13/08/2016 Football Focus

GUITAR MUSIC. And so it all begins again, the new football season is

upon us. GUITAR MUSIC. JEERING

CHEERING Sensation -- sensational control!

Right in the corner! Oh! CHEERING Yes, that special Saturday feeling

is back. The 25th edition of the Premier League proves to be the most

open and exciting yet. We will be charting every twist and turn

between now and next May. After coming through a gruelling fitness

regime, Trevor Sinclair and Kevin Kilbane are here. Here is who else

is coming up. Premier League: could now Captain Morgan is ready to give

the rest of Europe a hard time. -- now what else is coming up in the

Premier League and now Captain Morgan. The man set to make

Manchester England's football capital once again. Do not shoot the

messenger, Garth has news for Arsene. People are telling me that

they want more. You have a message from the fans? Why did the fans

always want more? It is reassuring and it gives them hope for the

season. Albion celebrate a life in the championship. Plenty to get

through and this is how the first weekend of the Premier League shakes

up. Pep Guardiola makes his bow as city boss as David Moyes returns. A

real whopper at the Emirates as Arsenal take on Liverpool. This is

what they will be playing with, the new official Premier League balls of

the season. You boys can have a play with that. The teams who will get a

touch of it will be Hull City and Leicester. It has been 103 days

since the Foxes's impossible dream came true and Wes Morgan is not

going to wake up just yet. One of the best feelings in the world. It

is fantastic, unbelievable. There is a whole story behind it. Oh! What a

screamer! Unbelievable! Morgan's header, a beaming smile on the face

of the Foxes's captain! Eden Hazard! Leicester City are the Premier

League champions! Has it changed your life? Definitely, I am more

recognise now, everyone wants to talk about it and congratulate you.

Everyone is buzzing about the whole thing and it is amazing to see how

far the word has spread. How far are you looking towards the Champions

League? I am normally looking at it on the telly with my friends.

Hearing the Champions League music, competing against some of the best

teams in the world. It is something on my bucket list that I definitely

want to do. Kante is no longer with the side, how badly will he be

missed? He was fantastic in the last season. What he brought to the team,

the way he broke up teams. He is a player who will definitely be

missed. We have got four or five different players now and they have

different attributes and they will definitely contribute in different

ways to the team. The likes of Jamie Vardy, we have players in our team

who can find answers and unlock the defence of most of the teams in the

league. Good cover from Marouane Fellaini! A-levels at up! -- he

levels it up! What you expect from the next game? The first game is

always a tough game, everyone is very high on adrenaline and everyone

is eager to get going, we want to put on a good show. We want to get

the right result and that is what we want to do. Kick-off is fast

approaching and Guy Mowbray is already in situ. COMMENTATOR: Those

who do not stay away will be making their feelings known to the club's

owners after a quite frankly shambolic season. With only 13 fit

players for this game, Jake Livermore is having to play at

centre-back. They have an 11 out that is somewhere near to the team

that got them up. Three changes from last week's Community Shield side.

The forward line is even faster. Best of luck Jake Livermore. STUDIO:

Big day for Leicester City, starting the defence of their title. When you

look at 13, it stands out they have lost Kante, but it is very similar

to last year, perhaps even strengthened. A lot of pace

introduced to the side, Kante, can they get to that level, a big ask,

but Moussa is a great signing. It adds firepower to an electric side.

We heard from Wes Morgan, Champions League football, they do title

champions, but it is a balancing act, it could be quite difficult.

Last season, cup competitions were not something they were involved in.

This year it is the Champions League, they will take it more

seriously. He is excited, listening to the music, going out and playing

in the Champions League, it is a dream. I do not think most of the

players thought they would play, a big bonus. They need to strengthen

the squad, more depth. I am sure the manager will be looking to

strengthen that before the transfer window closes. Where is a good place

for them to finish? Top eight. Top four would be great, but I do not

envisage that. They have probably... If you were going to look at an away

match for your first game, Hull City, they are trouble. It is

shambolic, now the squad is nowhere near ready to compete. They do not

have enough bodies, only 11 outfield players that are ready for today's

game. It shows where they have come from, what Steve Bruce did to get

them at that level, it was about continuity through three or four

years and now suddenly they are here and they are certain to get

relegated this season. That match will be the first of what will be

more matches on five live than ever before and chief amongst those to be

vying for the Crown are the two Manchester clubs. The Reds and the

Blues are going all out to put themselves back on top. Manchester,

a city dominated by football, divided into. Two huge clubs, now

with the biggest names in management in their respective hot seats. Both

with plenty to prove and a lot of questions to answer. Inevitably

there is a focus on anaesthetics. Canon Jose Mourinho's United play

with the standard demanded of them? -- cam. -- Karun.

Pep Guardiola is used to having everything and his teams are used to

having style. But the team last year was defensive, not offensive. The

Spaniard's vision is already starting to take shape. It has been

a big learning curve, I have learned more in the last three weeks than to

wrap my whole career. They have two adapt to how I played, but they are

ready to change. We have to find each other. It is possible. Then

there was a question of signings, would magister city and United flex

their muscles in the transfer window? -- Manchester City. He is a

huge talent. He has the intelligence judgments to read the next pass. --

he has the intelligence to read the next pass. Paul Pogba, a player who

left Old Trafford ?88 million less just four years ago. The Frenchman

is a class addition and he is happy to be back. I have come back home, I

want to be one of the best, I want to win titles. Jose Mourinho has

strengthened the spine of his team and are spearheading that spying is

Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A powerful header from the big man. Can a

single goal answer all the questions? What do the signings and

Jose Mourinho's arrival means that the youth at Old Trafford and what

does it all mean for Wayne Rooney? He is the club captain, he is the

manager's captain, I think he will be an important player for me. One

unequivocal response, but the questions will keep being asked,

they will not stop until the big one is answered in May. City and United

want to be the best in the country, the battle to be the best in

Manchester is intriguing subplot. STUDIO: It should be an interesting

battle in Manchester. Jose Mourinho, we will start with him, he has not

come in particularly quietly, a few fallouts, a few pops at managers. Is

he the right fit for United? What DC Jose Mourinho and United achieving

together? -- what do you see. The position that United are in, they

need the quick fix, the solution to the problem that has been going

wrong over the past few years and he is the sort of manager who can get a

big impact, as he has proved over a short period of time at the clubs he

has been at. He has spent a lot of money, we are all excited about Paul

Pogba, Dart and Ebrahim pitch, these are the two players who will

enlighten the Premier League. -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Big players, he

has got them there. No Paul Bob Arum -- no Paul Pogba, but you mention

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they are exciting players, we saw what Paul

Pogba can do. Personally I did not think he did fantastically well in

the Euros, but I know what he has got. He is a box to box player. A

bit of a throwback, he can tackle and score and assist. Exciting to

the Manchester United fans and if he can make the impact and improve as

he has at Juventus, he has a great chance. I think playing further

forward, but Jose Mourinho has suggested... It looks as though to

start with he will be playing a bit deeper. Manchester City as well. Pep

Guardiola comes with great experience and the fans will have

some huge expectations of what he can do to that team and he has got

in a few big players. How'd you look at how they head into the season?

They have recruited very well. That suits Pep Guardiola's way of play,

he likes to go from the back. I am sure he will be a fantastic mental

and I am really excited to see how he will progress this season and

develop as a player. Big questions over Joe Hart, suggestions he may

not start in the game today. Pep Guardiola said in his press

Conference that although he feels Joe Hart can do what he wants a

goalkeeper to do, coming out and playing, but he does not feel he is

ready yet, will he give him time to develop that?

Again, does he feel he is at the age where he can develop him? When

Victor Valdes was a keeper at Barcelona he wasn't the greatest of

goalkeepers but with his feet he was outstanding, one of the best around,

he had the best in the world at Bayern Munich, of course. Yes.

Looking at the likes of Manuel Neuer and Victor Valdes, is Joe Hart that

type of goalkeeper? I rate him highly but at the Euros he didn't

have a good time. It looks to me looking at the summer and the

rumours going about he is desperate to get ter Stegen in there. It won't

go away so there must be some truthful stuff I've seen Joe play

with his feet and I think he's able with his feet. A subplot with David

Moyes coming back to Manchester with your former team. He's admitted he

doesn't feel he's quite ready yet to start. Probably the Etihad is not

the place you want to go for your first game if you are not ready. How

good will he be for Sunderland? I understand that being said, some of

the signings, with Sam Allardyce going to England they couldn't make

signings because they knew Sam Allardyce wouldn't be around and now

David Moyes comes in and has to pick up the pieces. I'm hopeful for David

Moyes given the time, he's proved it time and again when he was at

Everton, who I would put on a par with Sunderland at that particular

time when he took the job and I think Sunderland over the next ten

years, hopefully if he can stay around he's the right man to take

the club forward. It might be all change in Manchester but next month

will mark the 20th anniversary of Arsene Wenger's arrival in North

London. However, after yet another title

quest faltered last spring, the mood at the Emirates has been anything

but celebratory. COMMENTATOR: This is a hammer blow

to their title chances. COMMENTATOR: The inquests will start

all over again regarding Arsene Wenger and Arsenal.

Last season you finished second. Was that a good finish for you or a

missed opportunity? It was a missed opportunity, but you could say that

for the 18 other teams that were behind us as well. And you have to

respect what Leicester did. They lost only three games. 20 years in

the game now. Does this season have more significance for you?

Well, it promises to be more difficult than ever because there

are so many teams with ambition and what they have learned from last

season is that there can be unexpected contenders as well. You

have Xhaka. A top player. The fans tell me they want more. Are you a

messenger from the fans, yes? Messenger from the fans!

CHUCKLES Is that frustration? How do you view

that? I know the fans always want more, it is reassuring, it

cultivates the hope for the season. It's not only about buying.

Leicester has shown that and we have finished second. It's not

necessarily the team who invested the most last season who won the

league. Most of them didn't even finish in the top four. Football

fans want to see their club competing for the best players, you

understand that argument? Of course. Do you think I'm still here for the

last 20 years because I compete for the worst players? But as well, one

of the values of our club is that respected all over the world is to

give a chance to players who deserve it and come from our own system.

There has been a suggestion from Arsenal that you will not pay a

certain amount of money for certain players. Is that because you don't

have it or is it a matter of principle for you? There is no

matter of principle. First of all, we spend the money we have we pay

the money we think is right for every player. If a player is quality

week pay the money, we paid lots of money for Xhaka, Sanchez, Ozil. We

paid top, top money. But I believe it's more difficult today to find

players. If you look at all the English clubs since the start of the

transfer market window, you will see not a lot happened because the

players who would strengthen squads in England, there are not many

there. Will it be harder for you to win the Premier League this season,

because of the new arrivals both on and off the pitch? Who knows? It

looks like that, that it will be harder than ever. But maybe the

ambition level in the league is more spread than ever everywhere. The

only thing good in that in your question is that it will be harder

for everybody, not only for me. Garth crooks, our message boy at the

Premier League launch this week. It is the 20th anniversary of Arsene

Wenger at Arsenal. Again, just the one signing, not a huge marquee

signing, Granit Xhaka coming in. Trevor, do Arsenal fans want more

like Garth was saying and does Arsene Wenger need more to

potentially keep him at the club for longer? If he wants to win the

league and the challenge for the league they need a marquee signing,

a centre forward, a focal point and I feel that is why they lost out

last year. You've got Giroud playing up there and he went off the boil

and they needed somebody to go in their proven and ready to score

goals and they did not have that. I sympathise with Arsene Wenger, I'm

one of his biggest fans. Why go and buy somebody if you don't need them?

The money is so inflated and I understand what he's saying. It is a

huge match to start with, Liverpool. How do you rate Liverpool under

Klopp, the improvements he has made, no European football this season,

are they genuine contenders? That is the key, no European football. Last

time when they didn't have European football they came so close to

winning the Premier League and that will help them. The signings they

have made, Marnane will be a great signing overall with his pace. --

Mane. He's added to a side and is building. I think top four is a

realistic aim for Liverpool, that is where they have got to aim. We

haven't even mentioned Tottenham or Chelsea yet. Trevor, what is your

prediction for the title and where do you fit the teams in? I really

fancy Chelsea's chances. I feel the manager they have got, he is

inspirational, he's not a soft touch and I think that is one of the

personalities and egos that Chelsea need. They owe the fans something

the season and I think they will respond really well and you will see

the real Chelsea turn up the season. It is not a popular choice, almost

voting under the radar, Chelsea. Kevin? I will go with City. You've

heard the guys' tips and you can make your own on the Premier League

predictor on the website. There is highlights of Arsenal against

Liverpool along with Bournemouth against Manchester United as match

of the date to returns tomorrow night at 10:30pm. -- Match of the

Day 2. And watch out for Gary Lineker's

exclusive interview with Jurgen Klopp on our new midweek Premier

League Show which starts on 25th August - more on that next week.

Thursday August 25th, 10pm, BBC Two. So several teams with eyes on the

main prize, but no doubt different ambitions for the newly promoted

clubs. Both Burnley and

Middlesbrough start with home games today, and our Match of the Day

commentators Martin Fisher and John Roder are already in place.

Good afternoon, boys. John, Middlesbrough back in the top

flight, a big day for the club and for Aitor Karanka as well, I'm sure.

Yes, absolutely, you'd have to go back to November 2013 when Anne

Milton rancour took over and at that stage Middlesbrough will just above

the championship macro relegation zone and they came so close when

they lost in the play-off final to Norwich and they are here now and

they've spent lots of money off the pitch and on the pitch. George

Friend, the solid, reliable defender, has signed a new four-year

contract this morning so that is a big boost ahead of the start of the

new campaign. A big boost for Middlesbrough. Martin Kaymer for

Burnley, a couple of yo-yo seasons for them. They are now back. Do you

feel they are back better equipped to deal with life in the Premier

League? -- Martin, for Burnley. They have recent Premier League

experience, two years ago they were in the top-flight so the manager

knows a bit more about this lead. Nine of the players expected to

start today were heavily involved in the last Premier League campaign.

You look at their form, they roared out of the Championship last year,

they haven't lost a game in the league since Boxing Day and then you

add that little sprinkle of gold dust. And for Burnley it is

goal-scorer Andre Gray, 23 goals in the Championship last season and he

has already scored nine in their preseason campaign. I think Burnley

are better than they were when they came up two years ago. John,

Middlesbrough have made a few signings as well, another contract

signed this morning, like you say. How equipped are they to deal with

life in the Premier League because they have not had an experience

recently like Burnley. Interestingly seven years since Boro were last in

the top flight, they have made ten signings including Fabio yesterday.

There was a core of players last season who played 35 or more games

in the Championship. Alvaro Negredo will be a key signing and Marten de

Roon, the Dutchman, and I look forward to seeing Viktor Fischer,

highly rated, bought in from Ajax. At the back they've got to be tight,

they conceded eight goals here in the Championship last season.

Middlesbrough's aim is survival. Survival for Middlesbrough but for

Burnley they have five of their first seven matches at home, a quick

start for them and that could really give them some momentum.

Absolutely. Early points in the bag would be a great boost for Burnley.

The last time they came up it took the mental November before they got

their first win. When they came out last time they only won four times

at Turf Moor so they need to improve on that. It is Elizabeth basic here,

that is as nice a word I can manage, a little bit in hospitable compared

to some Premier League games so if they use that to the maximum it will

reap dividends. -- it is a little bit basic. Thank you for joining us.

Well Stoke are the opponents for Middlesbrough this afternoon, and

the Potters have boosted their ranks with the addition of a man who had a

summer to remember. It's incredible, the togetherness

and team spirit we have counts for so much.

Certainly one of the highs of my career. COMMENTATOR: What a ball

from Joe Allen. The Welsh Pirlo. To represent your country in any

game in any situation is an amazing feeling but to do it in the Euros

and progressed to the semifinals is a dream come true for me and all of

the other lads involved. And as a Welsh lad as well, Woodward

playing under Mark Hughes be like, what will it be like?

It's something I'm really looking forward to. He's done brilliant

things with this team already. And in the three years he's been here

they have progressed, they've been able to recruit really top players

in my opinion. That was another really big reason why I wanted to

join the club and competing for a European spot. The omission of this

club. It shows the progression they have made in the few years -- that's

the omission of this club. If we can get a good start to the season then

who knows? And how much of a wrench was it to

leave Liverpool in the end after four years there. COMMENTATOR: Up

goes Benteke and incomes Allen! I had some great times there but I

think for me it was an easy edition to make, it made sense I think from

Liverpool's pontiff you and my point of view for us to part ways. The

chance to play in the Champions League was a great experience and

something I've always dreamt of doing -- point of view. Last season

when we went down to the wire in the Premier League -- that season. That

is one of the highs I've had. What could top what happened in the

summer? I think it's something you used to

inspire you to try and go that step further and do bigger things in your

career. That's certainly what I'm aiming to do, and I think that

experience is going to be priceless for me in the rest of my career now.

STUDIO: Joe Allen in the team of the Euros. Could he be the missing piece

of the jigsaw for Stoke that turns them from a top ten team into a

challenger? He was having a good season last season, he was having an

impact coming off the bench and within the squad so to play regular

football he felt he had to move and I think it is a great move for him

and a good signing for Stoke and he is an excellent player. He's looking

to get back to the level he was at at Swansea a few years ago. He did

have a fantastic summer. Jacqui Oatley will keep track of

Stoke's trip to Boro and all the other 3pm games on Final Score in

the company of Trevor and Dion Dublin.

And your Saturday night destination of choice is back with Gary Lineker.

There's a somewhat relaxed dress code on Match of the Day for

highlights of today's seven games - Ian Wright and

Alan Shearer have a watching brief. And if you've still not had enough

football by then - new for this season, Football Focus will now be

available on BBC iPlayer each week from midnight on Saturdays Football

Focus - available Saturday from midnight on BBC iPlayer.

We'll remain in Staffordshire now, where 14 years ago Burton Albion

were playing in the Northern Premier Division. They're now just one step

from the Premier League, and ahead of their first ever home match in

the Championship, Mark Clemmit has been to see what's brewing.

We are non-league part-time, training on a Tuesday and Thursday,

we used to train on the pitch at the old ground. For a club to reach the

Championship with a maximum transfer fee paid off ?20,000 is an

incredible stat. Are you pinching yourself? The league you are working

on and what you've done with this club? Everybody has, it's not a

personal thing, it's what the chairman has done over 20 years and

the last two managers. Gary Rowett got us out of league two and Jimmy

continued the good work in League 1. We continued where we left off a few

years ago. Football making a profit and a chairman that backs his

manager, don't go ripping up the rule book! You are the exception to

the rule and must be immensely proud. We've been very lucky over

the years the more we had great managers. Nigel Clough came in and

what managers achieved was based on the foundations that Nigel Clough

built at this club. Did you have an idea of what he wanted to achieve?

Not really because in the past people asked me my five-year plan

and we say we never really had one. It's been a gradual process and one

of supporting the manager. Obviously all managers have a time when there

is a little blip and that is the time you stick together and if you

believe in them you get behind them and give encouragement and help them

and one-day obviously it all works out. Has he ever put any pressure on

you as manager? Has he ever set stringent targets that you must do

this by...? Not at all. When we got promoted to the Conference we said

we would try and do this this year and he said, good, and I said what

if we don't make it? He said we will have a go next year. Brilliant.

There is a salutary lesson there for the whole football, isn't there?

There is but everybody wants it yesterday. It doesn't work like that

and the best success is built steadily and then it lasts longer as

well. It's a crazy situation to be in, to be honest. There is no

pressure on us whatsoever because no one expects anything from us, other

than what we expect from ourselves. We have to do things a different way

and you have to look after the players in different ways and build

a team spirit. I think Leicester and then the summer, it continued with

Wales and Iceland, they showed that team spirit can go a long way. We

are looking forward to our first game against Bristol City, an

amazing journey. You do realise and I am not suggesting you or a

miserable devil, but you do realise you have a smile on your face

through most of this? Yes! As long as they did everything in every

single game and have a go, as long as they do as I asked them to do,

then I will be happy. STUDIO: We wish them all the best in the

championship and as ever it looks like it will be incredibly

unpredictable, exciting and possibly the toughest league in the English

league setup. Brighton winning 3-0 at Forest last night, who do you

guys think will be the team to take the title? I will go from Brighton,

I think Chris Houston is a fantastic manager, close last year with

minimal funds. Bringing in Murray, he scored really well. I think they

will go on to get across the line. Yes, Newcastle and Norwich, I will

go for Sheffield Wednesday. Excellent stuff. That is all for

today. Thank you very much to Kevin and to Trevor, we are back at the

same time next week, live coverage from Rio of what proves to be

another super Saturday at the Olympics, that will follow us on BBC

One. With Gary Lineker set to asked a key question, we thought we would

cover some more of football's unmentionables. Goodbye. LAUGHTER

A bit embarrassing for him there. Ian Wright's shorts of fallen down.

-- have fallen down. I don't think you will see more revealing sites

than that in Amsterdam.