Chris Waddle Exclusive Interview with BestBettingSites.com
Former Newcastle, Tottenham and Marseille winger Chris Waddle joins the Best Betting Sites team for an exclusive chat about life abroad, England under Thomas Tuchel, and Newcastle’s Champions League ambitions. In a candid and wide-ranging interview, the England legend offers honest insight into the game’s past and present — from adapting to Europe’s top leagues to his take on today’s Premier League stars.
Chris Waddle, playing for Tottenham Hotspurs © Getty Images
Chris on Playing Abroad
What do you make of the increasing number of British players going abroad to play football, like you did?
I think it’s changed now. I think when I went, you had to be one of three foreign players. I think when Glenn Hoddle went, Mark Hughes, Ray Wilkins, players like them, you had to get in and be a starter. It wasn’t easy.
You had to be a player who they really needed, to change the way they played, or they looked for a specific type of footballer. And it was hard. You know, three foreign players, you didn’t buy a player for a lot of money and put them on the bench. Now it’s quite easy to move around the world to go into leagues, and you can have a year here and a year there. It’s not like it used to be.
The gates are open for everybody. Not just to come to England. We get a lot of foreign players coming to England, obviously for the rewards and the Premier League, but you can go to France, Germany, Spain, you can get to all these leagues quite easily now.
What was the biggest takeaway you had from playing in a different country?
It’s definitely tactical. Football was different. Whatever people say, leagues are different. Countries play different football. You’ve got to adjust. Marseille was a very hot city. The weather, the temperature was always quite hot for most of the year. You couldn’t go around pressing and chasing like they do in the Premier League. You had to think more patiently.
Different culture, different language, a different way of life and you’ve got to get up to it. If you don’t adapt to it, then you’ll be coming home very quickly. So if you’re going to go out there, you’ve got to accept that it’s not England, simple as that. And you’ve got to get on with it and you’ve got to learn tactics.
I always found that the coach was more of a coach than a manager and got on with the team. Other people took care of contracts and other problems. The manager was purely there for the coaching, and I thought that was a great way of looking at football at the time. The coach obviously picked the team. He gave the club a list of players that he’d like to buy. But mainly he was focused on coaching. He went home like the players after training. Sometimes he went down to the office to see the general manager. But in general, he went home like a player. So it is different. I don’t care what people say.
Even though now the gates are open, there’s a lot of players going from the UK to go abroad. It is still different and you’ve got to be able to accept that. If you can’t, if you’re very single-minded, it won’t work out.
Is there a club you almost joined?
When I left Marseille there were a lot of clubs interested, but Bernard Tapie said I could only go abroad. I couldn’t stay in France, so that’s why I went to Sheffield Wednesday for a million quid.
Looking back, Monaco wanted me, Arsène Wenger was there, but I wasn’t allowed to go to another Ligue 1 side. It’s easy to say I would have loved to play for AC Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, clubs like that, but it didn’t work like that.
I looked at the offers on the table and went with the best option at the time. I think Bernard wouldn’t have let me go anywhere except France, but Monaco would have been a great place to play and live. I knew Glenn Hoddle played there before and he loved it, but football isn’t like that and sometimes you don’t get the move you crave. I definitely wouldn’t have joined Paris Saint-Germain, though. I wanted to stay a couple more years in Marseille before I came back to England. But despite that, I loved my time at Sheffield Wednesday and I spent four years playing for them, and I still live here. I still root for them.
Waddle on Sunderland
Do you think Granit Xhaka is their best player of the PL era, as some fans have suggested?
We’ve not been in the Premier League for a long time. I wouldn’t say he’s their greatest player ever. Listen, Kevin Phillips did an unbelievable job scoring goals there, as did Niall Quinn under Peter Reid. That was a great side.
Xhaka has really impressed me. He grew into himself at Bayer Leverkusen, kicked on from the player he was at Arsenal. He was a bit boring there, and he showed he had more to his game at Leverkusen. He’s come into Sunderland and he is pulling the strings. He’s an organiser, he’s got a great engine. He covers ground and he’s technically very good.
People can go overboard and declare him the best-ever signing for Sunderland. He’s definitely been great so far and he’ll need to keep that up to be in the conversation for the club’s best-ever Premier League player.
Do you think they have the ability to stay up?
They don’t look bad. They’ve bought well so far. They’ve bought players in from all over; Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. I think they’ve signed players who they think can handle the Premier League.
It’s going to be a long season. Look, there’s no way they’re going to be in the top eight. But if they finish 14th or around there, I think they’ve had a great season and I think they can do that.
How important will it be for both sides to win the first derby of the season?
It’s such a tough game. Any derbies, wherever, it doesn’t matter who you are playing. Nobody wants to lose the bragging rights, and so it’s going to be an important game.
But look at the Sunderland team that got promoted. I was at the game last year when they played in the FA Cup. Newcastle beat them easily enough. But this team they’ve got now, with all the new acquisitions, they’ll give Newcastle a very good game.
It’ll be very close and very tight. It could go either way. Simple as that. And in derbies, sometimes form goes out the window. But when you look at the two teams from last season, Newcastle were far stronger. Sunderland at the minute are really going well with all their new players settling in. It’s going to be a very close game.
Chris’ Thoughts on Newcastle
Why do you think Bayern Munich are so bitter over Nick Woltemade?
Because they probably thought they had him at a lower price. Newcastle have obviously looked for a centre forward after the saga with Isak. They’ve looked around and thought who’s available? They’ve looked at Woltemade because he’s a good player. He’s a tall guy. He’s quite mobile. Technically he’s all right.
Obviously Bayern Munich thought, ‘He’s a player we can snap up who could replace Harry Kane in a couple of years.’ They probably thought they had a deal done. But Newcastle came in and I think it’s a little bit of sour grapes.
I’ll be perfectly honest. I think Newcastle offered a better contract, better wages, better everything. Bayern Munich would probably think they would get him at the price that they think he’s worth. They think Newcastle paid over the top. Time will tell on that.
Listen, if he scores 20 goals this season and Newcastle get in the Champions League again, then it’s going to be money well spent. It’s nothing more than sour grapes from Bayern Munich. I’m surprised a club that size is acting like that.
Waddle on Burnley
Did James Trafford make a mistake by joining Manchester City?
I don’t think he made a mistake. Manchester City are a Premier League side and he got the chance to join them from Burnley after doing well there.
I think, though, he might move on in the summer if he’s not getting many games, if not January. I think City might even be anticipating that he goes, and they might be looking to replace him with a back-up to Donnarumma.
From next season he might want to go elsewhere to be a No. 1 somewhere. He wants to be England’s first-choice goalkeeper, and there’s Jordan Pickford he needs to unseat. I think he might have expected to go this year and compete with Ederson for one season before taking over as the first choice.
It seems daft to suggest it, but does Scott Parker need to start worrying about his future?
Last season Burnley were tight at the back, and he did a good job. They were relentless about getting clean sheets. But when you look at their squad now and who they brought in, overall this squad will concede in the Premier League.
It doesn’t matter how good a coach you are, because the Premier League is a different animal from the Championship. City put five past them, and it’s clear there’s a massive difference in standards.
People might criticise, but the last few years, it’s always the promoted sides that go down, and Burnley can’t necessarily escape the limitations they’re faced with. I think Scott has done an unbelievable job to get this far. Even if he takes them down, he’s earned that time in charge, and he might still be the manager to bring them up the following season.
Waddle’s England Thoughts
Should Jack Grealish have been called up? Do you think Tuchel will ever give him a chance?
When I look at the squad, if Jack Grealish fits into Thomas Tuchel’s team the way he wants to play on the left wing, then he stands a chance. But you’ve got Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford both playing well and scoring.
If you bring Grealish in, do you need a third left winger? Is he better equipped than either Rashford or Gordon? I think he’s done really well at Everton, and his game has definitely picked up after he’s been getting game time. He’s more consistent, but at the moment I think he’s behind Gordon in the pecking order.
Thomas might also be wondering if Jack is really a winger. I thought he was better through the middle. There’s no doubt though, the move to Everton was brave and he made it work. He might be the one to step in if Gordon or Rashford get injured or lose form, then maybe Grealish comes in. There’s a lot of time before the World Cup squad is named.
Can Harry Kane lead England to the World Cup in this form?
I hope so. He’s a great player, and sometimes he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for how magnificent he has been. People might think his numbers are just because he’s with Bayern, but he scored much the same for Spurs. They were a good side, but not the greatest.
Harry’s been great for Bayern, just brilliant. I can see why Tottenham want to bring him back in the summer. If he was coming back, I’d take him.
I think he might have got a knock recently, and I know that he always wants to play and score, but we shouldn’t risk him against Wales. Everything has to be focused on the World Cup and the big games in the season ahead. I know he’ll want to play because he’s chasing records, but for now we can let him sit it out.
I think at the turn of the year, that’s when Kane can start being the focal point for England again, but we have to be careful with him. England have to be cautious with him. They have to keep him fit.
Has Trent Alexander-Arnold made a mistake leaving Liverpool?
He had a very specific role at Liverpool. He’d be able to walk into midfield when his side had possession, and he was an exceptional passer, with huge range. As a defender, maybe he’s just OK. He’s not outstanding. I think for the World Cup spot, Livramento is the better choice right now.
As for going to Real Madrid, time will tell. Some of these moves abroad are wonderful. I was fortunate with Marseille, but we’ve seen players who go abroad who were just as good as me, and it doesn’t work.
Real are a team who are expected to win everything, so there is unique pressure when you put that shirt on. Expectations are through the roof. He’s been injured, and he’s had a slow start, so I think we have to judge him on his second half of the season. We’ll see how things shake out at the end of the season.
But Real Madrid won’t wait for him forever. They want you to play well now, and to the best of your abilities every week. They won’t hesitate to replace him in the summer if they lose faith.
Are there any glaring omissions from Tuchel’s squad in your opinion?
I think Adam Wharton should be in there, and Tyrick Mitchell too. I know Wharton got injured the other week. Cole Palmer is missing, but he was injured too. I think Ollie Watkins needs a chance to prove himself, and maybe Marcus Rashford should be given a shot to play up front. At a push, he can play through the middle. We have John Stones coming back too. I think we’re weak defensively, at centre-back. I think Marc Guehi is a very good central defender, and I can see why Liverpool tried to sign him. If you’re looking defensively, against good sides, we might get caught out.
Does Ivan Toney need to make a January move back to the Premier League to have any chance of making the World Cup squad?
He knows the manager, doesn’t he? He’s at Tottenham, so he knows how he plays. He knows the system. He knows how he got goals out of him. He should consider a move to Tottenham without a shadow of a doubt. He started at Newcastle, but he came good at Brentford. He’s probably still got a house in London. I think either club would benefit.
At Spurs, he’d be coming up against Solanke and Richarlison. But Frank knows him and he knows if he would fit into that team. But if he wants to get in the World Cup squad now, he’s got to come back to the Premier League.
If he wants to stay in Saudi then you know that’s up to him. Obviously we know that they get unbelievable financial rewards. The league’s not the best. I know they’re trying to hype it up, but it’s nowhere near the Premier League.
If he’s settled there and he’s enjoying it and he’s obviously picking up the money then that’s up to him. But if he was in the Premier League, he’d have a far better chance to go to the World Cup. At Tottenham, he knows the manager well, and the manager might know how to get the best from him.
Would he be a good signing for Newcastle? He could be on the bench a bit and that’s not going to help his World Cup bid.
What have you made of England under Thomas Tuchel so far?
He’s not afraid to upset things, he’s not afraid to do what he wants to do, and I think that’s what you want as a manager.
I think people might focus too much on one player or another. He’s left Bellingham out, but his focus has to be on building a team that he thinks produces the best football to win a World Cup.
So I think he will find players who fit his system, and he won’t be trying to squeeze seven No. 10s into a side just because they’re his seven best players.
We had this with Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard, and we focused too much on shoehorning them in instead of getting the best players for a team of eleven. Right now, they’re playing a right-footed defender at left-back. I know Myles Lewis-Skelly is not playing so much for Arsenal, but Livramento is a right-back. Tyrick Mitchell should be in with a shout, because he actually plays that position.
He’s played for England before and Palace have had a great couple of years. He’s playing very well. He’s a fit lad, he’s good on the ball. I don’t see why people like that get pushed to one side. Why not give him a go? England have surely got a left-footed left-back!
Thomas Tuchel to an extent has looked at the team and thought, this is the way I’m going to play, this is what I want to do, and it doesn’t matter if we think there are better options.
It doesn’t matter if you’re playing for Real Madrid or you’re playing for Barcelona. I think you have to pick the right players for the system, even if they’re unfashionable. Right now, we’re qualified for the World Cup so Tuchel will be judged on what happens next summer. He has to get his system and squad right.
Chris on Sheffield Wednesday
What is your message to the current owner?
It’s really sad. I don’t know what Chansiri is all about at this stage. He had two years of throwing money at it to get out of the Championship. He failed at the play-off stages, and it’s been downhill ever since.
Last season, they were terrible at home, great away, and it’s started to fall apart. We don’t know all the details, we don’t know what to believe from the gossip. We hear a lot about what Chansiri wants, and nothing seems to happen.
One day there’s no buyers, then there is. Then they don’t pay wages, they can or can’t sign players. Really, he needs to just get out of the club, sell to a new owner, and let the club start again.
In my eyes, I don’t think he wants to leave, and that’s why he keeps trying to hang on. But he’s had his day. He’s got no money, he’s not paying wages. Just sell the club. I don’t know if he’s being greedy, but supporters who go home and away to support this club are unbelievable and they deserve so much better.
I don’t think Chansiri spares a thought for the fans who’ve been there for decades. He has no respect for them, and that’s what angers me. Players come and go. Managers come and go, but the fans are always there. He’s just an absolute disgrace of a human being.
Waddle on the Premier League
Are Liverpool still favourites for the Premier League?
I’m not going to say that. I’m not going to say they’re guaranteed to win it. They spent all this money on Isak, Wirtz, Kerkez, Frimpong and Ekitike. We all thought the league was finished before it began.
But no, Arsenal, City and Chelsea will have a say. Tottenham have an outside chance right now. The Premier League is rarely a gimme. Just because they have four or five big new names doesn’t mean you’re going to win anything.
With the squad Liverpool have assembled, they’ll be expected to compete in the FA Cup, League Cup and the Champions League too. They will be expected to win trophies.
Other teams are running with less pressure. Arsenal weren’t the favourites like Liverpool were, even if they spent big. Manchester City are almost an unknown quantity. Straight away, we all looked to Liverpool, because they’re the champions, but it doesn’t work like that.
I’ve watched Wirtz for a few years, and he’s a terrific talent, but he’s having an awful time right now. He’s not doing it for Germany either, and they’re struggling a bit in World Cup qualifying. They have built the team around him there and it’s not quite happening, but there’s no doubting his talent. He was wonderful for Leverkusen but his confidence will be low while expectations are sky high.
People forget he’s only 21, but it’s hard to just arrive in the Premier League. In Germany, he had more time on the ball, and now it’s 100 miles an hour for him. He needs to get up to speed, and we don’t know how easy he has found it to adjust off the pitch to a new life.
If people are patient, he’ll be fine. I had an awful start at Marseille; for months people questioned my signing, my price tag, and then it all clicked suddenly. I was ‘Magic Chris’ but before then, I was getting annihilated. He just needs to settle down and get used to a physical league.
Do you think Ruben Amorim will see out the calendar year?
I don’t see the sense in Manchester United changing management. I think he’s just got to get on with it. Listen, he’s doing okay. Liverpool and City have set such high standards, and he’s not matching that.
But teams fall away, and then they come back. United are too big not to come back. Whether Amorim is the man to bring them back to the top, we’ll wait and see, but there appears little reason to get rid of him just to bring in a new manager who might face the same problems anyway. The cycle has to stop.
A new manager would have his own list of players to get rid of, and new players to bring in. Then how many times more would you need to do that? You’ve got to be confident in what you want from your manager. I think for Amorim or anyone else, it might take a year or two more, and pressing the panic button won’t make any difference. I think he’s an honest guy, and he works hard, and he’s doing the best with the tools at his disposal.
He inherited a lot of bad players, and it will take time — more than he’s been given.
Who do you think will finish as top scorer?
Haaland, no doubt about it. The new guy who’s come from Milan, Tijjani Reijnders, he’s been the best signing so far for the season, along with Xhaka. He’s been very good. I’ve been very impressed with him.
His energy levels. He plays forward. He looks to create. He’s not a negative player. I think he’s been excellent since he came and I think with Doku on one wing, Haaland is going to get so many chances. Whether that will win City the league is another question. He gets plenty of chances, and he takes most of them, so I’ll be shocked if anyone outscores him this year.
Who is the best winger in England right now?
Antoine Semenyo, the winger at Bournemouth, is definitely the best right now. I like Doku at Manchester City, but he doesn’t play enough. He gets taken off as a sub too often by Pep Guardiola.
Semenyo is good at scoring goals, he’s positive, and he gets good goals. When he gets the ball he drives at players, and I think Bournemouth will struggle to hold onto him when the season ends.
He’s really talented, and the best winger in the country right now.
Would you back him to move to Manchester United?
People might question why someone would want to join Manchester United right now, but they will come good again, and they’re a huge club still.
I’m not saying it’ll be a year or two in the doldrums. It could be five, or even ten, but they will come again. If Semenyo went to United, he could play just as he is for Bournemouth and be ideal for them. He could play alongside Matheus Cunha, and then he and Sesko could spark into life. You could see a real team developing, especially with Bruno Fernandes in behind. There’s a lot more to do, but I can see them building a team there.
He’s the type of player that United fans would love, and it would be a great acquisition, but he won’t come cheap.
What’s your early verdict on Viktor Gyökeres? Do you think he will come good or is he looking like a big-money flop?
I used to watch him at Coventry, and he was always unpredictable. He played off the cuff. He could pick the ball up in a deep position, dribble past two players and then score. He could try the same thing again and then fall over his own legs.
He did well at Sporting Lisbon, but any half-decent player should be banging them in for Sporting. Thirty goals is the least strikers should be getting. Except for Porto, Benfica, and maybe Braga, you’re not always getting a serious game. You’ll win 95 per cent of them.
In the Premier League, the standards are different, but he’s working hard. He’s putting himself in the action and he’s not ducking the challenge. He’s looking for the ball. He’s that type of player, but right now, he’s not necessarily a huge step-up from what they had before.
Questions on Tottenham
Are they title contenders?
You can never say it’s out of the question. A club like Tottenham should be there, competing for the title, but on paper, there are a lot of teams who, to me, are stronger. Also, we’ve got most of the season still to come. It’s early doors. You know, there are some teams up there we never thought would be up there. There are some teams doing well we didn’t think would. So let’s see after 15 to 20 games where people are.
The Champions League’s a big prize. Spurs have got the cups to come along, the League Cup, FA Cup. There’s a long way to go. It’s early doors yet, and with international football too, players are going to get fatigued. Lots of teams will struggle at some point over the course of the season.
If you haven’t got a big squad, you’ll find it very hard. Premier League football, then Champions League games and internationals. It’s very demanding. So it’s a team with probably the biggest and best squad who will come out on top. But Tottenham have got a good squad and there’s no reason they can’t finish in the top five.
What is it like playing at Monaco’s ground — any advice?
It’s a strange stadium to play at. It’s normally empty; it’s rarely full. You don’t usually get big crowds there. I played there a few times, and we won the league there once. There were more away fans for Marseille than home fans for Monaco.
It’s a lovely stadium, a lovely place, but despite the odd surroundings the players are there to do a job. Monaco aren’t a bad side, they’ve got Paul Pogba, but he’s still catching up on his match fitness. We know he’s hugely talented, but it’s early days for him. They’re a good side, and they need to be respected. They can beat PSG, they can beat Marseille. They have the talent to beat anyone but they’re not consistent, so you can definitely get a result there.
The England fans might find it a bit expensive, so they might not be on the pints — they’ll be on halves instead! But they will enjoy it, and it’ll be a hard game against a good side. They’re not world beaters, but they’re dangerous.
Do you think Paul Pogba will use the opportunity to show how good he still is?
I think that will give him an extra lift, but when you’re playing in the Champions League, everyone from around the world is already watching.
I know he’s had a lot of people questioning his lifestyle and he just wants to play football now, and he’ll be focusing on that.
What might hold him back is his fitness level, because he’s been out of the game for a long time. It’s going to take him a while to get back into the swing of things. But he’s still got ability. We know that, and we know he can turn it on. So I’m sure he’s getting nearer to the fitness levels he wants, but he needs games and that may take a little bit longer.
