ERLING HAALAND’S MOVE TO MAN CITY

Like I said about Liverpool, having the front three last season and scoring so many goals might be a distraction for Manchester City to not have that out-and-out centre forward. 

Obviously, Gabriel Jesus filled in, Phil Foden played down the middle as well as Sterling, but they have scored goals from lots of different areas, and they scored lots of them as well, so you can kind of argue, do they need a centre forward? 

I think in the big games, in the Champions League, I think that cutting edge, that clinical striker is what they lacked. Bringing in Haaland, who is so clinical, from Borussia Dortmund, I think it was 26 or 27 goals in his first season and 23 last season as well for the German side. The quality is there and we have seen him progress over the past three season, becoming one of the world’s best strikers. He’s rubbing shoulders with Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane, so its a massive coup from Manchester City to manage to get it over the line and trigger the clause around 50-60 Million – but it seems like the deal is becoming bigger and bigger, I don’t know how, the fee seems to be creeping up. 

It’s a big move and a good one for Manchester City, who create lots of chances, so I would expect him to score 20+ like he has been over the past 2-3 seasons for Borussia Dortmund.

• • Manchester City to win the Champions League 22/23 at 15/4 (3.75).
  • Erling Haaland to be PFA Player of the year 22/23 at 10/1 (11.00).

LIVERPOOL’S TRANSFER BUSINESS

Losing Mane is a big loss. He has been part of what Jurgen Klopp has done to Liverpool and played a great part with his goals and assists. His performances have been absolutely fantastic. 

He never seems to be injured, plays a lot of football and is very very dependable, so to lose Mane was a big shock actually. I don’t think a lot of people saw it coming. It was on the lips for a while. Everyone was sort of talking about it. Whether it was going to transpire or not remains to be seen, but yeah, he has gone to Bayern Munich. 

I also think since Diaz has hit the ground running for Liverpool; obviously, he has been a sensation and a great star for the last six months. He has probably eased the pain of Mane leaving. 

Liverpool also got the Nunez deal over the line, which softens the blow of losing Mane, Nunez coming from Benfica. He scored lots of goals last season, he scored 26 in Portugal’s top league, and he got six in 10 in the Champions League, where you really see his quality. He played against Barcelona, he played against Liverpool and scored home and away, got one against Ajax and another against Bayern, so he can obviously play, and him being a tall striker, he reminds me a bit about Ibrahimovic and again, like Haaland at City.

At Liverpool, he will get plenty of chances. With Diaz on one side and Salah on the other in his final season with Liverpool, they will create chances for him. He will get something similar to Haaland in the 20s, which I can see the same for Nunez.

• Liverpool to win the Premier League 22/23 at 2/1 (3.00). 
• Liverpool to win the Champions League 22/23 at 11/2 (5.50).

GABRIEL JESUS SINGING WITH ARSENAL

For me, listen; he is a good player. At Manchester City, he was kind of in and out of the team, a couple of injuries as well, but he wasn’t that out-and-out striker. He likes to drop deep and get involved, somewhat similar to Firmino at Liverpool to be honest. 

He can score goals, listen, Arsenal will create chances. They have good young players, evolving under Mikel Arteta, so yeah, he will do well, he is another level up to what they got, so it’s a move in the right direction. 

• Arsenal to finish in the top four in season 22/23 at 2/1 (3.00). 

ERIK TEN HAG AT MANCHESTER UNITED

The thing about Manchester United is that they need to give Erik Ten Hag the free will to be the manager that he is. 

I always feel that there are restraints when a manager goes in there. Certainly Ralf Ragnick, we have seen it in the transfer market. The board had a lot to say; the owners had a lot to say about who comes in. If they give him the license to do what he wants, we will see a change in Manchester United, and we will see it quick. 

Listen, he has quality. At Ajax, he has shown that he can develop young players and transform them to be great players, and there are a lot of good young players at Manchester United. But, like I said, you will get bad eggs in the dressing room, players who influence the dressing room, and for me, in a detrimental way.

I wouldn’t necessarily all of them bad eggs, but the kind of players that when it’s not going their way, they sulk, and they can have a big influence on other players and certainly the young players. I think if he could get some of them out, it will be a good start for him, and then he can start rebuilding, but I think it would take a few seasons to get back on track for Manchester United. 

As I said, I think the board they have to trust him and let him do what he needs to do. The ethos, the mentality of the players and get his own stamp on them, I think he needs to be given the license to do that. He needs to take the restraints off the manager and believe in him. I think they got a good manager, but I think he has a lot on his plate, and he needs to do a lot of business in the window.

• Manchester United to finish in the top four in season 22/23 at 11/5 (2.20). 

OPENING SET OF PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES 

Silva has done a remarkable job at Fulham. What was it 106 goals they scored last season, Mitrovic on fire, was it like 43 in 44, something like that, they have a top-class striker, and if you have top players like him and you go to the Premier League, it gives you a great chance of staying up. It’s a tough game away for Liverpool; treat it with respect as much as Manchester City will against West Ham away, who took points off them last season. 

Both the big two are away to start off. Obviously Bournemouth are the new boys coming up as well. Scott Parker will face Manchester City at home in the second game, just like Liverpool, who play Crystal Palace. The third game will be a big one for Liverpool, who play Manchester United away, while Manchester City face Newcastle. 

We expect big things this season from Eddie Howe and his boys. Another transfer window for him to do some business with a lot of money to spend. It will be interesting to see where they go, but it will be a tough game against City. 

Palace’s fourth game is against City, and Scotty Parker faces Liverpool at Anfield, the fourth game of the season. So yeah, to look at it as a whole, not a lot of difficult games to ease themselves in obviously, the big one will be the third one, Liverpool against Manchester United. 

• Liverpool to be top of the Premier League at Christmas at 2/1 (3.00). 

CHELSEA VS TOTTENHAM

Again you are looking at a game, the second game in when there is a lot of business to be done in the transfer market. 

Chelsea, this takeover will kind of hurt them, certainly from a manager and players’ perspective, because getting business done is something Tuchel would be keen to do. 

Ziyech has spoken about leaving Thiago as well, so they need to strengthen in some areas. We don’t know who will be in it. Lukaku is leaving as well, going out on loan – it will be interesting how that works out, who will they get in, who they fancy, but you just don’t know if they are going to play now.

You would fancy Tottenham, as they have that momentum and that business that they have done. There is a long way to go from now and that second game of the season, but I think Tottenham will finish above Chelsea next season. I think they’re more settled.

Conte, got them to understand how he wants to play; more consistency there. Tuchel needs to do a bit of business in the transfer window certainly if he wants to catch Liverpool and Manchester City.

• Tottenham to finish in the top four in season 22/23 at 9/4 (1.80). 

VINCENT KOMPANY NEW BURNLEY MANAGER

I wanted to mention it because he has come back in, and he is such an iconic player in the Premier League, and obviously for Manchester City. 

It’s a nice club for him; it’s a family club. He has great aspirations, and he has a big job on his hands. Obviously, he is not tried and tested at this level, but it’s kind of the same as Patrick Viera going in at Crystal Palace, who done a fantastic job last season.

So yeah, we wish him all the best! He has some time to get some players in to get training and get his philosophy understood – so everyone will be interested in how the situation will develop at Burnley. 

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