“Obviously he took the No.10 shirt, it was given to him by (Chelsea manager) Frank Lampard. A massive statement, so it shows what a great player Christian is for this huge club Chelsea.
“And it’s a bit crazy, how young he is. But even the way (Lampard) has monitored his fitness in terms of, ‘Look, we don’t need you for the first game, we need you to be fully fit and healthy, ready to go, so you can carry on for the whole season, because you’re such a big player for us,’ says it all.
“Christian rarely disappoints on the football field. He’s willing to take the ball and be brave, and I think you have to be brave to play football at the highest level. You look at him and you think he’s not the toughest, but he makes tackles and he’s willing to mix it up.
“He’s so fun to watch, you know? He makes the game really easy and that’s a credit to him. And I think more than anything for Christian, it’s leadership. I saw some reports and some things on social media, he praised Ethan Horvath and I think that’s very mature, very responsible.
“As a leader, knowing that these players look up to him, that they’re going to have to be in the trenches with him at national team camps and that obviously there are friendships there. And so the fact that he’s doing that shows that he recognizes that he has the responsibility on his shoulders to be a leader.”
▪ On American players who participated in Champions League matches this week, notably Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Sergino Dest (FC Barcelona), Horvath (Club Brugge), Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund) and Pulisic.
“The confidence and the boldness that they play with is pretty impressive. I think the generation before mine and my generation, we had a few guys scattered around in the Champions League and, obviously, that’s a big deal. It’s a big deal for any active player, let alone an American player, to be in the Champions League.
“But for our guys to not just be sitting on the bench but to be competing, playing well, having their clubs rely on them, yeah, I definitely feel something different about this generation. I think this generation, rightly so, sees these opportunities and says, no, I belong here, you know? Not just grateful to be here, I belong here. I want to etch my name in these competitions, in the history of what it means.”
▪ Howard was in goal and the United States was coached by Arena when they were eliminated on the final day of the CONCACAF Hexagonal in 2018 World Cup qualifying.
“Bruce Arena, probably the greatest manager in the history of American football. His CV speaks for itself. He was given a mountain to climb. Very, very difficult to succeed in the Hex when you lose your first two games.
“So, again, we had a very, very good year under Bruce. He came in, he steered the ship after what was just a disaster under Jurgen Klinsmann for a long time. And then unfortunately we found ourselves at the end, given the start we had, we left ourselves with too much to do.
“Again, we should have taken something from the World Cup and qualified. We ultimately didn’t, and that’s on the shoulders of the players. Bruce did a great job righting the ship and making sure everyone had an eye for detail and knew what the goal and plan was.
“And it’s no surprise that he has success wherever he goes. Bruce is a guy that players love to play for. He simplifies the game, makes you know your role. He demands that you do that and you do it well and then, at the end of the day, if you play for Bruce, you’ll be on the field.”
▪ On the United States’ chances of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup:
“They better qualify. It’s heartbreaking not to. I don’t want to go through that again as a fan or for American football.
“Look, I say it boldly, I think this generation of players is clearly the most talented group of players this country has ever seen, front to back. We’ve just talked about playing for big clubs in Europe, playing major minutes on MLS teams, playing in the Champions League. These players have it all. It’s a young group. They’re growing up together; it seems like there’s a lot of chemistry.
“So, I think, I hope that they absolutely qualify. But again, we know that there are dangers in CONCACAF and there are dangers of leaving home and always being looked for to be beaten. and you’ll have to do it for quite a long time. So I think they can.
▪ Liverpool, who meet Sheffield United on Saturday, lost just three Premier League matches last season. But in their last two games, the Reds suffered a 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa, then lost Virgil Van Dijk to a knee injury in a 2-2 draw with Everton.
“What Jurgen Klopp has asked of the team over the last two seasons has been nothing short of incredible, the work rate and the pace at which they press and are relentless – is really, really impressive.
“But has it had any detrimental consequences? Are the injuries starting to pile up? There is a question about that. They have conceded a lot of goals this season. My question is: have the teams worked out their high line? How do we get around the pressure, play beyond the high line and expose them?
“Obviously it was almost impossible to call them out because of Virgil Van Dijk. I wondered if Klopp would drop the line but, again, that goes against the principle of pressure. So a really interesting conundrum, tactically, for Liverpool.”
▪ Howard expects Fabinho to replace Van Dijk, with Thiago Alcantara taking over in midfield.
“It changes the shape a little bit. I’m looking forward to seeing the answers, because I don’t know if they can keep the title doing what they’re doing right now.”
▪ Everton, who travel to Southampton on Sunday, are top of the Premier League after five matches.
“There’s no luck in it. Money in itself doesn’t make you successful, and I think sometimes the mistake is to just throw money at it and it will happen.
“When you look at a lot of players and coaches, the next coach comes in, he wants to get rid of the old players and all that kind of stuff, so it took about four years to get it right.
“When I say do it right, Carlo Ancelotti is clearly the right choice for Everton Football Club. He is a wonderful person. He has coached the biggest games, the greatest players. He will not be fazed by anything that is thrown at him this season.
“The money was clearly better spent.
“I think it’s players who believe in the manager, who want to come and wear the shirt proudly. The one that stood out for me, who wasn’t bought in the transfer window, was Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and I think that’s a testament to the greatness of Ancelotti, isn’t it? I mean, he can’t stop scoring; he scores in all different ways. He’s been absolutely sensational.”
▪ On combating racial stereotypes regarding goalkeepers:
“We had a stigma here with American football and quarterbacks. They talked quite often about how black quarterbacks weren’t as cerebral as white quarterbacks, they were sometimes more athletic. It seems like there’s a chord there with goaltenders as well.
“But I love the fact that more and more black goalies are breaking through those barriers. Because it’s a difficult position, one that lends itself to raw, natural athletic ability, high intelligence, ability to read the game, good communication, leadership.
“There have been some really good goalkeepers who have shown they can do it, and it’s probably been a long time, but they just haven’t had the opportunity.
“As for me, personally, during my time in Europe, I never felt the weight of racial equality or abuse. Obviously, I have played in matches where this type of message was broadcast. Arriving in a European match knowing that an England player had been the victim of racist abuse during a national break.
“But just being aware and having conversations with my teammates and my captains, and telling them, ‘Hey, if this happens, we’re leaving. Let’s forget what FIFA and UEFA say, let’s forget their laws, their laws are wrong; we have to take a stand.’ This was happening long before where we are now.
