Ex Manchester City, Everton, Aston Villa and QPR defender Richard Dunne talks exclusively to William Hill about the title race and the possibility of Manchester City winning the treble again. Dunne also looks back at his playing career and the moment Man City signed Robinho. The former Irish centre half talks to William Hill about the current set up in Ireland and who should be the next boss.
Richard Dunne on the Premier League title race
I think Man City are the favourites, I think the experience that they’ve got of winning it over the last few years is huge. They’ve kept themselves going all season without De Bruyne and it’s like they’ve given him four months off and now he is raring to go. Haaland has also been missing for games and even when Man City had their sticky patch with draws at home to Liverpool and Tottenham and then a defeat at Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal never really took full advantage of it.
Looking at the table now, I believe that Man City will probably get stronger and it’s a big ask for the other two teams to try and they keep up with Man City. This is the time of the season that Man City do pick up consecutive wins and it could be a big blow to Liverpool and Arsenal if Man City take top spot in February as if they do, I can’t see them relinquishing top spot.
Richard Dunne on Man City winning the Treble again!
It’s unthinkable for them to go and do it, but if you try and take each competition individually and look at the squad that they’ve got and the players they can choose from, then I think it is possible that Man City do it again. I think they’ve shown so far this season that they’ve certainly got the hunger to go and do it. You obviously need a lot of luck as well along the way to get over the finishing line.
It sounds stupid because you think it’s almost impossible that they can do a double treble. But I find it very difficult to not back them for all competitions. I think certainly the Premier League you would look and think they’ve got the know-how, they’ve got the experience. They can do that. The FA cup, depending on draws I still see them beating everybody in a one-off game. The Champions League is obviously a lot. You would expect Real Madrid and Bayern Munich should be there or thereabouts. So I’d certainly put Man City odds on favourites to do the domestic double. The Champions League one is obviously the biggest one and the most difficult. But I still see them as favourites to win that too.
Richard Dunne on Jack Grealish’s involvement for Man City this season.
I do believe that he’ll have a big part to play towards the end of the season, certainly in the Champions League. I think when ball retention is the higher priority, I think he’ll be in the side. I think in the Premier League and certainly the FA cup, running at full backs and getting in behind fullbacks is an important part of the game. I think Doku works well for domestic football and a reason why Pep plays him. But the impact that Jack Grealish had last season was huge.
He was fantastic. He played a load of games. I think the important part of the season is coming up and I think Jack will play a vital role in that. I think he’ll get plenty of starts and it’ll be someone that the manager knows he can turn to when the aim is to keep the ball a little, keep it moving. I think he’s still got a big part to play.
Richard Dunne on Erling Haaland and his future.
He probably would want to play for Real Madrid at some time in his career. I think a lot of players would do. He’s won the treble at Man City and already achieved everything he can. But I do believe that he’ll probably stay another two seasons and then we might see him move on.
From what I gather, he’s enjoying his time at Man City. I know the reports suggest differently, but he is winning games every week, he’s scoring goals, he’s winning trophies, and he’s got the possibility, I think, with that group of players, to win the treble again, whether it be this season or next season. So I don’t see it being an instant worry for the club or for the fans. But certainly, over the next two or three years, I do think that his wishes would probably be to move on.
Richard Dunne on Erling Haaland gunning for the Balon d’or
It’s surely only a matter of time until he gets a Ballon d’Or. He’s in that category now with Mbappe Bellingham and the next generation of superstar footballers. Winning the Champions League pushes him above most around him. The disappointment will obviously be international wise, that he’s not got onto a major tournament yet, but I just think that he makes such an impact for any team in world football. There’s not many like him around, or if any like him around, that can score the amount of goals that he scores.
So I think when the Ballon d’ors are handed out in the post Ronaldo Messi era, you’re going to be looking at the likes of those three that I have mentioned. While Haaland is at City, if they’re winning the Champions League, then you would probably put him ahead of players from other clubs.
Richard Dunne on Pep Guardiola’s future.
There’s always a fear for Pep leaving Man City. If you a choice of losing Haaland or Pep, you would probably prefer that Haaland left, because Pep is the one who runs the whole show. He’s the one that’s given us the football that we’ve seen over the last few years. So to replace him is going to be the biggest task of all.
I think he works with a real good backroom and a good hierarchy of friends and colleagues, so there’s not many clubs that could probably attract him away from the job that he’s doing at City, and he’s already created history and legacy, but the fans would give him a contract for life, I’m sure, if he wanted one. I don’t think there’s any concerns that he’s going before his contract ends in 25.
Richard Dunne on effect of Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool.
Will Pep be rubbing his hands together? I think he genuinely might be a little bit sad. I think having that rivalry is good for a coach and a manager to keep you on your edge all the time, knowing that someone’s coming for you.
Klopp has been absolutely brilliant for Liverpool and the Premier League, so a huge loss from that sense. Is there anyone else ready to really step up and challenge Pep? Hopefully there is, for the sake of the League. But he’s always been almost one step ahead all the way through the battle, and I think he almost has as many challenges with himself and trying to improve on perfection to keep him motivated that I don’t think he’ll lose any sort of edge in moving forward and trying to go win another treble.
Richard Dunne on his time at Man City
Obviously, it’s a different club to what it is now, but it was still special, just in different ways. We didn’t have the glory times and the glamour, but was still an amazing place to be at. I look at the team now and it’d be every footballer’s dream to be involved in what they’re doing and the achievements that they’ve achieving. But, if there was an opportunity that we could all go back 15 years and Pep was the manager, we take that.
Richard Dunne on life under new ownership at Man City and the signing of Robinho.
Once the new owners came in, I think the biggest shock was the signing of Robinho. In hindsight, you’re probably looking back and thinking that sort of player adds the finishing touch to a really strong side. Well, at that time, we didn’t have the basis of a team strong enough, probably, to carry a player of his talent and ability. If he had signed, in this era when they’re dominating games and they need a little bit of flair, then he would be the guy to go to.
But I felt he done well. He improved the standard of the club, he improved the outside opinion of the club. People started to look at us a little bit differently. Like I say, he probably didn’t have the backup squad wise to really show his full range of talents and skills, but that’s why it’s probably the strangest signing, because we probably needed to start somewhere else rather than bringing in that superstar straight away.
Robinho was brilliant. He was out training every day. He got involved with everyone. He was obviously closer to the other Brazilian lads that we had at the time, but he was no way big headed or thought he was someone special. He was there and he was enjoying himself and he fitted in with the rest of the group. And obviously, he come from Real Madrid with a huge price tag and huge expectations. He just seemed like a normal guy, just happy to be playing football.
Richard Dunne on his playing career and centre half pairings
When I was starting out at Everton I had Dave Watson who was the captain of Everton and an unbelievable person and brilliant player. His leadership was something that really helped me. When I got to Man City, Steve Howey was a guy who was there. He came from Newcastle, a really experienced player, really good footballer. Probably my best period at City, I played alongside Sylvain Distin, who was a fantastic, really good player. We suited each other well, one being right footed and one left footed. We were both similar in terms of our determination to try and do well. We both trusted each other to be able to cover each other on and off the pitch. That is what you look for when you’ve got a centre half partner.
Then I played with Micah Richards who was brilliant when he played centre half. Micah and Nedum Onuoha were two guys who were obviously a lot younger than me but had that extra bit of pace and power. So, playing alongside them was brilliant. At Aston Villa, I had a really good couple of seasons with James Collins. Probably not a standout centre back in terms of the accolades that he’s won, but as a player on the pitch, just someone that you would trust 100% with your life. I think the two of us just rubbed off each other really well.
Richard Dunne on who he would like to see be Republic of Ireland Manager.
I would love Lee Carsley to get the job. He’s obviously an ex teammate, someone that I got on with really well. I think he’s been really successful in his coaching career, certainly with the English under 21 side. He’s been at Man City for a period of time, coaching as well. It’s just whether it’s right for him. But I think if they had a free shot, he would be the one that the fans would really get behind.
I think Lee Carsey is someone that can develop players and bring them forward. I think Roy Keane is probably beyond that sort of stage of his career. I think he would be a brilliant manager in terms of getting the respect and the best out of players. I think that everyone in Ireland would love Roy Keane to be the manager, but Lee Carsley would be my number one.
Richard Dunne on Evan Ferguson
It’s hard sometimes, I think, when you break into the scene as a young lad and you score a load of goals and the expectation goes through the roof. He’s having a period now where the goals aren’t flying in and people all of a sudden think he’s not the player that maybe we thought he was. But his performances are still reasonably good.
He can head it in, he can use both feet. He’s got all sorts of different finishes in his repertoire, so it’s only a matter of time before he starts finding the back of the net again. I honestly think he will go on to have a really good career.
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2024-02-06 18:58:05
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