Mikael Silvestre Exclusive: Gabriel is One of the Best Defenders in the Premier League

18th September 2024 - 08:45am

Mikael Silvestre spoke to StrikeWild this week. The former Manchester United and Arsenal defender discussed the impact he expects Leny Yoro to have for United this season, his advice to Marcus Rashford to get back to the top of his game and why he thinks Gabriel is one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

You made your return to Old Trafford last week in the legends game against Celtic - how was the experience and what were your favourite moments from the day?

“Catching up with everybody was super good, because it’s rare that we all get together but it was great to get to speak with everyone about where we are and what we are doing. Some of them are freshly retired. Some of them have been retired for a long time.

Yeah, catching up with all my old teammates is very nice and playing in such an iconic stadium with fantastic grass where the technical ability all over the team was still so high. So it was really fun and it's all for a good cause.”

What are your reactions from the Southampton game?

“It felt like United really needed to win, and it was a good performance. They approached the game professionally and they did well to get the three points. I felt like for the first half hour or so, Southampton was on top, but when you are away from home, you need to be able to absorb the pressure without conceding goals, and that's what United did.

I feel like that has been lacking in the last eight months or so, United have been very open and trying to dictate the game even when they weren’t capable of doing so. So, for them to be on more of the cautious side and wait for the opponent to open up which Southampton will do, and wait for the opportunity to create danger when you're under pressure and being patient. That's something that could maybe be seen as boring for the outsiders, but to make sure you get the result on the road was a good way to approach the game.”

Marcus Rashford has had a tough few months, but scored a nice goal on the weekend. What would your advice be to him to get him back on track?

“I would say to him to keep your head down. It's always the same. It seems very simple to say, keep your head down and keep working because the more you repeat and the more you work, the self belief will grow, but to be in that Manchester United team and, and to shine alone is very, very difficult.

He’s got all the qualities of a top player and the momentum will come back for him. The collective performance has to be in place. It's always been like this. When you finish eighth in the league, you can't expect any player, especially the offensive players, to perform, because something is clearly not right. So we can't expect Marcus to be one of the best in the league or any player in that team for that matter, because the team performances are so inconsistent. Marcus for now just has to carry on and stay focused on his job”

There continues to be questions about whether Erik ten Hag is the right man to lead United, particularly after the disappointing loss to Liverpool before the international break. Do you still back him as the right man to lead United?

“He was given plenty of money to build the team during the off season in the summer, so it would be pointless to suddenly change things because it’s a big decision and they have to get it right. It hasn't been a disaster to start the season, but yeah, it was a difficult start with the Liverpool game and they have to be more consistent.

I think he needs more time, but he has to make sure the squad is united. They’re constantly under pressure, so every bad performance that comes around the question of Ten Hag’s future will come again. For now, resilience and self belief has to be there every day.”

What do you think would be a successful season for ten Hag and United?

“They need to be aiming for the top four this season. I know it's difficult, but that's the minimum, and anything else is a failure. They aren’t going to be title contenders, but they need to be there in the battle. Last year they were way too far away. They need to be in the mix and in the battle with Liverpool, Chelsea and the other top teams. You need to be there before thinking about going toe to toe with Arsenal and, and Man City. If they aren’t, I can’t see ten Hag staying much longer.”

Do you think Manuel Ugarte will be a success at United, and from a french perspective why do you think PSG were willing to part with him?

“I think Ugarte will be an asset for the team. He's got that mentality of wanting to win every single game, which United needs. Every single duel, he challenges to win the ball back. That is his main strength and the team needs someone like him in the central position in front of the back four. I think him and Kobbie Mainoo will be a really good combination and Ugarte will help Mainoo thrive.

In Paris, there was a lot of competition in his position and they didn't need that type of player in front of the defence, because most of the time they have the ball. So his profile wasn't really an important element for PSG, which is why they were able to, to let him go, and they've also signed other midfield players who are more offensively minded.”

Leny Yoro’s Man United debut has been halted by injury but what can United fans expect from the young Frenchman when he does start playing?

“Yoro is young, but he has already started for one and a half full campaigns in Ligue 1, so he's got experience of playing in Europe at a high level. Last season with Lille, he was an important member of a team that performed well and he definitely will have a big role to play for United and will be competing with Martinez and De Ligt for starting minutes.

I think he could be a very nice surprise for United fans and start a lot more games than people would expect from an 18 year old. He’s a fantastic ball winner, is really good on the ball and very brave, which is everything you need from a modern centre-half. So, yeah, I believe he's got potential to play a lot of games this season and be an important player for United.”

It didn’t work out for Angel Gomes at United but now he’s an England international that really impressed in the international break and one of Lille’s most important players. Do you think United should look to bring him back to Old Trafford?

“When he broke through at United there was too much competition and he wasn't the player that he is now, you know, he's much more complete now and playing in a deeper role. He understands the game better, has more composure. I think it was just a case of wrong timing when he came through, and that was unfortunate, but he was quick to acknowledge the situation and was smart to realise he had to leave to make sure he was playing every week.

He challenged himself to go a foreign league to play because at 18, 19, 20, he realised you need to be playing a lot of minutes, and that's what he did when he left Man United. He's a very good player and has been brilliant for Lille.

A lot of England fans were surprised by him in the international break but he has been playing at a high level for a long time. I think he would feature in many of the top teams in the Premier League now.”

United have been linked with a move for Eberechi Eze in January. Do you think he would be a good addition?

"Eze is a player that I've watched since his days at QPR and he's been very impressive. He’s played at a really high level for a while, and if you look at Olise who went to Bayern Munich, I believe Eze is very close to him in terms of performance, So he's someone that definitely should be on United's list to bolster their midfield."

Jadon Sancho was impressive for Chelsea this weekend. Do you think United will come to regret letting him go?

"Look, I believe that the mental aspect of the players is key, often the most important thing. And Jadon Sancho is a very good example of this. Jadon is such a talented player and when he was away from United at Dortmund last season he impressed and now the early signs are that he will be an important player for Chelsea. But at United he could never make it work. The environment plays a big part in your mentality. I don't know if it's the manager of the club or the city, we don't know what's going on behind the scenes. But it’s good to see him playing well, he is such a fun player to watch when he’s on form. It’s good for Chelsea to have another winger!"

What are your reactions from the North London Derby?

"First of all, winning the derby away from home is very good for the fans. It's an immediate bonus. It keeps giving everybody at the club a big smile and boosts confidence. Tottenham are a team with a lot of quality and have high expectations this year. So that victory means a lot, especially because two key players in Rice and Odegaard were missing and they still managed to create chances to be dangerous and to defend well and come away with the three points that they deserved. It was a strong performance."

How impressed were you with Gabriel’s performance and where does he rank in the league’s best Centre Backs?

"It’s strange that Gabriel is not really talked about as much as William Saliba, who he plays alongside. But, he's been so impressive for so long now. He’s been improving every game and I think he deserves more credit. He has scored a good amount of goals for Arsenal now and this one was such a crucial one.

The only thing that he had to improve was to get rid of these reckless tackles and dive into challenges sometimes when he didn't have to, and he has done that so well. So he still has to manage that passion, which is very important in his game, which is good. He had to find a balance and I think he's done that. For me, he ranks amongst the best centre backs in the league alongside Saliba, Dias and Stones."

What do you make of Jurrien Timber’s start to the season after a long injury layoff?

"Timber has been very impressive to start the season. He was out for a long time, but the good thing is he came back fresh in pre-season when everybody also came back from holiday. So he had the full preseason and those preseason games to get ready and he was a big part of why Arsenal got the win against Spurs.

He is defensively strong and offensively also, he was overlapping and trying to create danger on the left side. So it's very good for Arsenal to see him play at that level early in the season."

They brought Riccardo Calafiori in too, what do you think of Arsenal’s strength in depth in defence?

"Arsenal's depth in defence is really quite impressive. I was surprised about Calafiori's signing at first to be honest, because with Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, Kiwior you have lots of options but yeah, they identified these opportunities. And you see if they have one big injury or to Gabriel or Saliba, you can replace them with a high level replacement. It's important because they're going to need it. They want to compete with Man City and, and be there in the final stage of the season with a strong defence."

Why do you think Arsenal are so dangerous from set pieces?

"It's a combination of several factors. Number one is they are very good at analysing the opponent's way of defending set pieces. They saw Tottenham are poor at defending the six yard box and they attacked it. The other thing is obviously the delivery of Trossard, Martinelli and Odegaard, Saka. They have good takers on, on set pieces, whether it's corners or free-kicks.

The quality of the delivery in the danger area, the right pace, the right angle, is very important. And the last thing is, The other thing is you need to have the runners, people who can outjump and have a feel for where they think the ball is going to land. They’ve got Gabriel, Saliba, Rice, Partey, Kai Havertz who are all dangerous in the box."

Do you think Raheem Sterling will be a success for Arsenal this season?

"He’s someone that has been there and done it. He's won titles. I think he's always been a professional, and a leader. He can guide the players in terms of attitude and especially in the tough moments.

He will have the right words, and the right body language to lead the other players to go through those moments. And obviously on the pitch he can deliver and be an asset for Mikel Arteta. So it's a very good signing. He knows the Premier League, he’s an England international, and will bring something different to Arsenal’s attack."

What are you expecting from the Man City game - will they defend like they did last year in the 0-0 or could they change their plans to go for a win?

"I think Arteta will approach the game in pretty much the same way he did last year because the game will be so tight that you need to stay in the game against City and don’t let them dominate you. The longer they stay in the game, the better chance they have to win.

City don't need a lot of space to get at you and if you give them that space and that advantage, they're going to score. With all the offensive players at Arsenal’s disposal, they can still manage to create opportunities."

Do you think Arsenal improved the squad enough over the summer to compete with City?

"Well, if you look at previous seasons, Arsenal couldn't maintain the rhythm of consistently winning games over the course of the season and you have to be on it the whole season. They’ve already dropped points against Brighton this season and they can't afford too many of those against City, because they are like a machine and Arsenal need to make sure they stay at a high level. Consistency is the key."