The Paramount+ analyst joined Mic'd up to talk Man City, UCL and Club World Cup impact on the Premier League

Micah Richards has been forced to watch his beloved Manchester City crumble all season. This has been a campaign of false dawns for City, who dropped out of the Premier League title race early, and have been struggling to stay in the race for Champions League football ever since.

Richards, though, who is an ambassador for the club and still has close ties with the dressing room, sees this chaotic campaign as nothing more than an aberration.

"I think next season, with a transfer window, we'll see them getting back to somewhere we've seen over the last couple of seasons. They've still got a top manager," he tells GOAL.

It will take some work, though. City are old. Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan are all past their best. Rodri's season-ending ACL tear certainly hasn't helped. A new era may have to begin.

"But do I think they'll be challenging for the league next season?" Richards says. "100 percent. I really do. I don't think it's a massive fix. I just think we need some fresh faces going to the dressing room, couple of key players back fit."

Richards is more than just a City fan. He covers soccer for CBS Sports. His face is seen with every Champions League phase as part of the always-entertaining pre and post match content on Paramount+.

His chemistry with Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry and Kate Scott has led to a litany of viral moments – some of which might pop up again as the quartet go pitchside for the EFL Cup Final on Sunday, with Newcastle United and Liverpool set to face off at London's Wembley Stadium (kickoff is 12:30 pm ET, streamed on Paramount+).

Richards knows how to have fun, but his analysis remains strong, and in a European season defined by its unpredictability, he insists that Real Madrid are going to win this thing. And that could be a problem as – yes – Madrid star Jude Bellingham owes him a celebration.

Richards spoke on Man City's struggles, the appeal of the EFL Cup, and why Real Madrid are still his Champions League favorites in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

AFPON MAN CITY

GOAL: So, let's keep it simple, what's gone wrong with Man City this season?

RICHARDS: There's inevitably going to be a drop off at some point. It's coincided with injuries at times in key positions, you know, key players getting a little bit older, and then some of the players' loss of form and loss of confidence. It is strange for me to see because this group, and I know a lot of them, got a good relationship with all of them and they're all confident boys. What I mean by that is, leading in games and going to the Brentford game, the 2-2 draw, the Feyernood game, conceding three goals, and that's not what we used to see.

They've come to the end of the cycle in terms of that energy, and I still think they're all top players, but I just think in terms of what their bodies are allowing them to do. They've come to the end of that, but I think going forward, the signing of Marmoush, even Khusanov – who had a tough start with Chelsea, a couple of days training in him because of injuries. I think next season, with a transfer window, we'll see them getting back to somewhere we've seen over the last couple of seasons. They've still got a top manager.

GOAL: And Marmoush looks a proper player, too.

RICHARDS: Yeah, he's sharp – really sharp. What I like about him is that he runs in behind. How many times do we see players come to feet? No one wants to run in behind. But with the space that teams are creating now, I just think he's going to be a real hit for Man City.

GOAL: Is it fair to put a time on when City will be back at the top? Is it next season? Or a couple of years?

RICHARDS: Next season I think they will be back. They need a good preseason, but obviously they have got the Club World Cup, which is more games. Not just this season, there are pundits who have been talking about burnout for the players for a long time now. The number of games that Man City have played over the last four years, it's been ridiculous, really. And as long as they don't feel fatigued after the Club World Cup, I don't think this is going to be a two, three, four-year rebuild. I think it's going to be the next season.

Will we get to the heights of two, three seasons, or the season where Man City are getting 100 points in the Premier League? Probably not. Everything was working together so well at that time. But do I think they'll be challenging for the league next season? 100 percent. I really do. I don't think it's a massive fix. I just think we need some fresh faces going to the dressing room, couple of key players back fit… I think they're going to challenge next year.

AdvertisementFIFAON THE CLUB WORLD CUP

GOAL: I wanted to touch on the Club World Cup. It's massive in the States, but what do you think the European perspective is?

RICHARDS: I like to give everything a chance. Even the Champions League this year, before it changed, we thought, there's going to be more games, it's not going to be as exciting. Don't forget, just recently, they took away the away goals rule. So you change into the league format, and then a playoff. I actually think it's been a really good competition. I think it's been more enjoyable. I think teams look like they have more of a chance. Celtic, for example, going into the last minute before Alphonso Davies scored.

So, as for the Club World Cup. I don't want to write it off. The only thing I've got against it is that there are more games. I think if you're a fan, you're a journalist, you want to see the players at the best and at the peak of their powers, don't you? I think the Premier League has sort of suffered from that this this season. I think with Liverpool, they've been really good, but I still think they've got another gear to go.

And we're nearly at the end of the season – that sort of thing. Arsenal, they've had tough injuries, especially in forward areas, and the Man City have not been what they have been. So to add more games, I just worry the level of competition isn't going to be at the level that we all expect. Because when you see Haaland, or when you see all the greatest players, like Mbappe or Vinicius or whoever it may be… you want to see him at the highest level this season. Especially from Man City's point of view, I just think the games have really taken a toll on what they could provide in terms of output.

GettyON WHAT THE EFL CUP MEANS

GOAL: I wanted to ask about the League Cup. You're going to be pitchside. How important is the competition these days? Is it only relevant if you win it?

RICHARDS: You've still got the FA Cup, which is the oldest cup in history over here. You've obviously got the Premier League and the Champions League. The Premier League was always the highest in my opinion. If you win the league over 38 games, that's special. Then you've got the elite of the game playing in the Champions League, so a lot of people believe the Champions League is the top – Jamie Carragher is one of them!

But the league has always been my thing. The League Cup might not have the same influence as maybe an FA Cup or the Premier League, but I still think it's important. Nowadays it's so hard to win anything. I think teams are a lot more competitive. Does that mean it's the biggest one? No, I wouldn't put it on the same level as the Premier League. But it's still massive for confidence. If you look at Liverpool, they've gone out of the Champions League, if they were to lose the League Cup… I wouldn't say they won't care, but they still want to win. At the end of the day, when you finish your career, and you've got four or five League Cups, a couple of leagues, a Champions League, they all count.

It's going to be a beautiful day at Wembley, and to get to do it for CBS pitchside… I can't wait. It's still a big moment in a player's career. I was one of those players who didn't quite disrespect the League Cup, but I thought "Oh, it's not one of the big ones." But now, looking back, I wish I would have taken it a lot more seriously, because it's so hard to win a trophy. I can't wait to cover it. It's gonna be an absolutely brilliant game.

AFPON LIVERPOOL LOSING IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

GOAL: So, Liverpool losing in the Champions League… that was interesting! What did you make of that game?

RICHARDS: I thought it was two teams playing brilliantly well. I thought, PSG, in the first leg, absolutely dominated it. I thought they should have scored four or five goals. Liverpool got away with one. Harvey Elliot got the goal. And then I thought, "OK, Anfield, let's see. Let's see what it's like. Let's see what's really happening." Liverpool started so well. They had so many chances.

But, PSG, now they're a good side. They're a good side. And I think then the better side over two legs, which I was very surprised with. When you lose a Neymar or lose a Messi or an Mbappe, you're always thinking, "OK, how can they replicate the same levels in terms of quality?" But now they're better . They're better on the counterattack, better in midfield, and better defensively.

I just thought it was a great advert for the Champions League – two top level teams. And I think Liverpool were a bit shell-shocked in how good PSG were, to be honest. I was doing all the press stuff before the game, PSG were confident going into the first leg the second leg. But they've got a great coach. Luis Enrique is top, he really is a top coach. He Knows exactly how he wants to play. He demands control at times as well. But for them to go to Anfield and play like that, they are, you know, real contenders of winning this Champions League. I think that's been the game of the whole Champions League so far.

GOAL: Yeah, PSG came out and played their game, regardless of where it was.

RICHARDS: I just thought they have really good players. You know, [Bradley] Barcola is a terrific young talent. [Ousmane] Dembele is playing the best football of his career. They bring in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who we've seen at Napoli. He's a real special talent. Vitinha in midfield, Nuno Mendes at left back, [Achraf] Hakimi, we know what he can do. He's been doing it for years now. And then [Gianluigi] Donnarruma in the penalties stepped up. He's the real deal. Now, if they can keep this squad together, they can do special things. The draw might not help them this year, but if they can keep the same core group together next year, they're only going to get stronger.