:00:34. > :00:39.Good afternoon and welcome to magazine-macro on BBC Two, five live
:00:40. > :00:44.and the BBC Sport website this lunchtime, with the former Arsenal
:00:45. > :00:52.striker John Hartson, Burnley's Matt Taylor and from the Independent, Ian
:00:53. > :00:59.Herbert. Get involved with the #football on social media. 855 88 to
:01:00. > :01:04.text us. Arsenal go into the New Year top of the table after a win
:01:05. > :01:09.over Newcastle. Manchester City three points behind after Aguero's
:01:10. > :01:14.late winner at Watford. Wayne Rooney has gone past Denis Law and ended
:01:15. > :01:18.Manchester United's winless run, Sunderland won the Battle at the
:01:19. > :01:26.bottom, leaving Villa 11 from safety. The Telegraph has the
:01:27. > :01:32.headline Healing United with Wayne Rooney. Arsenal are interested in
:01:33. > :01:37.signing Emmerich Obama yang according to the Sun. The People
:01:38. > :01:43.have gone with Jurgen Klopp blowing his top after defeat to West Ham. --
:01:44. > :01:49.PM Eric Aubameyang. Transfer speculation in full swing. It will
:01:50. > :01:53.be until the window closes. Do you think this could be an important
:01:54. > :01:57.window for a lot of clubs given the fact that the title race and the
:01:58. > :02:03.battle at the bottom, without Villa, is so close? I do, if you can bring
:02:04. > :02:07.in the players to make an immediate impact. It is common knowledge that
:02:08. > :02:13.Arsene Wenger doesn't like to do much in the January window. But with
:02:14. > :02:19.it being so open, you have the likes of West Ham chasing fourth-place.
:02:20. > :02:24.Spurs, outsiders to win the title, for me, going along really nicely.
:02:25. > :02:27.Manchester City have done their business. I don't think we will see
:02:28. > :02:33.anything from them, I would be surprised. Arsenal linked with
:02:34. > :02:39.players. Arsene might think, another one or two could push us on. Sanchez
:02:40. > :02:42.to come back, Francis Coquelin to come back into the fold. It could be
:02:43. > :02:48.important if you get the right players. It is always a time of
:02:49. > :02:53.speculation. For me, it is more a time when the players seem to have a
:02:54. > :02:57.bit more power. Clubs struggling at the bottom of the Premier League
:02:58. > :03:03.will want to strengthen. It's going to be difficult, teams at the
:03:04. > :03:07.bottom, I don't think you will see a huge of transfers between Premier
:03:08. > :03:10.League teams, from one to another, because teams trying to stay in the
:03:11. > :03:15.league, they are not going to sell to a team at the top of the league.
:03:16. > :03:19.But you might see a team at the bottom taking someone on loan from
:03:20. > :03:23.the bigger teams, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, maybe.
:03:24. > :03:28.It would be an interesting transfer window, especially with the money
:03:29. > :03:31.involved in staying in the Premier League. I want to come back to the
:03:32. > :03:38.players having more power within this month. You can already see it
:03:39. > :03:42.on the back pages. Without giving any trade secrets away, Ian Herbert,
:03:43. > :03:47.if the players are unsettled, do you get more calls from agents this
:03:48. > :03:50.month about stories? There is a greater willingness to engage. If
:03:51. > :03:54.there is a sensitivity about the player and they don't want any noise
:03:55. > :03:58.around the player, you don't get a call back. You can call until
:03:59. > :04:04.kingdom come and you won't have the conversation. Fair enough, that is a
:04:05. > :04:16.professional relationship. Sadio Mane in the papers today, quite
:04:17. > :04:20.interesting, what came out yesterday about not turning up for a team
:04:21. > :04:23.meeting. He wasn't perceived to be right in training in the week. That
:04:24. > :04:24.feels very much like the signs of a player who knows there are
:04:25. > :04:26.negotiations and informal discussions going on between
:04:27. > :04:28.Southampton and Manchester United. That would be a conceivable
:04:29. > :04:33.prospect. Perhaps not going quite the way he wants. There are ways and
:04:34. > :04:37.Means. United are clearly desperate for a striker and that is how it can
:04:38. > :04:44.work. Does that do anyone any favours? A combination of players,
:04:45. > :04:51.agents and journalists, controlling the window, not the manager's? You
:04:52. > :04:56.are only seeing one element. The best deals, we don't hear anything
:04:57. > :04:59.about and suddenly bang. Anthony Martial at the end of the summer, we
:05:00. > :05:05.didn't know anything about that. Nothing was written and, bang, he
:05:06. > :05:10.signed and look what has happened since. We are only seeing the
:05:11. > :05:14.elements that we can extract a bit of life out of. Marty we have known
:05:15. > :05:28.for some time was interesting United in the summer. -- Marty we have
:05:29. > :05:32.known. -- Sadio Mane. It is a willingness, a lack of willingness
:05:33. > :05:38.to engage. Who on earth is going to sell a player that might be of some
:05:39. > :05:43.use to them, even if they are...? That is the way football is. The
:05:44. > :05:48.world we live in now is some media -based, with social media and with
:05:49. > :05:53.the technology we have, it is one text, one phone call. There is
:05:54. > :05:57.always someone who wants to put a story out there. There will always
:05:58. > :06:01.be an avenue you can go down, as an agent. It wouldn't even surprise me,
:06:02. > :06:07.sometimes players drop hints here there and everywhere. With the Sadio
:06:08. > :06:10.Mane story, it is convenient that it has happened the day before the
:06:11. > :06:17.transfer window gets into full swing. That is the world we live in.
:06:18. > :06:21.It is a business now that will command a huge amount of audience
:06:22. > :06:28.with the TV. The way it is going in terms of strikers, the money they
:06:29. > :06:36.are talking about in the papers today. ?62 million. It's massive.
:06:37. > :06:42.Starting with you, John, Joseph has tweeted us to do with Southampton, I
:06:43. > :06:51.assume he is a fan. Love football, hate footballers. What does that
:06:52. > :06:54.mean? It means he loves football, he hates footballers! The power they
:06:55. > :06:59.have and the way they can destabilise his club. We can all
:07:00. > :07:03.think that way, but the bottom line is that is where we are, that is the
:07:04. > :07:07.modern game. There is so much financial power in it, so much
:07:08. > :07:13.money. Next season, the money that is going to come into the Premier
:07:14. > :07:17.League... But you are right, Matt, ?62 million for Sadio Mane. It
:07:18. > :07:23.wouldn't surprise me if they paid it, that is how ludicrous it is. The
:07:24. > :07:29.article says ?30 million and a five-year deal at ?125,000 per week.
:07:30. > :07:34.If you are in the dressing room, does it unsettled you, this month? I
:07:35. > :07:38.am not saying you are angling for a move, but within the Championship,
:07:39. > :07:41.at Birtley, there will be rumours that might swirl around the club.
:07:42. > :07:48.Does it unsettled players or do you get on with it? -- at Burnley. The
:07:49. > :07:53.modern game, you have to accept there are periods of the season, the
:07:54. > :08:01.start of the season and January me where the transfer window will cause
:08:02. > :08:04.a few stories. That is what it is designed to do. The main business
:08:05. > :08:09.doesn't ever seem to get done until the last two or three days of the
:08:10. > :08:14.window, which always surprises me. As a footballer, you have to accept
:08:15. > :08:18.this is part of your job. Some players within dressing rooms, there
:08:19. > :08:23.will be some up and down the country, will be unsettled. But it
:08:24. > :08:32.is how you deal with that. You have to be professional, train everyday.
:08:33. > :08:37.But yourself there... For me, without wishing to speak out of
:08:38. > :08:40.turn, you have to make sure you are professional, you have to do it.
:08:41. > :08:45.Nothing else you can do in that situation. This will help a lot of
:08:46. > :08:50.clubs. At the moment there will be decent players not in the team, not
:08:51. > :08:52.even on the bench, not involved at the weekend... It will suit the club
:08:53. > :08:58.and the player to off-load them anyway. A couple at Swansea, for
:08:59. > :09:02.instance. Jonjo Shelvey, for instance. A good player, in the
:09:03. > :09:08.England fold, left out of the Swansea side altogether yesterday.
:09:09. > :09:13.It might suit Jonjo to move on. If Swansea gets the right money, it
:09:14. > :09:21.suits all parties. But would they sell him to a direct rival? Probably
:09:22. > :09:25.he would go to a top ten side. Isn't there an argument to say that it
:09:26. > :09:29.gives an opportunity to knuckle down and work hard and get into the
:09:30. > :09:34.Swansea side rather than a multimillion-pound move to another
:09:35. > :09:37.club? That is the game we are in. Unfortunately, agents are running
:09:38. > :09:43.the game, they have done for many years. A sensational morning for
:09:44. > :09:50.England in the cricket. The innings has come to an end. England have
:09:51. > :09:57.declared on 629-6. Jonny Bairstow finished 150 not out. Ben Stokes was
:09:58. > :10:03.out for a remarkable 258, run out by AB de Villiers after he had dropped
:10:04. > :10:10.a steepling chance. The partnership between Stokes and Bairstow ended on
:10:11. > :10:13.399. England had just declared. Five live sports extra if you want to
:10:14. > :10:19.listen to that. Gary Neville said when he took over at Valencia that
:10:20. > :10:24.there were good players there and it was down to him to coach them to get
:10:25. > :10:29.better and to get out of the rut that they were in rather than
:10:30. > :10:35.looking at the window. Does it give managers an excuse, the window? It
:10:36. > :10:39.can do. The interesting clubs in this window will be the bottom six
:10:40. > :10:46.or seven or eight. The TV deal, potentially the most interesting
:10:47. > :10:51.winter market for years. John alluded to it, this incredible ?5.1
:10:52. > :10:58.billion TV deal for next season. Clubs are going to be desperate,
:10:59. > :11:02.Norwich, Bournemouth... Sunderland, looking for defenders. Steven
:11:03. > :11:04.Caulker is mentioned, Sandro. They will pay anything to get players
:11:05. > :11:10.that will keep them up. More than will pay anything to get players
:11:11. > :11:10.ever, that means what chance is there for
:11:11. > :11:16.ever, that means what chance is trying to make their way at that
:11:17. > :11:21.club? Sorry, but there is almost no chance because of the economics of
:11:22. > :11:25.the marketplace. It is always a bit of a gamble. As I said earlier, you
:11:26. > :11:30.have to try and find the right players to make an immediate impact.
:11:31. > :11:32.If you sign a player, ?40 million, you put them on a three-year
:11:33. > :11:37.contract and if he doesn't you put them on a three-year
:11:38. > :11:39.and fit into the dressing room and immediately take off, which was the
:11:40. > :11:42.reason immediately take off, which was the
:11:43. > :11:44.too much money for him in January because you are desperate, if it
:11:45. > :11:47.doesn't come off, you are stuck because you are desperate, if it
:11:48. > :11:52.that player for the next three seasons. And he is not really a
:11:53. > :11:59.player you wanted, but you have gone in desperation to see if he can make
:12:00. > :12:02.that difference. Especially at this time of the season, with January
:12:03. > :12:07.being the market that it is... I have moved in January and been in a
:12:08. > :12:11.situation where I joined Bolton from Portsmouth. We were near the bottom
:12:12. > :12:15.of the Premier League with Bolton. I joined first of all to get some
:12:16. > :12:19.football because I wanted to play, but secondly you had slightly more
:12:20. > :12:23.power as a player. I joined the club and fortunately hit the ground
:12:24. > :12:27.running and we stayed up that season. Literally, my signing,
:12:28. > :12:37.arguably they paid too much money for me! But it was a situation where
:12:38. > :12:43.I knew what I was going into. I knew the situation. I had to provide
:12:44. > :12:47.crosses, assists, produced performances every week. You have to
:12:48. > :12:51.do that, but it was easier for me because I was in the Premier League
:12:52. > :12:58.and I knew what it took to stay in the Premier League. Can I be crude?
:12:59. > :13:07.When you said you knew you had the power, does that mean you could ask
:13:08. > :13:12.for what you wanted? No. So when you say...? If Aston Villa fans are
:13:13. > :13:15.listening to this, they are being linked with players, who would go to
:13:16. > :13:21.Aston Villa in the situation they are in? The reason I talk about the
:13:22. > :13:27.power, in January I had a choice of a few different clubs. I don't mean
:13:28. > :13:35.financial power, I have never gone into a negotiation and said I want
:13:36. > :13:42.X, Y, Z... Some players might, but I haven't. When I say I had the power,
:13:43. > :13:47.I had the choice, not just one club to choose from. And I would imagine
:13:48. > :13:52.that if Aston Villa are looking at a player this January, Sunderland will
:13:53. > :13:56.be looking at him, Norwich might be, Bournemouth might be. That is why
:13:57. > :14:01.the player has the power of picking their destination. So why would
:14:02. > :14:07.someone choose Villa? Aston Villa is a fantastic Football Club. But in
:14:08. > :14:12.the situation they are in... Would you expect them, given your
:14:13. > :14:16.experiences, that they would have to offer more than Norwich or
:14:17. > :14:24.Bournemouth or Sunderland? Maybe, but that is football. The media and
:14:25. > :14:28.journalists don't know about moves that have fallen down because a
:14:29. > :14:35.player wants more... The player has to be realistic. They are staring
:14:36. > :14:39.the Championship in the face. Villa also have to be realistic in terms
:14:40. > :14:43.of contracts. There is no way they can sign a player on Premier League
:14:44. > :14:49.wages for four years. That would be ludicrous. That is why teams go out
:14:50. > :14:53.of the league... Leeds, Portsmouth have done things like that and then
:14:54. > :15:01.sliding, sinking into the lower leagues. Whoever Villa want to sign,
:15:02. > :15:07.you want the agent and the player to be realistic, which is not always
:15:08. > :15:10.easy. Fred says Villa have to start running for the Championship
:15:11. > :15:16.otherwise the slide will continue. Richard says, we are going down with
:15:17. > :15:23.a whimper. #Embarrass increased Andy, not surprised we are in dire
:15:24. > :15:26.trouble. Not doing the basics. I was at Aston Villa's first game in the
:15:27. > :15:34.old third division and never thought I would have to do it again.
:15:35. > :15:39.Let's look at the top of the table. Do you get the impression that
:15:40. > :15:44.yesterday could be significant in the title race in that Arsenal were
:15:45. > :15:48.not very good and one, and Manchester City fought back late on
:15:49. > :15:53.to keep up with them? I think that is right, it will twist and turn and
:15:54. > :15:58.we will be uncertain, and we will think something and then journalists
:15:59. > :16:03.will look very stupid, as they have, I have, perhaps all my career.
:16:04. > :16:08.Certainly this season. In our Sunday paper this morning, the fans of each
:16:09. > :16:13.of the clubs were asked who they thought would win the title. City
:16:14. > :16:17.featured prominently, City and Arsenal were the only ones that
:16:18. > :16:23.featured. The significance of this weekend it is the last sort of
:16:24. > :16:26.Premier League weekend of this long, congested Christmas season. It has
:16:27. > :16:34.not been spectacular for goals, it has been turgid ins -- in terms of
:16:35. > :16:39.the game. Arsenal and City both groundout results. When I watched
:16:40. > :16:44.that last section last night, you could just imagine coming to the end
:16:45. > :16:49.of the season and looking back and seeing, City at Watford, both in
:16:50. > :16:52.terms of the points, which is subsidiary, but also in terms of the
:16:53. > :16:59.psychological impact that they can do something like that, at a place
:17:00. > :17:03.like that, could be significant. I do feel that City do generally go
:17:04. > :17:08.right to the end. They got a late goal against onesie City a couple of
:17:09. > :17:15.weeks ago. It was the Yaya Toure deflected goal to beat Swansea. That
:17:16. > :17:20.was at the weekend again. They scored two fantastic goals. Yaya
:17:21. > :17:25.Toure's volley and Sergio Aguero, he judged the flight of the ball. Lewis
:17:26. > :17:30.says, I do not care who your team is, you can only admire that header
:17:31. > :17:34.by Sergio Aguero. Man City are a team that come on in the second
:17:35. > :17:39.half. They will keep going until the last minute and get Dureau awards
:17:40. > :17:46.for it. I felt that yesterday, for them to win the game in the way that
:17:47. > :17:52.they did, they looked like a great Championship team of the past. It
:17:53. > :17:59.was like, that was our skier, let's kick on. Especially with Watford
:18:00. > :18:03.doing so well at home this season. We are halfway through the season.
:18:04. > :18:07.Their position in the league does not lie, but the way that Manchester
:18:08. > :18:13.City ground out a result yesterday, for me as a football fan, to watch
:18:14. > :18:17.it, going back into the dressing room today or tomorrow, whenever
:18:18. > :18:22.they are back, that will give them great relief. It will boost their
:18:23. > :18:28.chances, especially psychologically. Football is as much about playing as
:18:29. > :18:32.it is psychology. You know that as well, John. It will give them a
:18:33. > :18:42.boost going into the second half of the season. Sergio Aguero is the
:18:43. > :18:46.type of player that can do that. The uncertainty lies with him and
:18:47. > :18:52.Vincent Kompany. It was a bad goal to concede yesterday, Kolarov was
:18:53. > :18:56.part of that. That is where the uncertainty lies. City have spent
:18:57. > :19:06.all this money, but the defence is reliant on someone who was signed by
:19:07. > :19:12.Mike Hughes. To flip that and give the defence praise, Bakary Sagna has
:19:13. > :19:16.gone under the radar this season. He is keeping Zavaleta out of the team.
:19:17. > :19:23.His cross for Sergio Aguero was sensational. When you go back to
:19:24. > :19:26.when he was at Arsenal, the way they played under Arsene Wenger at that
:19:27. > :19:30.time, they were not encouraged to cross the ball as much as what he
:19:31. > :19:35.would do now, with Arsenal. They would pass the ball into the box
:19:36. > :19:40.instead of crossing it. Yesterday he did not look, he put it straight in,
:19:41. > :19:46.I did bit of movement by Sergio Aguero. There was not a lot of pace
:19:47. > :19:50.on the ball either. Manchester City and at the top level and they
:19:51. > :19:56.crossed the ball. For me, that has gone out of the game slightly. West
:19:57. > :20:03.Ham yesterday, two crosses into the box, the second one for Andy
:20:04. > :20:08.Carroll, get the ball into the box. Yesterday, Ashley Young did it more.
:20:09. > :20:13.It cause it's problems. It is not all about playing around the corner,
:20:14. > :20:19.like David Silva Lakes do. Because his problems, the ball in the box.
:20:20. > :20:24.Would you struggle as a centre forward in this year, it given me
:20:25. > :20:33.the number of crosses that coming? No, because I would demand it. I
:20:34. > :20:39.would be pulling the little here out of my head that I had. I can
:20:40. > :20:44.remember playing with Aiden McGeady at Celtic. He was a fantastic
:20:45. > :20:50.player, but he would cut back. You would think, I have an advantage, if
:20:51. > :20:55.it comes in now, I have a fantastic chance. On the opposite side was
:20:56. > :21:00.Steve Guppy. Maybe not as much talent as Steve Guppy, but you knew
:21:01. > :21:04.that the ball was coming in. Alan Thomson was the same. As a striker,
:21:05. > :21:10.it is brilliant when you know that the ball is coming into the box. You
:21:11. > :21:14.can make your run early and get the advantage on the centre half.
:21:15. > :21:18.Crossing is important. Alan Shearer was quite emphatic with his
:21:19. > :21:24.Newcastle winger is that they had to get the ball in. He let them know in
:21:25. > :21:28.no uncertain terms. Paul says, massive win for Manchester City,
:21:29. > :21:32.they must be favourites for the title. Another poll says, if that
:21:33. > :21:39.does not kick-start their season, I do not know what will. I have been
:21:40. > :21:43.waiting seven games for that result. There are two game this afternoon,
:21:44. > :21:48.Crystal Palace against Chelsea is the first. Alistair Bruce-Ball has
:21:49. > :21:54.beauty news. Crystal Palace are just four points of the top. There is a
:21:55. > :22:01.change upfront today. Fraizer Campbell stacks of -- starts in
:22:02. > :22:06.place of Marouane Chamakh. Yohan Cabaye is suspended today. Lee
:22:07. > :22:25.Chung-yong makes a Premier League start. Two changes for Chelsea.
:22:26. > :22:28.Diego Costa will be upfront. The formation they are using works so
:22:29. > :22:32.well last year. We are talking about Crystal Palace
:22:33. > :22:36.and maybe the transfer window. They have lost Patrick Bamford. He has
:22:37. > :22:39.gone back to Chelsea. They could do with a striker to put the ball in
:22:40. > :22:47.the back of the net. Lots of their goals come from midfielders or
:22:48. > :22:51.winners. They could do. But we're not the strikers? Strikers, John,
:22:52. > :22:55.you know this, they always will be the most valuable players to go for
:22:56. > :23:00.in a team, especially in transfer windows. With them losing Patrick
:23:01. > :23:05.Bamford, it was in strange circumstances that he left. I would
:23:06. > :23:08.not like to see where they go. I am sure that their scouts and the
:23:09. > :23:15.recruitment team at Palace will be working hard. We might see some
:23:16. > :23:21.shocks. I am not sure if Jurgen Klopp fancies Benteke. Devo light
:23:22. > :23:34.reedy was playing regularly. I did the game on Boxing Day, and Divock
:23:35. > :23:40.Origi got injured. -- Origi. In his absence, Benteke has been playing.
:23:41. > :23:44.You might see someone picking up the phone and sing, what about Benteke?
:23:45. > :23:53.We will give you 25 million for him. They might take a ?7 million loss.
:23:54. > :24:00.Look at Southampton and Graziano Pelle. Someone like that could help
:24:01. > :24:06.the team likes Southampton. Because of the way that they play, with the
:24:07. > :24:13.weights, they need a big target man. -- with the width. It is a year this
:24:14. > :24:19.week that Alan Pardew took over at Crystal Palace. They have amassed
:24:20. > :24:26.something like 63 points. It would be a top six finish if it was across
:24:27. > :24:29.the season. Should they be targeting a top six finish this season? I
:24:30. > :24:34.think they should. They have a clear system, they have got Cabaye in
:24:35. > :24:38.there. They have counter attacking plays with Wilfried Zaha and Yannick
:24:39. > :24:44.Bolasie. They know what they are doing. With it will get really
:24:45. > :24:49.interesting with those calls, is if there is someone who is worrying
:24:50. > :24:53.about whether they might drop into the bottom four. United tell a story
:24:54. > :24:56.about how in the summer, they and five other clubs all went for a
:24:57. > :25:02.player who was in last season's bottom six. They wanted to buy that
:25:03. > :25:07.player, and that bottom six, I am not talking about the relegated
:25:08. > :25:11.teams, the last six teams left, they all said no, the cause they can
:25:12. > :25:17.afford to, because they have the hundred and 80 million quid from
:25:18. > :25:23.next season. This will be even more interesting for the likes of
:25:24. > :25:27.palates. Matt Taylor, if you were Chelsea, in this transfer window,
:25:28. > :25:31.would you sit tight? This season your highly unlikely to get top
:25:32. > :25:37.four, but you're not likely to go down, really. Do you start planning
:25:38. > :25:41.and look at the summer? First and foremost, it will be difficult for
:25:42. > :25:46.the manager to plan for the summer, because we do not think he will be
:25:47. > :25:51.there beyond the summer. For me, Chelsea need to sign a striker in
:25:52. > :25:56.this window. I find it strange that they could go to Old Trafford
:25:57. > :26:01.without a recognised striker, a club of Chelsea's stature. Diego Costa is
:26:02. > :26:07.backing the team today. That will help them out. They need to another
:26:08. > :26:11.one. They have got Patrick Bamford bag. It would be nice as an English
:26:12. > :26:16.fantasy an English player being given a chance that one of the top
:26:17. > :26:20.clubs in the country. Getting into the top four will be difficult but
:26:21. > :26:25.they are still in the Champions League. If they are going to
:26:26. > :26:28.strengthen and Senna superstar striker, what can they offer him
:26:29. > :26:34.next season if they do not win the Champions League make the four? Are
:26:35. > :26:38.there more positives than negatives in giving Patrick Bamford a chance
:26:39. > :26:43.over the next few weeks? Yes, Mourinho let him go so it is a
:26:44. > :26:50.different manager all together. He gets a clean slate. I am sure that
:26:51. > :26:52.Guus Hiddink will have a look at him in training. Chelsea are in a
:26:53. > :27:00.position where they can throw him in. They are not clearly out of it,
:27:01. > :27:05.but I do not think they will go down. They have too much to go down.
:27:06. > :27:11.If they finish sixth or seventh from the bottom, there is no pressure,
:27:12. > :27:15.throwing Patrick Bamford. Can he do it at this level? You do not know
:27:16. > :27:21.with strikers until the Earth on it. Agreed. Young English footballers
:27:22. > :27:27.need to have a chance at one of the top clubs in the country. It is
:27:28. > :27:33.fantastic. I would love to see and get an opportunity, three or four
:27:34. > :27:38.game, not one game in, one game out. It is playing without real pressure,
:27:39. > :27:43.it would be great for him. They are short of strikers. Foul Kelly's
:27:44. > :27:48.injured, I do not know what has happened to Loic Remy. Diego Costa
:27:49. > :27:59.is playing every single week. -- Radamel Falcao is injured.
:28:00. > :28:06.Manchester United's winless run came to an end at Old Trafford yesterday,
:28:07. > :28:09.they beat Swansea City 2-1. Here is the United manager. We created lots
:28:10. > :28:15.of chances in the first half but we did not score. That is our problem.
:28:16. > :28:21.When we scored, in the second half, it is not a problem any more. That
:28:22. > :28:25.was the difference today, two beautiful goals. I was here for the
:28:26. > :28:30.Chelsea game as well and I thought you played well in the first half,
:28:31. > :28:33.and eased off in the second. Today I thought it was the reverse, much
:28:34. > :28:42.more like the United of old after half-time? Maybe. But I do not have
:28:43. > :28:47.the same opinion, on me that we scored. That is the big difference.
:28:48. > :28:55.Scoring goals is the most important thing. Maybe you're right in your
:28:56. > :29:02.analysis. I'm probably wrong. A manager or a trainer, coach, is
:29:03. > :29:06.concerned about how we perform. I think that in the first half we
:29:07. > :29:12.performed better. But we did not score. A lot of the newspapers have
:29:13. > :29:19.been very positive about this, Ian Herbert. It was not quite a new
:29:20. > :29:25.dawn? It was not. It was not even close to a new dawn. Maybe that is
:29:26. > :29:28.the question I should have asked. It was incredible to hear van Gaal
:29:29. > :29:33.saying that he thought the first half of that game for United was
:29:34. > :29:38.better than the second. The first half was turgid, and despite playing
:29:39. > :29:41.a three-man defence, they did not seem to get, they got players
:29:42. > :29:45.forward. They did not create the chances despite having players in
:29:46. > :29:52.the box. In the second half, they got onto it more. The manager says
:29:53. > :29:56.he preferred the first half, which reflects his innate conservatism. He
:29:57. > :30:01.likes it when no one has a chance of penetrating the backline. Therein
:30:02. > :30:06.lies the mystery and the problem for United. He is a very conservative
:30:07. > :30:11.manager at the very liberal minded, attacking club. We will hear from
:30:12. > :30:16.John and Matt in a moment. There has been a wicket for England in South
:30:17. > :30:24.Africa. The pressure of a mighty school from
:30:25. > :30:31.England has led to an early wicket. A ludicrous run out for Stiaan van
:30:32. > :30:40.Zyl. Gone for four, well short of his ground. South Africa 7-1.
:30:41. > :30:47.Ian Herbert talked about the United manager being conservative.
:30:48. > :30:53.Yesterday, switching from a back three to a back four. Full-backs
:30:54. > :30:58.switching. When you are in a back four like that, how confusing...?
:30:59. > :31:04.Some of it was because of injury, but how confusing can it be? It can
:31:05. > :31:09.be confusing. Should you be able to deal with it? We are speculating
:31:10. > :31:12.because we don't know what he has been working on, on the training
:31:13. > :31:17.ground. The manager might be looking at different things, changing from
:31:18. > :31:22.three to four in different sessions. The players at Manchester United, I
:31:23. > :31:26.believe, should be able to deal with that, the change of formation. Their
:31:27. > :31:32.positions on the pitch might alter slightly in a three or a four. But I
:31:33. > :31:36.believe they are adequate enough to deal with it. They Manchester United
:31:37. > :31:42.players, arguably the best in the world, the best in the league. I
:31:43. > :31:47.know they won yesterday. It was great to see Rooney getting back on
:31:48. > :31:52.the scoresheet. A fantastic goal. Nice to see him on the back pages in
:31:53. > :31:56.a positive light. I thought they were a bit better in the last two
:31:57. > :32:02.games. Let's not get carried away, their first win in nine yesterday.
:32:03. > :32:06.They had been shocking the previous six or seven, losing four on the
:32:07. > :32:12.bounce. But I thought yesterday they took the shackles off a bit, they
:32:13. > :32:16.played with a bit more freedom. I thought Anthony Martial was more
:32:17. > :32:20.positive, running at the full-back, using his place. He was excellent
:32:21. > :32:26.for the winning goal, cutting it back for Wayne Rooney. Brilliant
:32:27. > :32:31.finish. Even the first goal, I thought Anthony Martial in the first
:32:32. > :32:35.half, interesting that Van Harle said they were better in the first
:32:36. > :32:41.half... I couldn't see that personally. -- van Gaal. Two minutes
:32:42. > :32:45.into the second half, he got a goal because he was in there on the
:32:46. > :32:50.penalty spot. In the first, when the ball was coming in from Young, he
:32:51. > :32:54.was there. You tell the opposite winger, when the ball comes from the
:32:55. > :32:58.right, you have to be on the shoulder of the full-back, putting
:32:59. > :33:02.him under pressure. I thought in the second half they were a lot better.
:33:03. > :33:06.Swansea gave everything, a bit unfortunate maybe, with Andreae you
:33:07. > :33:11.hitting the post. They could have got something, but yesterday United
:33:12. > :33:25.edged it. -- Andreev you. How proud Manchester United must be
:33:26. > :33:30.to beat a force such as Swansea! Although Swansea had won the last
:33:31. > :33:33.three between the clubs. Both clubs have managerial issues. Jonathan has
:33:34. > :33:38.written in the Sunday Times, van Gaal assured of his future until
:33:39. > :33:43.Ryan Giggs is ready to take over. I totally believe that from all of
:33:44. > :33:52.the... How do they judge when he is ready to take over? Simply an
:33:53. > :33:56.contractual length? What that really means is they don't want him to go
:33:57. > :33:59.at the end of this season, they want him to carry on. Despite all the
:34:00. > :34:10.talk of getting sacked if he loses the next game, which we have been
:34:11. > :34:10.hearing for a few weeks. I think Van Gaal 's future
:34:11. > :34:15.hearing for a few weeks. I think Van being so embarrassed by continual
:34:16. > :34:17.hearing for a few weeks. I think Van defeat that he walks
:34:18. > :34:20.hearing for a few weeks. I think Van have had to say to him, tough it
:34:21. > :34:22.hearing for a few weeks. I think Van out, don't walk away. Six
:34:23. > :34:26.hearing for a few weeks. I think Van eight jobs in management, he has
:34:27. > :34:31.walked away from. We all know what a proud bloke he is, quite
:34:32. > :34:36.vainglorious bloke. He doesn't like things going against him. They have
:34:37. > :34:39.been saying, tough it out. Do you think the Man United owners will
:34:40. > :34:44.listen to the supporters? I don't think the supporters will be happy
:34:45. > :34:48.with this news. When you have got Viola and Mourinho out of work and
:34:49. > :34:55.you are going to stick with Louis van Gaal... -- Pep Guardiola and
:34:56. > :35:00.Mourinho. He will do exceptionally well to finish in the top four, out
:35:01. > :35:04.of the Capital One Cup and his recruitment has not been the
:35:05. > :35:10.best...? There comes a time with clubs when the pressure from the
:35:11. > :35:14.fans forces... Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, it was untenable and it
:35:15. > :35:19.was in part because... There was something behind his eyes which told
:35:20. > :35:23.you that he knew he had lost the fans, and I am sure it will be the
:35:24. > :35:27.same with Louis van Gaal. Edward Woodward will realise if it gets to
:35:28. > :35:33.that stage. It didn't seem to be like open warfare against him at any
:35:34. > :35:38.stage over Christmas. It was very grim at Stoke but I didn't feel it
:35:39. > :35:43.had quite got to that stage. This is Manchester United we are talking
:35:44. > :35:46.about... The problem, John, if they were to sack him tomorrow, they
:35:47. > :35:52.would be confronted by a problem. Do they hire Mourinho? The he is
:35:53. > :35:57.against everything United represent in terms of developing young
:35:58. > :36:01.players. -- philosophically, Mourinho is against everything
:36:02. > :36:04.United represent in terms of developing young players. If Louis
:36:05. > :36:11.van Gaal goes, they have a naked choice between signing Mourinho as a
:36:12. > :36:15.long-term thing or waiting. That is why they have to put this out. Do
:36:16. > :36:21.you think Swansea will stick with Alan Curtis until the end of the
:36:22. > :36:27.season? Should be? I think he is relaxed about it. He will not be
:36:28. > :36:32.putting any pressure on Hugh Jenkins and the club in terms of giving him
:36:33. > :36:38.a contract. He has been there for a length of time. He will still be
:36:39. > :36:41.there as long as they need him. From the players' point of view, they
:36:42. > :36:48.would quite like to see somebody come in. Just so that they know who
:36:49. > :36:52.the manager is. They will have a new system to work with. When a new
:36:53. > :36:58.manager comes in, it seems to give everyone a lift, a fresh start,
:36:59. > :37:01.wanting to impress the new guy. From watching Swansea, has Alan Curtis
:37:02. > :37:09.changed much from the Garry Monk era? Not really. Have they made a
:37:10. > :37:15.mess of this, Swansea? We have to trust in Hugh Jenkins, Chappers. In
:37:16. > :37:20.the last 12 years, he has got every decision spot on. There is no doubt
:37:21. > :37:24.they there will be very, very good candidates putting in their CV for
:37:25. > :37:28.the job. He will have spoken to several of them. But it has to be
:37:29. > :37:32.right, you can't just appoint a new manager, give him a three-year
:37:33. > :37:38.contract... If Swansea go down, all of a sudden you are stuck with a
:37:39. > :37:44.manager... Is it true what we are reading about a foreign manager,
:37:45. > :37:49.from your contacts? I know Jenkins has been over to South America to
:37:50. > :37:54.speak to a manager, from what I have read. David Moyes turned down the
:37:55. > :37:59.job. I think he spoke to Brendan Rodgers, he did not want to go back
:38:00. > :38:03.there. There has been work in process but he hasn't quite found
:38:04. > :38:07.the right one. What impressed me about Curtis yesterday, he did not
:38:08. > :38:12.look like a guy leading the grass grow under his feet. He didn't like
:38:13. > :38:17.the way Jonjo Shelvey played on Monday against Palace, so they left
:38:18. > :38:22.him out of the squad. He changed the system from a diamond to 4-2-3-1.
:38:23. > :38:29.The false number nine, at Manchester City. He looked to me like he was
:38:30. > :38:34.not just a caretaker, he was being proactive in the game. We have
:38:35. > :38:39.spoken about Aston Villa. Micah Richards has tweeted just now, I
:38:40. > :38:43.want to say to you, the fans, me, and everyone at the club will be
:38:44. > :38:49.giving everything from now until the end of the season. By the way, it
:38:50. > :38:55.was two tweets! 18 games to go and we will give everything for the
:38:56. > :38:58.badge. From a Sunderland point of view, Sam Allardyce has been open
:38:59. > :39:03.and says everyone has been given a chance and he knows what he needs to
:39:04. > :39:07.do and what he needs to bring in. From working with Sam, what he has
:39:08. > :39:11.done in the past and what he will do there, he knows what it takes to win
:39:12. > :39:16.football matches at Premier League level. He has given everyone an
:39:17. > :39:20.opportunity. Let's not forget, they have some exceptional players.
:39:21. > :39:25.Exceptional talent. He has come out publicly and said he wants to sign a
:39:26. > :39:30.centre-half. He is doing that as we speak. They have a good chance of
:39:31. > :39:35.staying up. They have goal-scorers. I love watching Defoe, he gets a
:39:36. > :39:43.yard am a brilliant finish. The third goal was slightly calamitous
:39:44. > :39:48.from Villa. You saw the smile on his face in the interview. Fantastic.
:39:49. > :39:51.Sunderland have definitely got a chance in my opinion. A fantastic
:39:52. > :39:56.manager who knows what it takes to stay up in the Premier League. He is
:39:57. > :40:00.fierce and he will get the team organised and he will work and work
:40:01. > :40:07.on the training ground. A good win yesterday but still in the bottom
:40:08. > :40:08.three. They go to Swansea at the Liberty next, a big game for both
:40:09. > :40:16.teams. No easy games in Liberty next, a big game for both
:40:17. > :40:21.League. As I often go on about, in a battle like this, sometimes it is
:40:22. > :40:25.better to be the away team in that situation. Swansea fans will be
:40:26. > :40:29.doing with all the expectation, Sunderland coming to us... Given the
:40:30. > :40:34.situation, it is a game we should be winning. Swansea fans, being at
:40:35. > :40:39.home, will expect a better performance if they back the team.
:40:40. > :40:45.Sometimes the pressure is off, but this is a huge game. It wouldn't
:40:46. > :40:49.surprise me if it was cagey. You have the ball, we will have the
:40:50. > :40:55.ball... The pressure is so huge at this stage of the season, even with
:40:56. > :40:59.18 games to go. It is huge. These are must win games but these teams
:41:00. > :41:07.and that is another one where a draw probably doesn't suit Sunderland
:41:08. > :41:09.match. Four o'clock this afternoon, Everton against Spurs. Glenn Hoddle
:41:10. > :41:17.said this morning that Spurs should aim to win the title this season.
:41:18. > :41:22.Have to agree. They are propping up more and more in that conversation.
:41:23. > :41:27.I don't see it. I just don't see that they have got the players City
:41:28. > :41:32.have got, the players Arsenal have got. I don't see that bit of extra
:41:33. > :41:37.class to make it. But what I think is great about Spurs compared with
:41:38. > :41:41.the team I have written about over the years, they have a very good
:41:42. > :41:47.defence. That has always let them down. They have conceded the fewest
:41:48. > :41:51.of any Premier League club. The relationship between Pochettino and
:41:52. > :41:57.Hugo Lloris seems to be really quite special, dare I say it, like a Keane
:41:58. > :42:01.Ferguson relationship, where they seem to have an understanding behind
:42:02. > :42:07.the scenes. Do you think their defence is better than Manchester
:42:08. > :42:18.City's? I do. Even with company surname in it? That is a big if. --
:42:19. > :42:24.even with Vincent Kompany in it? The problem with that defence, they are
:42:25. > :42:30.never quite sure... They have a reliable power, Spurs. Jan
:42:31. > :42:34.Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. As a former Arsenal striker, do you
:42:35. > :42:40.think Spurs should be aiming to win the title? Definitely. Why not? If
:42:41. > :42:48.they win today, they four points behind Arsenal. Arsenal 43, Surrey,
:42:49. > :42:53.42, Spurs would go to 38. I watched Spurs against Arsenal at the
:42:54. > :42:57.Emirates and they dominated. They have a striker in Harry Kane who is
:42:58. > :43:03.a consistent threat, can do a bit of everything. He gets goals, healings
:43:04. > :43:08.play really well. Defensively, Dele Alli in the middle of the park... --
:43:09. > :43:13.the links play really well. I think they are dark horses. If they don't
:43:14. > :43:17.finish in the top four, it would be a major disappointment. Arsenal went
:43:18. > :43:22.to Southampton the other week and got beat by four. Manchester City
:43:23. > :43:26.losing a few games, not consistent. There is no reason Spurs can't creep
:43:27. > :43:31.up on the outside and cause a bit of an upset. They will certainly be in
:43:32. > :43:36.the mix, Chappers. I would love to see them in the mix, linking back to
:43:37. > :43:38.the Chelsea thing, they are giving young English players a chance to
:43:39. > :43:42.play regularly in the Premier League, and they are doing well.
:43:43. > :43:46.Jake says, if Spurs beat Everton, I reckon it is a three-horse race with
:43:47. > :43:53.them, Arsenal and Manchester City for the title. Thank you, John, Matt
:43:54. > :43:57.and Ian. Much of the Day two, tonight with John and Kevin Kilbane.
:43:58. > :44:04.Everton against Spurs is on five live from for clock. Goodbye. The
:44:05. > :44:06.Mac four o'clock.