In an exclusive interview with CasinoApps.com, former Arsenal front man Alan Smith reviews Arteta’s summer transfer window. Applauding the Gunners late move for Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling.
Smith also sends a clear warning to manager Ten Hag, predicting the dutchman will be out of Old Trafford by January if there isn’t a starch improvement in Man United’s performances.
Full Transcript
Question: Who do you think has been the signing of the window?
Alan Smith: “I think the one that would have made everyone think, ‘oh, for God’s sake, really?’ Would have been Manchester City signing Gundogan on a free transfer. It’s not like they’re not good enough already and dropping in a world-class player like Gundogan only makes them stronger.
Did City really need to bring him back? They are such a brilliant team, and they have welcomed back the captain of their treble-winning side into the fold; a player that is capable of getting 20 combined goals or assists a season. Gundogan is a player that you can depend on. You know exactly what you are going to get from him. For City’s rivals and challengers, I think Gundogan’s signing was a bit of depressing news.
Federico Chiesa going to Liverpool for £12m will be a great piece of business if he can stay fit. If they can get the player that shone at the European Championships in 2021, then that looks like being a cracking bargain for them. He’s a highly experienced player domestically and internationally. That could be a very cute deal if it all goes well.
I did commentary at West Ham the other day, they’ve made a lot of good signings.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks like he’s going to enjoy his time there. That looks like a really, really good signing as well.”
Q: It would be rude not to discuss Chelsea’s window. Sterling left, Sancho came in, yet they seem light in central defence and in the striker position. What have you made of it?
Alan Smith: “I think everybody’s just flabbergasted by Chelsea’s transfer business and the Jadon Sancho one put the lid on it. They signed Jadon Sancho, and he’s another player that hasn’t really proven himself in the Premier League. Obviously, he was excellent at Dortmund, but he still has got a lot to do and to sign him, you’re letting Raheem Sterling go. I know Sterling didn’t show his best form at Chelsea, but even so, he’s a senior player that you can depend on.
Those deals summed it up for me; that told me what Chelsea’s game plan is. It’s obviously looking long term, but football is such a short-term game. There aren’t that many managers who have presented a five-year plan and seen it come to fruition.
Chelsea’s approach has really confused the football world, and maybe even the sporting world. As to what they’re trying to do and whether it will be successful, we’ll have to see.
So much depends on the quality of these players, young lads, and whether they can make a mark and increase their transfer value.”
Q: Arne Slot’s Liverpool have started the season with maximum points playing a different style to Klopp’s Liverpool. Are you surprised how quickly they have adapted?
Alan Smith: “Liverpool have got off to a magnificent start. Three games, three wins, with the signature victory coming at Old Trafford, which is only going to endear you to your new supporters very quickly.
Slot’s got some of his key players hitting the ground running. Obviously, Mo Salah looks just brilliant at the moment. All the Liverpool lads are talking in glowing terms about the new manager, and I suppose as brilliant as Klopp was, it’s nice to have a change, and to then hear a different voice and to have different methods.That’s no criticism of Klopp because he’s an absolutely brilliant manager, but at the moment, and it’s still the honeymoon stage, everybody’s really enjoying what Slot’s bringing to the club.
The fans are hopeful after a fantastic start. Can they mount a tittle challenge this season? I’m not sure. I suspect they come up a little short, but you never know.”
Q: After 3 games are there any teams that have surprised you in the premier league so far?
Alan Smith: “I suppose the biggest alarm would be Everton. Zero points, bottom of the table and to be 2-0 up against Bournemouth in the 87th minute and lose…that is going to hurt very badly indeed. People talk about a good time to have an international break, and I think that this is probably a good time for them. Everton can use this period to let the dust settle a little bit and try and forget about the Bournemouth result because that was disastrous.
After the game, Sean Dyche said he could smell a comeback in the air as soon as Bournemouth scored their first goal. If he said that, you’re wondering what he thinks about his players. Maybe he feels they’re not made of as stern of stuff as he would want.”
Q: Which of the newly promoted clubs if any do you think will stay up this season?
Alan Smith: “Ipswich are having a go, aren’t they? They’ve got a point on the board. It’s been a really tough start for them with Liverpool and Manchester City. From what I’ve seen of them, I think they’re going to attack it.
I thought Leicester were going to finish bottom, but now the news that they’re not going to be deducted points is going to give everyone a huge lift at the club and it will give them a chance. It will still be a very difficult season, but that will give them a chance.
As for Southampton, it’s been a tough start for them. I would still put those three as favourites to go back down again.”
Q: Eddie Howe didn’t get Marc Guehi. He obviously really wanted him – do you think he could feel a little bit let down by the club’s failure to bring him in?
Alan Smith: “You would think that Eddie Howe would feel let down after the club failed to deliver him Marc Guehi. The deal was played out quite publicly, and when the price was rising it only seemed that Newcastle were a few million away from getting the deal over the line.
I’m surprised that they didn’t sign him given that Guehi was his number one choice. When you heard that Newcastle had upped their bid, you thought that it was only a matter of time before he signed.
Did Newcastle have a second or third choice for that central defence position? If Eddie badly wanted a central defender, well-run clubs typically have backup options. Perhaps he was the club’s top target and, if they couldn’t get him, they didn’t want anyone else.
I do wonder what Eddie Howe will be thinking at the moment in terms of where the club’s going and how quickly they can become one of the forces in English football.
It’s going to be harder than we all thought and maybe he thought when they qualified for the Champions League.
I don’t think they can get in that top four this season. It’s been a bit of a stuttery start for Newcastle, but they got a really good result against Spurs; they’ve got some very good players. Thankfully for Eddie Howe, they’ve managed to keep the likes of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes. That’s a boost.
I think that they’ll be looking for a European place, but not a Champions League one.”
Q: Given the speculation about ten Hag’s future, it feels like he’s one bad defeat away from the vultures circling. What do you think will happen with ten Hag and Manchester United this season?
Alan Smith: “If Manchester United’s performances continue in this vein, I don’t think that Erik ten Hag will be in a job at Christmas. From what we’ve seen of Manchester United so far, there aren’t too many signs that things are going to change.
Manuel Ugarte is coming in, you would imagine he’ll be a plus point, but I’m not sure.
Everything feels quite volatile at the club. It’s never a good sign when your manager is fighting back against journalists in press conferences; he keeps quoting the two cup wins in the last two years. Lots of clubs would have liked to have won those, but you judge a team by their league standing and there’s nothing really to suggest that Manchester United are going to be any better than they were last season.
Everything is on a knife edge after three games, which is a crazy situation. Manchester United spoke to a lot of managers before the exercised Erik ten Hag’s one-year extension clause. I think its noticeable that they didn’t give him another three years. They just gave him another year, and that tells you something about what they’re thinking.
I think there might be some movement before Christmas at United, unless he can quickly get things together.”
Q: Chelsea. Lots of changes, same inconsistencies. Is that what Chelsea fans can expect this season?
Alan Smith: “Snakes and ladders, isn’t it? Poch seemed to have got Chelsea up the ladder, but by hiring a new manager they may have gone back down the snake a bit, and they’re trying to clamber back up again with a lot of new players. It’s so hard to predict what they’re going to do in the Premier League this season.
They’ve been inconsistent so far, drawing at home to Crystal Palace after whacking Wolves away. They’re capable of doing that, thrashing teams when it all clicks.
Enzo Maresca, talk about having your hands full. He’s an inexperienced manager as well. It’s a heck of a task for him. He’s been quite bullish about how he’s done things so far; he’s been very direct in his press conferences when dealing with the media and answering questions about different players.
I don’t know how Chelsea will do to be honest with you. I don’t see them being consistent in the league, put it that way. They could do well in the cups again, but I don’t see them clambering into the top four. Maybe they could get into the top six.”
Q: Can you tell us anything about the vibe around the camp or what you may have seen at St. Georges Park?
Alan Smith: “The vibes around the camp seem good. There’s a few new lads in there that are
eager to impress and, obviously, one of the new lads is Lee Carsley. I think Lee’s anxious to get the first game out of the way rather than doing press conferences and media.
I know what it’s like when there’s a new manager for the players to impress. It doesn’t matter how established you are, you all want to show the new manager something and you want to make your mark.
I haven’t got any inside info on the team he’ll select. I suppose it will be influenced by the lads who had to pull out in Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Phil Foden, who are some of England’s top players. He’s got some new additions that will be interesting to have a look at – I’m looking forward to seeing the team that he goes with against Ireland on Saturday.”
Q: Were you surprised with Lee Carsley’s appointment as interim England manager?
Alan Smith: “I wasn’t surprised that the FA appointed Lee Carsley, given his experience with the under-21s. it certainly makes sense in an interim basis, and it might well make sense long term.
Some people may turn their noses up at the idea of Lee being appointed on a full-time basis, but he’s been very successful through the England age groups and obviously won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2023.
He isn’t a big name, but that isn’t important. You don’t have to be a big name or have a massive managerial career behind you to be a success. If the players listen to you and understand what you’re trying to do; if they are impressed by the sessions you put on and they respect you, then it doesn’t matter.
So in a way, I hope he does get the job on a permanent basis. He’s worked hard in his footballing career.
In his playing days, he wasn’t one of the big stars, but he’s worked hard. On the coaching side, he’s worked extremely hard, and he’s been successful at it. Maybe he deserves a chance.”
Q: Do you think he has any chance of getting the role permanently or do you think he’s warming the seat for a bigger name to come in next year?
Alan Smith: “I think his chances of getting the job on a permanent basis will depend on what alternatives are available. It will depend on the choices the FA have.
Eddie Howe’s name keeps popping up. I don’t know how Eddie feels about all that.
He would be the most likely though, wouldn’t he, if you wanted to put an Englishman in there? I can’t really think of too many others.”
With Grealish and Maguire back, are you expecting both experienced men to play key roles in Carsley’s England moving forwards?
Alan Smith: “I imagine Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire will play a role. Both will be pleased to be back in the squad. Both players know international football very well.
Just because they’re back in, doesn’t mean that they will start. There are still some choices for Lee Carsley to make. Anthony Gordon can play on the left. John Stones and Marc Guehi formed a great partnership and did really well at the European Championships. Maguire is a good option to have, of course.
I’m pleased to see Maguire back as well. Maguire’s a top pro, and one of those lads that you do want in the dressing room. He’s also done extremely well at international level.
I imagine Lee Carsley will swap a few things around over the two matches and see what he’s got in front of him.”
Q: Although England got to the final of the Euros there was a lot of criticism of Gareth Southgate over team selection and tactics do you think Carsley will pick and play a team that reflects our attacking abilities?
Alan Smith: “I think he’ll stick with his principles, and he should do. He should be himself and behave how he did with the under-21s. His teams for the under-21s were attacking, took risks and played on the front foot. That’s what everyone wants to see from an England team.
There were some things that didn’t quite happen for us in Germany (at EURO 2024) under Gareth. It looks like he’ll play a slightly different system as well. A lot of his lineups have been 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1, so slightly different to what we’ve seen under Gareth.
I don’t think he can radically move away from what Gareth Southgate was doing. He’s just got to do what he thinks is best as a coach and he’ll be judged on that.”
Q: A couple of guys that have come into the squad who he’s trusted before in his under-21s teams are Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes. What kind of role do you think either one of those guys will play?
Alan Smith: “I would imagine both Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes will get run outs. Morgan Gibbs-White is a bit more experienced, he has that Premier League experience, and I really like him as a player.
I’ve covered a lot of Nottingham Forest games over the last couple of years and he’s their go-to man; their talisman to get things going. He’s got so much energy and plays with a real desire as well, so I’m sure he’ll have a big part to play.
Angel Gomes is a player that a lot of people may not be that familiar with. It’s quite a strange situation for him to find himself in, and I said as much to Lee Carsley when I spoke to him. It’s not often that a player gets picked for the international side who maybe a lot of the public don’t know, but Manchester United fans will know all about him. I’d love to see him get a run out and see what he’s got.”
Q: Ivan Toney was left out of the latest England squad. Do you think he can get a call up whilst playing in Saudi or has he kissed goodbye to his England career?
Alan Smith: “I would have thought that Ivan Toney’s England career is over now he’s move to Saudi Arabia. It’s a difficult one. You can never say never to these types of scenarios, and if he scores 40 goals this coming season, looks sharp, he might still be in the manager’s thoughts.
Obviously, the financial appeal of the move is massive. From that respect, it’s a brilliant move for him. As he was sat on the private jet bound for Saudi, I do think there will be a part of him that’s a little bit sad by how it has all panned out for him this summer. He’s signed his career away in many respects in his prime. It’s not like he’s 22 and can think ‘I’ll play a couple of years in Saudi and come back’. It does feel a little sad.
It sounds like he didn’t have too many attractive offers, if any. He could have stayed at Brentford and then he could have left on a free transfer next season. He might have had some offers then.
I am surprised that there wasn’t an offer from a Premier League club, especially with the size of the fee that he was available for. I thought that Manchester United could have been a club that may have had a nibble given they could do with some more support through the middle and a bit more experience in the strikers position.
I just feel a little bit sad about it and maybe he does deep down as well.”
Q: No Ben White in the England team. He’s been solid as a rock now for the last two seasons at Arsenal – are you worried about his England career being over before it’s got started?
Alan Smith: “I feel it’s a shame that Ben White hasn’t played that much for his country. Lee Carsley said he wasn’t available at one of his press conferences, so Ben or someone from Arsenal must have told them that.
Does that mean he’s never going to be available again? I don’t know. He might just need a little bit of time for the dust to settle rather than saying, “oh, yeah, I’m available now”. He might believe a little bit of time is better for all parties.
There’s no doubt that he’s a quality option to have. You don’t want to regret things at the end of your career. You want to have given it your all. He’ll probably be thinking long and hard about that, and what to do.”
Q: What do you think Raheem Sterling can add to Arsenal this season and is it enough to win the league?
Alan Smith: “The signing of Raheem Sterling certainly isn’t going to take Arsenal further away from winning a league title. I think it was a bit of a no-brainer for Arteta to be able to bring him in for a year.
Most Arsenal fans wanted the club to bring in a player that could take some of the burden off Bukayo Saka because he plays an awful lot of football. He gets kicked, he takes big knocks, and Sterling can play in any of the forward positions, so that will allow them to rotate with real quality. When they’re not playing together, Sterling will be a very good alternative. He can play on the left, of course, but Trossard and Martinelli can fill that position.
I think he’s a good character to add to that dressing room. Arteta thinks long and hard before bringing players in because of the good chemistry at the club. I think all of the players realise that they’re all in it together and they need to win a trophy pretty soon. That’s the next step. Sterling might just help them to do it.
Sterling sounds delighted to come across London, he’s escaped the mad house that’s Chelsea and joined a fine old club that has welcomed him in. When he signed, he sounded absolutely delighted. That’s a great sign.”
Q: There were a lot of outgoings as well as a number of players coming in. How would you assess Arsenal’s transfer window?
Alan Smith: “Arsenal have generated good money for the academy boys. Nketiah and Smith-Rowe left for good sums, while Nelson went out on loan. That gave them an opportunity to raise some much-needed funds because of the new financial rules that the clubs have to adhere to.
There is probably a little bit of sadness about the departures of Nketiah and Smith-Rowe, there always is when you sell your academy boys, but it’s part of the game now. They were sellable assets that teams wanted, and you have to balance the books.”
Q: You mentioned that the likes of Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith-Rowe and Aaron Ramsdale had to move on this summer. They have all gone – it’s the largest rotation of players that I can remember at the club in a long time. With the way that Arsenal handles their business this summer, do you think Edu has put to bed any concerns about his ability to sell players?
Alan Smith: “When you’re trying to sell a 28 or 29-year-old who has seen his best days as a player, and Arsenal have had a few of them, then getting them out of the club for good money is a very difficult task.
The likes of Nketiah and Smith-Rowe, they’re at the start of their careers. They’ve been brought up well. They’re clearly talented. They want to do well in the game. They’re attractive players, so clubs will pay the money.
Fair play to Edu for standing his ground and holding out for the fee the club wanted for Nketiah. He could end up getting 20 odd goals for Palace this season, and then you could add £20-30 million to his price tag, but Arsenal will have included a sell-on fee if he were to move on from Palace in the future at a profit.
Edu has been in the job for a few years now and they knew what they had with those lads. They knew that they were attractive, they were saleable and that’s exactly what they did.”
Q: Are you concerned about any areas of the squad?
Alan Smith: “I do think the Gunners are a bit light through the middle in the striker position. Gabriel Jesus keeps on picking up injuries, he’s out at the moment, and we don’t know how close he is to fitness. It’s difficult to rely on him. If he is injured, then you’ve just got to have what you have, which isn’t ideal.
In an ideal world, Arteta would have brought somebody in, but the striker he wanted wasn’t available. That is the one part of the Arsenal team where you worry about depth. I have my fingers crossed that Havertz doesn’t get injured.”
Q: For someone like Nketiah, is Palace the perfect place for him to demonstrate that he is a top-class striker at Premier League level?
Alan Smith: “It will be interesting to see if Oliver Glasner starts him, because Mateta has been flying for Palace. Will he play them as a pair? Will one of them shift wide? With the money that Crystal Palace have paid for him, I expect him to start.
Eddie was talking about returning to South London, saying he felt at home. We also saw someone like Eze who showed, with that goal at Chelsea, that he’s a brilliant player to have alongside you or behind you.
I hope he does well. He’s capable of doing well. He’s not been in a situation where he has to shoulder the responsibility of scoring the goals for a team as a first-choice player before, so we’ll see how he handles that. I think he can do well at Palace.”
Q: Kai Havertz has scored 10 goals in 15 Premier League games playing as a striker for the Gunners, with seven assists as well. Does he fit the mould of how Arteta wants his forwards to play? Do you think he’s a better fit for Arsenal there than Dom Solanke or Ivan Toney would have been?
Alan Smith: “In an ideal world, I think Arteta would want another striker to compliment what he already has; a player with different qualities to the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, so more of an orthodox centre-forward.
He’ll be pleased with the options he has. Arsenal wanted Benjamin Sesko and didn’t get him, so they’ve decided to keep the faith with the options they have.
Sometimes it’s horses for courses against different opponents. In certain matches, maybe you’d like a more powerful presence through the middle if you see a weakness in the central defence of the opposition.
Arteta doesn’t have a player like that. He’s going to have to try and do it in a different way, but he’s found the solutions so far.
Kai Havertz has really impressed after a difficult start. He’s absolutely thriving at Arsenal.”
Q: Arsenal have won their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and were 3-0 up at half-time in this fixture last season when the pressure was on in the title race. Do you expect the same with Spurs off to a slower start than they’d like this season?
Alan Smith: “We often say that derbies of this sort, the gap closes and form goes out of the window, but I think that’s less true these days. Arsenal are clearly a good few notches above Spurs in terms of where they are, so even though it’s at Spurs, you’d probably say they go in as favourites.
I think Spurs are desperate for Solanke to get back and I think he will be back for the derby – they didn’t want to take a chance with him the other day against Newcastle.
Solanke needs to get off the ground with a goal or two because that always helps you settle into a new club. I remember when I joined Arsenal, I was desperate to get on that score sheet. Solanke missed a couple of chances at Leicester on his debut, but I think if he can put away the chances that Tottenham create, that would transform the Spurs team.
If Maddison can find the form, he showed at Leicester…Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Tottenham have got some good options now. They added the young winger Odobert from Burnley. I do think for Tottenham to have a chance of winning this game, they need Solanke in the side and performing because he can push a defence back with his threat and allow the likes of Madison to perform.”
Q: With Declan Rice suspended for the North London derby and Merino out for at least 6 weeks who should Arteta play in midfield against Spurs?
Alan Smith: “Arteta could turn to Jorginho. He hasn’t started a game yet, so that’s a plus point.
He played a big part last season and put in some key performances. I think a lot will depend on the availability of Gabriel Jesus. If he is fit, then Havertz can drop into that left midfield role and Partey can keep his position.
Rice is clearly a big loss because he’s a big voice and a big presence on the pitch. Thomas Partey tends to tire, his legs aren’t quite what they were but the club’s going to need him at Spurs to do a good job. It’s not an ideal situation but he does have options.”
Q: Arsenal have already dropped points against Brighton. The North London Derby is always a tough test but is it already a game they can ill afford to lose given City’s points total last year?
Alan Smith: “It was never like this before, three or four games into a season and the games are becoming must-wins. That’s the way it is in the Premier League and that’s the way it has been if you want to challenge Manchester City because you never expect them to drop points.
There was a slight element of panic at Arsenal the other day, down to 10 men, and Arteta was trying to whip up the crowd. Sometimes when players see their manager doing that, they can tighten up a little bit and the fans pick-up that nervousness.
The North London derby is a game that you hope to win, pure and simple, especially given the last few results (against Tottenham). The gap between Arsenal and Manchester City is two points at the moment. You wouldn’t want that to go to four or five, so, I expect Arsenal to try and win the game.”
Q: Jamie Vardy is still a pain in the backside for defenders. You saw his return the Premier League where he scored – what are the noticeable differences in his game these days from when he was in his prime and how many goals do you think he will net this season?
Alan Smith: “Jamie Vardy still makes those runs in behind, but he would have to keep doing that anyway because he’s not the sort of striker that wants to come short. He just needs to pick his moments a bit more carefully in terms of making those runs because he’s thirty-seven now.
His experience gives him a great chance at still being an effective striker in the Premier League. He still leads the line well and has that little burst of pace, obviously not quite as much as he had in his prime, but he’s still a threat and he showed that against Spurs.
Steve Cooper will have to probably pick and choose when to use him. I don’t think he can play every game, but Leicester have recently added the two lads from Crystal Palace in Odsonne Edouard and Jordan Ayew to the squad. Hopefully they will be able to share the burden.
It’s great to see Vardy doing it because he came into the top level quite late. I think that’s why he’s still got the appetite that other players might not have had, especially if they started their playing career in the big time as a teenager.”
Q: Leicester have successfully won their appeal against their PSR charge. How much of a boost will that give to the club’s chances of avoiding relegation and will the clarity make things easier for Steve Cooper and his players?
Alan Smith: “The dark cloud that was hanging over the King Power has blown away, so it’s got to be a plus point, and it clears everybody’s minds. There was uncertainty before.
How many points will they be given? When will it come into force? You didn’t quite know what you were playing with. Steve Cooper does now, so he’ll just be hoping he can get a few points on the board fairly sharpish.
It’s not going to be easy at all, Premier League survival. They’ve added some experience to the squad and that’s important. Winks and Ollie Skip obviously know each other really well from their days at Tottenham, so that experience in the middle of the park will help.
Leicester have got some decent players in there, but I still see them struggling a little bit, unfortunately. They’ve sold a lot of their talent and haven’t replaced it.”
