Football
Gary Pallister exclusively to William Hill: “Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold is a big blow”.
Gary Pallister in an exclusive interview for William Hill:
Losing Alexander-Arnold is a big blow to Arne Slot, adds ex-Manchester United defender
Premier League winner Gary Pallister has told William Hill that he does not expect Liverpool to dominate English football over the next two to three years.
Pallister said: “It’s not going to be as easy for Liverpool next year. You would expect Manchester City to bounce back strongly under Pep Guardiola. Arsenal will go out and buy new players too and become more of a threat. I also expect Chelsea to be more consistent.
“There is obviously a worry as a Manchester United fan that Liverpool can go on and dominate the Premier League for the next few seasons, but I don’t see it.
“There are other teams in the league that, if they can add a couple of players to their squad, can get close to Liverpool. I don’t foresee next season being any easier for them.”
Losing Alexander-Arnold is a big blow to Liverpool
Pallister added that Liverpool will find life harder without Trent Alexander-Arnold, but that keeping hold of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah is a more significant development.
He added: “Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold is a big blow but fortunately for Liverpool they’ve managed to sort new contracts for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah – it would’ve been a bigger blow to lose Van Dijk or Salah.
“Van Dijk has been pivotal to their success over the years – it was so important for them to get him signed up, if they want to go on and dominate for the next two or three years.”
Bruno is Man Utd’s leading light
Pallister praised Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes’ performances for the club this season.
He said: “I absolutely love Bruno Fernandes. I honestly don’t know where Manchester United would be without him. He’s been a leading light — especially in the first leg against Athletic Bilbao — and has consistently shown why he’s so vital to the team.
“He probably deserves the captaincy. Is he the same type of captain as the ones I played under — like Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, or Steve Bruce? Not quite. They were all exceptional leaders. But if you’re asking who in the current squad comes closest to that kind of influence, it’s Bruno.”
