Manu:<\/strong> I\u2019m not surprised. I\u2019ve been following his season at Marseille last year, and he has impressed everyone, especially the French manager \u2013 because he was selected for his first cap, and he deserved it.<\/p>\nHe was a leader and a monster at the back, he showed so much maturity and confidence. I like the same way that Jesus, the way he came back to Arsenal \u2013 we didn\u2019t know for one or two weeks if he\u2019s going to stay at Marseille, maybe he\u2019d be unhappy with Arsenal\u2019s decisions.
\nThe fact is, from pre-season, he thought to himself that he was good enough to start the Premier League season. He showed maturity, character, and he\u2019s enjoying his spell at Arsenal. That\u2019s what he was expecting when he first signed for Arsenal and, after three years, he didn\u2019t play one minute.<\/p>\n
He came back after making a great season with Marseille \u2013 it\u2019s not easy in Marseille, the pressure is very high in the city, the passion of the fans is very high. They have pressure every single day, every single game.<\/p>\n
It was a very good season for him. He came back to Arsenal a different player and a different person. He grew up so quickly, he got mature very quickly, and he showed personality at the back. You could see that.<\/p>\n
For me, I said at the beginning of the season, if he plays the same way he played for Marseille, Ben White would be in trouble.<\/p>\n
Q: <\/strong>Another of your former teams, Chelsea, have had a more mixed start to the season \u2013 losing to Leeds heavily this weekend \u2013 should they be worried about their place in the top four?<\/p>\nManu:<\/strong> You could see frustrations with Tuchel on the bench since the beginning of the season. He showed he\u2019s very nervous, his communication is bad as well \u2013 trying to find excuses for bad performances, bad results.<\/p>\nI think he\u2019s very annoyed by the fact they are not active on the transfer market. He wants players, especially at the back.<\/p>\n
He could\u2019ve anticipated that, to be honest with you. When you let three important players at the back leave for free, you should have anticipated this.<\/p>\n
This year has been very difficult, mentally, for the club, the fans, the players, the manager. You could see that. They started the Premier League tired. I can see that Tuchel is very tired, is very nervous. He was complaining about the pre-season tour, all the trips they had to do, it was exhausting for them.<\/p>\n
The transfer market is ending in a couple of days, he doesn\u2019t see any players coming in, so I can understand his frustration. On top of it, he\u2019s losing big important players, Kante for example, Kovacic is not fit, he lost Koulibaly on the sending off.<\/p>\n
To be honest with you, it\u2019s not the perfect start for them, on and off the pitch. I can understand the frustration, but I think Tuchel should show more composure \u2013 he should take it on him to try to show that he\u2019s calm. The fact he\u2019s nervous, the players can feel it. When you look at him on the bench, to be hoenst, he needs to calm down \u2013 he needs to show more confidence to his players.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s definitely a must-win game for them against Leicester. They cannot afford to drop points again at home. They have to win that game if they want to keep in touch with the podium.<\/p>\n
Victories are the best medicine when you are not good on the pitch, and you have troubles outside.<\/p>\n
Q: <\/strong>Could Tuchel come under pressure this season?<\/p>\nManu:<\/strong> It was the case with PSG. First season was good, the second season the trouble started. You can see that, when things go right, he\u2019s very happy, he\u2019s very smiley in the press conference.<\/p>\nBut as soon as the troubles arrive on the pitch and off the pitch, you could see that he\u2019s nervous, and this is something that you can spread into the dressing room.<\/p>\n
If results are not good enough that could be a big pressure on him. Troubles can happen very easily in the dressing room, in terms of relationships and communications.<\/p>\n
Q: <\/strong>As a player, how would you have reacted to the touchline incident that he had with Conte?<\/p>\nManu:<\/strong> As a player, we are focussed with what\u2019s happening on the pitch. You need to avoid everything surrounding the pitch, especially the bench and what\u2019s happening in the ground.<\/p>\nIf you are too sensible about that, that can affect the game and your focus on the game. The concentration, as well.<\/p>\n
If you are a proficient footballer, at the highest levels with the highest pressure, then you need to control your emotions. So sometimes it\u2019s good to see your managers fighting with the opponent\u2019s manager, but in the meantime the reality and the truth is on the pitch.<\/p>\n
Q: <\/strong>You mentioned Aubameyang earlier and the issues they had with him at Arsenal \u2013 is he a risk for Chelsea?<\/p>\nManu:<\/strong> At Arsenal, I didn\u2019t see it coming the way it ends. I was quite disappointed and surprised about what happened between him and Arteta \u2013 but I could understand Arteta\u2019s decision.<\/p>\nI remember when he went to Barcelona, the first few games he scored so many goals. I thought \u2018wow, what a good story for someone that has been disciplined for months at Arsenal\u2019.<\/p>\n
After that, he didn\u2019t play much, didn\u2019t score much, and now you realise that Barcelona prefer Lewandowski.<\/p>\n
The fact he knows the Premier League very well, he will fit perfectly into the game. He still has qualities. If he comes back to England, that will be with the feeling of revenge \u2013 especially with the Arsenal rivalry.<\/p>\n
He will be in London, a city that he knows very well already, so he will settle perfectly. He will probably give an answer to Tuchel in terms of efficacy in front of the goal, scoring goals. You see that they are missing strikers, it\u2019s been the case for ages at Chelsea.<\/p>\n
They need to get a proper striker, who can score between 20 and 25 goals at least in the Premier League, and they don\u2019t have that for ages.
\nIt\u2019s a gamble because I have no idea what the real level of Aubameyang is right now. I know that he can score goals, but he has to be fit physically and he has to be good in his mind. He needs to find a really good balance between mental and physical, and this is my only question.<\/p>\n
He could be a hit the first few games, but then all of a sudden he could disappear. And what happens if he doesn\u2019t score for the first few games for Chelsea? With all the \u2018curse of the number nine\u2019?<\/p>\n
He\u2019s a quality player, but my question is what exactly is his level right now? I have no idea.<\/p>\n
For me, he looks more a panic buy than something they\u2019ve been thinking about for months or weeks. Transfer market is ending in a few days, and you could see that they are in panic, Chelsea. They want to buy defenders, strikers, but they don\u2019t know what they want.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t see the real qualities behind it. The projection in the future. If you want to spend so much on a player, you need to have a vision, but I don\u2019t see that coming from Chelsea. It\u2019s panic buys. They are willing to do everything they can to bring players that can fill a void in their team, especially in central defence and up front.<\/p>\n
This is not the best way to do things.<\/p>\n
Q: <\/strong>They\u2019ve also been linked with Harry Maguire, who is struggling at Man United \u2013 could a move to Chelsea kick-start his career?<\/p>\nManu:<\/strong> Honestly, I watched the game Monday night, and I looked at his face on the bench \u2013 him and Cristiano Ronaldo \u2013 and I\u2019m pretty sure he was thinking exactly what everyone was thinking after the game.<\/p>\nAfter the very good performance collectively and especially at the back, Martinez and Varane, they played very well. If I am Maguire, I would feel insecure and in a very difficult position.<\/p>\n
I lost the armband, I\u2019m not the captain anymore, I lost my place in the team. And now I am on the bench.<\/p>\n
When I look at him, my first feeling is \u2018this guy is destroyed mentally\u2019. He\u2019s not there anymore. He needs to rebuild mentally. He has to do this every single game, by playing well. Trying to get back the confidence from the fans, from his team mates, from the press, from himself. To try to feel more secure on the pitch.<\/p>\n
At the moment, this is not the case. I think mentally, he\u2019s very low, he\u2019s down. He needs to work mentally. He\u2019s got quality to be a good defender \u2013 for me, he\u2019s not one of the top defenders, he\u2019s never been. But he\u2019s a good quality defender if he\u2019s good in his head and plays well.<\/p>\n
But this is not the case for ages. He has received criticism for two or three years now.<\/p>\n
For me, I\u2019m not sure his future is laying with Manchester United. I think things have gone too far.<\/p>\n
To be honest with you, if I am Maguire, I would probably think about leaving. Because the World Cup is coming, so if I\u2019m not playing, that means my position in the national team is in danger as well. All the dangers are surrounding him.<\/p>\n
He needs to take a very strong decision for his future right now. If I\u2019m Maguire, I cannot see myself playing the next game. Ten Hag has been convinced with Varane and Martinez \u2013 I can guarantee they will play the next game. And if they play well and they win again, he will never change his team. That means Maguire can spend weeks on the bench, looking at his team mates.<\/p>\n
He needs to take a big decision. If he wants to play for Chelsea, that could be good for him. I think he would probably play, because Thiago Silva is aged, and they need a central defender.<\/p>\n
I think it\u2019s a win-win position for Chelsea and Maguire. If I am Maguire, I would leave Manchester United.<\/p>\n
Q: <\/strong>Barcelona have been at the centre of a lot of controversy this summer, how have you reacted to that?<\/p>\nManu:<\/strong> Since UEFA introduced the financial fair play \u2013 for some big clubs it\u2019s not the same story any more. So they need to be careful about their finance.<\/p>\nThere\u2019s been a lot of talk in England and France about the money they\u2019ve spent, money they don\u2019t have. But they have sold so many private equity inside of Barcelona, so they have received a lot of funds.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, when you spend so much money like this, and you ask your players to split their wages \u2013 this is something I don\u2019t understand, and I will never understand.<\/p>\n
They are selling the jewels of Barcelona year after year. It\u2019s panic for them financially. They are trying to do everything they can to avoid a bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
But the way they built this team, they look more competitive, buying some very good players. But financially, of course, it\u2019s a big question.
\nThere is nothing illegal in what they\u2019ve done in the transfer market, because they\u2019ve sold the jewels \u2013 the TV rights, their own TV company, things like this \u2013 and they received hundreds of millions of Euros. So they have the money to spend on the transfer market.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s a big, big gamble for the future.<\/p>\n
What will happen if things are still the same on the pitch? If they don\u2019t get what they want in terms of rewards and money \u2013 what are they going to sell next? To fill the financial void, that\u2019s a big question for me.<\/p>\n
I think they have a big concern as well with Kounde about his contract. The clock is ticking for him to be registered with Barcelona. So they still have a lot to do outside the pitch.<\/p>\n
But if I talk only about what\u2019s happening on the pitch, I think they will look stronger than last season, and they will probably be hard to beat, because they\u2019re a quality team.<\/p>\n
Q: <\/strong>Frenkie De Jong\u2019s been in the papers a lot here, linked with Manchester United, allegedly asked to take a pay-cut… how hard is it for a player to deal with this off the pitch stuff?<\/p>\nManu:<\/strong> It\u2019s very difficult because all that matters for clubs and players is money. This is a priority most of the time. Of course the sporting project is important for the club and the players.<\/p>\nBut when you talk about big guns dealing with signing players, we are talking about money.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not convinced De Jong wants to come to the Premier League. If he comes, I hope that will be something that he\u2019s happy with, because I don\u2019t get this feeling.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all about money. We know this from Leicester and Chelsea over Wesley Fofana. We all know that the last few days of the transfer market are the most important.<\/p>\n
Because most of the clubs are paying cheques. They want to put pressure on players, and on clubs, to accept their deal. Many transfer will be made in the last few hours before the transfer window ends, so a lot of pressure, and a lot of money.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In an exclusive interview with Fair Betting Sites, former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Emmanuel Petit gives his views on the biggest stories at his former clubs, including urging Harry Maguire to leave Manchester United for Chelsea. World Cup-winning Petit also called Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel ‘nervous’ as well as saying a move for Pierre-Emerick … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Fair Betting Sites UK Interviews Emmanuel Petit - Bettingsitesreviewed.co.uk<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n