Every week, Sportsnet.ca will chat with Sportsnet soccer commentator James Sharman about the big stories and issues in the Premier League, and preview the weekend’s games.
Reports in the English press this week said Liverpool is looking to bring back Steven Gerrard, either on loan or on a full-time basis. Good move or not for the Reds?
It is no secret that I have immense respect for Steven Gerrard, but please Stevie, don’t think about returning. Jurgen Klopp says the door is always open, but that Gerrard would just return to train and that is all. I hope this is the case because the Steven Gerrard that Liverpool fans love is no longer that Steven Gerrard. We saw the beginning of the end in his last season at Anfield, which was why Brendan Rodgers told him blankly that his role would be reduced, and it was.
Since arriving at LA his form has continued to dip—this is a legendary player with not much left in the tank, sadly. If Gerrard thinks he can pull a Thierry Henry and enjoy one last hurrah in front of his faithful fansl, I think it would be a huge mistake. This is a new Liverpool team trying to find its identity, and the return of Gerrard would make that far more difficult that it should be.
Could it really happen this weekend? Could Chelsea do the unthinkable and fire Jose Mourinho if they don’t beat Stoke City?
Never say never when you have two egos as enormous as Jose Mourinho and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. Personally I think it would be madness—Jose has not suddenly forgotten how to coach and his team has been let down by some abhorrent defending, that I don’t think you can pin that on him.
Having said that, he was responsible for his squad this past summer and he failed in his pursuit of John Stones who would probably have made a big difference. Whether the coach was handcuffed by ownership is unknown, but this is a squad that needs new faces and with that comes a need for freshness to Jose’s coaching style, so I hope that is what we end up seeing in January and next summer.
It would be refreshing to see a coach at a huge club given the opportunity to work through adversity before he is fired, and given how much Jose would receive in a severance deal (a speculated $60 million) I think that he will be given the time.
Did Aston Villa get it right by hiring Remi Garde?
Clairvoyance is not my strong suit, however Garde has been highly rated for a long time and did a very nice job at Lyon before leaving on his terms at the end of last season. Given the continental makeup of Villa these days, getting a continental coach also makes sense. He appears to be among the new breed of managers (see Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto Martinez) and has some experience in the Premier League working for someone named Arsene Wenger at Arsenal back in the last 90s. Garde coached at Strasbourg, where Wenger also cut his teeth as a player, so essentially what I am saying here is that Aston Villa have signed the new Arsene Wenger, which should turn out okay, I’d imagine.
Manchester United hosts West Brom on Saturday. Does Louis van Gaal have to adapt his philosophy to Manchester United’s attacking principles?
One thing you can say about Luis Van Gaal is that he is adaptable. He is also a manager who generally knows the best formation and tactics given the players available to him. Remember how he made the Netherlands play 3-5-2 at the World Cup and it worked, and then the team failed the second they went back to 4-3-3 in Euro qualifying?
Fact is, United are not much fun to watch right now but I’m sure if Van Gaal thought he had the players to crash forward and blaze down the wings then he would do that. If Memphis Depay finds his form, if Wayne Rooney builds off his goal midweek, if Juan Mata finds consistency and if Anthony Martial just keeps on doing what he’s doing then the goals will come and we’ll all stop complaining.
Don’t forget United haven’t played like a United team is apparently supposed to play like since Fergie was the boss, and they were able to play that way because they had Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Mark Hughes to go to throughout his tenure. The team is still transitioning, but it will happen.
Crystal Palace visits Liverpool on Sunday. What’s been your impression of Yohan Cabaye with Palace this season?
Winless in four overall, Palace have returned to reality after a superb start to the season, as they now sit mid-table which is a more natural position for them. One consistent for them has been the play of Cabaye, who has been everything and more than what was expected of him after Alan Pardew pulled off a major coup by getting him back from an ill-conceived plan to dominate French football at PSG.
Cabaye really does it all: he retains the ball, wins the ball, and he is a great passer. He is the type of player that should probably be at a bigger club like PSG. Maybe this is just a footballer happier being a big fish in a small pond, but maybe he’ll prove otherwise at some point. For the time being, Cabaye is the engine that drives Palace; a brilliant player and fun to watch, too.
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