14/01/2017 Football Focus


14/01/2017

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This week we were all shocked by the news that one of the nicest men in

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football died at the age of 72. What Graham Taylor did at Watford

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will never be forgotten. His time with England left him

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disappointed but never bitter. The sound of hitting a football

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thrills me. My playing career is over, I'm very fortunate to be a

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manager and I would like to remain one, simply so I can hear a football

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being struck. I think that I've got qualities as regards coaching, I

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think that's what I ought to be doing. I don't want to see the ball

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still, if it is one touch we play it off one. What the managers run

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before they can walk. I think the whole business is based on fear

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anyhow so if you are having a good run and a job comes, out now while

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you can, and probably that job is the worst job you can go into.

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Lovely day, isn't it? I would like to feel I could be responsible for

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helping to create a club to be successful and at the same time

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setting standards that are worthwhile, good ones.

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You've got one of these books. It was a Watford family, whether you

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were a player or one of the ticket staff or whatever. Oh yes! We all

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matted together and it was the most amazing place to be and Graham

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created all of that. Football is a simple game, not as investigated

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game, again for the man on the terraces to people. What a

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magnificent goal! I have worked with a lot of professional people and he

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ranks up there, that is the kind of person he is. He never ceases to

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amaze me. He has mentioned to me about the passion you has four

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Watford football club and football and I like to feel I have the same

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passion and on that basis you will get a good relationship. What you

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should have been saying is saying something early, talk to him. Let's

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go again. Here we are in the FA Cup for the first time, it will never be

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the same again. Aston Villa's latest manager, Graham Taylor, who has come

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from First Division Watford... I'm putting my reputation on the line

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and people might say what a full list thing to do but it is what

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makes me tick. Big clubs can slide all the way and if you can alter

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that and stop the decline, the chances are they will come back

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because they are a big club. I want international footballers to enjoy

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playing international football. If there are youngsters watching, you

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can get a position like Gary Lineker is captain of his country but you

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have to keep working hard. I have an 83-year-old mother-in-law that once

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his autograph! He had a passion for England, gave most of his life to

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English football. He was straight down the middle and told how it was

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and some people didn't like it but I loved it. Bitterness doesn't come

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into it but what comes into it, I wanted so much to be successful. I

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wanted us to win the World Cup. Perhaps I was foolish to think like

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that. Immediately leaving the England job I needed a period of

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recuperation. There would only be a handful of clubs that I would have

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come back into football for. It is my job to try to make sure the

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morale of the whole club stays high also if you give it a real go and

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you lose it lets not worry because you may just surprise yourself. At

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the end of the day, when a ball is kicked come when a game is played,

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on a football pitch, I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach

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that this is where I belong. In a moment we'll hear

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from Martin Keown, who used to play for Graham at Aston Villa,

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and Mark Lawrenson, but first let's go to Vicarage Road,

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where Watford play Middlesbrough this afternoon and all morning

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people have been leaving their tributes to the greatest

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manager in the club's history. Watford have opened a book of

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condolence and people have been signing all morning.

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John Motson is at Vicarage Road where, John, you watched a game

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Yes, it was on New Year's Day and my wife and I were guests here and on

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the same table as Graham Taylor and one of his daughters, having lunch

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in the Graham Taylor Stand behind me. He was his normal self, talking

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about old times, very convivial with that familiar smile which we all got

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so used to. And my word, didn't he put a smile on the face of this club

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when he arrived in 1977? I was here then quite a lot, I live just down

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the road and I remember the impact he made, not just building a team

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but a club. He did things that even in those days, in the late 70s, were

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quite innovative and which other clubs followed as the years went by.

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He started a family stand on what is now the new Elton John side the

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ground with Stuart where mums and dads could bring sons and daughters

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and that was very popular -- with stewards. He brought in experienced

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men around him, Bertie Mee from Arsenal, one of the most far

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thinking chief executives in the country, Eddie Plumley from Coventry

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and they were a community club, starting a restaurant for the people

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who were here when they went to the First Division in 1982. I think the

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major thing he did was to get the players out into the community

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because you hear now about a player turning up and signing a few

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autographs at a function. Graham had a rotor and two players were sent

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out two or three times a week to mix with the people of Watford and the

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surrounding area and that is why there is such a bond between Graham

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Taylor and this club. I want to go back to the mid-70s because when

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Graham started as a manager at Lincoln City, the BBC Sports night

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programme, which went out on a Wednesday night, decided to feature

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two young managers who were trying to become the next generation.

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Graham Taylor was at Lincoln and Alan Durban was at Shrewsbury. The

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second part of the documentary produced by John Phillips bound

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Graham Taylor here and Alan Durban was at Stoke. They played each other

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in the League Cup, extra time was called for after 90 minutes here.

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Fortunately for the documentary, Graham and Alan worthy opposing

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managers and that is why you heard that shot, in extra time, the camera

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went on the pitch and filmed Graham's instructions and that is

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when to one of his players, and Luther Blissett, I think it might

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have been you, he said, you don't get cramp at this club! That was the

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passion and motivation of Graham Taylor. And a personal story, I hope

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somebody gets that archive out those films because it would make a

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terrific documentary in memory of Graham Taylor, but one of my other

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memories was when I went to watch Watford train one afternoon before

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covering a match on the Saturday. When I was about to leave, he said,

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I want you to come into the team talk and I thought, what do you

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mean. All the players were looking at me and I felt so embarrassed. He

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said to the players, I have been talking to you about doing your

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best, he said this guy, pointing at me, he should be sacked by now! I

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thought, that's nice! All he was doing was trying to explain, however

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comp that you think you are, you always have to go one step further

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-- competent you are. I am pleased to say that his wife and their two

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daughters are coming to the match here today and they will get a great

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reception. I am sure they will and thank you for those fantastic

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memories. There will be a minutes applause at Watford and across

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England today in memory of Graham Taylor. Babin is a beautiful stories

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this week. -- there have been beautiful stories this week. What

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was he like to play under? He came to the club and pretty much rescued

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Aston Villa and probably my career at the time. But first they came a

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difficult chairman, he expressed, I have chosen to come to this club, he

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had a clear vision and he gave us all a bike with our kicked in and

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said, you wash it yourselves. -- a bag. He had a vision and he wanted

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his players to behave in a certain way and I learned a great deal from

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him looking back. It was a case, if you want to be with me, follow me

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and we will be successful. We got Aston Villa back into the big-time,

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the club was on a slippery slide and it was all about this man. 11

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players came in and 11 went out. They great memories. Those

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celebrations, the day we got promoted at Swindon, Graham had

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given as the champagne the day before because he did not think we

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would make it! I have just spent an hour with Martin, telling me

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stories, some you can't tell and some after the watershed! But my

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time with him was mainly at tournaments. He would meet old

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players that played for him and you could always tell, what are they

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like with former managers because every single player that played for

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him absolutely love Tim, they really did. -- loved him. He was normal,

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and in the mad world of football, normal is very good. He was vilified

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by some sections of the pressed why what happened at England and may be

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unfairly labelled as a long ball manager but how will we remember him

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as a manager? He got the ball up early, no doubt, but his Watford

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team played with wingers, including John Barnes. When you got in the

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opposition half then you could play your football

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they finished second in the old division one. For a club like

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Watford, it was almost unheard of. And he gave you your England debut,

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Martin? That was his one mistake! He made me wait for it. But they were

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great days. He was under pressure, a different type of manager for

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England but he always used to say, leave your mark, wherever you are in

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life, and he said left his mark on me and on football. He has left his

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mark on many and there will be a Menace bubbles across England this

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weekend as football chance get a chance to remember Graham Taylor --

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a minute's applause. As Motty was telling us,

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it's sure to be an emotional afternoon at Vicarage Road

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and at Sincil Bank next week where the first team he managed,

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Lincoln, play their FA Cup replay. More on Graham Taylor later

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in the show and we also have Arsenal's Olivier Giroud

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on contracts and that goal. He's scoring and providing -

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West Brom's Matt Phillips I don't want to rest on what is

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happening at the moment, I want to keep pushing and working on my game.

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Manchester United are flying, as is the world's most

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The Seagulls aren't following anyone.

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We're at Brighton, leading the way in the Championship.

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Old team-mates at Barcelona, Stoke boss Mark Hughes

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and Gary Lineker talk about the good old days.

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The usual, three yards out, typical Gary Lineker!

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Eight games in the Premier League this afternoon,

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It's Tottenham at home to West Brom in the early kick-off,

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Hull City play their first league game under Marco Silva

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We'll be live at their fellow relegation strugglers Sunderland

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West Ham play Palace at 3pm - without Dmitri Payet,

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We'll talk about Diego Costa's omission from the Chelsea squad

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as the leaders travel to Leicester, and there's a double dose

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of Manchester against Merseyside on Sunday.

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Although no-one in Merseyside or Manchester cares

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We start, though, with one a man who this week signed

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a new contract at Arsenal, Olivier Giroud.

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Olivier Giroud! What a goal! Brilliant improvisation. It was very

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special, I never score a goal like that, even if I try. Sometimes as a

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striker, you don't have the ball as you want to have so you have to deal

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with that. Sometimes you have to do the right gesture. He has got no

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right to get anything on that, that was an unbelievable finish. If you

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don't try, it's not going to happen. He tried the impossible and it came

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off. I was so happy and a bit surprised because it went so fast

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and yeah, I think God helped me a little bit! Olivier Giroud with the

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header and it is in, they were 3-0 down and they have turned it around!

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He is skipping away in delight. A couple of people told me about Mike

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celebration, I just wanted to celebrate the goal with the fans as

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quick as I can -- my celebration. I was almost sprinting to get back to

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the kick-off so the opponent was even not ready and I told my boys, I

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am going to simulate the Scorpion kick if I score so that's it. Giroud

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we were talking about a new contract since the beginning of the year so

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I'm very happy to carry on with the Arsenal family. I want to win more

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trophies. Hopefully it's going to be this year. I hope that he's going to

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stay, he built this club and I don't think he was the, anyway, we hope

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that he will sign a new contract. -- I don't think he will leave. It's

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always hard when you see the team doing well and you're not on the

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pitch, you're not sure what you can do, so I was lucky to a difference,

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I was very pleased to score important goals, especially in the

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last minute. What do you to make of Giroud?

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Eco-cabin on the fringes this time around but he has made himself

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essential. He has battled back really well, because you wouldn't

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say he would be in Arsenal's best 11, he's a different tool in the

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box, comes off the bench, scores late goals, you wonder how many

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strikers are out there in Europe that are better than him. He does

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seem to be going up a level with his goals now, there is a determination

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in his play, maybe around the negotiations, it's good news for

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Arsenal, collection of players are signing new contracts. Does he get

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in their best 11 this season, no, that he sit on the bench and change

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the game, yes. You talk about him signing a contract, Koscielny has

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done that, Francis Coquelin, the players they really want to sign our

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method Ozil and Sanchez, there are rumours that also wants reassurances

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about the future of Arsene Wenger. I can understand that, it's another

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negotiation tool, it hasn't signed the other players I think Sanchez is

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a player that gets the kind of support from Arsene Wenger that is

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surely didn't get at Barcelona. I am not sure how it's going to pan out

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with Ozil. First home game in charge for Paul Clement at Swansea. John

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Hartson will be watching this match. What do the locals make

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of the appointment because, like Bob Bradley, he hasn't managed

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in the Premier League? I don't think he was the broad's

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first choice, they spoke to the likes of Chris Coleman and Ryan

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Giggs, they didn't get either of them. I think they had previous

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discussions with Paul Clement before they appointed Bob Bradley and they

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didn't get that one over the line. They have got their man now, and

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like everything else, he has to start winning games full stop

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defensively Swansea have considered the most goals in the Premier

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League, he has to strengthen in certain areas, mainly defence and

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once he starts picking up points, the crowd here, like every other

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manager, will back him. I wonder if that is a shrewd appointment, to

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bring in Claude Maca lately -- Makelele. He will also have to hold

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onto Llorente. The issues that they have with King Acosta, looking for

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something to replace him if he was to go -- Chelsea have with league

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Acosta. That put pressure on Swansea wanting to keep Llorente, they only

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just signed him in the summer. Going onto Makelele, Paul Clement worked

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with him a bit at Chelsea, both him and Makelele worked with Ancelotti

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for 18 months, both as assistants, it's somebody he knows and trusts

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must ultimately, he the now. It is his relative he wants to bring in

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now. He is a big fan of the Swans. From one former Arsenal star

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to another, with the news that Kelly Smith has retired this week

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at the age of 38. She became England's first female

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professional footballer when she signed for New Jersey

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in 1999 and during two separate spells with Arsenal she won five

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FA Cup winners medals. At international level

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she represented England at six major tournaments and Great Britain

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at the 2012 Olympics and scored 46 goals.

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A true pioneer. Time now to hear from one

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of the form players Since November last year,

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only Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been involved in more goals

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in the division than He's been talking to

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Juliette Ferrington. How would you sum up the season you

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have had so far? It to me a few games to get going, coming to a new

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club, you need to get used to everything, new players, manager, I

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feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself to hit the ground running,

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great performances from the beginning, maybe putting too much

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pressure on yourself will end up negative. I've always liked, I think

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he has got everything a top player today needs, he has power, strength

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and quality on the ball. His big weakness is his belief and he

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shouldn't have any doubts at all. The manager took me out of the side

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for the game against Man City, it was a bit of homework for me to take

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a step back. Sometimes you need someone to put an arm around you and

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tell you you're doing all right, keep working on your game and things

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will happen. Since then things have really clicked for me. You have

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taken the pressure off yourself? Maybe. The boys have been great as

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well I can't speak highly enough of the boys, it's a great changing

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room, no real cliques or groups or anything like that, everyone is all

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in amongst each other, you have tough days, then you have days when

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it's time to get serious. Those are the things that count. Those

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characters and personalities, that experience, what can you take from

:22:48.:22:50.

what is around you on a day-to-day basis? Aaron Fletcher has played for

:22:51.:22:58.

Scotland, in the Champions League, the Manchester United he brings that

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experience -- Darren Fletcher. He really sets the standard, for any

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other player, you can only learn from that and match that to be able

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to contribute in training and on match days. He sets the bar high.

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Who comes a close second to him? Myself! Something just clicked with

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you. The game against Leicester, I thought I was playing reasonably

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well, scoring a goal, the assists, it brings you work with the team and

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from there, you just go on. How much further can you go, how much more

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have you got to give? I hope I'm not quite in order to rest on what's

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happening, I want to keep wishing on, still plenty more I can do, I

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can get more goals and more assists. Just to let you know the team news

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at Spurs. Spurs are unchanged from their last Premier League game

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against Chelsea. West Brom have made one change, Jonny Evans is out with

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a calf injury. Jonas Olsson comes in at centre half. Phillips has been

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spectacular. What is that stat you have got? We know you love us that.

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You can't set me up when I haven't got one! He is second only... You

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rock me to repeat the same stat from earlier? In terms of what he's

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delivering, do you think that Tony Pulis so that when he got him? I

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think a lot of seen that on one or two have tried to take in the fall

:24:53.:24:55.

but in that position, it's all about end product. Graham Taylor would

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have said to someone like that, what did you do today? How many crosses

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did you get in, did you get any shots in? You would see the penny

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has struck with him, he has always had the ability. Tony Pulis gets

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great credit for him becoming more of a team player, he was a bit

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selfish as a player at QPR. He missed out on the last few Scotland

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squads. I will bet he will! You were interested in how Spurs were going

:25:32.:25:36.

to line up today, they have gone with a line-up that really works.

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They played this against Chelsea and maybe you thought it was just the

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counteract what Chelsea do but if there is a team that is most suited

:25:46.:25:48.

to this than the premiership, I haven't seen it. I feel they can get

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Eric Dier into the team, the three at the back, probably the best three

:25:54.:25:57.

out and out defenders in the Premier League, the full-backs, and then

:25:58.:26:03.

Moussa Dembele and the Wanyama are underrated, there restored the

:26:04.:26:07.

balance about that team, the mythic. The wingbacks are better than the

:26:08.:26:15.

Chelsea ones. In terms of Dele Alli, don't know Pochettino said, about

:26:16.:26:20.

the killer instinct and being so crucial, last season, the game

:26:21.:26:24.

against West Brom was when Dele Alli was given retrospective three match

:26:25.:26:28.

ban for the punch on Claudio Yacob. Pochettino said he wanting to show

:26:29.:26:31.

that naughtiness, he likes that side of him. Listen, he played with a

:26:32.:26:38.

fellow at Arsenal everybody loves, Dennis Bergkamp, did he have a nasty

:26:39.:26:43.

side or what! Unbelievable! Will those great players have got it.

:26:44.:26:48.

Just keep a lid on it but that age makes him what he is. Sharp elbows,

:26:49.:26:50.

Dennis Bergkamp! Tottenham's win over Chelsea 10 days

:26:51.:26:54.

ago tightened things up at the top Liverpool are five points off

:26:55.:26:56.

the leaders, five points behind them are Manchester United,

:26:57.:27:00.

their opponents tomorrow. Steve Bower has been

:27:01.:27:01.

speaking to the world's most Life is good. We enjoy it every

:27:02.:27:25.

minute, every moment. Is it everything you thought it would be,

:27:26.:27:29.

coming back? I have been here before. The weather didn't change!

:27:30.:27:34.

All good. You enjoying your life off the pitch? Always enjoying life. I

:27:35.:27:42.

do football more what I love, I love to dance, I enjoy music, I just

:27:43.:27:44.

enjoy myself. On the pitch, do you feel more

:27:45.:27:56.

comfortable integrating into this new team? The adaptation maybe took

:27:57.:28:03.

a bit. Because when you change players as well, you need some time,

:28:04.:28:10.

now the team is going better and better, I think we all feel much

:28:11.:28:13.

better than the start of the season. What about Jose Mourinho? What is he

:28:14.:28:20.

like to play for? The first few months, it is adaptation for him as

:28:21.:28:25.

well, now we know him better, how he plays and everything, we understand

:28:26.:28:30.

him more, we feel very good foot he has given you an awful lot of

:28:31.:28:35.

support personally? He says, don't listen to anybody, if you need

:28:36.:28:39.

anybody, I am here, be focused on the pitch. That's all I need to hear

:28:40.:28:42.

from my manager. You have had to three different

:28:43.:28:54.

roles in the team, is the one you prefer, the one you feel most

:28:55.:29:00.

suited? Two midfielders or one midfielder next to me, for me it's

:29:01.:29:04.

the same, I would just give my best. Maybe I'm more comfortable if you

:29:05.:29:11.

play in her three because you can go more attacking, both ways, I'm very

:29:12.:29:14.

happy with that, there is no problem. When you first came here,

:29:15.:29:20.

you didn't look as though you felt any pressure, have you changed? I'm

:29:21.:29:26.

a happy man, I'm playing for Man United, great opportunity for me. We

:29:27.:29:30.

want to win titles, we want to win things, I am just a happy man. What

:29:31.:29:35.

is it about this club, the trial of Manchester United around the clock?

:29:36.:29:43.

The club, every game, Bobby Charlton is coming to see us, it is a big

:29:44.:29:48.

family. We stay altogether, when you wear the shirt, you have to be proud

:29:49.:29:54.

of it and give everything. /10! Tell me something! What is your

:29:55.:30:04.

relationship like with Ibrahimovic? When I speak about him, I always

:30:05.:30:09.

life, he's one of the friendliest guys can he joker, outside the

:30:10.:30:14.

pitch, but inside the pitch, he has a big experience and character and

:30:15.:30:22.

they push you to your best, always. Almost a father figure to the

:30:23.:30:27.

younger players? He wrote like it but he's the oldest! He might see

:30:28.:30:32.

this! So he's the Big brother of everyone, maybe most experienced,

:30:33.:30:40.

that's why he can give us advice. So he's almost as important off the

:30:41.:30:45.

pitch as he is on it in the group? That's why we need Michael Carrick,

:30:46.:30:50.

even Wayne Rooney, they are played to listen to because they have the

:30:51.:30:53.

experience, they have been here at the club for a long time and they

:30:54.:30:58.

know the Premier League. On the pitch he seemed to have a tour of

:30:59.:31:00.

the relationship with Ibrahimovic. He should have scored more! But yes,

:31:01.:31:14.

I find him a lot and I feel comfortable because he is a complete

:31:15.:31:20.

striker. Nine wins in a row, can you feel that momentum at the moment? We

:31:21.:31:26.

want to win the league, that is all, it is good to win but to win the

:31:27.:31:31.

league you have to win so we have to keep doing this. We can have 20 but

:31:32.:31:35.

if you don't win the league, there is no point. Manchester United

:31:36.:31:40.

against Liverpool at Old Trafford, does it send a shiver down your

:31:41.:31:45.

spine? The history, a big derby, more than Man City I think. The way

:31:46.:31:51.

you feel the atmosphere is more. It is good to win football against

:31:52.:31:57.

Stoke city, any team in the league, but it is even better, you have more

:31:58.:32:01.

taste when you win against Liverpool because it is a derby. Like this.

:32:02.:32:14.

I'll get there! Where are you on the list in the dressing room for the

:32:15.:32:19.

music? The first DJ always big respect for Ashley Young. You are

:32:20.:32:26.

not far behind? He knows! He hasn't got the dance moves? The best

:32:27.:32:31.

dancer, I don't want to say it but you have to ask the others. They

:32:32.:32:40.

will say Paul Pogba? Probably! One, two... That's it. Top man. Good

:32:41.:32:51.

luck. Thank you. Not sure if he was impressed with Steve's handshakes!

:32:52.:32:57.

He is impressive off the pitch but on the pitch he has really improved

:32:58.:33:01.

and he says Mourinho has given him freedom and both he and the team are

:33:02.:33:05.

playing well. If you remember the game at Anfield which was classic

:33:06.:33:10.

Mourinho, glass half empty. Since then it has been glass half full.

:33:11.:33:16.

Michael Carrick is a massive influence. He has allowed Pogba to

:33:17.:33:21.

raid from midfield and he looks completely different. Mkhitaryan as

:33:22.:33:26.

well. Manchester United now are 50% better than they were in October,

:33:27.:33:31.

completely different and they look really good side. The whole mood has

:33:32.:33:36.

changed and Pogba it's a free spirit and you can see that in his

:33:37.:33:41.

personality. He is bouncing off Ibrahimovic as well. Ryan Giggs has

:33:42.:33:45.

said he reminds him of Cantona and the effect he had at Old Trafford

:33:46.:33:49.

and Pogba says he feels like a father figure but he is in

:33:50.:33:54.

everything the club does. He is that senior player and Pogba is learning

:33:55.:33:58.

from him. He is a serial winner of trophies. And the thing about him,

:33:59.:34:03.

we might have talked about this before but with the younger players,

:34:04.:34:07.

when they try to find him on the pitch and the ball is not good

:34:08.:34:10.

enough, he is like that all the time, he's brilliant with them. Keep

:34:11.:34:16.

trying, keep trying. We have not talked about one of the games of the

:34:17.:34:19.

weekend, this lot taking on Liverpool who have been quite quiet

:34:20.:34:24.

in the build-up. They have Joel Matip and Henderson back in

:34:25.:34:28.

training, Coutinho might start as well so how do they stop Manchester

:34:29.:34:32.

United who have found their rhythm? It needs to be the Liverpool of the

:34:33.:34:36.

first few months when Coutinho was available and they were hounding the

:34:37.:34:40.

opposition and making it difficult for them. Of course they missed

:34:41.:34:44.

Coutinho, Firmino has not been quite the same but Liverpool Miss Mane. He

:34:45.:34:50.

is the only one they cannot replace. He gives them a perfect balance.

:34:51.:34:55.

Liverpool will try to press and I think they will have the energy but

:34:56.:34:57.

Manchester United will have too much.

:34:58.:34:58.

That game will feature on Match of the Day 2 which is on BBC 2

:34:59.:35:01.

Alan Shearer and Phil Neville in the studio for that one.

:35:02.:35:07.

The late game today sees leaders Chelsea travel

:35:08.:35:08.

You might remember this from last season.

:35:09.:35:20.

First time out to the right to Mahrez, three in the box and he

:35:21.:35:28.

killed it in for Jamie Vardy! He has scored again. -- he curls it in.

:35:29.:35:35.

Albrighton, that was blocked and the cross comes in and it is Mahrez, the

:35:36.:35:42.

edge of the box, lovely control, turning and tries to beat

:35:43.:35:49.

Azpilicueta and the beats Courtois as well! Double trouble for Chelsea!

:35:50.:35:55.

Pedro, a good ball in. Loic Remy got one back but it was not enough. I

:35:56.:36:06.

think in this moment I feel ashamed to be in such a bad position. Three

:36:07.:36:12.

days afterwards Mourinho was sacked and the club revealed this week it

:36:13.:36:16.

cost them ?8 million but now the new man in charge is manager of the

:36:17.:36:20.

month for the third month in a row but he has a big job because the

:36:21.:36:25.

major story today in the papers it's all about this man, Diego Costa.

:36:26.:36:29.

Apparently his head has been turned by a potential move to China.

:36:30.:36:37.

?30 million a season apparently to go to China and Conte said you are

:36:38.:36:44.

not playing this weekend. Correct from the boss? Absolutely. He is

:36:45.:36:51.

reasserting himself as to who is the manager. Costa as football utopia,

:36:52.:36:55.

top of the league, scoring every week, he has found his form, what is

:36:56.:37:01.

wrong in his life? Suddenly he falls out with his manager. He has brought

:37:02.:37:04.

him to heal, he will come back quietly with an apology. If you get

:37:05.:37:11.

60 million quid for him, let him go. Have you seen the Chinese football?

:37:12.:37:17.

It's a lot of money. It's rubbish. He is at his peak. ?30 million a

:37:18.:37:24.

season... You become a mercenary. He is at his peak. The team is built

:37:25.:37:30.

around him, absolutely terribly, he is a top player. If he wants to go

:37:31.:37:35.

to join and be bored for 18 hours a day, good luck. Could it derail

:37:36.:37:41.

Chelsea? I don't think so coming is a quality player you don't want to

:37:42.:37:44.

be without and I think the manager is managing it in the correct way.

:37:45.:37:48.

They tell me he's like this committee can go off on one and

:37:49.:37:52.

comes back the next day and it is all forgotten. Chelsea are hoping

:37:53.:37:56.

that is what will happen. If he went, they don't win the league.

:37:57.:38:02.

Simple as that? Yes. Because of everything he is. You could see it

:38:03.:38:09.

then, he was trying to take him off, but the manager was saying, I'm in

:38:10.:38:13.

charge, not you. It is a difficult dressing room at Chelsea and the

:38:14.:38:17.

manager has done well this season and he is asserting himself.

:38:18.:38:21.

Leicester were at Goodison Park in the cup last week with one of Kim

:38:22.:38:26.

and complaining about a lack of transfer activity. -- Ronald Koeman

:38:27.:38:32.

complaining. They have signed Morgan Schneiderlin. A few Everton fans

:38:33.:38:37.

miffed he has taken the squad number two because they don't feel a

:38:38.:38:43.

midfielder should be doing that. There is a long history of people

:38:44.:38:47.

playing with weird numbers but is it a shrewd signing to get him back

:38:48.:38:52.

with Ronald Koeman after his career stalled at Manchester United? He is

:38:53.:38:55.

a good player and he gives them a bit of stability in there. He knows

:38:56.:38:59.

how the manager wants to play, Ronald Koeman is taking his time to

:39:00.:39:03.

get it right, Ross Barkley is improving and I think Everton will

:39:04.:39:08.

finish the season well. And the manager knows which buttons to press

:39:09.:39:09.

for Schneiderlin. The big news in world football this

:39:10.:39:13.

week was the confirmation from Fifa that the World Cup will be expanded

:39:14.:39:17.

to 48 teams from 2026, but it's not about the money

:39:18.:39:20.

according to the Fifa President, We knew already that 60 more

:39:21.:39:29.

countries in the world will participate in the biggest sports

:39:30.:39:38.

event -- 16 countries. And I think this goes a long way into the

:39:39.:39:47.

direction of making people participate in football in a more

:39:48.:39:50.

concrete way. At the moment, 32 teams

:39:51.:39:52.

start the tournament in eight groups of four,

:39:53.:39:55.

with the top two going through to the knockout stages

:39:56.:39:58.

and a grand total of 64 matches From 2026, there will be

:39:59.:40:01.

48 teams - a quarter They'll start off in 16 groups

:40:02.:40:05.

of three, with the top two going There will be a grand total of 80

:40:06.:40:10.

matches in the tournament, but the winning team

:40:11.:40:14.

will still play seven games. It will bring Fifa in about an extra

:40:15.:40:30.

?500 million. They are saying it opens up the chance for other

:40:31.:40:34.

nations to experience the World Cup. Africa will get a lot more than the

:40:35.:40:40.

four countries that have previously qualified. I feel it is to spread

:40:41.:40:43.

the name of the game and it has to be a good thing to get more people

:40:44.:40:47.

playing and growing the game but what does it do to the tournament?

:40:48.:40:50.

They are saying it will be the same number of games. Give more people an

:40:51.:40:55.

opportunity. Same number of games to win it. There are 80 matches. And

:40:56.:41:01.

the final group games will no longer kick off at the same time so you

:41:02.:41:05.

could have a scenario where a lot of teams know that a goalless draw or a

:41:06.:41:08.

certain result would send them through. And it will probably be in

:41:09.:41:12.

two or three countries at the same time, it would have to be. It would

:41:13.:41:15.

have to be huge otherwise. The Stoke manager, Mark Hughes,

:41:16.:41:19.

never played at a major finals with Wales but he did

:41:20.:41:22.

enjoy life overseas. He's been talking to a former

:41:23.:41:24.

team-mate at Barcelona. Mark, it is over 30 years now. I

:41:25.:41:40.

hadn't realised. July 1986 was when we signed for Barcelona. I have got

:41:41.:41:41.

a few clips to have a look at. I will leave you to translate. You

:41:42.:42:00.

always better at Spanish! Barcelona manager Terry Venables has signed

:42:01.:42:05.

2-mac of his compatriots to help the campaign. You look browner than the!

:42:06.:42:12.

I was a young 23 in years and attitude to life. It was hard work

:42:13.:42:17.

for me whereas I think your attitude to it help you succeed better than I

:42:18.:42:27.

did. Our debut. Lineker and Hughes helped make it a winning start for

:42:28.:42:33.

Terry Venables. Do you remember? I remember because I scored after two

:42:34.:42:40.

minutes. The usual, three yards out. Typical Lineker goal, based career

:42:41.:42:50.

on it! We had Terry Venables as coach of course. He was great, I

:42:51.:42:57.

liked him as a guy. He clearly knew the game very well. He knows this is

:42:58.:43:06.

his responsibility. You used to give the translate a terrible time. It

:43:07.:43:14.

happened every time he joined in. Put the brakes on and went you shot

:43:15.:43:21.

him, go again. You can see how interested I am because Kerry is

:43:22.:43:26.

talking about forward pressing. -- Terry. You had switched off and I am

:43:27.:43:33.

not far behind you! Gary has the angle to cut it off. He knew his

:43:34.:43:39.

stuff. He was ahead of his game, people talk about the high press

:43:40.:43:45.

now. It is interesting seeing the coaches it always is, and it is the

:43:46.:43:50.

old adage that old coaches are thieves. You see is a body like

:43:51.:43:53.

Terry Venables working and you forget what happened when you were

:43:54.:43:59.

under his tutelage -- somebody like. Do you think it helped you, nowadays

:44:00.:44:04.

you get so many foreign players, when you are managing them,? Without

:44:05.:44:12.

a shadow of doubt. To be able to go back to those experiences helps me

:44:13.:44:16.

when I am speaking to the guys and I use it obviously when we are trying

:44:17.:44:20.

to acquire good players. It is useful to say, I used to play for

:44:21.:44:25.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich. It helps get them alert and think, hang

:44:26.:44:29.

on, I can't remember him playing, but I will look on Google and see it

:44:30.:44:31.

if it's true. Exactly. That is my attitude to it, clearly!

:44:32.:45:01.

Completely the wrong way to embrace the culture of another country! I

:45:02.:45:07.

regret to this day that I didn't embrace it as I should have. When

:45:08.:45:11.

you go abroad you have to go with the mindset to stay as long as you

:45:12.:45:15.

can and if you do that, you can be successful and you give yourself

:45:16.:45:18.

time to understand different cultures and languages and you can

:45:19.:45:24.

get a better experience. Whereas my attitude was, I will do it for a

:45:25.:45:26.

couple of years and get back home. Harry Kane has put Spurs ahead

:45:27.:45:37.

against West Brom. More of that interview available on the website

:45:38.:45:38.

and the iPlayer. Sunderland have been in the bottom

:45:39.:45:43.

three since September. David Moyes has spent a lot of the

:45:44.:45:59.

week trying to bend people off. Yes, Patrick Van on hold was linked with

:46:00.:46:05.

a move to Crystal Palace, and a week ago there was a reported approach

:46:06.:46:09.

from West Ham to sign Jermain Defoe, that was knocked back. It is vital

:46:10.:46:13.

that Sunderland hang onto their assets, with the Chief Executive

:46:14.:46:19.

stating they would be very limited transfer funds available. The key to

:46:20.:46:24.

it all is Jermain Defoe, if he did go, that would be seen as Sunderland

:46:25.:46:29.

effectively waving the white flag. He has scored 11 goals, those of you

:46:30.:46:37.

who look at our website regularly and the productions might be

:46:38.:46:40.

familiar with the University of Salford supercomputer Sam which is

:46:41.:46:44.

valued Jermain Defoe at something over ?41 million. I do know how they

:46:45.:46:51.

have worked it out but for a 34 year wow!

:46:52.:46:56.

Dropping towards them are Crystal Palace, who are away

:46:57.:47:00.

at West Ham this afternoon, a club coping with this news

:47:01.:47:02.

We had a situation with a player, it is Dmitri Payet. He wants to leave.

:47:03.:47:21.

We don't want to sell our best players, we want to keep them. He is

:47:22.:47:27.

definitely one of them, or our best player, that's why we gave him such

:47:28.:47:33.

a long contract. And he refused to play for us. That really hurt Slaven

:47:34.:47:41.

Bilic, to say that. They gave him a ?1 million bonus after the Euros,

:47:42.:47:45.

signed him on a contract in February, a big deal, can you see

:47:46.:47:49.

anything from his side of things that the club have matched his

:47:50.:47:53.

ambition? Not really, think there is a responsibility as a young man to

:47:54.:47:57.

behave in the right way, no one forced into sign the contract, yes,

:47:58.:48:01.

he is outstanding and is not happy with the situation but you are there

:48:02.:48:06.

to play, to refuse to play is scandalous, from the player's point

:48:07.:48:10.

of view. It is almost club versus the player, is the strongest, are

:48:11.:48:16.

there any winners? He needs to get out there and play. It is

:48:17.:48:20.

disappointing it should become so public. What does it do to the

:48:21.:48:24.

dressing room, to the dynamic? If you have a player like that, you

:48:25.:48:30.

don't want to know him. Have either of you experienced that, someone who

:48:31.:48:32.

has not wanted to be there and had that influence of dragging them

:48:33.:48:37.

rolled down? A little bit, not naming names, but in the end the

:48:38.:48:43.

player has to get on with job. Do players communicate that does it

:48:44.:48:46.

have to come from the club? I don't imagine you would stand for that in

:48:47.:48:51.

a dressing room you were in? To know it is a matter of time before he's

:48:52.:48:57.

going, the club was there an awful long time before Dmitri Payet was

:48:58.:49:02.

there and will be there afterwards. The club have to win otherwise what

:49:03.:49:08.

is the point? Grifter palace of signed Geoffrey Schlupp, it is

:49:09.:49:11.

crucial for them, they are slipping down the runway. -- Crystal Palace.

:49:12.:49:17.

I think this player is a really good sign, he has a lot of pace, whether

:49:18.:49:22.

he plays left back or more advanced, Sam will make things happen. He

:49:23.:49:28.

knows there is a nervousness playing in that new stadium for West Ham and

:49:29.:49:30.

they need the points today, Palace. A reminder that Final Score

:49:31.:49:34.

is on the Red Button from 4pm this afternoon,

:49:35.:49:36.

with Martin back to lock And Match of the Day

:49:37.:49:38.

is from 10.30pm tonight, with Gabby Logan joined

:49:39.:49:42.

by Danny Murphy and Ian Wright. To the Championship,

:49:43.:49:47.

where five league wins in a row have seen Brighton take top

:49:48.:49:50.

spot from Newcastle. It's been a season of success

:49:51.:49:51.

so far, but also great struggle, as Mark Clemmitt has

:49:52.:49:54.

been finding out. They are going top of the table with

:49:55.:50:14.

half a season go! Five consecutive wins, unbeaten in 18, how aware are

:50:15.:50:18.

you the players of all those statistics? We are aware because see

:50:19.:50:25.

them on social media but I don't think the group buy into it too

:50:26.:50:31.

much, what has been is gone and we are focusing on the future and

:50:32.:50:34.

hopefully we can do some thing special by the end of the season.

:50:35.:50:37.

What are the key characteristics of this group? Hard work, keeping

:50:38.:50:43.

upbeat on the ground and not getting sucked in by the league table. It

:50:44.:50:47.

sounds like you are the image of the manager, that is exactly what he is

:50:48.:50:53.

like! You could say that coming definitely keeps our feet on the

:50:54.:50:57.

ground. Don't take this the wrong way, I don't think I realised your

:50:58.:51:01.

goal ratio was as good, a goal every two starts. Almost, I think. For a

:51:02.:51:07.

man who didn't pay attention to stats! I like that one. I have done

:51:08.:51:15.

it in most divisions now. Long may it continue. There is a team spirit,

:51:16.:51:23.

it is manifested in the death of the Father for Anthony knockout, the

:51:24.:51:26.

unity of the squad in going to the funeral... He's a big character

:51:27.:51:33.

interesting room, when we might be down, that role has been reversed,

:51:34.:51:35.

just before Christmas, we need to keep him up. He told me just before

:51:36.:51:42.

the funeral that he would come with his girlfriend but I didn't know

:51:43.:51:47.

about the other players. When I saw the bus arrived at the funeral, I

:51:48.:51:52.

started to cry, it was so emotional, I will never forget that moment.

:51:53.:51:58.

What a contrast over the last few months, the highs on the field and

:51:59.:52:02.

that terrible low of it. Yes, some good memories in Brighton before

:52:03.:52:08.

this happened, and obviously I cannot compare football with that

:52:09.:52:16.

kind of thing in life. Obviously if I speak just about football, I think

:52:17.:52:20.

I have had the best time since I started my career. It has been in

:52:21.:52:25.

Brighton. It seems to have helped you to share your grief publicly. Of

:52:26.:52:32.

course, because it's always important to have people behind you

:52:33.:52:36.

in these moments, I needed that support, and the biggest support I

:52:37.:52:42.

had was from the club. When I came back after the funeral, I was still

:52:43.:52:46.

so emotional, I was crying every day in training it was obviously the

:52:47.:52:52.

toughest moment in my life. But since I think I saw the first goal,

:52:53.:52:57.

gave me so much more motivation to push forward and get better. An

:52:58.:53:05.

emotional moment for him, he kisses the picture of his death, it means

:53:06.:53:14.

so much to him. It it is always good to think about promotion, I was

:53:15.:53:17.

talking about this with my dad in hospital at 40 passed away. He said,

:53:18.:53:25.

if you can go up this season, I will be so happy, because I would be

:53:26.:53:30.

doing what he asked me to do before he passed away. Really good to hear

:53:31.:53:39.

Anthony being so honest. We talked about the relationship between

:53:40.:53:40.

players and clubs can he will never forget the way his club have traded

:53:41.:53:46.

him to stop he has talked about unity, Brighton certainly have it.

:53:47.:53:50.

We have both played there. It is a fantastic club and now under the

:53:51.:53:54.

leadership of the chairman, and Chris Hughton, I seriously hope they

:53:55.:54:01.

get promotion poster by get smashed at Preston today but I hope they get

:54:02.:54:08.

promotion! They are in great shape. Definitely, has always been a great

:54:09.:54:14.

place to play, we didn't have the training ground, but it's great to

:54:15.:54:18.

see that club on the way up. They take on Preston this weekend.

:54:19.:54:21.

One FA Cup third round game to bring you up to date

:54:22.:54:24.

with from Monday night, when League 2 Cambridge United took

:54:25.:54:27.

the lead against Championship high flyers Leeds United through Uche

:54:28.:54:29.

A different Leeds came out after the break.

:54:30.:54:34.

Stuart Dallas got the equaliser from Alex Mowatt's cross.

:54:35.:54:36.

Mowatt then grabbed the winner to set up a fourth round tie at AFC

:54:37.:54:40.

And Leeds won again last night in the league.

:54:41.:54:44.

They are up to third in the Championship

:54:45.:54:46.

Predictions this week from UFC middleweight champion

:54:47.:55:02.

Michael Bisping are on the website but we are going to finish

:55:03.:55:05.

We've heard a lot of wonderful stories about

:55:06.:55:08.

He was a man who had time for so many.

:55:09.:55:13.

He was a man who will be fondly remembered today,

:55:14.:55:15.

particularly at Vicarage Road, where in the late 70's he turned up

:55:16.:55:18.

alongside a pop star, and changed the club forever.

:55:19.:55:20.

Defence didn't move out to catch him, and there is Jenkins!

:55:21.:56:52.

That's a good try and a lovely golden!

:56:53.:56:58.

Played in early, he slides in! I say! An historic night indeed in

:56:59.:57:58.

this corner of Hertfordshire. Callaghan!

:57:59.:58:05.

What a magnificent goal from John Barnes!

:58:06.:58:47.

He has saved, Luther Blissett again! Go!

:58:48.:58:49.

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