Lee Dixon: Cesc Fabregas Is an Arsenal Man, Not a Chelsea Man

In another segment of his exclusive interview with BOYLE Sports , Lee Dixon gives his thoughts on some of football's most intriguing managerial storylines, from the future of Cesc Fabregas in management to Michael Carrick 's chances of landing the Manchester United job permanently.

Dixon also discusses Frank Lampard 's brilliant work at Coventry City , the pressure on Arne Slot at Liverpool , and whether Elliot Anderson is ready for a move to one of the Premier League 's biggest clubs.

Honest, direct, and with no shortage of opinion, the former Arsenal defender covers the managerial landscape with the same authority he brought to the back four throughout his playing days.

Manager Talk

Fabregas For Arsenal Or Chelsea?

I don't see Cesc Fabregas being heavily linked to one more than the other. He's obviously young as a manager. He's done a brilliant job at Como, and I think he's created interest for himself based on that ability to light something up. It's not always easy as a manager, or a young manager, to come in and show a bit of something different.

I don't know what his thoughts are, but I think he's an Arsenal man rather than a Chelsea man. But I think that's a big stretch for him right now to go straight into either of those jobs, and certainly the Chelsea one, based on the instability of their set-up and their business model that seems to be falling apart now. So, I don't think he's up for either job just yet; he's still got some work to do.

Michael Carrick

We've seen this before with previous caretaker managers who get the job, and then their success is inconsistent; they don't last long at United , as has been the case with any recent manager. However, I think Michael Carrick has shown a lot of poise and calmness in how he's approached the job. It's easy for a caretaker to feel they need to put out massive fires or completely rebuild the place, but that wasn't his job, and he has executed what was needed brilliantly.

That's why I believe he has been earmarked for the permanent role based on a brilliant caretaking period. If he gets the job in the summer, the pressure changes. The dynamic shifts because he would then be involved in conversations about player recruitment. The pressure moves more onto him to say, 'This is what we're thinking, what do you think?' as opposed to him just working with the current squad. It completely changes, but he seems so calm and switched on that I don't think it will phase him. I believe he is cut out to be a manager, and why not at United , given the job he's done?

Elliot Anderson

Anderson To Old Trafford?

Elliot Anderson is ready for a big six move. I've been a big fan of his, like we all have, since he broke through. He shooed himself into the England team, kind of from nowhere, and when he got in, it's like he's been there forever and he'll just keep doing that job. It gives a license to Declan Rice to go to different positions. And his performances have been very, very steady. He doesn't really have bad games. Every time I see him play live, I always think his level of performance is gold dust to a manager because you can kind of go, right, that's him sorted.

You can afford to have a couple of three or four out of ten who aren't playing particularly well, and then a couple of eights, and you've kind of cracked it. That's, and he's one of them. He's one of them that churns out the results and performs at a level that is very consistent. And what that does is it settles everybody down around him. You kind of know, right, he's all right. What we're doing over here, that's okay. That might be a bit, you know, the wingers causing that fullback a bit of trouble. So you can kind of work out after five minutes of a game how the game's going to pan out, depending on the performances of how you start a game, and he's one of them, right, tick, he's got seven out of ten. So, as I said, worth his weight in gold.

Man Utd feels a great fit. Obviously, with Casemiro and that gap opening up, Anderson is a bit Carrick -like as well. He's got a Carrick feel about him, his calmness on the pitch and the way he plays the game. I think he'll be a big target for United , to be honest with you. I think he ticks a lot of their boxes.

Signing Before World Cup?

That's the eternal question. They say you should never sign anyone off after a World Cup performance because they normally turn out to be average. But the opposite of that would probably be the right thing to do for Elliot Anderson if they can get him before the World Cup .

With England, we're still waiting to see that performance that makes you think, 'Yeah, we're nearly there.' We've only got two left. So time will tell. But he could be busy for a lot of the summer.

Lampard & Liverpool

Lampard Back To Chelsea?

Frank Lampard has gone to Chelsea before, but would he do it now? I honestly think that it would be a bad move for him right now because of what he's done at Coventry , the impetus, and the feel-good factor of where he's at. Why would you give that away? Why would you? I understand the Chelsea thing, but the club's a basket case right now. So you're left with a choice: jumping out of something beautiful that we've created and a chance to show the Premier League who Coventry are, or do I just let all that go and jump into the fire at my beloved Chelsea ?

He will get another chance at Chelsea , I don't think that's in any doubt. If he proves himself in the Premier League next year with Coventry and keeps them up, then all of a sudden, we know what's happening at Chelsea ; someone else will come in, and then in two years' time, they'll be knocking on Frank 's door again. It's a matter of time there. So I don't think he's going to miss the boat if he doesn't take a job in the summer.

What Coventry Need For Safety

What do Coventry City need to do this summer? We saw Burnley how they knocked everybody over in the Championship , got promoted, and then they've been cannon fodder this season. So the gap is there for all to see. The owners of Coventry will know that. They obviously put their faith in Frank to get him up there, and he's done a brilliant job. They've scored 90-odd goals there. They scored a lot of goals, but they let goals in as well. So I think when you go into the Premier League , if you've got a goal threat, you have to bear in mind that that goal threat now is then going to step up a level and play against a better team organisation, better defenders.

So the goal ratios are going to come, even if you keep the same players, the goals are going to come down because you're playing against a better team. So you're not going to score as many, and your goals on the other tally are going to go up. You're going to concede more. So getting that balance is probably the key. If you've got someone who scores goals, you've always got a chance.

From a defender's point of view, it goes against the trend. I would try and find someone who's going to put the ball in the net rather than keep goals out at the other end. I'm finding someone who's going to get you the goals when the games are tight, and you can just nick a goal down the bottom against your rivals. Scoring goals wins you games. That's kind of, that's what I'd be looking at if I was, that's probably why I'm not a manager.

Arne Slot

The pressure on Arne Slot is the price you pay for being at a big club like Liverpool . He's obviously had success, and then it's only human nature to expect the same result the following year. And we know that that's so difficult. It's only really Man City that have, in recent years, been able to do back-to-back, and it's very, very difficult when you've got that target on your back. Especially the start of the season, losing the players they did, and then signing the four or five players that came in, there are lots of factors that go into why they're not succeeding.

Poor form from certain players, certainly at the back, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate . Two new full-backs, it's been difficult to bed them in as well. So yeah, there are circumstances where you go, 'Okay, we'll give them a little year off this year.' But again, as soon as the season starts, it's like the whips will be out going, 'Right, come on Liverpool , you've got to be up there chasing,' and the pressure will be on him. But that's the penalty of being at that club and getting paid the money he is; you've got to step up.

So, not sure how much they're going to be out spending this summer. I think it was already said last year that that was their big year of spending, and then they're going to consolidate, so it'll be interesting to see what new faces come in. Obviously, Mohamed Salah going out, there's a big gap to fill there as well. Xabi Alonso is there in the background, but I do think Slot has earned the right to get another year at it. I think if they got rid of him after winning the league and then not a brilliant year for the reasons we've just said, and then got rid of him at the end of this season, it would have been a bit harsh, but football's tough.

EFL & Scottish Premiership

Could Vieira Follow Frank's Footsteps?

For former players, you kind of get wrapped up in the whole football world, and once you're in it, it's very difficult to step out of it. There might be that just tickles Patrick 's fancy in the Championship , as far as, 'Oh, do you know what? I might give that a go.'

Stoke City

I think it's been a bit frustrating that Stoke haven't been able to get into the fight for the playoffs. But I do like Mark Robbins . I think he's got a lot to offer. I think everyone I know who knows him, and I don't know him, have always talked really well about his coaching and his ability to connect and communicate with players. I think that's a big thing, certainly. If you can communicate to them, then you've got half a chance because if you don't, then get players kind of falling out with you and going, 'you get left out of the team.'

I think the way that he deals with the players themselves, I think that creates a really lovely environment for him to go and give them the best. So yeah, it'd be nice next season if they got a bit closer. And you're right, the fan base there is kind of set. It was always around the same amount of people used to come every week when I was playing for them. I wouldn't call it a hotbed of football, but there's certainly a very pride-based unit to how the area is supported. I always found the fans very supportive.

Scottish Premiership Title Race

When the Old Firm play in Scotland, I try to watch that because it's blood and thunder and it's the heartbeat of Scottish football. But how refreshing that we've got another team in Hearts that had the audacity to put their head above the parapet and go, 'What about us?' It's building up to be an absolute humdinger.

There's a lot of debate about Celtic 's games and whatnot. I heard Ally McCoist moaning about it the other day, saying it wouldn't have happened the other way round and all this stuff. But it's great. It's great for the game up there.

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