We had a chance to sit down with the Frenchman to discuss Tottenham, Steven Gerrard, James Rodriguez, transfer window winners so far, his Premier League tips and an offer to play rugby in the Top 14...
Former Newcastle, Tottenham and Aston Villa winger David Ginola was in Dublin this week to launch Setanta Sports’ new €1 start of season offer. The suave Frenchman was in great form and he even gave JOE some tips on penalty taking which we will be putting into practice at five-a-side on Monday.
JOE's Joe Harrington had a chance to sit down with Ginola to discuss a whole host of topics from transfers to working for BT Sport to Steven Gerrard's place in Liverpool's starting team to nearly joining rugby side Stade Francais. Have a read below...
Ginola on... new Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
"We know Pochettino has a good approach to the game. He had some great players and they all left Southampton, most of them. For Pochettino the job is absolutely right. For Spurs fans getting into the top four will probably be the main target.
"For managers it’s about winning, it’s about bringing back trophies. It’s not the same (as managing Southampton).You can be a good manager at a club and you can find it difficult at another one. So it is about what he is going to bring to the dressing room and for players to understand his football philosophy and his approach of the game"
Ginola on... whether Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will give Pochettino enough time
"14-18 months is the average time a manager gets at a club. You don’t have time in football, that’s the problem. Some years ago a manager had two or three years to bring something to the club. These days it’s about a season.
"This is a problem. You can’t change managers every six months or every year because you have to start all over again and you need stability to have success."
Ginola on... whether Brendan Rodgers is afraid to drop Steven Gerrard
"I don't think Rodgers is afraid to drop anyone because his job is on the line, simple as that. The quality of a manager is to be able to have a conversation with someone like Steven Gerrard who has been a legend at Liverpool. He has to sit down with Gerrard and get the feeling of the player, I think when a player is at a certain age and you've been in the game for a long time, you know exactly yourself how you feel.
"When you love a club you might have to admit that 'I'm not feeling at 100% for this game so I should go on the bench or in the stands but I'll be ready for the next game.' It's about feelings and with Gerrard I think it's going to be fine because he won't be dropped, he'll have discussions with Rodgers about what's best for himself and team and I think he's the kind of guy who will respect a decision."
Ginola on... the best signing of the summer so far
"I think Fabregas moving to Chelsea, it's an interesting deal. First of all, he's a fantastic player. He had some misfortune at Barcelona which I was surprised about because when left Arsenal, I understood that he wanted to go home, but it wasn't the Fabregas we knew when he was playing with the Gunners.
"I think his style will fit perfectly into the Chelsea midfield and he can also play up front so with him and the likes of Drogba together, Chelsea are looking pretty good."
Ginola on... James Rodriguez moving to Real Madrid
"Seeing Rodriguez going to Real Madrid, that wasn't a surprise. Young player, young talent, he had a fantastic World Cup. He deserved player of the tournament. Playing in Monaco is nice, fantastic but it’s not for a young man who is 20 years old. I am sure he was playing there many times and perhaps thinking how difficult it is to play in Monaco because there are so few fans, maximum 14,000.
"You have the Spanish language as well, very important, more South American way of life so it’s not surprising if you see Rodriguez going to Real."
Ginola on... the new Premier League season
"Will Drogba at Chelsea be the same type of player he was when Chelsea won the Champions League? It will be a very interesting season to see if Louis van Gaal can bring back Man United, to see if Pochettino is successful with Spurs,
"It will be interesting to see who will be challenging right from the off, if Liverpool can carry on the same way they did last season, entertaining each week. Some of the football they played was very, very entertaining. Can Arsenal challenge for anything this season, can they win the league this season. Many many questions. It’s almost impossible to answer all these question now."
Ginola on... who will win the Premier League title
"(long pause) Chelsea or Manchester City"
Ginola on... how he almost joined Top 14 rugby side Stade Francais
"When I retired in 2002, I was having dinner with Stade winger Christophe Dominici and he was looking at me saying I was strong and quick on the pitch. He asked me if I'd ever thought about playing rugby, I said no and he told me it's never been done that a professional footballer has gone on to play professional rugby and if I'd be interested. I said "why not."
So, he called Max Guazzini, the chairman of Stade Francais, and told him the story and Max just hung up the phone (laughs). Then five minutes later the phone rings and it's Max and he asked Dominici if he was serious, Christophe said "yes, David is right beside me" and Max then changed his tune and said "it's a great idea, it hasn't be done before" (laughs).
I thought about it for a while but I grew up in Toulon and all my friends play rugby for Toulon and they all said "David, thank God you didn't do that because if you were in the tunnel going towards the pitch, you would have been the target for every single one of us. We would have got you and you would have spent six months in hospital with all sorts of injuries - shoulders, body, head, ears, biting."
Ginola on... BT Sports v Sky Sports
"I think if you're clever, you always look at what is good somewhere else and you take the good points and add it to your self. You do our own stuff but you can learn and add positive things to your programme. BT haven't been in the game very long but they have been competing well with good audiences.
"Sky has been in the game for a long time so they have plenty of knowledge and experience but everyone BT is a top professional and they have people who want to be at the top of their game and I'm sure they'll get there. They have the right people in the right places and by adding a few bits and pieces, they will get to the top, which is where BT are aiming."
David Ginola and David James were in Dublin today to launch Setanta Sports’ new €1 start of season offer where new subscribers can sign up to Setanta Sports for just €1.
In total, 71 live Barclays Premier League games will be available on the Setanta Sports Pack in the 2014/2015 season. The Setanta Sports Pack contains 5 channels: Setanta Ireland, Setanta Sports 1, BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN.
