Jaap Stam exclusive interview: Cole Palmer might like to play for Man Utd, there are similarities between Ruben Amorim and Sir Alex Ferguson, Virgil van Dijk could end up in the MLS if he leaves Liverpool – there is only one good option for him in Europe, we won’t see another player like Cristiano Ronaldo for 100 years.
Jaap Stam Exclusive Interview
Speaking exclusively to SportsLens, Manchester United hero Jaap Stam has talked up a potential move to sign Cole Palmer from Chelsea – who could be worth £200million.
The defensive icon has also revealed similarities that he sees between Ruben Amorim and Sir Alex Ferguson after he dropped Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
Stam has also explained why Virgil van Dijk only has one good option in Europe away from Liverpool and tipped the Netherlands captain for a potential MLS switch.
The three-time Premier League winner has also stated that we won’t see another player like Cristiano Ronaldo for 100 years and explained why the Portugal national team will be fearful of ever having to drop him.
Jaap Stam On Manchester United
Q: What has changed at Manchester United since Ruben Amorim’s arrival?
JS: “We can see that Ruben Amorim has a different philosophy to Erik ten Hag and also the managers before that. He has his 3-4-3 or a 5-2-3 system and now it’s about getting the players to fully adapt to it.
“You can see that in their positioning that they are trying to fit into the system, but it’s not quite been as successful as he would’ve hoped for just yet.
“Amorim wants to see that intensity and also more dominance in games, players are still struggling to get to that level that he wants at the moment.
“When I’ve been at games you can see him looking quite frustrated at times on the touchline. It’s a difficult period when you’re trying to organise a new system.
“They have had lots of games so that’s less days to work on the system in training and you can see he’s not totally happy by the amount of subs he makes.”
Q: Is the plan for Manchester United to compete for major trophies next season?
JS: “Everyone is hoping that Manchester United can compete for the Premier League next season and the manager will as well, but in the meantime it’s very important to win matches and climb up the table.
“It’s a transition period and the players need time to adapt, but there is still pressure to win matches with his new style and to be in a decent position in the table.
“Ruben Amorim will be working hard to see which players best suit his system but until then
there will be a lot of change.”
Q: What has Ruben Amorim got that Erik ten Hag was missing?
“That is down to both the manager but also the players and whether they can execute the game plan that they are taught when it comes to matches.
“That’s the same big question now with Amorim as it was with Ten Hag, can the players adapt and dominate games in his three at the back system.
“At the moment it’s still not very dominant in how they play within the new system despite there being a few wins which was similar for Ten Hag during his start at the club.
“I think the manager knows that the team isn’t up to standard yet, that’s why there will also be interest in the transfer window and looking at players that might need to be signed and also players who could head in the other direction.
“You need defenders who can play in big spaces, especially when the wing backs are high up the pitch and two midfielders who can be good in possession but also have the legs to get up and down the pitch.
“The forwards need to be able to make runs in behind but also drop into deep positions, that’s why the manager is testing everyone and seeing if they can perform to his standards. We’ve seen some players struggle with the intensity of the Premier League.”
Q: What is the bare minimum we need to see from Man Utd this season?
JS: “It still feels strange to say that Manchester United need to get into the top half of the table instead of pushing to win trophies, you’d always at least hope for a Champions League spot.
“But I think the minimum this season is to get to eighth in the table and a European spot, which could come through one of the cup competitions.
“They need to get back into their rhythm and they need to win games consistently. Last week’s win over Manchester City was a very important one for everybody to get a confidence boost as well as sending the message to keep fighting until the very end of games.
“They need to get European football, and if you look at their squad and you look at the other teams around them, they’re going to be making steps and they’re going to get close to these positions.
“So I’m confident of United doing that, but it’s not good that we need to talk about United in this way. Hopefully within the next couple of months Ruben Amorim’s players can adapt quicker to the system and they can be more consistent in their way of playing.
“United haven’t been consistent for the last couple of seasons. Sometimes they’ve won games and done well and then dropped points the week after and that has to change.”
Q: What were your thoughts on Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho being dropped?
JS: “Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho being dropped came as a huge surprise. We know that Rashford is a dangerous player when at his best and how well Garnacho has played when at his own peak, despite his standards dropping recently.
“It looks like Garnacho has been frustrated recently which could be down to the new system, while Rashford walks around the pitch like he is disinterested and I find that hard to believe.
“I don’t believe he’s like that, but for some reason he’s not performing up to the standards that we expect him to be. For a manager coming in and wanting to play a very intense game with his team, you need players who are in good shape, who are confident, or at least are willing to work very hard for the team.
“If you, as a manager, see that certain players are not capable of doing so, they’re not up to the intensity then you need to make harsh decisions. It’s good from Ruben Amorim and I really like that he made that decision.
“It’s a good sign to the other players as well that you need to step up, that you need to show your ability or at least you need to work very hard. I think that’s what the fans want to see as well. You need to work very hard.
“Sometimes you can play badly, we have all done that in the past as well. But the manager needs to be there and he needs to take measures into his own hands as well and show it to the team that he is the boss and he is in charge.
“He has sent out a message that if the players are not doing what he wants them to do, whether they are capable or not, that they won’t be involved. It’s a great sign.”
Q: Have Ruben Amorim’s actions been similar to that of Sir Alex?
JS: “You can see a similarity there between Ruben Amorim and what Sir Alex Ferguson would’ve done, because we know what he was capable of.
“If you’re not up for it or he’s got the feeling that you’re not playing up to your standards, then he will tell you. He would be very direct with you as a player and tell you that you need to improve.
“He will tell you once and then the next time, if you’re still not doing it, you’re not showing your ability then he would take measures and sometimes you weren’t involved in the squad.
“Luckily for me that didn’t happen. But at the end of the day we all know what happened with certain players. If he was thinking that they were at the end of their peak or they’re not doing well, he would make decisions to sell certain players.
“That’s how he was as a manager, very strict, giving confidence to the players as well, but confidence needs to be given to the manager as well and if the manager wasn’t getting that then he would make those same decisions.
“I think it is good and that’s how it needs to be – especially playing for a club like United. I think it’s important for every manager at every team, because you need to play in the system that the manager wants to play, and you need to give that energy that he wants to see.
“If you’re not doing it, you’re not showing enough, then you’re letting him down, the team down and yourself down.”
Q: Is Marcus Rashford right to say that he is ready for a new challenge?
JS: “I can understand why Marcus Rashford is ready for a new challenge. I was in certain situations at clubs in which you are running out of contract or have had two years there and you think it might be time for something new, a new environment.
“Different people in a different country might help you, help boost your career. He has been at the club a long time and in my opinion he hasn’t been able to show his ability on a consistent level for many years, it hasn’t been enough and for that reason I’d like him to stay and find that consistency.
“I think saying you want to leave is the easy way out because it’s been a tough period and he’s faced a lot of criticism for his performances, but we haven’t seen enough fight on the pitch.
“I think if he was showing that then there would be a different mood towards him and more credit being paid to him. Maybe it would be good for both him and the club for him to move on, but I would’ve liked to have seen him give everything for the club.”
Q: Can Alejandro Garnacho come back stronger like David Beckham did?
JS: “In the career of every player there will be difficult periods, young players cannot expect to come into a team and then spend 15 years in the first team with complete consistency, it’s too hard.
“For every young player you have tough moments you need to come through and that toughens you up as a player, next time it happens you will know what to expect and it makes you stronger as a player and that can be the case with Alejandro Garnacho.
“It’s tough for young players but they need to understand that these things can happen and you need to come out fighting. Once you’re through that then you will have learned from it.
“It’s good for a young player to learn how difficult things can be in the Premier League and it’s a wake-up call.
“If he doesn’t see it as a wake-up call then that’s the wrong attitude, one big example is Harry Maguire and that’s who he should be taking advice from.
“Maguire has had tough patches and been left out of the team but always comes back and he deserves huge respect for that. Garnacho can learn a lot from him.”
Q: What is your preferred back three at Man Utd from the current squad?
JS: “Manchester United’s back three has to have a leader in there and I think Harry Maguire has been doing well in that role, especially against Manchester City.
“There is also a focus on young players and I think Leny Yoro will be the future on the right hand-side once he has adapted to the style, but he has the physique and pace to be a success.
“On the left hand side you have Lisandro Martinez, he is left footed and has quality on the ball, although I think he can struggle in big spaces because he doesn’t have the pace that Yoro has.
“Having said that, I think going forward it will end up being Martinez, De Ligt and Yoro, although Maguire is another option in that middle role as well as De Ligt being able to play on the right.
“Noussair Mazraoui has played at the back but I see him more in the wing-back role. At the moment Amorim is keeping everyone fresh and also trying to find partnerships that work, at the moment we will see it keep changing I think.”
Q: Should Man Utd be in the race to sign Alphonso Davies?
JS: “Alphonso Davies is exactly the type of player that Manchester United should be looking at, players that would bring in a lot of quality and that should be the case in every window.
“You have to ask if a player is going to make it a better team and Davies is so fast, so good on the ball and is versatile. These types of players will make a difference and he’s also got the experience of playing at the highest level.
“Without a doubt he would improve United when you assess the squad and the players that are already there.
“Thinking about what Sir Alex would do, he would make harsh decisions if his players weren’t up to the right standard or picked up so many injuries. Especially when you look at a position like wing-back and the role they play.
“You need consistent and reliable players to ensure success like Sir Alex did and that brings dominance in games and more victories.”
Q: Would selling Diogo Dalot be a mistake?
JS: “Selling Diogo Dalot would be a mistake, he’s been improving season on season and taking a lot of steps. He is defensively much stronger and more aware of both his position and his role in stopping the opposition.
“In the beginning he was lacking that awareness but he is quick and is still working on becoming a better defensive player having made plenty of improvements already.
“He can cross the ball, score goals, and play on both the outside and inside. If you want to win trophies then you don’t sell players like that.
“If United could have Alphonso Davies on the left and Diogo Dalot on the right then they would have that balance and consistency across the width of the team. Selling Dalot would be a big mistake.”
Q: Should Harry Maguire or Matthijs de Ligt be the leader at Man Utd?
JS: “The leader in the Manchester United back three has to be there for the defenders but also the wing backs and the central midfielders, it’s really important that they know the role of everyone in the team.
“That knowledge is key as well as the communication, you also need to have a good relationship and the trust of the manager. That is very important and I think Harry Maguire can do that.
“He’s been playing that role and he looks really comfortable there given his experience in the
past, he can play in the middle and with the right players in it can be successful.
“Matthijs de Ligt is 25 and isn’t a young player anymore. It’s up to him to step-up but we have seen that at times he has found the Premier League difficult.
“Sometimes managers have to make bold choices but also have options, Maguire can play in the middle and De Ligt could play on the right, that might be the best choice for the team at the moment with Lisandro Martinez on the left.”
Q: Does Leny Yoro have a huge potential at Man Utd?
JS: “Leny Yoro has the potential to become a really important player for Manchester United. He looks like an athlete and is quick and also has confidence on the ball although I think he could improve in the build-up play.
“He has the potential to become a really important player in Ruben Amorim’s system either in the centre or on the right where he has the pace to cover the wing but also step into midfield.
“Forwards won’t do him on pace, which is very important for the team. He looks very promising but needs to develop, he needs to grow, he needs to get into a rhythm as well in that system, but also needs to get used to the Premier League.
“He’s going to be facing very good players who are very clever, so it’ll be interesting to see how he develops.”
Q: What will current defenders be feeling when coming up against Man Utd’s
forwards?
JS: “Opposition defenders aren’t scared when they come up against Manchester United’s forwards at the moment and that’s what needs to change.
“Rasmus Hojlund is working really hard, he is strong and has shown he knows where the goal is, but I don’t think he is getting enough service at the moment.
“His team-mates need to look for him more and give him more chances to score, he needs to be the point of attention for the team going forward.
“I think that will improve as the players get used to the system, he will then get more difficult to mark because defenders won’t know where the service will come from next.”
Q: What have you made of the progress of Rasmus Hojlund?
JS: “Rasmus Hojlund is expected to score goals but if you don’t get any chances created for you then you won’t score. He needs his team-mates to find him more often and for him it’s just about making himself available in space as much as he can.
“Hojlund gets in good positions at times but his team-mates aren’t looking for him. But he will grow into his role and that should change going forward.”
Q: Should Man Utd be in the race to sign Viktor Gyokeres?
JS: “Manchester United should be looking to sign the best players in the world, but I don’t know if Viktor Gyokeres is one of the best.
“He’s done incredibly well in Portugal under Ruben Amorim but that league is nothing when compared to the Premier League.
“It’s the same with Rasmus Hojlund coming from Italy and finding things much tougher, it would take time for him to adapt and I still think Hojlund is the player to make progress in that position for Manchester United.
“You need options but Hojlund needs time in that role to progress and I think he will be their most important player going forward. So bringing in Gyokeres wouldn’t be the priority for me.”
Q: Would you be interested in going back to Man Utd in a coaching role?
JS: “I’d love to coach at Manchester United but they haven’t picked up the phone! I think everyone who has been associated with the club would love to go back and help, having been in management myself I have coached and helping them in any role would be great.
“I’m always open for talks because I’d love to see the club back winning trophies and maybe I could help coach the defence, but with the manager lots of new staff have come in so they have plenty of options. But you never know.”
Q: Will the height of Lisandro Martinez hold him back as a top defender?
JS: “I’m not worried about Lisandro Marrinez not being the biggest centre-back because he is a very good footballer and has good timing.
“He knows how to play certain situations and has proven that he can handle playing against big, strong forwards who are a lot taller than him.
“The only thing he needs to work on is not giving in or making fouls that can cost him and the team, but he is a good player and you need defenders that can play on the ball if you want to be a dominant team.
“We’ve seen smaller defenders be a success in the past, just look at Javier Mascherano when he played there for Barcelona. The game has changed a lot in recent years and in modern football height might not be so important.”
Q: How can rival teams stop Arsenal’s set-pieces?
JS: “Arsenal’s set pieces are successful because they have several different movements and adapt those to how the defensive teams set up.
“They have four or five different corner techniques and some of those can be really effective against zonal marking and making those runs from the back post to the front.
“Sometimes they sacrifice some of their own players to allow Gabriel or William Saliba or even Jurrien Timber a run at the ball. The zonal marking can then get really confused as to who to mark.
“To defend against it you need to block the players who are making the runs, you can potentially fill the area that they will run into which will stop them losing their marker.”
Q: Who are currently the best central defenders in the Premier League?
JS: “The best central defenders in the Premier League at the moment are Gabriel and William Saliba in their partnership as well as Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in theirs.
“Van Dijk is still one of the best in the world and Gabriel and Saliba are catching him up, but I still don’t think they have the quality of Van Dijk just yet.
“But looking at partnerships, Gabriel and Saliba are one of the best in the world in terms of working together and solving situations and being very important for their team.
“But Van Dijk together with Konate is one of the best partnerships as well. Those two partnerships are by far the best in the Premier League.”
Q: Is Virgil van Dijk the best defender in Premier League history?
JS: “Some people say that Virgil van Dijk is the best defender in Premier League history, but I cannot agree with that.
“It is sometimes said because fans remember the current period the best but we cannot forget about the game 20 or 25 years ago and the central defenders from that time.
“It’s tough to compare but if you look at our era there were more quality centre backs in the league competing with each other, we’re talking about world class centre backs.
“I’m happy for Van Dijk because he is a great guy with a great personality and of course we are both Dutch, but I don’t see him as the best defender in Premier League history.”
Q: If Virgil van Dijk does leave Liverpool, where could we see him next?
JS: “If Virgil van Dijk leaves Liverpool then I could see him playing for a few years in the United States to see out his career, earning a lot of money.
“But I still see him as being a really important player at Liverpool and I can’t see why Liverpool wouldn’t try their best to keep him at the club because of that importance.
“I think he deserves a new contract and a new deal, maybe only for one season, and then you see where you go from there. You have to look at who would replace him in the transfer market or the academy but that’s extremely hard to do.
“It’s going to be very difficult to replace a player like Virgil and he deserves another one or two years, he’s shown he is still the best option for the club.”
Q: Could you see Van Dijk at a club like Bayern Munich, PSG or Real Madrid?
JS: “I could see Virgil van Dijk saying in Europe, but he is playing in a Liverpool team that he knows very well and they have a real balance.
“If he goes and joins another club he will have new team-mates and his whole situation will change. You can say that the players at Bayern Munich or PSG aren’t up to the level of his team-mates at Liverpool.
“The style of play will change and it could be a bad thing for his career to leave. Look at how it was for Lionel Messi when he first joined PSG from Barcelona.
“It’s going to be a very important decision for him and the club and I think that Real Madrid might be the only good option for him in Europe at the moment.”
Q: Could Liverpool be making the same mistake Man Utd made with yourself?
JS: “Sir Alex has said it was a mistake to sell me at Manchester United and Liverpool don’t want to make that same mistake with Virgil van Dijk.
“They are not in a position in which they need to let him go and even though he is 33, you cannot bring in a player of his level.”
Q: Who is currently the standout player in the Premier League?
JS: “Cole Palmer is very impressive and so is Mohamed Salah and the way he has been fighting for a new contract while being so important and influential for his club at the top of the table. At his age that is incredible to see.
“Palmer is very different because he doesn’t have the experience that Salah has when it comes to handling the opposition, but being so important for Chelsea so quickly and being so confident is amazing.
“He is calm on the ball and creative but still a huge goal threat, he is using his strengths to help their other players and for me, definitely the most influential player at this moment in the Premier League.”
Q: Could we one day see Cole Palmer make the move to Manchester United?
JS: “Seeing the potential of Cole Palmer and him being just next door, you do wonder how Manchester United missed out on him, or maybe they did try and couldn’t get a deal over the line.
“It would still be great to see him at Manchester United and being a fan of the club he’d probably like that to happen as well.
“However, in his current form there might not be any clubs who can afford him. He might one day be worth £200million the way he is going.”
Q: Could we see a fresh start at Manchester City in the summer with Pep leaving?
JS: “It’s been a very difficult period for Pep Guardiola and now we need to see the quality of him as a manager and how he turns this around.
“He went from winning trophies to struggling to win a game and you feel for him because you can see how hard he works and there is only so much you can do as a manager, it’s up to the players as well.
“Maybe it’s a sign for the owners to look at the team and the squad coming into the transfer window, but I think having a fresh start without Pep would be the wrong choice.
“Pep is Manchester City’s own version of Sir Alex Ferguson and having a fresh start would be no guarantee of finding success again. I still think Pep has what it takes to get City back to the top.”
Q: Was selling Scott McTominay a big mistake at Manchester United?
JS: “Scott McTominay has been a very important influence at Manchester United even though he wasn’t a guaranteed starter. He scored goals and had a big impact and those are the players you don’t want to lose as a football club.
“Leaving might’ve been a good step for him, as is currently being discussed with Marcus Rashford, but he may well have wanted to stay.
“He has been a very important player for Napoli and his confidence is growing because he is starting most games and overall I think selling him was a bad call at United.
“Sometimes you have to make tough decisions as a club and I understand that, but I wouldn’t have been keen to sell McTominay.”
Q: Are Milan the big underachievers in Italy at the moment?
JS: “Milan really need to step up because I think they’ve got the ability to compete with the others to win Serie A, but they haven’t performed up to the standards that they can.
“I’ve seen them play a couple of times this season as well, sometimes they play some very good, interesting football and other times they’re really struggling and it’s hard to see them playing like that.
“But in general I think it’s good to see that the Italian league is improving, it’s becoming stronger and stronger again and getting back to the standard it once was, especially in Europe.
“Napoli are doing well and Atalanta have been playing very good football while not bringing in expensive players. They find players who can be influential and it’s working.”
Q: Were England right to give the job to a non-English manager?
JS: “If the Dutch national team brought in a player who wasn’t Dutch, I wouldn’t be a fan of it. I would point towards there being many Dutch managers with plenty of potential and being close to the players and knowing the system.
“But having said that, if a foreigner comes in and does well and wins games then everybody is happy. That will be the case for England and Thomas Tuchel, although England have lots of managers who could’ve led the team.
“Tuchel is passionate and strict and direct with his players, he will just have to use his time wisely because you don’t get long to work with players as an international manager.
“I understand that there’s a certain criticism about that appointment and I can understand that it would be the same in Holland. But I think you need to give him the benefit of the doubt,I think you need to let him work with the team for a while and then you can really judge.”
Q: Will Cristiano Ronaldo reach 1000 goals and play at the World Cup?
JS: “Will Cristiano Ronaldo play at the 2026 World Cup? As long as he keeps scoring goals then he will keep being called-up by the national team and keep proving that he is the best goalscorer in the world.
“It’s so impressive to see what he’s been doing in Saudi and still scoring for Portugal, you can imagine the backlash the coach would get if he wasn’t called up to the squad so they might be a bit afraid of not inviting him.”
Q: Will we ever see another player like Cristiano Ronaldo?
JS: “Everybody knows that he’s a complete professional and it’s so impressive at his age to still work so hard and stay so fit and still be so important to his team. People talk about the standard of the league but there are a lot of quality players over there and it’s not easy.
“From what he has done in his career, there’s probably no one within the next 100 years that’s going to do the same.
“I don’t know how long he can play for, but I think he will keep on breaking records until something happens in terms of a long term injury. It’s been so impressive.”
Q: Is Luke Littler like a young Wayne Rooney in his respective field?
JS: “Luke Littler seems a great guy and has so much potential at such a young age which is similar to Wayne Rooney. Hopefully he can make that count and win trophies and be competing for a long time in the sport.
“What is so impressive is that at a young age he is in that huge room of fans with people shouting and whatever and he can keep his composure and be so accurate.
“The comparison with Rooney is as well as being very young and breaking through, showing your ability and keep making steps to improve. Littler is doing that and could well make history in the sport.”
Q: Does MvG need to win one more world title before he retires?
JS: “It would be a real shame if Michael van Gerwen doesn’t win another world title before he retires, but we know he’s not in the best position in terms of his form.
“But in these tournaments we know that anything can happen and hopefully he can grow into it, hopefully for the Dutch public we can see him achieve it one more time before he decides that he’s had enough.
“There are so many good players in darts that keeping that highest standard is difficult in every tournament and as a sportsman you have to have the belief that you can win the trophy.
“I’m sure he has that belief and hopefully he can again show the world what he is capable of.”
