Exclusive interview with Don Hutchison: Insights on Liverpool, Premier League, Scottish football, and more.

by Heath Chesters, 9 October 2025

Known for his drive, passion, and straight-talking approach, Don Hutchison made his mark in the Premier League with memorable spells at Liverpool, West Ham, Everton, and Sunderland. He also shone on the international stage with Scotland, scoring a famous winner against England at Wembley. Now a respected voice on ESPN FC, Don has plenty of insights to share in this exclusive Online-Casinos.com interview.

Liverpool

Three defeats in a row for Liverpool, what is so different to last season?

Don: How long have we got? The new signings have not hit the ground running. Frimpong is not playing well. He’s lost his confidence, he can’t get the team going.

Kerkez, I thought he would have been fine coming from Bournemouth. I thought he’d have hit the ground running a lot earlier. But people always ask the question, when you play for a smaller club and play for a big club, what’s the difference? And the difference is when he kicked the ball out cheaply for a throw-in against Crystal Palace, Palace went and won the game. Instead of backing yourself to do a trick or clearing the ball with your right foot – that there is the difference. You’ve got to be braver.

I feel a little bit for Florian Wirtz. He’s the one that’s getting all the flak. I go back to the Atlético Madrid game, when he put one on a plate for Salah and Salah hit the post. That would have been an assist. He would have had the most brilliant assist ever at the weekend against Chelsea when he sort of flicked the ball around the corner, and Salah shanked it with his right foot. So I feel for him.

Salah’s out of form. The team’s got no control whatsoever, unlike how they were last year. They don’t look dominant, they don’t look confident and they’re not in control of any matches. They’re playing the game like basketball matches at the moment and it can go in your favour like the first half a dozen games, or it can go against you, and that’s what Liverpool have got. They’ve got no control over a game.

Slot has spent big in the summer, what will he need to do to try to keep the squad happy?

Don: I think what’s happened is – and it sounds a bit crazy – but Liverpool now are halfway through a rebuild. Now that sounds crazy when you think of the amount of money that they’ve spent. £400 million spent, but they did you know, recoup about £280m. But I feel as though now in the next couple of windows Liverpool have to go all in, and I really mean all in.

It baffles me to this day why they didn’t sign Marc Guéhi in the summer. I can’t believe they were trying to be cheapskates for a £35 million player who could be playing for them for six years. Just pay what they want, and you’ll get great value. They need Adam Wharton, too, and he’s a £100m player.

I’m worried about Mo Salah too. Most pros will tell you that when you watch him, aesthetically he’s sort of like quite a scruffy footballer. He gives the ball away with five-yard passes. He gives it away and he frustrates you. But he’s been hitting 25 goals a season forever so you can never knock him.

But I’m watching Michael Olise at Bayern Munich, and the uncomfortable conversation now is, in my opinion, I would swap Michael Olise for Mo Salah.

Now I know that sounds like a crazy short-term reaction, but there is an uncomfortable conversation that they will have to have – at some point they’re going to have to think about replacing Mo Salah. Not Van Dijk, not just yet. But that’s the conversation I think internally Liverpool need to have.

Mo Salah’s stats have dropped off dramatically this season compared to last. Why has that happened?

Don: I don’t think he’s in decline. I think Mo Salah’s been the same player forever. I mean, he’s super fit. You see his body shape and he doesn’t carry any weight, he’s so lean. Even now, he’s quite sharp.

But when I watch Mo Salah over the last 10 years, and most footballers would probably agree with me, if you took the goals away from Mo Salah, he would then look like a good footballer. The fact that he’s hitting 25, 30 goals a season means he’s an exceptional footballer, one of the world’s best. But if you take the goals away, what is he actually contributing to the team?

That’s why I mentioned Michael Olise, because aesthetically he’s a beautiful footballer to watch and all right, he’ll never hit the numbers of Mo Salah, but he might make Liverpool that bit different and give them that little bit more control. Because he doesn’t give the ball away as much as Mo Salah. But it’s a little blip that Liverpool are in. This time next week, if they beat Man United 5-0, which could happen, you’d say Liverpool are back.

If Man United went there and got the result, then you’d really worry for Liverpool. I think right now you start to play your way in the title race because they’re still in it. They’re only one point behind Arsenal at the moment, so they’re still in it. It just feels like a mini crisis.

Will Crystal Palace be able to demand a high fee for Marc Guéhi in January?

Don: I think they could be in a good position if they want to sell. They won’t be able to demand £35 million if he has six months left on his contract. But Liverpool are struggling now and if they’re still struggling – particularly if Ibrahima Konaté is still looking off the boil – then they will be under pressure to pay up.

It’s worse now because Giovanni Leoni has done his ACL, so in the short term, Guéhi can possibly walk straight into the defence in a way he wasn’t guaranteed in the summer. In the long term, too, he plays on the left of a partnership, which means he can be the ultimate replacement for Virgil van Dijk when the time comes.

He would definitely strengthen Liverpool. He’d make them so much better and much more settled. I think it would give everyone a huge amount of confidence seeing him and Van Dijk at the back.

Would you say more problems have been caused by outgoings than the new signings?

Don: Definitely. Mo Salah’s missing Trent. You know, he’s missing his passes straight into his feet. The forward line, even though some of them hadn’t played with Trent, would benefit hugely from his superb 40, 50-yard diagonal balls over the top, sent forward with precision.

Another player that I think they’re missing massively is Luis Díaz. He scored a good goal against Eintracht Frankfurt. It was typical Díaz. He faced the full-back up, chopped it onto his left foot and stuck the ball in the stanchion. So, I think the players that have been brought in are exceptional players but at the same time, they miss that continuity. They’ve lost some massive players.

Has Slot disappointed in his second season?

Don: No, I wouldn’t say it’s damning. I would say it’s natural because the clubs near to Liverpool have strengthened as well. If Liverpool fans had been offered the chance at this stage of the season to be a point behind Arsenal, in second, you’d take that and fancy your chances.

They’ve got all those new players to gel, the players who have left, and you’re just a point off the lead? Absolutely. But the context now is that they’ve lost three in a week and they’re a team who want to win the title. Any team near them has been buying big: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal, whoever.

It’s a mini crisis amongst the competition they’re facing, but that’s the nature of being a massive club. Given everything that happened this summer, you can’t pin much on Arne Slot.

He massively overachieved last year, because at one point Liverpool were 15 points clear. Last year the competition wasn’t strong enough. Arsenal had injuries left, right and centre. City were way off the mark entering their rebuild. So, it fell for Slot and he did an amazing job last year.

I wouldn’t then say this year, because they’re one point behind Arsenal and everyone strengthened, spending money, that it’s a disaster, I just think this is a test for him. This is a major test now.

The difficulty for Slot is that some of his biggest names aren’t matching the performances of his fringe players. You can’t drop Mo Salah on form at this point. You spent £125m on Alexander Isak but Hugo Ekitiké’s been playing better. Chiesa, on current form, should be starting in some games.

He is in a situation where there are problems on the pitch, but he would have to be so brave to drop a big name to change things up. He really has no option but to ride things out until at least one of Salah and Isak come good.

Do you think Alexander Isak has been unprofessional to be lacking the necessary fitness?

Don: There’s no doubt (that he’s been unprofessional). Alexander Isak should have been more professional over the summer, and he’s paying for it now. He should have seen the bigger picture. Walking away from the training camp was poor in the first place, and then when he came back to Newcastle, he should have thought two things.

One, he was either going to go to Liverpool or stay at Newcastle. So, either way, he needed to be match fit. He shouldn’t have been selfish and trained with Newcastle even if he knew he would force himself out. If the move didn’t happen, he’d then be match fit for Newcastle. It was unprofessional and naive not just to down tools, but to sacrifice his match fitness for whoever he was going to play for.

I think he’s been managed and advised really badly by his agent all summer. It comes down to the player, ultimately. He’s under contract with Newcastle, he owes them fitness and professionalism. Bigger picture, if you end up at Liverpool you have to hit the ground running. Now he’s playing catch-up and it’s because of how he behaved.

Would you drop Jeremie Frimpong for Conor Bradley?

Don: I’d have Bradley starting in the team now, absolutely. I don’t think Frimpong’s current standard gets him anywhere near the first XI for Liverpool. I’ve watched every Liverpool match I could so far this season, and in some matches like the Southampton game, he just kept giving the ball away. Simple passes were going stray, and his confidence is just starting to erode.

He played right wing against Galatasaray, and I think that was Arne Slot experimenting for who steps in for Salah when he’s off at the Africa Cup of Nations. But he struggled then, too. I just think you’re looking at a young player who is struggling for form.

When I watch Liverpool now, I see a team that is so out of sorts that they have to go back to basics. It needs to be Bradley at right-back. On the left, it’s harder to say.

I still rate Andy Robertson but seeing him with his hands on his knees at Chelsea as Estevao scored, I’d think he was a League Two player. I’d love to know what he was thinking when he was taking a breather then. On the left, toss a coin between Kerkez and Robertson, but Bradley has to be starting on the right.

Do you expect Liverpool to move for Marc Guéhi in January?

Don: I think so. I mean it’s a double-edged sword really, because they should have bought him in the summer, hands down. No question, you could have him for six years. They should have paid Palace £50 million, even, and got the job done.

The trouble for Liverpool now is that unless they go really high in January for him, and by that I mean £25-30 million for a player with six months left on his deal, it’s hard. Because Palace might decide that they want to keep hold of him if they’re still in with a shout at European success.

And it’s hard for the player, because at that point he can look at his contract and think maybe he runs it down and see who comes in for him as a free agent, for even bigger wages. You might see Liverpool return, but there’s Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Everyone could be at the table.

So, Liverpool face a conundrum about whether they move for him, and when. And if they do, how much will it cost them?

Who was Liverpool’s biggest loss of the summer?

Don: I’d have to say Trent. I mean Diogo Jota is such a tragic loss. It’s hard to imagine how the players are coping. On the day of the matches, you’re so focused, that it’s maybe easier to get on with life. But even then you imagine they have his shirt in the dressing room. The fans are singing his name on 20 minutes into a match. But away from games, it might even be harder still. Those quiet moments when you’re used to talking to him, or sitting next to him.

I think Van Dijk hinted that the players are finding it as hard off the pitch as they are finding it hard on it. I think we can’t overstate just how much missing Jota will be affecting the players. And on the pitch in terms of sheer ability and importance, they’re crying out for Trent.

Was Wayne Rooney right to question Mo Salah’s work ethic?

Don: I think Wayne’s got a point. But I think Mo Salah over the years, it’s not like he’s never tracked back. He’s always done it, but I think when you look at Liverpool’s average positions last year compared to now, they were 20 yards higher up the pitch, so Mo Salah could close down easier. He’d only have five or 10 yards to close down instead of 15 or 20. You can sprint five or 10 yards as they did under Jürgen Klopp. You can remember when they just smothered Manchester City, but now Liverpool are 20 yards off.

The distances now for everyone are like 30, 40 yards. And closing down, it’s a lot tougher. But Wayne’s got a point. Mo Salah’s always been about the numbers. He’s always been about the goals. He’s always been about the assists. But now I think you’re looking at a player that, with a couple of years left on his contract, wants to try to cement the numbers, to try and break records. Maybe he could do a little bit more.

I think Mo Salah’s morphing into what Ronaldo was towards the latter part of his career. I commentate on Saudi football and watch quite a bit of him. All the players like João Félix, Sadio Mané, or Kingsley Coman, they all do the work for him. They all run for him and he’s the one that’s bagging close to a thousand goals.

Newcastle

Is Nick Woltemade better than you had anticipated?

Don: He’s been amazing. I think it took a few weeks to get him integrated, because of course he’s different from Isak. Isak, he has the pace to run in behind, he’s got a trick in his locker, and he can get the ball out from under his feet to score.

Woltemade is more of a link-up player. He can get the ball out wide for crosses into the box, but he has the size that means he can then be a threat in the air. He has proved that already, but his hold-up play has been exceptional. Eddie Howe will think he’s solved a couple of players already with him.

For the rest of the setup, he needs to get Elanga firing on the right-hand side, Gordon on the left. That gives you genuine pace.

Then the midfield three takes care of itself. Woltemade is a different type of player, but he can perform a similar role to Roberto Firmino at Liverpool. When he was making everything click with Mané and Salah. They wouldn’t have half their goals if it wasn’t for him, and Woltemade can make Newcastle hum.

Do you think Bayern Munich are jealous to have missed out on him? Can you remember a club being this bitter about missing out on a player?

Don: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, he’s way off the mark with those comments. He’s a guy with an important role to play at Bayern Munich. They tried to sign Nick Woltemade at least twice, and so I have no idea why he’s talking like that about him now. Apart from being bitter, why is someone in that position talking in such a way about another player?

He’s German, too, so it makes no sense to attack a player from your own country. What can you criticise Newcastle for exactly? Paying the asking price? Really, it’s a massive compliment that Newcastle are willing to pay up for him, and with his performances and goals so far, he’s ramming it down their throats. It was an awful thing to say.

It was exceptionally salty and bitter, and completely unnecessary.

What are Yoane Wissa’s chances of regular football now?

Don: I’m fascinated to see where Wissa lands, in terms of his starting position. While Newcastle are in domestic cups, Premier League and the Champions League, he’s obviously going to get his game time. He will be looking for at least 20 games a season, and with his injury, that’s not a bad start.

But if he wants to kick on, then he needs to prove himself after his injury. Lots of players expect things to be gift-wrapped for them these days, but he’s gone to a big club, so now he has to earn his spot. Prove yourself that you’re fit enough. Prove yourself that you’re good enough.

When you play either reserve team football to try and get into the first team football, or when you get a chance in a cup, prove yourself that you’re good enough to get in the 11.

Is Tino Livramento now a better right-back than Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Don: I’ve seen that suggestion before, but I can’t agree. Trent Alexander-Arnold is still the best. Apart from Hakimi at Paris Saint-Germain, Trent is probably the next best right-back in the world. He’d be in the conversation to be No. 1, too.

I think when we look back at him after he retires, we’ll realise we were blessed, that we got to see a genuine world-class player. It’s the reason why Real Madrid wanted him, because he was smashing assist records at Liverpool.

People latch onto his lack of defending nous, but Arne Slot had improved him a little. I think as well, for all the rancour of his departure, if Liverpool fans were asked if they wanted him back, they’d find it impossible to say no. They’d snap your hands off.

Can they beat Benfica in the next round?

Don: Every chance. Newcastle proved again that they’re good enough when they beat Union Saint Gilloise. They took control of the game and beat them.

Now, Benfica are obviously a better side, but it’s a home game for Newcastle, and with their fans, they can beat anyone. I’d back them against anyone 99 percent of the time at home. I remember PSG going there in the Champions League and Newcastle put four past them – it could have been seven. It was an eye-opener for Luis Enrique, he got his tactics all wrong and Newcastle wiped the floor with them.

I’ve seen them beat Liverpool and City at home, they’ve beaten United, and smashed Spurs by six. Newcastle at home are a different animal. They’re a team on the front foot and they’re dangerous. The crowd demands they play aggressively and they respond to it. The test for Newcastle is when they play away from home more than being troubled by Benfica when they come to visit.

Sunderland

How important is it to both sides to be the winner in the first derby of the season?

Don: Winning the first one this season will be massive for either side. When it comes to football, almost everyone in Sunderland hates Newcastle, and vice versa. When you go to a workplace, you’ll get a 50-1 split in supporters, so bragging rights mean everything.

In Liverpool, it’s closer to 50-50 because the city has two sides. In Newcastle and Sunderland, they all back their own. So, when you’re the single fan in an office or a factory, and you know you’re going to get it if you lose, the match means so much. The first derby of the season can set the tone for the rivalry this year.

What sets the Tyne and Wear derby apart from other local rivalries?

Don: There’s just pure, unadulterated hatred. The two sets of fans just hate each other, and I love that. There’s nothing wrong with it. They have one club for their own city.

I know that Newcastle fans loved it when Sunderland got relegated, and trust me, I understand the joy fans take, but I think football is better for all of them when the North East is strong. You want Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough all duking it out in the top flight. It’s the healthiest thing for the club and region.

There’s loads of drama in the games. It’s hostile, atmospheric, full of hatred and intensity. They’re brilliant to play in and I love them.

West Ham

Is Nuno the right manager for the current squad?

Don: To be honest, the current West Ham squad is one of the worst they’ve had for years. Graham Potter was given an awful squad to do something with, and now it’s Nuno’s problem.

Fundamentally, the owners need to take a serious look at themselves. In my opinion, they need to back the manager with top class players. Second of all, the owners – and I know this will never happen – need to give the club their own stadium, a home.

It’s desperately sad seeing it as a former West Ham player, but renting an athletics stadium after moving away from their own ground is a dreadful thing.

Manchester United would never move out from Old Trafford just to rent a stadium. Liverpool wouldn’t do that at Anfield, and Newcastle wouldn’t either. For some reason, the owners felt it was acceptable at West Ham. I can only see them repeating their problems with managers until they build the club a stadium.

Is now the time for the current owners to sell up?

Don: I think it’s time they sell up. I think David Sullivan and Karren Brady are focused on making money more than they are focused on doing what is best for West Ham. They will not build the fans a home. How can a football club not have a home? They should figure out how to build a stadium and give the club a legacy to build on from their ownership.

Daniel Levy, for all his critics, he has given Tottenham one of the world’s best training facilities and a great new stadium. That’s a real legacy. What has David Sullivan got? He delivered a Conference League trophy, but that tournament wasn’t even in existence when he promised European success, so the bar must have been higher? It’s an achievement, but he can’t suggest it’s the same thing, or what he meant.

I’ve met David Sullivan a couple of times before, and if I met him again, I’d implore him to give the fans a stadium of their own. The supporters who have been with them for decades, they need that.

Scottish Premier League

Steven Gerrard is reportedly willing to return to Rangers if he is backed in the market – is he the right man to step in?

Don: I would like to think that Rangers can back Steven Gerrard in the market if he joins. I think he’s definitely the right man. He won the title with them in exceptionally impressive circumstances. He has a connection with the fans, which is vital.

Russell Martin seemed to have no connection from day one with the supporters. They didn’t warm to him or his style. They didn’t buy his press conferences. He’d say things like they were the better side and started well, like against Genk, but they were one-nil down. Genk had a shot cleared off the line, one off the crossbar, one disallowed by VAR.

They were struggling, and he claimed Rangers started the game really well. But they didn’t, and you can’t try to convince Rangers fans they’re watching a different game from the one that happened.

I think Stevie G would be an amazing appointment, and he should have got the gig in the first place. It would change the whole mood of the place, lift the mentality of one side of Glasgow. If he goes back, and I hope he does, it’d be a great fit.

Do Celtic’s board lack ambition because Rangers aren’t a threat?

Don: I think that could be the mentality that Scottish football has found itself in. I think the board at Celtic will question why they spend big when they see what’s happening at Rangers and think they can win the league without too much hassle. They can see Rangers are nowhere near them. That can then have a snowball effect, because it can only go on for so long before another club springs up.

Look at Hearts this season, they might catch Celtic up. They’re sitting top, so they might even overtake them in the league this season. It can be detrimental to Celtic that they go to European games and always get beaten. The whole state of Scottish football needs to get better.

Can you understand why the Celtic fans are angry? They look a million miles away from the team that was competing in the Champions League last year and have record profits – £80m – that wasn’t used wisely in the summer. Are they right to question the board’s ambition?

Don: I don’t get the sense that Celtic fans are frustrated with Brendan in the same way Rangers’ fans had a problem with Russell Martin. The frustration is with the board, for selling players and not spending enough to replace them. They don’t think the club is as strong as it should be.

It’s damning of Scottish football. You look at the two biggest clubs, and while they dominate at home almost all of the time, they can’t compete at all in Europe. Celtic win a load of trophies and they’re a force in Scotland, but they struggle on the continent.

The fans are seeing a club in decline, and they’re worried where they are headed if things carry on in the same direction for a couple more years. The club will be worse off for it.

Brendan always seems to want money for signings, but is he right to be so demanding when you look at his recent record in the market? The Adam Idah deal being one of several failed transfers?

Don: I think when they brought Adam Idah in, they were aware that they weren’t buying a top-class No. 9. They were compromising, and actually he’s done quite well.

It’s like Rangers, they spent £10 million on Youssef Chermiti, an Everton reserve. That’s not the market they should be in. That’s not the market Celtic should be in. They should be identifying top young talent, or older players who can still do a job.

That’s the way they need to go. By going for Premier League team reserves or Championship players, it doesn’t really make Scottish football any better.

Is there a chance that Rodgers could grow frustrated enough with the board in January that he resigns?

Don: We’ve seen it before when he left for Leicester, and it could happen again. I wonder where the appropriate spot for Brendan is next, so maybe he takes some time out while the Premier League opens itself up at one club or another. The other option is that he goes abroad.

Brendan strikes me as a really intelligent man, and he’s a very good coach who knows the game. He might want to try his hand at something different. I think it’s a positive for British football that coaches are willing to leave here and look elsewhere for other opportunities to develop.

I think he might be suited to Serie A, one of the best leagues around, and maybe Spain could be the right place for him. He could go and experience another culture, a different language and lifestyle.

Maybe we’ve seen it before when he took the Leicester job. I just wonder where the London spot is for Brendan. Unless he wants to take some time out, unless he wants something abroad.

He might think Spain, he might think something different. Go and enhance a different culture, different language, different lifestyle. He might do it. Wouldn’t put it past me.

Might he be a potential replacement for Ruben Amorim?

Don: Not a chance. I mean, I can remember when Everton made one of their worst decisions in their recent history and they appointed Rafa Benítez as the Everton manager. I thought it was crazy at the time, because it was inevitable he was going to get the sack. It was never going to work – he called Everton a small club when he was Liverpool manager.

Then Moshiri decided he was the right man, and I couldn’t believe it. It’s the same for Brendan at United, it would just never work. The fans wouldn’t take to him, they’d be ready to turn hostile from the off. There would be no feel-good factor at all.

No slight against Brendan, but he’s managed Liverpool, and for that reason alone, United should not go anywhere near him. It’s not that it just wouldn’t work. It’s that it would be a disaster.

Sheffield United

Do you think Chris Wilder has been given a hospital pass?

Don: Wilder is a Blade, so it’s a job he’s never going to turn down. I think he has to take it. Right now, it’s a club that needs stability. I feel desperately sorry for Chris. He got something like 100 points last season, joint third, and missed out on promotion on goal difference. Then he gets sacked, it’s crazy.

They realised their mistake already, and he’s back now. The club’s hierarchy have blundered by sacking a manager they shouldn’t have. It’s like Nottingham Forest and Nuno. Sacking him was a ludicrous decision, and look where they are now.

Wilder is the perfect man to get them settled and back into mid-table. They can kick on from next year and push again higher up the table.

Can Chris Wilder trust the board?

Don: I’m sure there’s at least an element of doubt for Wilder now. There’s probably a voice in one ear worried that the sack is coming the next time there’s a blip, while the other will be thinking he’s got a chance to put things right if they give him backing in the market.

He’ll want more power and influence to get rid of the deadwood. He’ll know who they are, because he will have identified them last year, and will have four or five players he will want out, and the same again to bring in. Some of the players at the club will be sad to see him back!

But it means that he knows what the problems are and he can act quickly to solve them.

Coventry

Are they now favourites to go up?

Don: Right now, they look like the favourites. What a job he’s done, into this season and after last year. Frank Lampard’s efforts last year were just phenomenal. He got them up out of the bottom three and in contention to go up to the Premier League.

They’re top of the Championship, record scorers, hitting teams with four, five, six goals and they’re entertaining everyone. He’s showing what a good manager he can be. People might seem to say then that he’s found his level, but you can only work at the teams you are given. He’s been amazing this season, no doubt.

Do you think a PL job could tempt him away at this stage or will he want to get the job done?

Don: I think he can only impress with the teams he gets the chances at. From what I heard, I think he fell out with some senior players at Everton, and I think that happened at Chelsea too. I think a young manager can try to stamp their authority and it doesn’t always work. You can try to create a younger culture and that doesn’t always work.

So, Frank might have learned some lessons along the way. He might have learned some man-management lessons at Chelsea and Everton.

I think he fell out with Doucouré and dropped him, sending him to the reserves. Then Sean Dyche brought him back and he did well. If he gets a new job at a bigger club down the line, he might treat the older players differently in future.

Everton

Is Jack Grealish at the right club for him at last?

Don: A million percent. Right now, we are seeing a player who is just loving his football. He’s probably in the best headspace he has been for years.

He’s playing well, and all players really want is to be playing well and regularly. It’s not rocket science. Give a player games, tell him he’s loved, give him a free role. Tell him he’s the best player at the club and he has the keys to Hill Dickinson Stadium. Tell Jack he’s the main man and he can be a maverick again. That’s all he wanted to be.

When we look back at his career, apart from that last year at City which was quite sour, you can look at the bigger picture. He’s winning the league, winning trebles. He was amazing for City at times and what a career.

At Everton, despite all he did at City, he’s gone to another level. This is the best place for him, and I’m sure he and his agent will be hoping to convince David Moyes and Everton to make the deal permanent.

Should Grealish have been called up to the England squad?

Don: I think Jack summed it up well recently in an interview. He said people are overthinking it. He knows other players are in the same form he is, and that Thomas Tuchel is sticking with the players who played well for him already. This continuity with the same group makes sense for England.

He left out Bellingham, left out Foden, Wharton and Grealish. But Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who’s not played loads for AC Milan, is still in. I think Jack would love to be back in the squad, but I don’t think it will be bothering him too much right now.

Scotland

What are the targets for the international break?

Don: I think they need to win the next two games. They had a great start, getting a good draw at Denmark with a clean sheet, nil-nil. Then they beat Belarus, another away game. So now they have Greece and Belarus at home, and you could be looking at four games unbeaten before the next Greece game.

They should be unbeaten and they should be looking to qualify top of the group. Denmark are pretty strong, but to go there and get a draw was very good. It’s that old thing about being a Scotland fan though. Where’s the bump in the road?

Just win the game against Greece and they’re in a brilliant position. A loss would be devastating because after all the hard work of going to Denmark, they need to keep that momentum and optimism. It’s a must-win, almost, because three points set them up for a strong run in the rest of the matches.

Can you understand Lawrence Shankland’s absence from Scotland’s international squad?

Don: Honestly, I don’t get it. Not with the form he’s in. He’s got something like four in seven and his team are top of the league. The numbers he has put up over the years at Hearts is pretty good.

The one area Scotland is lacking is up front, they need a good goalscorer. Guys like Billy Gilmour, Andy Robertson, Scott McTominay and others like Kieran Tierney, they’re strong in defence and midfield. They have decent wide players and No. 10s, with Ryan Christie too, but they need someone in good form up top.

When you’re scoring for your club and you go on international duty, it’s so much easier to take that form into the national side. You have that confidence, so I wonder why he’s not been called up.

Millwall

Do you expect Millwall to be challenging for a place in the play-offs this year?

Don: I hope they do it. I didn’t have a great time there. I was from West Ham and they hated me for it, and I couldn’t stand it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame them at all, but it was the worst move I made in my life.

I’ve got no hostility towards them, but that’s just how a career is sometimes.

Alex Neil, I see him bringing stability, the run of results they’ve been on now mean that promotion is possible. Why not? The Championship is a crazy league, because if you put a run together you shoot up the table. If you lose, there’s another game in three days’ time and you can get three points right away and put the defeat out of your mind. Any side could beat you, but it means that you can beat anyone too.

So if Millwall put a run together, they can ride it as far as possible.

Luton Town

Having been at Luton in the past, how do you view the club’s strategy for dealing with relegation and maintaining long-term stability?

Don: I know Gary Sweet and the club’s higher-ups, and they want the best for the club. They always have done. When you’re riding high, it’s harder to prepare for the disappointments that might come.

They’ve done a terrific job to get them out of administration, back when I was there a long time ago, and it was amazing to get them into the Premier League. The odds were stacked against them to stay up, but I think they needed a contingency plan for relegation. The worst thing that can happen is back-to-back relegations, and they needed to avoid that above all else.

Fans hate it, but when you go down from the Premier League, I think it’s sensible just to hold steady. Make sure you don’t tumble down any further. Collect the parachute payments and then see how things look after a couple of years.

Stability is key in the Championship. Now if they go down, it’s a real disaster, because they’re almost back where they started a couple of decades ago.

Premier League

Do you think Ruben Amorim will see out the calendar year?

Don: It feels to me like I’m watching Erik ten Hag all over again. It’s like if he loses the next two games, he’s sacked. But then he wins the game against Sunderland, which they were always going to, and he’s safe again. But then they face Liverpool. A heavy defeat there and he’s under pressure again, close to the edge.

He’ll have to go from game to game, always unsure of his future. A couple of wins, a couple of losses. Does it keep him in a job until the end of the year? Right now, I’d guess so.

Unless they lose to a really small team, a new boy, I think he survives. If he’d lost to Sunderland after Brentford, that might have been it, heading into the international break. I think he’ll scrape through.

Who is your pick to replace Ruben Amorim?

Don: I always thought Thomas Frank was the man for the job, but now he’s gone to Tottenham that’s not likely to happen if Amorim is sacked any time soon.

I think Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth would want a chance, and would back himself to do well there. He’s the standout candidate in the Premier League.

I think that a left-field appointment would be Gareth Southgate. I think he’s the candidate who could settle things down. United fans might find him a bit bland, but that kind of manager might just be what they need at this point.

Some stability, in my opinion, is key now. They need someone who knows the game. They need to be prepared for someone to say it might get worse before it gets better, and who can ride that out.

They can say look, we have Cunha, Bruno, Šeško and Mbuemo. They should have got Emi Martínez or Gianluigi Donnarumma in the summer, and they should have bought Adam Wharton or Carlos Baleba instead of another No. 10. I think recruitment needs to be a lot better. I think they don’t necessarily need a manager to be there for years and years, but two or three seasons to settle things down.

They have Berrada and Wilcox in place, and they need to recruit better. They needed a top-class goalkeeper and midfielder more than three attacking players. I mean, I think they didn’t really need Šeško when they could have given Højlund more of a chance, and he’s banging them in for Napoli now. There’s just no joined-up thinking at the club.

What’s your early verdict on Viktor Gyökeres at Arsenal? Do you think he will come good or is he looking like a big money flop?

Don: I thought it was always going to be tough for him. He’s 27, in his prime. I think that the Arsenal side now just have an amazing starting XI. But then my eyes shifted to the bench, and he could change all three of his midfielders without really getting weaker at all. He had Calafiori for Lewis-Skelly, and they just seem so strong. It’s their job to create chances for Gyökeres and he’s leading the line.

You might not see him hit 20 or 25 goals this season, but he can be vital to the attacking play. If he helps them win the league and only scores 15, but Eze, Saka and Martinelli all get 10 or 15 themselves, we can consider the signing a success. Winning the league is what matters for him, and the club.

Is there a club/player/manager who stands out as the biggest disappointment of the campaign so far?

Don: I think you’d have to look at Liverpool first of all, because after winning the title last season and going unbeaten at the start of this campaign, they just then fell off a cliff.

They’ve got loads of work to do now. Everything needs to be improved, individuals need to get back in control. Florian Wirtz and Isak are hundred-million-pound players and they need to start looking like it. They need goals from Salah and Ekitiké and they need all their stars to fit into a system and a formation. I think they’d be the biggest disappointment.

West Ham have been awful too, but they have a bad squad, so expectations were low. So, it’s Liverpool right now.

Which players have impressed him so far this season?

Don: I think you’d have to look at some of the provincial clubs like Bournemouth, Antoine Semenyo is outstanding at the moment.

I read his backstory yesterday. He’s been released from nearly every London football club by the age of about 15 or 16. He thought about giving in because he thought he wasn’t good enough. Then he got his chance at Bristol and came back again, and proved his worth. Only went to Bournemouth for 10 million pounds. Outstanding.

At Crystal Palace, one of my favourite teams to watch, I commentated on their game against Dynamo Kyiv in the Conference League, and literally you could pick any of their players. The beauty of Palace is you could pick any player and fall in love with them.

Daniel Muñoz is a workaholic. He’s got a great appetite for the game. Wharton’s a £100 million pound player. Marc Guéhi, just a Rolls Royce.

When I watched Liverpool play against Palace, Konaté looked ragged, his shirt was untucked, and he’s bent over. He was sweating and he was struggling. Guéhi on the other hand, shirt tucked in, socks up, looked immaculate. Just played the game so easily. Left foot, right food, finding the midfielders. Jean-Philippe Mateta is exceptional. Loads of good players.

At the big clubs, Erling Haaland is the obvious one, because he’s just banging in goals. Outside the big clubs, the huge clubs, I’d give Semenyo and then the players at Palace their dues.

England

Has Thomas Tuchel already got his favourites?

Don: I think Tuchel has got himself into a situation where he is making decisions based on what is best for harmony in the squad.

There are rumbles that Jude Bellingham’s behaviour hasn’t been great in previous camps. Tuchel will think he has two more camps after this one and then we’re into the World Cup, so he’s looking for a stable foundation to take into the tournament.

That’s why Jordan Henderson will be in the squad, because he’ll keep the standards up for players off the pitch. Getting them to meetings and managing the discipline within the squad. It’s the same for Harry Kane, Declan Rice and others. So, Bellingham will need to fall into line if he wants his place back. If he doesn’t, I think Tuchel will keep him on the sidelines.

What do you make about the rumours over the Bellingham family?

Don: I don’t think it’s been especially clever. Jude and Jobe’s dad isn’t making great headlines, and he shouldn’t be having any influence on selection at Borussia Dortmund. He won’t get the chance at Real Madrid, they won’t let him anywhere near the tunnel. They’ll send him on his way.

It seems he tried to interfere for Jobe when he was taken off. If it was my dad, I’d be begging him to stay away, to not get in the way of my career. The headlines aren’t great, and the stories say his dad doesn’t speak too well to journalists. You wonder how healthy the relationship is. Having your say when there are contracts to be had is one thing, but not on-the-pitch matters. I think it’s really poor behaviour.

Why is Xabi Alonso not picking Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Don: At Real Madrid there’s always a power struggle. There’s always something internal. And Carvajal has power at the Bernabéu, we’ve seen that over the years.

You’ve seen it a million times at Real where there are politics at play. Carvajal right now is going to get the nod to start, and that’s probably why Xavi is playing three at the back with Carvajal, so he can free up a spot on the right of defence for Trent as a wing-back. It gets them both in the team.

I think though that ultimately, it’s the same as any player at a new club. You need to work. Now that he’s injured, he needs to get back to fitness and show what he can do. I hope it works, because a scenario where it doesn’t work will be a huge disappointment. I think he’ll be fine in the long run, because Carvajal can’t go on forever. He’s going to have to produce the goods though, he’s at the biggest club in the world. But he’s good enough to do it.

Final Word

Our thanks to Don Hutchison for sharing his analysis and opinions, focusing on clubs that he’ll always cherish, plus his broader insights on English and Scottish football.