:00:52. > :00:58.GUITAR MUSIC. And so it all begins again, the new football season is
:00:59. > :01:07.upon us. GUITAR MUSIC. JEERING
:01:08. > :02:03.CHEERING Sensation -- sensational control!
:02:04. > :02:08.Right in the corner! Oh! CHEERING Yes, that special Saturday feeling
:02:09. > :02:13.is back. The 25th edition of the Premier League proves to be the most
:02:14. > :02:17.open and exciting yet. We will be charting every twist and turn
:02:18. > :02:24.between now and next May. After coming through a gruelling fitness
:02:25. > :02:33.regime, Trevor Sinclair and Kevin Kilbane are here. Here is who else
:02:34. > :02:40.is coming up. Premier League: could now Captain Morgan is ready to give
:02:41. > :02:44.the rest of Europe a hard time. -- now what else is coming up in the
:02:45. > :02:52.Premier League and now Captain Morgan. The man set to make
:02:53. > :02:57.Manchester England's football capital once again. Do not shoot the
:02:58. > :03:04.messenger, Garth has news for Arsene. People are telling me that
:03:05. > :03:09.they want more. You have a message from the fans? Why did the fans
:03:10. > :03:14.always want more? It is reassuring and it gives them hope for the
:03:15. > :03:21.season. Albion celebrate a life in the championship. Plenty to get
:03:22. > :03:29.through and this is how the first weekend of the Premier League shakes
:03:30. > :03:38.up. Pep Guardiola makes his bow as city boss as David Moyes returns. A
:03:39. > :03:44.real whopper at the Emirates as Arsenal take on Liverpool. This is
:03:45. > :03:49.what they will be playing with, the new official Premier League balls of
:03:50. > :03:54.the season. You boys can have a play with that. The teams who will get a
:03:55. > :03:59.touch of it will be Hull City and Leicester. It has been 103 days
:04:00. > :04:05.since the Foxes's impossible dream came true and Wes Morgan is not
:04:06. > :04:13.going to wake up just yet. One of the best feelings in the world. It
:04:14. > :04:23.is fantastic, unbelievable. There is a whole story behind it. Oh! What a
:04:24. > :04:31.screamer! Unbelievable! Morgan's header, a beaming smile on the face
:04:32. > :04:34.of the Foxes's captain! Eden Hazard! Leicester City are the Premier
:04:35. > :04:41.League champions! Has it changed your life? Definitely, I am more
:04:42. > :04:46.recognise now, everyone wants to talk about it and congratulate you.
:04:47. > :04:51.Everyone is buzzing about the whole thing and it is amazing to see how
:04:52. > :04:56.far the word has spread. How far are you looking towards the Champions
:04:57. > :05:01.League? I am normally looking at it on the telly with my friends.
:05:02. > :05:05.Hearing the Champions League music, competing against some of the best
:05:06. > :05:12.teams in the world. It is something on my bucket list that I definitely
:05:13. > :05:18.want to do. Kante is no longer with the side, how badly will he be
:05:19. > :05:24.missed? He was fantastic in the last season. What he brought to the team,
:05:25. > :05:29.the way he broke up teams. He is a player who will definitely be
:05:30. > :05:34.missed. We have got four or five different players now and they have
:05:35. > :05:38.different attributes and they will definitely contribute in different
:05:39. > :05:45.ways to the team. The likes of Jamie Vardy, we have players in our team
:05:46. > :05:50.who can find answers and unlock the defence of most of the teams in the
:05:51. > :06:00.league. Good cover from Marouane Fellaini! A-levels at up! -- he
:06:01. > :06:06.levels it up! What you expect from the next game? The first game is
:06:07. > :06:12.always a tough game, everyone is very high on adrenaline and everyone
:06:13. > :06:16.is eager to get going, we want to put on a good show. We want to get
:06:17. > :06:22.the right result and that is what we want to do. Kick-off is fast
:06:23. > :06:32.approaching and Guy Mowbray is already in situ. COMMENTATOR: Those
:06:33. > :06:37.who do not stay away will be making their feelings known to the club's
:06:38. > :06:41.owners after a quite frankly shambolic season. With only 13 fit
:06:42. > :06:46.players for this game, Jake Livermore is having to play at
:06:47. > :06:53.centre-back. They have an 11 out that is somewhere near to the team
:06:54. > :07:05.that got them up. Three changes from last week's Community Shield side.
:07:06. > :07:13.The forward line is even faster. Best of luck Jake Livermore. STUDIO:
:07:14. > :07:18.Big day for Leicester City, starting the defence of their title. When you
:07:19. > :07:23.look at 13, it stands out they have lost Kante, but it is very similar
:07:24. > :07:29.to last year, perhaps even strengthened. A lot of pace
:07:30. > :07:41.introduced to the side, Kante, can they get to that level, a big ask,
:07:42. > :07:47.but Moussa is a great signing. It adds firepower to an electric side.
:07:48. > :07:51.We heard from Wes Morgan, Champions League football, they do title
:07:52. > :07:55.champions, but it is a balancing act, it could be quite difficult.
:07:56. > :07:59.Last season, cup competitions were not something they were involved in.
:08:00. > :08:05.This year it is the Champions League, they will take it more
:08:06. > :08:09.seriously. He is excited, listening to the music, going out and playing
:08:10. > :08:21.in the Champions League, it is a dream. I do not think most of the
:08:22. > :08:23.players thought they would play, a big bonus. They need to strengthen
:08:24. > :08:25.the squad, more depth. I am sure the manager will be looking to
:08:26. > :08:30.strengthen that before the transfer window closes. Where is a good place
:08:31. > :08:39.for them to finish? Top eight. Top four would be great, but I do not
:08:40. > :08:43.envisage that. They have probably... If you were going to look at an away
:08:44. > :08:51.match for your first game, Hull City, they are trouble. It is
:08:52. > :08:56.shambolic, now the squad is nowhere near ready to compete. They do not
:08:57. > :09:00.have enough bodies, only 11 outfield players that are ready for today's
:09:01. > :09:05.game. It shows where they have come from, what Steve Bruce did to get
:09:06. > :09:08.them at that level, it was about continuity through three or four
:09:09. > :09:11.years and now suddenly they are here and they are certain to get
:09:12. > :09:16.relegated this season. That match will be the first of what will be
:09:17. > :09:20.more matches on five live than ever before and chief amongst those to be
:09:21. > :09:26.vying for the Crown are the two Manchester clubs. The Reds and the
:09:27. > :09:35.Blues are going all out to put themselves back on top. Manchester,
:09:36. > :09:41.a city dominated by football, divided into. Two huge clubs, now
:09:42. > :09:49.with the biggest names in management in their respective hot seats. Both
:09:50. > :09:54.with plenty to prove and a lot of questions to answer. Inevitably
:09:55. > :09:58.there is a focus on anaesthetics. Canon Jose Mourinho's United play
:09:59. > :10:09.with the standard demanded of them? -- cam. -- Karun.
:10:10. > :10:17.Pep Guardiola is used to having everything and his teams are used to
:10:18. > :10:22.having style. But the team last year was defensive, not offensive. The
:10:23. > :10:26.Spaniard's vision is already starting to take shape. It has been
:10:27. > :10:30.a big learning curve, I have learned more in the last three weeks than to
:10:31. > :10:37.wrap my whole career. They have two adapt to how I played, but they are
:10:38. > :10:46.ready to change. We have to find each other. It is possible. Then
:10:47. > :10:50.there was a question of signings, would magister city and United flex
:10:51. > :10:58.their muscles in the transfer window? -- Manchester City. He is a
:10:59. > :11:06.huge talent. He has the intelligence judgments to read the next pass. --
:11:07. > :11:14.he has the intelligence to read the next pass. Paul Pogba, a player who
:11:15. > :11:19.left Old Trafford ?88 million less just four years ago. The Frenchman
:11:20. > :11:26.is a class addition and he is happy to be back. I have come back home, I
:11:27. > :11:30.want to be one of the best, I want to win titles. Jose Mourinho has
:11:31. > :11:35.strengthened the spine of his team and are spearheading that spying is
:11:36. > :11:41.Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A powerful header from the big man. Can a
:11:42. > :11:46.single goal answer all the questions? What do the signings and
:11:47. > :11:50.Jose Mourinho's arrival means that the youth at Old Trafford and what
:11:51. > :11:55.does it all mean for Wayne Rooney? He is the club captain, he is the
:11:56. > :12:00.manager's captain, I think he will be an important player for me. One
:12:01. > :12:04.unequivocal response, but the questions will keep being asked,
:12:05. > :12:09.they will not stop until the big one is answered in May. City and United
:12:10. > :12:13.want to be the best in the country, the battle to be the best in
:12:14. > :12:20.Manchester is intriguing subplot. STUDIO: It should be an interesting
:12:21. > :12:26.battle in Manchester. Jose Mourinho, we will start with him, he has not
:12:27. > :12:34.come in particularly quietly, a few fallouts, a few pops at managers. Is
:12:35. > :12:40.he the right fit for United? What DC Jose Mourinho and United achieving
:12:41. > :12:44.together? -- what do you see. The position that United are in, they
:12:45. > :12:48.need the quick fix, the solution to the problem that has been going
:12:49. > :12:52.wrong over the past few years and he is the sort of manager who can get a
:12:53. > :12:58.big impact, as he has proved over a short period of time at the clubs he
:12:59. > :13:02.has been at. He has spent a lot of money, we are all excited about Paul
:13:03. > :13:07.Pogba, Dart and Ebrahim pitch, these are the two players who will
:13:08. > :13:22.enlighten the Premier League. -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Big players, he
:13:23. > :13:27.has got them there. No Paul Bob Arum -- no Paul Pogba, but you mention
:13:28. > :13:32.Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they are exciting players, we saw what Paul
:13:33. > :13:36.Pogba can do. Personally I did not think he did fantastically well in
:13:37. > :13:42.the Euros, but I know what he has got. He is a box to box player. A
:13:43. > :13:46.bit of a throwback, he can tackle and score and assist. Exciting to
:13:47. > :13:51.the Manchester United fans and if he can make the impact and improve as
:13:52. > :13:57.he has at Juventus, he has a great chance. I think playing further
:13:58. > :14:00.forward, but Jose Mourinho has suggested... It looks as though to
:14:01. > :14:07.start with he will be playing a bit deeper. Manchester City as well. Pep
:14:08. > :14:10.Guardiola comes with great experience and the fans will have
:14:11. > :14:15.some huge expectations of what he can do to that team and he has got
:14:16. > :14:21.in a few big players. How'd you look at how they head into the season?
:14:22. > :14:31.They have recruited very well. That suits Pep Guardiola's way of play,
:14:32. > :14:34.he likes to go from the back. I am sure he will be a fantastic mental
:14:35. > :14:39.and I am really excited to see how he will progress this season and
:14:40. > :14:45.develop as a player. Big questions over Joe Hart, suggestions he may
:14:46. > :14:49.not start in the game today. Pep Guardiola said in his press
:14:50. > :14:53.Conference that although he feels Joe Hart can do what he wants a
:14:54. > :14:57.goalkeeper to do, coming out and playing, but he does not feel he is
:14:58. > :15:00.ready yet, will he give him time to develop that?
:15:01. > :15:06.Again, does he feel he is at the age where he can develop him? When
:15:07. > :15:09.Victor Valdes was a keeper at Barcelona he wasn't the greatest of
:15:10. > :15:13.goalkeepers but with his feet he was outstanding, one of the best around,
:15:14. > :15:19.he had the best in the world at Bayern Munich, of course. Yes.
:15:20. > :15:23.Looking at the likes of Manuel Neuer and Victor Valdes, is Joe Hart that
:15:24. > :15:26.type of goalkeeper? I rate him highly but at the Euros he didn't
:15:27. > :15:29.have a good time. It looks to me looking at the summer and the
:15:30. > :15:33.rumours going about he is desperate to get ter Stegen in there. It won't
:15:34. > :15:36.go away so there must be some truthful stuff I've seen Joe play
:15:37. > :15:43.with his feet and I think he's able with his feet. A subplot with David
:15:44. > :15:47.Moyes coming back to Manchester with your former team. He's admitted he
:15:48. > :15:50.doesn't feel he's quite ready yet to start. Probably the Etihad is not
:15:51. > :15:56.the place you want to go for your first game if you are not ready. How
:15:57. > :16:00.good will he be for Sunderland? I understand that being said, some of
:16:01. > :16:03.the signings, with Sam Allardyce going to England they couldn't make
:16:04. > :16:07.signings because they knew Sam Allardyce wouldn't be around and now
:16:08. > :16:10.David Moyes comes in and has to pick up the pieces. I'm hopeful for David
:16:11. > :16:15.Moyes given the time, he's proved it time and again when he was at
:16:16. > :16:17.Everton, who I would put on a par with Sunderland at that particular
:16:18. > :16:21.time when he took the job and I think Sunderland over the next ten
:16:22. > :16:28.years, hopefully if he can stay around he's the right man to take
:16:29. > :16:31.the club forward. It might be all change in Manchester but next month
:16:32. > :16:32.will mark the 20th anniversary of Arsene Wenger's arrival in North
:16:33. > :16:35.London. However, after yet another title
:16:36. > :16:36.quest faltered last spring, the mood at the Emirates has been anything
:16:37. > :16:41.but celebratory. COMMENTATOR: This is a hammer blow
:16:42. > :16:53.to their title chances. COMMENTATOR: The inquests will start
:16:54. > :16:58.all over again regarding Arsene Wenger and Arsenal.
:16:59. > :17:06.Last season you finished second. Was that a good finish for you or a
:17:07. > :17:11.missed opportunity? It was a missed opportunity, but you could say that
:17:12. > :17:16.for the 18 other teams that were behind us as well. And you have to
:17:17. > :17:20.respect what Leicester did. They lost only three games. 20 years in
:17:21. > :17:25.the game now. Does this season have more significance for you?
:17:26. > :17:30.Well, it promises to be more difficult than ever because there
:17:31. > :17:37.are so many teams with ambition and what they have learned from last
:17:38. > :17:42.season is that there can be unexpected contenders as well. You
:17:43. > :17:47.have Xhaka. A top player. The fans tell me they want more. Are you a
:17:48. > :17:50.messenger from the fans, yes? Messenger from the fans!
:17:51. > :17:56.CHUCKLES Is that frustration? How do you view
:17:57. > :18:03.that? I know the fans always want more, it is reassuring, it
:18:04. > :18:06.cultivates the hope for the season. It's not only about buying.
:18:07. > :18:09.Leicester has shown that and we have finished second. It's not
:18:10. > :18:14.necessarily the team who invested the most last season who won the
:18:15. > :18:18.league. Most of them didn't even finish in the top four. Football
:18:19. > :18:22.fans want to see their club competing for the best players, you
:18:23. > :18:26.understand that argument? Of course. Do you think I'm still here for the
:18:27. > :18:30.last 20 years because I compete for the worst players? But as well, one
:18:31. > :18:34.of the values of our club is that respected all over the world is to
:18:35. > :18:39.give a chance to players who deserve it and come from our own system.
:18:40. > :18:42.There has been a suggestion from Arsenal that you will not pay a
:18:43. > :18:45.certain amount of money for certain players. Is that because you don't
:18:46. > :18:51.have it or is it a matter of principle for you? There is no
:18:52. > :18:55.matter of principle. First of all, we spend the money we have we pay
:18:56. > :19:00.the money we think is right for every player. If a player is quality
:19:01. > :19:08.week pay the money, we paid lots of money for Xhaka, Sanchez, Ozil. We
:19:09. > :19:12.paid top, top money. But I believe it's more difficult today to find
:19:13. > :19:17.players. If you look at all the English clubs since the start of the
:19:18. > :19:24.transfer market window, you will see not a lot happened because the
:19:25. > :19:27.players who would strengthen squads in England, there are not many
:19:28. > :19:31.there. Will it be harder for you to win the Premier League this season,
:19:32. > :19:36.because of the new arrivals both on and off the pitch? Who knows? It
:19:37. > :19:42.looks like that, that it will be harder than ever. But maybe the
:19:43. > :19:51.ambition level in the league is more spread than ever everywhere. The
:19:52. > :19:55.only thing good in that in your question is that it will be harder
:19:56. > :19:59.for everybody, not only for me. Garth crooks, our message boy at the
:20:00. > :20:03.Premier League launch this week. It is the 20th anniversary of Arsene
:20:04. > :20:09.Wenger at Arsenal. Again, just the one signing, not a huge marquee
:20:10. > :20:12.signing, Granit Xhaka coming in. Trevor, do Arsenal fans want more
:20:13. > :20:16.like Garth was saying and does Arsene Wenger need more to
:20:17. > :20:18.potentially keep him at the club for longer? If he wants to win the
:20:19. > :20:21.league and the challenge for the league they need a marquee signing,
:20:22. > :20:25.a centre forward, a focal point and I feel that is why they lost out
:20:26. > :20:28.last year. You've got Giroud playing up there and he went off the boil
:20:29. > :20:32.and they needed somebody to go in their proven and ready to score
:20:33. > :20:36.goals and they did not have that. I sympathise with Arsene Wenger, I'm
:20:37. > :20:41.one of his biggest fans. Why go and buy somebody if you don't need them?
:20:42. > :20:45.The money is so inflated and I understand what he's saying. It is a
:20:46. > :20:49.huge match to start with, Liverpool. How do you rate Liverpool under
:20:50. > :20:53.Klopp, the improvements he has made, no European football this season,
:20:54. > :20:56.are they genuine contenders? That is the key, no European football. Last
:20:57. > :21:00.time when they didn't have European football they came so close to
:21:01. > :21:03.winning the Premier League and that will help them. The signings they
:21:04. > :21:09.have made, Marnane will be a great signing overall with his pace. --
:21:10. > :21:13.Mane. He's added to a side and is building. I think top four is a
:21:14. > :21:16.realistic aim for Liverpool, that is where they have got to aim. We
:21:17. > :21:21.haven't even mentioned Tottenham or Chelsea yet. Trevor, what is your
:21:22. > :21:26.prediction for the title and where do you fit the teams in? I really
:21:27. > :21:29.fancy Chelsea's chances. I feel the manager they have got, he is
:21:30. > :21:36.inspirational, he's not a soft touch and I think that is one of the
:21:37. > :21:39.personalities and egos that Chelsea need. They owe the fans something
:21:40. > :21:43.the season and I think they will respond really well and you will see
:21:44. > :21:46.the real Chelsea turn up the season. It is not a popular choice, almost
:21:47. > :21:52.voting under the radar, Chelsea. Kevin? I will go with City. You've
:21:53. > :22:02.heard the guys' tips and you can make your own on the Premier League
:22:03. > :22:05.predictor on the website. There is highlights of Arsenal against
:22:06. > :22:08.Liverpool along with Bournemouth against Manchester United as match
:22:09. > :22:15.of the date to returns tomorrow night at 10:30pm. -- Match of the
:22:16. > :22:19.Day 2. And watch out for Gary Lineker's
:22:20. > :22:22.exclusive interview with Jurgen Klopp on our new midweek Premier
:22:23. > :22:25.League Show which starts on 25th August - more on that next week.
:22:26. > :22:28.Thursday August 25th, 10pm, BBC Two. So several teams with eyes on the
:22:29. > :22:30.main prize, but no doubt different ambitions for the newly promoted
:22:31. > :22:32.clubs. Both Burnley and
:22:33. > :22:34.Middlesbrough start with home games today, and our Match of the Day
:22:35. > :22:37.commentators Martin Fisher and John Roder are already in place.
:22:38. > :22:42.Good afternoon, boys. John, Middlesbrough back in the top
:22:43. > :22:48.flight, a big day for the club and for Aitor Karanka as well, I'm sure.
:22:49. > :22:51.Yes, absolutely, you'd have to go back to November 2013 when Anne
:22:52. > :22:55.Milton rancour took over and at that stage Middlesbrough will just above
:22:56. > :22:58.the championship macro relegation zone and they came so close when
:22:59. > :23:01.they lost in the play-off final to Norwich and they are here now and
:23:02. > :23:06.they've spent lots of money off the pitch and on the pitch. George
:23:07. > :23:09.Friend, the solid, reliable defender, has signed a new four-year
:23:10. > :23:12.contract this morning so that is a big boost ahead of the start of the
:23:13. > :23:17.new campaign. A big boost for Middlesbrough. Martin Kaymer for
:23:18. > :23:21.Burnley, a couple of yo-yo seasons for them. They are now back. Do you
:23:22. > :23:29.feel they are back better equipped to deal with life in the Premier
:23:30. > :23:32.League? -- Martin, for Burnley. They have recent Premier League
:23:33. > :23:35.experience, two years ago they were in the top-flight so the manager
:23:36. > :23:38.knows a bit more about this lead. Nine of the players expected to
:23:39. > :23:42.start today were heavily involved in the last Premier League campaign.
:23:43. > :23:45.You look at their form, they roared out of the Championship last year,
:23:46. > :23:48.they haven't lost a game in the league since Boxing Day and then you
:23:49. > :23:53.add that little sprinkle of gold dust. And for Burnley it is
:23:54. > :23:57.goal-scorer Andre Gray, 23 goals in the Championship last season and he
:23:58. > :24:00.has already scored nine in their preseason campaign. I think Burnley
:24:01. > :24:04.are better than they were when they came up two years ago. John,
:24:05. > :24:08.Middlesbrough have made a few signings as well, another contract
:24:09. > :24:13.signed this morning, like you say. How equipped are they to deal with
:24:14. > :24:17.life in the Premier League because they have not had an experience
:24:18. > :24:23.recently like Burnley. Interestingly seven years since Boro were last in
:24:24. > :24:27.the top flight, they have made ten signings including Fabio yesterday.
:24:28. > :24:31.There was a core of players last season who played 35 or more games
:24:32. > :24:35.in the Championship. Alvaro Negredo will be a key signing and Marten de
:24:36. > :24:39.Roon, the Dutchman, and I look forward to seeing Viktor Fischer,
:24:40. > :24:43.highly rated, bought in from Ajax. At the back they've got to be tight,
:24:44. > :24:49.they conceded eight goals here in the Championship last season.
:24:50. > :24:52.Middlesbrough's aim is survival. Survival for Middlesbrough but for
:24:53. > :24:56.Burnley they have five of their first seven matches at home, a quick
:24:57. > :25:01.start for them and that could really give them some momentum.
:25:02. > :25:05.Absolutely. Early points in the bag would be a great boost for Burnley.
:25:06. > :25:09.The last time they came up it took the mental November before they got
:25:10. > :25:13.their first win. When they came out last time they only won four times
:25:14. > :25:18.at Turf Moor so they need to improve on that. It is Elizabeth basic here,
:25:19. > :25:21.that is as nice a word I can manage, a little bit in hospitable compared
:25:22. > :25:26.to some Premier League games so if they use that to the maximum it will
:25:27. > :25:29.reap dividends. -- it is a little bit basic. Thank you for joining us.
:25:30. > :25:33.Well Stoke are the opponents for Middlesbrough this afternoon, and
:25:34. > :25:35.the Potters have boosted their ranks with the addition of a man who had a
:25:36. > :25:44.summer to remember. It's incredible, the togetherness
:25:45. > :25:49.and team spirit we have counts for so much.
:25:50. > :25:55.Certainly one of the highs of my career. COMMENTATOR: What a ball
:25:56. > :25:58.from Joe Allen. The Welsh Pirlo. To represent your country in any
:25:59. > :26:02.game in any situation is an amazing feeling but to do it in the Euros
:26:03. > :26:05.and progressed to the semifinals is a dream come true for me and all of
:26:06. > :26:12.the other lads involved. And as a Welsh lad as well, Woodward
:26:13. > :26:16.playing under Mark Hughes be like, what will it be like?
:26:17. > :26:20.It's something I'm really looking forward to. He's done brilliant
:26:21. > :26:23.things with this team already. And in the three years he's been here
:26:24. > :26:27.they have progressed, they've been able to recruit really top players
:26:28. > :26:32.in my opinion. That was another really big reason why I wanted to
:26:33. > :26:36.join the club and competing for a European spot. The omission of this
:26:37. > :26:42.club. It shows the progression they have made in the few years -- that's
:26:43. > :26:45.the omission of this club. If we can get a good start to the season then
:26:46. > :26:51.who knows? And how much of a wrench was it to
:26:52. > :26:56.leave Liverpool in the end after four years there. COMMENTATOR: Up
:26:57. > :26:59.goes Benteke and incomes Allen! I had some great times there but I
:27:00. > :27:05.think for me it was an easy edition to make, it made sense I think from
:27:06. > :27:09.Liverpool's pontiff you and my point of view for us to part ways. The
:27:10. > :27:12.chance to play in the Champions League was a great experience and
:27:13. > :27:18.something I've always dreamt of doing -- point of view. Last season
:27:19. > :27:23.when we went down to the wire in the Premier League -- that season. That
:27:24. > :27:25.is one of the highs I've had. What could top what happened in the
:27:26. > :27:32.summer? I think it's something you used to
:27:33. > :27:36.inspire you to try and go that step further and do bigger things in your
:27:37. > :27:42.career. That's certainly what I'm aiming to do, and I think that
:27:43. > :27:52.experience is going to be priceless for me in the rest of my career now.
:27:53. > :27:57.STUDIO: Joe Allen in the team of the Euros. Could he be the missing piece
:27:58. > :28:05.of the jigsaw for Stoke that turns them from a top ten team into a
:28:06. > :28:08.challenger? He was having a good season last season, he was having an
:28:09. > :28:12.impact coming off the bench and within the squad so to play regular
:28:13. > :28:15.football he felt he had to move and I think it is a great move for him
:28:16. > :28:18.and a good signing for Stoke and he is an excellent player. He's looking
:28:19. > :28:20.to get back to the level he was at at Swansea a few years ago. He did
:28:21. > :28:25.have a fantastic summer. Jacqui Oatley will keep track of
:28:26. > :28:28.Stoke's trip to Boro and all the other 3pm games on Final Score in
:28:29. > :28:30.the company of Trevor and Dion Dublin.
:28:31. > :28:34.And your Saturday night destination of choice is back with Gary Lineker.
:28:35. > :28:37.There's a somewhat relaxed dress code on Match of the Day for
:28:38. > :28:42.highlights of today's seven games - Ian Wright and
:28:43. > :28:47.Alan Shearer have a watching brief. And if you've still not had enough
:28:48. > :28:51.football by then - new for this season, Football Focus will now be
:28:52. > :28:53.available on BBC iPlayer each week from midnight on Saturdays Football
:28:54. > :28:55.Focus - available Saturday from midnight on BBC iPlayer.
:28:56. > :28:58.We'll remain in Staffordshire now, where 14 years ago Burton Albion
:28:59. > :29:01.were playing in the Northern Premier Division. They're now just one step
:29:02. > :29:04.from the Premier League, and ahead of their first ever home match in
:29:05. > :29:10.the Championship, Mark Clemmit has been to see what's brewing.
:29:11. > :29:19.We are non-league part-time, training on a Tuesday and Thursday,
:29:20. > :29:23.we used to train on the pitch at the old ground. For a club to reach the
:29:24. > :29:28.Championship with a maximum transfer fee paid off ?20,000 is an
:29:29. > :29:33.incredible stat. Are you pinching yourself? The league you are working
:29:34. > :29:37.on and what you've done with this club? Everybody has, it's not a
:29:38. > :29:42.personal thing, it's what the chairman has done over 20 years and
:29:43. > :29:48.the last two managers. Gary Rowett got us out of league two and Jimmy
:29:49. > :29:53.continued the good work in League 1. We continued where we left off a few
:29:54. > :29:57.years ago. Football making a profit and a chairman that backs his
:29:58. > :29:59.manager, don't go ripping up the rule book! You are the exception to
:30:00. > :30:03.the rule and must be immensely proud. We've been very lucky over
:30:04. > :30:10.the years the more we had great managers. Nigel Clough came in and
:30:11. > :30:14.what managers achieved was based on the foundations that Nigel Clough
:30:15. > :30:17.built at this club. Did you have an idea of what he wanted to achieve?
:30:18. > :30:21.Not really because in the past people asked me my five-year plan
:30:22. > :30:28.and we say we never really had one. It's been a gradual process and one
:30:29. > :30:31.of supporting the manager. Obviously all managers have a time when there
:30:32. > :30:33.is a little blip and that is the time you stick together and if you
:30:34. > :30:36.believe in them you get behind them and give encouragement and help them
:30:37. > :30:42.and one-day obviously it all works out. Has he ever put any pressure on
:30:43. > :30:48.you as manager? Has he ever set stringent targets that you must do
:30:49. > :30:52.this by...? Not at all. When we got promoted to the Conference we said
:30:53. > :30:56.we would try and do this this year and he said, good, and I said what
:30:57. > :31:01.if we don't make it? He said we will have a go next year. Brilliant.
:31:02. > :31:05.There is a salutary lesson there for the whole football, isn't there?
:31:06. > :31:08.There is but everybody wants it yesterday. It doesn't work like that
:31:09. > :31:12.and the best success is built steadily and then it lasts longer as
:31:13. > :31:17.well. It's a crazy situation to be in, to be honest. There is no
:31:18. > :31:18.pressure on us whatsoever because no one expects anything from us, other
:31:19. > :31:30.than what we expect from ourselves. We have to do things a different way
:31:31. > :31:34.and you have to look after the players in different ways and build
:31:35. > :31:38.a team spirit. I think Leicester and then the summer, it continued with
:31:39. > :31:47.Wales and Iceland, they showed that team spirit can go a long way. We
:31:48. > :31:52.are looking forward to our first game against Bristol City, an
:31:53. > :31:55.amazing journey. You do realise and I am not suggesting you or a
:31:56. > :32:01.miserable devil, but you do realise you have a smile on your face
:32:02. > :32:05.through most of this? Yes! As long as they did everything in every
:32:06. > :32:11.single game and have a go, as long as they do as I asked them to do,
:32:12. > :32:16.then I will be happy. STUDIO: We wish them all the best in the
:32:17. > :32:20.championship and as ever it looks like it will be incredibly
:32:21. > :32:25.unpredictable, exciting and possibly the toughest league in the English
:32:26. > :32:29.league setup. Brighton winning 3-0 at Forest last night, who do you
:32:30. > :32:34.guys think will be the team to take the title? I will go from Brighton,
:32:35. > :32:38.I think Chris Houston is a fantastic manager, close last year with
:32:39. > :32:47.minimal funds. Bringing in Murray, he scored really well. I think they
:32:48. > :32:52.will go on to get across the line. Yes, Newcastle and Norwich, I will
:32:53. > :32:57.go for Sheffield Wednesday. Excellent stuff. That is all for
:32:58. > :33:02.today. Thank you very much to Kevin and to Trevor, we are back at the
:33:03. > :33:06.same time next week, live coverage from Rio of what proves to be
:33:07. > :33:15.another super Saturday at the Olympics, that will follow us on BBC
:33:16. > :33:18.One. With Gary Lineker set to asked a key question, we thought we would
:33:19. > :33:36.cover some more of football's unmentionables. Goodbye. LAUGHTER
:33:37. > :33:49.A bit embarrassing for him there. Ian Wright's shorts of fallen down.
:33:50. > :33:52.-- have fallen down. I don't think you will see more revealing sites
:33:53. > :34:00.than that in Amsterdam.