Speaking exclusively to online casino Slingo, Premier League icon William Gallas has said that Chelsea’s recent struggles can be put down to a lack of leadership in Enzo Maresca’s squad.
Gallas added that Jadon Sancho might never be able to recapture the form that led to his stardom at Borussia Dortmund and told Alexander Isak that he would fit in better at Arsenal than he would at Chelsea.
The two-time Premier League winner has told Arsenal that they need to be very careful how they treat Bukayo Saka and warned Mikel Arteta not to sign Diego Costa.
Q: What is going wrong under Enzo Maresca at Chelsea?
WG: “Looking at Chelsea’s defence, the bad run of form hasn’t surprised me. Losing again against Brighton just showed me again that they lack leaders.
“They struggle to defend as a team, there’s a lack of communication, it makes things so difficult to win games when you play against anyone who is organised.
“I’m disappointed with Levi Colwill’s performance, as he made another mistake, he argued with the referee, I look back at when Thiago Silva left the club and we haven’t seen that leadership since.
“Chelsea didn’t sign a defender with the same qualities despite spending £70million on Wesley Fofana, which has just been a disaster.”
Q: What does Enzo Maresca need to do at Chelsea?
WG: “When you have played like Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer, they have to have free roles. Enzo Maresca needs to play someone alongside Moises Caicedo so they can be free to cause problems to the opposition.
“Fernandez is too good to have to sit back and defend so Maresca needs to rethink his system, it’s been a big problem.
“Chelsea were playing very good football and scoring goals, Maresca changed his system and I have no idea why, everyone has struggled since then.
“Other people can see it, I can see it, so hopefully Maresca and his assistant coaches can see it.”
Q: Are Chelsea’s top four chances slipping away?
WG: “I think Manchester City will overtake Nottingham Forest into third, I think it’s a battle between Forest and Chelsea for fourth.
“Chelsea at the moment look like they are going to finish fifth, they don’t have Nicolas Jackson and the players are really short on confidence.
“The manager looks confused at the moment and can’t seem to find a solution. Chelsea need to be careful because they could slip even lower.”
Q: Was dropping Robert Sanchez the right call?
WG: “Robert Sanchez has made some big mistakes, there is a lot of pressure on goalkeepers so you have to sign players that can handle playing at a club like Chelsea.
“Sanchez has now been dropped to the bench, which is the right call from the manager, and I think that you can say his signing hasn’t worked out.
“I don’t want to blame Sanchez, he has the quality to play for other clubs in the Premier League but not Chelsea. The pressure at Brighton and Chelsea is completely different.
“Chelsea have a history of winning the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup. It’s a new level.
“When you see players doing well elsewhere, it doesn’t mean they can step up to a bigger club, you have to look at the staff who are bringing in the wrong players.”
Q: Why has Kepa Arrizabalaga been able to find his form away from Chelsea?
WG: “Kepa Arrizabalaga has been a success at Bournemouth for one reason, the pressure is completely different.
“At a club like Chelsea there is pressure on you everyday and you have to sign players who can deal with that. You have to be mentally strong or you cannot play for a big club.
“It’s not just Chelsea but other big clubs, that’s why the sporting directors and transfer chiefs have to consider that when bringing players in, otherwise they are not doing their jobs.
“How many players have Chelsea signed that look like they could be a worse class player and then it doesn’t work out? There are too many of them.”
Q: Could Fabian Hurzeler be a future Cheslea manager?
WG: “Fans and media in England can get really excited when they see a promising young manager, but look what happened to Graham Potter.
“Fabian Hurzeler is doing well but he needs more time at Brighton, he could do another season and then step up to a higher level of club before he joins a club the size of Chelsea or similar.
“He needs to take things slowly at his age and not rush, that’s when we see managers struggle.”
Q: Should Jadon Sancho leave social media and focus on his game?
WG: “Jadon Sancho knows what he needs to do, I’m not going to tell him how to use social media but it seems very important for the younger generation.
“Maybe sometimes players forget that at the end of the season everyone will look at your statistics, your goals and assists, and then judge your season.
“He has a lot of potential and he has real quality, that’s why people are disappointed in his recent performances.
“In all honesty, I don’t know if he can be consistent in the Premier League. That is the most difficult thing about playing in England.
“You have to push yourself to the limit and not just once, you have to do it all season. Some players just cannot do it, it’s just too much for them.
“Fans are frustrated because they want to see what Jadon Sancho did at Borussia Dortmund, but he might never perform like that again.”
Q: Can you see any situation in which Cole Palmer leaves Chelsea in the summer?
WG: “Chelsea fans don’t need to worry about Cole Palmer this summer, he wants to see if he can win trophies with Chelsea.
“He would only leave if he thought it was the right time and that won’t be this summer.”
Q: What has gone wrong with Cole Palmer’s form?
WG: “Cole Palmer’s performances have dropped when you look at what he was doing last season and even at the start of this season compared to now.
“I think he needs a rest. That’s why you have a big squad, so you can give your players a rest when they have so many games to play.
“It’s been very intense for Cole Palmer and I think he could benefit from being on the bench for a game, he has to be managed well by Enzo Maresca.
“Palmer might benefit by coming off the bench in a game and having an impact in the last 20 minutes, he looks tired and he needs to be managed.”
Q: Can Marc Cucurella be the best left-back in the Premier League?
WG: "Although he isn’t there yet, Marc Cucurella can be the best left-back in the Premier League.
“He is 26 so I think he has two years to reach his peak, I think at the moment you could still look at Andy Robertson at Liverpool as the left-back to follow but since the Euros, Cucurella has confidence and we’ve seen some really good performances.
“Give him two years, he could be the best in the Premier League.”
Q: Does the signing of Wesley Fofana look like a big mistake?
WG: “When Chelsea signed Wesley Fofana for £70million almost three years ago, I was very worried because he had already suffered a long-term injury at Leicester.
“Even though his injuries have been different, sometimes a bad injury can have a lot of damage on the body and since he joined Chelsea even when he was fit he hasn’t been able to find his best performances.
“Chelsea have potentially made a mistake. He has the potential to go very far but it’s so hard to come back from serious injuries and reach the same level. You have to be so sure when you spend that sort of money and they can’t have been.”
Q: Are Chelsea missing Nicolas Jackson?
WG: “Chelsea are missing Nicolas Jackson and his movement, Cole Palmer was always trying to find Jackson and his movement often allowed Palmer to get chances to score of his own.
“Things are different for the attacking players when Christopher Nkunku is up front, as his movement is different to Jackson’s.
“Having said that, Jackson missed a lot of chances before he got injured and it looks like he will need to get his confidence back. I think he also looked tired so maybe some time out will do him good. I think the players need to be managed better.”
Q: Is Marc Guiu ready to lead the line for Chelsea in the Premier League?
WG: “I think Christopher Nkunku will be used in the Premier League with Marc Guiu being kept for the Conference League, Nkunku needs an opportunity.
“Nkunku has got a couple of months to show that he is the right man to play up front for Chelsea and Guiu will have to wait for his opportunities.
“Nkunku has to show the club that he needs a bigger role next season and he has a great opportunity to do that.”
Q: Would Alexander Isak be a better fit at Arsenal or Chelsea?
WG: “If Alexander Isak is available at £83million, I can see both Chelsea and Arsenal being interested in him.
“I think Chelsea will look for a new striker because of all the chances Nicolas Jackson has missed, he started the season well but he missed too many opportunities to really show the club that he was the right man for the job.
“Even though he is 23, I think he has missed a great opportunity to stop all the talk. People will put pressure on you and then run out of patience. He has left the door open for Chelsea to look for another striker.
“For Arsenal, they no longer have a choice. They have been forced to look at a striker in the summer after failing again in January.
“Looking at how he plays, I think he would suit Arsenal. He is strong, fast, he can score all types of goals and he can also fit into their style, he can create goals for their other attacking players also.
“He will want to play a bigger role than just being a finisher which is what Chelsea would want. I think he would fit in better at Arsenal.”
Q: Can you compare Isak to Thierry Henry?
WG: “Alexander Isak would be a good fit for Arsenal, but I don’t think he can be compared to Thierry Henry.
“To me they have a completely different profile, Henry was unique, a monster. Isak is improving and I hope that he will be able to handle the pressure if he joins a club bigger than Newcastle.
“Some players have trouble dealing with that pressure and with new team-mates, but I do think he would be a good fit for Arsenal.”
Q: Does Kai Havertz getting injured blocking a shot sum things up?
WG: “Kai Havertz is out injured, but Arsenal never should’ve been in a position in which they don’t have a striker available to play.
“They should’ve signed a striker two years ago, there is no excuse.”
Q: Is Aston Villa away a really tough game for Chelsea?
WG: “Aston Villa away is a really tough game for Chelsea, especially seeing how they got on with their two away games at Brighton.
“Aston Villa look stronger than Chelsea, I think it’s going to be a real test for Chelsea’s defenders and they’ll have to improve if they are to get a result.
“The confidence is low at Chelsea and without Nicolas Jackson. I would be surprised if Chelsea were to win given their recent results.”
Q: Did Arsenal get lucky to beat Leicester?
WG: “Arsenal got over the line against Leicester, but they’ll be praying now that Leandro Trossard doesn’t get injured.
“Mikel Merino did well to score two goals, it’s good for his confidence. But he isn’t going to go and score the 15 goals they need from a striker for the rest of the season.
“Arsenal have made a big mistake allowing themselves to be in this position, relying on the fitness of one player in Kai Havertz when they are trying to stay in the title race.
“It’s a massive mistake at Arsenal, a mistake from the recruitment team, a mistake by the manager – everyone gets injured and you have to be prepared.
“If Arsenal don’t win the league, it will be down to the fact that they have failed to sign a striker. Why bring in Raheem Sterling who wasn't playing for Chelsea and leave him on the bench, when you want to be in the title race.”
Q: If Arsenal lose one more game, is the title race over?
WG: “I did my research at the start of December, it was obvious that Liverpool would drop points due to their fixture schedule and Arsenal had to capitalise.
“Liverpool have drawn five games since December 4th, against Newcastle, Fulham, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Everton.
“In the same time, Arsenal have drawn four times. Against Fulham, Everton, Brighton and Aston Villa.
“Those points would’ve put them at the top of the table and favourites for the title. They didn’t win those games because they didn’t have a striker to finish their chances.
“How many goals will Mohamed Salah score this season for Liverpool and how many will Arsenal’s top scorer have?”
Q: Were you impressed with Mikel Merino’s movement as a striker?
WG: “It’s that Mikel Merino scored two goals, it’s good for his confidence because he has needed time to adapt to Arsenal.
“He’s spent a lot of time on the bench and that will mean a lot to him, but he isn’t the answer when it comes to trying to beat Liverpool in the title race.
“He scored twice against Leicester, but they have to find seven points and the opposition will get much tougher. Liverpool will drop points but Arsenal’s chances are so low with no strikers.”
Q: What percentage chance would you give Arsenal of winning the title?
WG: “It’s never over until it’s over. But I’m very disappointed about the title race because I thought it was going to be the year for Arsenal.
“Liverpool will still have to slip up in three games and it feels unlikely at the moment that Arsenal can overcome the gap.
“I’d give Arsenal a 30% chance, as a former player I have to stay positive, Arsenal will have to be almost perfect but the club and the players have to believe.”
Q: Have Arsenal fans been let down by the club?
WG: “Arsenal fans thought that this was the year to win the Premier League again and the failure to sign a striker has almost ended that.
“Winning the Premier League was a dream but it was also realistic, Arsenal finished second in the last two seasons and we’ve said the entire time that they need a striker, this was the season to beat Manchester City but they didn’t make the right signings to beat Liverpool.
“The people working behind the scenes at the club have made a mistake in not bringing in what the team needed to be leading the title race. It has to be a high performance from everyone at the club and for me that hasn’t been the case.
“Nobody expected so much from Arne Slot at Liverpool in his first season, but the club being in a good position has made his job far more simple.”
Q: Should Arsenal be careful about rushing Bukayo Saka back?
WG: “Arsenal need to be very careful about how they treat Bukayo Saka.
“They need to make sure they are so careful and don’t try to rush him back to fix their injury problems, you could end up with Saka gone for the rest of the season if he gets pushed to return too soon.
“Arsenal need to be patient and accept that he will only return towards the end of the season, when he can still have an impact, they can’t afford to take a risk when it’s a player like Saka.”
Q: Could Diego Costa help Arsenal as a free agent?
WG: “Diego Costa is a free agent and he is a big character, that can be good for your squad when you need the mood to be lifted.
“However, I could see him clashing with Mikel Arteta. He won’t fit in with the mood at the club and I think it would go the wrong way. Even though they need a striker.
“Chelsea fans would also be gutted, I think he would turn down the move because of his history there and how the fans would react.
“He is a big character and that can help some teams, but not with his history. He is of a different generation and I think it would be hard for him to fit in.”
Q: What was it like to have your cousin playing for the France national rugby team?
WG: “My cousin Mathieu Bastareaud is 10 years younger than me, he was just starting out when I was playing for Arsenal and it was fantastic to watch him improve.
“When we got together as a family we would talk about football, talk about rugby. He is a huge fan of Marseille so we have been to the Velodrome together which was amazing.
“What he did in rugby was just incredible and he is now working with Toulon. He’s got a good position there and I know he's going to help that next generation improve and find success.”
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