Speaking exclusively with BoyleSports, England icon Stuart Pearce shares his insights on the Championship, favouring Birmingham over Wrexham for promotion.
He also backs Frank Lampard’s potential to lead Coventry to success under intense pressure and praises the successes of the Lionesses.
Birmingham vs Wrexham
I think Birmingham have got more chance of promotion than Wrexham. You’ve got to consider that Wrexham have had three promotions on the bounce. A couple of years ago, they were in the National League. It’s an unbelievable story.
If they end up getting promoted this year again, well, it’s just incredible. I get a vote for manager of the year, and in two of the last three seasons, I voted for Phil Parkinson. I think I did again this year. Getting a club up continually promoted like he has been an incredible task.
I think this is their toughest task yet. The recruitment’s going to be massive this summer. If they can get the recruitment right, with the momentum they’ve got, they might be very, very close to being in the top six. However, I still feel as though Birmingham have probably got a slightly better chance of getting promoted.
Ashley Young’s Wrexham Fit
I worked with Ashley Young at under 21 level. I know how valued he was. I’ve been at Everton with David Moyes this year just to watch training, and I know the value that Ash had within the ranks.
He’s physically fit. He plays the games. I think he’d be a really good acquisition for someone like Wrexham. I really do, because he’s got the ability to play either full back or further up the pitch.
He’s got the intelligence as well to maybe even play in a central midfield role. So I think he’d be a really good acquisition.
Stansfield’s Birmingham Role
I watched the under-21 Euros and expected slightly more of Jay Stansfield. He certainly led the line, and I think maybe his value was seen when he wasn’t in the team. England looked as though they were short of an actual point player playing centre forward.
So maybe that was a mark of what he probably did and was how he was missed when he wasn’t playing. I think when you make a move, and your valuation is quite high, I think it brings pressure.
But I think to go and lead the line at Birmingham to play a massive part in their promotion this year was fantastic. To be fair, if you’re going to reach the top in the game, you’ve got to be able to handle those sorts of pressures. I think he’ll improve this year on what he did last year. I’m expecting good things from him and goals from him, even in the Championship.
Longstaff’s Leeds Move
I think he’d be a good signing for Leeds personally; he’s got plenty of appearances under his belt at the top level now. I think it’ll be a real blow for him to leave Newcastle.
He’s sort of synonymous with the football club, and the fans love him, but they’ve got a midfield three at Newcastle, in Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes that seem pretty consistent. As we saw with Elliot Anderson going to Forest last year, sometimes you have to move on for the sake of your career.
I think him going to Leeds would be a really, really good move for both club and player.
Phillips’ Leeds Return
I was around when David Moyes took him to West Ham. We thought it might be a really good signing to rekindle his form, but it didn’t work out for whatever reason. He struggled to light himself up again for whatever reason and maybe returning to where it all started with Leeds is the way to do that.
We know he has the ability. Under Marcelo Bielsa, he was incredible, and then he and Declan Rice together were an incredible pairing. It’s really sad to see someone dropping off ability-wise, considering what he delivered first off. But maybe a visit back home might be exactly what he needs to stir him up again.
Lampard’s Coventry Pressure
When you’re Frank Lampard, it puts pressure on you from the outside world and the outside media. He’s been a pretty consistent manager over his time, and I think it’s a good appointment by Coventry, I really do.
They’ve taken him on board, and they’ll be expecting to go one better this year and maybe get the team up if possible. He’s a good manager, but the spotlight’s on him because he’s a big name in football, and I’d say there is more expectation on Frank than of any other manager in the Championship.
I think there is an expectation that you can deliver a little bit more. But I think what Coventry have got to do is make sure that they back the manager and give him the funds to recruit well.
Haji Wright’s Premier Interest
I’ve been at a football club that hasn’t had money and been the manager, and every day that goes by, you tick it off the calendar and hope you don’t get a bid for your better players. Haji Wright will be one at Coventry, where they do exactly the same there.
Frank Lampard has got to keep his best players at the club, and on top of that, recruit well. It’s not easy when you’re in the Championship because everyone’s looking at a bargain. If you’re a Premier League team, especially, you’re looking at a bargain to pluck out the Championship.
Lampard’s England Chance
Frank has definitely got himself time to get into England contention. In football, you could have a month of good results and all of a sudden, everyone elevates you. The same works the other way as well. If it doesn’t work out, everyone’s quick to criticise.
We’ve haven’t got too many English candidates at the moment for the England job. If we think that, come next summer that Thomas Tuchel wins the World Cup or gets to the final and keeps the job, that’s a big ask personally. So they’re going to be looking for another manager again.
With that comes availability. There will be a closer look at Frank this year, and I think the FA will have their fingers crossed that a lot of candidates all do well and have good seasons. But Frank is certainly one of those at a club at the moment. If he can get Coventry promoted this year and Tuchel leaves, he definitely will be talked about. There’s no doubt about that.
Rooney’s Management Break
Wayne Rooney is going to be a good asset for the BBC. He’s got a wealth of experience. He’s been one of the best players ever to grace the Premier League, no doubt about that.
The management situation doesn’t seem to have worked out for him particularly well for whatever reason. I suppose if you’re working in the game at the moment, if you’re a chairman looking to recruit, Wayne Rooney wouldn’t be on your list of candidates, potentially at present.
But, you never know, a year away from the game, he might quite enjoy working in the media and from that moment on rekindle the fact that he wants to come and have another go at management again, who knows.
Lionesses’ Euro Impact
I think the pressure is always going to be on the men’s senior team to deliver a major trophy. There’s no doubt about that. That’s what we’re all waiting for. That’s what the inception of St George’s Park was all about, in place in 2012.
Since then, the youth teams are doing fantastically well. The women are doing brilliantly well. I think all wins are a benefit to the men’s team rather than putting more pressure on them. You want the organisation to keep winning, and the Lionesses can do it again at Euro 2025.
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