Premier League: Soccer Saturday pundits Charlie Nicholas, Matt Le Tissier and Phil Thompson predictions for top-five race
Soccer Saturday pundits Charlie Nicholas, Matt Le Tissier and Phil Thompson have their say on the race to finish in the Premier League top five.
Charlie Nicholas
Who will finish fifth and why?
Oh my, what a question! It is such a difficult call at the moment. I see Chelsea finishing fifth. This is because of the inconsistency of them and others. Their home form has been troublesome and their away form is now becoming a bit suspect. A lot of these players, Michy Batshuayi among them, have not cut it. Olivier Giroud is not fancied.
Frank Lampard has been chopping and changing the defence, while the youngsters had the adrenaline things worked but when the pressure is on and consistency is asked of them, it has taken its toll. They have not sorted Willian’s contract, while Pedro and a few others are shaky. Marcos Alonso has come in and done well but he is a full-back, so that is the reason I see them falling out.
Are Wolves now a genuine Champions League contender, up there with Spurs, Man Utd and Chelsea?
I said this at the start of the season. There is something about the Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. He is an ex-goalkeeper - they are not supposed to have a clue about shape, organisation and team mentality! He has the whole lot. People talk about Mauricio Pochettino going to Manchester United or Real Madrid - this guy is with a lesser club and lesser funds and yet is producing a side of that quality.
What he has created up front and done with Adama Traore is phenomenal. There are not that many players who he has not improved. I do see them making the top four, but the only thing that stops them is how far they go in the Europa League, and the small squad they have.
Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota are combining like they were last year, Conor Coady is playing well, Leander Dendoncker has fitted in when he has to, Matt Doherty is scoring and assisting again and Willy Boly looks assured in a back three. It is a finely-tuned machine. They can mix it physically, they have goals and pace in them, and they are a hard outfit to work out.
They are the type of team that prefer playing the bigger teams and can struggle a bit with the smaller teams at home, but that is the only evidence against them. They are the most consistent candidate at the moment.
Would Nuno be tempted by a job at Man Utd or Spurs if things go wrong with Ole or Jose?
I do not think he would jump into the Tottenham job too quickly. The owners want to control it because of the finances and the stadium. Daniel Levy wanted Jose Mourinho in to get them into the Champions League. We saw at Arsenal how quickly it can crash and funds can become drastically diminished. They cannot afford it after one year in this stadium. They would have to start selling again and neither Levy nor Mourinho will want to do that.
In terms of Manchester United, absolutely but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is handling the situation well - but other big teams, yes. Certain teams may think it is a negative that Nuno was a keeper, so you might not trust him as much but he has kicked that into touch for me.
I do not see him in Barcelona’s style, but I do see him at Real Madrid. They have gone backwards, and they need a winning mentality back. He could be pitched at that type of level. He is not searching to leave - the club and players can sense that he is the real deal.
Is Chris Wilder the manager of the season?
Oh my goodness! He probably would be in a normal situation. Liverpool lost at the weekend, but they have been breathtaking. Man City are an outstanding team. The only way Chris Wilder would win it was if Sheffield United did get results against Liverpool and Man City. He has been breathtakingly good, Nuno the same.
Last season Wolves were the best ever team that I have seen come into the Premier League but Sheffield Utd have probably surpassed that with the position they are in now. Wilder deserves all the plaudits, but for me it has to be Klopp. Nuno is among them, and those three are there or thereabouts.
Has Carlo Ancelotti’s success at Everton been a surprise?
Yes. I cannot deny that. I have seen Everton four times since he took over. I cannot say I was overly impressed by the way they played. I saw them at West Ham where they got a draw, but I do not know how they got that. They got a point at home to Newcastle too and they got away with that. Dominic Calvert Lewin’s goals have been important and the turnaround has been fabulous, so it has surprised me.
I did not know Ancelotti was the type they needed. I thought they needed an aggressive manager and maybe Ancelotti has been behind the scenes, but we saw with the VAR decision against Man United that he has that capability. His personality as a player and a manager made me think he would not fit in straight away, so he has surprised me - I hold my hands up.
Everton have not improved so much in defence but are much better going forward. If they give him honesty and effort then they can see where they can go. I am surprised how quickly he has turned it around, but they have a big game at Chelsea at the weekend so they must keep it going. Finally, they have someone they can trust.
Matt Le Tissier
Who will finish fifth and why?
I am going to go with the in-form team. Out of all of those teams it is Wolves. Their attitude to everything has been spot on. They are not bothered about the Europa League matches and the fact they have to play more. I love the attitude of Nuno Espirito Santo and it would be quite fitting if they were to get that fifth place, if not fourth.
Are Wolves now a genuine Champions League contender, up there with Spurs, Man Utd and Chelsea?
I think this is the case 100 per cent. That is why I think they are proper contenders for the fourth spot. Even if the Manchester City ban is overturned, the way they are going I would fancy them to be in the Champions League next season. It would be nothing short of what they deserve. Wolves have a chance of winning the Europa League too, facing Olympiacos in the round of 16. It has been a stunning season for them.
Would Nuno be tempted by a job at Man Utd or Spurs if things go wrong with Ole or Jose?
I certainly think Nuno is a name that would be spoken about in the boardrooms of clubs with that stature. You cannot ignore the job he has done. He has been sensational and is a name that would crop up in the betting of any clubs like this.
Is Chris Wilder the manager of the season?
Chris Wilder and Jurgen Klopp have had differing seasons. To judge one against the other is hard. It is dependent on the criteria. In terms of expectation levels, most people would expect Liverpool to be in the top two. Would they expect Sheffield United to be challenging for Champions League and Europa League qualification?
No. In terms of expectations, Wilder has outstripped what Klopp is doing, but having suffered their first Premier League loss at the end of February, after winning 18 in a row, you have to put into context how special that really is. Wilder will run him close but Klopp will be the manager of the season.
Has Carlo Ancelotti’s success at Everton been a surprise?
Carlo Ancelotti has an incredibly good CV. He is one of the best managers in the world so it is not a surprise to see he has made a difference at Everton. They were crying out for a manager of his calibre. They have tried several differing people bu the managers they have had before were a level below Ancelotti. The club has a history, fan base and the investment to do well, it was that manager they were after, in that world-class bracket.
Premier League top five odds
- 1/33 - Leicester
- 1/3 - Chelsea
- 1/1 - Man Utd
- 13/8 - Wolves
- 11/4 - Tottenham
- 6/1 - Arsenal
- 7/1 - Everton
Phil Thompson
Who will finish fifth and why?
The Champions League spots are so difficult to call. If you look at anybody in decent form, you have to say Wolves and Sheffield United. What about the ‘big six’ people will say? Do they have enough or are they playing well enough to get into it? The likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal. If Arsenal win their game in hand they move onto 40 points, so it is very much up in the air.
The Financial Fair Play problem with Man City is still lurking, which could have a part to play. There are so many complicated issues surrounding this, you could have seven to eight teams looking for two or three Champions League spots.
Are Wolves now a genuine Champions League contender, up there with Spurs, Man Utd, Chelsea?
Yes and at the minute, you would go for Wolves to qualify. They are looking for that fourth spot, but Leicester are also having a wobble, they looked home and dry for a Champions League spot but are struggling at the minute, so I think it will be an intriguing run-in for the Premier League. Liverpool will win the title, City will finish second, but if Leicester do not get out of this rut there could be two spots up for grabs.
Would Nuno be tempted by a job at Man Utd or Spurs if things go wrong with Ole or Jose?
Whether it is to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Jose Mourinho or not, there could be a lot of big teams in Europe after Nuno Espirito Santo, and I mean elite teams. Wolves fans will not be happy with that scenario, but they do have to realise that they have someone special on their hands.
I would imagine that Nuno is ambitious, and I think he could be at a top team in European football sometime soon. I would not advocate him going to Tottenham or Man Utd, but there will be a lot of people taking notice of Nuno.
Is Chris Wilder the manager of the season?
What Chris Wilder has done to keep Sheffield United in with a realistic chance of European football has been sensational. Chris Wilder has them playing the same way, whether it is against the mid-table teams or not. The mid-table teams turn up against the bigger sides, but Wilder has his team performing against each and every team in the Premier League, and that is where you accumulate all of your points. His man-management has been absolutely terrific.
Has Carlo Ancelotti’s success at Everton been a surprise?
I think Everton are enjoying a great run with Carlo Ancelotti. He is a good tactician but he is a lot more than that as a man-manager. He has a special way and is a calming influence on the sideline. He makes the players believe in themselves. As we saw after the Man Utd game though, he does have an angry side to him - he is more than just a nice guy.
He has done a really good job, but it will be down to the recruitment in the summer to see if they can move on and progress to another level.