18/11/2012 Match of the Day 2

Welcome to Match Of The Day two. It is sold cooked -- all schools

tonight and like in days of yore, there's only one game at the top

flight of English football. We are at Craven Cottage, one of the most

romantic grounds in the Barclays Premier League and the home team

like to entertain the old-fashioned way. Last weekend was a prime

example at Arsenal. 2-0 down, 3-2 up, eventually drawing 3-3 and

throwing in a last-minute penalty save for good measure. Simply, full

and score goals. Going into the weekend, only Manchester United had

scored more in the Premier League and while this man is leading the

way with five, he has a tremendous supporting cast. Nine Fulham

players on the scoresheet this season. The story in the away

dressing room could not be more different. The frustration

continues. O'Shea had ago! Blocked by Craig Gardner. That his anus.

Angry reaction. -- that is a millers. Sunderland problem is this,

fewer shots, few as shots on target, fewest amount of time in the

opposition penalty area and the least amount of goals in the top

flight, seven in total. Just one win in 18. If there's good news, at

least 80 ft Everton last weekend had a different goalscorer..

Johnson's goal was that club's first in over seven hours of

football, but only three players have netted for Sunderland this

season and one of those players was Demba Ba. Goodness me they've had

to work and work for that. Given their contrasting fortunes, we are

not sure whether today's match will be bad, a thriller or another

cringe were the Michael Jackson cringe were the Michael Jackson

cliche. -- cringe worthy. Always off a wall, it is black or

white for these two. It is human nature for Martin Jol to tell his

players at the way you make me feel is proud. They want to be starting

something from the final -- opening whistle. But Martin O'Neill might

say I want to be where you are. They last won a way in February. He

will tell his players, you are not alone, we can beat it. Chris Baird

is banned for Fulham and Kieran Richardson denied a crack at his

old club through injury. Karagounis and Kacaniklic cumin. Two changes

for Sunderland, Bardsley and Cattermole for Craig Gardner and

James McCdlean. -- James McClean. It finished 0-0 here a couple of

Fulham. A good run by the full-back. Berbatov could not get it on target.

Martin Jol has been quoted as saying if he can't turn the

fortunes of Sunderland around, he will step aside. -- Martin O'Neill.

When Karagounis gets in a shooting clever pass by Berbatov. Rodallega,

supported by research. -- John Arne Riise. Karagounis played a pass

short and Hangeland went in two footed. It is a red card. Both feet

off the ground in the challenge and Fulham have lost their captain,

Brede Hangeland. It was two footed as he stretched for the ball. It

was one footed, but both feet were off the ground as he made the

challenge. Fulham will say his foot goes down on the ball and he makes

contact with the ball. I think Fulham will feel that is very harsh.

As he comes in, he may have seen that from behind as a two footed

challenge. I can see why he has sent him off. I think he said, two

fitted to Hangeland. The first sending-off made by Lee Probert

Set up well by Damien Duff. He got chance for Sunderland. They simply

can't score. Seth and yon, should he have gone for goal? It was not a

better chances, Fulham. Hughes was the saviour at one end and he

goals. Classic counter-attack. It was just after Fulham had hit the

woodwork. A lovely ball, beautifully played, great weight on

the pass. First touch was a killer, the second touched slid it in.

Great quality on the first touch. Pressure and control and it took

the ball far enough away from Senderos, who could not recover.

Very, very well taken. Fletcher's cause for Sunderland and they lead

on the Banks of the Thames. -- A Fletcher scores. 14 seconds before

Fletcher stuck it in, John Arne Riise hit the bar. How's your luck,

on Petric for the injured Bryan Ruiz. Can he get them back in the

have been some impact. Rodallega at pressurising Senderos as soon as

the ball goes to him. A terrific save! Lovely effort from Adam

Johnson. He really had to stretch his frame, Mark Schwarzer, he is 6

touch as a substitute. Sunderland simply switched off. Extraordinary

lacklustre defending. Towards staff, he is onside, Sunderland waited for

a flag that didn't come and just turned their back on the play. Oh

dear. 1-1. Petric accepted the chance. Play to the whistle, boys!

Not only did they stop, but they turned away from it. Fees are

experienced players. -- Aviva. Pulham -- Fulham have had another

problem. Petric has hobbled off. Goodness me. They've got no more

Fulham are unhappy in the dug-out area. They are claiming that Petric

was studied in the build up or just after the goal. A great leap by

Carlos Cuellar and Sunderland are back in front. What an

extraordinary second half after such a boring first half. Quaye are

allowed to leap virtually unmarked. -- Carlos Cuellar. He restores

Sunderland's lead. His first goal for the club, his first goal since

February 2010. Expertly steered in. In off the inside of the post.

Fulham have to do it all again. Petric is back on the field of play.

After he scores, was he had? There was certainly a challenge on him.

It has cut his leg. But Carlos There was contact. There was, and

that is the invitation to go over. The wall is nowhere near back 10

yards. Petric with the free-kick, it flew off the wall. Sunderland

He has been scratching for form all season. That is a belter. His first

goal since March and Sunderland should have the points now.

Fletcher rolled it in. Bang! That is a super strike. Curling away

Sunderland think they had the game wrapped up. Fletcher in the middle

well. Well played, Mignolet. Sidwell never cleared his feet to

have a clean strike. The goalkeeper narrowed the angle and made himself

goalkeeping. Fulham have had their It was a strong performance. At

times we allowed Fulham back into the game. They've been a fine side

for quite some time so I suppose that was almost inevitable. It was

a big one for us. We know we've got the ability and a great squad.

Probably lacking a bit of confidence with the result not

going away. We have got some momentum now. We played well last

week but did not get a result like we did this week. Key I thought we

did locate with 10 men in the first half. With our quality in midfield,

maybe there was still a result in there for us. But then they scored

to make it 1-0. We had to make some awkward substitutions, but it paid

off and we scored. Then we had to play with nine men and they scored

the second one from a corner kick. I think the red card was probably

their luck, but that happens in football. I think he went for the

ball. It was not over the ball, it was under the ball. Then he slipped.

I think the referee has probably, although by the letter of the law

you give it, he was probably the only one at Craven Cottage who

Credit where credit is due in a second, but let's get straight to

the big decision and the sending A unfortunately, he has got to go.

He is unfortunate because we get the beauty of the replay, but that,

he is out of control, it is not a dirty, malicious two-footed

challenge, but this one is unfortunate and clumsy. As we can

see, the referee just get caught behind another Fulham player. But

what he has seen his he has seen him leave the ground. When you

leave the ground, you were out of control. As a defender, is there

the argument that when he arrived at the ball, he made contact with

the ball and he was below with the ball? I think so, but I think

Martin Jol has Mail did, the letter of the law, he is in trouble. If

you go into that tackle in that way, you'd run the risk of possibly

A what Sunderland did his they started to see the difference in

the way that Fulham have to play because they have 10 men and they

used to it very well. And they used for an's gaps very well. Staunton

was very clever. -- Johnson was This one here, you don't have to go

to ground, just make them play quickly, and then they started to

go forward. Johnson, getting into an area that we know he loves, down

the left-hand side. That's right. As the goal comes in here, as a

defender you want to see Brian Rees engaging Adam Johnson. -- Brian

Rees. Fletcher is begging for that ball to go into that space. But it

is a great ball nonetheless. First class touch, clinical. The way he

touches the ball, it makes the ball spinning back towards him, that is

what Fletcher does, he keeps the ball very close. Towards the end of

the game, Johnson getting into areas he likes, down the left-hand

side, there is a massive gap because Gollum have to go for it,

they have 10 men. -- if Fulham have to go for it. But again, finding

the areas that Fulham are leaving because they haven't got enough

players on the pitch. Sidwell just got caught under it a bit. Cuellar

has got a running jump against a standing jump, only going to be one

winner. The sending off was early, in a way does spoil the game.

Sunderland fans will not agree. Berbatov, tell me about playing

against him. At times he is unplayable. This season, he has

been sensational. The strength, along with the quality, he has been

a real bargain of for of Fulham. A bit surprised a few others didn't

take a punt on him. Good play, anticipation, good strength again,

and the touch is first class as always. What he does his team

receives the ball, and he let players coming to the game. He very

rarely passes balls defeat if he doesn't have to, he will put it

into an area where he wants you to go, where it will be more dangerous.

So he thinks for himself and he thinks the first step for the next

player. He is two, three passes ahead. He was getting a bit

frustrated, finding himself in areas, may be deeper than they

would have liked. He has found himself in the midfield area, way

you want him is in the final third, When you have got 10 men, you are

losing and not getting as much ball in the right area, you have to play

the way you can with 10 men. He ran two kilometres of for Bulgaria once,

he has an unfair reputation. When you have got Berbatov happy, he is

very dangerous. He is happy at the moment. A how much of today is

about the performance, was it about certain individuals getting the

break? Are they all didn't play well, as a team they played well,

they played hard together, Sessegnon didn't actually play that

well, but his finish was He didn't start very well, actually,

he made some bad decisions. He is trying to play the right ball, but

execution was wrong. This one, a bit too laboured. We were saying,

where is the Sessegnon of last season? The this is the position

where you want him to be. That is how he scores. He is there, at the

edge of the box. Despite all of that, he has not had the best of

games, but he is still showing a desire to get forward, he wants a

goal to stop --. Just holds his run, get into a bit of space, and then a

special finish. Martin Jol famously He is looking after a side which

cannot stop scoring and cannot stop conceding! His Ajax team it was

super. Now they are shipping too many goals. It wasn't a good day

for him. Sunderland have got renewed confidence, they can go

home and welcome West Brom! Looking forward to that? They have got a

few home games, they have had seven away from home, which is a big

factor, it is going to be a tough one next weekend. With that the

only Sunday game, we can go to town with yesterday's games. We'll will

Half first stop on Saturday it is Loftus Road, but QPR against

Southampton. The biggest game of We expect to be much better, a poor

Southampton, crest boredom. You get For Mark Hughes, it has all gone

wrong. Southampton are going to stay in that bottom three.

We will create chances, on another day, we will take them. We called

our old friend Kevin Day and send him to West London to see if he

QPR against Southampton, a huge They are calling it El Sackico, who

is under most pressure? As we speak, Arsenal are playing Tottenham. It

is a big game, but not big enough. So the world press are here, and we

are here with them. QPR against Southampton. Am absolutely vital,

must win at relegation dogfight. A Los is unthinkable. A draw is not

good enough. I think it is a classic relegation six-pointer.

is all or nothing. Six-pointer. are going to do a six-pointer.

is a massive game. Even more cliches than I thought! Winner

takes it all for me. As soon as a club and manager are in trouble,

the press descend. I hate that Gubba when people turn up because

ferries --, when people turn up because there is trouble. I have a

golden take a -- ticket. You are one of the album males of the press

world, what is the story? It is a huge story. It depends which way

the story goes, but we are here because we think one of the

managers could end up in serious trouble if the result doesn't go

their way. Do you turn up in a game like this, hoping it will be a

newsworthy story rather than a good game of football? I hope these

managers stay on, I think Nigel Adkins has done incredibly. I think

Mark Hughes will turn it around given time. I am not here hoping

someone goes wrong, but clearly, they are the story. They are

playing a bit in the must-win game, they are writing about a must-win

toll in this basement battle at Southampton's advantage. QPR are in

Queen's Park Rangers! It is going to be a very tense second half at

confirmation of Southampton's first away point in the Premier League

labelled as a must-win game. They I think we know what the story is

going to be, and that wasn't in the script but even the most

pessimistic QPR fan, but to be honest, they were woeful. Mark

Hughes must be incandescent, he needed his team to come out and

show some fighting quality today, and that first half was terrible.

Issues will obviously said the right things, are you reading

Between the Lines, reading his body language? He has been very

protective of his players so far, I think it will be difficult for him

to come in again and do that, but I think it will be interesting to see

the extent he criticises his players. I think today, he would be

justified. He might as well, today. Hats off to Mark Hughes, it takes

courage to come out and are to questions, they are a tough crowd

and he has some tough questions to answer. -- answer questions. I feel

like I am intruding on private grief.

30 hours later, he is still the manager, Tony Fernandes loves to

let everyone know how he deals, he says, "fans come first, many of us

need a hard look at ourselves, QPR have amazing fans and they deserve

better". You think he is a great manager? Yes, this and be Vincent

Kompany last night, praising him, I am the same, I had a great spell at

Blackburn, unbelievable coaching staff around him, it is difficult

to put your finger on what has gone wrong. If Mark Hughes cannot do it,

I don't know who will sorted out. Sometimes at the bottom of the leak,

it is up to the players to step up. Is there added pressure on QPR, how

they would have had to approach that game against Southampton?

of money on one side, Southampton have not spent anywhere near the

money QPR have spent. I think that continuation of being together for

Southampton, getting to know each other's game, if you have got

players like Lambert in your side, that sum up Southampton, which is

hard-working, they play some good For me, this sums are Southampton

up as the squad of players. They play some good stuff, but this is

what you need, you need players like Lambert at your are going to

put their head in where it hurts to help the club go forward. Not many

centre-forwards are going to put their head in, knowing they will

get kicked. A lot of quality the QPR, but will any put their head in

when it hurts? Another player who stands out the in his Jason

Puncheon. He has been sensational. I think QPR could have got tighter

to him, every time he got the ball, he leapt forward, look to get his

shot away. Again, in an area, his first thought is, can I look

forward? Can I get my shot away? He A bad day for QPR. Great day for

something -- Southampton. It is time to fill you win on the rest of

yesterday's games and even if you have seen them, they are worth

weekend, Saturday would have left you with a sore head. Almost

everyone would have gone for a win for Manchester United. Most would

have backed at Chelsea and we would have risked a draw at the Madejski

Whittaker. A marvellous save. Very goal! Anthony Pilkington for

Norwich. Look at that cross. And the header matches it and

Lindegaard hasn't got a hope. Great John Ruddy. I thought it was in. It

would have been an own goal by Paul Scholes! Does he deserve a pat

on the head! That's it! That is it! One of the greatest results in

brilliant finish from the Irishman. He lovely work from Zoltan Gera.

Morrison found space and look at that for a diving header from Shane

Hazard with his head. Just watch him. It might have come off Billy

Jones. Yes, it comes off the Odemwingie combined brilliantly in

the last game here against Southampton and they have done it

again. Long turned provider and Peter Odemwingie nods in. Steve

Clarke and Albion celebrate their 6th home winner of the campaign and

should have dealt with. Shocking have the equaliser! And Reading are

Coleman on Adam Le Fondre. Le Fondre against Tim Howard. He

scores! Reading League Two to one. -- Reading lead 2-1. Maybe their

season starts here. Reading have won this 2-1. They are off the mark

at last. I feel obliged to start with West Brom. After a win like

that, did you get the day of? in today. And not like the old days,

more like the Monday off. This morning you were in full training?

You yes. Back training, a hard session, the lad's not involved on

the Saturday Play a tough session. Really hard today. I'm thinking

that the people who are least shocked about beating the European

champions at the Hawthorns of the West Brom squad, management and

staff because the signs were there. Your home form has been sensational.

Amazing. We have great team spirit, today at the training session

everyone had a smile on their face. Everyone is desperate to get in the

starting 11. As he was sitting on one bench, the other bench must

have been a real tonic before the game. Two first offenders,

midfielders... You always look at the team sheet. The best two

defenders were out. You can't take anything away from the performance

of West Brom, they deserved it. not saying Reading are not in a

fight, but if you look after table for the last six games, they are

competing. They are 11th on form over the last six games. They've

had only one defeat in seven, it is had only one defeat in seven, it is

too many draws. Get competitive. Get consistent. They are not

getting the credit they deserve. They are working hard. Their

performance was superb. Le Fondre coming back, he started in the

lower leagues. Stockport, Rochdale, they bought him for 350 from

Rotherham. He was a thorn in their side. He worked hard, or was on the

shoulders of the defenders. The keeper is nowhere and that was very

keeper is nowhere and that was very unfortunate. Trying to get into a

position where he will cause a problem. Getting across the

defender, that is key. He has come back with confident. Confident

enough to take the penalty in one of his first games back. Jason

Roberts made a difference because he is strong, but we don't like to

say nice things about him, so we looked for some bad moments. This

is Jason being brave and strong. Big strong Jason Roberts! This is

what he does best, if there's any problems in defence, just Clairette.

Always best to clear your lines. Jason making sure there's no danger.

We love you! Norwich North sensational, a huge amount about

the more Match of the Day last night, but Turner got a bit of

stick at the start of the season. Three clean sheets in a row,

Bassong as well. They have steadied the ship. Now there's some

consistency at the back. The back two are getting to know each other.

Yesterday, sensational. They are working as a pair. They are

starting to become consistent as a back four, as a pairing. The two

centre-halves work together. As a pairing, they are starting to work.

Grant Holt back in favour as well. Four more games starting in London

mammoth 29 goals in total. It's a hard life being a keeper at the

moment and Arsenal and Spurs were at it again, but they were not

alone as the goals flew in from the south to the north-west to the

north-east. Not surprising given the attacking talent on show in the

Defoe is onside. Adebayor! Wouldn't you know it? Within 10 minutes,

Spurs are ahead at the Emirates again and Emmanuel Adebayor scores

against his old side again. One ball over the top undid Arsenal.

Where was Mertesacker going? First challenge. Cazorla has gone flying.

He is sent off. He can't complain. His foot is nearly two feet off the

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young player. Can Walcott finish terrific block. Forced home in the

end by David Silva. There was a side has given a penalty. Silva

plays it in... People will be wondering what the referee's

assistant has seen. Sergio Aguero has the chance to put Manchester

City 2-0 up, which she does very poorly indeed. -- he does. -- very

drolly. Appeals for handball and it is another penalty. It is given

again by the referee's assistant on the far side. What about this?

Sergio Aguero has taken one and scored one, but will not take the

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Watson. Watson looks to be in real trouble. Two players with eyes on

the ball, but Sterling appeared to leap into the Wigan player. He is

not able to put any weight on his right foot. It could be a nasty

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last six Premier League games, they are not going to get a clean sheet

today I that! Michu proves the point. What a moment this could be

for the former Newcastle supporter. Brilliant performances from Suarez,

Michu, but let shine a light on the young Englishman who played their

Raheem Sterling is starting to come to the fore, he is very positive,

he is quick, his vision is very good, he picks the right decision.

He is one who is standing up for me. So the Ntini years old. -- 17.

will be an interesting few months for Walcott, he wants to play

striker, his contract is up, he has had a really good season so far.

Joe Hart has been getting a bit of stick, but look at the kind of

Let's just leave him alone can he is a world-class keeper. Theo

Walcott, he speaks great, doesn't he? He doesn't give anything away.

Great moustaches well! Are people working out Alan Pardew's Newcastle,

or is this about strengthening the squad because of their European

commitments? A bit of both, I think he may have exhausted his squad and

his options within the squad. There is an element of him being sussed

that, but he has a way to go. pleasure to be with you all day,

kind of, a more traditional Sunday, Sunderland double they run out of

red and white goalscorers in one West Brom's stunning start to the

season goes on, their win over Chelsea leaves them just one point

behind the Blues. Sunderland's crucial victory puts them three

points clear of the drop zone, but no good news if you're a QPR fan.

The last team to get off the mark with the head was Sunderland. This

is what the table would look like it only headed goals counted. This

is all we could come up with to put Steven Reid's team at the top!

Spurs are way ahead of Arsenal in this table at least. Surprising

deceased boat down the table, but Sunderland are 14th. I think we'd

better swiftly get away from this. With Fulham in action today, the

most mature squad in the top flight, we thought we would lead you with