Jonathan Johnson is a freelance football commentator and a Ligue 1 journalist. Jonathan is currently a freelance commentator for Eurosport's international news channels in Paris. He also writes concise news stories for a series of bulletins on Eurosport's 24 hour news channel, Eurosport 2 and France 24 which broadcast all over Europe. He is a blogger for ESPN's 'FC Network' project, as he writes on French football, Ligue 1 and Paris Saint-Germain.
Jonathan is also a Belgian football specialist and commentar for the International broadcast channel Ma Chaîne Sport in Paris. He is also a French football specialist/commentator for the International broadcast channel beIN Sport in Paris. Jonathan translates PSG's official news into English for PSG TV. Finally, he is a freelance writer for French Football Weekly, Bleacher Report, Four Four Two Magazine, In Bed With Maradona. and more. Most of you will know him from Sky Sports' 'Le Gossip' column.
1. What's your PSG current best XI?
In 4-2-2-2 formation: Salvatore Sirigu (GK), Christophe Jallet (RB), Thiago Silva (CB and captain), Mamadou Sakho, Lucas Digne (LB) - Blaise Matuidi (CM), Marco Verratti/Javier Pastore (CM) - Lucas Moura (AMR), Ezequiel Lavezzi (AML) - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (SS), Edinson Cavani (CF)
.I'd prefer to see more French talent in there and Jeremy Menez could often play in place of Moura or Lavezzi.
2. Where will Monaco finish in the table?
In my opinion, Monaco will find it very difficult to challenge initially for the title. I think that instead, Champions League qualification would be a massive success for them. If I had to call it at this stage, I would say third. PSG are far too strong right now and Marseille have strengthened well.
3. What’s the situation with the Radamel Falcao scandal? How old is he!?
After some speculation and debate, it has been revealed that he is 27 years old and not 29. I believe that the necessary proof was provided by a school that he attended as a young child.
4. What are your views on Belgian wonderkid Julien Ngoy? Is he worth the hype?
Ngoy is one of a number of fantastic young prospects emerging from Belgium right now. As a regular looker of Jupiler Pro League football (in my capacity as a commentator) there are some tremendous talents coming through there such as Youri Tielemans.
As for Ngoy, he is yet to play for an actual club as I believe he is still a member of the Brussels academy, but according to reports he is a sublime talent and somebody to look out for in the coming years. Is he worth the hype? It is hard to say right now, but with Belgium's track record of developing young talent, I would say that he has a very good chance of becoming the real deal.
5. Thoughts on Olivier Ntcham, Thierry Ambrose and Seko Fofana?
Olivier Ntcham-Ntcham, like Paul Pogba, was picked up from the Le Havre youth academy when he was very young. Le HAC are renowned for their ability to produce top talent and nearly all of their graduates go on to play for big clubs. He is only 17 and grew up in the paris area so I would say on the face of it that PSG's loss is Man City's gain.
Thierry Ambrose-Like Ntcham, Ambrose comes from a club steeped with tradition when it comes to nurturing young talent. Man City did very well to exploit Auxerre's insecure financial status and poached one of the brightest talents to have come through their illustrious academy. The club produced Djibril Cisse and Yaya Sanogo has recently joined Arsenal, they have pedigree when it comes to raising talented young attackers.
Seko Fofana-Fofana was a bight prospect in the Lorient academy, perhaps one of the brightest in recent years. Man City have pounced early and appear to have done some good business. FCL President Loic Fery is an excellent businessman and will have done a good deal for the youngster, so don't be surprised to see him return to FCL on loan in the near future.
6. What are your thoughts on Dries Mertens’ move to Serie A side Napoli?
Mertens is an excellent player and developed well at PSV. Overlooked by Gent at the beginning of his career, he approached that setback well and has improved rapidly since then at both Utrecht and PSV in particular. His move to Napoli is a good one and having just made the breakthrough at international level, it can only bode well for Belgium.
7. Will any team be close to competing with PSG/Monaco next season?
I would say Marseille, they have strengthened extremely well. The ability to sign Gianelli Imbula from newly-promoted Guingamp when so many other European sides (including Chelsea) were after him, is a sign of OM's ambition. Their willingness to pay a big transfer fee for both him and Dimitri Payet from Lille demonstrates their seriousness to compete for the title this year.
8. How big of a blow is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure to St. Etienne?
It is a big blow for Saint-Etienne and for Ligue 1. Pierre-Emerick was a fantastic player to have in the league, a sublime talent and one that needed to progress to the next level as soon as possible. I feel that maybe the leap from ASSE to Dortmund could prove to be a big one at first, but having seen him play against Bayern in the Super Cup recently, the two look a good match. PEA is a great pickup for BVB and the Bundesliga gets a great player. ASSE will struggle to replace his rare blend of goals and creativity with just one player this season.
9. Do you think AS Monaco will adapt as quickly as PSG?
The circumstance are completely different. PSG had a more difficult time initially because they were the first to tread this path, Monaco are only following in their footsteps which is why it has been so much easier for them to attract star names to France than it was for PSG two years ago. I think monaco will find it just as hard to adapt though because too many people underestimate just how difficult a league Ligue 1 is to get used to. You only have to look Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Championnat debut against Lorient last season to see this being demonstrated. In my opinion, Ibra is one of the best professionals around currently, but even he struggled to get used to French football in the first 45 minutes of that match. After being knocked around and roughed up a bit, he took 15 minutes at half-time to work out how he could cope with that, then went out and scored two goals bringing PSG back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. From there he went on to bag 30 goals for the season, the first time anyone has done that since Jean-Pierre Papin in the 90's.
10. Are you a believer of Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s ambitious project of making PSG one of the most powerful clubs in the world?
Yes I am. There are some aspects of PSG's 'project' that I would change, and some things that I would have certainly done differently. However, Al-Khelaifi is doing exactly what he said he would do: invest money into the team. Qatar Sports Investements promised to make PSG a force to be reckoned with in Europe and to build an important side and that is what we are seeing at present. Just look at what happened to Malaga to see what could have gone wrong with similar ownership at PSG.
11. The classic question of your predictions for next season’s top 4 and bottom three of the Ligue 1?
TOP: 1-PSG, 2-OM, 3-Monaco, 4-Lille.
BOTTOM: 18-Evian, 19-Sochaux (Sorry Wayne!), 20-Guingamp.
12. The Ligue 1 is gaining popularity with major signings, but what other steps does it have to take to be more known?
There needs to be more of a football culture in France. Ligue 1's biggest problem is not talent, if league's were based on that alone, France would be one of the best in Europe (if not the best). Not every city in France is a "football city," if Ligue 1 is to ever rival the Bundesliga, La Liga or the English Premier League (impossible in my opinion), then there need to full stadiums looking every match and France also needs to have more team being successful in Europe. That is why PSG and ASM's investment is so important right now. Organic growth like the Bundesliga's is impossible now in today's climate, with France lagging behind Portugal in terms of the UEFA coefficient, Ligue 1 needs a team like PSG or Monaco (preferably PSG because of Monaco's small fan base) to succeed or French football will never be taken seriously on the continental stage.
13. Is there real interest from AS Monaco and PSG for Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo?
Yes, I believe both sides are genuinely interested in signing Ronaldo and, of course, have the financial means necessary. Can I see CR7 in France? Yes, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him replace Ibrahimovic when he leaves PSG (at the end of the coming season in my opinion).
14. Who will be Ligue 1's top goalscorer next season (Cavani, Falcao, Ibrahimovic) and who will make more of an impact?
Falcao is more of an all-round talent that can lead his team individually, but Ibrahimovic is a machine and Cavani a predator. In my opinion, this all boils down to who has the better service. At this current time, despite the likes of Moutinho and Rodriguez, PSG have better service for their strikers so in my opinion it will be one of Ibrahimovic and Cavani who will be top scorer. In my opinion, I would say Ibra if I had to choose one, but he won't score as many as last season.
15. What are your thoughts on so many Serie A players moving to Ligue 1? Is it good for the league?
Of course it is good for Ligue 1 because not only have PSG signed the best players from Serie A and put them in a team together, they have also weakened a continental rival. I don't think it should be relied on as heavily as PSG have done though. There is plenty of other talent out there and so much in France that is untapped by the capital club at present.
16. Can Paul Pogba become the world's best CDM? His form at Juventus seems to suggest he is getting there already
In one word: yes. Pogba has all of the attributes to become the world's best, but like many French footballers, there is a question mark over his mentality. Once he overcomes that obstacle though, I cannot see why he cannot become the world's best in that position.
17. How do you rate France's chances for the next FIFA World Cup?
Slim for now. The current generation are just not good enough. However, the next generation that we just saw win the under-20 World Cup in Turkey is filled with excellent promise. If Didier Deschamps can start bringing some of those young talents into the set-up, then I feel France can challenge for the 2016 Euros on home soil.
18. What would be your combined XI of current Belgium and French players?
Good question. There are some amazing talents out there. I have done something similar to this for my fantasy football XI this season but I can only choose Premier League-based players.
4-4-2: Hugo Lloris (GK) - Jan Vertonghen (RB-just to fit him in!), Raphael Varane (CB), Vincent Kompany (CB), Lucas Digne (LB) - Eden Hazard (MF), Kevin de Bruyne (MF), Blaise Matuidi (MF), Mathieu Valbuena (MF) - Christian Benteke (CF), Olivier Giroud (CF).
19. Just how good could Yaya Sanogo be for Arsenal?
Excellent, any player that is able to score four goals in a single match (as he did v Laval last season) has the potential to be a prolific goal scorer.
20. What would you consider to be best for Romelu Lukaku next season - stay at Chelsea or consider a move elsewhere, circumstance depending?
If Jose Mourinho is prepared to give him a chance in the first team then he should stay. He is a fantastic prospect and deserves a chance. I am a big believer in perseverance and I feel that clubs should give a maximum number of opportunities to their younger stars to establish themselves before deciding to cut their losses.
21. Do you think Belgium will challenge for next year's World Cup? Or is that too much of a challenge for a still developing side?
Anything is possible with that much talent coming through. To challenge for the World cup in 2014 is a big ask, but to reach the tournament and then to make it out of the group stages is not unrealistic. The last time they reached the WC was 2002. I expect them to do so this time.
22. Who are the next ‘gems’ coming out of Ligue 1 and Jupiler league?
Maxime Lestienne is an excellent prospect at Club Brugge (I believe Everton already tried to sign him once), Youri Tielemans of Anderlecht looks like a sensational talent at just 16, there are also a number of other very good young players such as Brecht Dejaegere of Kortrijk, Lukas Van Eenoo of Cercle Brugge and Hannes Van Der Bruggen at Gent. The Jupiler Pro League is awash with underrated talent though, not just the younger players. I can't stress how many potential quality players there are there.
23. What's responsible for this influx of amazing Belgium players? The reason Germany have had good players come through is because they changed the way in which U9' U10's etc trained. With smaller games 7vs7 8vs8 and so on so these youngsters would see more of the ball and become more technical.
Have the Belgians implemented something like this or is it just a freak time for players to come through? How do you feel about the number of them playing in the Premier League?
You just have to look at the Dutch, it is a similar story for the Belgians. Belgium is a small country so the clubs there have to breed their own talent because they can't attract the best foreign talent because they go elsewhere. What little money all of these teams have, they put into their youth academy. Crucially, unlike France, the entire country has a footballing culture, they are very Germanic in that respect and most clubs have a good following. For me, that is why so much belgian talent is now developing and coming to the fore of European football.
24. Eden Hazard has often said that he thinks his brother Thorgan is the better player out of the two of them. Can you see Thorgan becoming the better player or is Eden just saying this?
I think it has some truth. The problem is that Eden was an outstanding talent for Lille and was put into the first team immediately. Thorgan started out at Lens who are renowned for their youth academy, but they did not play his as early as lille played Eden. So Thorgan has had to go on loan twice to play catch-up. He is doing remarkably well and almost won the JPL last season. This year, he will get his first taste of Champions League football (even though it will likely be brief as Zulte Waregem play PSV) and is continuing to show remarkable maturity. Once Thorgan has taken care of a few consistency issues, he will be on the right path, but Eden also had the luxury of being surrounded by some quality players at Lille and it was not the same for Thorgan with Lens (where the kids are often more talented than the first team members who didn't start at the club) and now Zulte Waregem.
25. Does Radja Nainggolan face a struggle to work his way into the Belgian XI?
No, I think as long as he continues to progress then he stands a good chance of breaking into the starting XI. Moving to Inter Milan will help his cause and although I rate him highly, Axel Witsel faces a struggle to hold onto his first team spot while in Russia with Zenit.
26. I'd like to know what model you think is more profitable for French football PSG & Monaco model, who try to be top teams based on economic power, or the rest of the teams, who form young talented players?
Both models are important for French football. As for PSG and ASM, Ligue 1 need them to succeed thanks to their massive financial resources because France needs to claw back the ground that they have lost over the years to other top European leagues. both clubs still produce and possess top french talents, unfortunately they are overlooked more often because of the foreign talent in both sides. As for the teams that develop their talent, they are also vital because they not only produce some of the most talented players, but teams like Lens, Nantes, Nice and Saint-Etienne to name a few also give those talents a springboard to showcase their immense talents. The challenge now is to combine the two and get PSG and ASM buying those domestic talents regularly to spread their wealth around the league.
27. Can you explain to us how PSG and AS Monaco are coping with the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations
PSG have a massive sponsorship deal with the Qatari Tourism Authority that helps them get around that. Monaco for now don't need to worry about it because they are not in Europe, once they get there they will likely do the same as PSG.
28. What are your thoughts on PSG’s new coach Laurent Blanc? Are you worried by the recent decrease in French players?
I like him. He is French which is very important, he is a young and promising coach with a good level of experience for his relatively young age. He like his teams to play entertaining football which is important for PSG, but the only problem I feel there is at present is that he is not a big enough name to fully command the respect of the likes of Ibrahimovic, Silva etc.
29. Can you update us on the situations of Romain Alessandrini, Sebastien Corchia, and Florian Thauvin? Will Dimitri Payet prove himself with Marseille this season?
I think Payet will be a revelation with Marseille this season, they need to be more attacking than they were last year despite finishing second! Alessandrini will stay for now it seems, I am a bit disappointed at his behaviour after only 6 months of football for Rennes. He is talented no doubt, but so many footballers get to big for their boots too fast and this has happened with Alessandrini at Rennes. To push for a move at this stage is disgusting. He owes Rennes at least another season and needs to get back to his best and back into the fold for France before he gets a move to a bigger club. Corchia is likely to move abroad after his move to Lyon fell through. OL's behaviour during this was very disappointing. Thauvin is a superb talent, but just misled. He needs to make the best of his move to Lille and use the club as a stepping stone to bigger things and ensure that his rise to prominence continues without problems.
30. What’s the best Ligue 1 signing so far? (Excluding PSG and AS Monaco’s glamorous signings!)
Dimitri Payet or Gianelli Imbula to Marseille. both are excellent signings and very encourgaing for Ligue 1 to see the best domestic talent staying in France.
31. Who will AS Monaco sign next? Ranieri denied going in for Hulk or Dani Alves but what options do they have? In what positions do they need strengthening to compete for the title next season?
I think they will sign another striker, Hulk would not surprise me. Otherwise it is more of a question of being patient and letting the team gel than actually going out and buying yet another talent.
32. The question that has been asked by many. Can Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani play in the same XI and how?
Yes they will. Ibrahimovic as we saw last season, particularly in Europe, likes to drop deeper and almost plays as a number 10. PSG knew last season that they were one natural striker and a few squad players away from having the depth to beat the likes of Barcelona (although much owed to Ancelotti's tactics). With Cavani, PSG have that predatory goal scorer and can now approach domestic and European football with a cutting edge that they did not have at times last year. Too much emphasis was on Ibra last season, with Cavani there to finish the extra chances created by the Swede and their teammates, it has the potential to be an absolutely lethal partnership.
