In an exclusive interview with CasinoApps.com, Chris Waddle delivers a damning assessment of the Glazers’ stewardship of Manchester United.
The former England midfielder also explains why James Maddison will need an exceptional season to get back into England team.
Full Transcript
Question: After his disappointment at missing out on the Euros how impressed were you with Grealish against Ireland?
Chris Waddle: “I enjoyed seeing Jack Grealish back in the England starting line-up in the number 10 role, which he’s not played for a long time. You could tell that he wasn’t entirely comfortable there because he kept drifting off to that left-hand side where Anthony Gordon was playing. I think he did that a little bit too often, to be honest, but I’m sure that with a bit of time, he’ll improve.
When he’s played on the left, he offers the team balance and technical security because he very rarely gives the ball away. He doesn’t really beat people with tricks or pace – I’ve always though Jack’s attributes were suited to playing as a number 10. It looks like Lee Carsley agrees with me.
I’ve always thought of Jack as a 10. He’s not a winger, he’s never been a winger in my opinion, and I think that is the best role for him in this England team, the problem is he’s competing for that shirt with a lot of good players. Bellingham, Foden, Palmer, I think those players are a more natural fit for that position.
I’m not sure if he’ll keep the shirt moving forward with Carsley, but it was good to see him back and making an impact for the national team.”
Q: Ireland not a tough test
Chris Waddle: “It’s hard to judge Carsley after that performance against Ireland. No disrespect, but Ireland are a very poor team. He could have played any system with any players, and England would have won. It will be the same against Finland tonight.
Finland don’t have a good track record over the last 10 games. They’ve been beaten by a lot of teams – if Carsley wanted to, he could play with seven attackers in the team and still win against the Fins comfortably.
You can only beat what’s in front of you. Let’s be perfectly honest, the two opponents don’t get much easier when you consider the strength of the England team. It’s a very gentle introduction to managing at the highest level of international football for Lee Carsley.”
Q: You said that England should go all out for a top manager and mentioned Pep Guardiola. Do you think Lee Carsely is warming the seat for a bigger name?
Chris Waddle: “Now Carsley’s in the role on an interim basis, this is basically an audition. It’s a bit of try before you buy scenario, and that was exactly the same when Gareth Southgate first went in.
Get in the job and let’s see what you can do. If the results are good, the performances, then I think there will be a lot of people that will be pushing the FA to offer him the job on a permanent basis.
I want England to be successful long-term, and I have to wonder, when we’re playing against the best opposition in a tournament scenario, not the likes of Ireland and Finland, can Lee Carsley be a winning manager?
It’s so difficult to judge him on the results against teams that England should be beating all day with their eyes closed. I want to judge him when he’s playing the best teams like France, Spain, Italy, Germany.
The problem is that’s an unlikely scenario before the World Cup in 2026. OK, we may get one difficult opponent in the qualification games, but let’s be honest, the majority of opponents England face between now and then are going to be teams we should beat. We’re not going to have a true barometer of his managerial ability and whether he is the right man to lead the country into a tournament until it kicks-off. That could be a bit of a gamble.”
Q: Would you question the ambition of the FA if they went down the same managerial path as Southgate and appointed Lee Carsley full-time?
Chris Waddle: “I wish the FA would come out and say, “Lee’s in the seat for a minute, he’s holding the fort while we’re assessing our options.”
I think the FA would be foolish not to be speaking to other candidates discussing the England job.
All England fans want the Football Association to be as ambitious as possible. They also want a bit of communication and to understand what the FA’s ambition is. It feels like they’re waiting for everyone to get behind the manager, which they will do if we keep winning. I’m going to back him as long as he’s in the job. I’m an England fan like everybody else.
Like I said, you can’t really judge Lee Carsley until England play top opposition. By that point, it might be too late.”
Q: After Newcastle’s good start to the season do you see them challenging for a top 4 place this season?
Chris Waddle: “I think getting into the top four will be a big ask for Newcastle, but they’re in the chasing pack.
The advantage for Newcastle is no Europe. Some of Newcastle’s direct competition for the top four are going to be playing in the Europa League, Aston Villa have Champions League football, with more games and a more demanding fixture list. Those squads are going to be pushed.
That might really help Newcastle get a top four spot. Teams that they’re competing with, they will be tired. It’s hard rotating your players and playing twice a week, every week. Unfortunately, Newcastle know that from their own experience in the Champions League last season.
To compete in Europe and at home, I think you need two teams really. You need a squad that is big enough to allow you to rotate often.
Focussing on the Premier League could help Newcastle. They’ve done it before (qualified for the Champions League), and I also think that without the distraction of European football, they can go deep in the cup competitions.
There’s no reason why Newcastle shouldn’t be looking at the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup and not trying to win those.”
Q: On Eddie Howe’s relationship with Newcastle hierarchy
Chris Waddle: “The problem in modern football is when an owner gets far too involved in the day-to-day running of the club and is told what they want to hear by executives that they employ.
There tends to be a lot of voices trying to get their attention, it’s a bit like a Royal Court where advisers are trying to be favoured. When that happens, there are problems, and we’re seeing those at Chelsea at the moment. Different owners, different points-of-view, lots of advisers and Sporting Directors.
Manager’s should be left to manage football clubs. Of course, they need to be held accountable, but at the same time, let them do their job. If Eddie Howe tells his owner or the executives at Newcastle that wants a certain player, and the Sporting Director disagrees, then that’s a big, big problem for a manager.
Eddie Howe gets paid to manage a football club and win games. If he wants a specific player, it’s because he thinks that player will help him get better results. He doesn’t want to be given players that he hasn’t picked, or picks from the Sporting Director.
You can’t have a disagreement between your Sporting Director and manager. I’m a firm believer that the manager should be the one who leads on recruitment or has the final say.”
Q: Let Howe get on with his job
Chris Waddle: “If you employ a manager, I don’t care whether you are Madrid or Macclesfield Town, you have got to let the manager get on with his job. Mangers know the game, they know it’s a results business, and if a manager doesn’t hit his objectives, then he knows he will be shown the door. It’s as simple as that.
You don’t employ a manager and then bring in a Sporting Director to tell them what systems to play; players to buy. Owners and clubs are becoming obsessed with projects these days, but a project should be built around a good manager.
Running an elite club with resources isn’t rocket science. You need a vision from the top down and total alignment, and the most important piece of the jigsaw is having a top-class manager to hold it all together. That’s what Newcastle have in Eddie Howe, but it feels like his voice isn’t the most important at the club.
Big managers have their say, and they do what they do, and that’s why they’re successful. They live and die by the decisions they make.
If you’re a manager and you’re not calling the shots on transfers, that’s a massive problem. How can you do your job properly?
Everyone at Newcastle is behind the boss, not the board. The fans love Eddie Howe at Newcastle and appreciate what he brings to the football club.”
Q: Howe didn’t get what he wanted this summer
Chris Waddle: “Eddie Howe’s main transfer priority this summer was a centre half. I think Newcastle needed to bring in three players: a couple of centre halves and a striker. He didn’t get what he wanted.
There’s something obviously going on there. I don’t know why they didn’t deliver him the players he wanted.
He qualified for the Champions League, but I think last year trying to manage that competition and the Premier League highlighted the weaknesses in the squad, the lack of depth.
He knows that he needs to strengthen. I think he must have been told by people above him that he’s targeting the wrong players. That’s a big problem for me.”
Q: After Mitchell’s interview in which he said, since the takeover two-and-a-half-years-ago, the club hasn’t made the most of their opportunities, has the 5-year plan by PIF now been extended?
Chris Waddle: “Mitchell’s comments are just another way of appealing to the fans to be more patient. Listen, the five-year plan hasn’t happened. Newcastle did qualify for the Champions League, but they didn’t strengthen the squad.
The squad couldn’t manage the demands of four competitions. It was just too much for that squad they had. That should have been a big wake-up call for the club.
If you look at Manchester City, Arsenal, they’ve got a lot of players. Newcastle were probably thinking, we need to go down this road. It’s more difficult to do that now without Champions League football and the new financial restrictions. You can’t spend money willy nilly. You have to balance the books, and the most effective way to do that is selling academy players.
The Champions League was a great opportunity to turbo charge the five-year plan, but it doesn’t look like its moved on.
We’re kind of starting again. If Newcastle don’t qualify for the Champions League, or even the Europa League, then I think it will be very difficult to convince certain players to stay for another year.”
Q: Waddle ponders the future without European football at Newcastle
Chris Waddle: “Bruno seems to be quite content. He’s just been appointed club captain, and he looks very settled. He is one of the Newcastle players that there always seems to be rumours about regarding other clubs.
Would Bruno want out if Newcastle weren’t playing in the Champions League next season? I think that totally depends on which clubs are interested in signing him. For some players, there are certain clubs that are very hard to turn down.
For the players from South America, the Spanish giants are normally close to their hearts. If Bruno Guimaraes had an opportunity to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona, I think it would be very difficult for Newcastle to keep him, especially if they don’t qualify for the Champions League.
Whether or not Barcelona or Real Madrid would want him, that’s another matter.”
Q: Sandro Tonali
Chris Waddle: “I think Sandro Tonali is ready to go back in to the starting line-up. He’s got some minutes into his legs on the international scene, played well, and he looks like he wants to make up for lost time.
I think he’s ready. He’s fit. As I say, he’s played well for Italy. I think he’ll take Longstaff’s role at Wolves. Newcastle will have a midfield three of Joelinton, Bruno and Tonali. That’s a tasty midfield, that three.
I’m sure Eddie will be thinking, ‘how do I get the balance right?’. It’s a midfield three where each player is complimentary. We didn’t get to see it much last season because of Sandro’s absence, but you look at the blend of players and you would say that trio could give any Premier League team a run for their money. That’s a midfield that could hold their own against anybody in the Premier League, and in Europe.”
Q: Adrien Rabiot
Chris Waddle: “Rabiot’s a top player and the best teams in the Premier League have deep squads.
Man City have players on the bench who would probably get in to most first teams. Arsenal have been building their squad, Liverpool have a good squad. To compete with the very best, you need good players, and Rabiot is one of them.
He’s said that he’s always wanted to play in the Premier League. I think Manchester United are the team with the strongest interest, according to reports, but if Rabiot has eyes, then he must be looking at Manchester United and all the problems there and think that Newcastle are a better option at the moment.
The question is, would Rabiot be interested in joining a club like Newcastle? We’ve spoken about Newcastle’s ambition, some of the issues behind-the-scenes this summer, but I would still be more confident in Newcastle reaching their objectives faster than Manchester United.
If those are his choices, then for me, there’s only one winner.”
Q: Anthony Gordon’s future
Chris Waddle: “Everyone knows that Gordon has two years left on his contract. He’s a player that a lot of clubs like, and I can see why.
Do Newcastle need to keep him? Absolutely. For me, Anthony Gordon is the future of the club and someone that you want to build around. The club should be looking to nail him down to a new deal as quickly as possible.
Newcastle can be cute here and test the water, but they have to make the player feel wanted and feel him out a bit.
Once you get around the table with a player or his people, you can get a good indication of where they’re heads at. If Gordon doesn’t want to commit, then Newcastle have to cash in on him at the end of the season.
His future is a big deal to resolve for the club. Normally clubs don’t let big players get into the last 18 months, so it’s got to be on the top of Paul Mitchell’s to-do list.
He’s young and he’s getting better all the time. He’s in the England team. They need to tie him down.”
Q: Tottenham’s problems are the same as last season
Chris Waddle: “After watching Tottenham against Newcastle, I think they have the same problem as last year: they create so many chances, but they don’t have a player that puts them away.
They bombarded Newcastle. They should have been out of sight. With every missed chance, you just knew that Newcastle were going to break away and score, and that’s what happened.
It’s a shame Solanke is injured. They’re missing him. He was signed to put away the types of chances that they create, and when the other options aren’t proper strikers. Son likes to play off the left, Kulusevski likes to roam around, and Johnson is also more of a wide player. They will do a job for you, but it’s not enough to win football games every single week.
They have got a young team, there are some great players coming through, but I think the squad is still a bit short to compete with the best in the Premier League.
Tottenham’s drive and ambition must be top four. I can see them giving teams a game, but the problem is putting the ball in the back of the net. You can’t create that many chances and not take one playing that open, because you’ll eventually get punished. Tottenham look very vulnerable on the counter-attack playing such a high line.”
Q: Tottenham summer business
Chris Waddle: “I would have liked to have seen Tottenham go out and signed more established players this summer. They signed Archie Gray, who’s a great prospect, they brought in a kid from Sweden.
Solanke is a bit more experienced. He’s 26, and he’s had a good few seasons now in the Premier League. He was excellent last season, but I think Tottenham need more players in that age bracket coming into the squad. Tottenham don’t need players for the future, they need players for the here and now.
I understand that the stadium needs to be paid for, but, at the same time, the biggest club’s go out and spend money on top, top players that are going to take them up a level.
I want to see Spurs progress. To do that, they need better players. Hopefully they will be able to do that when the debt on the stadium is paid. I’m so frustrated seeing the club sell its best players over the years. I want Tottenham to become a club that keeps its stars and adds to them, and hopefully we can get there within two seasons.”
Q: James Maddison was overlooked in the last England squad. Has he been treated unfairly when you look at some of the other players that are in there – I’m thinking Morgan Gibbs-White, and Angel Gomes in particular, possible Noni Madueke.
Chris Waddle: “I think Lee, like Gareth, must have thought, ‘We’ve got too many number 10s. I fancy Palmer, I fancy Morgan Gibbs-White.’
Morgan Gibbs-White has come in to the squad under the radar. I don’t think anyone was expecting him to be in the squad. Carsley has worked with him before and likes his attitude and the way he goes about his business. He’s a very confident player, loud on the pitch.
Maybe he’s thinking about the future. Maybe he doesn’t see James Maddison as part of that future. James Maddison lost form last year after that ankle injury. That kept him out of the squad for the Euros. I think if he looked at his season as a whole, he would begrudgingly say that he didn’t do enough to be part of the England team last summer. All James Madison’s got to worry about is performing well for Tottenham. If he does that, then he can change Carsley’s mind and get back in the squad.
There’s a lot of competition for that role, and there’s three or four players that are in front of James at the moment in Bellingham, Foden, Palmer and Grealish. James will have to have an exceptional season to jump to the front of that particular queue.”
Q: What are you expecting from Tottenham this season. Can they finish in the top four?
Chris Waddle: “Tottenham are in the pack with Newcastle and Man United. I’d put Villa in there too. There all competing for one spot because I can’t see any of those teams getting in front of Manchester City or Arsenal this season.
Liverpool have started the season really well. They’ll be up there competing for a place in the top four, but it’s really two spots from five teams.”
Q: What is your prediction for the NLD on Sunday?
Chris Waddle: “Arsenal are favourites and rightly so, but everybody’s been away on international duty. They’ve got some injury concerns with Odegaard likely missing after taking a big knock on international duty, and Rice is suspended.
Spurs will also be anxiously waiting for all of their players to come back from international duty unscathed. Tottenham haven’t had as many players away, which will help them.
Tottenham can upset anyone on their day. They’ll always upset teams, but they will give Arsenal chances on the break, the way they play with such a high line.
Both teams need a result. Arsenal won’t want to go to Manchester City next week potentially five points behind them. They know they can’t afford to let Pep’s team build up a head of steam in the league table if they want to be serious contenders this season.
Tottenham probably deserved to beat Newcastle last time out but they lost. They created so many chances in that game and were punished for profligacy, which also happened against Leicester for the first game of the season. That is becoming an unwanted habit at the club and is something that they will want to set right immediately, and there’s no better time to do it than the North London derby.
The atmosphere will be electric on Sunday. I think even with their midfield woes, Arsenal are slight favourites for this one.”
Q: Waddle not getting carried away by Liverpool’s start
Chris Waddle: “I expected Man City and Arsenal to be the top two this season. A lot of people are saying that Liverpool can challenge for the title after their first three games, but I think it’s a bit early to say that. No disrespect to the teams they’ve beaten, but they haven’t played anyone yet.
Manchester United are in such a mess, I fancied them strongly last time out. It’s not a surprise to me that they smashed them.
Liverpool’s had a good start, which will give them a lot of confidence, especially for the new manager as well, but let’s not get too carried away.”
Q: On Manchester United
Chris Waddle: “The problems at Manchester United aren’t just on the pitch, they’re everywhere. The stadium needs lots of work, they’re modernising the training ground – it seems like everything has been allowed to fester and run-down on the Glazer’s watch.
Ten Hag was given a stay of execution after winning the FA Cup. I think everyone knows that, including him. He probably thought it may buy him a bit more time before the vultures started circling, but that’s the reality of football and managing a club like Manchester United. It’s pressure, day in, day out.
He’s brought some new players in. He keeps signing his old Ajax players, and how many of those transfers could you say have worked out? Possibly one in Martinez. Manchester United used to buy the best. That hasn’t been happening for a long, long time. The reality is, the top, top players would rather go to Man City, Liverpool or Arsenal at the moment. Players are looking at United and thinking they have more chance of winning major trophies elsewhere.
They still produce top players, but not at the volume they used to. They were the gold standard for academy talent, but other clubs have caught up.
There’s a big job on the hands of Jim Ratcliffe to turn United into a force again. I think it’s going to take years because they’ve stood still while the teams around them have kept on improving.
I wouldn’t put United in the best six football teams in the Premier League. They’ve become a soft touch.”
Q: Of the 3 promoted teams who do you think is most likely to stay in the Premier League and who will be returning to The Championship?
Chris Waddle: “I watched Leicester last week against Villa. They’re a well organised team, but they haven’t got any creativity, or at least they didn’t start with any. Things improved when they brought on Facundo Buonanotte.
If you want to compete in the Premier League these days, I think you need to play football that is positive. I’d feel more confident about Leicester’s chances of staying up if they had a go at teams. Looking at them after three games, from what I’ve seen so far, unless Cooper plays with a little bit more endeavour, I cannot see Leicester surviving.
Southampton, they are missing a goal-scorer. I think that is going to cost them this season. The football is nice, they’ve created some chances, but they haven’t taken them. They’ve also been caught out a few times already playing out. If you make mistakes like that in the Premier League, you’ll get punished.
Out of the three, I think Ipswich has got the best chance of survival because they’ve invested a lot of money in a lot of players. Whether they’re good enough for the Premier League, we’ll see, but at least they’re having a go. it’s going to be a long season. It takes time to get used to the demands of the Premier League, and for Ipswich, it’s a new experience for pretty much all of them.
My worry with them is that they’ve come out of the blocks really quickly, trying to keep up with the relentless pace of the league is really difficult. I’d like to see if they can play the same football in January and February.”
Q: What lessons do Wednesday need to take out of their last three defeats?
Chris Waddle: “I think these defeats may give Danny Röhl a bit of food for thought in terms of his tactical approach.
Last season, they kept it pretty tight and Röhl was on a roll. He got the belief into the team, he got confidence in the players, and they were working ever so hard. He played three at the back and they were solid.
I think he needs to go back to that approach. Make your team hard to beat in the first instance and build from there.
He’s started the season with a very attack-minded approach. The problem is, there are a few players in the team that have been inconsistent. You’re not sure what you’re going to get form them game to game, which isn’t good in The Championship
After the Millwall defeat, his comments alluded to going back to what worked last season.
The Championship is an unforgiving league. Two games a week, it’s a slog. When momentum is against you, life is difficult. I think it’s baby steps now and getting that confidence back in the team. That starts with a strong foundation.
We would all love to play sexy football, but this league is about results. It’s a grind. He can still get the Owls into the play-offs by playing with three at the back, no one is going to mark him down for it.
He would have spent time thinking about QPR over the international break. I’m convinced he will change his approach, and we’ll see a Sheffield Wednesday team that is hard to beat at the weekend.”
Q: Which club has really caught your eye so far after four games?
Chris Waddle: “Sunderland’s had a cracking start to the season. It’s been an unbelievable start that I don’t think anybody saw coming.
We know they play good football at the Stadium of Light. They’ve got good wingers at the football club. I was concerned about the centre forward position, but scoring goals isn’t a problem for them at the minute.
Defensively, they’ve always been solid. Good goalkeeper. The midfield’s good.
It’ll be interesting to see if they can keep it up. I hope they can.”
Q: Do you expect the Black Cats to pile on more pressure on Wayne Rooney and his Plymouth team?
Chris Waddle: “Wayne’s took a job on there, and fair play to him, it’s a hard job down at Plymouth. That is one hell of a journey for the Sunderland fans, heading all the way down to Devon. You can’t get any further.
Sunderland are full of confidence. They’ve had a nice break and will be raring to go. Everyone at the club will be buzzing because they’ve had a great start to the season.
Plymouth are still finding their way with Rooney. It would be brilliant for Rooney to pick-up a result, what a confidence boost that would give him and his players if they could beat the team that is top of the league, but, with the way that Sunderland are playing, I can’t see it happening.
I think Sunderland are going to pile on the misery here.”
