21/09/2014 MOTD2 Extra

Good afternoon, welcome to Match of the Day 2 Extra on BBC One, on Radio

Former Liverpool, Tottenham and Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy.

And Match Of The Day commentator Guy Mowbray.

Get in touch in all the usual ways...

We'll ask what's going wrong with Liverpool after they suffer

Title rivals Manchester City face leaders Chelsea in one

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is boosted by

the Magpies' comeback against Hull City, as a mass protest falls flat.

Who'd have thought Southampton would be flying high in second?

While Welbeck's off the mark for the Gunners.

And can Leicester fend off big-spending Manchester United?

The Sunday express goes with that defeat for Liverpool at West Ham.

The Mail discusses Joe Hart's new contract. The Mirror focuses on Alan

Pardew. And there are also reports that Manchester United will not

break the bank for Cristiano Ronaldo. Let's start with that

headline on the back of the Express - Rodgers at meeting the title

challenge is over already. Strong words, and you would not necessarily

go along with that, Guy Mowbray? No, I would not at all. It has become

more difficult, and it puts more emphasis on the really big aims,

starting with the Merseyside derby next weekend. But it is far too soon

to be drawing any conclusions about anything just yet, even Manchester

City -Chelsea this afternoon. City had lost three games by pretty much

at this stage last year, I think. Yes, I think it was four by

November. I think it is who Liverpool have lost to, games they

would have expected to win, probably, certainly yesterday. I can

understand the frustration but there is a long way to go. Brendan Rodgers

says, we have got a bit of work to do, which is understandable, given

the changeover in personnel? And the Suarez factor was going to be

extremely large. When you are replacing a player of that quality

and that charisma, think of the fear factor to which the other teams had

last year. Particularly the connection with Sturridge. Take

those out, and you have got Fabio Borini, who is still in some ways a

developmental player, and Balotelli, who we all know all about. They will

need time to get to know each other. It is almost absurd to expect

everything to click straightaway. I suppose the fear factor is one

thing, but also it enables the opposition to set up differently

against them? In the last few weeks, we have noticed a common theme. They

have lost Suarez, and Sturridge is now injured, so who is the danger

man, who dictates play? Stevie. Villa put Agbonlahor on him.

Yesterday, Stewart Downing marketing. They are starving him of

the ball, which marketing. They are starving him of

dictate play like he does. The other thing, one of Liverpool's strengths

last year was their ability to press from the front and really strangle

teams, which was because of Suarez, his energy and his work ethic, and

they have got no one like that. Balotelli is not comparable. Can you

train that into him? Yes. Many have tried. He tried to do it at

Tottenham, and he did it quite well, but he has fallen back into type,

over the last two games. Suarez was an exceptional talent, but also

exceptional because of his workrate. an exceptional talent, but also

What you found was that Daniel Sturridge did the same, he followed

suit. It was like he looked up to him and did the same thing just

listen, if you take your two best players, most productive players,

out of your first 11, you will struggle for a while. Last season,

West Ham were probably struggling most of all up front, and in

bringing in Valencia and Sakho, who have that energy and effervescence,

working from the front, what difference that has made to THEIR

game. Andy Carroll dropping out, Carlton Cole not in the side, might

have done them a favour, with no disrespect. It is just that they

HAVE to play differently. And that gives different options to the

midfielders, doesn't it? Taking out the movement of Suarez and

Sturridge, it limits the options open for the midfield. I think huge

credit to Sam open for the midfield. I think huge

being brave enough to play a formation, up against Liverpool,

being brave enough to play a kind of saying, we have got some

good players now. They had movement, creativity. Considering there has

been some negativity around Upton Park for quite a while, I thought

that was really brave decision. Stewart Downing, for all his critics

over the last couple of seasons, was as good as anybody on the pitch. Not

just defensively, he really contributed the other way as well.

And one more thing, he has created as many chances as Cesc Fabregas

this season. Talking about Balotelli, I think there are signs

that he has come back a little bit of a different player. That incident

yesterday with Adrian, I did not think he did anything wrong, I

thought he behaved perfectly well. In the past, there might have been a

bit of a flare-up. The season is still settling down, we are at the

foundation stage left have not settled yet. Some, with new

signings, Southampton, it has all clicked. It will come back. Some

clubs have not got going yet. Let me read some of the texts and tweets

which have come in on Liverpool. This one says, they have gone from

dominating Spurs to doing a Spurs. This one says, they look lost

without Suarez. This one says, Balotelli is far too static for the

system. Is one says, the team was built around Suarez, and we have

wasted our money on average players like Lallana and Markovic. It is too

early to say that, isn't it? Danny, I was interested to ask you, when

you get new players in, how quickly can it all gel? Looking at Arsenal

yesterday, Welbeck and Ozil seemed to have a relationship, but they

have probably only trained together for a few days? There is no set

formula. The more players you bring in who are new, the more difficult

it becomes. If it is just one, it is more simple. I think there are? 's

with a lot of Liverpool supporters over the way he has spent the money.

You could argue that Lallana and Lambert are proven in the Premier

League. But people forget the difference of playing for a big

club. You are not just adapting to a formation, you are adapting to an

expectancy which you have not played under before. Playing at Anfield on

a Champions League night. I saw some of the players the other night, and

it was a bit, what is going on? So, it is a mental thing? I have seen

brilliant players technically who have done well at other clubs fail

at Liverpool, because they could not grasp the enormity of the task. I

think Lallana is a terrific layer, and I think he is and couldn't and

has the ability, for example. But defensively, you could argue, the

full-backs, they are young, naive, are they as good as Johnson and

Enrique? Potentially, maybe. But if you are asking me, I would put the

other two back in for defensive solidity at the moment. Today,

Manchester City against Chelsea, title rivals, highlights later on

Match of the Day to Mac. Before we discuss that, let's speak to someone

who has had a lot of press coverage over the recent times. They are a

top side, and if we want to close the gap to them, on Sunday, we need

to win. We need to prove ourselves as a team, as a club, and we have to

do that day after day. Chelsea have a good squad, they have good

players. They are hungry for trophies. It is going to be a tough

game on Sunday. We have to do a job and work hard as a team. We have to

try to do the business on Sunday. By Mowbray, do you think the stick

which he has had this week is fair? He had stick last season when Didi

Hamann was on Match of the Day as well... I think there are quite a

few layers to it. He had a family tragedy in the summer, had a World

Cup to play in for the Ivory Coast. So many things to take into account.

But purely from what he has done on the football field, yes, he has not

performed as he can. I am a huge fan of Yaya Toure, when he is on form,

he could be the difference between winning the title and not, for any

team, I think he is that good. And he has just not done it. What Paul

Scholes said about his performance in Munich was correct - he seemed to

be ambling around. And we know it is all there! I actually think he is a

big game player, most of the time. We will see it today, I have got a

feeling. Pellegrini is a very measured man, who does not usually

come out with things without thinking carefully. For him to come

out this week and say that Yaya Toure is struggling from a personal

perspective, from the death of his brother, he is still a fairly young

man, he lost his mother at a fairly young age as well, I think when he

was living abroad. We expect our top footballers, the big stars, to be

always at the top. Sometimes life is not like that. Perhaps we need to

cut him a bit of slack. But maybe Pellegrini has 2 helping with that.

A squad like City's ought to have the strength to cope. He tried it

last week at Arsenal, when he did not include him, but the reaction

was, this is a big game, why is he not in the squad? It is a delicate

balance for Pellegrini. I think he has got a wonderful player, who he

wants to see get better in his form, and the only way you do that really

is to put him on the pitch. When he is going through it, he is getting

criticised. There are two aspects, the physicality of the man, he is

huge. He needs to be at the top of his fitness in order to perform.

Mary there is a physical hangover from the World Cup. The mentality

aspect is about, yes, trauma in the family, but also, the hunger and the

desire to keep performing at that level. He has played a lot of

football over the last few years, not someone who has been ravaged

with injuries. I think he has to stimulate himself to stay on top of

his game. Whereas, when you are 22, 23, you are trying every game to

show the world. And he has kind of show the world. People can argue, he

is paid to do a job, but it not that simple. It is not a conscious thing,

you just fall into a comfort zone. Gerard Houllier used to talk about

it a lot at Liverpool, and I am a big believer of it, you can fall

into a comfort zone. Do you expect it to be cagey? Chelsea have been

remarkably open this season... I would not have thought they will be

quite so open today. I actually do fancy Chelsea a bit. A draw would be

my bet, however. Just because of the way they have started, and the way

they won at City last season. City are essentially the same team, there

will be no Fernando today. Chelsea, with two crucial additions, Costa

and Fabregas, I just ain't that bit stronger. They will play a similar

way, but just have that extra in attack as well. You mentioned the 2

players they have added. If you love at the back of the Sunday people

today, their headline centres on Diego Costa, saying, insults will

cost you. If you were in that Manchester City side, would you try

and wind him up? For sure. I think Coster, something is going to happen

with him soon. Every game I have watched him, he has an argument. He

is sometimes lucky to stay on the pitch. He is on the edge, and I like

that about him, because it means he plays with that passion. Like

Rooney, a few years ago. It will not be that long before he blows up in a

game, and it could be today. But he is up against the best centre half

in the world today, I think, Vincent Kompany. It will be fascinating. If

Demichelis, an Argentinian, Brazilian by birth, gets close

enough to say a few words, he might be capable of pushing a few buttons.

To put an argument for City, they have not quite fired yet. They will

at some stage soon. They have come into this game with exactly the same

record that they had after four games last season, and it was this

game last season when they steam-rolled United. I fancy City.

You make a great point with Fabregas and Coster, but I think Chelsea are

also more vulnerable. By accommodating Fabregas in the

midfield, you lose some legs. Last year they went there and set up to

defend. With Fabregas in the team, he is much more creative and aloof

with it, he goes and does what he wants to impact the game. So can you

pick him off easier? Yes, of course. But it is down to attack ticks, when

you have got two teams with such quality. It is going to be

fascinating to see how City set up, what do they do with Yaya Toure? But

I think playing at home, how many points are they behind?

If they win this they are eight points apart. You told me, that

Mourinho science do not let that slip. And neither did Ferguson but

they did that. -- science. If they get that kind of stretch it is

possible they can move away. It is too soon. It will be a bit about

fitness. If you can guarantee the Chelsea squad stays fit that is a

strong position. There is no way they will all stay fit. There will

be a time where they are missing some of their big boys. Everybody

goes through a bad spell and city will get better. The reason I am

excited is this game today, it could be cagey, but with the firepower in

both teams it could be 6-5. If it is we will play that clip back! I think

city will it yet, but it could be a bad refereeing decision one moment

of brains. A draw tinged with royal blue. Mourinho will not have it, 6-5

is a hockey match. I say it is a draw. We will come back to the day

later but let's talk about one of yesterday 's games. Please get in

touch with us but let's move onto yesterday, at St James' Park, all of

the planned against Alan Pardew, Newcastle against Hull. Sometimes it

gets lost and I hear these people saying, I cannot do this and Maiga

and arrogance gets in the way of my management or something. You have to

understand I am very proud to be Newcastle manager, it is one of the

best jobs in the world. I am fighting for it. Are most managers,

the most managers not have an ego and arrogance? Some more than

others. Who? I think he has been a little unlucky. He had a brilliant

spell last season early on when they went a large number of games

unbeaten. He lost his best player, out of his hands, then his main

striker was injured, and suspended, Loic Remy. By all accounts he is not

in charge of the transfers coming in, which is a big problem. You

could argue he accepted that when he took the job but he is not the only

one to blame. There are other people at full. What was clear yesterday

was that there was a reaction. They could have thrown the towel in but

they kept going. He made the substitution. He is hanging on for

dear life, but I like to see fight in somebody and he is certainly

showing mad. One thing to add is that they are in a bad spell and

under par June Newcastle go in spells. -- under Alan Pardew. They

can have a fantastic run all the dreadful run. They never pick up

five points out of nine. Is that not part of the problem? If you get the

sense something might happen and then it goes down again and you are

left with disappointed, it is this roller-coaster. That word is

designed for Saint James 's Park. We spoke before coming on their about

the atmosphere with certain crowds having a big impact, as with Roman

house -- with Villa and Arsenal. You feel with Newcastle that Alan Pardew

is getting the blame but some people say he is a stooge for what is going

on behind the scenes and whether they want a change, it is not just

about him. It is about Mike Ashley and the bigger picture. Is another

manager going to come in and make everything feel different? In the

past you felt that some fans have been against him because of the

Ashley factor, but with this one, more than most, if you read the

statement, a lot of it is based on their form over the past 12 months.

Particularly in the last 13 games, six points. But they need some

clarity from the top, from the owner, over what his plans are. What

he is happy with, what he thinks the club should be. We don't know

because he does not do any speaking, the good or bad. Yesterday with the

first time he came out and said that Pardew would be safe. That has

clarified one thing. Alan Pardew, I remember being on this programme in

January and stating he was my manager Robbie yet and I put the

kibosh on him. -- he was my manager of the year. They could have another

good run but if they lose a couple it is back to square one. Some of

them will not rest until he has gone. Such was the shock at his name

when he was appointed that some have been waiting to not have him,

period. That is it. All managers have a life span at a club and maybe

he has already been there quite a long time. Second longest serving in

the country. Sean Kerly says, I wish the media would realise that the

problem is Mike Ashley. Aaron Crawford says he has the guy, he

plays the wrong players in the wrong position. Mike says Pardew is taking

the stick for Mike Ashley. For all of the talk of the protests it was

actually quite mild yesterday and the other point was that they got

themselves back. The fans played a part in the pan. All right they were

booing, but they stayed onside for the players. -- played a part in

that. There was a minority cheering when Hull scored the second. Some of

the players who came in are not good enough and some will take time but

if he's not having an input in that, then he has to stick up for himself

and stand in his corner and say to the owners, I am not having an input

on the place. My understanding is that he would have had some

different players if he had some say. Ian Dennis has pointed out a

couple of times that of the 28 players, signed under Alan Pardew,

only four have been British. And there is an age cap as well and so

many other factors he was restricted by. As I said before he is taking

the blame and he has to stand up for himself. Ultimately the fans want to

see some good football and some result. The two long they have not

been. As Guy Mowbray said, he could stay but if they lose another couple

on the spin, I think he is unfortunately a dead man walking.

You go that far? Just a matter of time. Horrible situation, just doing

his job. He's not a bad guy, he knows his football, just

unfortunately the expectancy am a level is so huge. And it should be.

There is talk of Mike Ashley selling, he says he does not want to

spend however many million on a new management team when he is looking

at getting rid? It is a mess. Some team news in from 1:30pm at the King

Power Stadium, Leicester have included Esteban Cambiasso, 4-mac

Inter Milan captain, making his first art. -- former. Danny

Drinkwater and Kasper Schmeichel back, and look far also starts. The

Manchester United, Falcao starts in place of Juan Mata. That is the only

change. Danny Murphy wincing as I read that out. From the side that

beat QPR. Luke Shaw awaiting his debut on the bench. They played

really well and he scored, it is just, what more can you do? I'm not

saying he would be in my best 11 necessary, but that is going to be

the problem now, he will be leaving big names out every week. Without

Champions League football can he keep them all happy? It does not

matter how much you are learning, if you are not playing, it affects you

and you can become a negative influence. If he is paying Falcao

and van Persie with Rooney behind, Mata is not going to play. We talk

more about Manchester United, if you heard was Danny just said, get in

touch. We will go to White Hart Lane shortly, Spurs against West Brom,

but let's talk about Southampton. Second in the table after their win

over ten man Swansea in that rather bizarre sending-off, more bizarre

that he was roaring into the face of the defender that he clattered for

the first yellow card. We mentioned it about Liverpool and Newcastle,

Southampton have obviously had a huge revolving door this summer,

including a new manager and yet everything seems incredibly calm

since the season started. Do you give most credit to Ronald Koeman? A

lot of the credit, in many ways the situation is a bit like Man Utd and

van Gaal light, the Dutchman bringing his own methods in to try

to change his philosophy and lots of players changing. He has done one

really well on the dutch market, particularly Tadic and Pelle. That

is perhaps a market that has been underestimated in the Premier League

recently. The other enormous credit goes to the players, who have shown

flexibility to have another change of manager, they reacted brilliantly

when Pochettino first came in, and now they are coming in with a new

set of, some team-mates and new ideology, they have gone again, to

use a famous phrase. It is massively admirable. It has helped you have

got a new manager and the same time as this big influx. If Pochettino

was still there it might have been a different story. A new man, new

players, almost like a new club. And he looks like a manager. He looks

the business. It looks like nothing would rattle him. Amy is right, some

of those who did stay were unsettled as well, it is early, only five

games, but they deserve it. They deserve credit, you need some luck,

the sending-off changed it yesterday. But he did cleverly, --

what he did cleverly, some of the players, he did not put them all in

at once. Steven Davis has been shining, he kept Schneiderlin on

board, Nathaniel Clyne, I'm a big fan of him, they have a good nucleus

of players who know what the club is about. I think it is really

refreshing to see after the stick they took from selling their

so-called best players, that they have moved forward, not well

honoured. You have not seen protests from the fans, they have got on with

it. The fans have embraced it, Sammy Lee has gone in there as well and

has had a good impact from what I have heard. And long may that

continue. I think the more teams that can contribute at the top it

makes it exciting for us. Some of the players, Ward-Prowse is another

example, somebody able to flourish because of the way it has been

opened up slightly. You want to see a club like Southampton ideally have

a situation where, they need some reward for the work they are doing.

Last season was so promising for them. But you lose your best

players. In your Premier League dream than they have a chance to

have a real go for a bit longer. If this team evolves and does well, who

is to say that in the next summer one or two players who have just

arrived, might not also be poached by bigger clubs. That is what I was

wondering, will we go through it again? Talk in one of the papers

this morning that Spurs will now have to go up to ?30 million if they

want Morgan Schneiderlin, some of these rumours regarding Southampton

will not go away. It is funny, I thought the transfer deadlines were

brought in to stop this talk. There is lots of airtime and column

inches. Root it never stops. I do not think Southampton will stick

around the top six all season. I think ten, nine, eight, seven. Top

ten. Very reasonable aspiration. I agree with Amy, people like

Ward-Prowse getting regular games, Wanyama has come back in. He was a

substitute and scored yesterday. Nathaniel Clyne was brilliant. He

will be playing regularly. A good team and more power to them. To

White Hart Lane, Spurs against West Brom, John Watson doing this game

for us later and West Brom going to the Lane, Rock bottom of the Premier

League after results yesterday. The pressure will increase on Alan

Irvine. Yes it certainly will. The only way he can offset that is to

utilise his squad. The first time this week he had all 25 players

available for training. Joleon Lescott came in the summer from

Manchester City, 26 England caps, he has been injured but makes his debut

this afternoon, in place of Jonas Olsson, who made a mistake against

Everton last week. The only other change for them is Stephane

Sessegnon coming in to the front of the team. I think he will play just

behind Berahino and they have left out the Ide.

And so things do not look very good for them. But on the other hand,

Spurs did lose their last home league game to Liverpool, and they

are vulnerable at times, as Sunderland proved last week. A new

captain for Tottenham, by the way, Younes Kaboul leading the team out

for the first time since his official appointment. Pochettino

starts with the same XI which began the game against Sunderland last

week. Thank you very much for that. Would

you worry for West Brom? I am afraid I do worry for them. It is difficult

to envisage a situation where Alan Irvine is given enough time to

adjust to what is in front of him. I think it is a pretty unforgiving

place, the Premier League, to come into. He has not had a huge amount

of experience at the sharpest end, following a long time as an

extremely successful and well regarded number two. So, he is not

going to have patience around him, when you are bottom of the league.

It is going to be a difficult place to go, White Hart Lane, today. Spurs

are getting used to the new pressing style of Pochettino, and I would

expect them to win today. Fans will, I would imagine, immediately put

treasure on somebody who is not perceived as big enough to command a

job, and Alan Irvine is perceived as a fantastic number two, or youth

coach... I think something like 83% of people polled in the local

newspaper, when he was appointed, were against it. Do you think they

are trying to recreate Steve Clarke again? Quite possibly. But it is

such a mixed bag, when you look at recent years, with West Brom. Di

Matteo was fantastic when he first came in, for example. Roy was the

only success, really. My feeling is that West Brom is one of the only

clubs which really tries to do this sporting director thing. I am not

sure if Alan has any influence on signings, for example. But when you

bring a manager in who the fans are not really infused by, after a bad

appointment before that, in Pepe Mel, finished the season terribly -

anyone with any intelligence would be thinking, you appoint someone who

the fans will embrace. Because that gives you some breathing space.

People for a couple of months will go, OK, he is learning about the

players and the new system, it will take some time, if he is someone

they like. But give yourself a chance. Get someone in who the fans

want, who has got some experience, obviously, and just let the club

enjoy it for a while. E straightaway, they were on him as

soon see lost a couple of games. I see a lot of players at West one, a

lot of quantity, but I am not sure about the quality. Anything could

happen today, with Sessegnon, he will shoot from anywhere! Under a

VB, he was going full out to win the Europa League, but Pochettino is

not. He has rested most of the spine of the side for today. They played

all right at Sunderland. They played really good football. Chris says,

tell them that Felix from Fulham is available! This one says, why do

Newcastle fans think their team should be at the top of the Premier

League? Don't blame Pardew. Quickly onto Arsenal. With Ozil in the

number ten role, behind Danny Welbeck, they won yesterday, and

they had an immediate understanding? That fascinated me. They have been

trying to get a new balance in their front line since the beginning of

the season. Even when Sanchez came in, he was trying all sorts of

things. He spoke almost bizarrely about using a whole host of number

tens, like Brazil 1970, which had a few people raising their eyebrows.

But Ozil going back into his favourite position had been a

sticking point. He played with freedom, he seemed unblocked. The

fact that he has somebody making runs for him in front of him, that

seemed to create something new for Arsenal. Radio 5 Live are going to

be leaving us now for coverage of the Grand Prix in Singapore. Danny

Murphy, you wanted to say something? When Ozil first got into the side,

and he had the likes of Walcott, his assists were up there. He came to

Arsenal with one of the best assists records in Europe. And you do need

runners, and you need him to be higher up the pitch. When he plays

wide, he spends so much time defending that he has not got the

energy for the end product. I think it is really exciting for Arsenal to

see the likes of him and Welbeck joining up. The criticism has been

unfair on both of them. Danny has only played three games, and he has

actually done all right. Up against City in his first one, and Dortmund

away in the second. Give him a chance! And Thierry Henry and Dennis

Bergkamp took more or less eight games to find the net. Watching

yesterday, I do not think we should get too hung up on this Ozil in the

number told mould, because it is about the freedom. -- in the number

ten role. He did not just stay in one position. There was a lot of

moving around. And actually some of his best work did come on the

left-hand side. And Wenger made that point in his press conference, when

he was speaking about Brazil 1970, and that side having lots of number

tens. The press tries to catch him out by asking him which of the

Arsenal side was Pele! Is that a good thing, but he has lots of

players who want to play in that role? I do not think it is a bad

thing. I think it depends on who is anchoring midfield. You can do that

if you have got solidity behind. Going back to that, when you play in

an Ozil position, number ten, the difference is the mentality of

setting up as a number ten. When you set up as a white man, you are

thinking about the full-back. It is good to have rotation -- wide man --

but you have to see the space. That is what he did. When he starts

wide, for me coming he gets a bit isolated and trapped, and his body

language shows frustration. He thrives on confidence. When you see

him play with Germany, because they have so much possession, he is not

having to run back, so he has more energy. I think you're right, the

flexibility and variation is crucial for them. You could see it

yesterday, the body language, after they got three up, he was up for

everything, tackling and tracking back. When they went 2-1 up against

Man City, he started demanding the ball and running back. He is a

confidence player. As we all are. I like him. Let's just come on to the

Leicester game against Man United. Juan Mata dropped. Tony says, I

would drop van Persie instead of Mata. Danny is nodding along to

that. This one says, don't you think van Persie will miss games through

injury? In all of this discussion, about Man United, one thing Varndell

said in his press conference this week was, Rooney is the only one who

will get special privileges, because he is my captain. Does that make

sense, or is it dangerous? It feels dangerous to me. I don't know, you

have got to pick... You have to pick your best team for one game or

another. There are so many new things he is trying to correlate.

You need a captain, you need a leader. Your captain needs to know

that he will be playing every week so that he can lead and perform and

help the others. If you are so focused on staying in the team, what

does he want me to do, you cannot then do your job of captaining the

others. I had a great relationship with Roy as captain, I knew that I

could have about ten minutes or a bad game, cars he trusted me, and I

am his mouthpiece on the pitch. The other thing with Wayne, compared to

all of the others, forget ability, the three of them do not put in the

miles he puts in. He is always battling, no matter how badly he is

playing. I think he has special privileges because he is Wayne

Rooney, not just because he is captain. Does Younes Kaboul now get

special privileges at Spurs? Although Younes Kaboul, he will know

that with three or four centre halves at Spurs, he will be starting

with someone else alongside him. I am not sure, over the course of the

season, that Younes Kaboul will play every game. It is different, there

is no obvious candidate at Tottenham. I think with Rooney, he

is an obvious leader, captain of his country. And also, look what he has

done at Man United, he has been there when they have won Premier

Leagues Champions League... There was talk in the summer, would he be

the odd man out? Can be so starts for Leicester, Fadi starts as well.

His pace will were reunited? I like Jamie Vardy, and I like stories like

that, that there is still a way through to the top level. And he

will score goals. I shake my head, because it seems like five minutes

ago I saw him playing for Fleetwood at York. Why did you go to that

game? I go to a lot of games, Danny! M8 of his saw him playing in a

Yorkshire league game somewhere in Sheffield or Halifax. It does seem

incredible. You imagine that you have to go through so many layers to

get picked up at the top level. It is marvellous. Lets move from that

heart-warming story to the truly odd story that is in the Observer today,

written by Danny Taylor, the story of Felix Magath treating Brede

Hangeland with cheese. It has been thought he had given it to him as a

reward or something. But actually, Brede Hangeland, Danny Murphy, had a

fitness problem, on his thigh, and the manager convinced him to put a

lump of cheese on it? A lump of cheese, soaked in alcohol, this is

from the horses mouth, and told him to leave it on overnight. The club

dock, who I know well, he did not think it was the best idea. It was

just one of many ridiculous, sad, stories which we have heard about

Felix, which has ultimately cost him his job, and also has put Fulham in

a world of trouble. All of the experienced players that they had

last season were desperate to leave, and did so as quickly as they could.

We have got no more time to talk about cheese!

That's it from us today - thanks to Danny, Amy and Guy.

Don't forget I'll be back on BBC One later for Match of the Day 2.

And there's full commentary of Manchester City against Chelsea

on 5 Live from four o'clock.