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Horse Racing Talking Football with…. Mikael Silvestre: United Need Consistency and Must Keep “Asset” Ronaldo
In the latest of our series of interviews with Mikael Silvestre, we discussed how his former teams are getting on ahead of the World Cup break. We asked Silvestre to reflect on Erik Ten Hag’s first few months in charge of Manchester United and what should be done about Cristiano Ronaldo.
We also quizzed him on Arsenal’s title chances and who has been the standout player in Mikel Arteta’s side. Finally, we asked about the France national team and whether this should be the final major tournament for Didier Deschamps.
Starting with Manchester United, it looks like they are going to be going to the World Cup in 5th place in the Premier League, how would you assess Erik ten Hag’s first season at Old Trafford so far?
It’s a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of performances. It’s missing consistency, unfortunately. Being 5th in the league at this time is not a huge dilemma because I still believe the focus should be to qualify for the Champions League. That would mean progress from last season.
It would make the club more attractive for players. It’s important to have the best sponsorship deals when you go to the Champions League. It’s a different ball game, because finances are a key element of being able to compete with the biggest clubs in the world. 5th is okay. We’ll take that.
After the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa on the weekend, Erik ten Hag said it was “stupid” of his side to put some many quick crosses to Cristiano Ronaldo. What do you make of these comments and what do you think it reveals about how much work he has left to do?
I don’t know what to make of it. For sure, if you are given instruction and a game plan and especially a new way of playing football – and suddenly you think because you have Cristiano in the box he can jump higher than anybody and finish. It’s not what the manager wants. It’s only normal that he addresses the point. He’s frustrated on the sideline.
He’s making his points. What I like about the manager is he is not hiding and most of the time when he speaks after games, he gives analysis. He’s telling us, he’s telling the audience, he’s telling the players. I think the points are there. We can all appreciate what he is trying to do and tell the players.
I think he meant that the team was forcing the crosses a little bit.
Yeah, they were not meant to cross at some point. They were forcing it when it was almost like impossible to find Cristiano and for him to be able to have an attempt on goal. I see what he means.
What do you think of the Ronaldo situation? How do you think Erik ten Hag should handle it moving forward?
Cristiano has been out, he’s been back, he played, he scored. He will remain an asset for United. For that game it didn’t work out offensively, they didn’t create a lot of chances. And it wasn’t due to Cristiano, it was a collective issue.
So, despite the loss, Alejandro Garnacho has impressed lately. How big of a talent do you think he is?
It’s important for the young players when they break into the first team to show their worth straight away. Because you are not gonna be given many opportunities. You have to take it which he did by scoring a goal in the Europa League. Against Villa, he showed his talent, obviously, but courage too.
He has a part to play this season like Elanga did last season. That’s what Manchester United is about. If you are a talented young player, you will be given an opportunity to show it. You have to make sure it’s your first but your last appearance. It can happen.
So, you mentioned that United struggled to make chances. They were obviously without Bruno Fernandes for the match against Aston Villa. How big of a miss do you think he was for United?
Like Christian Eriksen, Bruno is key for United in creating chances, he can find a pocket of space, find players in the box or behind the backline, and they both have exceptional set pieces. It would have been good to have him on the pitch but it wasn’t good enough for the other players who stepped up.
Donny van de Beek came into the team. He didn’t have the best performance of his career, I think it is fair to say. Do you think he’s still got a role to play at Manchester United or is it better for them to part ways?
It’s hard for him. He’s not getting a run of games on the back of a difficult season. It’s very difficult. I feel for him because he’s facing a big challenge. Fitness-wise and mentally when you’re not at your best – and suddenly you come on and you have to replace, in this case, it was Bruno – it’s hard.
He just has to keep faith in his ability and I hope that he can get that run of games. Without it, it is very difficult to have an impact.
We’re almost halfway through the season, who has been Manchester United’s best player so far?
I think Christian Eriksen has been the best so far. He fitted straight into the team and brought what he does best in midfield. His positioning, his transition play. I’ve been impressed with his defensive attitude and efforts. He’s been excellent on both sides of the game. He’s the one that stands out so far.
Any weak links in the team, do you think?
No, I think it’s collective the inconsistency. That Aston Villa game and some other performances, the other losses. It was a collective approach, an attitude which wasn’t up to standard for some of the games.
You can’t have the game against Arsenal at home, even the Chelsea game away was only one point but it was good and then have performances like this against Aston Villa. Consistency will be key for United if they want to achieve the objective.
Your old teammate Gary Neville said this week that Man United has the weakest front three of the big six clubs in England. Would you agree with that?
I don’t know why he’s saying that. I think that if you look at individuals, these players are not the lowest. For me, it’s a collective response that United needs to find because if you take the players one by one I think that are capable of competing with any of those teams.
But right now with the rest of the players, the connection, the link-up play and the collective approach is not perfect. But that goes with what the manager is saying. It takes time. Antony just got there so it’s going to take time. I wouldn’t say they are the weakest, for sure.
So, moving to Europe, United will play FC Barcelona in the Europa League knockout round playoffs. What did you make of the draw?
It’s a great draw because it’s a fantastic club, an historic club and good opposition. It is a type of game that you normally see in the Champions League but it doesn’t matter now which competition it is… as long as it’s not the Super League!
It’s a very good fixture to be involved for the players, for the club, for the fans. It will be a test. It will be in February, so at that time, it could be a good moment. Just enjoy it and win it. That’s it, it’s a cup competition.
One Premier League game left before the break for the World Cup. From Man United’s perspective, are there any major concerns going into this World Cup break? Is it going to be a positive for them? To not play Premier League football for a month and a half.
Nobody knows exactly how this is going to affect the rest of the season. Short term, as soon as you get back into the games and long term, United have many players involved. It’s good but you just hope that they come back fit, and ready to compete again.
Depending on how the competition goes on an individual level, it could take a lot of energy out of you mentally. And therefore physically as well.
I think it is going to be a case-by-case scenario for players and for the clubs to assess how they cope post-World Cup. For United, I think it is the same as the other top six teams who have a lot of international players involved. Just to go back to the question, I don’t see an advantage or disadvantage for United. It is like everybody else.
United always seem to be late with players in the transfer market. This week with Milan Skriniar, from Inter, defender. Could be a free transfer, is that something United should pursue?
I like the player, but I think he is lacking pace for the Premier League. He is very good with everything in front of him, but not with dealing with the others behind. I think he is a big, strong lad but wouldn’t be a good fit for United.
If they beat Wolves on Saturday, Arsenal could be at the top of the Premier League for the World Cup and for Christmas as well. How important is that for the title race, and for what Mikel Arteta wants to achieve?
It will be great to be still top and go into the break knowing that you are going to be there when the league starts again.
Playing Wolves, you will expect them to get the three points and solidify this position at the top of the league. That would be very, very good.
What did you make of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Chelsea for the weekend?
We have to put things into perspective. It was very positive. Away from home, showing a lot of character, and determination, and keep playing the Arsenal way. But, it is not the strongest Chelsea team at the moment. So, I think the three points count a lot, they are one of the teams that normally is supposed to be in the title race as well but they are not now.
I am not going to say it was impressive, but it was a continuity of what they have been since the beginning of the season.
They are growing in every department, offensively, defensively, and this mentality for the young players – even Odegaard is still a young player, Saliba – they’ve shown a lot of maturity in that game which is the biggest improvement.
Maybe quite hard to pick out one, but who do you think has been Arsenal’s best player this season?
For me, it is between Saliba, Martinelli and Xhaka. It is between those three. And even Odegaard, he has got the armband so it’s just standard for him that he needs to be up there in terms of performances.
That is why it is hard to pick because it shows how good they are individually. That is why they are at the top of the league. I would go for Martinelli because he has been creating, he has been scoring, and he is making all of the right-backs suffer.
I don’t want to say that anyone has been like a weak link for Arsenal because they are top of the league. But have any of the players got more to give? Is there more to come from anyone?
Gabriel Jesus. Not a weak link but a bit of concern for his goalscoring consistency. Because he is giving a lot to the team and sometimes, the final touch is not accurate, he is not making the right choice. Or he would force it.
That is the only one but he is just dipping in form at the moment. But, thank god for them, they are creating chances and you have other goal-scorers. The strength of the team is going forward and scoring goals is not only on Jesus. Apart from that, I don’t see any weak parts.
So, Oleksandr Zinchenko came back into the team. It looked like his being there helped Arsenal control the game a bit more. In the midfield especially. So, how much of a boost is it to have him back?
Yeah, I like him, he is good on the ball. He is smart and he reads the game well, when it is time to accelerate, when it is time to put the handbrake on, or to rotate position.
He was a very good signing, he is proving his worth. Having him fit and competing in the position, and linking up with other players in the midfield and going forward is a big boost.
Thomas Partey was very important in the midfield. They’ve got Mohamed Elneny coming back from injury now, but do you think there is a depth issue there, do you think there is a position they should strengthen, possibly in January?
They might be able to do it. It’s always a window where you have to look for opportunities, but they’ve got to hope that there won’t be any major injuries, or players sidelined for a long time in that position. Because they don’t have many options.
It could be a season in which there are no issues and everything goes smoothly. Then we won’t notice that lack of depth.
Ben White, another great performance from him. Would you be surprised if he isn’t in the England squad for the World Cup?
100%. I think he deserves to go and compared to the other defenders, he has versatility. I know there are a lot of right-backs already for England but he can play two positions. And when you are playing regularly in a team that sits regularly at the top of the Premier league table, you should be in the squad, at least.
Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus, are both in the Brazil squad. Do you think that was deserved? Martinelli was a bit of a surprise inclusion.
On form, yes. Brazil sometimes pick their squads on names and reputation. If it is on actual form, I am not surprised that they are including them. It is good for the players.
The other Gabriel Magalhaes, centre-back, was not selected, do you think he was not chosen considering his form?
There is Marquinhos and Thiago Silva and it is hard. There is much competition for him. He shouldn’t be too far. He is only 23.
We covered this for Man United, but do you think it will be the same situation for Arsenal going into the World Cup? Is it going to be a positive for them, a negative for them, or is it just going to be the same for every club?
I think it will be the same. I don’t see any reason why it should be an issue or an advantage for Arsenal after the World Cup.
Do you think Mikel Arteta is in contention for the manager of the season or should it be someone else? Eddie Howe, maybe?
It is too early to say because the Premier League is like a marathon. You have to wait and see where you end up. If Arsenal win the league, he could be the manager of the season.
But I don’t really think he cares about that, I think he cares about what he is achieving at Arsenal, what he does for the club, and from where he took the team to where they are now. That is what matters to him. And you can see the focus for him is on making sure that they perform well.
Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante were pivotal for France in 2018 but it looks like they will be missing out this time. Who do you see stepping into the team, and taking their place?
So the obvious one would be Rabiot. He’s starting, scoring goals and playing well for Juve along with Tchouameni from Real Madrid. I think those two would be the natural replacements.
Rabiot has a lot more experience than Tchouameni. I think Deschamps can work with those two to find the balance and the dynamic to get out of the group and see where we can go.
A couple of problems in the defence as well. Jules Kounde, Varane, and Lucas Hernandez are all doubts. How big of a concern is this, or does France have enough players in the reserve to just step up?
Kimpembe is coming back from injury as well. There is concern at the back. We are not going into the tournament in great shape. A lot of question marks on key players in key positions.
It won’t be a smooth ride, especially because you don’t have warm-up games. You don’t have much time to experiment. It is do-or-die straight away with the first game against Australia. So hopefully, Deschamps will succeed one more time, and find a way to make it work.
William Saliba, do you think he is one of the most in-form centre-backs in the world, do you think he should be starting at the World Cup, especially considering the injuries?
He has a point to make because of his form since the beginning of the season. He keeps improving. Given the situation of the other centre-backs – out of form, coming back from injury.
The thing is, Didier Deschamps can count on him if needed. Because clearly he has stepped up and given the right performances for Arsenal.
Finally, do you think this should be Didier Deschamps’s last tournament?
Not necessarily, I think it depends on the outcome. But it is a completely different job from a club manager. Reaching the final of the Euro 2016, winning in 2018, his track record is extremely positive.
I think it will be more up to him, whether or not he wants to continue, and have the desire to bring that team into the next Euros, or the next World Cup. So it is still up for debate. But the final decision, I think will be with Deschamps.
