Exclusive Interview with Charlie Adam: Insights on Liverpool, Rangers, and the Premier League

Last updated: January 22, 2025 by Leon Marshal

Charlie Adam is a former professional footballer who played for Rangers, Blackpool, Liverpool, and Stoke amongst others. Here, the Scottish legend joins the Best Betting Sites team for an exclusive interview to provide his opinion on Rangers, Liverpool, and the Premier League.

Premier League Observations

Charlie Adam training for Liverpool – © Wikimedia Commons, CC-by-sa 4.0

Who are the current favourites for the Premier League?

Liverpool are long odds-on favourites, aren’t they now? But it’s not over. I will never disregard Man City until it’s mathematically impossible because I know what they can do. We’ve seen them do it for the last few years, they can go and win 12, 15 games in a row. They can do it. They can get rhythm. They can get momentum.

I understand they beat Ipswich, which is expected, but it’s the manner they did it.

They’ll downplay everything, Man City, but you can never rule them out. No matter what is going on, you can never rule them out.

Liverpool have given themselves an unbelievable opportunity to win a title. And they are the moments that you need to win titles. You know, when you feel like the game’s gone away from you, it’s down and out. You’ve had loads of possession, loads of shots. I think they had 30-odd shots. Dominated the game, big chances and you think it’s not going to go the way for you. You go to Brentford and think, ‘we’re going to get a point,’ and then Nunez steps up and gets two goals. That’s the difference.

Liverpool have put themselves in an unbelievable position, but you can never rule at Man City. Until the final points are available, then I still think that Man City can go on a big run.

Do Arsenal need to do some transfer business?

I think if you asked, every manager in that Premier League, they’re desperate for bodies.

Even Liverpool would be saying they’d like to freshen up if they can.

But Arsenal losing Jesus, and the way they lost the goals as well at the weekend would be a huge blow for them. To be 2-0 up and cruising, and then to go 2-2 is a huge blow. The handball and stuff like that. So, it’s a dent to what they were expecting in terms of the title race but Mikel’s a fantastic manager.

I love watching his teams. I love watching how he sets his team up and plays, but I think they’re just maybe a couple of players short to really go and challenge for the title. That’s the question for the Arsenal hierarchy and for Mikel to find the solutions, to get the players. There is a difficult window to get the top players to be the difference from now to the end of the season.

You have to be cute in this market and if they can bring some bodies in, which I think it looks like they are going to, then obviously it will freshen up and give everybody else a lift.

Will Forest finish in the top four?

You can’t rule Forest out. I think Nuno’s done a brilliant job to get into that position and I think what’s promising is that the place seems calm. There’s a calmness within Nottingham Forest from the top to the bottom. Everything they’re doing.

When they first came back to the Premier League, they were buying 20-odd players. Loads of players in and out like a revolving door. But at the moment, it seems to be calm. They’re signing good quality players.

The top players are turning up and then you’ve got somebody that’s scoring you goals in Chris Wood. That makes a huge difference when you’ve got players that are scoring goals and playing with real confidence, high flying. I don’t think you can rule them out from the Champions League spots.

I think if you look at Newcastle’s result that weekend, that’s a bitter blow for them in terms of where they are. They are six behind.

Being clever in this market and maybe getting a couple of players in and freshening the squad to have a go for the rest of the season will be good for them.

So I don’t think Forest are out of it. I think they have to just keep their momentum, keep doing what they’re doing and let’s say, ultimately injuries could be a curse but it’s important. They should stick together and keep doing what’s gotten to this position so far.

Who has been the best player in the Premier League this season?

The star man – I think you talk about Isak as the main guy really. Because we all know what Mo Salah can do, we all know what the other lads can do, but I think Isak’s really taking his game to another level this year in terms of the goals and the contributions.

Who has been the best central midfielder in the Premier League this season?

I’m a big fan of Baleba at Brighton. I think the two lads at Brighton have been very good. I watched them again yesterday at Manchester United. I thought they were excellent. Are they the next ones from the conveyor belt to maybe move on?

The Cameroonian is a very good player, 21 years of age. I think that he’s been something that’s different from what’s been in the Premier League.

Seeing Kevin De Bruyne back again is something that I love. I also think the lads at Forest have done a brilliant job in terms of how they are and deserve a mention.

On the other side of the coin, who is the player or players that have been the biggest flop/you’ve expected more from this season?

I think anybody at Manchester United you could look at and think, ‘It’s been tough for them.’ I was there and watched them against Brighton, there’s a vibe around the team and the stadium, which is not like Manchester United.

It’s normally fast flowing, it’s normally speedy. So again, if you look at that group and the players, where they are, it’s very difficult for a club like that.

Tottenham is another club. I look at Ange and I think he’s done a great job with what he has. I think you’ve got 11, 12, first team players injured, no team in the world could manage that easily.

If you look at Man City, Man City had six or seven at one point and they struggled. If you look at Tottenham, when you lose your key players and big players, it’s very, very tough and this Premier League is ruthless. Any level, you lose five, six, seven starters, then it obviously becomes a very, very tough feat.

Thoughts on Liverpool

Out of Trent, Mo and Virgil, what’s your gut feeling on their futures? Who do you think is likely to stay/leave?

I think it’s very hard to speculate from the outside. We’re only guessing. That’s the problem with us that are in the media or on the outside. We’re all guessing what Trent’s thinking, what Mo Salah’s thinking, what Virgil van Dijk’s thinking.

And they all have to make a decision that is right for them, for their futures, for the football club. There’s always a trade-off. Players want X, and the club are only going to give Y. That state is natural within negotiations.

Mo Salah’s at an age now where he might want a three-year contract. Liverpool normally only give one-year contracts to players his age. So, there’s a trade-off with that.

But what I will say is, it’s not affected them in terms of performances, and I know Trent’s got a little bit of stick for his performance against Man United, but he’s been phenomenal this year. He scored an unbelievable goal against Accrington.

Defensively he’s been sound this year since Slot’s come in. Van Dijk I think has been a Rolls Royce. Him and Salah have been phenomenal.

I think it’s hard for me to speculate because I don’t know what’s going on with the negotiations. The lads will make the decision based on what is right for them. We’re only listening to what everybody else speculated and it looks like Trent possibly could be the one that goes to Real Madrid. But Liverpool have lost great players over the years, and they’ve come back from it.

It’d be a blow to lose three of them on free transfers. That would be tough, but that’s the model. You have to go now, get recruitment right and bring the next ones in and Richard Hughes will be doing that with his staff, trying to find the next stars of Liverpool.

Until we actually get confirmation, I think it’s very hard to speculate on what these lads are actually going to do.

What has impressed you about Arne Slot and what has he done differently to Jurgen Klopp?

I think there’s more of a structure, they’ve got the shape and the discipline in terms of when they go and press the game. With Klopp it was more of a reaction: go and get after it as quickly as we can. But the speed in the transitions is still there.

Some of the goals they scored in the last few weeks are the Liverpool of old under Klopp in terms of the transition speed in the attack.

They look a bit more solid in terms of the formation, the distances. But he’s brought a calmness to it. He’s been himself. He’s not trying to be Jurgen Klopp, and they both respect each other.

Listen to what Jurgen says about Slot, and Slot is saying the same about Jurgen. He inherited a very good side with players. He only brought Chiesa, and the goalkeeper is still on loan.

So when you’re able to come into a top club like that and not have to fix too many problems, then it shows the job that the previous manager’s done. They’ll be delighted to be where they are but again, they know that the chasing back are there, and there’s big clubs behind them.

They have to keep the big players fit and available and keep winning football matches. That is the tough part and that big result away at Brentford this weekend will keep that confidence very, very high.

Ben Doak is a man in demand. How exciting is this kid for people that aren’t that familiar with him, and do you think he’s ready to make an impact in the Premier League?

Ben Doak, he’s a young player who came through at Celtic, made the decision to leave at 16 to come to Liverpool. He’s really mature in terms of his physicality.

He’s not the same type of player as Wayne Rooney, but he had the same build as Wayne Rooney as a 16-year-old. A little small, thick legs, thick set, really strong, really quick.

And again, going to Liverpool, going to big clubs, it’s very tough to break in and he’s had the opportunities. He’s had a couple of injuries as well which has been tough for him.

And like anything else with former Scottish players in the media, when we feel that we’ve got a good player, we want them in yesterday and we think he’s ready to come into the Scotland squad as quickly as he can.

But his appearances for Scotland now have started to show what he’s got and I watched him a little bit at Middlesbrough, he’s got that pace and power. He has to understand the game a little bit in terms of when to run with it, when to dribble, when to pass, having one-twos, give-and-goes.

So that’s about getting experience, and I think Michael Carrick gave him a lot of good experience. Naturally, when you’re playing well, there’s obviously going to be speculation because he’s got something that not a lot of players have with that pace.

And then it’s now just about trying to control that, adding goals, getting assists, getting numbers, which will really set him alight in terms of that.

So he’s got the profile and he’s got the attributes to be a Premier League player, but I think this loan for the season to Middlesbrough has been really good for him. I read reports that it’ll take big money to get him out of Liverpool. But you never know, Liverpool might think he’s good enough to come in and get games for them next season.

Doak’s done really well and, again, getting back into the national team, he’s been part of Steve’s team and he’s been doing really well recently for Scotland as well. We’ve got playoffs coming up. So hopefully he’s fit and ready to go for that. I think Ben Doak’s in a good place and let’s say it’s been a good season so far for him.

Thoughts on Rangers

What do you think of the season so far?

Like a rollercoaster, I think it’s been tough for them. It’s been a tough season in terms of players.

But it’s not just that, I think, Celtic have been so dominant, so consistent, and they are at a level that Rangers have not been able to get close to. Sometimes that happens. Your rivals are ahead of you and it’s now about how Rangers try to catch them and close the gap.

Celtic have been supreme, for me, Brendan’s a top manager. He’s got some good players there; they’ve got rhythm, and they’ve got momentum. Rangers will have to find solutions either way. Getting players in and it takes time, but with the injuries that they’ve had, they’ve not been able to get a full-strength team on a regular basis. It’s been a tough season for Rangers.

But from where they were to now, Celtic are way above and way ahead, but they were 10, 12 points behind Aberdeen. They’ve managed to close that and turn that round, which is a positive. They’ve got to just try and get a little bit of momentum from now to the end of the season and look to try and win football matches.

Obviously, they won the last Old Firm, which has given a bit of a lift, but draws at Dundee and performances like that, they’ve not really managed to get themselves up to a level of consistency. They have to try and find solutions in terms of the consistency of the players. New players coming in, maybe having to trade.

So that’s the market for them this window. Hopefully they can close the gap a little bit, but at the moment it looks like Celtic are too far ahead.

Is the silver-lining Rangers Europa League form and do performances in that competition merit giving more time to Philippe Clement?

Yeah, I think so, but also, they’ve been going to the Europa League for the last four or five years and have done really well in it. But if I’m Philippe Clement, I’m scratching my head thinking how are they producing these performances in the Europa League and not being able to do it consistently in the Premier League?

He’s trying to find the solutions and that’s what as a manager you have to do. You have to try and find solutions on a daily basis. How do you get that performance and that consistency? I went to see them against Tottenham, and I thought they were excellent against Tottenham.

And then you go and play Ross County or Dundee and the level is not there. And that’s the difference between when you’re at Rangers and Celtic, you have to be on it, no matter what. You need to be 8-9 out of 10 every single game because if you drop below that 8-9 out of 10, then you’re going to struggle, because it’s a tough level and a tough league in Scotland.

The teams that I mentioned they’ll sniff that, and they’ll lift the performance. They are always going to lift the performance when they play against the Old Firm. Too many of the players have fallen below that on a regular basis, and that’s why they’ve not really managed to get consistency, but I don’t understand why they’ve been able to do so well in Europe but not in the domestic league.

Are there any areas that you would like to see Rangers strengthen in during the January transfer window?

I think it’s probably maybe trimming the squad a little bit to then bring quality players in.

You know, Rangers have had Yilmaz playing in a few different positions and stuff like that. Butland missed a couple of games obviously not through his own fault, with an injury, but they need to get some real quality at the top end of the pitch in terms of a striker who could score them a few goals.

Igamane has done well enough, but he really needs to maybe add to that. I think they need to freshen up, maybe in a midfield position as well. But again, it comes down to finance, financially can you do it?

I’m not too sure in terms of what they can do and what they can’t do, but what I would say is it’s a wonderful club with a great fan base and support. They will back the club no matter the situation they’re in, but they want to see that pride and that passion on the pitch. They want to have a connection with the players which at the moment I don’t feel is there, and the players have to now go and earn that trust from the supporters.

Thoughts on Manchester United vs Rangers

Do Rangers have anything to fear heading to Old Trafford?

If I’m Rangers, I have to smell the nervousness around Old Trafford between the players, the supporters, the club and use past experiences over the years. The lads have been there, winning away in Dortmund. Big moments that they’ve won this year. You know, getting to finals.

Because ultimately Old Trafford is still a special stadium. Still one of the biggest clubs in the world you’re going to.

They’re a club that’s in a tough moment but the supporters won’t give in, they’ll be there to the end, they’ll support the team and support the manager. That’s what great supporters do, they back the team to the end. They know that they’re going through a tough period and now Rangers have to use that.

On European nights, Rangers seem to be very good away from home in Europe. They’ll have to play well to get any type of result.

Are you confident that Rangers can finish in the automatic promotion spots in the Europa League?

I think Rangers will. I think their home form and performances they’ve got so far indicate that they will finish in the automatic spots for the Europa League, I think Rangers will finish in that top eight and get through to the next round of qualification. It’s a good opportunity for them.

I think Rangers will be okay, but it’s just finding that level of consistency for the Premier League.

Thoughts on Scottish Transfer Rumours

Kieran Tierney appears to be inching towards a return to Celtic, if not this Jan then on a free at the end of the season. Do you think KT could return home this January?

If you put it into three categories, Kieran Tierney as a football player is a very, very good footballer. He deserved his move to Arsenal for the fee that Celtic got, £25 million, five years ago, and if you’re a Celtic board member and there’s an opportunity to bring him back on a free transfer then it’s a good piece of business.

It’ll be expensive in terms of wages, but he’s 27, still at a good age. I’ve got a lot of time for Kieran, and I had a lot of sympathy for him at Arsenal because of all of the injuries he’s had. It’s been tough for him. Zinchenko and Lewis-Skelly are now there.

Coming to the end of his contract, he wants to play, and the natural look for him is going to Celtic. He is the type of player that Brendan has been asking for, for a couple of years now. They invested well this summer with Engels and players like Idah.

If you can get Kieran Tierney back in the building this January for the Champions League games, then they’d be perfect for him as well.

Thoughts on Set Pieces in the Premier League

Have Arsenal become over reliant on set plays? Have they sacrificed some of their attacking principles and replaced them with set pieces?

I’m all for it. It’s part of the coaching. It’s like a manual really about set-plays. You can win a game, you can lose a game from a set-play.

So, the energy and the time and the effort that they put in, obviously there’s a lot of set-play coaches now in the Premier League. But if you look at Arsenal being so successful, and I look at Aston Villa similar, Brentford similar, there’ll be a lot of work going into it. A lot of detail goes into it. And they’re getting the rewards for it.

Ultimately, I would never say that Arsenal have given up their attacking principles because there’s no way they’ve done that. What they have done is that when they get an opportunity to have a set play, they become in control of the situation by blocking, by making things happen.

It’s like a throw-in. It’s an opportunity to have the ball. You get the ball back for a throw-in. That’s your opportunity to keep the ball. Set plays are the same. Go and work on things and put in that attention to detail in the Premier League. I’m all for it and I think it’s something that Arsenal should be really proud of in terms of what they’ve done so far and the numbers they’ve got.

But I look at Brentford, Aston Villa. They’re the other teams I’ve been watching in terms of set plays and the goals that they’ve scored. So, no, I think it’s been a great thing for Arsenal as well. And let’s say it’s good for teams to add something different.

It’s not just about being one-dimensional and thinking you can always win with a set-play. But if there’s an opportunity to score a goal from a set-play, then you have to use it.

When you come up with something, could you smell a bit of fear in the opponent when you had one?

Of course you do and that’s through video analysis, you see who wants to go and hit the ball, you target these types of players. You look at the spaces, the gaps, the opportunities where you think you can attack and where you can hurt opponents.

So yeah, I think set plays then ultimately comes down to the delivery. You get the delivery right, you’ve got quality and you’ve got somebody with quality that can deliver. Then it gives you an opportunity to score a goal.

Other Premier League Headlines

Everton have recently appointed David Moyes as manager. I know you know David well – was Everton the perfect fit for him?

Sean Dyche’s did a brilliant job in terms of what Everton have been going through in the last few years, but with the new ownership coming in now, Sean felt he had taken them to a point where they couldn’t take the next step, and the owners felt that they needed to change.

They’ve changed and David’s obviously gone in there now and it was a brilliant result for them yesterday, and hopefully the team, the supporters and the squad could get a lot of confidence from that. They could start to build something for the rest of the season.