Six icons on Premier League 'Big Six': Who has flopped, what needs fixing and what comes next?
Published 28/03/2025 at 12:03 GMT
The 2024-25 Premier League season has been a wild ride, with Liverpool leading the charge, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City struggling for consistency, and Manchester United and Tottenham enduring campaigns to forget. We sat down with six English football icons to get their take on the biggest disappointments at each club, the changes needed, and what they should be aiming for next season.
'You can't miss' – The crucial change each 'Big Six' club must make next season
Video credit: TNT Sports
With the international break at an end, it is the perfect time to take stock of a chaotic Premier League campaign.
It has been a rollercoaster ride for the so-called 'Big Six'. Liverpool have set the pace, while Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have lagged behind. As for Manchester United and Tottenham…it's been a struggle. Yet, remarkably, all six clubs still have a shot at securing UEFA Champions League football next season - albeit through different routes.
With TNT Sports' pundits gathering in London for The Breakdown, we grabbed a few minutes with six familiar faces to ask them the same three burning questions about one of their former clubs.
Here is our all-star lineup, boasting nine Premier League titles, eight FA Cup trophies and five European crowns between them:
- Martin Keown (Arsenal)
- Joe Cole (Chelsea)
- Steve McManaman (Liverpool)
- Joleon Lescott (Manchester City)
- Owen Hargreaves (Manchester United)
- Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur)
So what do our experts make of the season so far? Who has underperformed, what needs to change, and what should the ambitions be for next season?
It is time to put six Premier League legends on the spot about their respective former clubs...
What has been the biggest disappointment this season?
Martin Keown, Arsenal: "Coming second two years on the bounce to Man City and then watching Liverpool take the opportunity to go and win the Premier League, when you've been sat there waiting like the bridesmaid... that's been hard to take."
Steve McManaman, Liverpool: "Easy answering this question: they lost the Carabao Cup. It was an awful performance, probably their worst of the season. I thought they played very well in the Champions League; I've got no qualms about that. Whereas the Carabao Cup final, they didn't turn up and were beaten quite comfortably. You really don't say that about Liverpool this season."
Owen Hargreaves, Manchester United: "The whole season has been a disappointment. They are 13th in the Premier League. It's not one thing, one person, one player. When you're 13th in the Premier League after spending that amount of money, everybody is responsible - players, coaches, up top."
Peter Crouch, Tottenham Hotspur: "I think the biggest disappointment has been the injury list and obviously Son Heung-min hasn't hit the heights that he's hit before. So many young players have come out of it looking good, but some of the senior players have struggled."
Joe Cole, Chelsea: "It's not his fault, but Wesley Fofana getting injured. If you look at how well we were doing before he got injured... Fofana staying fit is crucial."
Joleon Lescott, Manchester City: "Probably their lack of competitiveness in the league and the inconsistency. There have just been too many factors that have been off."
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'Sat there like the bridesmaid' – The biggest disappointments for the 'Big Six' this season
Video credit: TNT Sports
What is the biggest change needed?
Owen Hargreaves, Manchester United: "Recruitment. They've spent a lot of money on players that haven't had the impact they wished. Fixing recruitment is the quickest way to have success. When you're spending £50-80 million, you've got to get it right. If they are going to sign a player, they need to come in and make a difference, like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson did at Liverpool."
Joe Cole, Chelsea: "Chelsea need to sign three experienced, good footballers who can help the current squad navigate the trials and tribulations of the next two seasons: a central defender, a goalkeeper and a centre forward."
Steve McManaman, Liverpool: "They need to bring in more quality signings than they did last summer. They only brought in Federico Chiesa, and Giorgi Mamardashvili, who's gone out on loan to Valencia. This summer they will need to bring in more signings to boost the squad."
Martin Keown, Arsenal: "I don't know if it's ever one change, but obviously they need to improve in front of goal. They've failed to create opportunities recently - of course they've been without key players with injury - so to add a striker would be the key position that could improve Arsenal next season."
Joleon Lescott, Manchester City: "No more injuries!"
Peter Crouch, Tottenham Hotspur: "They need to sign players. It needs a refresh. They need to keep players fit."
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'Mount a proper title challenge' – Are these ambitious targets for the 'Big Six' realistic?
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It's only March... but what should the target be for next season?
Joe Cole, Chelsea: "The biggest target is mounting a proper title challenge. It's imperative."
Peter Crouch, Tottenham Hotspur: "The target always has to be Champions League football. They are more than capable of doing that. It's not all doom and gloom. It's been a really poor season and it's a club that needs to be in the Champions League."
Joleon Lescott, Manchester City: "The manager and the club pride themselves on the league; everyone that works in football knows that it's probably the hardest to win. With cup competitions you can have an element of luck, but it's very rare you luckily win the league, so I would probably say winning the league is the target."
Owen Hargreaves, Manchester United: "The goal has to be to get into the Champions League. Obviously you want to win the Premier League, but that's not realistic when you finish 13th. So you want to get into the Champions League, potentially win a trophy, and bridge the gap to the top teams."
Steve McManaman, Liverpool: "It looks as if they're going to win the league this year, but to do it again would be a real statement. To win the Champions League you sometimes need a lot of luck. If you win the Premier League back to back, that takes a lot of class."
Martin Keown, Arsenal: "To be champions. Simple as that."
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