:00:14. > :00:24.It is absolutely brilliant. Oh, this is getting better and better. A
:00:25. > :00:43.chance for Ronaldo! History boys indeed. They have won the cup, they
:00:44. > :00:49.have won the cup. He has done it! Welcome to Football Focus. Last
:00:50. > :00:56.weekend two managers sounded like they had conceded the title. Today
:00:57. > :01:06.we have all this on the way. Mkhitaryan at home in Manchester. He
:01:07. > :01:11.is even learning the lingo. From Munich to the Mumbles, the Manager
:01:12. > :01:15.of the Month is on the show. I have come into a team in January, in the
:01:16. > :01:19.middle of transfer window, a team that was bottom of the table, so
:01:20. > :01:26.there was a lot happening in a short amount of time. As Liverpool play
:01:27. > :01:30.Spurs, what interrupts the kip of Matip? I hate when I do mistakes and
:01:31. > :01:36.sometimes it takes me a long time too sleep. Even Conte struggles to
:01:37. > :01:41.keep his players' attention at Chelsea. After five minutes, ten
:01:42. > :01:50.minutes... They get bored. Very difficult. And Danny and Martin will
:01:51. > :01:58.assess all that for us this weekend when this is the fixture list in the
:01:59. > :02:01.Premier League. Let's have a look. Today early kick off sees Arsenal
:02:02. > :02:28.play Hull. One man who has hit form at
:02:29. > :02:33.Manchester United is Henrik Mkhitaryan. This week he visited a
:02:34. > :02:44.local school with the Manchester United foundation.
:02:45. > :02:52.You're nicknamed Mickey, where did you get it from? When I came first
:02:53. > :02:56.to Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp said, listen, Mkhitaryan, it is your
:02:57. > :03:01.family name, it is too long, so Henrik it is too long, let's call
:03:02. > :03:11.you Mickey. Are you OK? I said no problem. Since that day they started
:03:12. > :03:15.calling me Mickey. Henrik you're Armenian and it is a very different
:03:16. > :03:23.place to here, what was it like growing up? When I was in Armenia,
:03:24. > :03:27.we had a lot of problems with our neighbours, Azerbaijan, we were in
:03:28. > :03:33.war and until now we have this bad situation, but growing up in
:03:34. > :03:36.Armenia, to be a footballer and to go from Armenia is a bit hard. You
:03:37. > :03:43.come from a family steeped in football. Your dad was a striker?
:03:44. > :03:47.Yes he was a football player and I was always happy to go with him on
:03:48. > :03:52.training and he was my drive and my dream. I wanted to become a player,
:03:53. > :03:57.because being in this kind of family, you're supposed to continue
:03:58. > :04:01.the job that he is doing. Even until now I'm thankful for him that I
:04:02. > :04:08.choose this sport. Your father passed away when you were young,
:04:09. > :04:12.what impact did that have on your and your ambitions. At that time, I
:04:13. > :04:18.was very young. I maybe didn't feel the impact. But I knew that he is
:04:19. > :04:27.watching me from the sky and he has to be very proud. Who was your idol
:04:28. > :04:31.when you were growing up. Many lovely players, but I think the main
:04:32. > :04:35.one was Zinedine Zidane. That is a goal. Zinedine Zidane. I was in love
:04:36. > :04:40.with his way of playing football. I don't know why, but he impressed me.
:04:41. > :04:44.Of course like when I started watching football, I was just
:04:45. > :04:49.watching the games with Zinedine Zidane. You were brought to Borussia
:04:50. > :04:54.Dortmund by Jurgen Klopp. What was it like to play for him and how does
:04:55. > :04:59.his style contrast with Jose Mourinho? I'm thankful to him,
:05:00. > :05:04.because he picked me when I was in Ukraine. He worked a lot on me, like
:05:05. > :05:10.most of his work on my personality, on my psyche logic part, because I
:05:11. > :05:18.was really stressed after a few games and we were playing bad and
:05:19. > :05:21.I'm thankful to him. He was always supporting me, saying everyone is
:05:22. > :05:25.playing bad, but you don't have to bring your head down. You always
:05:26. > :05:30.have to keep your head up. To compare to Jose Mourinho, they're
:05:31. > :05:34.two different persons. They're very friendly, but a lot of them they're
:05:35. > :05:43.good in their jobs. Like two big managers. But the way of their work
:05:44. > :05:46.it is different. What is day-to-day life like under Mourinho? At the
:05:47. > :05:51.beginning we had not like problems, but a bit difficulties. But then
:05:52. > :05:57.starting from November we start winning. Mkhitaryan doesn't need
:05:58. > :06:01.anybody else. Day-by-day, he understands what he expects from you
:06:02. > :06:07.and you're trying to do your best to be involved in the training and the
:06:08. > :06:10.game he wants to see. He said that he was protecting you at the start.
:06:11. > :06:14.Did you understand his think something At that time, even when I
:06:15. > :06:22.wasn't playing, I had always a smile on my face. Because if I would be
:06:23. > :06:26.sad, if I would be mad, nothing would help me. So I was waiting for
:06:27. > :06:32.the time and I was sure my time would come and I would have one more
:06:33. > :06:36.chance. If I was like 23, 24 years old when I just came to Manchester,
:06:37. > :06:42.maybe I would suffer, I would have problems, because I would take
:06:43. > :06:47.things very like seriously. If I wouldn't play, I would be sad, I
:06:48. > :06:51.would be mad, I don't know. Maybe I wouldn't talk to friends and family.
:06:52. > :06:56.But I sad this is life. If you just smile through your life, the life
:06:57. > :07:01.will smile to you as well. So I just kept smiling and working. Now I'm
:07:02. > :07:06.happy. He is in here, Mkhitaryan, fabulous goal. Jose Mourinho said he
:07:07. > :07:13.needs more goals. Are you confident that you will be able to bring in
:07:14. > :07:18.more goals, maybe another scorpion? I don't know if I will be able to
:07:19. > :07:24.score a scorpion goal. What a finish that is! When I scored the scorpion
:07:25. > :07:29.goal, I couldn't even imagine in my life it would do that. It is not
:07:30. > :07:40.always about scoring goals, but what you're giving to the club. That is
:07:41. > :07:48.the main thing to win. He is a great talker. Looking at his stats from
:07:49. > :07:52.Dortmund. 140 appearances and 41 of goals and assists. Even at
:07:53. > :07:59.Manchester United the ratio is the same of goals and assists, and yet,
:08:00. > :08:03.as he said, when he came in, people asked why he spent ?27 million on a
:08:04. > :08:10.quality player and almost ignore him. Well, they bought him because
:08:11. > :08:15.of that quality. 82 involvement in goals, scoring and assists is
:08:16. > :08:19.phenomenal. But again some players take a bit of time. When they move
:08:20. > :08:24.countries and clubs, Manchester United is still one of biggest clubs
:08:25. > :08:30.in the world. Mentally, could he meet that challenge? I think that is
:08:31. > :08:36.what Alex Ferguson said, it is not about the ability to play for
:08:37. > :08:45.Manchester United, can you handle the mental side of game? Does
:08:46. > :08:50.Mourinho deliberately test people and test their resolve. I think he
:08:51. > :08:53.does without doubt. What he then gets is he guarantees a performance,
:08:54. > :08:56.because they know how they have to behave. He has been part of the
:08:57. > :09:01.improvement of Manchester United. They have had nine draws, six at
:09:02. > :09:06.home, if they could turn them into wins, they would be right behind
:09:07. > :09:09.Chelsea and he has played a part. He loves that central position and he
:09:10. > :09:15.can see a pass. He's great player to have. It is a mystery why he didn't
:09:16. > :09:20.come in until November. Two months ago, Manchester United looked like
:09:21. > :09:27.they didn't have a hope of the top four. But the league position has
:09:28. > :09:31.not changed, they're still in sixth and are desperate for Champions
:09:32. > :09:36.League football. Yes, but what we are seeing now is Manchester United
:09:37. > :09:44.or Mourinho, that Chelsea-style of play. Inter Milan style. Defensively
:09:45. > :09:47.strong. People see the wounded animals Arsenal ahead of him,
:09:48. > :09:50.Liverpool stuttering and Mourinho is on the chase. He wants to get into
:09:51. > :09:53.that Champions League. If they could win a couple of trophies this season
:09:54. > :09:57.and get into the Champions League it would be a good season. And we
:09:58. > :10:02.shouldn't ignore Watford. It is great to hear from Mkhitaryan, but
:10:03. > :10:08.Watford have had wins over Burnley and Arsenal. They're going through a
:10:09. > :10:14.good period and they're a side, who staying in the Premier League, they
:10:15. > :10:19.want that to be season on season. It was looking a bit precarious until
:10:20. > :10:24.two or three weeks ago. They have had a couple of great results and
:10:25. > :10:28.they almost look safe. They were brilliant that night and Niasse
:10:29. > :10:33.looks special. They made changes in the Cup and they profited from that.
:10:34. > :10:39.There was a freshness about them. Arsenal looked mentally not strong
:10:40. > :10:46.enough on the night. That is a huge difference, I saw them at Burnley
:10:47. > :10:50.and they didn't have a high tempo and didn't play particularly direct
:10:51. > :10:53.and it was a dull game. Now they're realising that they have almost got
:10:54. > :10:58.themselves out. But do you think United will win? Yes, they're almost
:10:59. > :11:02.safe and Watford have, it is a strange dynamic at the club. The
:11:03. > :11:07.manager's probably likely to go at the end of the season, however well
:11:08. > :11:12.he does. That is the one of three 3 o'clock kick offs. We are 15 minutes
:11:13. > :11:18.from the first game of the day, Steve Wilson is at the Emirates for
:11:19. > :11:22.Arsenal against Hull. Arsene Wenger whose future is the subject of more
:11:23. > :11:33.speculation this weekend has made one change to his eleven. Gibbs in
:11:34. > :11:40.for Monreal. Bellerin is fit. And Wenger completes his four-match
:11:41. > :11:45.touch line ban. Hull have Markovic in and Hernandez is injured and
:11:46. > :11:48.Niasse comes in. They're in credit after four points from games with
:11:49. > :11:56.Manchester United and Liverpool. Reasons to be cheerful certainly.
:11:57. > :12:07.And confirmation of the Arsenal line up.
:12:08. > :12:14.The man on the sidelines is interesting, if you were listening
:12:15. > :12:19.to Five Live, Mr Wright said this. I was with the boss last night and if
:12:20. > :12:23.I'm going to be honest, I get the impression that I think that's it. I
:12:24. > :12:28.genuinely believe, I was with him for a few hours and we were talking
:12:29. > :12:34.a lot, he didn't say I'm leaving at the end of season, but if... You get
:12:35. > :12:39.the sense. Yes, because I just get the impression in looking at him
:12:40. > :12:43.that... That's it. I think that's it. He mentioned while we were
:12:44. > :12:50.talking that he is coming to the end. I have never heard him say
:12:51. > :12:54.that. He looks winded like somebody hit him in the stomach. I feel if
:12:55. > :12:59.somebody asks do you think he will go at the end of season, I would
:13:00. > :13:04.say, I think he will. Ian qualified what he said last night on social
:13:05. > :13:11.media since then. But it is something Wenger has never
:13:12. > :13:19.discussed, when he wants to go. What tuning of the latest speculation?
:13:20. > :13:26.Listen, Wrighty is a good judge on how he is. It is almost becoming
:13:27. > :13:29.boring. If he goes out of the Cup to Sutton and they don't mean the
:13:30. > :13:32.Champions League and he will be leaving. But he will be the one that
:13:33. > :13:38.makes the decision. Because of what he has achieved. It is almost a
:13:39. > :13:44.unique situation at the club. He has got to got back to winning. But I
:13:45. > :13:52.get the feeling he is now coming to the end of it. He is not at the
:13:53. > :13:58.beginning of his career. You still think he is unsackable. Nobody above
:13:59. > :14:03.him at board level has sacked a manager, or appointed a manager,
:14:04. > :14:07.Arsene designed the ground, runs the whole club and sadly for the fans,
:14:08. > :14:14.those shareholders are not fans. So as long as they keep finishing
:14:15. > :14:23.fourth they're happy. It is a healthy situation for him to be
:14:24. > :14:28.deciding? No it is not. When clubs change the manager, it is a huge
:14:29. > :14:32.decision in the life of Arsenal and not one, it must be done in the best
:14:33. > :14:38.interests of Arsenal and not just Arsene Wenger. It will be a massive
:14:39. > :14:43.wrench for him. Don't forget how successful he has been and what he
:14:44. > :14:48.turns football into. He has been a huge part of a lot of good for
:14:49. > :14:56.Premier League and English football. But everyone has a shelf life. Have
:14:57. > :15:01.you Have you noticed a change in him. I have seen the opposite, maybe
:15:02. > :15:05.after losing the Chelsea game, but before that match he was the same.
:15:06. > :15:09.Really sharp mentally, mravening for the future -- planning for the
:15:10. > :15:18.future. The new training ground is on development. He won't let go of
:15:19. > :15:19.the club lightly. He has got to do, all the gre leaders decide the time
:15:20. > :15:31.to leave. Now the Hull team. Six of the seven players Mr
:15:32. > :15:36.silverback bought in start. Harry Maguire at the back but the way they
:15:37. > :15:39.are playing, we talk about Swansea later, they are dragging more and
:15:40. > :15:45.more teams into that relegation battle because they are picking up
:15:46. > :15:50.some nearby -- Mr Silva. It was a bit left-field. Not many of us knew
:15:51. > :15:54.about Marco Silva, his history, and they started to sell some of their
:15:55. > :15:58.best players. Snodgrass and Livermore. Then you are thinking is
:15:59. > :16:04.this for relegation? He has a contract until the end of the
:16:05. > :16:08.season. Suddenly all the players are buying into him. They look happier,
:16:09. > :16:12.they are energised and they are at a good run. They'd given themselves a
:16:13. > :16:15.chance. To get those results in the bottom three is outstanding but I
:16:16. > :16:18.don't think those players are good enough to stay up. If you will
:16:19. > :16:23.choose someone to go down, Hull will go down. Strong words. What do you
:16:24. > :16:28.think about Swansea? Paul Clement has been a Premier League boss for
:16:29. > :16:31.six weeks but already named Manager of the Month, despite taking over a
:16:32. > :16:34.Swansea side bottom of the league, four points from safety. What a
:16:35. > :16:43.turnaround in south Wales. Time for a bit of Clem and Clement. Sacked
:16:44. > :16:46.Garry Monk, the manager. Looks to be the last straw. Replaces Bob
:16:47. > :16:51.Bradley. Head coach, this season. I've always wanted to work at this
:16:52. > :16:59.level. Magnificent goal from Swansea. One
:17:00. > :17:05.of the best leagues in Europe, no doubt. Swansea get their first ever
:17:06. > :17:11.league win at Anfield. Any team can go to anywhere and get a good result
:17:12. > :17:14.and we've shown that already. From desperation to optimism at the foot
:17:15. > :17:18.of the Premier League. I've only been a Premier League manager for
:17:19. > :17:23.five or six weeks, it's very new to me, I'm a novice. But I'm working
:17:24. > :17:32.hard and enjoying it. Nice little marker to get Manager of the Month
:17:33. > :17:36.award for January. Of course. It was a surprise. Other managers and teams
:17:37. > :17:39.have good records in January but our situation was different. We were
:17:40. > :17:43.bottom of the table when I came here but got out of the bottom three at
:17:44. > :17:46.this point. Nice recognition for everybody, the fans, players,
:17:47. > :17:52.backroom staff. For the good work that has gone on in January. Three
:17:53. > :17:55.wins in 19 before you got here and three wins in five since you've been
:17:56. > :18:00.here, can you put your finger on what you've been able to change?
:18:01. > :18:04.Credit has to go to the players. The way that they've taken on board what
:18:05. > :18:09.I've asked them to do. They needed the organisation, they wanted it and
:18:10. > :18:13.they got it. Ultimately, they have to go out on the pitch and deliver.
:18:14. > :18:18.I gave them the confidence to do that. They were going into games
:18:19. > :18:21.well prepared. If we had been having this conversation just before
:18:22. > :18:27.Christmas, how would you have seen your own season panning out? Well, I
:18:28. > :18:32.would have been at Bayern Munich. And hopefully winning the
:18:33. > :18:35.Bundesliga. And maybe even getting to a Champions League final and a
:18:36. > :18:40.German cup final, who knows. That's part of the reason I'm sitting here,
:18:41. > :18:43.the background I've had, six, seven years as an assistant to Carlow,
:18:44. > :18:50.working at a high level with some wonderful players. And some great
:18:51. > :18:52.clubs -- Carlo. Different challenge, motivating players to effectively
:18:53. > :18:58.hang onto something, rather than to try and gain something. A bit. But
:18:59. > :19:02.ultimately, the objectives are the same comment is a game of football,
:19:03. > :19:06.11 versus 11, 90 minutes, the game is the same. I'm quite clear about
:19:07. > :19:09.how I want this team to play. There are players who have responded
:19:10. > :19:13.really well to the way that we are working. I'm fortunate we've seen
:19:14. > :19:18.some positive results that have come off the back of that. COMMENTATOR: A
:19:19. > :19:23.result of huge significance at both ends of the Premier League table. It
:19:24. > :19:27.has finished Liverpool 2-3 Swansea. When you went back in the changing
:19:28. > :19:32.room, for example, at Anfield, what a beast that must have given them.
:19:33. > :19:36.Not just the 11 boys that finished the game. -- what a boost. But the
:19:37. > :19:43.whole club. It was. It gave everyone a lot of belief. When we went to
:19:44. > :19:47.Manchester City last weekend, everyone felt different. 81 minutes,
:19:48. > :19:50.we went 1-1 and conceded 93, which was a massive blow. A real
:19:51. > :19:53.roller-coaster of emotion. The feeling in the dressing room
:19:54. > :19:58.afterwards real, real disappointment. I'm not sure that
:19:59. > :20:02.was the case a couple of months ago, that they would feel like that. But
:20:03. > :20:07.now we're going to man City away. Not picking up a point we thought we
:20:08. > :20:12.deserved. Feeling so, so bad about it. There's definitely been a mental
:20:13. > :20:16.shift here. COMMENTATOR: Absolute heartbreak of all Swansea, who were
:20:17. > :20:20.stubborn throughout. Do you think you will survive? I've got a lot of
:20:21. > :20:27.belief we will. But I can't say for sure we are going to. The direction
:20:28. > :20:29.we are moving is very positive. There's a lot of hard work to be
:20:30. > :20:32.done. Preparation for Leicester. As soon as our finishes, we will feed
:20:33. > :20:36.back on that. We are taking it one game at a time. My belief is that if
:20:37. > :20:40.the players focus at the level that they have been since I've been here,
:20:41. > :20:43.and apply themselves, but they have been, right until the last game
:20:44. > :20:48.against West Brom at home, we will OK. -- like they had been. Cheadle
:20:49. > :20:52.Hulme High School speaks strongly. A rather
:20:53. > :20:58.We talked about Marco Silva at Hull, like championship preparation
:20:59. > :21:02.appointment. Some people said that about Paul Clement because of Aix
:21:03. > :21:07.experience at derby. What a ridiculous turnaround at Swansea. --
:21:08. > :21:11.his experience at Derby. He was but just a few weeks ago. They were
:21:12. > :21:14.bottom when he came in. Without naming it, he said there was no
:21:15. > :21:20.organisation at the football club. The players now know what they have
:21:21. > :21:24.to do. Maybe a slight on Bob Bradley, which was clearly a strange
:21:25. > :21:28.appointment at the time. He's got great experience. Fantastic
:21:29. > :21:33.knowledge of the game. Top players he's worked with. Equally, it didn't
:21:34. > :21:38.go that bad at Derby. He didn't play the Derby way, that's why he got the
:21:39. > :21:41.sack. If the challenge, can you become a great coach, ten years, no
:21:42. > :21:52.doubt, lots of big clubs. Now he is proving he can be a great manager
:21:53. > :21:55.and he needs to keep that going. You can see in his eyes he wants to be a
:21:56. > :21:58.manager and probably always wanted to be a manager. Lots of good
:21:59. > :22:01.coaches in the past, it could do it but let's see if he can. The first
:22:02. > :22:03.step is a good one. He's got to keep doing it. A massive game against
:22:04. > :22:06.Leicester tomorrow. That is absolutely huge. We talk about who
:22:07. > :22:09.will go down but when you look at it, Leicester are in it. If Swansea
:22:10. > :22:11.were to beat Leicester tomorrow, wow. You've really got to start
:22:12. > :22:15.worrying. The Champions League is coming up and their focus will be
:22:16. > :22:19.taken away from the league. He knows his own mind. There is a clamour for
:22:20. > :22:27.him to play Sigurdsson through the middle but he stuck him on the left
:22:28. > :22:30.saying he wants him to cut in and that seems to be working. He's been
:22:31. > :22:32.working at Real Madrid with the likes of Bale and Ronaldo, they
:22:33. > :22:35.start in wide positions but they end up in the middle. Mkhitaryan does it
:22:36. > :22:38.at Manchester United. That is a starting position. Great players
:22:39. > :22:41.go... Sigurdsson is their great player. He has the players to get
:22:42. > :22:47.them out of the drop. You said Hull were going to go down, who are your
:22:48. > :22:50.other two? Swansea? No, I think Swansea will stay up, Middlesbrough
:22:51. > :22:53.will go down and Sunderland don't have enough to get out. Amazing
:22:54. > :23:00.resolve against Palace but that is the three that will go down. Swansea
:23:01. > :23:04.will be fine. -- amazing result. Speaking with authority. Paul
:23:05. > :23:08.Clement Saul Leicester in FA Cup midweek, the game went on so long
:23:09. > :23:14.they even delayed the kick-off for the 10pm news.
:23:15. > :24:11.they celebrated that win but in the league their form has been miserable
:24:12. > :24:21.this year. They are bottom of the league table for 2020 -- 2017. A
:24:22. > :24:23.statement, full backing for Claudio Ranieri, sometimes the kiss of
:24:24. > :24:27.death. He said they are in trouble and they can't seem to get things
:24:28. > :24:31.together and galvanise that team in the Premier League at the moment.
:24:32. > :24:34.It's really strange. Look at them two years ago in this sort of
:24:35. > :24:39.position, survived and went on, amazing. Unimaginable, what they did
:24:40. > :24:43.last year, they deserve all the plaudits for that but they've lost
:24:44. > :24:47.focus completely. There is no energy about the team. They are not dynamic
:24:48. > :24:51.any more, they are not working hard enough for each other, conceding
:24:52. > :24:55.sloppy goals. I really fear for them. You look at this, I was
:24:56. > :24:59.tempted to call them the dirty dozen last year because this was 11
:25:00. > :25:04.football players thrown together with a very difficult... Watt where
:25:05. > :25:07.does it come from? The manager. What Ranieri had did in terms of
:25:08. > :25:10.tinkering with the team, couldn't get it right, they were amazing last
:25:11. > :25:13.season. They don't want to be remembered for a team that goes
:25:14. > :25:16.down, addressing the needs to pull together as one. They are a set of
:25:17. > :25:21.individuals. -- that dressing room needs to pull together. They have
:25:22. > :25:24.new contracts, BMWs. Go back to what is important, winning games of
:25:25. > :25:33.football. They had the pretty penny to come together as a group. This
:25:34. > :25:36.stat can show you where that can be misleading. -- they have the ability
:25:37. > :25:38.to come together. Vardy is more, go this season than last season. It
:25:39. > :25:42.doesn't tell you that he was getting more than a chance a game last
:25:43. > :25:45.season but he is only getting one every two games. No supply for the
:25:46. > :25:51.likes of Vardy and he's not playing particularly well. Bring us together
:25:52. > :25:56.and it is not working. It's not that teams have worked him out a bit.
:25:57. > :26:00.Last year there was almost that arrogance, especially from the big
:26:01. > :26:05.clubs, it's only lasted. We know they want to hit balls over the top
:26:06. > :26:08.but it's only Leicester. Teams wouldn't let them have the ball.
:26:09. > :26:12.This game tomorrow at Swansea, the wake-up call could be there. They
:26:13. > :26:15.have lots of the ball, that might suit a Vardy ball over the top.
:26:16. > :26:22.Teams have dropped off, Vardy isn't as playing -- playing as well. Huth,
:26:23. > :26:25.Morgan aren't playing as well. They have to be careful. They are right
:26:26. > :26:30.in it at the moment. One other thing, you might have seen this in
:26:31. > :26:34.the papers this morning. Continued fallout from Saido Berahino leaving
:26:35. > :26:40.West Brom to go to Stoke. Ryan Shawcross suggested that the drugs
:26:41. > :26:45.test came from West Brom. Tony Pulis apparently has called Ryan
:26:46. > :26:49.Shawcross. Called him a loser. Did you ever have a phone call from an
:26:50. > :26:52.opposition manager or member of staff telling you to keep your mouth
:26:53. > :26:56.shut during your career? I don't remember ever getting a phone call
:26:57. > :27:02.from actual manager! No! Surely that must be banter! I can't believe Tony
:27:03. > :27:06.Pulis is bringing up a former player to give him a bit of stick. I don't
:27:07. > :27:09.understand why the FA just don't come out and say it in the first
:27:10. > :27:17.place, that would clear it up and we move on? A simple solution. Let's
:27:18. > :27:20.move on! 2017 can only get better for Liverpool, since beating
:27:21. > :27:25.Manchester City on New Year's Eve, Jurgen Klopp's side has lost just
:27:26. > :27:27.once. They prepare to face Spurs at Anfield later. One of those, there
:27:28. > :27:41.he is, has been speaking to us. How would you sum up your time here,
:27:42. > :27:47.so far? The beginning was not that easy. I had a few problems with my
:27:48. > :27:53.right foot. But I had a good time here once I came back. Really
:27:54. > :27:57.successful. It was really nice for me. And my other team-mates. The
:27:58. > :28:00.beginning of January was not too easy for me. I had problems with my
:28:01. > :28:05.ankle. When you are injured, you always want to be back on the field,
:28:06. > :28:11.you want to help. I hope now it's getting better. Matip will not be
:28:12. > :28:17.playing today. He is fit for selection. He hasn't played for
:28:18. > :28:20.Cameron since June 2015, he is considers himself a retired
:28:21. > :28:24.international. How would you sum up the frustration, the disappointment
:28:25. > :28:27.and the fact that you couldn't play, even though you decided you didn't
:28:28. > :28:31.want to be part of that tournament? It was really frustrating and
:28:32. > :28:35.disappointing. Because I don't really understand. At the moment, I
:28:36. > :28:41.don't understand it. I couldn't understand it. Now it's solved. Now
:28:42. > :28:48.I hope I can help my team-mates and the club to get back to where we
:28:49. > :28:52.normally stand. You seem quite a calm, collected person, is that your
:28:53. > :28:57.personality? Nothing much concerns you? I think I am more of a calm
:28:58. > :29:01.person but of course I get angry. What makes you angry? From time to
:29:02. > :29:07.time, the decisions which I don't understand. But, of course, they are
:29:08. > :29:12.emotions that sometimes help to stay clear in mind. It always helps. I
:29:13. > :29:17.hate when I do mistakes. And sometimes it takes me a long time to
:29:18. > :29:22.sleep. But when I'm on the field, you would do everything to do our
:29:23. > :29:25.best to win the game. You will fight against your opponent like... He
:29:26. > :29:34.tried to kill you, or something like this. Piazzi in on goal, to seal it,
:29:35. > :29:40.surely, for Hull City. Liverpool's title challenge is in tatters. It
:29:41. > :29:44.was a hard month for us. The last games was not like we... Hoped the
:29:45. > :29:49.games would be. Now we have to change that and get back to the old
:29:50. > :29:52.results. And get some points. And win games. You have a pretty good
:29:53. > :29:56.record against teams in the top six, what is it about the teams in the
:29:57. > :29:59.bottom half of the table that you seem to struggle so much with? Of
:30:00. > :30:04.course it's nice that you don't really lose a lot of points against
:30:05. > :30:09.these games but it doesn't matter. You'd get a few points against Hull,
:30:10. > :30:15.if you points against Tottenham, four example. Only points count. How
:30:16. > :30:18.do you deal with the defeat, the frustration that's going on now?
:30:19. > :30:23.It's always hard, not before self-confidence. But can I change
:30:24. > :30:26.the past? No, you always have influence on the future.
:30:27. > :30:30.Realistically, can you still reach that a Champions League? You never
:30:31. > :30:36.know who stands on the table at that level. There are a lot of games.
:30:37. > :30:44.We will try our best to win these games and then we will see. Talk
:30:45. > :30:48.about that game in a moment. These are interesting statistics again.
:30:49. > :30:52.What it does tell you is he is a big player for Liverpool. When he starts
:30:53. > :30:58.games, their results tend to be better. How do you rate him? I saw
:30:59. > :31:04.him at Spurs and thought he did OK. Not fantastic in possession. I look
:31:05. > :31:08.at Skrtel, a player that's gone and look at the acquisitions they make
:31:09. > :31:12.and how good is he really. He got rid of Skrtel, he was a big player
:31:13. > :31:17.who organised. Is Matip any better? He has youth on his side, but he
:31:18. > :31:23.still has a lot to do for me. He has decent quality. He's big man. I
:31:24. > :31:26.don't see him as world class. He is a steadying influence. Lovren was
:31:27. > :31:33.fantastic at Southampton and went to Liverpool and he was all over the
:31:34. > :31:38.shop. Skrtel was aggressive, red cards, bookings, Matip looks like a
:31:39. > :31:42.nice steady centre-half. He won't do anything flash, but Lovren maybe
:31:43. > :31:45.needs that alongside him. But it is the two midfield players in front
:31:46. > :31:48.that have caused them problem. They're not doing their job and
:31:49. > :31:54.protecting the back four as well as they should do. The sides that drew
:31:55. > :31:58.at Anfield in April last season, Coutinho scored for Liverpool that
:31:59. > :32:06.day. Jurgen Klopp said he is almost trying too hard. Do you understand
:32:07. > :32:11.what that position is? He never tried too hard! You have to trust
:32:12. > :32:16.yourself and let the ability flow out of you. There is a lot of
:32:17. > :32:21.factors with the Liverpool team. I manager Jurgen Klopp will be working
:32:22. > :32:28.with hearts and minds and reminding them how good they are. But against
:32:29. > :32:33.Spurs I think they will only make it easier for Chelsea. People say you
:32:34. > :32:39.can never try too hard. It is like in golf. If you try hard to hit the
:32:40. > :32:47.ball ten yards further, you start hooking it and slicing it. You have
:32:48. > :32:53.to be relaxed ed and when thins aren't going well and you're the
:32:54. > :33:00.main man, there is pressure. Like Torres at Chelsea, he couldn't score
:33:01. > :33:14.for love or money. You try too hard. Martin looked too confused by your
:33:15. > :33:25.golf anol Ji. Anol Ji. Still they have not won at Anfield or Old
:33:26. > :33:30.Trafford or the Emirates or Stock Stamford Bridge. Yes but Rose being
:33:31. > :33:35.injured will affect them. They're a team and you look at the midfield
:33:36. > :33:41.with Wanyama and Dembele, there is so much that is good. They can
:33:42. > :33:45.switch from a three to a four. But this is about feeling. If Liverpool
:33:46. > :33:51.can regenerate that feeling that Jurgen Klopp does and they're
:33:52. > :33:55.dancing to that heavy metal tune, they can do something special. But
:33:56. > :33:59.Tottenham can hurt you. They have got to switch from being safe and
:34:00. > :34:04.thinking about not losing the game and defensively they have been
:34:05. > :34:10.outstanding and they haven't lost many. But at some point you have to
:34:11. > :34:14.gamble and think, we have kept it tight, let's try and win the game.
:34:15. > :34:20.Maybe they need somebody off the bench with pace to win the game. You
:34:21. > :34:33.can stay across this afternoon's games from 2.30 in Final Score. That
:34:34. > :34:38.is on BBC two. That is because the Six Nations is on BBC1.
:34:39. > :34:49.Still to come on Football Focus before 1. Conte gets a grilling from
:34:50. > :34:58.Gary. No one's ever lost this kind of lead at this stage. And we will
:34:59. > :35:08.find out what the Hibs boss Neil Lennon has fallen out with a sturp
:35:09. > :35:13.star. Superstar. What did you think of the the draw, that Rod Stewart
:35:14. > :35:22.would be off my Christmas card list. And a few Sunderland players went to
:35:23. > :35:29.see a young fan, Bradley Lowery. He actually fell asleep on his football
:35:30. > :35:41.hero. Sunderland's 4-0 win over Crystal Palace has left Sam
:35:42. > :35:45.Allardyce's side at the bottom. And John Motson is there. Sam Allardyce
:35:46. > :35:50.said the players do serve to be booed. He has never been relegated,
:35:51. > :35:55.but he is in a bit of a fix isn't he? Yes, I spoke to him this morning
:35:56. > :36:01.and he sounded in got heart and he denied there was a trip to Dubai
:36:02. > :36:11.booked, although people think it was cancelled. But the chairman went in
:36:12. > :36:16.after the game and Sam Allardyce got the team in on Sunday morning to
:36:17. > :36:21.look at it as a punishment. But the Palace fans, they are restless, but
:36:22. > :36:26.one statistic tells the whole story, Crystal Palace have won five of
:36:27. > :36:30.their last 47 Premier League games. Obviously, the greater part of that
:36:31. > :36:34.time was under Alan Pardew. But as Sam Allardyce has said, they're now
:36:35. > :36:38.playing with fear and he has got to try and get that out of system if
:36:39. > :36:44.you like. This game at Stoke, it is a mixture of snow and rain here by
:36:45. > :36:49.the way, this fix xhur is one that Palace might not mind. They have a
:36:50. > :36:55.good record here, five wins in seven visits and earlier in the season at
:36:56. > :36:59.Selhurst Park nay beat Stoke 4-1 when Townsend was a key figure. I
:37:00. > :37:07.wonder if Sam Allardyce may recall him today. The other admission I
:37:08. > :37:15.have got to make as a comment commentator, a player they signed in
:37:16. > :37:23.January from Greece and he is Luka Milivojevic. I am sure I will get
:37:24. > :37:27.that wrong on Match of the Day and I can imagine you having a good laugh
:37:28. > :37:32.at that. Now in the House of Commons, there was a motion of no
:37:33. > :37:36.confidence in the FA. What is the mood in the governing body about
:37:37. > :37:41.where they go from here. Well, if you listen to Greg Clark, he thinks
:37:42. > :37:45.there there will be a slow revolution if that is the right
:37:46. > :37:50.expression. I'm getting confused, it is not all about the FA council and
:37:51. > :37:54.diversity, the big problem the Government have got with the FA is
:37:55. > :38:04.that they don't think they're governing the game the way they
:38:05. > :38:09.should. The other stake holders, particularly the Premier League have
:38:10. > :38:13.more power than they should. Three or four years ago, I interviewed
:38:14. > :38:16.Greg Dyke about the relationship between the FA and the Premier
:38:17. > :38:24.League and suggested to him that the FA could make a gesture about the
:38:25. > :38:28.crowded calendar and cancel FA Cup replays after the third round. Well
:38:29. > :38:33.they have cancelled they will in the sixth round. I said, if you make
:38:34. > :38:40.that concession, then the Premier League would have no option if
:38:41. > :38:44.people said, come on, move two of your January fixtures and now we
:38:45. > :38:48.have a mid winter break. He said, perhaps you should speak to our task
:38:49. > :38:53.force. Well I don't know whether Danny was on the task force, but I
:38:54. > :38:58.never got the chance to tell them. Diversity is one thing, but
:38:59. > :39:04.governing the game has wider implications. You cannot accuse John
:39:05. > :39:10.of not caring about football, thank you. He makes an interesting point,
:39:11. > :39:14.on the sort of FA council side of things, it is great to have
:39:15. > :39:20.commissioner Mills with us. Much-many lined! Of the 122, only
:39:21. > :39:24.eight are women. Only four aren't white. Is that a problem. He said
:39:25. > :39:29.there is problems elsewhere. How much of an issue is diversity in the
:39:30. > :39:36.FA council? I don't think that is a huge problem. The age is a massive
:39:37. > :39:42.problem. 92 are over 60. Yes, which is ridiculous. What do they do? Not
:39:43. > :39:46.a lot. If I'm honest and I will temper what I really want to say,
:39:47. > :39:50.realistically for the good of game they should hold their hands up and
:39:51. > :39:56.all resign. They should all walk away. Let the FA be run as a
:39:57. > :40:01.business. Put somebody at the top, two people under them and run it
:40:02. > :40:10.like a football club. Like Arsenal has been run. With chairman or like
:40:11. > :40:16.Manchester City is run. Put David Gill at the top. The lifetime
:40:17. > :40:20.membership is wrong. It is like Fifa. Everyone gets a vote and it
:40:21. > :40:25.doesn't work in business or football. I think if they have got
:40:26. > :40:28.the good of the game in their interest, give them their tickets
:40:29. > :40:35.and blazer, but all just step down and walk aWye from it. -- Walk away
:40:36. > :40:38.from it. Lovely to know what you think, get in contact with us.
:40:39. > :40:43.Chelsea play Burnley tomorrow and everyone is singing the place of
:40:44. > :40:49.Antonio Conte. He has been telling Gary Lineker why things have clicked
:40:50. > :40:53.this season. There are days in the late winter and early spring when
:40:54. > :40:58.you see champions in the making. You have a big lead, are you confident
:40:59. > :41:03.that you're going to win the league? No. It is a big lead, no one's ever
:41:04. > :41:07.lost this kind of lead at this stage? No, we are on top of the
:41:08. > :41:16.table. But the league is tough. For me, it is important to continue to
:41:17. > :41:22.push and to exploit this momentum. If you send the right signals it is
:41:23. > :41:27.very important. Boos from the Chelsea supporters. Plenty for
:41:28. > :41:32.Antonio Conte to go through. Why did you start with four at the back when
:41:33. > :41:39.you had been so successful with Juventus and Italy with three? I
:41:40. > :41:47.tried to start with... With the full-back and in my mind, this team
:41:48. > :41:54.could play with 4-2-4. We won three games in a row, but in that period,
:41:55. > :42:00.I don't feel the team in my hand, because sometimes you can win, but
:42:01. > :42:07.you can see that... It is not quite right? Yes. Why, was what miss
:42:08. > :42:11.something Because in every games we conceded many chances to score to
:42:12. > :42:16.the opponent. Then you changed the system? Yes I tried to change the
:42:17. > :42:23.system. I tried to give first of all a good balance. In my team. Don't
:42:24. > :42:27.lose offencively, but to have a defensive situation more correct and
:42:28. > :42:33.there were players with these characteristics. When you have a
:42:34. > :42:37.good winger and a good No 10 as Pedro and Willian, I knew in my head
:42:38. > :42:43.we can change and we can find this Su nm. -- is in new system. Do you
:42:44. > :42:52.analyse and discuss with the players? Honestly, my players...
:42:53. > :43:02.They're not used to... Do they like it? No, at the start we found a bit
:43:03. > :43:08.of difficulty, not because... After five minutes, ten minutes... They
:43:09. > :43:12.get bored. Very kift. Diftd. But when we -- Very difficult, but when
:43:13. > :43:17.we saw in the right way to see the game, not to find who the fault.
:43:18. > :43:23.Because we considered it good. No, only to improvement when the player
:43:24. > :43:30.understand this and he is more open to watch and improve and to ask why
:43:31. > :43:34.I have to stay in this position. And when you start to have this
:43:35. > :43:41.relation, you can build something important. Oh, what a sensational
:43:42. > :43:46.goal! From Diego Costa. Everything was going well and you had this big
:43:47. > :43:52.story about Diego Costa and possibly China, or whatever it was. Is
:43:53. > :43:56.everything calm down? Yes, but Diego Costa is an important player, but
:43:57. > :43:59.the situation is very clear and he is very happy to stay with us and he
:44:00. > :44:04.is very happy to fight for the title. Do you think he will stay
:44:05. > :44:11.here for some sometime? Yeah, I think so. I see him every day and I
:44:12. > :44:16.see his commitment, his behaviours, he is very involved in the team and
:44:17. > :44:21.yeah I think he loves the this club. Do you think China's a big threat to
:44:22. > :44:27.European football? Yes. It is funny how it changed. Because big wealthy
:44:28. > :44:31.clubs like Chelsea have been able to pluck players and pay a lot for
:44:32. > :44:36.players, now they're getting a bit of their own mid sin. But I think it
:44:37. > :44:40.is the not the right way to pay a lot of money also. I don't think it
:44:41. > :44:46.is a good example for the young player. For the people in general
:44:47. > :44:53.that work every day. Antonio Conte danced down the touchline and
:44:54. > :44:59.screamed at yelled. Do you look at yourself on the touchline hen you're
:45:00. > :45:04.getting angry. Yes, but I don't like to to watch me. Because I have a lot
:45:05. > :45:10.of pressure and you know that during the week you work a lot to prepare
:45:11. > :45:14.your team and a lot of time you don't sleep to prepare your team.
:45:15. > :45:22.You think of the right solution and when you score the goal, yeah, for
:45:23. > :45:24.me... It's... It is no normal to participate with my players in this
:45:25. > :45:34.joy. STUDIO: Another statistic to show
:45:35. > :45:38.you. Chelsea managers in charge for ten games or more, and he is
:45:39. > :45:42.currently top of the tree with Win percentage almost 80%. How much of
:45:43. > :45:48.an advantage has it been for Chelsea this season of playing European
:45:49. > :45:51.football? Absolutely huge. Especially the way he has
:45:52. > :45:57.transformed the system, he gets to work on it for five days before a
:45:58. > :45:59.game. Even with a rest day. Players are fitter, stronger, they don't
:46:00. > :46:05.have to worry about recovery so much. To change that system takes a
:46:06. > :46:09.lot of work, lots of work on the training ground. He can do that
:46:10. > :46:14.without the destruction of European football. It does help you but it's
:46:15. > :46:17.only part of the way. This manager has been outstanding. Is there a
:46:18. > :46:22.weakness? Will there be a period with that side where they lose
:46:23. > :46:25.enough games for others to catch them? I've played in the back three
:46:26. > :46:30.and it is in the wide positions you seem to get punished and they don't.
:46:31. > :46:33.I don't understand how people don't overload on the sides with Moses.
:46:34. > :46:40.Spurs put balls into the box and scored goals with their head. Dele
:46:41. > :46:44.Alli. Maybe that's a weakness. But he's been able to make them solid,
:46:45. > :46:47.strong but still have the Hazards, in really good positions and win
:46:48. > :46:52.games of football. He's been brilliant. They take on a Burnley
:46:53. > :46:57.side, the only team with a bed to record at home at Chelsea and Spurs
:46:58. > :47:02.bizarrely. -- better record. They have turned it into a fortress, Turf
:47:03. > :47:07.Moor, whatever you want to call it. Sean Dyche is amazing. Why he can't
:47:08. > :47:09.turn that into a waveform, it is so strange. Not like they are
:47:10. > :47:16.travelling halfway around the world every time, is it? Conte has done an
:47:17. > :47:21.exceptional job. To transform that. You have to say, with the players he
:47:22. > :47:25.has available this time round. The swing from last year and this year
:47:26. > :47:28.for Chelsea is enormous. I bet it isn't very dissimilar from two years
:47:29. > :47:32.ago when they won the title, that first part of the season they were
:47:33. > :47:37.outstanding. They lost to Spurs, like they have this time. And they
:47:38. > :47:42.shut up shop. Coverage of Chelsea at Burnley and Swansea- Leicester on
:47:43. > :47:46.much of the day two tomorrow. On BBC Two because of the BAFTAs.
:47:47. > :47:53.Award-winning performance from Martin because he is everywhere this
:47:54. > :47:55.week. Retallick is with Martin. The return of the Champions League to
:47:56. > :47:57.look forward to next week. -- Retallick is with Martin.
:47:58. > :48:20.COMMENTATOR: Oh! What an asset. Lahm Scores the first goal of the 2006
:48:21. > :48:23.World Cup finals. Look at that for a perfectly timed challenge.
:48:24. > :48:28.What a setting for a game that promises so much. Germany rules the
:48:29. > :48:40.world again. What a ludicrous career, 33 years
:48:41. > :48:44.old. Why is he stepping down at 33? He says he doesn't feel he can
:48:45. > :48:47.perform at that same level. The only thing I can think of, perhaps there
:48:48. > :48:51.is something in his personal life that he suddenly had second thoughts
:48:52. > :48:55.about and thought, actually, I've done everything. Something we don't
:48:56. > :48:58.know about, maybe we won't hear about. Maybe it is a more important
:48:59. > :49:10.than in football. Maybe it comes down to desire. Legend is used far
:49:11. > :49:13.too often in football but what he has done... Won everything. It can't
:49:14. > :49:15.be questioned. I wanted to hang on as long as I possibly could. We
:49:16. > :49:18.tried to change my game to develop to stay longer. Couldn't leave the
:49:19. > :49:21.money! He has to bow out. But he will come out in some other
:49:22. > :49:24.capacity. Guardiola saying he is one of the most intelligent ways he has
:49:25. > :49:29.worked with. A year earlier, he had another year left on his contract.
:49:30. > :49:34.Might come back as the sporting director at after a sabbatical.
:49:35. > :49:37.Hasn't he turned that down already? -- at Bayern There must be something
:49:38. > :49:43.else going on in his life that football has pale into
:49:44. > :49:47.insignificance at the moment. Bayern taking on Arsenal, you old boys gone
:49:48. > :49:50.in the Champions League. Top of the Bundesliga but they have got
:49:51. > :49:54.criticism for the way they played. Do you think Arsene Wenger can
:49:55. > :49:58.unpick Bayern Munich over two Blakes? No. They have quality.
:49:59. > :50:04.Watching them closely, they are back in good form. -- two legs.
:50:05. > :50:07.Lewandowski in the form. A formidable team with their manager,
:50:08. > :50:17.the experience, won this three times, the Champions League. It will
:50:18. > :50:19.be difficult for Arsenal a lot about Leicester struggling domestically.
:50:20. > :50:21.We forget they are still in the Champions League. They played the
:50:22. > :50:26.week after next with Sevilla. They are in fantastic form, Sevilla. It
:50:27. > :50:30.is Madrid not too long ago, doing brilliantly in La Liga. It is the
:50:31. > :50:34.first real test for Leicester in the Champions League. They played in the
:50:35. > :50:38.group and did incredibly well. This is the first real quality they face.
:50:39. > :50:41.So just ordered that season you could see them winning that and
:50:42. > :50:45.going through to the next... If they go out. Martin says Arsenal are
:50:46. > :50:49.going out and Leicester going through! Who knows. If that sort of
:50:50. > :50:55.performance from Leicester. They might be up for that next big thing
:50:56. > :50:57.that they want to do and achieve. They need to look after the bread
:50:58. > :51:01.and butter, staying in the Premier League. To pop back to Philipp Lahm
:51:02. > :51:08.at the moment, would he be in an all 11? What position? He has to get in
:51:09. > :51:13.there as a fallback somewhere along the line. He is so measured. We
:51:14. > :51:20.could talk about this for hours. Certainly in his period. At right
:51:21. > :51:24.back? Depends what sort of defender you want. He is a leader. You could
:51:25. > :51:28.play him centre midfield. You could play him in almost any position.
:51:29. > :51:31.That has to get him in the team. He would get in our squad. We will
:51:32. > :51:36.continue this discussion another time. Rangers. They are currently
:51:37. > :51:42.third in the Scottish Premiership, level on points with Aberdeen.
:51:43. > :51:46.Whopping 27 points behind Celtic. A bit of confusion with Rangers
:51:47. > :51:49.overnight. Mark Warburton is no longer the manager at Ibrox. I will
:51:50. > :51:54.explain it as best I can. He met with the club this week. Talking
:51:55. > :51:57.about how to possibly get out of contract. They agreed something to
:51:58. > :52:01.do with compensation that Rangers would get if he went to another
:52:02. > :52:04.team. There was a plan, it appeared. Then there was a movement back away
:52:05. > :52:07.from that plan and the club so we've agreed this bubbly, we will go ahead
:52:08. > :52:12.with it. And they almost resigned Mark Warburton for him -- agreed
:52:13. > :52:17.this verbally. Whatever the rights and wrongs, it's a mess, isn't it? A
:52:18. > :52:21.complete mess. We don't know for definite but let's assume he wanted
:52:22. > :52:25.to go to another club and said OK, lets rip up my contract at Rangers.
:52:26. > :52:29.If I go there, Rangers wanted compensation so they can get a new
:52:30. > :52:34.manager. And pay their new manager. Whatever it was. They should have
:52:35. > :52:39.stuck with him. 27 points starting hat does things strange things to
:52:40. > :52:46.people's minds. Rangers coming back. The club have gone, hang on a
:52:47. > :52:49.minute, you wanted to go elsewhere. You said you wanted to resign but we
:52:50. > :52:51.will not have you back. Maybe they've done the right thing in
:52:52. > :52:56.taking this on. Graeme Murty the under 20's coach will be in charge
:52:57. > :53:01.against Morton in the Scottish Cup. 27 points clear, Celtic, 1-0 up in
:53:02. > :53:04.their fifth round match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Let's
:53:05. > :53:11.show you this from the week. One of their many goals they scored. 24
:53:12. > :53:16.touches in this overall. The final few touches, against St Johnstone.
:53:17. > :53:17.Rabona, backheel, that finish from Mousa Dembele. That is a proper
:53:18. > :53:24.goal. One man looking on with interest is
:53:25. > :53:27.the former Hoops boss Niall Lennon, taking charge of his first Edinburgh
:53:28. > :53:36.derby tomorrow. We have been built spotting. -- boot spotting.
:53:37. > :53:41.Choose Edinburgh. Choose the Cowgate. Choose the whole dam famous
:53:42. > :53:48.five. Choose winning the league title. Choose letting out 114 years
:53:49. > :53:59.of bottled up pain in one joyous green and white explosion.
:54:00. > :54:07.What did you think when the draw handed you a meeting with Hearts?
:54:08. > :54:11.That Rod Stewart was off my Christmas card list. I just knew,
:54:12. > :54:14.you know, I was listening to it on the radio and ball number eight came
:54:15. > :54:19.out and I thought that's definitely us. Hibs away to Hearts. I was
:54:20. > :54:24.thinking, that's all we needed at this stage of the season. It's going
:54:25. > :54:28.to generate a lot of interest and we really want to focus on the league.
:54:29. > :54:33.But we are the cup holders and we want to defend the trophy. We have
:54:34. > :54:40.to beat anyone we face in the draw. Being honest, is it a game you could
:54:41. > :54:44.do without? No, but, yeah. No, but, yeah. Starting to sound like Little
:54:45. > :54:48.Britain. It's a distraction from what we are trying to do that we are
:54:49. > :54:51.the cup-holders. Like I say, we want to defend it. Now the week is here
:54:52. > :54:58.and the anticipation is building, looking forward to the occasion.
:54:59. > :55:00.What difference does it make that Hibs are the holders?
:55:01. > :55:03.Psychologically, it's a big monkey off the club's back. I never
:55:04. > :55:08.realised the significance of it until I've been in and around it. A
:55:09. > :55:13.long time, 114 years. That's been lifted. Now you are going in as the
:55:14. > :55:19.holders and there is still the attention. You want to defended
:55:20. > :55:22.vigorously. There's a lot of good teams left in the competition,
:55:23. > :55:25.Hearts being one of them. Pressure on him this season to get back to
:55:26. > :55:30.the big league, do you feel pressure to deliver question must -- on Hibs.
:55:31. > :55:35.Yes. We have been the favourite since the start of the season, top
:55:36. > :55:38.of the need for a long time. I want to deliver promotion and I want to
:55:39. > :55:43.take Hibs back. I am enjoying my time here. The people I work for at
:55:44. > :55:46.the people in the club have been fantastic. Really enjoying my time
:55:47. > :55:52.so far. Do you ever think back a couple of years and wonder about the
:55:53. > :55:57.wisdom of leaving Celtic? No, no, not at all. It was the right time to
:55:58. > :56:02.go. I had four years there and really enjoyed it. But there is an
:56:03. > :56:06.end point to everything and for me, the time was right. It wasn't a knee
:56:07. > :56:11.jerk decision. I thought long and hard about it for two, three, four
:56:12. > :56:16.months before then. No regrets. Does this feel like a kick-start for you?
:56:17. > :56:20.Yes. I feel reinvigorated but I'm not looking too far ahead. My focus
:56:21. > :56:25.is on Hibs and being successful here. Trying to build something here
:56:26. > :56:30.again. We've been in the Championship, our third season. It's
:56:31. > :56:33.a shame. You have to earn the right to get back into the Premier League.
:56:34. > :56:40.If we can do that, you just never know.
:56:41. > :56:50.STUDIO: Should be a cracking game this weekend. A common theme, isn't
:56:51. > :56:52.it? Bemoaning the cup getting in the way of concentration on the league,
:56:53. > :56:55.what's happened to cup competitions? I've no idea because winning
:56:56. > :56:59.football matches, it's great, you want to play as many as you possibly
:57:00. > :57:05.can. You don't really want to train, you want to keep winning. I don't
:57:06. > :57:09.know. The league and money has become so important. It's a massive
:57:10. > :57:12.shame. Champions League hasn't taken a back seat yet. If Hearts
:57:13. > :57:16.underestimate Niall Lennon, they could be in trouble. I believe he is
:57:17. > :57:24.a very good manager. Did well at Celtic and I was surprised there
:57:25. > :57:27.wasn't more takers. Ended up at Bolton in a difficult situation. He
:57:28. > :57:29.is a good manager on his way back and Hibernian running away with the
:57:30. > :57:32.championship. Tomorrow, that game and highlights 11:30pm BBC One on
:57:33. > :57:37.Scotland tomorrow. The Edinburgh derby and the huge Devon derby,
:57:38. > :57:41.Plymouth against Exeter, second against fourth in the two. Enjoy
:57:42. > :57:44.that if you are going to that. Thank you to Martin and Danny. Life at
:57:45. > :57:54.Huddersfield next Saturday for the fifth round of the FA Cup. A hip-hop
:57:55. > :57:56.star takes on Lawro in these positions -- for the Premier League
:57:57. > :58:12.predictions. # We spent all our money on those
:58:13. > :58:17.CDs. I became a fan of Michael Owen. I was watching England Argentina and
:58:18. > :58:22.ice -- I saw Michael Owen score a goal. I was like, who is that? My
:58:23. > :58:29.dad is sadly passed away a couple of years ago and I wrote this is true.
:58:30. > :58:32.My dad was my hero and it makes sense to pay homage. But I heard
:58:33. > :58:40.recently that Cantona has heard the song. I think it's cool. As much as
:58:41. > :58:47.I reckon Troy Deeney will probably bang in one goal, is going to be
:58:48. > :58:49.like 3-1 to United. Everton on a very good run at the moment. I'm
:58:50. > :58:58.going to say Everton 3-0, bang. Liverpool are crumbling at the
:58:59. > :59:03.moment, quite horrifically but fingers crossed, I have faith in
:59:04. > :59:06.Jurgen Klopp, the best thing to happen to Liverpool in a long time.