before but not for a good while, so to not only keep them up but go on the charge to get into Europe, it’s given everyone a boost: the fans, the players, the city. It’s all down to Regis Le Bris getting his players to buy into playing as a team. He got a great reaction from Granit Xhaka and it’s clear the players have really been in the mood to play for him. They’re really enjoying themselves. Now you just hope he gets a little bit of money to spend this summer because he’s done very well with all the players they spent money on last summer.
You just hope that their team spirit continues going into next season with a few add-ons, but if he keeps this up, there will definitely be teams looking at Sunderland and what they’re going because Le Bris has been every owner’s dream so far. To have a season like that in your first year as a manager in the Premier League is a big achievement.
Q: What’s the secret to Sunderland building on this season next year?
For Sunderland, first of all, it’s tough to come and play them at the Stadium of Light, and it’s up to the players and the manager to keep that same attitude and energy next season and maintain their fortress. You look at every team that played there and it was always a hard game the way Sunderland run at you when they’re playing in front of their home fans. They always have the crowd behind them. You don’t see that at every ground. They have to keep that going if they are going to stay in the Premier League.
Q: Atletico Madrid have turned down a £139m bid from Real Madrid for Julian Alvarez. Is there a Premier League club who should crash the party to sign him this summer?
Julian Alvarez is a very good player. He was just unlucky that Erling Haaland was at Manchester City because he scores goals and as we saw at the last World Cup, he’s done it on the biggest stages. He’s done the business for Atletico Madrid as well so I can see why it would cost so much to sign him this summer. He’s probably one of the top three players in the world at the moment. You have to respect that but it’s a lot of money but I’d like to see him back in the Premier League even if it’s probably just a little bit too much money for most teams to be throwing out there.
I would say Alvarez is better than Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Arteta will still be looking at how he can build on this season and what’s got there to go again next season and keep the pressure on. If they’ve got the money to spend, you could see it.
Manchester City have been doing it for years, winning the Premier League and then adding more quality to their teams. You strengthen when you’re already on top. But Arsenal have got a really good team spirit so it’s whether Alvarez fits in with what they have.
Q: Should Manchester United be in for Julian Alvarez or has Benjamin Sesko shown he has what it takes?
Does Benjamin Sesko have enough to be Manchester United’s main striker? Well we always talk about the importance of Premier League-proven players and when players come in from other countries they can find it difficult at the beginning. Sesko is still so young too and he was under so much pressure but once you overcome that, you start to see the quality, and I think he’s got everything you could ask for in a striker. He’s athletic. He’s got height. He’s pacy. He can finish.
I still feel you need a couple of others that can play in that position. It’d be nice to see Marcus Rashford back in the squad as an option, and think about the threat of having him playing off Sesko down the left? Suddenly you’ve got danger coming from everywhere.
I feel we had a little bit of that this year with Sesko, Bruno, Cunha, Mbeumo and Amad when he was one. You don’t know where the real threat is coming from and that’s what you see from the very best teams. I think that’s what has made Manchester City more dangerous than anyone else over the years because of the different players all able to create something or score goals. That’s the sort of threat you want to see your team bring into games, and Rashford could offer that to Carrick next season.
Q: Can Middlesbrough ‘do a Sunderland’ if they finally get promotion sorted next season?
Could Middlesbrough do what Sunderland have done if they can get back into the Premier League? They’re another one of those clubs who have been in the Premier League before, they know what it’s about, and their fans do too. Sunderland were in Middlesbrough’s position a good two or three years ago and they just couldn’t quite get there. I remember Michael Carrick telling me when he was Boro manager that they had some really good young players but they just didn’t have enough to get over that final hurdle. That’s what they have to hope to overcome first.
If Middlesbrough get back into the Premier League, and they can add a few names to their squad, then you can see what happens, because Sunderland have done it the right way. That’s the model for Boro to follow.
Q: Can Eddie Howe survive as Newcastle United boss if he has another season where Sunderland do the double on them and finish above Newcastle in the league?
If Newcastle had another season like this one, it’d be a tough one for Eddie Howe, because sometimes it doesn’t even matter where you finish. Up in the North East it can come down to what happens in those two games every season against Sunderland. It shouldn’t be like that but it is and obviously Sunderland have turned up the heat this year and I think it was a difficult year for Newcastle with the players they lost. The team wasn’t the same. You could see that they’d lost a little bit of that intensity.
They can always make it right but if they were to lose twice to Sunderland again, I’m not going to say you get sacked, but you’re scrutinised more and it’s not a situation he would like himself to be in. Sunderland have been really focused on enjoying it, getting together, putting everything into every game and I think last year Newcastle lost that a little bit when it comes to the energy that they bring to the games.
Q: What can your old England teammate Frank Lampard achieve with Coventry City next season?
Knowing Frank Lampard, he is a determined character. He knows what he wants. You have your highs and lows but you can see the focus he put into this season. I don’t think most of us could be managers, let alone do what Frank has done at Coventry. It’s been absolute domination and I’m really looking forward to seeing them in the Premier League. He knows how difficult it’s going to be.
You know, he’s been there and he’ll know what he’ll need from the players. But at the same time, I think the way they’ve played, it’s been a testament to Frank and his staff. They’ve been excellent and Frank has obviously had a big part to play in that. He’s been in the game for a long time now, if you look at it, and he’ll be looking to really push on and have a good season next year.
Q: When you look at what Frank Lampard has achieved with Coventry, could Steven Gerrard do something similar at another one of your old clubs Blackburn?
Steven Gerrard has already had a couple of big jobs in the game. He’s certainly got the character to be a top manager. Sometimes the opportunity pops up and you take it but you always look for the right opportunity. Sometimes that’s not the case. He was in Saudi Arabia too but I’m sure his heart is in managing a club in the English leagues. I don’t think Stevie should just take a job for the sake of it. I think he’s doing it the right way, you know, and if he feels that the right job comes up, even if that means dropping down to the Championship, he’d go for it but you have to feel you’ve got the backing of the owners otherwise it’s difficult.
I played in the Championship and it’s tough. It’s really tough. So as long as you feel like you’ve got the backing from the owners it can be a good move but Blackburn fans have always had a problem with the Venkys, even when I was there. I think any football fan wants to see their team do well and at least have a go and obviously they’ve struggled this season. A few years ago they were nearly getting into the play-offs again but kept missing out and I can sense the frustrations there. If they could have just added two or three more players, they might have been able to push on and get back into the Premier League.
Blackburn is a great club and you want to see more fans there every week but obviously they have their problems with the owners at the moment so it’s going to be really tough. But I hope that they somehow sort it out and get the right manager in and spend the right money to help the team.
Q: What does the future hold for John O’Shea in the game now he’s building up his coaching career?
Could John O’Shea be a future manager of Celtic or the Ireland national team? Sheasy has been in coaching for quite a while now. He was assistant at Reading as well. But obviously he’s gone into the Ireland set up and he’s getting on with the job, and I think the main thing is he’s gaining a lot of experience.
I’m sure if you ask him, he’ll hopefully one day step into the shoes of being a manager, once he feels he’s ready. He would bring in so much experience from having been a player. He’s well respected in the game. I think he’d do a really good job. He’s learned from some of the best along the way, after all. He’s a very intelligent man. Obviously you need that football intelligence but it’s about how he holds himself, the way he speaks to people, and all the qualities you expect to see in a football manager, Sheasy’s got that in abundance.
Q: Was keeping Martin O’Neil on the right choice for Celtic?
I played under Martin O’Neill at Sunderland and he sets the expectations very high. I even watched Celtic’s final match against Hearts and it was nerve racking and I don’t support either of the teams! Martin gets it out of the players. He makes sure his teams are set up right and play as well. He’s going to be massive for Celtic again next season.
Q: Were you ever tempted with a move up to Scotland? Did Celtic or Rangers ever show any interest that you know of? If you could have played for one of them, which one would it have been?
Did Celtic or Rangers ever come in for me? I never talked to anyone. Do you not know Sir Alex Ferguson?! He didn’t tell you anything. But no, I never had talks with either of them. The only team I ever heard about from the manager was when I was younger. Lazio and Barcelona were interested but that was it. Scotland never interested me because it’s too cold up there, even for me! But I would have never moved on from Manchester United so it wouldn’t have mattered who came in for me.
In hindsight, you can always look back and talk about what you might have done at that time but I just wouldn’t have left United for Celtic or Rangers. As long as the manager wanted me to, I would have stayed there.
Q: What have you made of Tom Cleverley’s impact at Plymouth Argyle?
Tom Cleverley is doing a great job down in Plymouth. I thought he had some good spells as Watford boss but sometimes it can be tough when you’re a player who becomes caretaker and then gets given the job because the owners might always be looking to replace you anyway. He’s got Plymouth Argyle rocking and rolling now. They’re playing some good football. Tom’s always had that football knowledge even as a player, maybe because of where he played in midfield and coming up through the ranks at United and going to a few different clubs.
I always think it’s about wanting to be a manager so much that you put in the time and the work, and Tom has definitely done that, and it’s good to see a different side to someone you knew as a player. You have to be really committed to the game and that’s Tom.
Q: How important is it for Greater Manchester to see a club like Oldham Athletic moving in the right direction again?
Seeing Oldham Athletic back in the football league has been brilliant. I’m sure when I started off in the game they were in the Premier League but that shows you how long it’s been! Oldham are a very respected club and they’ve had their ups and downs and when you go down that far it’s always hard to get back up again. They’ve been a bit unlucky this year but it’s great to see them come back up because they’re a club that’s known all over the country, and they’ve had plenty of big players in the past. You look at the journey Wrexham have been on and that’s where Oldham will want to get back to as well.
Q: What are your predictions for England’s group stage games?
This one is going to be a bit of a tough one but I’m going to say 2-1 to England with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham getting the goals. I think it’ll be 2-0 to England against Ghana. Hopefully that’s the game where Bukayo Saka shows his quality. I’m going to say 4-1 to England against Panama. They’ll be wanting to score goals and I’d like to see Marcus Rashford getting one. Maybe Declan Rice too. That’s the game where you want to get a few goals to go into your next match and enjoy a bit of a boost before the knockout stages.
Q: What’s your all-time England XI going into this tournament, and how many current players get into it?
My all-time England XI? Harry Kane gets in it. David Seaman was probably the best goalkeeper I played under. Gary Neville, Reece James or Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back? That’s a hard one. We’ll go attacking so I’ll go with James. Nev could have easily played there.
Centre-backs, it’s definitely John Terry and Rio Ferdinand for me. Ashley Cole, left-back. My midfield would probably be something like Michael Carrick, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, and Gazza because I’m going to go with people I played with or played against.
I’d go Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney up front. Alan Shearer and David Beckham first and second sub.
Manager? Someone I didn’t play under but I remember watching his England teams so I would have to go with Terry Venables.
Q: What’s your all-time Manchester United XI, and how many current players get into it?
You always have to go Peter Schmeichel. Gary Neville. Rio Ferdinand and you can go Jaap Stam or Nemanja Vidic, but I’ll go with Vida. Denis Irwin. Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney. Andy Cole up front and personally I would put Ryan Giggs in but you could put Bruno Fernandes in.
