Manchester United legend outlines the challenges facing Ruben Amorim in a withering assessment of his former club and explains why Roy Keane would be the one former teammate he would drop into the current United squad to fix leadership problems.
During an exclusive interview with Yay Sweepstakes, Silvestre also discusses the differences between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, playing alongside both Ronaldos and David Beckham at 50.
Premier League observations
Q: Who’s been the best player in the Premier League this season and what makes them so good?
Mikael Silvestre: “The best player in the Premier League this season has been Mohamed Salah. His capacity to score, to assist, to create danger has been phenomenal.
“He’s been phenomenal since he joined Liverpool, his body of work as a player has been magnificent, but this season it looks like he’s taken his game up a level and I think that’s a credit to him because his standard was already so high anyway.”
Q: When you’re watching Mo play this year, because there’s all of the doubts around his contract, are you seeing a guy that wants to – if it were to be his final season with Liverpool – just kind of go out on a high?
Mikael Silvestre: “I think the number one motivation for Mo Salah is delivering for Liverpool and the objective is to win them the League Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League.
“I think that the Ballon d’Or is secondary for Salah, his main focus is about as winning as many trophies for his club as possible. All he wants to do is bring the Premier League title back to Anfield, that’s motivation enough.
“If the individual awards like the Ballon d’Or follow, then that would be the icing on the cake for Salah.”
Q: Who are the young players based on what you’ve seen this season that are destined to blossom into stars over the next couple of years?
Mikael Silvestre: “I’ve been very impressed with Savinho at Manchester City. He’s only 20 years old. He’s doing extremely well. He’s not playing all the games for City, but I think he’s a threat and I wouldn’t like to face him because he’s super sharp and tricky. I think he’s one that will grow into the league and become a major player over the next few years.”
Q: Who has been the best defender in the Premier League this season?
Mikael Silvestre: “There’s no doubt that Virgil van Dijk has been the best defender in the Premier League this season. He’s back to his imperious best this year. I can’t see any weaknesses in his game. He’s been very impressive.”
“Even before a game, you’re seeing strikers looking at him thinking, ‘wow, how am I going to get any change out of this guy today?’ In many ways, he’s got that presence where the striker almost feels beaten before he takes to the grass.”
“He’s on top of everything. He has mastered every part of the game. A lot of the time you have midfield players who have the capacity to dictate the play and set the tempo, and that is what Van Dijk does – he runs the game from the back and sets Liverpool on their way.
“He’s so calm. He brings so much composure to Liverpool’s play.”
Q: Have there been any left backs that have caught your eye this season and who would you consider the best in the Premier League?
Mikael Silvestre: “No, I don’t there has been an outstanding left back in the Premier League this season because, if you look at the top clubs, you don’t see anybody that is head and shoulders above the rest.
“People are talking about Antonee Robinson having a good season for Fulham, but I watched him last against United. I wasn’t really that impressed – his game is pretty one-dimensional.
“Andy Robertson, he might get into the Premier League team of the year, even though he’s not having his best season for Liverpool.
“I’m sure if you asked him, he would say this hasn’t been my best season for Liverpool.”
Q: On the other side of the coin, who’s been the player that you’ve expected more from in the Premier League this season?
Mikael Silvestre: “I’ve expected more from Phil Foden this season. He was the best player in the Premier League last season. It looks like, after the Euros, it’s been difficult for him to replicate what he’s done. He is really the one player that you would expect more from because of how good we all know he can be.
“Foden hasn’t been making his mark this season.”
Q: For the last couple of years, William Saliba has been the top French CB in the Premier League, has his crown been nicked off him from Ibrahima Konate this year?
Mikael Silvestre: “I still think that William Saliba is a little bit further ahead in his development than Ibrahima Konate. The gap between the players has got smaller, Konate is going to win a Premier League title this season, but Saliba is the more complete defender.
“Also, Konate hasn’t played as much football this season as Saliba. He missed a period of games with an injury, so Saliba is still the main man when it comes to French defenders in the Premier League.
“Like Saliba, sometimes Konate makes little mistakes. I think Saliba, when you consider the amount of games that he’s played, and the fact that he has been performing at a very high level with Arsenal for three seasons now – he’s been very consistent – then he’s above him.”
Q: It’s all getting a bit congested from Forest down – who are you putting in the top four this season?
Mikael Silvestre: “The top three, I think, are Liverpool, Arsenal, and City. Let’s see who finishes fourth and fifth, but I would say it’s going to be between Chelsea and Forest.
“It’s a close race because Nottingham Forest have done really well this season.
“Chelsea have been inconsistent, so it’s hard to choose between Chelsea and Forest in regard to who will finish in the top four.
“It will be those five teams that are up there. It looks like fifth place may be enough to get into the Champions League this season too.”
Mikael’s career
Q: What was the biggest difference between Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger?
Mikael Silvestre: “The major one would be the game management, the aftermath of a result.
“When a game had finished, and we were back in the dressing room, Sir Alex would give his view. Basically, if everything was perfect and we won, he wouldn’t say anything other than well done lads, you did your jobs today. His communication was very simple.
“If we would win and play badly, He would address the points where he wanted to see improvement with the players firmly. His feedback on where we could improve or what individual players needed to work on was instant, right after the whistle.
“Whereas Arsene would wait the following day or the day after if the team had a day off.
“He would study the game and then deliver his assessment on what went wrong or what went right at the training ground. He liked to analyse the details before he spoke to his players, and he would always do it in a calm way.”
Q: What advice do you have for Patrick Dorgu? He’s had an up and down start to his United career?
Mikael Silvestre: “I had a good start to my United career, a solid debut, but then I had a bad game at Old Trafford. I lost the ball at the back, the opponent scores and I received the hairdryer treatment.
“The only thing you can do really when you’re under pressure as a player or in the spotlight; when you’ve made mistakes, and this is valid for any player at any age, you need to focus on the basics and work hard on them every day.
“You keep it simple as a player. You win your challenges. Make sure your first touch is top, your first pass to a teammate is accurate. You set the tone for your game and that’s it.
“Patrick Dorgu’s 20, he’s young, but he’s been playing professionally for quite some time, so no doubt he will have some confidence in the bank. When you have a tough time, you always have to go back to basics. Make sure you do the simple things properly and then the rest will follow.”
Q: If you could pick one former teammate in their prime as a player and drop them into this United team, who would it be and why?
Mikael Silvestre: “This Manchester United team are missing and need a leader like Roy Keane. He hated losing more than he wanted to win and right now the team is conceding too many goals. I think we are talking about simple defending and principles and there is a lack of it.
“I think he would be the former teammate that I would choose to put in the current Manchester United starting line-up. This United team needs a player that can guide some of the players, that could speak his mind, let them understand what the standards are at a club like Manchester United.
“Roy would be a brilliant communicator; he would show his leadership and his never-say-die mentality.
“There are so many doubts in this team. There isn’t a player that is able to show these guys the way. At the moment, there is nobody that is able to guide the players and nobody is taking charge of the team.
“A time machine would be good for sure.”
Mikael’s former teammates
Q: Is it impossible for a guy like Roy Keane who can be so outspoken and critical to have a role in the modern game because of how football has changed?
Mikael Silvestre: “Everyone knows the situation the club is in. Former players, like myself, experts that write about and watch the game, we can all see the problems. When ex-players speak in the media, it seems like people at the club are more concerned about what we say than what they have to do to improve things.
“For most ex-players, a lot of the United legends, this is the job now: we commentate, we analyse the games. We have to tell the people what we can see.
“If you’re a player in this United squad, you need to realise that there is a reason that you’re being criticised. You need to be strong enough to accept the criticism.
“Successful football teams all pull in the same direction. As a collective, you want to feel strong as a group and then you don’t pay attention to the noise from the outside.
“I don’t think the United group is strong. It’s weird that every time the formers players speak, there are problems.
“Roy is honest. He’s not shy to share his opinion on Manchester United.
“On Sunday night, it was Wayne Rooney who criticised Ruben Amorim and called him naïve for saying he wanted to win the Premier League, and that was the story that dominated things after the game. The truth is, when you listen to what Wayne said, if you look at his entire analysis, he’s been kind to Amorim.
“I think it would be great for Roy Keane to play a role at Manchester United. Because, the thing is with Roy, he always treated everybody exactly the same way. It didn’t matter if you were a new signing, an old guy, the manager, everybody. That’s how he got respect. That’s how Sir Alex got respect.
“If you treat everybody the same, no problem. Now, it’s true you have players, and as soon as you say something to them, they don’t collapse, but it affects them much more. We used to have thicker skin.
“I saw Joshua Zirkzee apologising on social media about missing his penalty against Fulham. So you missed a penalty – you didn’t kill anybody! There is no need for that. Plus, he had a good game, so don’t blame yourself, it happens. I can remember when Paul Scholes missed a penalty in the FA Cup final (2005) and we lost to Arsenal, he was one of the best players of his generation, but he didn’t apologise because that can happen in professional sport. You have to accept it and bounce back.
“I think it’s a bit of a problem with this generation of players. They find criticism harder to take.
“If Roy Keane was involved at Manchester United, if he was on the inside with the group, he would have to protect and work for the group, you wouldn’t see him criticising players in public, so there wouldn’t be any issue.”
Q: Are you surprised by Cristiano Ronaldo’s desire and durability as he recently celebrated his 40th birthday?
Mikael Silvestre: “To be honest, I’m jealous because I should have carried on. Good for him. I’m super happy for him.
“I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be at the next World Cup. That would be fantastic. And he fully deserves it because it’s down to him, all this hard work.
“Everybody is seeing the goals. Everybody is seeing the work rate. He deserves so much credit for still being able to operate at this level.”
Q: I saw that Ronaldo said he wanted to own a giant club and sees his future more in the boardroom than on the grass – would you like to see him back at United in the future as some kind of executive role? Should he buy a stake in the club?
Mikael Silvestre: “From what Ronaldo’s given the game of football, when he does decide to stop playing, and only he will decide that, then I think he would have so much to offer.
“If there is the desire and the capacity and the devotion to do it, I’m sure Cristiano Ronaldo could add value to any club in any role.
“He’s come out and said that he wants to be involved in more of an executive level. United could do with some of his wisdom and advice at the board level, that’s for sure.”
Q: Not many players had the privilege to play with both Ronaldos! Who was the more difficult opponent in training?
Mikael Silvestre: “Cristiano, for sure, was tough to mark because he was super-fast. He had a lot of tricks. I’m going to put Ronaldo El Fenomeno a little bit above him though, because he would always find a solution to get out of a tight space and find a way to get a shot on target.
“You know, it’s the levels of creativity and execution at high speed. I’ve never seen another player be able to do what he could do.
“In training at Inter Milan, I was always conflicted when I had to try and stop him because he was such a pleasure to watch with the ball, he’d be giving me a hard time in training, but at the same time, I also enjoyed watching him. Every training session, if I had to face him, it’s almost like you’re in a Champions League final, so that was amazing.”
David Beckham at 50
Q: David Beckham’s 50th birthday is coming up soon, what’s your favourite memory of playing with him at Manchester United?
Mikael Silvestre: “When I think about David Beckham, my main memory of him is that he was always a very good teammate, and a good person to be around – he was a great person to have in the dressing room. Well-behaved, hard worker. That’s it, just friendly with everyone.
“On Beckham, people don’t realise how fit Beckham was, he did so many miles. I can remember one pre-season where him and Dwight Yorke were the last men standing on a bleep test.
“I’m super fit but these guys, I don’t know what they did in the holidays. Becks finished the tape – he ran out of bleeps! There wasn’t a higher level to go to. His fitness was unbelievable.
“It was a great squad to be part of. We all competed with each other. We all liked the challenge of being the best.”
Q: Were you in the dressing room when he got hit by the boot from Sir Alex in 2003? What are your memories of what happened, how shocked were you?
Mikael Silvestre: “It was a great kick from Sir Alex (laughs)! When I first joined, he was in a rondo, in a warm-up, he’d take penalties. He was yelling at Becks when he kicked the boot. It was unfortunate when as it caused an injury, he didn’t mean to hurt Becks. But it happened, a small scratch. It was a very accurate kick.
“At the time it was super electric. It was pretty bad to be honest.”
Man Utd
Q: It’s been a really challenging season for Manchester United.
Mikael Silvestre: “I think he could have changed his system a little bit. We know that he wants to play a 343, we know that he was incredibly successful at Sporting Lisbon playing that system, but I think he should have also realised that he doesn’t have the perfect squad to implement his preferred tactics and tweaked things a little bit.
“If we talk about the best managers or the top managers, they are able to switch from a back three to a back four or they change the formation completely.
“In modern football, you need to be flexible. You need to be able to adapt to injuries, and sometimes you have to adapt to an opponent that is superior to you, and when that happens, you normally want to match their system and focus on winning individual battles. I would have liked to have seen him show a little bit more tactical flexibility and given a few other approaches a go.
“I don’t think the team would play worse if they were playing in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. Because we haven’t seen any improvement in the relationship between the players since Amorim has come in. The flow of the game is not there, the confidence of the players is not there, and that is a recipe for disaster because the mistakes start to stack up as the pressure builds. You can see that in every United performance at the moment, simple passes going astray.
“Against Fulham, technically, that first half performance was a disaster.”
Q: What are the silver-linings for you since Amorim has come in?
Mikael Silvestre: “Bruno is committed, he wants to fight. You have players like Amad Diallo, who has been a tremendous and a wonderful player – he has been the breakout star at United this season.
“The emergence of Kobbie Maino is encouraging. Alejandro Garnacho is finding his feet. Mazraoui, I think he’s had a decent first season. Dorgu, let’s wait and see.
“United have players that look like they will be stars in the future. These players are going to hopefully be part of the next generation, Amorim’s first proper team, because at the moment, he’s the manager, but these are not his players. They will all have a role to play next season.
“It’s a big job at United for Amorim in the summer. I think all of the guys I mentioned and can be part of things moving forward, they can be part of the rebuild, but the others need to be improved. A lot of players are going to have to move on from Manchester United this summer.
“It’s not all bad, but you have to look at individuals. The collective is not good enough.”
Q: Has Marcus Rashford’s time at Manchester United come to an end? It must be frustrating to see him leave Old Trafford and start to show signs of his old self at Aston Villa.
Mikael Silvestre: “You have to ask yourself this question: when you see Sancho going to Dortmund and doing really well, when you see a player like Antony, who had a lot of criticism, go to Spain score two goals and register two assists in four games playing for Real Betis, and then you see Marcus performing for Unai Emery…I don’t know what’s happened?
“Is it a coincidence that these players have put better performances in after leaving the club? They are different cases, of course, different managers were involved, but you can still ask the question. It’s weird to see them doing well in different environments.
“For Marcus, you have to know, it is a mixed opinion and I think his situation is a little bit harder because he’s an academy kid, he’s a Mancunian, and all of his family are crazy Manchester United fans. Even his family and friends don’t want to speak about football around him, their faces will say it all. It’s harder for someone like him to shut out the negativity around Manchester United, whereas for some of the others guys, it may be a little bit easier.
“Maybe it’s easier for Marcus to enjoy his football at Aston Villa. By not having the same deep-rooted connection to the club, maybe it’s easier to go come into the training ground with a smile on your face and give a little bit more. At United, I think he was weighed down.
“I’m pleased to see him doing well at Aston Villa. It’s positive and he’s a good person. It’s a shame that it didn’t work out between him and Ruben Amorim.”
Q: How does Amorim turn this around?
Mikael Silvestre: “It’s extremely worrying because you don’t see the light. You don’t see the light on the pitch, you don’t see the light financially because you would want to help the manager as much as you want.
“It’s worrying when you hear that the club would consider selling players like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo – these are the players that you want to keep hold of.
“It’s going to take a long, long time to turn Manchester United around.”
Q: There have been a lot of whispers about Paul Pogba returning to the club. Would you give Pogba a go in March?
Mikael Silvestre: “No, I wouldn’t be tempted to sign Paul Pogba on a free transfer if I was Manchester United. I like Paul a lot but I wouldn’t because it’s going to be expensive and you don’t know physically how long it’s going to take him to get up match fitness.
“Even though he’s been out of the game for 18 months, before his ban, he wasn’t really playing that much at Juventus. He’s had a couple of injuries.
“It’s too big of a risk (to sign Pogba). If you were signing him and he was in peak fitness, he had been playing regular football, with a perfect body and mind, then it would be a no brainer, but, after what he’s been through as well, it’s extremely difficult for him.
“I wouldn’t be in favour of Manchester United bringing him back to the club again.”
Q: With all the cost cutting measure happening at the club, are you worried that Amorim may not be given the chance to make wholesale changes to his squad in the summer and provide the revamp that United needs?
Mikael Silvestre: “When you’re talking about the possibility of selling Mainoo or Garnacho, or your best assets, I’m extremely concerned about the future.
“I’m extremely concerned because when I’ve been playing for teams that are fighting for survival, and it wasn’t often in my career, there are no magic words to make everything better.
“A magic summer doesn’t exist. Next summer Ruben Amorim is not going to build a team that suddenly is going to finish in the top five.
“I have seen nothing from the Manchester United team that gives me the confidence that next season, things will be a lot better. You can’t say that when you look at the performances this season. These players are not going to transform into a team that is ready to challenge for a place in the Champions League after having five weeks on holiday.
“It’s going to take time. Players will have to move on. You need new players that fit into the system.”
Q: What’s the ambition or target for United from now until the end of the season?
Mikael Silvestre: “The target for the remainder of the season has to be to finish as high in the Premier League table as possible. It’s got to be to try and get in the top 10. Top 10 is realistic, but I’m not even sure that will happen. Manchester United are conceding more goals from set pieces than any other team and they’ve been very fragile at home as well.
“When teams come to Old Trafford now, they’re not telling themselves this is going to be tough. They’re thinking, we can have a go and get three points. Not even a draw.
We can get the three points. The dynamic has to change.
“If they can improve and get more clean sheets, because you can only build something positive if you stop leaking goals, hopefully Manchester United can go into next season knowing how to defend. If the can fix the defence, they can then focus on the offensive part of the game. But if they can’t defend properly, they can’t attack properly.”
Man Utd v Real Sociedad
Q: United have a two-leg match coming up against Real Sociedad, what do they need to do to progress?
Mikael Silvestre: “They can create something special in the Europa League. It’s been the one competition that has given the club some respite this season, but just as they could win it, they could just as easily crash out over the next two legs against Real Sociedad.
“If United were able to win it and qualify for the Champions League, that would be good for the club’s finances. If United were in the Champions League next season, they wouldn’t be one of the contenders, they wouldn’t be able to win it, nobody would expect that. With the club’s financial situation, qualifying for that tournament would be very good news indeed.”
Arsenal
Q: Arsenal’s Premier League season is starting to unravel. Is the reason as simple as what most people think: the club’s refusal to sign a striker in the summer or January?
Mikael Silvestre: “Maybe the departure of Edu has been a critical one for Arsenal, because maybe he was the only person that could have either really lent on Mikel Arteta and tod him that he really needs to sign a striker, or perhaps he had the influence to go to the board and say, we need £20 million more to sign Ollie Watkins and we need to do it if we want to have any chance of winning the Premier League.
“Arsenal were in a position to have a real go at Liverpool. They could have put them under serious pressure in the title race and fought them all the way if they had signed a striker – they could have taken it to the wire.
“If Mikel is alone and he can’t push that deal through, then it’s difficult. And then, when your short and you go a trip to Dubai to recharge the batteries, suddenly Havertz is out for the season. It’s really bad luck for Arsenal.
“Saka’s been out for a long time. Odegaard missed a lot of games. They don’t have Martinelli. It’s been a nightmare for Arsenal’s attackers this season.”
Q: The best Arsenal teams always played with flair. This season, have Arsenal sacrificed that to be a bit more solid and is that approach the wrong one?
Mikael Silvestre: “Arsenal have definitely been missing a little bit of a spark this season. Remember, Odegaard was out for three months. Then he comes back, and Saka is out. Let’s say you take Salah and Szoboszlai out of Liverpool, then that’s it, you don’t get the same dynamic and results. It’s part of the competition. You need to stay fit and put out your best 11 as much as possible.
“For Liverpool it’s been unbelievable – they’ve managed to keep all of their best players fit. Arsenal haven’t been able to do that.”
Q: Things are shaping up to be a big summer for Arsenal. Are there any players that you would like to see them bring in?
Mikael Silvestre: “Arsenal should go and get Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon this summer. He is the one player that I would try and break the bank for if I was Mikel Arteta.
“Viktor Gyokeres would be a very good signing for Arsenal.
“He’s powerful, that’s what they’re missing. They don’t have a player like him in their squad. He’s a big physical presence that has had another brilliant season. He’s scored goals at the highest level in the Champions League. As a number 9, he’s got everything that you want. He’s a great finisher.”
Arsenal in the Champions League
Q: Any concerns about the Gunners ability to overcome PSV?
Mikael Silvestre: “I think if they play with the intensity that they are capable of, it will be difficult for PSV to cope with Arsenal over two games.
“Of course, there are problems in the team at the moment, they haven’t scored a goal in their last two games, but they have players that are capable of winning matches in the Champions League.
“They might not hammer PSV, but they are very dangerous from their set plays and maybe that could be a route though the tie for them. The most important thing for Arsenal is that they win and get into the next round. It doesn’t matter how you do it.”
Liverpool
Q: Could Isak be the long-term replacement for Mo Salah at Liverpool?
Mikael Silvestre: “Nobody knows what will happen with Mo Salah. Will he sign a new contract, or will he go? Whatever happens, his contribution to Liverpool this season has been absolutely immense.
“I’ve seen the reports about Alexander Isak being linked with a move from Newcastle. Of course, Salah and Isak are totally different players, but if he were to leave, then signing a player like Isak is one way to guarantee goals in the Liverpool team.
“How many goals would Isak score in this Liverpool team? It would be fair to say that he would probably score goals in Slot’s team than in Newcastle’s, so I can see why he’s been linked with a move to Liverpool.
“They have a lot of versatile forwards at Liverpool. Luis Diaz has played a lot though the middle, so maybe you can move him to the right and put Isak in there. If Liverpool want to stay at the very top level, and if they lose Salah, they will need to attract the best and Isak should be one of their top targets. He’s probably in the world’s top three players right now if we’re talking about goal scorers.”
Manchester City
Q: Alex Ferguson created three great United teams, can Guardiola create his second great City side?
Mikael Silvestre: “We can’t question Pep’s desire or commitment to want to try and get Manchester City back to the top of English football again.
“Pep’s super passionate about football. The energy you need to be the best or obsessed with football like Pep is 24/7.
“At some point, when he goes into the press conference after the game, you can maybe feel he’s tired, but he probably wants to share his emotions with the media.
“This is probably the biggest challenge of his managerial career. You’re not always 100%, sometimes the energy is lower. I think he wants to prove he can succeed again.
“The good thing is he has the financial capabilities to go in the market to refresh and rebuild his squad. It’s going to be hard making the right recruitment choices, but I don’t think there is any doubt in his mind that he is the right man for the situation.”
Chelsea
Q: Palmer has to be one of the most coveted players in world football. Do Chelsea need to secure Champions League football to keep him happy? Is there a danger that if they don’t he may want to move on.
Mikael Silvestre: “Most players of Palmer’s level are ambitious and must want to be competing at the highest level, which is the Champions League.
“I also think that if Palmer wants to be a starter for England, then he needs to be playing Champions League football too.
“It must be important for him, for sure. I don’t think that he is the type of player that would demand to leave if Chelsea don’t qualify for the Champions League this season, he’s still a young man and is very much the main man at the club. Would he have that status if he were to move on?
“Whatever happens, I think Palmer will have at least one more season at Chelsea, but there is no doubt that all of the world’s biggest club’s would be interested if there was any inclination from his camp that he wanted to leave Stamford Bridge.
“Let’s see if Chelsea can qualify for the Champions League this season. I think they can.”
Champions League
Q: Who do you think will win it?
Mikael Silvestre: “I think you have to always consider Real Madrid when you’re talking about the Champions League.
“The team is special, and they always deliver in that competition, even if they’re not top of La Liga. They have more experience than anybody when it comes to getting into the latter stages of the competition and winning it.
“Carlo Ancelotti always prepares the team, not for miracles, but to progress and go to the finals. He’s won it that many times. Other than Real Madrid, then you would probably have to say Liverpool.”
This interview was conducted on March 3rd 2025 by the Yay Sweepstakes Social Sportsbooks team.