In an exclusive interview with Sports Lens, Dwight Yorke warns that his former team are just one loss away from another mid-season crisis.
The former front man also names Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford as this season’s biggest flops in the Premier League.
Premier League observations and headlines
Liverpool dropped more points, at the weekend, and only Chelsea took advantage. Can you see Liverpool dropping more points and having a blip to really open the race up over the course of the season?
Dwight Yorke: “I think so. I think all the teams at the top will be dropping points. It’s going to be a real ding-dong battle for the Premier League this year. I think it will be won between the teams that are up there, so Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, and I’m not prepared to rule out Man City just yet.
Chelsea have come from nowhere, suddenly they’re on a roll. So, they’re right in amongst it.
I did tip Liverpool, but I wonder if they will go through a little dip at the wrong time. It’s all about February, March, that phase there, whether they run out of steam then, but they’ve been really good up until this point.
I have a funny feeling about City, they may not win it, but they will just come rolling back somehow, something will click. You can’t be that good and drop off that much. With the players they’ve got and the manager they’ve got, they can’t keep on this losing run. It will come to an end soon.
Arsenal are already dropping points. Chelsea look strong at the minute. Chelsea might be the one (to win the title this season), you can’t rule them out.
I’ve got to get past January before I then make my decision on who will win the title. I can’t make up my mind right now, it’s too early. I do fancy Liverpool, I have to say.”
Did Manchester United deliver a reality check to City’s title defence yesterday and from looking at their recent appearances, one win in 11 games, do you think they can drag themselves back into the title race?
Dwight Yorke: “I want to be cautious with this because it seemed like a funny old league this season. I did predict Liverpool from the very beginning.
Having said that, I never thought the City decline was going to be this rapid. It has thrown the whole Premier League into a chaos, and the Manchester derby, that was just another mad moment.
City seemed very much in control of the game, United didn’t have any shots in the first half, and you think you can’t see them scoring. I was expecting City’s performance to improve but it didn’t, and then Nunes gifts United a penalty and everything else follows. As bad as City have been, United have been worse, and I wasn’t expecting a victory.
This is why the Premier League is what it is. It’s unpredictable, it’s uncertain. You’ve got two giants in City and United that are struggling for different reasons, but they have players capable of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and that’s what Amad did with produce a mouth-watering moment to win the game for United that no one could have even predicted.
Let’s get it right, United picked City’s pocked on Sunday. The Nunes challenge, that was a crazy moment. You would expect City to then lock it up and keep a point, but they weren’t capable of doing it.
Amad’s goal, it was a magnificent individual moment from a player that has really caught the eye under Amorim. He sent Manchester into chaos. After that result, the red side of Manchester would have been going off the charts and the blue side couldn’t believe they just got hit with a brick over the head. It’s fantastic for the neutral watching the game.”
Where does Pep Guardiola and his team go from here? How do they get things back on track?
Dwight Yorke: “As a manager, you try to analyse Pep over the years. You look to him as the standard-bearer and he’s quite right, he’s never been in this position, so it’s an uncharted water for him. We have to see him swim for his life in many respects.
Someone of his ability and huge success, it just shows you how the game changes and how difficult it is to operate at the top of the game as a manager. Even though he is a student of the game, continuing to learn, there is always something unexpected that challenges you.
I’ve watched him over the years and speak to him. He is to blame for what is happening at City. Part of the reason City haven’t won many games recently is because Pep is stubborn.
This is my take on it, I might be wrong, and I’m not saying this lightly, but when you’re that great a manager, you become set in your ways in terms of how you set your team up. If you divert from those ideas, if you start changing and chopping, going away from your philosophy and ideas, it creates uncertainty within your players’ minds and doubts start to creep in.
After a couple of games where City have lost, you think, ‘Okay, I get what he’s doing,’ but
he’s got players on the bench and he’s not using them. He doesn’t make changes until it’s too late, even when he’s getting beaten.
Normally a manager would not panic, but they would at least try to make some changes to get back into the game, but sometimes he leaves his best players on the bench, and people are scratching their heads.”
Stubbornness a good trait
Dwight Yorke: “The simple reason he doesn’t go away from his ideas, his methodology, his philosophy, his style of play is because its brought him so much success in the past. He’s defiant, ‘this is who we are, this is who I am,’ as a manager. He’s been so successful that way, he’s not suddenly going to panic and change.
I think it’s been obvious in this run that he needs to change something, but he hasn’t done that because it would make him appear weak with his decision-making, and there is a knock-on effect that then puts doubts in the players’ minds that he’s not sure what he’s doing anymore.
All managers are the same. We’re all stubborn. We all stick to our principles and style.”
Which of your old clubs is more likely to finish in the top four, Manchester United or Villa?
Dwight Yorke: “The result yesterday might have just given United a glimmer of hope, but Champions League qualification via the top four is a long shot. That result might just kickstart them, but I know this team. This team looks like, even with that kickstart, they could lose next week. They’ve got every chance of losing against Tottenham on Thursday and then Bournemouth at home. As painful as it is to say it, Man United are one game away from collapsing again. That’s where we are right now.
We’ve had a good few days, we’ve enjoyed beating our rivals, but this season has been terrible for us. We’re thirteenth in the league table! Manchester United should never been down there.
Even with a glimmer of hope, Villa are certainly ahead of United right now. Villa is a much more consistent team, flying in the Champions League, while United are stuggling to overcome Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League. There’s a massive gap between the two clubs at the moment and the journey both of them are on.
Manchester United, we’re far too inconsistent. I think when you’re that inconsistent, you’re going to come up short.”
At this moment in time, who would you consider to be the biggest flop in the Premier League this season?
Dwight Yorke: “I think Jack Grealish would be one of them and I would think Marcus Rashford is one of them if we’re talking about flops this season.
You’ve got to call it out, you’ve got to call a spade a spade. These two guys have been disappointing. Jack Grealish at the moment, where he was to where he is today, it’s difficult to understand it. Jack has till been getting into the England squad without even having to play. I find that strange.
There are plenty of other players that have disappointed this season, but I would say Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford are the two biggest culprits. If I had to name another, I would say Raheem Sterling at Arsenal. He’s not getting a look in and there must be a reason why. He’s been missing since he joined them this summer.”
You broke through at the top level at young age. I wondered who are the young players that you’re really excited about in the future in the Premier League?
Dwight Yorke: “If you’re talking about youngsters, I really like Sarr at Tottenham. To me, he looks like a really good player. I like the look of him in terms of his quality and his composure on the ball, his work. He’s not caught a lot of eyes, but I would say he’s young. He’s 22 and has so much more room to grow.
I have to mention my man Jhon Duran. Duran Duran! What a player. He’s got something about him.”
Arsenal should do everything to sign Isak
Dwight Yorke: “Everyone keeps banging on about Arsenal missing a number nine, and I do think there’s something to it. You watch their games, the last two, they’ve been so dominant and haven’t been able to win the games. Let’s have it right, they’ve dropped four vital points in their two last Premier League fixtures against Everton and Fulham.
They’re missing something. I can’t understand why Arsenal hesitated when they had the opportunity to sign Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad. They sat on their hands, and Newcastle swooped in and took him. That was ridiculous.
If Arsenal want to win the Premier League title, they should go to Newcastle and bang £100 million on the table for Isak as soon as the January transfer window opens. I think the kid looks really good whenever I see him play. He does all the right things properly. He’s a threat. He would score so many goals playing for Arsenal.”
If there was one player that you could pinch for Trinidad, he could be any player, who would you pick and why?
Dwight Yorke: “Every team needs a decent number six, someone that offers you that protection and stability in front of your back, someone that sets the tempo and keeps things ticking over.
You can’t look any further than Rodri, he’s the best number six and the best defensive midfielder in the world! Any manager would love to have a guy like Rodri anchoring their midfield.
Rodri isn’t available until the summer, so I would need another. Declan Rice? No, I think we can do much better than that! I wouldn’t be taking Declan Rice.
In the absence of Rodri, I’ll have to go with Virgil van Dijk. He’s such a brilliant central defender and he would give me a lot of stability and assurance. He’s got that physical presence at the back. Thinking about it, I would go for van Dijk for sure.”
Mid-week matches
The Carabao Cup returns this week, with the quarterfinals. Every club left in it will want to win it, but which club do you think really needs to win it?
Dwight Yorke: “Tottenham desperately need a trophy; there’s no doubt about it. Ange has said that he wins a trophy at every club in his second season, so I assume that he has to have his eye on the Carabao Cup.
I’m not sure where else he might get a chance to win a major cup this season. Obviously, there is the Europa League and FA Cup, but when you’re at this stage of any competition, you have to be thinking about winning it. Ange is walking a real tightrope in terms of winning a trophy, I assume he will be focusing on that Carabao Cup.
Newcastle and Arsenal are two teams that also desperately need a trophy, but for different reasons.
Newcastle haven’t won a trophy for years. Obviously, Tottenham hasn’t either.
Arteta is under the cosh a little bit, so a trophy would be more than welcome, although it’s not one that they would prefer. I think it’d be good to see an underdog team win it this time around, but Tottenham are desperate for it, I would say.”
Tottenham vs Man Utd
Dwight Yorke: “I mean, with that game for United on Thursday night, United might think that they probably have got bigger fish to fry, but I don’t know. United haven’t got the choice – they have to win something.
Back in the day, United could go out of the League Cup and there wouldn’t be that much disappointment because we would have won something else. No problem. We would have won the Premier League, the FA Cup or the Champions League, but United can no longer pick and choose which competition to win. They could have seized on any competition that they could win. We don’t have the luxury of doing that.
After a defeat in a cup competition, you will always get the fans coming out and getting upset, especially if they don’t have the confidence that United are going to win an alternative trophy. It’s not a good thing.
United are not in a good place at the moment. I don’t think we’re in a position to choose which competition to focus on in terms of winning a trophy.”
Manchester United
Was yesterday’s victory over Man City the lift-off moment that Ruben Amorim needed?
Dwight Yorke: “Let’s have it right, the City win was one good result. We needed a little pick-me-up, and we got one, but will it provide the ignition to Ruben’s rocket? I don’t think so.
United’s decline has not happened overnight, this has happened over a long period, and a big part of it is the players who have been there. The players haven’t been good enough for several seasons now. They haven’t been delivering.
It’s not like Amorim can get rid of them all. He can’t bring in an entire new squad, but maybe that is what United need to turn it around.”
Would that result have turned any potential doubters in his squad into believers?
Dwight Yorke: “The City win brings joy to a few faces on the day and probably for a couple after, but, again, the United performance was appalling until Nunes gave us a route back into the game with the penalty.
We’re sitting in thirteenth in the league, there’s nothing there to smile about. We’ve come up with one good result in the league, so that’s something to cheer about, but overall, we know it hasn’t been anywhere near good enough for a club like Manchester United.
We’re not convincing anyone. In the City game, we didn’t have a shot on target in the first half. If you’re a real football guy and you analyse United, you know we are so far off the pace, it’s untrue.
A result against City does give you confidence, even though we know City are also in a bad place and going through their difficulties. United took advantage of that. The red side of Manchester will be buzzing, and the blue side will be suffering, but the shoe’s been on the other foot for a long period of time, so it’s nice for the United fans to enjoy that moment.
Real United fans, the people behind the scenes, they know how far away United are from where they should be and they know it will be a long road to get back to the top. I think most people would also say, if they were being honest, United pickpocketed City on Sunday too.”
Appalling United must improve
Dwight Yorke: “The football against City wasn’t pleasant to watch. It was appalling to be quite honest. I think the manager is under no illusions that United are way off the pace. They are not even close. Unless this result turns the whole season around, which I’m sure optimists are hoping for, but realists know that United are miles away from where they want to be.
Being in football long enough and seeing where United are, I can tell you that this result will not be the lift-off moment for United’s season. I hope it can manifest into a good run of results.
These players have been showing their hands for a long time. With this new manager, he might win the odd game like yesterday, but I think they’re going to find it difficult throughout the rest of the season.
One big call was dropping Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the squad and telling them by WhatsApp – does that push both players closer towards the United exit door?
Dwight Yorke: “Rashford and Garnacho are really talented boys, I have to say that. There must be a reason why the manager is leaving out arguably the two most talented players in the team, for whatever reason.
You listen to his press conference. He said he watches everything, the way they walk, the way they dress, the way they do this, and he doesn’t like it, the way they train, he doesn’t like what he’s seen. That’s why he’s left them out
That casts a doubt on both of their long-term United futures. That’s a clear message, a warning to both of them. It’s a brave move.
He’s won the game, so it looks like he’s made the right call. Had he not won the game, some people would agree and some people would disagree with the decision to drop the players. That’s how it works. For now, most would say that he’s made the right call.
Is it the right thing for the football club to drop Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho? We don’t know. Only time will tell.
As a manager, you’ve got to make tough decisions, and he has decided to go down that road. Now there’s two things that will happen with Rashford and Garnacho, either they react positively to what he’s done, or they become miserable and difficult for the manager to deal with.
They could make life difficult for the manager. Players with that kind of salary and status, they can really disrupt your dressing room. Rashford is a big name, he’s probably the biggest name in the dressing room and the biggest earner.
Garnacho, he’s had a few little issues, but he was probably one of United’s better players over the last few seasons. He’s a prospect. He’s talented.
I hope both players embrace this challenge and say, ‘We’re looking at being key players and being part of the group. We want to be here. We want to stay here. We will get back in line. We will go to work.’
But if it goes the other way and it’s chaotic in that dressing room with those two, I don’t like the word toxic, but it’s a really bad place and that’s what could happen to Amorim’s dressing room, it could become toxic.”
On Rashford, do you think we’re starting to see the wheels put in motion for an unceremonious exit from the club?
Dwight Yorke: “His decline has been startling. In terms of a level of consistency that he’s brought to the table, it’s been non-existent. Rashford’s plight is a stark reminder for footballers of how the game works. If you take your eye off the ball, and I’ve been a victim of that and have my own experience there, but if you’re taking your eye off the ball, things can quickly come around to bite you.
If you’re not in a happy place, you’re going to find whatever you do in life hard to do.
If you’re going to work, I know it pays the bills, but you’re not happy, it doesn’t matter what job you have. You’re not really enjoying it, and that seems to be the case with Rashford at the moment.
Rashford should have been enjoying the most fruitful time in his career. Here we are talking about someone who’s done it all, come through the ranks at a giant like Manchester United, been there since he was a kid, and make it all the way to the top. Now he wants to leave, that’s the sad bit. I know everybody is having a go at him and making life difficult, and he’s obviously on the money that he’s on, but this must be really upsetting for him, seeing how his United career is coming to an end.
He’ll look back at this period when he’s older and think, ‘Shit. I didn’t see that happening that way.’ I hope it doesn’t have a massive negative impact on his life, because we’ve seen it so many times before in football where a talented player has the world at his feet and throws it away. Whatever happens, I hope he can find the strength to take back control of his career, whether that is at Old Trafford or somewhere else. I hope this period doesn’t come back to haunt him in later life and he looks back with any regrets, but that’s where he is at the moment.
Leaving a club like Manchester United, which has been Marcus Rashford’s home for his entire life, could have a real knock-on effect and sometimes you can’t recover from that. Either way, you’ll be sad if you were to leave the football club.
What’s happened to Rashford wasn’t in the plan. Nobody expected this after he had signed his big contract and after he had such a fantastic goal-scoring record. We all thought Marcus was the future. He’s supposed to be hitting the peak of his powers, this is meant to be his time to shine, 27, coming into your prime, but he’s gone backwards. I still struggle to believe what has happened to him.”
Ruben Amorim has come into Old Trafford. What do you think of the appointment?
Dwight Yorke: “I know that it’s early into Amorim’s tenure, but the early performances have been lacklustre. I don’t think you can blame the coach for that, he has to give everyone a try and see who he likes.
I would have liked to have seen more of United’s young players given an opportunity because young players bring a different kind of energy to a team. United are lacking energy when you watch them play. They have no energy, they don’t seem to have pace going forward, they play one-dimensional kind of stuff.
Garnacho, I thought he was going to become a really important player. For whatever reason, things are happening with him, but I thought him and Amad, and those younger players might just give United a little bit of an injection.
I put Rashford in that equation because, being a local lad, I thought he would be able to produce the goods we know he’s capable of by showing that bit of desire.
Out of all the players, Amad is the one that has been doing it consistently for a while. He never really got a look in under Ten Hag. Amorim has seen something that he likes in him and Amad has won him over. He can trust him.
You can go back to Rashford, he was hungry when he was younger, right? Now he’s where he is, and he’s scratching his head. The turnaround for him, and the gap, is too big. Every player has blips, and you’ll have moments in your career, but the decline has been too vast and rapid for my liking. It’s not a slow decline. It’s hard to work out how to defend him, and I’ve been trying to defend him for so long.
If you had to name three players that Ruben Amorim should be looking to build his team around, who would it be and why?
Dwight Yorke: “I would think Amad would be one now. I think he will be the first one that stands out and the first name that Amorim can put on his team. He’s a player for the future and he’s a player to build around.
Bruno Fernandes, he’s still one of the better players, even though he huffs and puffs. He does his thing, but you can’t ignore his quality. I think he can still give United something, but he’s just turned thirty, so you can’t build around him for the next five years.
Amorim can’t hang his hat on Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund. I used to say that he could hang his hat on Rashford, but he can’t do that anymore.
United are missing a brilliant central midfielder who can run a game for you and get you out of trouble when you’re under the kosh.
I’m struggling to give you three names. There’s a lot of dead wood in that place; I have to be honest with you. I don’t think there are three players that he can build around, I can only give you Amad and Fernandes.”
Is there a danger that the grace that Jim Ratcliffe has been given by United fans is about to run out, because it seems to me that he is central to one PR bungle after another. First it was Fergie’s ambassadorial role, then he removed all concessions for kids tickets, Ashworth…the women’s team…
Dwight Yorke: “Sometimes in life, you have to be careful what you wish for. I don’t know Sir Jim Ratcliffe, but we are all watching from the outside. I know a lot of people within that institution and there’s a lot of unhappy people right now, I can tell you.
It hasn’t been the same since he’s gone in there, which is understandable with new ownership coming in and making changes. People don’t like change. People are used to the way things are, so the football club is not a happy place.
You don’t become that successful if you’re not ruthless in some way or the other. He’s making ruthless decisions right now, starting with Dan Ashworth. He didn’t see it working and he decided to act very quickly, which is what these guys do, instead of it manifesting into something worse. He acted within five months, so I credit him for that rather than thinking, give it another year. It’s too late then. The Ashworth decision is not everybody’s cup of tea because United paid huge compensation for him. They waited so long to get him, and then after five months, he’s out. I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but it doesn’t look good, and it doesn’t sound like they know what they’re doing. It casts doubts.
I’ve kind of stayed away from it actually. I’ve just been watching it unfold because sometimes it’s better than getting involved. Everybody has their opinion, and I don’t really want to go down that road, I’d rather just say very little on the matter and see where Jim takes us because it’s not been good.”
One player that is going to be a man in demand in January and is available on a free transfer is Paul Pogba. Do you think a Premier League club would be willing to take a punt on him and would he be a good signing?
Dwight Yorke: “Paul Pogba is better than what we have, that’s for sure. Whether the fans will welcome him back and make life easy for him, I don’t know, that could be the problem he faces.
A fit Pogba, playing football the way he can play football, will definitely add value to the team. He’s a sensational player; he’s a really good talent. He offers that little bit of an x-factor by being there. He does things that no other players can do. I would think with the ban, being out of football he’ll have a little bit of a point to prove. He doesn’t drink, he obviously looks after himself, so you can take a punt on a two-year deal.
I would review it. I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at it. I would really consider it. Why would you not? When you look at what we have in midfield, Pogba coming into that would instantly improve things.”
Liverpool
Do you think there is any danger that off the field distractions, like Mo Salah’s, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract’s expiring could have a negative effect on Liverpool’s title bid?
Dwight Yorke: “If Liverpool were doing a City at the moment then these players wouldn’t consider sticking around. Liverpool are flying at the moment, obviously they came a little unstuck at the weekend against Fulham.
If you ask me, from a players perspective, there’s no need for them to sign a new deal half-way through the season. They are all in a strong position, they know that if Liverpool doesn’t give them what they want, they’ve got other things lined up. It’s not a drama for these players; there’s no need to sign at this moment in time.
You look at the three of them. Salah is scoring, he’s still a top scorer. Van Dijk is solid at the back, looks colossal. Every time he’s seen, he doesn’t seem to break any sweat.
Trent is hovering around, because there is the chance he might go to Madrid. There is no secret about that because of Jude Bellingham, his best mate. Why would you not want those options? Why would you rush into it?
They are winning the league at the moment. Just sit tight. There is no reason (to sign a new deal). If Liverpool win the league, then it puts all the players in a stronger position. They can walk away with the confidence and the backing of the fans because they’ve been instrumental in winning a title and they have all been magnificent servants of the club.
If I were advising them, the message is simple: there’s no rush. Liverpool can offer them as much as possible, but the players have let their contract run down to this point, so they may as well wait until the end of the season. There’s no point signing the deal now.”
Chelsea
Enzo Maresca is refusing to say that his team are in the title race publicly, do you think he’s saying the same thing to his players privately?
Dwight Yorke: “I think Enzo Maresca will say the same thing to the players. Why does he need to change what he’s saying? Why does he need to out extra pressure on the situation? Chelsea are winning games; they just need to keep doing what they’re doing. The message would be take it game-by-game, and keeping winning as much as you can.
Maresca doesn’t need to say that his team is in the title race. He’d be stupid to say that because, at the end of the day, the players are seeing the results for themselves.
Let’s just play dumb. We’re not in it. We’re second in the league. We’re close, that’s it.
He doesn’t need to ask the players about it. He just needs to keep everything ticking over. Let’s see how they end up this season.”
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta recently discussed Saka following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo and evolving into a striker…wishful thinking or something that you could see happening?
Dwight Yorke: “I do believe Saka’s got the potential to play as a striker. The reason I say that, is because I started off as a winger. A lot of the great strikers started their careers in the wide areas, Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo would be the best examples.
Playing on the wing is a great place to develop some of the skills that all deadly strikers possess. The ability to beat players with skill, close control, pace – going either way.
Thierry, Ronnie, myself, we all started out there and worked our way in. I could see something similar like that happening to him eventually.
Saka will probably do another year, maybe 18 months on the right, and then he’ll find his way in there. Saka can go past people; he sees the pass as well.
You do more damage in the middle of the park rather than on the flanks. He’s been super effective on the flanks, but he would probably be even more dangerous if you pushed him centrally.
The one issue he will have is mastering the art of playing with your back to goal. When you play on the wing, you’re fronting defenders up. When you play centrally, you need to be able to play with your back to goal.
I think he could also play as a 10, and that may require less adjustment. 10s get a little bit more space to operate and manoeuvre in.
Ronaldo did it late. He did it in his late twenties and then really established himself as an out and out 9 in his thirties.
Thierry and I did it in our 20s. Thierry was probably the best example, he was unstoppable. You could see that when he was given the opportunity to roam across the pitch rather than stay on one wing, he couldn’t be stopped.
I can actually see that happen. I really can because it happened to the very best of us. When Saka gets to 25 and 26, he’ll be ready to play through the middle.”
Aston Villa
Has Emery raised the bar / the standards so high that it was always going to be a difficult season for Villa, especially manging the double shift of domestic and European football?
Dwight Yorke: “Yeah, I think we’ve (Villa) found things that hard. It was always going to be difficult for them this season, competing on two fronts with the Premier League and the Champions League.
At the beginning of the season, I was optimistic that we could finish fourth and I also fancied us to have a decent Champions League campaign.
It would be an unbelievable season if Villa finished fourth and got as far as the quarter-final. That would be remarkable for them.
Whatever happens, I don’t think the fans will be too harsh on Emery. I think they appreciate how good he is and what he’s done for the football club in a very short space of time.
There’s room for improvement in the Premier League, but Villa are flying in the Champions League. It can be really difficult to manage both, we saw Newcastle struggle with managing both.
If Villa finish in the top six now, looking at the current situation, that would be a hell of a season. If they were to finish mid-table and get to the Champions League knockout stages, I think Villa fans will probably have expected more.”
