Steve McManaman Q&A: Liverpool v Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe and Carlo Ancelotti's struggles, contract dilemma at Anfield
Updated 26/11/2024 at 16:27 GMT
Liverpool look to continue their perfect start to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign against holders Real Madrid on Wednesday - live on TNT Sports and discovery+. Steve McManaman, who amassed over 500 appearances between the two clubs, feels Arne Slot's Premier League pace-setters are "nailed-on" favourites for victory at Anfield.
Highlights: Liverpool move five points clear with Salah-inspired victory over Aston Villa
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Steve McManaman believes Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe-led attack will "gel eventually", but feels Liverpool are "nailed-on favourites" to continue their perfect start against the UEFA Champions League holders on Wednesday - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
McManaman made over 500 appearances between spells with the two clashing titans, and speaking to TNT Sports, the former midfielder was full of praise for Arne Slot and the Dutchman's near-flawless start to his Liverpool career.
Madrid, meanwhile, have not enjoyed the sustained dominance they have become accustomed to in recent years - winning two of four Champions League matches, while marquee summer signing Mbappe has yet to truly bed in with the La Liga champions.
McManaman shared his thoughts on the hottest topics around Wednesday's enticing Champions League clash.
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Real Madrid have looked far from the dominant force which saw them claim La Liga and Champions League glory last season - what do you make of their season so far?
"To their high standards, they've been slightly disappointing in the league. They haven't really been playing well.
"They lost to Barcelona, which was the big one, of course. They've had a number of injuries which haven't helped. I think people need to know that.
"Eder Militao ruptured his cruciate ligament again in the last game. It's the second time he's done it in 18 months, so you really have to feel for him. [Dani] Carvajal did his, David Alaba did his last year, Thibault Courtois, so they have had a number of injuries, that hasn't helped.
"Toni Kross retiring, that hasn't helped at all, they've really missed him. And the Kylian, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo experiment is not working up to speed yet. Kylian has scored goals, but he hasn't been the star player that they expected, so that's just a work in progress at the minute.
"The bigger picture is in the Champions League. They struggled against Lille, they struggled against Dortmund in the first half and scored five in the second, and they were comprehensively beaten by AC Milan, and now they've got Liverpool away and then Atalanta away, so that's where the biggest question marks are."
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Highlights: Vinicius stars with hat-trick as Real roar back to beat Dortmund
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Ancelotti has had to deal with numerous injury issues within his squad this season. Could you label their shortage a 'crisis' heading to Anfield?
"[Aurelien] Tchouameni's out, Alaba's out, Militao's out, Dani Carvajal, they're really missing him.
"I think it's affecting them really badly, to be honest. They played a hell of a lot of games last year, because of the tournaments they were in, going to the Supercopa in Saudi Arabia, then getting to the final of the Champions League. It's going to be exactly the same this year.
"They started early after the Copa America and the Euros, they started early in Poland for the [UEFA] Super Cup, they've got the Club World Cup at the end of the year, they could play 75 games if they go into all competitions.
"It's ridiculous, too much for any footballer. Unfortunately, these cruciate ligament injuries are starting to become more regular. It's a terrible thing. It happened to Rodri, and it's awful.
"Your best players shouldn't be getting injured because of their workload, it's just uncalled for, really.
"It's an awful injury, it's a nine-monther, a 10-monther depending on what's going on in your knee, that shouldn't happen because of workload."
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Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach of Real Madrid, looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match
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Fitting Mbappe into a star-studded attack has proved a difficult equation for Ancelotti. Could this be a case of 'too many cooks'?
"They're super players, as we know. I don't think it will be a problem. I think it will gel eventually, it's just taking time.
"Kylian likes to play from the left, but unfortunately they've already got someone there who's equally as good as him in Vinicius Junior, and if anything, he's their star player this year.
"Kylian is playing No. 9, and his movement is not the movement of a No. 9 yet. So he needs to try and change his game a little bit to get into the danger areas and be a traditional goalscorer.
"Rodrygo has been sidelined slightly because of it all as they're trying to fit everybody in, so they have to get to a happy medium. If anything, Rodrygo works more than Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, so there's a number of issues for Carlo to address.
"But I think the primary one is certainly the injury problems. I think that's affected them more than a lack of form with Mbappe."
How much of Real Madrid's struggles can be attributed to Toni Kroos’ retirement, and Jude Bellingham’s revised role as a result?
"I think it's a lot of it, to be honest. They've moved Fede Valverde around, they've moved Jude around.
"Jude's actually playing well. He scored against Osasuna but in a lot of his games, he's been playing very, very well, and just hasn't been scoring or Madrid are suffering and, of course, everybody compares his record this year with his record last year, which is really unfair.
"But he's actually been playing well. Tchouameni's been struggling in the role of Kroos, Fede Valverde's been pushed out wide and is not as effective.
"They've got a number of small issues that are affecting results of the game. Tchouameni is out now for a month. He played with an injury last time against Milan.
"Camavinga will come in, or Luka Modric will come in, but it's certainly not the same. They certainly don't have the same fluidity that they had last year.
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Toni Kroos of Real Madrid waves to the fans after the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
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With all things considered, is it fair to label Liverpool favourites for Wednesday?
"I think Liverpool will be big favourites. With the injury worries, depending on if everyone is fit, coming back from international duty and the games at the weekend, Madrid have got real long-term injuries, so you know already that a lot of them are not going to play.
"Their defence is going to be a makeshift defence, Liverpool at Anfield under the lights, with their own crowd and the form they're in, with the results they've had against Madrid in the past who, to a certain extent, have had one over on them - I think Liverpool will be going gung-ho for it.
"I don't know whether Madrid will be able to keep Liverpool out. They're such a force at the moment, in a real rich vein of confidence. I think Liverpool will certainly be big favorites - not just favourites, they'll be nailed-on favourites really."
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Highlights: Nunez nets winner for Liverpool in Leipzig as Kelleher shines
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Just how impressive has Arne Slot been in Liverpool's seamless transition from the Jurgen Klopp reign?
"I think most people thought it'd be fine, because he is inheriting a really good squad and a club in a really financially healthy position.
"But I think everybody has still been incredibly impressed by the results they've had. Nobody expected them to be top of the Champions League, four out of four, in the League Cup quarter-finals and clear at the top of the Premier League, but I fully expected them to start the season well.
"The squad he's inherited are great, he didn't have to change much, the sporting directors are back organising things, he was the right manager for the job, he played the right style of football for the players they have.
"But you can't not be impressed by the results he's had out on the football pitch."
Could the unresolved long-term futures of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah threaten to derail Liverpool's season?
"Personally, I don't think it matters. I think he can put that aside, put that onto Richard Hughes, put that onto whoever he wants to.
"[Slot] doesn't even have to discuss it in the press conferences. I don't think it will affect the players themselves, I don't think it will affect the team. It certainly shouldn't, in my opinion.
"There shouldn't be a lack of focus from anybody, it will get sorted out in good time regardless of what they want to do.
"It shouldn't deflect from what the team's going to achieve because at the start of every season, you go out wanting to be successful for your own personal ambition and you want to win silverware for your club, your friends and your fans.
"I don't think that should change because of contract situations. I think that will iron itself out, to be honest."
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Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Liverpool FC at St Mary's
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The match will undoubtedly raise more conversations over Real Madrid's reported interest in Alexander-Arnold - do you see this as a good fit?
"I don't know anything. I don't know why Trent is constantly linked with the Bernabeu. Every single club in the world would want the three players on a free contract, because who wouldn't? Why wouldn't you?
"It makes perfect sense so maybe they're putting two and two together, coming up with six because he's friends with Jude or whatever.
"I think the Dani Carvajal situation getting injured has probably exacerbated the situation because, as far as I'm concerned, every club in the world would want all of them, particularly Trent, because of his age, so I think of course the fact the game has come around people will focus on it, but I certainly wouldn't."
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'Every club in the world' would want Alexander-Arnold amid Real Madrid interest, says McManaman
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Salah, despite reaching the latter stages of his career, continues to prove his importance at Anfield with so many important goals. How important is it to get a new contract sorted?
"He's going to be nigh-on impossible to replace, that's the thing. The numbers he puts out, that'll be hard to replace. He's only 32, I think it's important to tie him down for a number of years. I think Liverpool will tie him down for a number of years.
"It all depends on the person, if he wants to stay at Liverpool and he genuinely wants to stay for a number of years, I think the deal will get done, but if him and his family seem to think 'I want to play in another country', or 'I want to move', there's nothing you can do really.
"I think as a footballer and the fact he wants to continue to break records, I think he'll stay. I'm not nervous about the situation. I think Liverpool will put it to him, he's still fit, looks after himself, got no qualms about him playing till he's 34-35, just getting the nuances of the deal and making everybody happy.
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Highlights: Liverpool move five points clear with Salah-inspired victory over Aston Villa
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Is a two-year deal enough? Or does he want three, does he want four, does he want a five-year deal - which of course won't happen.
"So as long as everyone is happy, but I think Liverpool are more than happy to accommodate all the players. He's spent such a long time here, and seems to be happy. Let's be honest, there's business deals and commercial deals away from football that are such that money shouldn't necessarily be an issue for him, he doesn't seem like that type of gentleman.
"So if he wants to play football, he wants to play at the highest level, he's arguably playing for the best team in Europe at the moment - so why would you change?"
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