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Horse Racing Talking Football with…. Mikael Silvestre: The Ronaldo Situation is Disturbing, We’ll Soon See How it’s Affecting the Team
We were delighted to sit down with Mikael Silvestre this week ahead of the Premier League kick-off this weekend. In one of the signings of the summer, the former Manchester United, Arsenal and France international will be a regular guest at bettingexpert News.
Mikael gave his thoughts on the new United boss Erik ten Hag and we can expect from the Red Devils this season. He also weighed in on the situation regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at the club. Mikael was also quizzed on another of his former clubs, Arsenal as they gear up for a big season under Mikel Arteta.
What should be Manchester United and Erik ten Hag’s realistic aim for this season?
The realistic goal is to finish in the top four. The aim should be winning the league, but in all honesty and to be realistic, the top four should be the target. It’s important for the club to establish continuity in the Champions League again.
When you are in the top four it means you are close to the objective, which is to be back in the title race.
There are two elements to this, first; you can attract the best players and retain your best players when you play Champions League, and second; you get closer to whoever wins the title which was Liverpool and City in the last few years.
Do you feel Manchester United have the quality to battle for the top 4?
At the moment, they should be in the mix I would say. There is enough quality in the current squad to fight for those positions. Maybe not to be number one or two, but three and four is definitely possible. There was obviously a big change with the management, so there are big expectations now, this also comes with the new signings, although they are still missing pieces in the midfield where they are very light.
In that department, because of the departures of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba, they still need reinforcements. They haven’t been replaced in numbers. forget the quality, no one came in in that area of the field. So, there’s still work to be done until August 31st.
Manchester United are still in the hunt for Frenkie de Jong. What do you have to say about that pursuit and how it has transpired?
I think this situation is quite unique. We know the situation of Barcelona with regards to certain players last season and a lot of clubs in Europe have asked the players to defer some wages, and now the players are rightfully asking for what is due. That’s why we are in a blockade situation.
On the sporting side it would be a very, very good signing. He knows the football that Erik ten Hag wants to play and he has the attributes to play that. But still, one signing in midfield shouldn’t be enough. They need to sign another one as well as Frenkie de Jong if they can bring him in.
You would love to have your main target already at the club, but you have to deal with it. That’s the way it is.
Should Man Utd go for Youri Tielemans or maybe Fabian Ruiz instead?
If de Jong is still available, the club should pursue him, even if it means it will only be possible later in the window. When you invest that much on a player and you sign a lengthy contract it’s important to have what you believe is the right fit.
Fabian Ruiz and Youri Tielemans are good players but I think Frenkie de Jong really fits the club and the philosophy that Erik ten Hag has. That’s why he remains, and should remain, on the top of the transfer list.
The midfield is one of the weaknesses of Manchester United coming into this new season. Is there anything else that you think is lacking in the team at this stage?
In these preseason games, it’s hard to judge people. Everybody is still working on the fitness, the tactical and the technical sides. I think we can assess the situation better after a few games. It’s easier to give a proper assessment because right now those games are not the most useful. You will get some answers, but not in a collective way.
We will see what the team is made of on the weekend and the next few games as well.
The Rashford-Martial-Sancho trio did very well in pre-season. Do you think the trio is good enough to compete with the Premier League’s best?
They’ve got individual qualities, for sure. Individually they need to reach their full potential and then as a trio, their connection, their understanding, their movements, and the link-up play takes a bit of time. That comes with confidence as well.
Hopefully, they have a run of games together and I think they can challenge with what they can add and they can bring that stability going forward for Manchester United.
Expectations from the new signing Christian Eriksen?
He will bring experience, quality, quality of passing and creativity.
A lot of teams come to Old Trafford and defend with a low block. Eriksen has the capacity to find a pocket of space to deliver assists, and that’s a very good asset to have in these kinds of situations. On a lot of occasions, Manchester United lost points at home because they couldn’t find a solution with two lines of four, five players defending. With (Juan) Mata being gone as well, I think it’s a smart signing.
He has proven in the Premier League and on the international level that he belongs amongst the best creative midfield players in the world.
How do you see the Cristiano Ronaldo situation panning out? What effect do you think it will have on the locker room?
It’s distributing, that’s for sure. You can’t deny it. The question is: how is the team dealing with it, and how the staff are dealing with it. The answer to these questions will come soon.
It’s important to keep calm. In football more than any other business, we should use the phrase, ‘wait and see’. That’s it, sit tight and see what happens.
Looking at the Arsenal squad and their preseason results, where do you think they can finish in the table? And how far can they go in the Europa League?
With the preseason, signings and everything, it is looking promising and positive at the moment. If they can keep that consistency, looking back at the second part of the season last season they, along with Spurs, were the team that got the most points in the table.
It’s still a young squad and a young manager, for sure their character will be tested.
Consistency is still a question mark, but I would expect them to progress because of what they’ve done and the dynamic they’re in. Preseason games only give you so much. Maybe they can give a bit of light where the squad is at the minute, but the whole season is a marathon.
But, so far so good. I would expect them to progress and break into the top four, why not?
Do you think it’s kind of a make-or-break season for Mikael Arteta? He’s built the squad that he wants now. If they don’t make the top four do you think it would be time to look at some other options?
I don’t think so. I think he has a plan with what they do, and the entire organisation is behind it along with the academy. It is working quite well. It’s dynamic and everybody is together. They understand the project and the philosophy, so I think everybody is in tune.
Unless there’s a major problem that arises, I don’t see any reason why there should be any change. You can see that the players are supporting his ideas and they want to fight for the club. It’s looking good.
They spent big in Gabriel Jesus. How many goals do you see Gabriel Jesus getting this season?
It’s an interesting one because it depends. A lot of the time he is outside of the box, drifting left and right. A lot of time on the right, but he ends up scoring a lot of goals in the box. I think that’s what Arsenal needed with the Aubameyang situation, and Lacazette leaving as well. It’s an excellent signing.
His energy and the dynamic with (Gabriel) Martinelli with them speaking the same language. He’s going to have a big impact if he stays fit because he’s also someone who doesn’t shy away from challenges. Sometimes, you feel like he’s on the edge and certainly gives 100% all the time.
I think he should score in the 20s. 20 goals should be his mark this season, minimum.
What do you make of William Saliba? Can he kick on this season and become an established player for Arsenal and maybe France?
Certainly, his season on loan at Marseille has helped him to grow and to develop. He was young when he walked into the scene and now he’s showing more and more maturity as he has been gaining experience.
I think he’s showing signs that he belongs to Arsenal and that he can be a big part of that defence, with Gabriel and Ben White.
I anticipate him to play a big part this season for Arsenal.
Strengths that can define Arsenal’s season? Weaknesses that can derail it?
Their weakness could potentially be the depth in the squad, which is not at the level of Liverpool and Manchester City in all positions. That could be difficult at some point. We’ll see how every club will deal with the World Cup with all the international players leaving and coming back.
All the positives are within the young and energetic squad, so I don’t think that they will be showing signs of tiredness. I think they will have to deal with the game time management for everyone, and the injuries.
Arsenal appointed Martin Ødegaard as their new captain. Is that a good decision?
I know Martin a little bit because I tried to sign him when I was working as sporting director at Rennes. At the time he was 17 and in Real Madrid. In terms of mentality, he is a very good person, dedicated, and loves the game.
He’s already a technical leader on the pitch and yes, he’s young but he’s coming from Real Madrid, he’s got national experience and I guess that his leadership qualities are growing.
You don’t need to be shouting and screaming at everyone to be a captain. So, credit to him, and I think it’s a good decision for Arsenal to appoint him as captain.
Inter Milan missed out on the title on the final day. With Lukaku back, do you think they can win the scudetto this season?
It is always hard to retain the title. It is a challenge because everybody wants to beat you. So everybody is raising their game. Mentally, it is just human nature, you drop your guard a little bit.
In terms of goals last season, of course, (Romelu) Lukaku leaving and going to Chelsea, and now he is back. I think it is showing signs that Inter will have the mindset to win it.
It is still early, though, because I think they are going to lose some players. But, Lukaku for sure has proven in the Serie A that he is capable of delivering over there. Inter is playing Lukaku’s way and they will serve him, and his game fits the mentality of the coach as well.
So it is a good match, and that should be a very good season for Inter again.
Will Manchester City win the title again, or can anyone catch them?
It is interesting. Manchester City have lost (Raheem) Sterling and (Gabriel) Jesus, and signed (Erling) Haaland. It is going to be a testing season for Pep (Guardiola) and the squad.
It was a challenge this year, even though at some points they had a 15-point gap at the top.
I think this year will be tighter. I think they are going to drop more points this season than they did last season and if that is the case, it will be open for other teams to win it.
Will Guardiola’s City come close to topping Ferguson’s United as the most successful side in the Premier League?
They could potentially. I think it was challenging back then for Sir Alex. 26 years and the number of titles he won, and I think it is the same now. It is just that there is more money in the game in comparison.
Sir Alex’s capacity to rebuild squads and challenge for the title at the time was his strength, and only a few managers can do that. It is all on Pep and the people around him to do that. They have a very good set-up and a way of working, everybody is sharing responsibilities. When Sir Alex was in charge, it was pretty much him doing a lot of different roles at once.
Sir Alex’s legacy is something special. He was the father figure, the manager, the coach, sporting director, and he built the new academy and the system. So many things he had to deal with pretty much by himself. He had a pretty good team around him, but he was the main man.
Nowadays, with Pep, it is a bit different, it’s something which could help him in the long run to stay fresh and look for more.
What are your top six predictions?
I think Liverpool, City, Tottenham, and I’m debating between United and Arsenal. Arsenal will finish fourth followed by United and Chelsea.
What team are you most excited about seeing in the Premier League next season?
I am excited to see what Manchester United could look like with the new manager, the new way of playing, and the new dynamic.
I am no different to the fans, I am always attracted to something new and excited by it. That should be interesting to see and with the new signings, they have a lot to prove. It wasn’t good enough last season, and everybody knows it.
After all the talking during the break, now it is time to go and do it. It will be very, very interesting.
