Avi Atias | 13/02/2021 12:58
Steve McMannman (ONE System)
Steve McMenman, one of the most prominent English players in the 90s and early 2000s, celebrated his 49th birthday last week, and as part of his role as Spanish league ambassador, took a video call with the Israeli media and talked about European football today, his experiences as a player in Spain, and the problems Of Real Madrid and Liverpool, the two teams with which he is identified.
McNeman was born in Liverpool and grew up as one of the club’s prodigies, playing for the senior team from 1989 to 1999, before moving to Real Madrid in a rare move in those days. With the Blancos, ‘Maka’ won two Champions League titles (scored in the final against Valencia), and two Spanish championships, before returning to England and finishing his career at Manchester City.
The problems of Real Madrid and Liverpool this season: “In all honesty, it’s hard to judge this season. We all know what happened in football this season with the Corona plague. There is no doubt that Liverpool do not currently have the answers to their problems. “They bought Tiago and they bought Jote, so you would expect that after a season they won the league by 18 points, that difference should be enough.”
“As for Real Madrid, I think they are in a good period, they are only five points ahead of Atletico Madrid, of course with extra games, but we must remember that not every team has endless money to buy more players. I think this season is very strange and we need to appreciate what is happening. “Real is renovating its stadium and a lot of money is being invested in it, and at the same time the epidemic that has changed the rules.”
“Clubs lose hundreds of millions of pounds because there are no fans coming to the games, they can’t get to the club shop, the club museum, tours, all these things have to be taken into account. I think it’s a weird year, Liverpool were in first place in December and everyone thought they were in good shape, and suddenly they’re having a hard time. “Both Real and Liverpool are at the top, so we have to take it in the right proportion.”
Should Muhammad Salah move to Real Madrid: “At this point no. I think Liverpool have a better team and with everything that is happening in the world, Real will have to rejuvenate their team, players like Ramos, Cross, Benzema, Modric, are at a stage where they will have to make changes. It did not seem to me like the right move for Muhammad, he is very much loved by Liverpool, he succeeds. In addition, Real will have to pay a huge amount for it and I do not think it will be implemented at the moment. “
How did he feel when Liverpool won the championship, and was he a little jealous of him: “Jealousy? Absolutely not, sheer happiness. I work for the club’s academy at the moment so I was very happy for them. I know the coach and the team. I was part of the club that won the last championship in 1989, so I felt very happy and I hope they will recreate this win. “
Do you think he lacks coaches from the highest level in the Spanish league: “I do not think to be honest. La Liga has always had great coaches. Mourinho, Guardiola, Ancelotti. There are currently coaches like Zidane and Simeone, fantastic coaches. I think it’s just a weird season like I said before. Barcelona have financial problems for example, so they can not just go and buy new players, Real Madrid has a relatively older staff, and I think that may be where the problem lies. We actually see teams like Villarreal and Sevilla that look great, Real Sociedad. I think that’s a good thing, so you don’t necessarily need these “sexy” coaches to make the league look better. “Some of the great coaches who are in the Premier League now will move to Spain in the future.”
Does he think more English players should move to play in Spain: “It all depends on the situation and the circumstances. When I moved I was 27, unmarried and had no children. I wanted to play abroad, I wanted to test myself in another league. For players today, the Premier League is at a very high level, the facilities, the management. Take Harry Kane for example, maybe the best English striker, he has a family with kids, they may not want to play in another country and it’s good for them in England and they do not want to change their lives, so I understand that. But if anyone does want to play in Spain and he asks me, I will tell him that La Liga is an outstanding league, I lived in Madrid which is a city I admire, I still have a home there and I try to visit as much as possible. If someone asks me, I would recommend everyone to move to play in Spain, you learn a different style of football, he has more room to express your technical ability ”.
Young players he thinks will become big stars after Messi and Ronaldo: “Barcelona has a lot of young players, everyone is talking about Enso Patti, Real have Vinicius, Atletico have some promising talents. “To be honest, the best players are still Leo Messi and Benzema, Luis Suarez is giving an outstanding season, so it is impossible to eulogize them yet.”
“There is no doubt that the biggest young star today is Killian Ambape and he may be the next Leo Messi or Ronaldo. England have some great talent, Phil Foden from Manchester City, Raheem Sterling, Trent Alexander Arnold, Jack Grilish. “There are a lot of players to follow and let’s hope that in 10 years we can talk about them as we talk about Messi and Ronaldo.”
Who is the best player he has played with: “I played with Steven Gerrard, I hope he wins the championship with Glasgow Rangers this year, he was a fantastic player, I played with him when he came up from the academy. Zidane is probably the best player I have played with, and he also became a successful coach, he learned from Ancelotti and became a successful manager. Of course it helped that he had players like Cristiano Ronaldo who scored in almost every game, but he won 3 consecutive Champions League titles and it’s amazing. He has a charm that he knows how to convey to his players. “
Should Steven Gerrard coach Liverpool in the future: “It all depends on the timing. If it’s next season it’s too early, but if it’s in 4 years and he wins titles in Scotland, I totally think he’s fit for this job, he’s got no problem. He knows Liverpool better than anyone else, he understands the meaning of it. He just needs more experience. In a few years, if Klopp leaves a good staff behind him and the owners back him up, it will be fantastic for him. He has to wait for the stars to settle in the right place. “
Has the rejection of the euro hurt England’s chances: “I don’t think it really changed any team, it was clear that the tournament would not take place. This will help the young players gain even more experience. England have a good squad, they have a lot of talent, but Spain also has, Belgium with a lot of talent led by Kevin de Bruyne, France who is the world champion. England have a chance but no more than that. You also need luck in tournaments like this. “
