Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former midfielder Gareth Barry who played over 650 times in the Premier League has given his thoughts on Chelsea's recent punishment, if Elliot Anderson suits Man Utd and reflects on the legacy of Bruno Fernandes if he never wins a Premier League.
Barry also gave his prediction on what the top seven will be at the end of the season, his thoughts on the relegation race and assesses if Tottenham would bounce-back immediately if relegated to the Championship .
Premier League
Chelsea’s Punishment
For other clubs, it seems like Chelsea’s punishment is frustrating. As a fan, you want your club to be looked at exactly the same as any other club. If you're breaking the rules, the rules should be the same for every club.
So, if that is the case and Chelsea have done something that other clubs haven't, they've had a deduction, it should be exactly the same. That's a no-brainer for me, and you shouldn't be looking at it in any other way. Hopefully, they need to get a grip on that because you want everyone playing on a level playing field, and that's what everyone wants as a Premier League supporter.
Elliot Anderson To Man Utd?
Man Utd are certainly going to be looking for a Casemiro replacement. Elliot Anderson is probably a slightly different player and a very different age; his skillset is a lot different. I like Elliot Anderson . If you're a Man Utd scout, you'll mention him. He's one of the best off-the-ball players. He presses to limit the attacking player's space. He's one of the best around, and he's capable of going the other way as well. That's why Thomas Tuchel's got him in his starting eleven over a lot of big-name players with England , and he's a possible starter for the World Cup team. So I'm sure he's being discussed in the Man Utd boardroom, as well as maybe other teams.
I think, from that sort of experience for a player and a club, if the deal is going to happen, try to get it done as soon as possible. I think it just helps everyone. It helps both clubs and helps the player, especially going into a big tournament. He doesn't want to be thinking about his club future while trying to win the World Cup for England . It's not going to help anyone. Also, the price tag could be a bit steeper if he has a good tournament. If something like that is going to happen and the player's got his head around the fact that it's time for a move, it's certainly better to be done before the tournament than after.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes for player of the season has to be spoken about. If you look at the assist table, he's out there completely on his own with double the amount of assists of any other player. For a team that's not right up there at the top of the league and has been spoken about struggling at times this year, he has literally carried them on his own. You watch him play. If you give him half a yard of space, he'll find that pass.
He’s an absolutely phenomenal player. And you say it would be a shame if he were to have a long career in England and not win the Premier League , but best player, there’s a strong argument there for Steven Gerrard .
EPL Predictions
Top-6 Prediction
I'm pretty confident Aston Villa can hang on to fourth after Arsenal , Man City and Man Utd . The big game at Villa Park with Liverpool may decide that fourth or fifth, but if I was to pick one to miss out at the moment, I just think the noises at Chelsea don't seem settled, so I'd have to have Chelsea coming in at sixth.
Seventh Spot
I think it's looking like one of Everton and Brentford to get the last European spot. Keith Andrews has done an incredible job there, but I'm going to back Everton to just pass Brentford in the business end of the season.
I think they've got good momentum. Players are coming back. They've had a couple of injuries, especially in defence. So I think they're in good shape to get that seventh spot, which will be a remarkable season for Everton .
EPL Relegation Race
Relegation Race
I fear for Spurs, to be honest, if I had to pick one team out of them. West Ham seem to be a bit more settled, obviously. They've had more positive results than Spurs lately. I think the next move for Spurs is just vital. I can see why they're taking their time and not rushing. Ex-players and ex-managers are saying they can save them, but it doesn't seem like a very nice, settled dressing room there.
There's a lot of negativity coming out, and whoever goes in, I think it's going to be a real, real tough task to pull it around. So, their next move is going to be vital. They need the right guy in there to go over, and it's got to be an instant impact, hasn't it? So, yeah, I do fear for Spurs . I was confident a couple of weeks ago that they could get out of it, but now another manager is going; it's not a pretty place to be.
Championship Favourite Spurs?
There will be some tough times and difficult periods for Spurs if they were to go down, but I would expect them to come straight back up. It would be a different experience for the fans, but knowing what football fans are like, they'll make the most of it and have a good time at certain away grounds.
I should imagine the opposition coming to the Spurs stadium would be incredible for some of the fans of the Championship teams. Potential interesting times ahead with a massive club like Spurs . Personally, I love to see the history, and Spurs are still one of the only, is it six clubs, that have never been relegated? It'd be sad to lose another one of those. But someone's got to go.
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