Stephen Ireland says best Liverpool will manage this season is seventh & issues Kalvin Phillips plea to Pep

Former Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland has spoken exclusively to Ladbrokes and gave us his thoughts on the new season.

In part one he discusses the prospects for his former team but he starts off by predicting how the top of the table will look and expresses his concerns for Liverpool.

I can’t see anything better than seventh or eighth for Liverpool… the manager looks beat up

I’ve got Man City down to win the title. Then I think Arsenal will finish just behind them, followed by Chelsea. And then I think I’d put Man United in the top four with them – even though I don’t think they’re especially great right now. Then I’d probably go with Newcastle in fifth, and Spurs in sixth. That’s how I see the top six looking, then maybe Liverpool in seventh. I just think they’re terrible at the moment.

I just can’t see anything more than seventh or eighth for them; I just don’t see them being that strong this season. I feel like there’s a lot of negativity in the club right now. The manager looks a bit beat up, as if this has become a harder job than he would’ve wanted it to be.

Liverpool need to spend a lot more money; it doesn’t feel like he’s actually got that many players to pick from, anymore. All of their best players have either gone or are going. Letting people like Sadio Mane go, at the time, probably wasn’t the best decision from the club. I’m not expecting anything special from Liverpool this season.

I’ve no doubt the manager is really, really frustrated, especially when you look at how close Jude Bellingham was to joining in the summer. Now it’s like they’re clutching at straws with the players they’re bringing in, and they just don’t look good to me. The only thing they’ve got going for them at the moment is that they can kick on from that comeback win against Newcastle last weekend, and maybe that will see them through the next few weeks, but over the course of the season, things just don’t look good, in my opinion.

It’s a bit harsh Kalvin Phillips hasn’t had a decent run in the first team

I would love to see Kalvin Phillips get a chance; I’d love to see him get a run of games. It looks like they’re in the market for a couple of players in that area, but I still think he deserves an opportunity. He didn’t hit the ground running, but that was down to circumstance, more than anything.

He’s young enough and good enough to deserve an opportunity – give him a run of games between now and January, and let’s see where he’s at. He’s not had a chance to get going for them, yet. It’s harsh for him to not get the opportunity. I can see the reasons why they might send him out on loan or sell him. But for the money the club spent on him, to go out and bring in someone new for another £50m-60m would be a bit of a sidewards move. You’ve already got someone in Kalvin who is ready and waiting for a chance to get going.

Give him eight or 10 games in a row and see if he can get motoring. It’s hard, because at the same time, who are we to question Pep Guardiola? Maybe he can already see that those eight to 10 games wouldn’t go the way we’re all hoping. But, yeah, I think it’s a bit harsh he’s not had a run in the first team.

Man City’s biggest weakness…

I think Arsenal are going to have a really good season. I think Chelsea will get going as well, but Man City just constantly look ridiculous… they really do. My only worry is that they look like they’re getting a bit panicky with buys. You don’t really want them just panic-buying for the sake of squad depth. It’s a hard market for them, so they’ve got to think smart, and I know they’ve lost some big players, but I honestly think they’ll be fine. Certain players leaving will help other players ramp up their games a little bit, as well.

I’m expecting another good season from Jack Grealish; he’s got to kick on and find another level now, and I think he will. His assist for Erling Haaland against Sheffield United was exceptional. It’s going to be another successful season for them, isn’t it? They’ve spent well, in recent years, I just don’t want them going and spending money for the sake of depth now. They’ve got a great academy there, so maybe they can utilise that, and give some of the young boys an opportunity. They’ve got more than enough to see them through until at least January, and maybe then they can reassess, and look to strengthen in the next transfer window if need be.

It’s so hard to look beyond them for the title, but Arsenal are playing excellent stuff at the moment. Chelsea are starting to look very good, but you just wonder how long it’s going to take that squad to really gel.

I think it’s going to be a really close one, as far as this year’s title race is concerned. Arsenal are looking really good, I know they had a bit of a blip the other day, but every team will suffer those blips; it’s just about the timing of them, and how you come back from them. They look solid, though.

It’s hard to pinpoint a weakness for Man City, but maybe if they are to struggle anywhere, I think it’ll be away from home, maybe. They’re incredible at the Etihad, I just think Arsenal’s best chance of challenging them is by beating them at the Emirates in a couple of months from now. They have to stay within touching distance, because once this City team starts to pull away, there’s just no stopping them.

The 2008-09 Stephen Ireland, if I went into a pre-season with Pep Guardiola and this Manchester City team, I’d love to see how far I could push myself, and the rest of the team. I know for a fact I’d outperform people in training. At that age, if I was there in pre-season, I think I’d have definitely put a question mark in Pep’s head, for sure. Me at 24, in that form I was in for Man City, if you were to put me in this current squad, I don’t know, it’s really difficult to say how I’d get on.