Louis Saha Exclusive: Big fan of hard-working Ivan Toney in the England setup

Louis Saha spoke to BettingOdds.com yesterday. The ex-Manchester United striker discussed Kobbie Mainoo's first two England caps, England's striking options in the absence of Harry Kane and the player Manchester United should be urging to sign this summer.

Last time we spoke, you said that you felt Kobbie Mainoo perhaps needed more time before being called up to the England squad, but he did well in his first two caps for the Three Lions last week. Do you think it’s too early for him to partner Declan Rice in midfield at the Euros?

"No, I think what I was suggesting in a way, that to be introduced in such a way was early in some way, because he’s so young. Yes, it’s true that he’s very mature and things need to be aligned when you have something like eight to 10 games max with the first team at United, you have to recall things in a certain way. Yes, he’s good, he’s got good performances under his belt with the full squad of England, and this is what we are discussing today. I’m very happy about this, but I do still think that it’s a bit early in a way that sometimes, the competition coming during the summer is not ideal for someone external to look at his long-term career. But obviously he is capable of doing everything.

We’ve seen player’s like (Wayne) Rooney or (Marcus) Rashford doing it at a very young age. Does it benefit in the long-term? I’m not so sure, so that’s how I see it. He’s capable of performing really well, but he still needs the complementary aspect in the game. So starting a game and providing what England need, it’s something that needs to be addressed. But quality-wise, he’s shown it with United. So there is no doubt of his quality, that’s for everyone to see. What I’m looking at is long term, his benefit to improve and not having that much scrutiny that we always put on young players, especially with the national team. England are always well known to be kind of aggressive in some way when things are going well, but as well when things are going bad."

England struggled in front of goal without the injured Harry Kane. How important is it for a squad that the backup strikers are ready to play whenever called upon? As a backup player, how would you keep yourself ready?

"That’s the difficulty, you have to find the right balance. But you have to approach every game as a huge opportunity to express your quality, your desire to represent your country. So those guys are doing it in the Premier League or wherever they are. But that’s the mission. You have to be very confident as a striker, you have to believe in yourself and believe that you are better than the players that are playing at the moment.

In that case, if it’s for an injury or just on form or a player’s not on form, you have to be ready and be aggressive. Things like this happen. You’ve seen that, for example, we talked about Mainoo, he wasn’t expecting that someone was going to be injured and be called up. That’s football, so everyone has to be ready. You have to be professional when you are being called upon. That’s the mission. Definitely the first mission is to be on that plane, and then enjoy. It’s a privilege to be representing your country, so any time you have an opportunity to show, do it full on."

From what you’ve seen, which three strikers should Gareth Southgate take to Euro 2024?

"It’s a difficult one. I am a big fan of Ivan Toney. We said that, but those strikers that have been called, are definitely hard workers. They can definitely represent their country in the best way. But it’s a tough one. You have to accept in some way that you will be in the shadow of Harry Kane. So that’s the situation. There is a lot of talent in the England squad. I see (Ollie) Watkins being able to complement in some way, but Ivan Toney as well. So it’s going to be depending on those two.

Are there any players you would be urging Manchester United to sign in the summer as they look to reshape the squad?

It’s a difficult one, because you have to have the backbone, depending on the budget you have to look at defenders. You have to look at creative midfielders, you have to look at strikers that are going to complete the kind of firepower we have. There are definitely a lot of rumours with players, but I don’t have one in particular.

I always thought that (Victor) Osimhen was a United fan, so it was an easy one. So I still believe that he’s that type of player, even if he’s maybe not scoring as much this season, but I think he’s definitely a good fit for the strike line to learn from his runs, from his aggressive approach. And players like Rasmus (Hojlund) can really improve. We need creative midfielders, so there are a few in different countries. There is the defender (Jarrad) Branthwaite with Everton for the back line, so there are a lot of names that you can throw and for sure the new directors will have that in mind.

That’s the mission. They have a window or two to really progress or make big, big steps towards their plan. It defends. It will be, as well, not just looking at the quality of the players, but mentally, how they are leaders, how they are mentally stable. You need to have a great balance between the players. So basically, eight, nine, 10 players who are real fighters and aren’t going to be throwing their toys out every time they are not happy about something. So it’s about bringing soldiers, and bringing people who are committed and respect the tradition of Manchester United. So there are a lot of things to consider before deciding to sign somebody."

With nine games to play in the Premier League, Man Utd are 11 points outside the top four. Do you realistically see them challenging for Champions League football this season?

"You know, that’s the beauty of football. And that’s why it’s so, so difficult in the Premier League, it’s so tough. But yeah, definitely, this squad has got the capacity to surprise everybody and have a big run of decent games. Yes, we can still see that there are weaknesses that are going to actually damage their chances. And they have shown it during the season. Sometimes they are playing really well, especially against Liverpool. But is it enough? It’s going to be difficult, so I doubt it, but I still think it’s possible."

If Man Utd fail to qualify for the top four, how important is it that they win the FA Cup this season?

"You know, sometimes it’s not just about the trophies, it’s about the confidence, the actual style of play. There are games that give you 10 times the kind of boost, especially if you play against Man City or Liverpool and you provide such a great performance, it’s as good. But consistency is what they need. And if they show that during the FA Cup run, it’s good, it’s decent for the players, for young players especially. So it does provide something. But does it mean that it’s enough in terms of the economic side, and attracting some huge players that are going to actually redefine your squad? I’m not so sure.

It’s a difficult one. That’s football again. I repeat, Man Utd are sometimes playing in different leagues where they have the scrutiny of the media, the kind of history, weight that they have on their shoulders. Every time, it’s extra pressure. So it’s a tough one, but they have definitely made the right choices, so they can do that whether they get the Champions League spot or not. So I really believe that things are going to be great soon."

Which way do you see the title race going at this stage, after the draw between Man City and Arsenal at the weekend?

"I still believe Man City have the better equipment to maintain. That’s the way I see it. But at the same time, as I said, it’s football and the Premier League is so special. It’s really hard to predict, and that’s why it’s great for betting companies. There is a lot of debate in this, a lot of quality players who can change the course of any game so it’s brilliant. But in my opinion, Man City have better players, more experienced players. They have this belief that they’ve done it before in this kind of title race. So I do believe that, when you see those immense players like Kevin De Bruyne and (Erling) Haaland, (Bernardo) Silva and all that, they are playing at their best. I don’t see anyone stopping them."

At the other end of the table, Everton are playing with more doubts about another point deduction coming. How hard is it to play with off-field issues, whatever they may be, floating around?

"It’s extremely difficult and I think they have done really well, all through the season, based on what has happened. The manager, as well, has maintained their focus, as in you can be frustrated at some games that they should be in a better situation to approach games, and then feel a bit lighter and then get this confidence to the level that they need to, if they want to catch up with different types of targets. Because joining that fight at the bottom, it’s not nice, and they’ve been in that situation before. They have a better squad, better spirit, they seem to have understood what went wrong. So I do believe that they can do what it takes to survive again."

You mentioned Jarrad Branthwaite as a name potentially for Man Utd to look at as Everton may struggle to keep him this summer. Which Premier League team do you feel would be best trying to sign Branthwaite in the summer? Would it be Man Utd, or another team?

"Yeah, United seem to be the right fit, because I think they have expressed some type of interest. And he looks the part, a very confident boy, he seems to be well surrounded. So there are elements like that. I do think that United are at the top of the race, I think that he’s the type of player that any team will look at, depending on the price that Everton are willing to let him go for. But I think he’s a terrific potential for any squad. Wherever you talk about, Arsenal or Man City maybe, all these are potential competitors for Man Utd."

Moving back over to the Euros, you went to Euro 2004 as part of the France squad but your game time was limited to two substitute appearances. How difficult is it at these tournaments for a manager to keep the entire squad happy and motivated when players are left out of the starting eleven?

"It’s extremely difficult. Now you have a bit more, let’s say, luck than it was before in 2004. Because the squad, if you remember, the substitutions and all that were limited. So you had smaller squads and smaller turnover during the game. So there is that kind of situation that is a bit more flexible for the managers. So you have to be really focused and take that as an opportunity to shine. There are definitely players who seem to be closer to the 11, it’s harder for them because they really expect to play, and they feel disappointed. And there are those guys who tend to normally always play for their club, and now they’re playing in a different kind of position maybe, and that’s really hard.

There are some, I would say, probably like half at least from the players who are substitutes, that accept they are very happy and privileged to be there. So those guys are easy to manage. But you have to be kind of smart as a manager to actually get them really involved in the setup. And that’s this image where you have like one team. So the first 11 and you have like some mannequins. If you make them feel like a mannequin, you lose them. You have to really get them involved, and make sure that they will play in some way, because it’s how you get them focused. They have their own competition inside the squad, but they have to think about the mission that they are part of. So that’s a tough one, but straight away when great communication is put in the middle of every meeting, or most of the meetings and you have a number two who is doing the right job, you can get it right."

In that tournament, France were unexpectedly beaten by Greece in the Quarter Finals who went on to win the competition against all odds. Do you think any of the lesser-fancied nations could repeat that feat 20 years on in Germany?

Yes. There are always surprises now. Coming to the point of maybe semi-finals, there hasn’t been a big shock like Greece in 2004, but yes nowadays you can still see the, let’s say, more-experienced national teams are still winning tournaments. There were no surprises if I remember. But it’s possible because the tournament is getting more exciting and tight, and definitely someday we will see it again. But there are a good amount of favourites. There are very expensive teams, so I doubt it, but I still think it’s possible.

That’s the beauty of this tournament. That’s the beauty of football. You always expect things and you realise that, when you have a favourite like France playing really well, but they can be beaten by anybody in the Euros, that’s for sure. They have lost against Germany, and Germany can be a contender again. Netherlands, you have Portugal, you definitely have teams like England. So there are a lot of favourites if they start the competition well, you can see anything happening. I still believe that France are favourites for a reason, but there are enough teams to upset them. 

England and France head into this summer’s  tournament as the favourites, who do you think has the stronger starting XI when all fit?

"England and France definitely are strong, I see Portugal in some way being very strong. So I think that this tournament is extremely difficult to get a favourite, outside of England and France, because they are I think the more consistent ones. France, especially, the team that I follow, they are full of talent. You take one off or two, you don’t feel anything you know? So this squad is very strong, they’ve known each other for a very long time with this manager.

England pretty much have the same kind of setup, with an experienced manager. But there is always something missing in some way. I see the frustration, so all of this can be a big weight coming to the last four, you’ve seen damage. This is where the media, the fans have a big role to play in this. You have to provide a lot of confidence, and not just increase the weight on those guys because you give them less chance. Because at the last Euros, they needed that belief. They need that faith, let’s say, like you have in Brazil and Argentina, those guys really believe in God, and believe in the flag. And this is something sometimes, missing in France and England, they are very severe with their players. I do think that England, definitely in the last tournaments, they missed that little spark or little belief that didn’t get them the trophy."

Who are your top picks to win the Golden Boot at Euro 2024? Are there any outsiders worth keeping an eye on?

"Well it’s a tough one. Apart from Kylian (Mbappe), I don’t see anyone. It would be nice to see Cristiano (Ronaldo) up there. It would be nice."