The Betway ambassador discusses coaching in Europe, Ireland co-hosting Euro 2028 and what his former club need in January to reach the Champions League.
We have a great Premier League title race on our hands, with just two points separating the top four heading into December. Liverpool are doing well and Arsenal finally beating Man City was a big moment for Mikel Arteta that will give his team a lot of confidence heading into the second half of the season. However, Man City still have the edge for me. They always get seem to get stronger in the latter stages of the of the season and they also have Kevin de Bruyne to come back.
Tottenham had lost three in a row before they drew with City on Sunday, but I think they can still sneak into that top four. The way Ange Postecoglou wants his team to play – by being brave and aggressive – is the kind of football that I like to see and would love to have been a part of. If Spurs are going to get back into those Champions League spots, then they probably need to buy a striker in January. They’re scoring plenty of goals but eventually they are going to need a No. 9.
Son has been playing there and seems to be enjoying it, but he’s so strong coming in from the left. It won’t be easy to get a top striker in January, though, because teams generally don’t want to sell.
The January transfer window is probably more important for clubs closer to the relegation zone, as bringing one or two players in to freshen up the team in a couple of positions can make a huge difference.
LUTON MY SURPRISE PACKAGE
The general consensus seems to be that Everton will stay up regardless of their 10-point deduction, but I wouldn’t write off Luton. No one gave them a chance at the start of the season but they’ve got a couple of decent wins under their belt and are currently outside the relegation zone. They’ve definitely been my surprise package of the season so far.
The festive period can be tough on the legs with lots of games in a short space of time. That’s why it’s important you have a squad with people on the fringes that, when they get game time and a chance to impress, they’ll really stake a claim.
For some reason, I was always very lucky playing on Boxing Day. I’m up there with the highest scorers on eight goals, so of course I always enjoyed it.
CONFERENCE LEAGUE A GREAT CHALLENGE
My favourite thing about being a manager is getting on the training pitch and trying to develop and help players by passing on the knowledge and experience that I have. It’s where I come alive.
I’m lucky to have other great staff around me at Maccabi Tel Aviv as well. We’re very detailed as coaches in order to try and get that extra one or two per cent from a player.
I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of going to different places in the Europa Conference League this season. We’ve got 12 points from 5 games – only losing against Gent, who are a strong team with a budget that would be double ours – and have scored nine goals. We’re only one point behind them at the top of the group and have now qualified for the knockout stages, so it will be exciting to see how our journey progresses.
Look at West Ham and how much winning that trophy meant to the club last season. Winning a trophy is not easy, so you have to go for it if you have a chance. It’s brilliant for the supporters.
I CAN’T WAIT FOR EURO 2028
Talking of supporters, I’m already looking forward to Euro 2028. Irish fans are so good with people, there’s no doubt that we’ll be really good co-hosts. It’s great for the country and for Irish football. Hopefully we get to see that atmosphere when we are part of a major tournament.
There are a lot of young players coming through that, with a bit more experience over the next six months, could achieve big things. Having experience of playing in major tournaments will only give them confidence and make them better players.
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