Every week, Sportsnet.ca will chat with soccer commentator James Sharman about the big stories and issues surrounding the Premier League.
SN: Virgil van Dijk is coming off a fabulous performance in the UEFA Champions League vs. Bayern Munich and he is having a terrific season for Liverpool. Does the Dutchman get proper credit? Is he one of the best defenders in the world, in your view?
SHARMAN: I think he is getting the credit he deserves. He is the favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year award in England, and although it is rare to see a defender in the Ballon d’Or discussion, his name is being mentioned, and he will certainly garner some votes.
Above all else, he has moved the scale regarding what centre-backs can go for in the transfer market. The fact is there are not many world class centre backs at the moment, so I would expect to see some massive money deals this summer with the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and Matthijs de Ligt making moves as teams look at what Van Dijk has done for Liverpool.
So, what has he done for Liverpool? The Dutchman has completely changed the team’s personality. Not only is the attack feared now, but so too is the defence, which prior to him arriving was leaky at best. I would say Van Dijk is also the defacto captain, with all due respect to Jordan Henderson.
[snippet id=4152687]
Marco Silva has come under fire in recent weeks due to poor results, and he was even recently charged and fined by the FA for improper conduct. Do you think he’ll be back as Everton manager next season?
I wonder if Marco Silva is the new Andre Villas-Boas, and will be racing in the Dakar rally this time next year? Silva arrived in England a few years ago with all the tools needed to seduce the media: good looks, charisma, a velvet tongue. Of course, his Hull City side did relatively well under his guidance, but were still relegated. Watford looked a good fit, but after he forced his way out of that situation, the Hornets have improved by a large margin under Javi Gracia.
Now at Everton, it has been another poor season for Silva, although recent results have picked up somewhat. Prior to his arrival, the Toffees were a mess with some extremely strange transfer dealings, so I would hope he would be given more than a couple of transfer windows to undo that gong show. One thing Everton needs is some stability, so allow me to give the board some credit, and suggest they will stick with Silva… for the moment.
What’s your take on the controversy surrounding West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, who previously played for Ireland, now turning out for England?
As a 15-year-old, Rice made stupid statements on social media, which some cretinous loser recently dug up to make him look bad. If there was social media around when I was 15, it would probably have been a very bad scene for me, too. At 15, you’re an idiot! You think you know it all, but in fact you don’t know anything, and you are also easily influenced by those close to you.
I do wish this is what Rice had simply said in response to the “scandal,” but at least he did address it. I suspect such cases will only increase going forward, with clubs likely hiring people to cleanse their players’ social media history. Rice made a gutsy, if not controversial decision, to play with England rather than Ireland, and as such he will be a target in some people’s eyes.
Cardiff City hosts Chelsea on Sunday. What’s been your impression of Canadian international Junior Hoilett for the Bluebirds this season?
I would say Hoilett has had a rather inconsistent season back in the Premier League. He seems to be a player who can excel in the Championship, but has some difficulty reaching those levels on a regular basis in the topflight.
Obviously, Cardiff manager Neil Warnock has his side playing a system that will naturally find itself on the back foot against most opponents, something that is necessary to survive, but perhaps does not focus on his winger’s strengths.
Overall, Cardiff have surprised a lot of people, as they have stayed in survival contention late in the season, and Hoilett has played an important role in that. Watching him for Canada, it is clear the qualities he has, as he can dominate at that level. I do hope Cardiff survive, as I still think we have yet to see Hoilett’s best in the Premier League.
[relatedlinks]
