In an exclusive interview with BOYLE Sports , Premier League icon Florent Malouda has high praise for new Chelsea signing Estevao comparing him to a teenage Wayne Rooney!
The former Chelsea footballer has also offered his insights into what leadership looked like in the Chelsea dressing room with the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard and how it differs to todays game.
Malouda gives his thoughts on Chelsea's transfer business, who are favourites for the Champions League and how Wayne Rooney would have done with Chelsea.
Estevao Willian
Estevao
Estevao Willian came from Brazil and offers a different profile. I would describe him as a more traditional winger who excels in 1v1 situations, enjoys changing pace, and possesses many skills, creating goal-scoring opportunities. It's great to have a young player with such confidence. I was talking about Joao Pedro, and you see it's clear he's from Brazil and doesn't overthink things. He just plays his game at this level, and that's what I like.
There's a strong personality evident in a young player who doesn't dwell on the fact that he's in a new country. I think that's positive. Now, the long-term challenge is how he can maintain consistency to become a regular starter. His ambition will likely grow with the number of games he plays, but when he arrived, he was already at the level the club expects from him.
Estevao Is Like Rooney!
Estevao Willian’s mindset reminds me of Wayne Rooney, when he started, he was just 16.
He never thought, ‘I'm too young to play regularly in the Premier League.’ So this kind of mindset, when you are a golden boy in your country and you sign for a top club like Chelsea or, like we saw for example, Madrid signing Vinicius Junior, you want to play.
John Terry
Changing Leadership Roles
We had John Terry and Frank Lampard. I think in the current team, you have players like Enzo Fernandez, like Moises Caicedo. You can see that in midfield it's a different type of leadership, but they have this type of character. There is Levi Colwill, when fit, and when we were talking about goalkeepers, that's what you also expect from the goalkeeper, the spine.
JT was loud and was pulling the team with this energy, and you could see it on the pitch and outside of the pitch. Now you have a profile of players who are a bit more, let's say, conscious of their image. They don't put their all in, and they're just like: ‘I am a leader, but I'm not responsible for everything.’
And that's, I think, the difference at the time. I think we had more character, more players who were involved in national team football and that we're competing to remain at this level. The current Chelsea squad has younger players who are, let's say, building up to that stage. So I think the confidence is not there yet to say: ‘I can look after myself and look after the team.’ So it's more like: ‘I'm still in my bubble, and I'm not responsible for what's around. So for me, that's the main difference I see in terms of leadership.
Terry Should Coach Chelsea!
John Terry would be a good coach for Chelsea, but I think there aren't many positions available, especially at Chelsea. It's a mix of how you prepare and how you create the opportunity, but ultimately, you have to be very dedicated to going that way. Getting the qualification is one step, but then having a strategy of how to get to that position also makes a difference.
JT was kind of in and out of positions, assistant manager, and I don't think he's ready to be fully dedicated to the manager's lifestyle. But this might come in the future, and he could even, let's say, be an addition to a national team staff, for example, where he could be very, very useful.
He's still young to embrace this management career. I think he wants to experience other things before fully committing himself.
Raheem Sterling
Sterling Earned Chelsea Contract
So this mindset is the best way to handle the pressure. Don't focus on the transfer or on the name of the club. I have quality, I have an opportunity to show them, and I want to get in that team and stay in that team. So that's good to see from Estavo because the process was very, very quick. He signed, and straight away he was in the team. So he’s had no time to overthink.
The first thing about Raheem Sterling is that he earned this contract through his performances. So I believe at this moment, he is not part of the plan, but he's still a good player. We will mention injuries; it's not like there was an issue where you'd say: ‘OK, let's cross this player. We don't want him anymore.’ I don't like the topic of his wages or the money involved. He earned his contract, and everybody was fine with it. Now it's more about how, as a club, you consider your players and how you bring them back to full confidence.
I'm sure Raheem Sterling, in full confidence, without injury problems, terminating his contract wouldn’t be an option. The perspective must change. That comes with conversations, honest conversations, because you need players like him, but at his best level. While he's still a Chelsea player, we should do everything as a club for him to feel at home. I think that's the best way to get the best out of a player like Sterling.
Chelsea's Transfer Business
Guehi Back At Chelsea
Marc Guehi would be a great addition for Chelsea. I don't know what the conditions would be, but I think it's also about how badly he wants to come to Chelsea.
That's the way you have to look at it, because he's a talented player. He showed with Palace that he's able to deliver and perform. Now it's more about how you approach a player like this and have a real plan for him to make an impact in your first team.
I think the goal would be to increase the competition in the defence and to bring in a player who plays for the national team. A lot of things could happen in January based on that. For example, if Chelsea qualifies for the Champions League knockout stage, that's also something that could attract players. So I think he could be a good pick for Chelsea because he would have no problem settling in.
Garnacho Could Replicate Palmer
Alejandro Garnacho has talent and could follow the Cole Palmer trajectory; he even has a similar price tag. It's about delivering, unlike Jadon Sancho, who wasn't able to show his talent and make a difference. What you expect from a player like Garnacho is how he's able to be consistent in performance and have an impact.
For me, it also comes with personal ambition. It's a done deal, but it shouldn't be seen as an escape from Manchester United. His ambition should be to become a world-class player at a top football club like Chelsea.
Chelsea Trophy Hopes
Chelsea Must Win A Trophy
We shouldn't drop out of the top three, and we need to get as close as possible to first place. I also think we expect to win at least one of the domestic cups.
We are capable of winning trophies in England. For the Champions League, you never know. We'll have a better idea in the second half of the season, but for me, Chelsea should win a trophy in England this season.” That's the kind of mindset we expect from him, and of course, being an impact on the offensive part of Chelsea's game.
Champions League
Champions League Favourites
It's a wide pool of favourites, especially in the Group Stages, but for sure you will get PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Man City.
Because when they start the season, that's their clear objective. They're just not happy with the domestic league. They want to win European trophies as well. So for sure those teams, those squads are built to perform on both the national and international stages.”
Chelsea’s Champions League Goal
If Chelsea perform well but lose in the semi-final, it will be frustrating. As a Chelsea fan, I expect the team to be fearless, like they were in the Club World Cup. That's all I expect from my team. I wouldn't be satisfied with a semi-final finish because when you start a competition, your aim is to win. If there's an opportunity, you have to go all in.
This way, you'll have no regrets. Of course, if you lose against a better team, you might say, ‘We weren't ready. We need to improve our team.’ But at this stage, it was so hard to get back into the Champions League, which should be Chelsea's normal level.
Now it's about how you can be consistent at your best level and at the right time. That's what the Champions League is all about. It wouldn't be a disappointment to reach the semi-final, but it would be frustrating because you always want to reach the final.
Wayne Rooney
Rooney Regret
Wayne Rooney would have been successful at any club, as we saw with his performances at both club and national team levels. Once he was in the team, he never left. It would have been interesting to see a combination of Didier Drogba and Rooney. I would never have guessed that it could have been possible.
He was at Everton in 2004, so it would have been the same shirt colour, for one! But he did so well for Manchester United, unfortunately for us. I'm sure he would have been successful anywhere in the world.
Bet on Football Odds at BOYLE Sports
*Prices are subject to fluctuation
Remember, Always Gamble Responsibly
