In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa and Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including how England can get the best out of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham and why Liverpool should not give up on hiring Xabi Alonso, plus much more.
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Phil Foden or Jude Bellingham? — We don’t need to pick!
I’m going to keep this bandwagon going until the Euros in the summer, and beyond if necessary because I know a lot of our readers will agree.
Phil Foden… three hat tricks, more trophies already than 90% of footballers who’ve ever lived, and an ever-growing persona and belief by his performances that he can dictate games instead of being an important passenger.
Against Aston Villa he took it upon himself to drive his team forward and it’s high time we appreciated this kid and played him as a 10 for England.
I’m sick of “Jude is better” from 12-year-old on social media and the FIFA 2018 wannabes! — They don’t understand that we can have our cake and eat it in summer with one simple tweak — play Foden as a number 10 just behind Harry Kane, let him create. The kid is spellbinding at times — we need to use his quick thinking to tie opposition in knots.
Gareth Southgate can then let Bellingham play as an all action number eight. He is a the type of midfielder that can get forward — just look at what he’s doing week in, week out for Real Madrid. Crucially, he has the discipline, athleticism and is savvy enough to be able to see potential danger, which will prove invaluable attributes once England come up against better opposition as the tournament unfolds.
Both midfielders can be number 10’s, both can create, both can score, and, by the way, if England are at it, so can Declan Rice! — The main point here though, is Foden, who has just a little more in his armoury, is a more effective number 10 than Bellingham is.
However, we don’t have to make that choice, both can coexist in the same area, playing fluid, interchangeable and exciting attacking football while having the platform to show their full range of skills — England are in a great position and it’s a lovely problem for Southgate to have.
Conor Gallagher witch hunt proves dangers of no context social media…
The recent Conor Gallagher pile on and trial by social media was woeful and proof that short video clip, without context, can paint a completely different story.
Personally, I watched it and saw straight away that Gallagher’s ‘snubbing’ of the Chelsea mascot was not intentional in the slightest — but others saw something else and made it into a massive issue, which forced the club to release a statement.
I like Paul Canoville. He was Chelsea’s first black player and at a time when racism was endemic among supporters, and he’s know acknowledged the role he played in the clip unnecessarily going viral.
Don’t get me wrong — Canoville may well have seen something in that clip that resonated within him, but the clip was taken so far out of context — Gallagher acknowledged the black kid, he just didn’t follow through with a high five.
As we know, racism is abhorrent, and players more than do their bit to highlight it within football, but as a mixed race (I’m happy with that term) man, I fear we can sometimes do our cause more harm than good by knee-jerkingly calling things out when a little more digging would actually show the full story.
Do you thing, Michael Edwards…
We all know Xabi Alonso has come out and pledged his allegiance to Bayer Leverkusen for at least one more season, but I don’t care — It’s time for Liverpool to step up their pursuit.
So what, he came out with an “I’m staying “ moment last week. Could you imagine a Real Madrid saying: “Ok, we’ll leave you be then”? — Absolutely not! — They’d dig their heels in and make sure the world knows they’re going to get their man. That’s what Liverpool now need to do.
It’s Alonso’s destiny. He’s a perfect fit, at the perfect time in Liverpool’s evolution, and with the greatest respect to Bayer Leverkusen, the only way is down after this season, so come on Michael Edwards, you’ve got the big job, the big title, so earn your keep and make it your mission to bring Alonso home.
Erik Ten Hag has to beat Liverpool to keep job…
On the subject of Liverpool, the biggest game of the weekend will see the Reds travel behind enemy lines to Old Trafford and take on bitter-rivals Manchester United.
If United do somehow beat their mortal enemies I fear that may, along with some sort of European football, be enough to keep Erik Ten Hag in his job next season.
Should that prove to be the case, it would conversely mean that as Liverpool look for a new manager, their bitter rivals are still stuck with one with seemingly little idea how to shape the modern Manchester United.
Premier League or NBA?
So the Premier League are apparently considering getting rid of points deductions for more punitive financial punishments. In short, an NBA-style ‘luxury tax’.
If this comes in, it would be yet another way of letting clubs who are owned by countries of huge venture capital firms to run roughshod over the rules, benefit from cheating then find a few million behind the sofa to pay for their sins — no thanks!
If a club is found guilty of financial doping then they deserve every sporting punishment going, including points deductions and multiple division relegations, if necessary.