Interview: TNT Sports Pundit Robbie Savage
TNT Sports pundit Robbie Savage talks to Club Mirror about the start of the new Premier League season
For TNT Sports pundit Robbie Savage, the start of the football season is a special time and he can’t wait for the Premier League action to get underway.
“When a new season comes around, especially for me being so involved with the game, there’s a massive sense of anticipation,” says the former Wales international.
“It all leads on from the moment to moment – when the new kits are unveiled, to the fixtures being announced to the build-up to that first league match. As a player, it’s the same, you just can’t wait for that first game.
“It’s not until the season actually kicks off that you see just how the players line up for the respective teams and, for us pundits, it’s a bit of a nightmare to predict how things are going to pan out until the transfer window shuts and you see the full squads assembled in earnest.
“We’ve also got the added excitement of the launch of TNT Sports and there’s a great team in place to bring the Premier League and European football action to life on screens. I was involved in BT Sport from the start and it’s fantastic to be part of this new era.
“Obviously football is my main focus but what I really like about TNT Sports is the breadth of differents sports they cover and I just love it all – whether that’s tennis, cycling, UFC, boxing, MotoGP, rugby – there’s a real enthusiasm for sport across the board.”
TNT Sports kick off their coverage of the Premier League on Saturday, August 12 at 12.30pm with Arsenal – who finished in second place in the 2022-23 season – and Nottingham Forest at the Emirates.
“The big question for everyone is whether Arsenal can replicate what they did last season in finishing as runners-up to Man City,” he says.
“They really did over-achieve last season and before the campaign no-one really predicted them to even finish in the top four.
“It’s going to be very tough alongside their European campaign in the UEFA Champions League even if the recent signings they’ve made have strengthend the squad from last season.
“But if you’re looking at clubs to make an impact, I think Chelsea might surprise people this season. They’ve got no European football and have a manager who brings the best out of his players.
“Pochettino will have more time on the training pitch without European distractions and, as he has proved in the recent past by guiding Spurs to the Champions League Final, he has the ability to galvanise a group.”
So, how does Robbie assess the likelihood of triple-winning Manchester City continuing where they left off at the end of last term?
“Well, they’ve lost Ilkay Gundogan who was probably the best player in the league during that crucial last couple of months so they may struggle to match their previous level of performance,” he says. “That said, there’s no doubt that City are the team to beat again this season.”
As for the new boys in the Premier League, Robbie is full of praise for Rob Edwards' achievements with Luton Town.
“My son Charlie went to Forest Green FC on work experience when Rob Edwards was Manager and Charlie said that his passion and knowledge of the game even then was fantastic," he says.
"Since then, he’s had a stint at Watford and then went to Luton Town where he acheived the remarkable feat of getting them in the Premier League.
“One thing I do hope for the all the promoted teams is that the owners stick with their managers, especially Luton. Even if Luton start poorly, even if they have a worse points total than my Derby team of 2011, Rob Edwards should still keep that job because of what he has achieved with a limited budget.
"I really hope that the moral side of the sport I love ensures that Rob is still manager of Luton Town at the start of the 2024/25 season.”
A passionate supporter of the grassroots game, Robbie is a board member of Macclesfield FC who play in the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League and is delighted with the club’s continuing progress, including a flourishing youth section.
“While the Premier League and European football are the shop window of the sport, I have a real passion for the game at grassroots level,” he says.
“At Macclesfield FC, we have over 600 kids playing regularly and on matchdays they are all there, mixing and mingling with the senior team, getting selfies and autographs after the final whistle.
"To me, that is how football should be, with 1st team players engaging with their young fans.
“Then you have the magnificent volunteers who keep football clubs going up and down the country by putting in the hours to help out behind the scenes. At Macclesfield we have our ‘Dad’s Army’ of volunteers who are happy to keep the grounds in brilliant condition and do whatever needs doing. Every club has those people doing their bit and to me, they are real heroes of the game.
“It’s also great to see the Women’s World Cup bringing new players into football and my club has recently got its Women’s 1st team and girl’s Academy up and running with over 100 young girls all aspiring to play for Macclesfield in the future. I’ve learned so much about the women’s game since getting involved in the club and it really is thriving, which is fantastic.”
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