Gaizka Mendieta sees the flaws of the greatest league in the world
The last time he was in town was in the run-up to the finals of Euro 2012, when the former Spain midfielder warmed our cockles by assuring us that Trap’s boys were just the fellows to cause the then reigning world and European champions a problem or two in Poland.
“What I have seen of Ireland and from Trapattoni, he is very identified with Italian football,” he said at the time.
“And the way that Ireland has been playing, with two blocks of four and sometimes five with one striker being quick on the counter-attack, that is probably the way that Ireland could do something against Spain.”
Which is not exactly how things panned out that summer, as you might recall, the Spanish proceeding to play Ireland off the park in Gdansk on their imperious way to a third title in succession.
But that was then and this is now, an era of global dominance having ended for Spain in humiliating circumstances in Brazil last year, with Germany ultimately taking their place as top dogs in the world game.
Now, as it happens, Spain find themselves in a not dissimilar situation to Ireland on the road to France 2016, playing catch-up in their group behind Slovakia and facing a crucial game against Ukraine in Seville next month, just two days before the Irish host Poland in our own big one in Dublin.
"It’s a different situation on the club front in Europe where a bit of role reversal last year saw Spain replace Germany as the dominant force in the Champions League, English clubs once more left in the lurch.
"And, ahead of this year’s knockout stage which kicks off on Tuesday — when Chelsea travel to Paris to face PSG — Mendieta thinks that, with one ‘special’ exception, the self-styled greatest league in the world still lags behind the best in La Liga and the Bundesliga.
“Apart from Chelsea — because Mourinho always makes his teams competitive and challenging for the rest of Europe — I would say that Arsenal and Man City are still behind Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Barca and Bayern Munich,” he says. “Manchester United too, they’re still a couple of steps behind the biggest clubs in Europe for me.”
Money alone won’t bridge the gap, he suggests, especially if, instead of being invested in coaching and youth, it goes mainly on paying exorbitant transfer fees and wages facilitated by the kind of stratospheric TV deal recently agreed by Sky Sports, BT Sport and the Premier League.
But the Spaniard — in Dublin to promote Setanta Sports’ coverage of Champions League and Europa League action from next season — believes that the problems for English clubs run much deeper than that.
“It’s those things but also the football that has been played in England for so many years,” he says.
“That is key. Manchester City have spent millions in recent years trying to build a club that will challenge in Europe. But it’s not just about the money, it’s about the style of football and the mentality in the Premier League, where they think more about scoring than not conceding. That’s what makes it so entertaining.
"In the Premier League, there’s more attacking football than in Europe, where you get punished more for your mistakes. And that probably suits Chelsea more than Arsenal or Man City or Man U because defensively they’re not as strong as Madrid or Barca.
“They concede too many goals, make too many mistakes.”
Under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal have long been seen as the English club closest in style to the European model but Mendieta thinks the Gunners have been let down, at home and abroad, by misplaced priorities.
“You can’t sell Van Persie and not replace him,” he says. “You can’t sell Fabregas and not replace him. You can’t compete against the big teams if you haven’t got a striker who can score 25 goals or a midfielder that scores 15 goals and makes 15 assists. Yes, you play nice football, attacking football, but you won’t win titles. And that’s where Arsenal has been for the last few years. Fantastic administration — no debts, new stadium — but you have to ask fans what they want.”
Under their very different manager, however, he reckons Chelsea are entitled to have their eyes firmly on the prize.
“I think Mourinho is capable of doing it, as with any other team he has been involved with. So for me, Chelsea are up there with any favourites. They’re competitive, have depth in their squad, are tactically good, hard to beat — he has every ingredient to win the Premier League and Champions League.”
While Mendieta is only too happy to talk about the current success, under his fellow countryman Aitor Karanka, of his old club Middlesbrough — top of the Championship and facing Arsenal in the FA Cup at the Emirates tomorrow — we obviously can’t let him leave town again without seeking some inspirational words, a la 2012, about Ireland’s prospects of reaching the Euro finals next year. Go on, Gaizka, sock it to us, old son.
“Well again, we have seen football has become more physical and so any team that has physicality has got a chance,” he says. “The way they are set up tactically and technically, of course it’s possible.” We’ll take that as a ringing endorsement.
