In our exclusive interview, the Premier League and England legend also discusses the title race, Nottingham Forest's European campaign, West Ham's chances of beating the drop and Coventry's promotion push.
Stuart Pearce believes Marc Guehi “ticks all the boxes” for Manchester City after the Premier League giants signed the England international defender from Crystal Palace earlier this month.
With Guehi’s contract at Selhurt Park set to expire in the summer, City pounced to sign the 25-year-old ahead of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Liverpool, who came close to signing Guehi in a deadline-day move last summer.
Pearce believes Liverpool will regret letting Guehi slip through the net, and says he is a perfect fit for Pep Guardiola’s side as they mount a title challenge. City are currently 11/4 in the football betting to win the Premier League this season.
In our exclusive interview, Pearce also discusses whether his former clubs Nottingham Forest and West Ham can both avoid relegation from the Premier League, the job Frank Lampard has done at Coventry and whether Trent Alexander-Arnold can get back into the England squad ahead of the World Cup.
It’s a special season for Nottingham Forest as they play in Europe for the first time since you reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 1996. What is your favourite memory from that season?
Probably that quarter-final, I would have said. Saying that, we went six games without conceding a goal in the first three rounds before that quarter-final. We had some great games on the road, and if you don’t concede a goal in six matches in Europe, you’re doing something correct.
But the euphoria around the club really was one of my biggest memories. People like Larry Lloyd travelled and was doing the radio with the local media. They played in Europe, you know, and had the excitement and the euphoria of Europe.
Many years later, we’d qualified for Europe but because of Heysel and the ban, we couldn’t play in Europe. So this was a really big thing for us to get involved in. And then to end up playing in the Olympic Stadium against Bayern Munich in the quarters was a real thrill.
How special a place is the City Ground on European nights, and how important is it that Forest stay there?
For me, it was brilliant having that connection with the football club. I know what it was like playing against teams like Bayern, Lyon and Malmo on our journey when we managed to qualify. It really generates excitement. There’s a generation of fans that had never seen Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, let alone Europe.
So it’s a real thrill for the next generation of fans, as much as anything. People don’t realise Sean Dyche has got experience in Europe, as well. He’s taken Burnley into Europe.
It’s not easy playing on the Thursday nights in Europe. I found that out as a coach at West Ham, so trying to balance the two has been a difficult function. But, listen, you should embrace these European nights because you never know when they’re coming again.
Sean Dyche has come into the club and focused on tightening up the defence. What do you think of the job he’s done and the approach he’s taken?
When he took over, the recent history of the club was defending quite deep and counter-attacking under Nuno Espirito Santo. So [Dyche] has built on that. He’s gone back to what the players are used to, and what they enjoy playing. What he hasn’t had is Chris Wood – he’s been out, which is a major blow. You’ve taken 20 goals from last year out of the team, which is a real blow, and an option to play. He’s someone Dychey knows really well, so that’s been a real tough call on him. And Anthony Elanga has left as well, which has been a problem for that counter-attack style.
But I think he’ll grow things. I think Dychey is an outstanding Premier League manager. He’s got a lot of experience. They’re probably short of tgar option up front, I think. Someone to get those 15-20 goals a season. Once they get that, it’s limitless where they can go, but you need a solid foundation and I can see what he’s doing.
Forest are reportedly interested in Jean-Phillippe Mateta from Crystal Palace. How big a boost would it be to have a proven striker like him in the front line?
The options they have had up front have been okay, but I think they can get better. If Mateta comes and delivers what we’ve seen over the last year or so from Palace, I think that could be a piece of the jigsaw that would suit Forest brilliantly. They need someone to hold the ball up, run in behind and to score goals, and I think Mateta has proved that he can do that.
It’s been seen as a battle between West Ham and Forest to stay up this season, but could you see Leeds or Crystal Palace being dragged into that mix, and both your former clubs staying up?
It’s fair to say there’s one person here that’s desperate for that to be this scenario! Make no mistake. I think so. Forest’s next game is against Palace, and I think it’s about these little head to heads between the clubs.
Forest have got Palace coming up, if they win that, all of a sudden Palace are in the thick of it. My head says that Palace have probably got too many points on the board at the moment. Their start has been that good, I think they’re on 28 points. But, if over the next two or three games West Ham can pull off a victory or two, that gap shuts and you never know. So I’m really hopeful that those two will be able to stay up.
Jarrod Bowen is a player you know really well. What is he like to work with, and could West Ham keep him even if they are relegated?
As a person, fantastic, I’ve got to say. He wants to learn, and he’s one of these who you want your daughter to bring home as a prospective husband. He’s a fantastic kid.
Do I think it’s outlandish that probably West Ham’s best player might stay at the club if they were relegated? I would say no, knowing Jarrod. I think he’s got a streak of loyalty in him. If it suits the club and they want to sell him for whatever reason, then that’s out of Jarrod’s hands, but I don’t think it’s outlandish to think that Jarrod might stay if West Ham got relegated, because he’s got a real affection for the football club.
It was a huge weekend at the top of the table and City will feel the title race is on. How do you think Pep Guardiola will be feeling about where his side are at the moment?
I think in some ways they’re dealing with scraps that are falling off the table from Arsenal. Arsenal look to me as though they’re the team to beat. I think they’re nailed-on to win the Premier League. I really do, unless something goes significantly wrong.
I’m not sure I’ve seen the real consistency from City. I’ve seen an upturn in their form, definitely, as the season’s gone on. But I’ve not, at this moment, seen the consistency of a team that’s going to go and win the last 13 or 14 games in a row. And that’s what they might have to do to win the league.
City jumped the gun to sign Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo ahead of their rivals this month. Have they fixed their biggest issue with the Guehi signing, and could they now go on one of those winning runs?
I totally agree with you what you say – the defensive side of the game is the one thing you look at and think maybe they need to shore that up a little bit. When you talk about Guehi, you need a central defender that reads the game brilliantly if you’re going to play for City, who has got a little bit of pace, which he has, and can defend one-on-one. I think he ticks all those boxes and he’s played in the Premier League. There’s no settling in period.
It’s been talked about now for a couple of years about Marc leaving Palace and going elsewhere, and I’m a massive fan. I cover all the England games and, for me, he’s the first name on the teamsheet for England defensively.
I really like him, and the things I hear about his character are fantastic. The way he’s dealt with his potential move that’s been rumbling on says a lot about him and what he stands for as a human being.
Will Liverpool already regret what happened in the summer and how they missed out on him?
One hundred percent. I think he’s one that slipped through the net. I think Liverpool are another side that probably could have done with that extra body there. When they spread the play and need to leave people one-on-one and fill holes, Marc Guehi is absolutely outstanding at that.
How do you see Pep Guardiola’s future at City being affected by what happens in the title race?
I think he’s got a plan in his head and he’ll know whether he wants to stay or go, and I don’t think results come into play at all. I thought that two years ago that was going to be it for him at the end of the season, and it wasn’t and he kept going and going. With the intensity he works at, he’s one of the best there’s ever been – there’s no doubt about that.
I always think, is there a burnout situation there or not? But he’ll go when he’s got a plan to go, and he’ll go as being arguably City’s best manager there’s ever been.
I don’t think results will play a part in it at all. I don’t think he’s wired that way.
Your former club Coventry are at the top of the Championship under your former team-mate, Frank Lampard. How impressed are you by the job he has done?
I first came across Frank when I was a 37-year-old footballer and he was a young kid breaking into West Ham’s side, so I knew what he stood for as a person and I’ve worked with him with England as well. incredible person, very grounded, very driven. So it’s no surprise to me he’s been a success, not just as a player, but as a manager as well.
To see Coventry pushing forward and potentially back in the Premier League next year, fingers crossed, will be fantastic. I don’t think in my time that all the clubs I’ve represented have all been in the Premier League at the same time. So hopefully West Ham and Forest stay up to join Coventry.
Who do you see as Coventry’s biggest threats in the race for automatic promotion?
It’s unforgiving, the Championship. I’ve managed in it. The games come thick and fast. Coventry’s biggest problem will come from fatigue, I think, from the duration of the season. That will be their biggest challenge. If they can deal with that and limit their injuries, they have got every chance. But the league goes in cycles. You have brilliant moments where you’re winning games and you keep winning and you don’t know how, and there’s other times where you can’t win a game and you’ve played well.
I don’t think they’re in a good moment at the moment, Coventry, but they’ll come up for air very, very soon. Middlesbrough are challenging. Wrexham, there’s definitely a fairy story there to be had. But anyone can come with a charge in the championship.
Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t been featuring for Real Madrid due to injuries and some inconsistent form. Do you see him making his way back into the reckoning for an England spot at the World Cup?
No I don’t, if truth be known. I’m not sure the manager’s a big lover of him, personally. I think Reece James is a favourite of his and I think he’s got other options that he prefers. I don’t think he’s getting enough football at the moment in Madrid to actually really stake a strong claim.
Harry Kane missed a penalty against France in his last World Cup game. How do you think he’ll have felt in the minutes and days after that miss, and will he be even more motivated heading into this summer’s World Cup?
We’re talking about one of the strongest characters in his mental approach that England have got in their squad. He’s almost unshakable in his mentality for success. He would have been disappointed with the miss against France. It surprised all of us. We were in the stadium and my jaw just dropped. You never expect him to miss when he’s in front of goal.
I think he’ll use it to spur himself on to deliver big things for England. This might be his last World Cup, you know. The season he’s had has been absolutely brilliant as well, as per normal for Harry. He’s a major cog in England’s chances of winning.
