30/12/2017 Football Focus

Welcome to the last

Football Focus for 2017.

The tree is still here,

the gifts are gone,

but we still have plenty

to keep you busy.

Chelsea's record signing, Morata,

on the special Spanish connection.

We are friends, we have a very good

connection.

Back in a big way,

Significant Samuel on what tempted

him out of retirement.

Only because it is Everton, I turned

a number of jobs done before that,

and this one was realistically too

good to turn down.

It's been another big week of action

in the Premier League,

plenty to bring you up to date with.

A record-setting Dutchman

departs Southampton.

And a Portugese manager swaps

Sheffield for Swansea.

And preparing for a new year

with a difference?

Former Tottenham boss

Andre Villas-Boas

gets ready for the Dakar Rally.

It has been in the family for quite

some time, and I have been to Dakar

two times.

And who better to see off the year?

Martin Keown and Mark Lawrenson

are in the studio

and ready to say farewell to 2017.

It's all a bit hard to follow

at this time of year,

but we are into a new round

of Premier League fixtures.

Nine games over the next two days.

We'll be live at Chelsea

and struggling Bournemouth

during the show.

Also in that scrap

at the bottom are Newcastle,

at home to Brighton today.

Carlos Carvalhal in charge

of Swansea for the first time today

after being sacked by

Sheffield Wednesday.

They are away at Watford.

Manchester United need

a win after two draws

so far over Christmas.

They're home to Southampton

in the late kick-off.

Tomorrow, runaway leaders

Manchester City

are at Crystal Palace,

with West Brom home to Arsenal.

Let's start at Stamford Bridge,

though,

and Chelsea's record signing,

Alvaro Morata.

He's been speaking

to Caroline De Moraes.

Who needs Diego Costa?! At Stamford

Bridge, Alvaro Morata...

Morata should score, does score!

I

read that you suggested he is the

sort of Man U wouldn't mind your

daughter marrying.

Yeah!

There was a

lot of speculation about where you

would go in the summer, why did you

choose England and Chelsea?

I think

the league is the best league in the

world, and I want to try and

experience here, and I think Chelsea

is the best club for me, and when I

was little, I would see Fernando and

Drogba, Lampard, Terry, and I want

to come here, and now I am here, and

I really enjoy it.

A lot of Spanish

players in the squad, who spends

time with them off the pitch?

Yeah,

we are many Spanish players here,

and I go to dinner with them, and I

enjoy playing with all of these

players, because they are very good

persons, and every one help me here

with everything.

Azpilicueta coming

forward, lovely drifting cross,

Morata!

It is an amazing

combination, incredible how many

times it has happened.

There is a

good link between them.

Your

relationship with Cesar Azpilicueta,

in particular, on the pitch is

fantastic, did that come naturally,

or did you have to work at it?

No,

this thing come naturally, we are

friends, we have a very good

connection, and I have this

connection too with many team-mates,

but this year I think we have worked

very hard with Azpi, I really enjoy

this thing, and I hope to continue

like this until the end of the

season.

You seem to adapt to English

football very quickly, what are the

main differences between La Liga and

the Premier League?

The most

difference is the rhythm, here it is

box to box, you can have time to

relax, it is always hard, and you

need to be 100% of your feet,

because it is a very physical

league.

Chelsea are 16 points behind

the leaders, Manchester City, you

think you are still in the race for

the title?

We need to try, we are

Chelsea, and we need to fight every

game. It is very difficult that

Manchester City lose or draw, but I

think it is impossible to win all

the games, and we need to win all

our games to catchment Chester city.

Good to hear from him. £70 million

it costs them.

Nothing!

He has

settled in well?

He has done great,

and he has got to score, because he

is a striker, excuse me, and he has

got to follow Costa, which is not

easy, because it gives you a little

bit more. He has done exceptional so

far.

Kevin Kilbane picked this out

on Match Of The Day over

Christmas, but the link-up

between Alvaro Morata

and Azpilicueta is remarkable.

Already level with Lampard

and Drogba, and Fabregas

and Costa for a season.

It won't be now that you have

mentioned! Six times he has put in a

perfect goal, very similar.

They

seem to have this telepathic thing,

Keegan and Toshack, there are

players like that, maybe there is

something about it that he looks for

his fellow countryman, but they are

great balls, great assists, and he

knows they are coming. A big act to

follow, coming in for Costa, I think

he has quality about him, he purrs

across the pitch. Chelsea are not in

with a chance of winning the league,

because of City, and he has been a

good addition, but a big ask,

following Costa.

The crosses from

Azpilicueta are outstanding.

All

perfect. Going forward, what will

Chelsea do with their place? There

are questions about the manager at

the end of the season, trying to

sign Courtois, Eden Hazard's dad has

been speaking about his contract, is

it important for them to sort that

out?

I think has and will go. I

think he has been tempted by Real

Madrid, and to be honest with you,

he would be a perfect fit for

something like that. You know,

Chelsea supporters will be moaning,

so all our players! But he will have

done his time, top player, of all of

the players going to Real Madrid or

Barcelona, he is one of those

players.

He is the sort of manager

who, if he does not want to stay,

you will get him out, and perhaps

that is healthy, and has it needs to

go to that next level of Messi and

Ronaldo. He shows flashes, but

something holds him back.

I think

Dan said that he might even go

before Hazard.

There is some

uncertainty.

Stoke are the visitors

at Stamford Bridge.

Huge four points for

the Potters over Christmas.

Steve Bower is there, I am sure they

enjoyed their turkey on Christmas

Day, Stoke!

Absolutely massive,

those points for Stoke, who we know

have been struggling this season. I

saw them against Spurs at Wembley,

when frankly, in the second half,

they downed tools, Mark Hughes was

furious. But the win against West

Brom, particularly, to give them a

bit of breathing space, take the

heat of macro, then following it up,

going behind at Huddersfield to take

a draw, that was huge. They will not

expect much today. Until last

season, Mark Hughes had always

delivered a top-ten finish for

Stoke, but the fans may have got

carried away. Away from home is

where they have struggled, and today

they are down to the bare bones,

five defenders out today, an entire

back four, including captain Ryan

Shawcross, Bruno Martins Indi. They

will have to include one or maybe

two academy defenders, so a huge

ask. They rely on Peter Crouch, they

are wrapping him in cotton wool and

36 years of age, their joint top

scorer in all competitions, so in

January they need to find goals from

somewhere. Today it is all about

keeping them out against the miserly

defence of Chelsea at one end and

the goals that have been no problem

with those home wins in a row for

Chelsea. They have got back on terms

here, and Stoke with the worst

defence in the Premier League, it

might be a very long afternoon. I

was going to tell you that the last

time they won here was November

2014, but I knew you already knew

that, Dan!

Of course, I will jot

that down for later use!

The reigning champions in third,

then, 16 points behind

the runaway leaders,

Manchester City.

On Wednesday night,

Newcastle were the latest team

to face the blue juggernaut.

Newcastle United against this

remarkable City team, looking to

extend what is already an English

league record, 17 consecutive league

wins. Fernandinho plays a dim,

Sergio Aguero with a chance in the

six yard box! Courts laid by Murphy,

free kick to Manchester City.

Towards the near post, a glancing

header, brilliantly saved!

It is

difficult to play when the other

team does not want to play.

You have

to think carefully about the team

you're playing against.

This must go

down as one of the most negative

approach is I have seen from a home

team in the Premier League. Aguero

shoots, narrowly wide!

We created

enough chances to win 4-0.

Brilliant

pass for Sterling, who steers it in,

what a pass from De Bruyne!

Magnificent run in behind, hell of a

finish.

He slices and goalwards,

headed over the crossbar! On his

right foot, it hits the post, comes

out to a Guerra, who was in an

offside position! -- Aguero.

That is

a dive, and the referee gets it

spot-on.

Diving header, narrowly

wide! Only 1-0 in the end for

Manchester City.

Lidl

Manchester City 15

points clear at the top.

Manchester United had a 13 point

lead in 1993, but we have never seen

a lead of this size at this stage of

the season.

Did you expect their dominance to be

as impressive? Is it all down to

Guardiola?

Of course it is, we saw

last season that Conte was a

pragmatic manager, three at the

back, but it is the artistry of the

team, we talked about De Bruyne's

feed being like paintbrushes.

When

you say we, you mentioned it!

If you

like at the DNA of the side of

Barcelona over the years, Iniesta

replaced by De Bruyne and Silva, it

is not too different, there is no

Messi in the team, but the team is

really switched on to winning.

It is

his players, and you have to mention

the money.

That is what I was going

to say, Mourinho had a bit of a

Noble about the money.

He is the

last person to have a moan about the

money, surely. It is teams down the

bottom who could say that. He has

bought outstanding players and make

them better. That is the thing, he

has made them better, so many there

as well. They are the best team I

have seen for many, many years.

A case in point, Raheem Sterling,

great finish.

When he played at

Liverpool, he was a reactive player,

right?

Yes.

He reacted to

everything. When he first went to

City, he wasn't sure what he was

doing, and it didn't always come

off.

Now he knows what he has got, and

the way he plays, the way he

interacts with his team-mates, he

has become what everyone expected.

They did not start so well at the

beginning of the season, but now

these are major players. I am

wondering if they can win this in

March.

Yeah, yeah.

12 more wins and

they are champions. When you are in

the mix, they know they can keep

doing it. 12 games and they will be

champions.

One negative is the

Vincent Kompany injury. Newcastle

were heavily criticised in some

quarters for the way they played,

incredibly negative, can you

understand what they were trying to

do?

Of course you can! Every team

they play, apart from Tottenham,

they were one of the last teams to

try to take them on, maybe Arsenal a

little bit. But all the teams down

the bottom, Dan, if you are Rafa

Benitez, you don't want to get done

five at home, even though you can

say they are beating everyone. You

have got to keep a threat.

You refer

to a boxing match, you are going to

cover up or get knocked out, Roy

Hodgson has said, we will have to go

after you at some point, it might be

a team like that that under City,

but it is unlikely.

Even more

important, Brighton at home, Stoke

in Swansea, Newcastle have got to

pick up points.

Yeah, but we are

sick of hearing about the takeover,

the money and one thing and another.

They have got to get on with it

until it changes, but in answer to

your question, yes.

Seems a long time ago

that Sam Allardyce was

the Newcastle manager.

He's now enjoying a new

start on Merseyside.

Seven games into his Everton

tenure, still undefeated.

Time for a chat with

Juliette Ferrington.

I Dave Farrar Everton to forget. It

should have been seven or eight.

They were awful. Resounding boos

from the Everton faithful.

The heat

is on Ronald Koeman. There is an ill

feeling around the place, negative

feeling.

Ronald Koeman has been

sacked.

Big Sam is back. There was a

bit of a negative feel around the

place before you came in. Did you

envisage it would be in the position

you find yourselves and now, going

into the New Year?

No, I am

delighted that players have taken

the pressure of themselves, starting

with the West Ham game and moving on

from there. There is resilience in

the team, to pick up points against

the teams were probably nobody

thought we were going to pick up

points, Liverpool and Chelsea. To be

able to do that in such a short

period of time, the transition from

having a leaky team that concedes a

lot of goals to being resilient and

stopping the opposition scoring, it

has been a major turnaround, which

gives us a great platform to be

better in all areas.

What has been

the difference, why has it happened

so quickly? Do you know climbs -- do

you know?

You have to see what is

the key problem at this football

club when you arrive. They conceded

too many goals. That was the first

thing we had to put right. The

resilience has been the biggest

thing from the players and their

application has been outstanding. In

terms of goal-scoring opportunities,

I think we have done very well. That

is beginning to get a bit tighter

again. That is an area of concern.

We have strikers at the club, but

unfortunately for them, not just

with me, before I got here, they

have not been able to produce. We

can try and put somebody in that

position in January, but certainly

the players have done so well that

we do not have to panic.

When you

talk about strikers, I know Wayne

Rooney has recovered from his nasty

injury that he had.

-- and as the

illness. He is not a striker any

more. He has not been a striker for

a while. His long, illustrious

career has taken him into a deeper

role, when he uses his talent and

experience much better in that role

than he ever well as a striker.

But

he is scoring goals, he seems to

have settled back in?

Yes, but we

need goals from other places as

well. I was just thinking about

Seamus Coleman. His contribution

over the last couple of years has

been five or six goals a year. That

is massive for a fullback. You put

the other feel back to squirt to

Mike Worsley, centre-halves to get

four, midfield players to get seven

or eight, defensive midfield

players, one or two macro, and you

accumulate those together and you

have another goal is to finish

eighth or better.

As simple as that.

In the summer, you were undecided

about whether you wanted to come

back into club football.

I do kind

of glad that you did? Only because

it is Everton. I turned a number of

jobs down before that, and this one

was realistically too good to turn

down, too good to not come out of

retirement to try and bring as much

success to Everton as I possibly

can.

He had a bad cold this week,

so thanks for talking to us.

He has the Merseyside derby to come

in the FA Cup as well in a couple of

weeks' time. Still undefeated since

his arrival. They have improved

incredibly, they are fifth in the

form table since he took over.

It is

the Sam Allardyce effect, he has

changed the system. There are more

direct. Lawro is laughing. There is

now eyeing team. Exactly, you're not

wrong. Sam has definitely improved

the Everton team. Straightaway you

are seeing Pigford hitting balls

long to the front players, he finds

a position for Wayne Rooney, playing

with three at the back, he has put

his arm around a central defenders.

Before, they were defending terribly

and want on one situations. Keane is

back to what we now expect. Bigger

games coming up with Manchester

United in the distance.

Yannick

Bolasie is back, Ross Barkley is

back, players are coming back.

They

need a striker. It is hard to get a

good striker in January. They are

looking at a fellow from Besiktas,

Cenk Tosun.

It is a drop in the

ocean.

With Lukaku gone, they need

somebody to do that job.

Not only

that, but that would kick again.

What he has done so far has been

outstanding, but if you're

struggling for goals, eventually

will have a bad patch. If you have

someone who hates the ground

running, you have a chance of

staying high in the league.

Lukaku

was allowed to leave, what on earth

was happening there? Ross Barkley is

training. We would love to see back

in and Everton shirt, and maybe Sam

can convince to stay.

A visit to the Vitality Stadium

awaits Everton today,

as does John Motson.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year

and all that when it comes.

They've done so well under

Eddie Howe, but they're

struggling at the moment.

They are. If this was three years

ago, bearing in mind where

Bournemouth have come from, they're

a great adventure, getting to where

they have is an established Premier

League club, it would not lead to

great surprise to see them in the

bottom three, but that is where they

are. That prompts two things in my

mind. First, Eddie Howe, who has

always insisted Bournemouth will

play the same way, they're are nice

passing game along the ground, he

has always said he will not

compromise that. It makes me wonder

if things got more tricky you might

have to have second thoughts,

something perhaps Mark Lawrenson

would have a view on. Secondly,

everyone gets injuries, we all know

that, but Bournemouth have been

deprived of five key players, Harry

Arter, Daniels, Andrew Surman,

Jermain Defoe for a long

time and now Junior Stanislas. It is

a tricky time for Eddie Howe, is

specially with them conceding so

many goals. At this moment in time,

you would not want to be playing

Everton who have had such a good

record and Sam Allardyce.

Interesting that you see that and

you bring in Mark Lawrenson. Martin

was making a point about the number

of goals that they have conceded.

Levin in the last three matches.

They do try and overplay from the

back. Lots of them or of their own

making.

I am still with you. I just want to

refer back to something. People say

goals, goals, goals. It was 3-3 and

boxing -- on Boxing Day. I was here

two years ago when Bournemouth and

Everton mad. We had this dramatic

moment

Everton mad. We had this dramatic

moment in the last minutes of the

game. The away fans were in the

corner and Everton score in the 90th

minute with Ross Barkley making it

3-2. Well the celebrations were

going on with the fans and the

players, the referee decided, only

for that reason, to add another

couple of minutes of injury time. If

you remember, and even if you do

not, I will tell you, Bournemouth

went on the attack and that the

other end Junior Stanislas scored

the equaliser. It ended 3-3, just

like the game on Boxing Day. When I

spoke to Sam Allardyce this morning,

I thought, I better not mention too

many goals because he does not

concede them. We got into a

conversation about retirement which

I have not got time to tell you

about. He has not retired, he is

back in the game. It would be lovely

to have lots of goals today. The

conditions on the south coast,

bearing in mind the conditions the

UK has had to put up with this week,

are fantastic.

I hope the game is

just as good. Tell us in more detail

about that conversation with Sam

Allardyce.

Why has he got his

sheepskin on if it is fantastic?

He

is overdressed.

So Bournemouth start the day

in the bottom three,

but it's Swansea rooted to the foot

of the table and are in

danger or starting 2018

adrift at the bottom.

A new manager appointed this week

in the shape of the former

Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos

Carvalhal.

I believe, also, that there are no

easy jobs in football, but

I believe, also, that there are no

easy jobs in football, but some of

them are harder than others. This is

one that is really very hard.

Probably that is why I am here. I

like this kind of challenge. I am a

positive person. I will try to give

the everybody my positive feelings,

and try to improve things.

He was

sacked by Sheffield Wednesday on

Christmas Eve, a new job in the

Premier League. Paul Clement, the

way it went, it proves a point you

made recently, that for the first

time in a long time, Swansea do not

have a succession plan.

The always

had a plan a and it always works.

They do not have a plan B. Some of

their choices of manager was bold,

what they did not change the way

they played, so you have players for

the system. Now they have completely

throw that away. You look at this

football club now and you're

thinking, what has happened?

That is

a point that will have annoyed

Swansea fans this week, an interview

with Huw Jenkins. What he says is

quite interesting, this is the

chairman. They could not buy until

they had sold in the summer, and

Gylfi Sigurdsson went on the final

base so they had no money to

reinvest in the club. They had to

sell Jonjo Shelvey to Newcastle,

they could not afford £11 million

for Joe Allen when he left Liverpool

and went to Stoke. That is an

indictment. The new owners from

America are there but they are not

putting in money for a player

acquisition.

This is part of the

problem. I think he was talking

about 2016 when they did not want to

go into that position again. I know

he has sold his shares. He is a

businessman as well. There is no

other place they will end but in the

Championship. The Sigurdsson deal

took forever. There was no time left

to any purchases. In the January

window, the new manager is coming

in, he has said he will work with

the players but he will need a

miracle to get them out of trouble.

Can you see any hope?

Loaves and

fishes. That means they require a

medical, for those of you who do not

know. I referred to the honourable

gentleman on my right. Feeding the

5000. This season, Watford are

almost a perfect mirror of what they

were like under Walter Mazzarri.

An

important victory against Leicester.

Much needed. Do you think they can

continue in the second half of the

season and be as impressive as they

have in the first half?

I do not see

why not. I am not sure that Troy

Deeney will be deal at the end of

the transfer window. He might move

on. The manager has done a good job.

He has not been there that long. You

do not look it Watford and expect

them to be in the bottom six.

There

are better than that. This time last

year, they beat Arsenal after

Christmas. Maybe they can beat City.

It may give us hope in the Premier

League, make a game of it.

Thank

you. Another of the teams have made

a managerial swap the season at

Crystal Palace. They are up to an

under Roy Hodgson was put to the

test by Arsenal. Remember that?

Thursday

test by Arsenal. Remember that?

Thursday night that was.

Tonight is

going to be the coldest night of the

year. Six of the Arsenal players are

wearing gloves. Here it comes, into

the penalty area. Benteke. The

defence helps. Lacazette, and to his

feet. Left footed. That might have

crept inside the post. A goal for

Arsenal. Shkodran Mustafi helps it

in. He thought he was helping it

away from danger but Shkodran

Mustafi was lurking at the back

post. Wilfried Zaha, the cross.

Andros Townsend. It is the

equaliser. Simple as that. Wilfried

Zaha with the low cross from the

left, and how much time and space

did the Arsenal defence give Andros

Townsend? Ten yards inside the

penalty area, into the box, headed

down by Alexis Sanchez. Lacazette,

back to Sanchez, and he touched it

in the near post.

Arsenal have

regained the lead. An excellent

strike from Sanchez, clean, if flat

straight, Julian Speroni has little

chance to react it was so powerful.

Jack Wilshere, or over the top,

Alexis Sanchez is on to this. He

beats Julian Speroni. A brilliant

goal, really good from Alexis

Sanchez. What the ball from Jack

Wilshere, one touch to control it

and shoot. Arsenal have got their

third. This is the corner, floated

in. Headed down. An excellent goal

for Crystal Palace. James Tomkins

makes it 2-3.

They phase West Brom this week.

Let's start with the Lexus Sanchez.

Martin Keown, you're having none of

it, the dressing room bust up, it

was rumoured that he had a fallout

with the shell me after the Burnley

game, and the lack of celebration

after his first goal?

There is no

doubt he is a special player. You

make allowances for him. You have

not necessarily got to get on with

them. I never really celebrated when

I scored similar goals. Arsene

Wenger accuse me of not running for

another game. To boost my distance

covered, I started to spread, to put

my stats up a little bit.

He's

saying the Lacazette, where are

they?

If you are a central defender

and 50 yards away, it is a 100 yard

round-trip. Can I not give him a big

thumbs up. He wants to go, so what?

I feel they have been overindulged,

both him and Mesut Ozil. I have made

the analogy of young kids, when you

go out in public, they will let you

down if you spoil them too much.

They have been overindulged and at

times petulant. They have turned the

cap on and off, and these two

capable of doing that. In the

previous Liverpool game, Sanchez was

rubbish and suddenly brilliant.

That

is the case of player power, it has

completely turned.

The club are

unable to stand up to them?

What can

they do. Arsene Wenger is trying to

get these two and the pitch every

week, in the most difficult period

of his managerial career.

I think is

most difficult period was looking

after you. That is 24.5 hours a day.

Like Miazga by Jack Wilshere, four

consecutive starts.

How is he

playing?

Good. In this instance, the

Palace midfield gave him too much

space, to provide the ball for

Sanchez. Do you like what you're

seeing?

He has personality. He has

vision and ability. He is tenacious.

He looks really fit as well. Who

cares if he plays for England? It is

great to see him back in there, five

games on the trot in the Premier

League. Six before in the Europa

League. He is back in business. I

did Arsene Wenger to drop.

There are rumours about Wilfried

Zaha going to Arsenal in the

transfer window, he had a chance at

Manchester United, it didn't work

out, as he matured?

If you are

Crystal Palace, you are selling the

Crown Jewels if you let him go,

because when you look at where the

majority of their goals are coming

from, it is Wilfried Zaha.

He was

there last signing, I do feel he is

a better footballer now, a dangerous

player.

Quick word on West Brom,

they have not won since August, only

14 goals in 20 games.

When Pardew

took the job, I was a price, maybe

his last big chance in the Premier

League. If he doesn't improve, they

will end up in the Championship.

They have got a few more

forward-looking players, but they

can't get a win.

Arsene Wenger will break

Sir Alex Ferguson's Premier League

record of 810 games in charge

when Arsenal travel

to West Brom tomorrow.

We can't finish 2017 without talking

about the man who's been breaking

all the goal scoring records.

about the man who's been breaking

That

about the man who's been breaking

That rush

about the man who's been breaking

That rush of

about the man who's been breaking

That rush of goals, unbelievable,

about the man who's been breaking

That rush of goals, unbelievable,

not much that combos to it.

Kane!

A

predatory finish from Tottenham's

goal king.

Harry Kane! You never

know what chances you are going to

get, right foot, left foot.

He has

beaten Mignolet, and he has scored.

Array Kane again for Tottenham.

Clinical from Kane.

It is one of the

best feelings ever.

I will say it

again, it is Kane!

If I go a game or

two without scoring, I missed that

feeling.

Kane! Oh, yes!

Oh! That is

fantastic!

What a special strike!

Scoring goals is an obsession for

me.

Yet another hat-trick for Kane,

impossible in 2017!

Are you feeling

all right?!

To score that many goals

in a year, it is something I have

drained.

Harry Kane, he has done it!

Impressive statistics whatever way

you look at it, those are the goals

for club and country.

He has got a bit of an illness at

the moment, three Premier League

hat-trick on the trot he is going

for. It has never been done in the

Premier League, but we forget, in

1946, Liverpool's Jack Balmer did

three hat-tricks back-to-back.

Were

you there?

Very good(!) A bit of

noise there, I don't know what it

was.

Whatever he does in his next

game...

He has been brilliant. And

also the variety of goals, left

foot, right foot, headed. The thing

is, Dan, it is not just the goals,

everything he does is for the team,

not just for him.

If you are looking

for improvement, only four goals in

the Premier League with his head,

could he be better in that area?

Flick it up for himself like Roy of

the Rovers?

It will come, 12 goals

from his left foot, quite brilliant

how he keeps doing it.

People

probably, if you didn't know his

stats, would guess he scored more

headers than he has. But that is to

do with the crosses. But he is a

team player, a thoroughly nice bloke

as well.

There I say it, can Spurs

hold onto him? They are making him a

superstar, they would give him the

most money, there is something in

keeping him, but he will not win a

trophy this year, certainly not the

Premier League.

For my fantasy

football team next week, two games

in a few days, then the FA come,

would you play him in both?

Why not?

That is what I want to hear!

The

scores goals, he wins you the games.

Momentum, try to keep them out of

the team, he wants to play.

Who have

they got in the FA Cup?

I will find

out for you.

That might be the game

that he misses, rather than the

league games.

I will remember my

third round draw. Wimbledon?

At

home?

You might be warming the bench

that day.

We got there in the end!

And we'll be hearing from the former

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas,

who got a rather nifty

car for Christmas.

He'll be driving this

in the Dakar Rally next weekend.

Another man with an expensive

Christmas present is

the Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp,

who's got a shiny new

central defender

in Southampton's Virgil van Dijk.

The fee - £75 million -

has caused quite a stir.

What do the Saints make of it?

Rachel Stringer has been talking

to full back Matt Targett.

How was your Christmas?

It was all

right, got to spend the morning with

my family, then training in the

afternoon.

IGas, looking back on

Christmas last year, when you had

your operation, you were injured,

things were quite different.

It has

been a lot different. This time last

day, I was on crutches, I couldn't

even walk, I had Christmas at home

with the family, it was nice, but on

the other hand you want to be with

the boys, helping the team.

Liverpool finally got their man, and

and sync Virgil van Dijk is joining

the club at the beginning of the

year in a world record deal for a

defender at £75 million.

Big changes

this week at Southampton, Virgil van

Dijk is leaving.

A lot of

speculation at the start of the

season, he is a world-class

defender, a very good player, so he

has moved on, but we are still here,

we have to knuckle down and carry on

what we do.

Everyone is talking

about the 75 million, a record for a

defender, massive money, what is

your thought on that?

The market is

crazy now! That he is a very good

defender, only time will tell if he

carries on with the level of

performance he has shown here. Very

good purchase for Liverpool.

What to

think Liverpool can expect from him?

What will you take into the dressing

room?

Good leadership qualities,

composed on the ball, a big presence

to have in your team, going to be a

big loss. But then again, we have

got 75 million, and we can invest in

our squad to improve it.

Against

United, what have the team got to do

to get a point or three?

We have got

to defend well, at the moment we are

conceding too many goals, the main

thing is to keep a clean sheet. It

will be difficult, they have got

good players, but that is the

objective.

You are watching that game at Old

Trafford, when you think about all

the players they have sold to

Liverpool, that they are, since

2014, 160 £6 million worth, two

defenders in the studio, 75 million

for Virgil van Dijk, good business?

It is massive money, that changes

things for ever, it is a huge amount

of money, he is a good player, he

has been sulking for a number of

months, he was injured, he has all

the attributes to be...

You like him

a lot.

I think everyone likes him,

Dan.

Quick, rapid, like a

Rolls-Royce on the pitch, but he

needs to form a partnership. He is

not just going to come in and put

everything right instantly.

That is

the key, when you sign a player like

that, you think, I have signed a

really good player, and you are

looking for the reaction of whoever

plays with them, so straightaway

they are under pressure. By the way,

he is under pressure, no fault of

his own, I think it is a good sale,

but I think he will turn out to be a

good buy, yes.

If we look at the top

most expensive defenders, most of

them play in Premier League football

teams.

The Premier League is a

different world, and we should

almost separated from the real

world. The player himself, you

cannot look at the figures involved.

There is the top five by the way.

That seems to be a standard amount

of money for a full-back, things

have changed, it will be 200 million

for a defender.

It will keep going

up and up and up.

What would you pay

for Keown?

Five and ten! He is

nearly 50, why would you pay

anything for him?!

This was once

Liverpool's record signing back in

1981.

900,000.

Yes, but can I say

that VAT was 12%, so it took it over

the £1 million mark!

It was a

different Liverpool, they were

winning the European Cup, that is

the thing, can he go in and raise

the bar?

You are still under immense

pressure, because the fee is nothing

to do with you, is it? It is just an

agreement between the clubs. You are

under massive pressure walking into

the dressing room. They are all

looking at me, who is this idiot

from Preston?! So you have got to

kind of settling really quickly.

You

did settle in well. Celtic are

currently involved in the Old Firm

derby against Rangers, that is

currently 0-0. Details of that on

final score for you this afternoon.

There is plenty to celebrate

at this time of year,

but Christmas and New Year can be

a difficult period for many.

Despite the huge sums

of money in the game,

it's no different for footballers.

The players' union, the PFA,

say more and more players

are being affected by

mental-health issues,

as Mark Clemmit

has been finding out.

Over the past 12 months, one in-form

us have suffered from some sort of

mental health issue, accounting for

31% of sick notes and 65 million

prescriptions for antidepressants.

As we are about to hear, being a

professional footballer is no

guarantee of immunity. How many

cases the think you are currently

dealing with?

We have 147 life cases

at the moment.

Karen and players and

former players.

Current and former

players in therapeutic

relationships, 147.

There must be

key moments in a player's career,

maybe not making it as an

18-year-old, early 30s, when you

retire, something like that?

Back in

the day, it was early 30s, but now

people are retiring from the game at

2627, the average career is just

seven years. People see top players

earning vast amounts, they think,

why should they have problems? They

are just a human being who plays

football. Whatever industry or

workplace you go into, people

shouting the abuse that they do

players, I have played the game, I

know what it is like. Fortunately,

players these days, they have got

social media, but they are being

abused there as well, a constant

barrage of abuse, and it is hard for

players.

Press, at what point did

you realise you had a problem?

2012,

when I left Wigan, that is when I

noticed that I was getting very

anxious, just not myself at all. I

didn't really want to go anywhere, I

didn't want to leave Wigan. The time

I remember at Sheffield was when we

played against Bolton at home, and I

had a bad game, and I just didn't

want to be there, I just thought, I

wanted to get off the pitch, I

signalled after about 25 Minister

Andy, I want to come off, and he

just went no, carry on. -- after

about 25 minutes. The first year and

a half, it was starting to manifest,

but I could block it out.

What sort

of thoughts were you having?

I

didn't want to wake up in the

mornings, I couldn't wait to get to

sleep for that piece of mind.

Ireland's you saying that you could

only describe it as being in a black

hole, at the bottom. -- I remember

you saying. He felt that he wanted

to get and, I don't want to be here.

I was always conscious that I just

couldn't get out, obviously I had

them thoughts, every time I did, I

thought of Leeona and Lucy, that is

the thing that stopped me, the thing

that always will stop me.

the thing that stopped me, the thing

that always will stop me.

Tell us

about that moment when you decided,

that is it.

I

about that moment when you decided,

that is it.

I should not have signed

for Bury. I went away preseason,

which I was dreading, the Portugal.

I completely lost it, I broke down,

late at night. I rang my wife. We

were staying in little villas. I was

on a roof terrace, it was outside. I

was standing near the edge.

Obviously I thought about jumping

off and stuff like that. That is

when I rang my wife and said, I am

worried, do I need to come on?

I

tried to Camden Town, I spoke to

him. We need to get this sorted, we

will do together, you're not going

to do it on your own. Just get home

and we will take it from there, one

step at a time.

I came home the next

day.

I gave him a men's credit. He

got to a place where he realise that

football was the thing making him

unhappy and the key for him is to be

happy, so he decided to walk away

from the game because of that. --

massive credit. He has paved path

for other players thinking about it

to do the same.

I wonder how many

players are going out in the field

that are forcing themselves out

there and managing to get through

the pain barrier but really do not

want to be the?

Your weight of lots

of them? Yes. I have come into

contact with the number of players.

Numbers wise, more younger players

than older players. They just do not

want to play football any more. They

cannot share that with anyone.

People say, I would give an arm and

a leg to do what you're doing, but

your mental well-being is more

important. If you have to leave the

game to look after yourself, you

will get support from us. Money does

not help, it does not save you from

getting these issues. Mental health

does not care who you are what you

have got.

Mental health issues can

impact anyone. I was more scared,

and embarrassed as well. You do not

want to talk, but as soon as you do

and ask for that help, it is a big

weight off your shoulders. As soon

as I said it, I could see a clear

picture and the way forward.

Just

talking about it is massive.

Football is this mantra sport.

Mental health is a taboo subject. We

just want to break that the book,

that stigma. Footballers are human

beings that play football. They will

encounter the same issues that

everyone else will encounter.

A

massive thank you to Chris Kirkland

and his wife are speaking so

honestly about that subject. It is

sad that it is happening but it is

great that the PFA are doing so much

to deal with the problem, which is

massive, not just in football but

across society?

It is live, isn't

it? There are many different parts

to it. We have all been abused as

footballers. That has to come with

the territory, although it should

not necessarily be so. There are

normal people in

the street with depression, Exedra.

Michael speaks really well. Ten

years ago, this was never mentioned.

You would go to your manager Simon

at the club, you would be out of the

team. In football there are massive

highs and lows for players. In

cricket there have been suicides of

people coming out of the game. It

affects people massively. This is

different because Chris was at the

peak in his career.

It will help the

next generation. That is the best

thing, people will watch that and

listen and if there are a couple who

are a little bit, what shall we do?

Go and see somebody. That is why

Chris Kirkland was so keen to talk.

He wants to help someone who might

be suffering with that same sort of

issue.

It is amazing that either 400

current or former players had been

to see the PFA. I am not really

surprised with that, because of what

you go through, the ups and downs,

more so when you come to the end. It

is suddenly, real life, what do I

do?

Many people might be watching

this and saying, how can you feel

like that when you get so well

rewarded but it is not about the

size of your wallet?

Nothing to do

with it. People say, how can you

have problems, the wealth that they

have.

But they get the same

problems. They are normal, they get

-- they do everything that you do

and the Queen does.

If you have been affected by any

of the issues raised in that

piece on mental health,

details of organisations offering

information and support with mental

health are available

at bbc.co.uk/actionline,

or you can call for free,

at any time to hear recorded

information on 08000 564 756.

Let's head back to Bournemouth,

where the Vitality stadium

is the latest stop for Matt Walker,

who is trying to get to a match

in each one of Uefa's 55 member

nations during the season,

and is taking some rather good

photos along the way.

You might have read about his story.

We will have a look at his photos in

a moment. What number of the game

are you at -- argue that at the

moment?

This will be number 33 of my

season.

In terms of planning this,

at what stage do you think, OK, I

will attempt to go through all 55

Uefa member nations and watch a game

in each one over the course of the

season? I imagine it is a big chart

to build, the diary, the level of

work that goes into that must be

incredible?

It is a logistical

challenge, particularly when games

move at very short notice. I started

off by concentrating on the summer

leagues, of which there are 13 in

Europe, then I pushed around

clusters of countries so that my

travelling distances are not far

between games.

You are a

statistician between games. I can

tell that because of the numbers you

have been throwing out left, right

and centre already. We can see the

places you have visited. In terms of

highlights, what is the best place

you have been to so far?

It is hard

to peg but the main -- but the game

in Kosovo was pretty incredible. The

home side went into a 3-1 lead, and

then there was an amazing chip, and

there were two goals in the last ten

minutes, and one Tim ended up

winning with the last kick of the

game. The management were ecstatic

and I was invited out with them to

celebrate.

Are you a fan of film

football club? That is right. As

this trip changed your perception of

football?

A little bit. The Premier

League is one of the best in Europe,

but there are competitive leagues

all over the Uefa nations. I had

some enjoyable experiences in places

where I was not expecting to enjoy

it so much, Poland and Armenia. Your

low point was Bulgaria? I was not

looking forward to the game. Both

teams were out of form. I found out

at the stadium that the fans were

protesting against the club so the

atmosphere was dire. Not

surprisingly, the game was also

dire. Too many yellow cards, not

enough chances, and locomotive ended

up winning 1-0 with the terrible

goalkeeping mistake.

It was a drab

game. Hopefully Bournemouth will be

better for you today.

Enjoy the rest

of your travels.

No worries.

A logistical thing, who pays for it?

He has sorted it out himself. I

think he is averaging £20 a ticket,

but that will go up in the Premier

League. He has got to get to the

countries. I will run you through

the logistics later on.

To another man enjoying his travels,

the former Tottenham

manager Andre Villas Boas.

After his departure

from White Hart Lane in 2013,

he took Zenit St Petersburg

to a Russian title and was most

recently in charge of Shanghai.

But now a rather different

challenge awaits.

It is the 40th edition of the Dakar

Rally. I am 40. All the numbers

playwright. It has been in the

family for quite some time. My uncle

also did Dakar two times. All these

things are part of a great passion I

have for motor sport. No matter how

you train, nothing prepares you for

the challenges of Dakar. I need to

take it day by day but I do not know

how my body will react.

Shanghai

have sacked Sven Goran Eriksen and

are said to have replaced them with

the former Chelsea and Tottenham

bars Andre Villas-Boas.

We had a

wonderful year in Shanghai, lots of

experiences, winning emotions. We

took the team at upper level. I took

the decision to stop my career, to

pause, and we decided that the best

way going forward was for us to move

in different directions.

He has had

a go, brilliant.

Spurs, at the

moment, in terms of infrastructure,

they're one of the best clubs in

England, when the new stadium is

ready. What will make Spurs an even

greater club as trophies. This is

what is missing. The conditions are

there, the team is good, well

managed. They need to get that

winning feeling again to move on but

all the conditions are there for

them to succeed. Harry Kane,

clinical again. With me, he was not

very lucky. He did not have so much

playing time. The year before, we

sent him on loan a few times. He

came back and went again on loan. I

think young players are not giving

the chance in the beginning. They

should take up the chance to go on

loan, I and come back stronger.

Harry Kane is a winner in terms of

his mentality, always strong, very

driven, but that breakthrough was

not with me, it was later with Tim

Sherwood. But he certainly deserves

this moment.

I will come back into football. This

is just filling my passion. My

professional career is my

professional career. -- this is just

fuelling my passion. I still have

the ambition to coach in Brazil and

Japan is I need to find time for

that in his 10-year span that I seek

for me to continue my professional

career. We will see what comes

around in me and make a decision.

Shall we show you the rate that he

is taking? -- the route.

Here is route that AVB will be

following that starts on the 6th

January for two weeks,

goes through Peru, Bolivia

and ends in Argentina.

I think that is the highest capital

in the world, La Paz. It is very

dangerous. He loves his motorsport.

His uncle has done it a couple of

times as well. He is taking time

away from football.

He is a

globetrotter. He has we'll spend of

a few training grounds.

That is

unnecessary.

Another footballer in

an unusual position this

week, George Weah is now

the

president of Liberia.

The former striker took

over 60% of the vote.

President Keown has

a nice ring to it?

That's it from us for 2017.

We'll be back a fraction

later at 12:15

next Saturday as we'll be

in Fleetwood to bring

you live coverage of the FA Cup

third round tie between the League

1 club and Leicester City.

We leave you with the predictions

of Darren Campbell, who, as

well as having an Olympic

gold in his locker,

could have been

a rather tasty forward.

Goodbye.

As a kid I was at the same soccer

school of excellence as Ryan Giggs.

I think that is when I realised

I was not going to be a footballer.

Ryan Giggs. Still Ryan Giggs.

The team I support

is Manchester United.

A Manchester lad.

My favourite colour was red

as a kid, so there was no doubt,

but my mum is a City fan.

But I am a Red.

Manchester United

versus Southampton.

Well, this is the easy

one, isn't it?

United, 2-0.

This year I've been working

with Yannick Bolasie.

With the serious knee injury he had,

we have worked really hard

on his movement and stuff like that.

That has given me a lot

of pleasure, seeing him back.

Bournemouth against Everton,

Sam Allardyce is in place,

he has galvanised the team,

I'm going to say an away

victory to Everton, 1-0.

If you look throughout most teams,

there is genuine pace. Danny Welbeck

is quick. Sadio Mane. I would not

want to raise them now. I would have

raced them when I was an athlete,

but not now.

Liverpool versus Leicester, Klopp!

As a United fan, this kind of hurts,

but I will say 2-1 Liverpool.