Clinton Morrison: The pressure is mounting on Mikel Arteta
Will Jackson 
After falling short in the Champions League and the Premier League, Clinton has his say on Mikel Arteta's future at Arsenal while also discussing the upcoming Championship play-offs.
With an eye on the play-offs and the Premier League, we've put some predictions alongside some of our top football betting offers.
So, looking ahead to the weekend, here's what Clinton had to say when speaking exclusively to Free Bets.
Mike Arteta's Future
Q: Arsenal fell short again on Wednesday night. They’ve been runners-up in the Premier League for a few years now and then lost in the semi-final this week. Do you think they are still moving forward under Mikel Arteta?
It’s a good question. A lot of fans will probably be disappointed because this was their chance to win the Premier League but they haven’t managed it.
If you think of the two previous season, the points totals Arsenal got when finishing second would probably have been enough this year, and is way higher than what they’ve got themselves this year. So that goes to show that they haven’t produced the same kind of football they were producing in previous seasons when they’ve been challenging Manchester City.
It’s been disappointing for them because I think this was their opportunity to go and win it, but that didn’t happen and now the same has happened with the Champions League, and they’ve been knocked out of that.
It was always going to be difficult. They surprised me when they beat Real Madrid so credit to themfor that, but I just thought they came up a bit short against a very good PSG team.
I think Arteta will stay there, but this summer is massive for him. I think he has to get something next season, if he doesn’t get anything next season then there will be serious question marks.
There are probably a few question marks and doubts over him at the moment, and I think there could come a time when Arsenal have to pull the plug on it. I think this summer they will back him, and bring in a centre-forward because they’ve never had one.
I do think the pressure is mounting on Arteta, but I still think he will be there come pre-season and the start of next season.
Champions League Semi-Finals
Q: The Champions League semi-finals have finished, but we’ve had two more great games. Inter Milan v Barcelona in particular - did you think Barcelona were a little hard done by with some of the decisions?
Yeah I think so. Some of the decisions weren’t good, but it was a brilliant game - one of the best ever in the Champions League, I just didn’t want it to end!
Lamine Yamal - what a player - could have won it right at the end, it just went one way and then another all night.
Personally, I would have loved to have seen Barcelona in the final but credit to Inter Milan, they’re very good at what they do and usually you would say they rely on their defence, but in Martinez and Thuram they have two players that can cause defenders a lot of problems
It was a brilliant game of football, so end to end. Barca will come again, they have a lot of outstanding youngsters and they will only gain more experience from that.
It was a great standard, great quality and a great advert for the Champions League.
Q: Is it maybe a bit of a shame for the neutral that the final won’t be PSG v Barcelona?
Maybe, in terms of attacking play, but Inter Milan would have something to say about that - they scored three goals at Barcelona, and at home too!
Barcelona v PSG would have been a hell of a final, but it will still be very good with PSG v Inter, and a good tactical battle. Luis Enrique has got PSG playing fantastically and Inzaghi is a very good manager too. He was a really good player and goalscorer, and he’s taken that into management
The standard overall was brilliant. Frenkie De Jong, what a player he is by the way. I didn’t know too much about him, but the other night I thought he was outstanding - you can see why a lot of clubs in the Premier League were sniffing around him.
Q: You have fancied PSG to go all the way for a few rounds now, how do you see that final shaping up?
I would still make PSG favourites, but it is a hard one playing against a good Inter Milan side. Going forward, PSG can cause anyone problems and they have one of the best goalkeepers around at the moment in Donnarumma, who made some excellent saves against Arsenal and is a huge presence in the goal.
PSG have a lot of quality all over the pitch. Hakimi scored a fantastic goal, Mendes has done well against Saka and Salah, and then you have the forwards too.
It will be a fascinating battle, but I make PSG slight favourites with online betting sites.
Q: That lack of cutting edge hurt Arsenal against PSG. They did well in the xG count but couldn’t translate that into goals - will the centre-forward sort that out?
Definitely, just imagine if they had someone like Isak up front. If he’s playing for them and in the form he’s been in this season, I think he puts those goals in the back of the net. He would be perfect.
People might say that a natural number nine wouldn’t suit the way Arsenal play, but not many teams can win trophies without a number nine. Maybe City when they were purring and unreal with a false nine, but not many teams can do that. Everyone needs a natural number nine.
Championship Play-Offs
Q: Moving onto the EFL with the play-offs coming up, and that’s something you experienced as a player. Do you feel the pressure of the play-offs more compared to a regular game?
There is definitely extra pressure. In the season you know there’s always another game when you can put things right if you do something wrong, but in the play-offs you have to be at it because there is no coming back.
It is moments in matches that decide the whole season, so you have got to have good character and good managers.
Every team in the play-offs has a good manager this year. They are experienced and have already excelled or are young managers who are improving.
It depends who turns up on the day. You can’t call it at the moment, but would probably think Sheffield United with their squad are the favourites to go on and win it but you can’t rule out the other three teams for sure.
Bristol City v Sheffield United
Q: Sheffield United lost a bit of momentum towards the end of the season, how much will that hurt them?
It would hurt for sure. But then in the last couple of games of the season they turned things around a bit, so they might go into it with a bit more confidence whereas Bristol City were disappointing against Preston and Leeds after being so good for the last couple of months,
It’s a hard game to call, a really hard game. Bristol City play some good football and have good players in the attacking third, but Sheffield United’s squad has experience and players that have been there, seen it, done it.
Harmer is one of the best midfielders in the Championship, they have Tyrese Campbell scoring goals, but you just can’t rule out Bristol City.
Liam Manning has done a brilliant job there.
Q: How much does Sheffield United’s recent experience of Premier League football and promotion count in their favour?
Yes, Sheffield United have been there before, but there is no pressure on Bristol City.
There might be some within the club, but looking from the outside, they’ve done magnificently to get into that top six so fair play to them. Yes they spent a bit of money, but from the outside did we think they would get top six this season? Probably not.
As I said, Manning has done a brilliant job and they can play without any pressure to an extent because a lot of people are making Sheffield United favourites to go up and win it all.
Coventry v Sunderland
Q: And the second game - Coventry v Sunderland - Coventry have to fancy that, don’t they?
It has been difficult for Sunderland because they’ve known for the last two or three months that they’re going to be in this position.
They started the season so well but then have been quite up and down recently, with a few injuries. Coventry though, have kind of ridden the wave with Frank Lampard.
Yes they dropped off a little but then picked up a huge result against Middlesbrough. I would probably make Coventry slight favourites but there isn’t much between the teams.
It’s a big first game for Coventry because it’s at the Ricoh Arena, and they’ll have to go to the Stadium of Light for the second leg which is hostile and can be difficult when the palace is jumping, but they have an experienced manager in Lampard who has been there, seen it, done it as a player and has done a great job so far.
Q: He has done a good job, hasn’t he? We expected Coventry to be good this year, but people forgot how much they were struggling when he came in and he’s really turned it around…
You have got to realise that a lot of Coventry fans weren’t happy, because Mark Robins was worshipped by everyone at the club because of the job he had done. Fair play to Lamps, he has done a fantastic job and I’m happy for him.
There were a lot of question marks over him but he’s gone in there and changed his style and he’s getting results.
For me personally, I want Coventry because I used to play for them and I think it would be a great story. They have three difficult games to get through, but the job Lampard has done has been brilliant.
Q: And as for Sunderland, they have a young squad who started the season flying out the traps and exceeded a lot of expectations. They’ve been in the play-offs for a while now, but having rotated the squad, how easily will it be for a young group to just turn it back on?
It could be difficult for them to turn it back on but they have a good manager. Not many people knew about him when he came in, but he has been excellent and the players play with no fear. They just go out and enjoy their football.
It is a big test for him to pick them up, because they’ve not been on the best of runs but this is where you earn your money as a manager by motivating your players, picking them up and going again.
But I don’t think you’d have to pick them up, they’ve got a lot of talent. Jobe Bellingham was the Young Championship Player of the Year and is a fantastic talent, he’s a Rolls Royce like his brother and then with the likes of Watson and Le Fee, they are big players who could really turn it on for them, and Isidore as well who is one of the best strikers in the league.
The manager needs to get the players back on track, but I don’t think it will be an easy game for Coventry.
Luton
Q: We had the final day of the EFL regular season on Saturday and Luton suffered a second successive relegation. That’s a bit of a shocker for them isn’t it?
Oh big time. That's back-to-back relegations, that's nowhere near good enough for that group of players.
They only lost like Ross Barkley, Lakonga, Andros Townsend and obviously their captain, Tom Lockyer, who's who suffered a lot but we're glad to see back on the mend.
You look at it and you think to yourself, hold on, have you got yourself into this position? Have they downed tools? They lost their manager, Rob Edwards, who did a really good job, and then Matt Bloomfield left Wycombe and obviously Wycombe could end up still getting promoted and now he's been relegated
They gave themselves a fighting chance towards the end of the season and I thought playing against West Brom they’d have a great chance of staying up.
They will bounce back though. I think everyone thought at the start of the season that they’d finish around the play-offs with that squad, so it’s not good times for Luton.
But I heard the chairman say he will back Bloomfield and get the players in that they want to get out of League One, but it will be tough. They will need to bring in hungry players who want to get promoted.
I do think they will get promoted next season, because they will be hurting but they will have to come back in pre-season with that drive to get the club back in the Championship.
Champions League Qualification
Q: Finally in the Premier League, everything is focused on the battle for the top five. It’s Newcastle v Chelsea on Sunday which will have a huge bearing on everything
Forest need to start picking up points because they play Chelsea on the final game of the season at the City Ground, and they have Leicester this weekend which they will need to win.
It is going to go right down to the wire. I think Villa playing Bournemouth is a big one too, if they win that then I think they will sneak into the top five and Chelsea could miss out.
Chelsea have been in good form - the result against Liverpool was good - but I don’t think Newcastle will drop out with the games they have to play.
It will be a hard game for Chelsea to go to St James Park, but Newcastle are in the box seat along with Man City which leaves one position for Villa, Forest or Chelsea, which will go right down to the wire.
Q: Chelse have Newcastle, Manchester United and then Forest for their last three games. It’s all in their hands, isn’t it?
Chelsea have the toughest fixtures for sure. But whoever has Manchester United and Tottenham will be happy because with them both going well in the Europa Legaue, they’ll be keen to rest and rotate their players.
But if Chelsea produce like they did against Liverpool, why not? But if Villa win beat Bournemouth they should win their last two (against Tottenham and Manchester United).
Q: So you’re tipping Villa for fifth?
I think it will be Liverpool top, Arsenal and Man City in whatever order, then Newcastle.
I would probably say Villa fifth but it could all change depending on this weekend’s results, which I think are massive. Bournemouth have been in good form so there’s still a lot for them to play for.
