01/12/2013 MOTD2 Extra

Hello, welcome to match of the day to extra. -- Match Of The Day 2. We

will look at the weekend's football. The match is already underway at

White Hart Lane. It is goalless. The other contenders are jostling for

position. Later we have Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea

in action. We are joined by John Mortensen, a Liverpool defender and

the football writer. Get in touch. You can contact us on Twitter or the

BBC sport website. Is one of the stories of the week Arsenal? It has

got to be. For people who say it will not last, you have to remember

that Arsenal are in a good position. Things would not necessarily

collapse because of injury. I think they have got a great chance. They

are talking about buying a striker enemy. I think the win so many

games. I think everyone is kidding themselves if they think they can

get close. Players being ill and players in a variety of positions.

One of the matches of the day yesterday was at Upton Park.

Absolutely. Midweek as well. That was the game full needed to see

whether they could raise their game against West Ham and they

categorically didn't. Everything about that game suggested they are a

club just not going anywhere. The ball went into the back of the net

at White Hart Lane. Tottenham have not scored many goals this season

but they have got one against the champions today. Kyle Walker with a

free kick from the edge of the area. Hard and low through the Manchester

United wall. Tottenham leading by a goal to nil. I am watching the game

with Mark Wright. Wright from the start the Tottenham players and fans

where not fret. Absolutely. There was a clumsy challenge on the end of

the box. It was literally impossible to get it up and down so Walker

drove it low into the back of the net. A couple of things to come out

of that. It was not the first clumsy challenge that Manchester United

have committed. Smalling and Jones are Leon. The interesting thing

about that is, can it give Spurs the impetus to attack with pace? There

was a really good comment in terms of the wall and jumping. The free

kick at the 18 yards box is difficult. Another five yards out

you just stand there. Isn't it normally that the wall jumps? I do

not think you jump so close. The degree of difficulty is bigger in

terms of scoring. Another five yards there is no doubt about it. When it

is so close, it is a non-believable skill to get it up and over. For a

few minutes it has listed the cloud. It is the first time that

United have been any renewed the penalty area. The manager is a

genius at the moment. He has no clear to go at the moment. In the

papers this morning, not on Drever asked, if you take the Sunday Mirror

David the favourite to take over at White Hart Lane. You go to another

paper it is Capello, other papers have different names. Another paper

asked all the reporters and pundits and nine out of nine said they think

Villas Boa will be in the job at the end of the season. It clearly isn't

what it all might be. Some players have not been signed. There was talk

of another team asking about a top player. There is something to it.

But I think there is a little bit of usual suspects about the names that

keep getting targeted. He probably still does not know his best team at

the moment. If he wins today it will be somebody else tomorrow. The

subject of house-buyers have played and the lack of goals has been

discussed all season but the position of the manager was not

debated until a freak result at Manchester City. I think that is

right. Things have come out about his relationships with the players.

It is not the lot of flexibility. It did not really come out until then.

There really are problems about the way they played football. They have

a striker who responds to other players. People react to that. He is

just waiting up there not receiving the ball. The thing about that, if

you look at the players starting, they would love to come inside. If

you are a striker it is no good. You only have a certain amount of width.

When you come around the back of somebody, you are looking there and

looking at the players. As far as Manchester United are concerned, you

have watched the first 25 minutes. Is it too easy to say there is a

difference now? They are starting to resemble a side that could do

something this season. I thought they played OK, Bayern Leverkusen

had a disappointing home record. On the night they had absolutely

nothing. A great result for United. With Madrid or Barcelona do that? I

do not think so. There is still a lot of difference to be -- distance

to be covered by United. With a 40-year-old be in the midfield of

Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid? They say now. There is a

transfer window. The only way you can do business with Man United in a

window like that is if somebody exceptional comes up. You look at

the players they have got. On the bench even. Anderson will be sold at

the next available opportunity. I is Ryan Giggs in the? There is no one

else. -- why. I think people see the enormity of the task facing Alex

Ferguson. We will his top players be in six or 12 months? Get in touch

with us. There are 25 minutes gone at White Hart Lane. Spurs one,

Manchester United zero. This is the view on the title race from arson

vendor. There is an important period coming up. -- Arsene Wenger. If we

get ourselves in a good position I think we will have a very successful

season. You can only do your job and see what happens after. Once you do

your job well you can relax. Someone created in the you think what Gareth

Veal did last season, Aaron Ramsey is doing this season? I take the

point. It is kind of similar. Ramsey has just fulfilled the challenge and

potential that Arsenal thought they were getting when they signed him.

His confidence took a huge knock with the injury sustained against

Stoke. Now he is playing out of his skin. There are other players coming

in behind him. That midfield is working. The seems to be a

partnership that was not really in evidence last year. On the defence,

look at Arsenal this season. They are a lot more consistent. The

atmosphere they would have felt if Campbell had equalised with have

been a lot difference. Centre backs do not get tested to often. That is

why they are winning games. How interesting the game will be a week

next Saturday. When they played at old Trafford, Arsenal, they were

disappointing. They wear a bit reticent. The manager said it was

the sense of occasion. There was a bug flying about as well. And beware

at Dortmund on the Wednesday. The interchange of those midfield

players, you talk about strength and depth of the midfield but what they

do, they fill in for each other. When the game is underway, it is

incredibly difficult. Khuram Sheikh they are all comfortable anywhere.

They are interchangeable. A typical team which is very comfortable on

the ball. They play football, Arsenal, like an international team

should play football. When people keep the ball and get confidence, we

make the runs. Let me get the vote for this afternoon. Aaron Ramsey

looked miserable when he scored his two goals yesterday. Here is the

question, should the player celebrates scoring against their

former club? Roberto Soldado was nearly supporting at White Hart

Lane. Mark Bright in the penalty area really should have scored. It

was an awful mess. I would say he was about seven yards out when he

receives the return pass and blazes it over and why. There was lack of

confidence, that it was a goal all day long. Another chance coming and

all the way across and behind for a Manchester United goal kick. They

are under pressure. That should have been to. It is interesting to see

Tottenham are playing on the break and in the last couple of

opportunities they have created very good chances. Let's move on to

Chelsea against Southampton. You will be able to listen to this one

on BBC radio five live. Another defeat to Basle, but Jose Mourinho

says he is not worried about his team. A one goal situation is fine.

If I forget the performance from the last match, our situation is fine.

We are a close distance to the leader. We are qualified for the

last 16 in the Champions League. We are OK. Our situation is OK. We have

to improve stability in our game. We have to improve expectations and

individually we have to improve, especially with the younger players.

But we are OK. We are going straight back to White Hart Lane. Spurs were

on top. They had two great chances to go further ahead. Wayne Rooney

has scored. It was terrible defending from Tottenham and Kyle

Walker in particular. I cannot believe what I have just seen. He

takes the pace of it and it was a lay-off to Wayne Rooney who poked it

straight into the back of the net. It has gone quiet inside the

stadium. Spurs should be leading by 3-1 at least. When you see Phil

Jones do what he did then, why can they not be a central midfield? He

is a better player at centre-back. It was a fantastic lay-off by Walker

for Wayne Rooney. And Manchester United are not getting fellow uni.

They see him as a central defender. You see the quality of that delivery

and they miss somebody who can deliver you with quality from the

right. Going on about Wayne Rooney. If you think back to the summer when

you think about was he going to stay or was he settled and David Moyes

made a remark about needing him in case of Robin van Persie. But now it

has happened because Robin van Persie is not there and Wayne Rooney

is taking on the major striking responsibility and he is playing out

of his skin. This is not a great fixture for Chelsea to come back to

after what happened during the week. It is such a contrast between the

philosophies. There is a lot of stuff from Mauricio Pochettino in

the weekday players -- press. You set that against Jose Mourinho who

has said in the papers again this morning it is too big a club to be

able to put the English lads in. For the purists you would say let's hope

that Southampton prevails. There are not too many problems at Chelsea

because they have got so many players. I was at tile on Friday and

they were talking about the players and they were all raving about the

Saints. They are just all together and they all play for each other.

There is an energy and a positivity about Southhampton that you could

argue is lacking at Chelsea at the moment. Jose Mourinho has said some

of his players are tired. Why do you say that? It strikes me with Jose

Mourinho we all loved him at first and he used to say things like this.

We look at him and say, any more excuses you can come up this week

with? I think it is born out of frustration. I think he thought he

had a better team than he has got. The Chelsea supporters are still

confused about his attitude towards Juana matter. He does not seem to be

keen on him any more. He has not played since December or November

the 4th. Do you buy into what he said that at a bigger club you

cannot bring the British talent through like they can at

Southhampton? I do not think it is the case at all. It is all about the

manager having the belief as Mauricio Pochettino said. Some of us

may have thought our players ready, and look at the force of nature they

come out to be. Sometimes you do not know presumably until they are on

the field. The class of 92. It is relevant with the class of 92. But

Jose Mourinho is all about today. He is not a manager that is going to

clamp up. I think it's why Jose Mourinho is all about Jose Mourinho.

There is no way Chelsea can produce a classic 92 because they have not

had many English players come through the academy. There are a

whole host of players still out on loan. Ian has sent a text saying,

how do you think the FA should react to the inflammatory comments made by

the whole city owner in the Independent today, which is Richard

Rae, who has interviewed the owner of whole. The headline is

astonishing. It says, I do not mind them singing city until they die,

they can die as soon as they want. It is hugely inflammatory. The

background is his desire to make Hull city into the whole city

Tigers. He is the owner of the football club. It demonstrates the

real problem clubs like Hull and Cardiff have where they want to be

in the premier late and they want somebody with the money to get them

there and when that individual gets them there and they want to make

changes to the name and the kit, they are hostage to fortune and that

individual. We have an ongoing problem with overseas owners, not

necessarily all of them, but there is a different conception as to what

football means and the legacy and the supporters and the history that

goes through their families, which is understood by people who have

grown up with it, but not by chairman and owners who have come in

in the last few years. Changing Cardiff's kit to read went down

badly with many fans. They did not complain when they went into the

Premier League. I think they are still complaining. They are happy to

be in the Premier League, but they are upset at their heritage being

taken away. It is about foreign owners against British owners.

Southhampton's owners it is talked about them is how to do it. We all

agreed that they are good owners. It is hard for the Premier League. This

guy, his biographical background is a working-class lad made good. You

cannot apply a fit and proper person test to somebody like this. Money

makes the rules, that is what is happening. Good afternoon, Phil. It

looks like a glorious afternoon in whole. Do you have sympathy with the

whole city fans and the fact they want to stay as Hull city and not

the Tigers? I think so. It is a strange atmosphere at the stadium at

the moment. It is not one where you come to the stadium on a match day

and you expect that level of excitement and expectancy. It is not

really in the air at the moment. There is an animosity in the air at

the moment if truth be known. I have got a few fans who have said things

to me walking from the car park into the media room. I was given the

information about the article in the Independent and it is quite scary

and scandalous, if truth be known. These owners who come into the game,

and you have mentioned a few and John Motson makes a great point,

about being fit and proper, but not understanding the heritage of

football in this country. It is not just the heritage in the Premier

League and of making money because the Premier League provides that, it

is about understanding the needs of the fans. You cannot say what this

guy said. It is totally not proper. The hard part of this where Steve

Bruce is concerned is he has two prepare for a Premier League game

and I have been told by many experienced managers who tell me how

to manage, it is managing up as opposed to managing down. It is not

just managing the players, it is managing the guys above you. What

does Steve Bruce do? You know in his heart of hearts that the wrong thing

has been said and he has two get that message across. Howell have

made a decent start to the season and they are going into a game

against Liverpool and they want the crowd to be on their side for that

game because they will need the crowd. They do not want the crowd

concentrating on picking a fight with the owner, which understandably

a lot of them will be doing today. Absolutely. That is 1,000,000%. All

I can do is draw on my experiences when we have this wonderful club in

the Premier League. It has been said a million times about every other

club and the 12th man, but the supporters kept this club in the

Premier League in the first season. If you did not have the supporters,

there was no chance of the club surviving in that league that

season. It is a great point. It has to be understood from all the

factions, the people that are in charge, and it is the last thing

that Steve Bruce needs, to have a distraction and to come out and play

in a difficult game against Liverpool. Three points today and

that would be 17 points from 12 or 13 games and you are almost halfway

there in terms of your survival campaign and it is an important game

and the 12th man is so important. Enjoy the game. If you are a proper

supporter and you feel so strongly about it, you protest like mad

before the game, then you get behind your team, and if you want to

protest after the game you go and protest. The atmosphere might be

interesting. There are plans for a real banner campaign, city until we

die and the rest of it. They will not allow banners. They tried to

take one down last week. Some kind of flair went off and it was kicking

off in the crowd. There is a good column on the Independent on Sunday,

forgive the promotion! The columnist said forget renaming the club, take

the shirt sponsor a way which only brings about 2 million quid to the

club and put Tigers on the front of the shirt. What more do you need? I

remember what Phil said. I remember how at Old Trafford the last time

and what an atmosphere. He is so right about the fans, they made an

incredible noise. To jeopardise that is daft. In my opinion he has

written a load of nonsense on the Rugby league World Cup, but this

column on Hull city is good. Loads of comets have come in on Facebook.

Not just from fans either. This man owns the football club, but he does

not own the city and he needs kicking out. Tell your hard-core,

most loyal customers to die. Genius. Hull city will always be Hull city.

Foreign ownership is killing our clubs. As Ian Herbert pointed out,

you cannot throw them all in together, foreign owners, because

Southhampton and Manchester City do an awful lot for that community. I

do not disagree with any of that. But there will come a day when 14 of

the 20 clubs would be under foreign ownership. It might not be far away.

That is two thirds. At that point they can vote for things and carry

them. Like relegation. That is your fear but mine is that we might play

in Hong Kong! They tried to bring in the 39th game. Do you share those

fears? Khuram Sheikh I do not think I feel so strongly about that as

John and Mark. I would imagine, and I do not know the detail, but it

does, I do agree that this does reveal to us all that some of these

owners just have the fans over a barrel. At Cardiff, he was saying

can we have more goals from long range and more throw wins? There was

talk that too much had been plagued for Madal. Good luck. -- had been

paid. It is half-time at White Hart Lane. Once each. Tottenham will be

kicking themselves for not having taken their chances in this first

half. Carol Walker in particular will be kicking himself for the goal

they conceded. Wayne Rooney stabbed it into the roof of the net. Mark

Bright, which way do you see this one going? I can only see it going

one way. Manchester United. Spurs have had numerous opportunities.

They created more opportunities than anyone else in the Premier league,

the convert one goal every 20 chances. The scored a goal early in

the game then started to drop deep. Manchester United slightly

vulnerable, they could have had a try for another goal. The defending

was really sloppy. The ball was knocked down to Rooney and then in

the back of the net. Problem missing chances. Manchester United had one

good one and he stuck it in the back of the net. Good day when this and

close the gap? I think so. The performance Suarez is in at the

moment. Manchester City against Swansea, you have got to wish

Swansea good luck. They have to keep the score down to something less

than six! I am going to cover that game after I finish here. Manchester

United average for her game. The problem is not just trying to cater

for that but there are two main strikers are now injured. I think

Manchester City are probably going to roll them over. I do not mean

that as any disrespect to Swansea. They have played quite well away

from home this season. They played well against Valencia. There are

contrast in strikers. The main man has slipped under the radar as one

of the most phenomenal signings of the summer. He is a good provider

from the right. He plays white. And he has got the partner up there.

We'd asked of them are still playing with one, really. It is the speed of

things, the momentum. Arsenal will be a real taste of where they are

at. Voting has closed. I will give you the results. If they kiss the

badge the first week there is nothing going for them. It should be

under what circumstances did you leave the club. If they booted you

out you are bound to celebrate. If I had BBS subsections in her it would

have taken up all the time. -- previous subsections. Just on the

two upfront then. We touched on this on Wednesday night, do you think

modern day centre haves are used to coping with two upfront, the strike

partnership? They are defenders and that is the way it is. You have got

to be able to call. Fullbacks come in. There is absolutely no excuse.

If they cannot, they are not good enough. We are talking every week

about Martin being under pressure. I will just take one newspaper at

random. The Observer sports section says Jolt admits the future is not

in his hands. Everything I have read about the Fulham owner is that he is

not trigger-happy. Here's more inclined in his other sports

franchises to give the guy a goal. All that is said about the players

on the bench. Can you imagine the discussion when they brought him in?

It would be amazing to know. It would be great to hear what they

were saying to the players on the bench yesterday. Presumably as a

player the dynamic would be the boss is no longer the box. The thing

about Fulham yesterday for me is that the performance was pathetic.

Martin Youghal is one of the good guys but he cannot last a couple of

more games. Scott Parker was asked about the fighting mentality within

the squad. I could see what he was trying to say to be convincing in

certain areas. There was not time but I would have liked to hear more

from Danny Murphy about Fulham. He was an integral part of the side

that played very well since 2001. The team has now been chopped and

changed, they have seven different players to the ones that were

playing two years ago. I am not sure it is a unit that will have what it

takes. There is a very big fixture this week, Fulham versus Tottenham.

There are one or two players in the team who are economical with the

effort. If you are manager you will turn around and ask about them. They

are the problem. The big difference yesterday was when it came to the

substitutions and who they could bring on. Alan Dyce was going in

with a cloud hanging over his head. The players all made a massive

difference. I think they have got some fight about them. They did not

look like that the week before when two substitutions were made five

minutes before half-time and Joe Cole looked as angry as I have seen

him in modern times. West Ham beating Fulham and Norwich beating

Crystal Palace, those points make a big difference even at this stage.

Talk about West Ham as you wear for a second, it is almost like waiting

for Godot. Nobody seems to know when the best player is going to come

back. If anybody is going to buy in January it is surely going to be

Fulham trying to get a striker. You have got to spend to stay in the

Premier league. I was about to say. They will have to spend. Andy

Carroll is about to start training? About to, yes. Culture! It is

something we have got in the fridge! Now looking at a Spanish teenager.

He is an enormous talent. We always knew it would take time for him to

get used to the physicality of the British league. He has shown in his

last two performances that he wants to help the team. David discipline.

-- there is discipline. You can see when he gets on the ball that the

code gets excited and something can happen. It highlighted that there is

a bit of depth. There are two things about Roberto Martinez. He has done

brilliantly in terms of loans in and transfers in and out. When he

started they probably had a few too many passes. Straightaway he

realised all Donny minute, play a little further up. He has got his

rewards. Everton are a good side. One or two of them might be going

back. Say sure. That is the only thing. They will have to see if they

can replace them. After what Rosie Marie Newell said on Friday. --

Jose-Maria Neill. Yes, and what is his relationship with these players?

Ross Berkley I thought in the Merseyside derby. The only question

for me is when they are up against it a little bit more against tougher

opposition, do they have a plan B? They have got United in the week.

They have got the Leighton Baines situation to deal with as well, in

terms of injury. In Manchester someone said isn't celebrating a

goal or not celebrating it this respectful to the team you are

playing for? Someone else says it is a ridiculous question! You cannot

legislate for feelings, how deeply celebrates is down to how he feels

that the time. The question is should a player celebrate when

scoring against his former club. 40% said yes, 60% said they should not.

Fax for watching and listening, goodbye. -- thanks