In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including Bruno Fernandes’ Man United future, who should be crowned this season’s ‘Player of the Season’ and what the future could have in store for Liverpool, plus much more.
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Bruno Fernandes… Sell or keep?
Let him go!
Very good player? Yes! — Captain material? Absolutely not.
The fact that he hinted earlier this week that he could be up for a move away tells me that he doesn’t have the stomach for the fight, doesn’t believe in the future project and wants a bit of the easy life — something you just don’t ever get at United.
For me, along with Paul Pogba, Harry Maguire and Antony he’ll be a poster boy for the era at United where promise was abundant but excuses and not delivering were the reality.
Sell and move on!
My pick for this season’s ‘Player of the Year’
There are a number of candidates this year and the refreshing thing is that most are young and with their best years well ahead of them.
Phil Foden, Martin Odegaard and Cole Palmer have all had fantastic seasons but if I had to pick one of them it would have to be Foden.
He isn’t just creative, he delivers goals himself. He is dynamic, drives his team forward and stands up to be counted when it matters most.
Hopefully he can replicate this current form for England at the Euros, because if he does, along with Palmer too, then England’s young lions may well take us to glory.
Well done Phil, brilliant season!
Michael Edwards has his work cut out at Liverpool
So did Jurgen Klopp telling the world that he was moving on help or hinder Liverpool?
Many now have made the simple deduction that because Liverpool are labouring at the tail end of the season, Klopp’s announcement only made things worse. I completely disagree.
There’s as much evidence from players’ mouths as you need that they were motivated and ready to win multiple silverware in the master’s final season, even a quad was on the cards a month or more ago, but the reality is a lot simpler.
Liverpool haven’t been good enough in key positions this season. Darwin Nunez has been wasteful and the questions about him and Cody Gakpo being good enough for Liverpool won’t go away. The only player that’s been a resounding success is Alexis Mac Allister — he’s had a stunning season.
And then there’s the slightly concerning Mo Salah vs Klopp situation. A frustrated player venting off steam? Or a bigger-than-the-club type whose influence will grow when the manager goes just as his star will naturally decline? — One thing’s for sure, Michael Edwards is going to have to get it right and earn his corn this summer and support the new manager big time.
And, with a potentially rejuvenated Man United with Spurs, Aston Villa Villa, West Ham and Newcastle champing at the bit to get top-four, Chelsea’s young pups coming good, and Arsenal becoming Man City’s new big rivals, could a drop off for many years to come be on the cards for Liverpool? — I think it’s very possible.
Jamie Vardy… LEGEND!
Quite incredible yet again for Jamie Vardy.
Lower league whippet, promotions with the Foxes, Nessun Dorma at the King Power as he wins the Premier League, relegated and “he’s finished” to back being a Premier League player, Champion of the Championship and a winning goal in front of 5,000 fans at Preston. What a legend!
Nottingham Forest vs. Everton VAR review
So after I got pelters from Forest fans last week after having the temerity to say I didn’t think Forest had three penalty shouts against Everton, we’ve finally had the independent panel (three former players and coaches plus a PGMOL and Premier League representative) judgement on the decisions.
No penalty for Gio Reyna going down too easily, as I said. Check.
No penalty for Ashley Young handball as his arm was in a natural position, as I said. Check.
And lastly, the panel concluded that Young on Callum Hudson Odoi was a penalty, but…
The Premier League then released the audio of the Young / Hudson Odoi incident and to be honest, I still, like Sturt Atwell, think it was a tussle. A 50/50 instead of the conspiracy theory that he “wiped him out”.
But I’ll take the L on the last one and be happy, because, as once Meatloaf said — two outta three ain’t bad!