Manchester United and Newcastle United legend Andy Cole has opened up to Casinos En Ligne about the array of attackers linked with Man Utd, how Ronaldo was made a scapegoat and previews the Manchester and North London derbies in a wide-ranging interview.
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Key stories from the interview:
- Analyses rumours linking Memphis Depay and others with Old Trafford moves
- Speaks out on ‘disrespectful’ Darwin Nunez comparisons
- Believes Marcus Rashford could be tempted by PSG switch
- Fears for ‘defensive’ United ahead of Manchester Derby this weekend
- Explains why Alejandro Garnacho has a higher ceiling than teammate Anthony
- Reveals why Newcastle are thriving despite not spending big money yet
- Why Erling Haaland is a perfect fit for Manchester City under Pep Guardiola
- Ronaldo was scapegoated but there are still problems at Manchester United
Full transcript:
Question: Man Utd boss Erik Ten Hag is looking to sign a striker this month, who do you think the club should be targeting?
Andy Cole: “During this window? I’ll be very honest with you. I’m not sure. I think ultimately there’s not a lot about and I think it might be a case of working with what you’ve got and then in the summer try to find what you’re looking for – which is not going to be easy. There’s not a lot of centre forwards around anymore.”
Q: What do you think of reports linking Wout Weghorst with a move to Man Utd?
AC: “Wow when I heard that I was as surprised as anybody. I know he got a couple of goals in the World Cup and he’s on loan in Turkey now but he had an absolutely terrible time at Burnley. You can only say if he had such a tough time at Burnley what can we really expect if he comes to Manchester United?”
Q: Could you see United making a loan move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?
AC: “In the current climate with the way Aubameyang is struggling at the moment, which I’m very surprised he has done by the way, I can’t see it. I’m still very surprised United are looking to bring players in on loan. I think Man Utd’s best loan player ever, that they should’ve taken on permanently, was Henrik Larsson. That was a phenomenal loan move but when you look at all the loan deals since then, none of them have really worked.”
Q: What about rumours linking Memphis Depay with a return to Old Trafford?
AC: “This is another one that would really surprise me if it gets done. Memphis came to United when he was a youngster and it didn’t work out then so you’ve got to say if it did happen what makes you think it’s going to work out this time? There’s the Dutch connection now with the manager and while this is all hypothetical you’ve got to be concerned that history could repeat itself.”
Q: Can you see Man Utd being in for Joao Felix in light of the huge loan fee being talked about?
AC: “He’s a class player but if you’re talking about £20m for a loan fee you might as well try to get the deal done on a permanent basis if you fancy him. Because £20m on a loan deal is a serious amount of money. When I was young and going out on loan there was no such thing as a loan fee. I think he’ll create a lot of goals but would he score a lot Haaland style? No. The two are totally different but I think he’ll get in good positions, create for his team-mates and score a few goals himself. But to get an out-and-out number nine in this market I don’t know where you look.”
Q: Would it make sense for Arsenal to sign Felix given that Jesus is out injured?
AC: “As a loan deal yes that would make more sense to me because I’m not sure when Jesus will be back. But £20m still seems too much because you could potentially use that money better in the summer to look to bring someone else in. If you can add £40m then you’ve got £60m and that’s a decent amount to sign someone with.”
Q: Can you see Marcus Rashford’s head being turned by the reported interest from PSG?
AC: “Anything is possible in the modern game. If you look at the last two seasons Marcus has really found it very difficult for whatever reason and he’s not been the player who broke into the United team and took the Premier League by storm. But this year you’re starting to see him back to his best. Could his head be turned? I honestly believe any player’s head could be turned. Casemiro coming to United from Real Madrid was a deal not many would’ve imagined but that happened so in football anything is possible and I wouldn’t be surprised. He’ll want to win the Champions League and he might think leaving United will give him a better chance.”
Q: “Does the Carabao Cup represent United’s best chance of silverware this season?”
AC: “You’ve got to say yes because if they beat Charlton then they’re in the semi-finals and as we used to say ‘once you’re in the semis you can start smelling the hotdogs’ so you know it’s getting close. Once you’re in the semis anything’s possible so of course they’ve got a decent chance but City are still in it too so they’ll need some luck if they are to win it.”
Q: How do you see Ten Hag setting his side up for the Manchester Derby at the weekend?
AC: “I think it’s going to be a cautious approach. Ten Hag knows City can keep the ball for fun so I can’t see Manchester United having anywhere near as much possession as City. Naturally they’ll be forced to defend in numbers and this never used to happen but United will have to look to hit City on the counter attack. The form Rashford’s in could cause them problems. It will be a tough game there’s no doubt about that and if you remember back to when they played earlier this season United had won four in a row just as they have done now. They got hammered 6-3 so let’s see where the land lies after this one.”
Q: Who excites you more out of Anthony and Alejandro Garnacho?
AC: “Garnacho excites me more to be honest. I think he’s busy and aggressive when he gets on the ball and he always wants to take people on. He looks to drop a shoulder, go past his defender and get crosses in or get his shots off. As a centre forward like me when you’ve got a winger like that who wants to put the ball in that makes my mind up early doors because you know you’re in the game. I think he’s a really talented player and I’d love to see him get more action this season.”
Q: Does it feel like a weight has been lifted at United since Cristiano Ronaldo left in December?
AC: “I’m not going to sit here and say Ronaldo was the problem, because at a football club there can be more than one individual that can be a problem. You hear it said that United have done fantastically well to get rid of him and now everything’s all rosy. No, I don’t think so because there seemed to be problems before he arrived and there’s still problems since he left despite this run they’re on. It’s too simplistic to scapegoat Ronaldo when clearly there’s other issues at play. If they lose a couple of games, who are they going to blame then? Because obviously you can’t blame Ronaldo any more. Ronaldo has been an unbelievable player and I wish the situation could have been resolved better.”
Q: Would Newcastle fans place winning a trophy above Champions League qualification?
AC: “Knowing those fans they’ll want both. They’d love to win a Cup but the way things are progressing up there now Champions League is looking more possible by the week. But being in that position they also know they’re going to need to draw for more reinforcements.”
Q: What areas should Newcastle be looking to strengthen?
AC: “If you look at the difference between the last season and this season. They brought in four players but would you say they’re really top, top draw players? Probably not. But they’ve all gelled together and bought into what the manager is trying to do. I think the back four are absolutely solid, the midfield are bringing lots of creativity but the problem for me is a lack of goals from up front. Wilson doesn’t play enough games and always seems to be picking up injuries. Chris Wood, I’m never trying to be disrespectful but is he going to get them where they want to go? I’m not so sure. Isak could be the man, I almost forgot about him. He’s done it at international level and he started his Premier League career very well before he got injured but he’s finally back now so hopefully he kicks on.”
Q: Are you surprised at the way Newcastle have been criticised for their tactics and time wasting?
AC: “I’m surprised that any team wants to play that way to be honest. You have to play the so-called ‘big five’ away at some point and set your team up accordingly, but the run Newcastle have been on you’d think they’d be confident enough to not have to resort to those kinds of tactics. Eddie Howe is a pragmatic coach and everyone does whatever they do for a reason but so far he’s certainly done a solid job.”
Q: Which NUFC players have impressed you most so far this season?
AC: “Bruno Guimarães has been outstanding. I like him, he’s tidy, he’s got good feet, he’s a proper footballer. Joelinton has been fantastic as well when you consider all the flack that he takes. Almiron has been great and now he’s added a lot more goals to his game, you can see how effective he is. Trippier has been solid and I’m surprised Manchester United never made more effort to sign him when they were looking for a right-back.”
Q: Do you think United would have been better off signing Trippier instead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka?
AC: “When you look at Trippier as a footballer you see his intelligence shines and that allows him to excel offensively and defensively. He takes great free kicks too and the way the modern game is, especially with fullbacks being so important now that’s a great asset. If you look at Trippier’s career he’s always managed to find ways of being effective in whatever he does.”
Q: Will Newcastle’s ownership undermine their potential success?
AC: “I’ll be honest, I’m not a politician. I don’t get involved in politics. But the Premier League ratified for the club to be bought by the country or whatever it is. It’s got nothing to do with me. I’m not going to sit here and make moral judgements. I love football and I’m an ex-player but it’s not for me to pass judgements on anybody.”
Q: Do you think the owners will look to replace Eddie Howe with a more glamorous name?
AC: “In football nothing surprises me and it depends on what the club really wants. If you look at the majority of clubs that get taken over, they always end up going for a big name manager because the perception is you’ve got a better chance of bringing in big name players. It all depends on what they see as the target. Are they trying to win the Premier League, then the Champions League? How much investment is being put into the club? The game is about winning and Eddie Howe has done a fantastic job but would I be surprised if Newcastle brought in a bigger name manager? No, I wouldn’t be shocked.”
Q: Should Jude Bellingham stay at Dortmund or come back to the Premier League?
AC: “It all depends on what the project is going to be. Staying at Dortmund for another year like Haaland did could suit him and then he can go wherever he wants to go. I think he’s in a similar position. No doubt his parents will sit down with him and come to the right conclusion. He’s 19 and he’s in Dortmund’s first XI. He’s not one for the future, he needs to be playing every week. I think that’s why he moved to Dortmund in the first place. At other clubs he might have been coming off the bench here and there. The big Premier League clubs here must be thinking ‘how the hell did we let him go abroad?’. He’s gone there, absolutely smashed it and now it’s going to cost £100m to bring him back, when you could’ve got him for £20m a couple of years ago.”
Q: Where do you think it’s gone wrong for Jadon Sancho since he joined Manchester United?
AC: “I don’t know but I really would like to have five minutes to sit down with him and find out what’s going on and where it’s gone wrong. Us in the media have a tendency to say ‘it’s this, it’s that, he’s not working hard enough’ etc. But it’s not just about that is it? It’s not about someone working hard enough because on the flipside it’s not enough to simply work hard. That’s a given. When people say ‘what are his attributes?’ and people say ‘he works really hard’. Great but that’s the minimum. Who doesn’t work hard? But with Sancho I’d love just five minutes with him to hear his side and see how he reckons he can turn it around.”
Q: What advice would you give Darwin Nunez on how he can enhance his finishing?
AC: “To be fair I wouldn’t give him any advice. Everyone on social media wants to give him advice. Someone said they put him in the same bracket as me and I said to myself I find that very, very disrespectful. Nunez is a totally different player to me. He tried to mention that he gets himself in positions but doesn’t finish off his chances. You never know what’s going through a certain individual’s mind, what he’s struggling with. He’s robust, he’s strong, he gets in great positions but for some reason his finishing is lacking at the present moment. Will that come? We’ll have to wait and see. But put it this way he is no Sadio Mane. That’s why there’s so much talk about him because Mane was absolutely unbelievable. That’s what Liverpool are ultimately missing now. I don’t know why they didn’t give him the money they wanted.”
Q: Do you think Man City regret selling Zinchenko and Jesus to Arsenal?
AC: “No, not at all. If you look at what Manchester City have you can understand why they got rid of them. I’m not being disrespectful by saying ‘got rid of’ but it made sense for them to sell those two, even to a prospective rival because of the wealth of players they still have. Guardiola’s said it many times that he doesn’t want unhappy players in his dressing room. I was more surprised that he let Raheem Sterling go. But he’s moved them all on and if you look at his team now it’s got even stronger. I still think Man City are favourites to win the league. If you look at the upcoming games this weekend. If results go Man City’s they could be two points behind. Plus they’ve still got Arsenal to play twice. City have been there and done it and there’s so much of the season still to go so they’re still the team to beat for me.”
Q: What makes Erling Haaland such a menace?
AC: “He had two touches of the ball in the first half an hour the other night and one of those was a goal. He doesn’t get involved in the build up but when you’ve got the likes of De Bruyne, Mahrez, Grealish to do the creating you don’t have to get involved. He’ll burst into the box, have one chance, take it and put his side 1-0 up and they’ve got a great chance of winning the game. Then the other team have to attack, he’ll get a chance on the counter and bang it’s 2-0 game over. He’s clinical and I was in this position at Newcastle… When you have a team that is built for you all the chances are going to be created for you. If you look at the way Man City play when he’s in the team, all he does is run the box. City have been like this for years but no one’s scored the variety of goals like Haaland has. If you look at his numbers it’s not even a surprise because they’ve been creating so many chances previously.”
Q: Would Pep Guardiola sacrifice the Premier League to win the Champions League?
AC: “To be honest no. You’ve got to be the best team after 38 games. Of course you want to win the CL and be known as the best team in Europe but there’s always the potential for a banana skin in that competition. Under Sir Alex Ferguson he always maintained that it was most important to be the best team after 38 games and be the best in your country. With Man City there’s been times in Europe when they’ve changed their team a bit too much and got knocked out and you’re left scratching your head. The final against Chelsea, the semi against Lyon… If you look back they’ve had more than enough opportunities to win it but they haven’t had that little bit of luck yet.”
Q: Do you feel Man Utd should have tried harder to sign Cody Gakpo?
AC: “Wow I’m really not sure what happened there. All reports before and during the World Cup said the same thing, that he was headed for Manchester United. What happened after that? I’m as mystified as everybody else.”
Q: How do you see the North London Derby playing out this weekend between Tottenham and Arsenal?
AC: “It’s an interesting one. We all know Conte. It’s like my manager used to say to me, he could start a row in an empty house. Ultimately it’s all about results and Tottenham have been very up and down. If they can put a spanner in the works of Arsenal of course they’ll be desperate to do that.”
