:00:30. > :00:31.Good afternoon, welcome to MOTD2 Extra on BBC Two,
:00:32. > :00:39.Joining me today, Stoke and Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given,
:00:40. > :00:46.Kevin Kilbane and journalist Amy Lawrence.
:00:47. > :00:53.We are lucky to have Kevin Kilbane and Shay Given, they have been stuck
:00:54. > :00:55.in a list together for the last ten minutes. It could have just been me
:00:56. > :00:57.and Amy! Use the hashtag #bbcfootball
:00:58. > :00:59.on social media, or text 85058 Norwich boost their survival chances
:01:00. > :01:04.whilst dealing Newcastle a massive blow in their attempts
:01:05. > :01:11.to beat the drop. Harry Kane scored but Spurs drop two
:01:12. > :01:21.points at Anfield, meaning Leicester can extend their lead at the top 27
:01:22. > :01:26.with over Southampton. What next for Aston Villa? If you are being kind,
:01:27. > :01:29.you can say they are on the brink of relegation. Some people say they are
:01:30. > :01:30.down already. What about the headlines?
:01:31. > :01:33.The Mail on Sunday's sport pull-out has a picture of Harry Kane
:01:34. > :01:35.with the headline "Have We Blown It?"
:01:36. > :01:37.The Sunday Mirror focuses on Newcastle's defeat to Norwich,
:01:38. > :01:40.it also says Danny Drinkwater is set to land a bumper new deal.
:01:41. > :01:44.And in the Sun - "Roo Aren't Auto Pick."
:01:45. > :01:55.That is a focus on England. Norwich three, Newcastle two at Carrow Road.
:01:56. > :02:01.Let's hear from both managers before we get the thoughts of our guests. I
:02:02. > :02:05.was disappointed at half-time. The first half, we did not play well,
:02:06. > :02:09.but the second half, I was pleased with the reaction of the team. The
:02:10. > :02:14.only positive is the reaction of the team. We have to do that before. If
:02:15. > :02:20.the teams react, that is fine, but we had to do it before. Before, we
:02:21. > :02:24.scored two goals, we had the control of the game, but then they scored
:02:25. > :02:29.the third. It will be more difficult. We have seven games to
:02:30. > :02:34.play and we had to keep confidence, starting with the next game. It is a
:02:35. > :02:43.pretty critical defeat given the status of the two teams? Yes. What
:02:44. > :02:46.upset me more is the way that we conceded in the last minute of the
:02:47. > :03:00.first half. I was really disappointed. But we have to keep
:03:01. > :03:04.going. You made it difficult? Yes, it is not good for me, I assure you,
:03:05. > :03:10.but anybody having been up against today has got their money's worth. I
:03:11. > :03:14.am delighted for our supporters. We are starting to turn it around. We
:03:15. > :03:19.have picked up seven points in three games, which is great, after a
:03:20. > :03:24.really poor run. But we need to try to build on that. It is obvious that
:03:25. > :03:30.the momentum is with Norwich, seven out of a possible nine? Of course,
:03:31. > :03:34.and scoring goals. We know they concede, but when they are at home,
:03:35. > :03:41.the crowd is right behind them, the momentum is with them. You can ski
:03:42. > :03:46.them -- see them scoring goals. If they stay up, it will not be keeping
:03:47. > :03:52.clean sheets and winning 1- C Rowe, they will have to go and beat sites.
:03:53. > :03:56.On this programme and others, we have spoken about the psychological
:03:57. > :04:01.weakness of Norwich, Shay. I am thinking about West Ham coming from
:04:02. > :04:07.2-0 down, Liverpool from 3-1 down. The fact that they allowed Newcastle
:04:08. > :04:12.back twice and got a win is as important? It is massive for them.
:04:13. > :04:18.As a former Newcastle player, it is gutting for Newcastle. It was billed
:04:19. > :04:22.all week as a cup final for who will win, and obviously Norwich won. But
:04:23. > :04:26.Norwich look like they have the confidence back, seven points out of
:04:27. > :04:30.nine games, a couple of months ago they might have drawn or lost that
:04:31. > :04:35.game, but the confidence from the two previous games gave them a real
:04:36. > :04:41.lift. They are six points clear of Newcastle at the bottom, it is a big
:04:42. > :04:44.cushion. And they now have Palace and Sunderland? It has always felt
:04:45. > :04:49.like such a critical phase, when you look at the body language of their
:04:50. > :04:53.players, the management of the club and the fans, you could smell
:04:54. > :04:57.something in the outcome if you like, at Carrow Road yesterday. When
:04:58. > :05:01.you consider that Newcastle were chasing forward and they got
:05:02. > :05:05.themselves back in late on, it was such a knife edge, for them to
:05:06. > :05:11.salvage from such an unexpected source, a left-back not known for
:05:12. > :05:15.his goal-scoring ROS, it is those moments which sometimes give people
:05:16. > :05:23.a sense of a miracle, the wind is behind us -- not known for his
:05:24. > :05:26.goal-scoring prowess. They have two big, big games for the situation at
:05:27. > :05:32.the bottom, but they believe that they can beat his teams, which will
:05:33. > :05:38.be massive. I think it is a miracle, I was listening to five live, Chris
:05:39. > :05:42.Sutton sounded happy. In the commentary yesterday driving home,
:05:43. > :05:48.it was fabulous listening to them at Carrow Road. He was great yesterday.
:05:49. > :05:53.Ayew after a new contract? He was on fire yesterday! Lovelace on the
:05:54. > :05:58.winning goal, as Gary O'Neil said afterwards, if you had a spot the
:05:59. > :06:02.Ball competition he would have guessed that it would have gone to
:06:03. > :06:07.the right. On the atmosphere, Ian Dennis said it felt like a play-off
:06:08. > :06:12.game? It did, that came across yesterday. You are not watching
:06:13. > :06:17.live, the glistening, the atmosphere was up beta, that is what you get
:06:18. > :06:21.when you go to Norwich, it is almost like when you go to Leicester, they
:06:22. > :06:26.have a real, up you to feel. Even when they were struggling they had a
:06:27. > :06:32.great atmosphere, and you get that at Carrow Road. It is so easy to
:06:33. > :06:38.have the fear. And they must have 2-2. And the fact they cannot
:06:39. > :06:43.succumb to that really bodes. As you two revel in the atmosphere, Shay
:06:44. > :06:52.sits quietly and stews. The position at the bottom of the table, Palace
:06:53. > :07:01.34, simple and 27, -- Sunderland have 27. They scored a late goal,
:07:02. > :07:05.yesterday, Mitrovic got the so-called equaliser and Newcastle
:07:06. > :07:10.thought they had a point. Then to give away a goal in the 93rd minute
:07:11. > :07:14.is a real kick in the teeth. Denny says was brought in, we spoke about
:07:15. > :07:19.it upstairs, to sort out the defence, make them tight and hard to
:07:20. > :07:23.beat. They looked better against Leicester, but to concede three
:07:24. > :07:26.goals at a fellow relegation candidate is a big disappointment
:07:27. > :07:33.and they will be scratching their heads, is it too late to survive?
:07:34. > :07:37.Were you surprised, given what Mitrovic had done against
:07:38. > :07:40.Sunderland, that he did not start yesterday? There seems to be
:07:41. > :07:45.criticism around that, but then won the argument is that they have come
:07:46. > :07:52.back from the international break. He might have carried not, you do
:07:53. > :07:55.not know the circumstances. As Kevin says, gold is also important. I
:07:56. > :08:02.think it is imperative that he starts every game. -- goals are so
:08:03. > :08:10.important. Newcastle are leaking too many goals. You expected it with
:08:11. > :08:16.Benitez, and they got a bounce against Leicester... In terms of
:08:17. > :08:21.performance, not result. Rafa Benitez has said the times when they
:08:22. > :08:26.conceded, late in the first half, late in the second, you need to see
:08:27. > :08:28.it through until half-time, regrouped, get organised, chat
:08:29. > :08:34.amongst yourself and the manager has his say, when you get at 2-2 so
:08:35. > :08:39.late, it is not ideal but you see it through, you literally sit in,
:08:40. > :08:44.almost have a siege mentality and grind it out. Newcastle, even with
:08:45. > :08:48.Benitez in there, you cannot change the mentality of the players in
:08:49. > :08:53.there who have had the losing feeling for such a long time. You
:08:54. > :08:57.cannot work miracles in a short space of time. And it can't be
:08:58. > :09:03.helped if your goalkeeper, such an important element to any back four,
:09:04. > :09:09.to have to deal with that. I feel a bit sorry for Newcastle from that
:09:10. > :09:14.point of view. If you look at Benitez's characteristics as a coach
:09:15. > :09:18.at the situation Newcastle R.N., you can't help thinking, why didn't they
:09:19. > :09:22.do it sooner? You are leaving yourself such a short amount of time
:09:23. > :09:27.to try to influence the whole way that a team is playing. How quickly
:09:28. > :09:31.can you realistically turn around a defence that has problems? How
:09:32. > :09:38.quickly can you get a group of players reorganised? The pressure is
:09:39. > :09:45.on, and to have to do it in such intense circumstances... I think it
:09:46. > :09:49.takes time, and Benitez probably realises that. You can have an
:09:50. > :09:53.immediate effect on a side, but it will be the same old flaws coming
:09:54. > :09:59.back unless you do it over a long period. And he can change the
:10:00. > :10:04.players, obviously. Maybe they should have done it earlier, maybe
:10:05. > :10:08.in January, he could have brought in some players and maybe change their
:10:09. > :10:13.fortunes, but when he took over in March, any manager who has come in
:10:14. > :10:18.at the bottom three in March have been 100% relegated, a statistic
:10:19. > :10:22.that I saw. It is a damning verdict, maybe they should have acted
:10:23. > :10:26.earlier, it is a big struggle now. If you have to change your
:10:27. > :10:31.goalkeeper, from a defence point of view, how big a challenge is that
:10:32. > :10:39.for a back four to adapt to be different goalkeeper, in your
:10:40. > :10:42.experience? Darlow came in yesterday, he is not inexperienced.
:10:43. > :10:47.He is inexperienced in the Premier League, he has played a lot in the
:10:48. > :10:53.Championship. I thought Alan Shearer was a bit harsh on much of the day.
:10:54. > :11:00.He always is, he is very grumpy. Hates goalkeepers. It flew past him.
:11:01. > :11:04.He made a great save in the first half. It is not ideal, Rob Elliott
:11:05. > :11:08.is probably one of their better players, he is out for six months or
:11:09. > :11:17.whatever with a cruciate, and they lost Tim Krul, so to lose two
:11:18. > :11:22.goalkeepers in one season... It is not the goalkeeper, let's be
:11:23. > :11:28.honest... It is very easy to hammer a back four... That is where you can
:11:29. > :11:33.hammer Newcastle, they are terrible. They lost Tim Krul, that has been an
:11:34. > :11:38.initial blow. Rob Elliott has played really well, he has been consistent
:11:39. > :11:44.but is facing so many shots every game, largely down... They have a
:11:45. > :11:49.lot of experience in the back four, Daryl Janmaat, he is experience but
:11:50. > :11:55.he is an attacking full-back. Coloccini, it is there ever a
:11:56. > :12:00.last-gasp challenge. They just don't have that solidity as a back four.
:12:01. > :12:03.There was a nice treat from Jack Butland to Rob Elliot, saying you
:12:04. > :12:11.can come around and watch Euro 2016 at my house. Both their injuries...
:12:12. > :12:17.People were treating me, saying I have a voodoo doll! You will feel
:12:18. > :12:21.for both of them. I know goalkeepers can be very close when they are
:12:22. > :12:25.working in teams and partnerships, that it has opened doors for you?
:12:26. > :12:31.Hopefully, I have a reserve game this week to get back, I have not
:12:32. > :12:35.played for five months. Hopefully I will come through the reserve game
:12:36. > :12:40.and push for a start at Stoke. There is a massive summer ahead of us, I
:12:41. > :12:45.would love to play. And Ireland. But you feel for Jack and Rob, they are
:12:46. > :12:51.massive injuries. It is remarkable to try to play on with a broken
:12:52. > :12:54.ankle. But when you are playing, the adrenaline flies through you, you
:12:55. > :13:01.think it is just eight week or something. Is that an exclusive, you
:13:02. > :13:09.do not have a voodoo doll?! I definitely don't. Let's move on to
:13:10. > :13:15.another goalkeeping performance at the Stadium Of Light, Ben Foster's
:13:16. > :13:19.heroics. Sam Allardyce was reluctantly impressed. Oh, we don't
:13:20. > :13:26.have Sam Allardyce, we will just talk about it! Ben Foster was asked,
:13:27. > :13:31.if he had a chance of making the England squad. He probably does? I
:13:32. > :13:36.would like to think so. We wondered why he was not called up a couple of
:13:37. > :13:40.weeks ago, when Tom Heaton was called up. No disrespect to Tom
:13:41. > :13:44.Heaton, but he has been playing in the Championship and Ben Foster has
:13:45. > :13:49.come back really well. He was Man of the Match yesterday and kept
:13:50. > :13:53.Sunderland at bay. Jack Butland will miss the European Championships, so
:13:54. > :13:57.there is the question for who will start? I would like to think that
:13:58. > :14:01.Ben Foster, playing well in the Premier League, will have to have a
:14:02. > :14:04.chance. Even how they performed, Sunderland might feel that this was
:14:05. > :14:10.a missed opportunity, the four point gap tween them and Norwich, even
:14:11. > :14:14.though they have a game in hand? With Sunderland there is the concern
:14:15. > :14:19.that it might be death by 1000 draws. The frustration of decent
:14:20. > :14:24.performances. You can imagine for Sam Allardyce it must be... He must
:14:25. > :14:28.be wanting to bang his head against the wall, to not get the points that
:14:29. > :14:32.he feels the performances merit. But he has that experience and will be
:14:33. > :14:37.saying, we keep doing this, it will come. You have to hope that is the
:14:38. > :14:42.case. But any more draws, he will start feeling hot under the collar.
:14:43. > :14:47.They are creating so many chances. On another day they would have
:14:48. > :14:52.scored two or three yesterday, but for faster. They are creating
:14:53. > :14:55.chances, getting a friend, but it is the number of goals they are
:14:56. > :15:00.conceding from winning positions. You would not expect that from a Sam
:15:01. > :15:04.Allardyce team. I am sure he has worked tirelessly on the defensive
:15:05. > :15:07.shape, but when you look at Southampton in recent weeks,
:15:08. > :15:13.Newcastle, they go in front, they concede, they are not able to see it
:15:14. > :15:16.through. With Norwich, they are creating chances, scoring goals.
:15:17. > :15:22.Sunderland are scoring goals, albeit they did not yesterday, they create
:15:23. > :15:27.numerous chances. That could be the way to stay up, if they beat sides
:15:28. > :15:32.rather than trying to contain. Paul Newcastle says it is tough to accept
:15:33. > :15:38.that we would be mid-table with this squad if we still had Alan Pardew?
:15:39. > :15:48.Would they? I don't know. Depends which Alan Pardew. Paul, could you
:15:49. > :15:55.tell which Alan Pardew? Simon says Newcastle can still stay up. Alex is
:15:56. > :16:00.only 34 and has achieved more as a manager than Ryan Giggs. One day he
:16:01. > :16:04.will be out at top club. -- Alex Neil. Let's go to the top of the
:16:05. > :16:04.table. Leicester can go seven points clear
:16:05. > :16:07.at the top with victory over Southampton in the
:16:08. > :16:08.lunchtime kick-off. Guy Mowbray is at the
:16:09. > :16:15.King Power Stadium. Good afternoon and welcome to
:16:16. > :16:19.Leicester where the sun is shining as it has been on the Foxes all
:16:20. > :16:28.season. I am joined by former captain Matt Elliott. Visit
:16:29. > :16:31.excitement, nervousness, confidence? The supporters are excited and
:16:32. > :16:37.nervous but the players and their performances are confident. A lot of
:16:38. > :16:43.people think they are going to capitulate and drop off the pace but
:16:44. > :16:47.there are no signs of that. Lots of narrow wins recently, Sir Alex
:16:48. > :16:52.Ferguson says that is the mark of a championship winning team. People
:16:53. > :16:55.look at a pitfall in whatever performance, that is the thing to
:16:56. > :17:03.do, people are trying to knock Leicester off the top. And make it
:17:04. > :17:06.seem difficult for them. They have churned out these results, four
:17:07. > :17:12.clean sheets in the last five, six goals conceded in 13 games. It is
:17:13. > :17:15.incredible stuff. We spoke similarly in December and it was more hoping
:17:16. > :17:20.rather than anything else back then. Is there a real belief now this is
:17:21. > :17:24.going to happen? I think they're rich, the genuine belief has been
:17:25. > :17:30.that for a good few weeks if not months. As the season has gone on
:17:31. > :17:35.confidence has grown, all around the club and the City in general. They
:17:36. > :17:39.see the performances they are churning out. It has been highly
:17:40. > :17:44.impressive stuff. I do not see them faltering. They are not feeling the
:17:45. > :17:48.pressure. The teams below them are under pressure as usual yesterday,
:17:49. > :17:53.Tottenham concede two points effectively and it puts Leicester in
:17:54. > :17:59.a strong position. Is the situation a bit different for the players now
:18:00. > :18:02.or has that mindset from? I do not think they are finding it difficult.
:18:03. > :18:07.It would be difficult if not none were one point behind, you don't
:18:08. > :18:11.want to put a negative outlook on it that they can afford to lose two
:18:12. > :18:16.games and still be top of the league. It sounds ridiculous but it
:18:17. > :18:19.is a fact. They have that cushion, hopefully they will not need to rely
:18:20. > :18:24.on that. This afternoon against Southampton will be a very difficult
:18:25. > :18:30.game, highly talented opposition. Dangerous with that. Leicester have
:18:31. > :18:34.come up against the odds on a few occasions this season and have come
:18:35. > :18:37.up trumps. No reason why that should change. Even as you come into
:18:38. > :18:43.Leicestershire on the motorway you pass the sign saying welcome to
:18:44. > :18:48.Leicestershire, the Fox on the sign has an extra spring in its step.
:18:49. > :18:53.STUDIO: It hasn't, it is an inanimate object. Thank you very
:18:54. > :18:56.much, let's get some team News now with Ian Brown.
:18:57. > :19:02.I am feeling some tension in the air and I'm supposed to be neutral. That
:19:03. > :19:07.is because it is now so close for Leicester City. Mathematically five
:19:08. > :19:11.wins from their last seven games would see today's free doughnuts
:19:12. > :19:15.replaced by champagne. Loudly a Ranieri has a clean bill of health
:19:16. > :19:22.after the international break. Kasper Schmeichel is OK. -- Claudio
:19:23. > :19:26.Ranieri. Southampton arrive in decent form, two defeats in 11 and
:19:27. > :19:30.last time out was the fantastic comeback victory over Liverpool.
:19:31. > :19:36.Mane and Wanyama came off the bench to good effect and they start here.
:19:37. > :19:41.We are at the stage of the season where it feels like when we are
:19:42. > :19:47.discussing each club virtually every avenue has been exhausted. There is
:19:48. > :19:56.stuff in the Observer, Paul Doyle talking about Ranieri adapting at
:19:57. > :20:02.from clubs. He does not have a set philosophy, he looks at the players
:20:03. > :20:08.and in many ways goes with them. It sounds common sense. The thing about
:20:09. > :20:12.Ranieri is lots of people do not know him very well. We have
:20:13. > :20:15.assumptions about him, when he first arrived in England he was the
:20:16. > :20:21.Tinkerman, he had the funny way of talking. We have had assumptions
:20:22. > :20:27.looking at his football career since then. In Italy, the nearly man, he
:20:28. > :20:30.does not win major honours. Assumptions based on a very tiny
:20:31. > :20:35.period of time when he was manager of Greece. I think you should does
:20:36. > :20:42.not like the fact that people throw that out in some sums. You lost to
:20:43. > :20:48.Faroe Islands, oh dear. People say, I went into the terrible situation
:20:49. > :20:54.and I had four games. -- that him sometimes. But actually a lot of
:20:55. > :20:59.people do not know him very well at all. And he is a liberal minded,
:21:00. > :21:04.clever, smart man with a lot of experience who is open-minded to
:21:05. > :21:08.lots of things. He has his own ways of doing things but he is not
:21:09. > :21:13.someone with a set methodology that he takes to wherever he is and
:21:14. > :21:17.expect people to adapt to him. The genius of course this season and
:21:18. > :21:20.Leicester is that he has not imposed his own ideas, particularly when you
:21:21. > :21:26.look at the defence, that is a classic Italian -- he has imposed.
:21:27. > :21:33.They were leaking goals and he worked with them. But he has look at
:21:34. > :21:40.what he had and gently constructed something, got it to work, and he
:21:41. > :21:44.does not overcomplicate it. How rare do you think this is as the first
:21:45. > :21:48.round the table who is still playing Premier League football. How rare in
:21:49. > :21:54.the modern game visit for a manager to adapt to the players rather than
:21:55. > :21:59.a manager expecting first to adapt to him? -- is it. I do not know if
:22:00. > :22:03.it is easier difficult but it is impressive what he has done. I think
:22:04. > :22:07.Nigel Pearson deserve some credit, it feels like he came on, guess he
:22:08. > :22:09.changed a couple of things, the full-backs and the couple of
:22:10. > :22:14.players, but he has continued where they left off last season. It is all
:22:15. > :22:18.right during that if Leicester had stayed safe this year we would have
:22:19. > :22:22.said it was another good season. But for them to be top of the link for
:22:23. > :22:27.most of the season is remarkable. The only thing going back to today
:22:28. > :22:30.is, last game at Newcastle you could feel there was tension in the
:22:31. > :22:36.stadium -- last game against Newcastle at home. It was nervous.
:22:37. > :22:40.It will be interesting to see, Southampton are very good, better
:22:41. > :22:43.than Newcastle, according to the league position. It will be
:22:44. > :22:48.interesting to see the nerves in the stadium today. Talking about him
:22:49. > :22:53.adapting and back to this article, he looked around for someone to
:22:54. > :22:57.replace Cambiasso, he thought he was the best in front of the defensive
:22:58. > :23:01.line. We will buy Gokhan Inler, then I chose who was ready for the
:23:02. > :23:09.friendly, drink water and then Kante. -- Danny Drinkwater. That is
:23:10. > :23:16.the thing I could not praise him enough for, how he never sings about
:23:17. > :23:22.him. He is quick to brush everything off. Quick to put it onto the team.
:23:23. > :23:25.It is about the players and what they did last season and the
:23:26. > :23:30.continuation. Some managers I feel when maybe you get into that
:23:31. > :23:34.position you start challenging they start to almost believe in their own
:23:35. > :23:38.hype. That is not the case with him. He seems like a genuine guy and he
:23:39. > :23:43.is kind of happy to allow the players and staff to take the
:23:44. > :23:49.praise. That is the endearing thing I think about Ranieri. The way he
:23:50. > :23:55.is. When you see Marc Albrighton, you were at Villa within, at
:23:56. > :23:59.Leicester there are players who have a point to prove. Robert Huth to
:24:00. > :24:13.Stoke, Higginbotham to Manchester United. -- Danny Drinkwater. When I
:24:14. > :24:17.was at Villa Marc Albrighton was not even on the bench. It is a fairy
:24:18. > :24:22.tale story for him and I think that comes from the manager. It is them
:24:23. > :24:26.the belief and confidence. I know Marc is a bit of a Conference paper
:24:27. > :24:31.Ranieri has obviously gone in and put his arm around him and said to
:24:32. > :24:34.him he is a class player. He did not have too beat a player, he can get
:24:35. > :24:39.balls into the box and Vardy and Mahrez feed off that. There are
:24:40. > :24:43.other pairs, moderate who has well, free transfer, Matt Phillips talking
:24:44. > :24:49.about him today. He has been Mansell season. The one thing today that
:24:50. > :24:59.will set alarm bells going is seeing a message on Twitter on the way here
:25:00. > :25:05.that says Leicester City champions scarves are on sale. I have just
:25:06. > :25:17.been told that, as a fan you do not buy those. You do not even want to
:25:18. > :25:25.look at it. A month ago they are saying it will be then winning the
:25:26. > :25:29.league, it changes the pressure. As a fan you do not get when you any of
:25:30. > :25:33.that. As I say they could go seven points clear if they win because
:25:34. > :25:44.Spurs dropped points Adam Ball last night. -- at Liverpool. I think that
:25:45. > :25:48.it is hard, it was a decent point. That is the ridiculous situation
:25:49. > :25:51.that you are analysing the table now and same drawing at Anfield is
:25:52. > :25:57.dropping points. That is credit to Leicester. I think Tottenham played
:25:58. > :26:01.really well in a fantastic game, the goal from Harry Kane was
:26:02. > :26:06.outstanding. They were not at their absolute best but still I think they
:26:07. > :26:11.could possibly have won the game. With slightly sharper end product.
:26:12. > :26:18.There is slow enough football to be played that it could be a valuable
:26:19. > :26:21.point. It was a brilliant game to watch, that is anything you want at
:26:22. > :26:27.the end of season, the intensity and nerves around the game. Harry Kane's
:26:28. > :26:32.goal was sublime, outstanding finish, but it was the intensity
:26:33. > :26:36.watching the game. Seeing the real energy. Both teams as well. They
:26:37. > :26:40.were both excellent throughout. That is what you want from the Premier
:26:41. > :26:46.League. That is what sells the Premier League around the world. The
:26:47. > :26:49.intensity, the real unity from both sides but it was that little bit of
:26:50. > :27:00.nickel in the game as well. Great game to watch. -- niggle. It was
:27:01. > :27:05.excellent, Pochettino was punch in the ground at the end, he thought it
:27:06. > :27:09.was points dropped. Coutinho was excellent. But a fantastic game to
:27:10. > :27:12.watch. Harry Kane afterward said it was points dropped which shows the
:27:13. > :27:19.mentality, if you take the positive as a Spurs fan, the mentality. Very
:27:20. > :27:23.much a different Spurs and within the camp they said it was
:27:24. > :27:25.constructed. Obviously they are looking at every game thinking they
:27:26. > :27:29.should win every game which is quite extraordinary when it is not what
:27:30. > :27:38.you would associate with Tom and going into April. That has not been
:27:39. > :27:43.there mentality for years. -- with Tottenham in April. We can only
:27:44. > :27:48.assess that in a few hours and that will be the way for a few weekends
:27:49. > :27:52.now. They will have to get used to the situation that Tottenham will
:27:53. > :27:57.play first, and have to deal with the result and probably wait to see
:27:58. > :28:01.how good a result it might be. And we will keep going round in circles
:28:02. > :28:09.every Sunday. I think in two weeks' time Spurs play on Monday night.
:28:10. > :28:12.Aberdeen have taken the lead in the Premiership at home to Hamilton so
:28:13. > :28:20.that could cut the gap to four points at the top. On Harry Kane,
:28:21. > :28:24.the back pages today, the Son have said Rooney is not an automatic
:28:25. > :28:30.pick, the mail on Sunday says he will not be dropped. This will
:28:31. > :28:36.continue because of Harry Kane, and given that Wayne Rooney is injured,
:28:37. > :28:42.there is no guaranteed spot? Wayne Rooney has to get fit first and
:28:43. > :28:45.foremost and playing. If he is fit I think he will go. Whether he would
:28:46. > :28:50.be automatic choice, realistically it is not deserve to be first choice
:28:51. > :28:55.striker Uwe Harry Kane is playing. But his goals at international level
:28:56. > :29:06.and experience suggest he will have a major say in the side. -- the way.
:29:07. > :29:10.Can I ask you boys who have played... Me? Just checking. Where
:29:11. > :29:16.the have a captain in the squad who was not playing it is an issue. We
:29:17. > :29:20.had it at Ireland, Robbie Keane not necessarily first choice at the
:29:21. > :29:25.Euros. His influence around the dressing room, I think that will be
:29:26. > :29:32.vital in the summer. Realistically we know as a team of reviews we have
:29:33. > :29:36.not created an awful lot of chances and Robbie has inevitably
:29:37. > :29:42.stepped-up. He will play a vital role in the summer. It is a
:29:43. > :29:45.difficult situation may be considering the experience Robbie
:29:46. > :29:49.has and the goal C has called he would automatically see himself as
:29:50. > :29:54.first choice. It is not necessarily the case. -- the goals he has
:29:55. > :29:59.scored. Is that a conversation between the manager and captain,
:30:00. > :30:04.look, I want you here for what you bring as well as playing or do you
:30:05. > :30:08.just have two treat them the same? Robbie is a few years older than
:30:09. > :30:12.Wayne Rooney. Wayne will still be thinking he should be starting in
:30:13. > :30:19.the summer. Obviously the big questions, Harry Kane is on fire,
:30:20. > :30:25.Vardy arguably starting as well. Great headache for Roy Hodgson in
:30:26. > :30:26.the summer. Sturridge as well, not quite in form but another top-class
:30:27. > :30:38.striker. It is a nice headache to have,
:30:39. > :30:45.having so many good strikers. Now we are on to the section that Shay is
:30:46. > :30:51.really looking forward to. The Total Football pull-out in the People
:30:52. > :30:56.newspaper has the whole of its front page on Villa, proud history, what
:30:57. > :31:02.future? Fans are holding up a banner saying no fight, no pride, no
:31:03. > :31:10.effort, no hope. It is very difficult to disagree with that,
:31:11. > :31:13.Shay? It is frustrating for the fans. There is a different
:31:14. > :31:19.demonstration every week. It looks like the club is dying a slow death.
:31:20. > :31:22.It is inevitable they will end up in the Championship. It is getting the
:31:23. > :31:26.right manager in charge to get the right players in the summer, they
:31:27. > :31:30.will have to get rid of some players, they will have to bring in
:31:31. > :31:33.players who know the Championship and how to get out of it and bring
:31:34. > :31:40.the right manager to get them out of that division. Their current squad,
:31:41. > :31:44.if they go down, they could even struggle in the Championship next
:31:45. > :31:49.season. Who they will bring in is so important, and what players they
:31:50. > :31:54.bring injuring the summer, but it is sad to see. Aston Villa is such a
:31:55. > :31:59.big club, such a great club. I was there yesterday, it was awful. The
:32:00. > :32:03.atmosphere at the start of the game... The players only have
:32:04. > :32:06.themselves to blame. You could argue that the fans are right, the
:32:07. > :32:14.attitude of many of them is pathetic. When they started, it was
:32:15. > :32:17.almost like, how many will we get beaten by today? I always look at
:32:18. > :32:22.sides when they don't have the ball, the majority in the Premier League,
:32:23. > :32:27.you will not have the ball for big rereads of the match. It is about
:32:28. > :32:31.the intensity, closing down, showing a desire to work and close down,
:32:32. > :32:35.they had nothing yesterday. In all honesty, it was all the slick
:32:36. > :32:38.Chelsea took their foot off the Gas, they were just walking through them
:32:39. > :32:42.at will. Once they got the fourth goal, they basically just stroked
:32:43. > :32:49.the ball around the pitch. There were maybe a few tackles going in, a
:32:50. > :32:56.couple of bookings, but it was too little, too late, it was like a
:32:57. > :33:00.token gesture the end. Villa were terrible, I saw them against
:33:01. > :33:04.Liverpool recently, I saw them yesterday, watching them, it is not
:33:05. > :33:10.a good watch, you can understand the fans. It is cringeworthy, you almost
:33:11. > :33:13.can't bear to watch it, it is like watching somebody suffering and you
:33:14. > :33:17.feel very uncomfortable. I was at another game yesterday and the game
:33:18. > :33:25.was on in the press box on the television beforehand. You almost
:33:26. > :33:29.can't bear to watch it. There seems to be so which deep-rooted
:33:30. > :33:34.disaffection. It is the fans, it is the players, board level, management
:33:35. > :33:38.level, they have obviously had a lot of problems. When we were young, in
:33:39. > :33:43.the old days, fans would be able to gather outside in a car park and
:33:44. > :33:48.directly make eye contact with the owner, sack the board, you know
:33:49. > :33:54.Preston Marquardt can you do? You with them and and try to make your
:33:55. > :34:00.point, but the owner is miles away in America. He doesn't even want to
:34:01. > :34:05.be in charge anyway. Very difficult. Can you understand the hatred of the
:34:06. > :34:10.funds toward some of the players? If players are being pictured on
:34:11. > :34:18.holiday, accidentally deleting pictures of cars, which is what the
:34:19. > :34:21.reason was, as a footballer, can you understand how angry it makes fans
:34:22. > :34:29.who spend their hard earned money watching you? -- accidentally
:34:30. > :34:33.tweeting pictures of cards. It is not easy. Many players would have
:34:34. > :34:38.gone away to unwind because of the little break, but if you opt so far
:34:39. > :34:42.adrift at the bottom of the league, you had to keep your head down, go
:34:43. > :34:47.home, close the front door and wait until training on Monday morning,
:34:48. > :34:52.the last thing they want to see is players in clubs or whatever. It
:34:53. > :34:56.rubs salt into the wound about, the cars they are hurting so much and it
:34:57. > :35:04.is not nice to see. The players have to live their life and can turn into
:35:05. > :35:08.mud is -- can't turn into months. You can go away with your girlfriend
:35:09. > :35:14.or your mate, or just keep your head down. It stinks, doesn't it, when
:35:15. > :35:20.you see the pictures? We saw them last week. It automatically that the
:35:21. > :35:25.fans' backs up, that would have been no mind yesterday. Andy Gray said
:35:26. > :35:30.yesterday I think Agbonlahor has conned the Villa fans for many
:35:31. > :35:35.years. It is my opinion, not that of the channel, in a season where they
:35:36. > :35:38.have been absolutely pathetic, as club captain, I know what it is
:35:39. > :35:45.like, it is not easy, but they have been shocking, that is what Andy
:35:46. > :35:50.Gray said yesterday. Then a player was quoted saying that he wants to
:35:51. > :35:55.play Champions League. He got slaughtered yesterday. All of a
:35:56. > :36:00.sudden, he comes on and is getting booed, I had not been aware of it.
:36:01. > :36:04.It will not help you mentally, that statements like that are ridiculous.
:36:05. > :36:09.Seeing the pictures again, you can't argue too much with what Andy Gray
:36:10. > :36:15.has said. It is inevitable that they will be relegated, they need a
:36:16. > :36:21.manager in place now... Jake says it says a lot about
:36:22. > :36:25.Villa's prestige that David Moyes et have been linked to what would be a
:36:26. > :36:32.Championship side. Another dealer says that Mick McCarthy could take
:36:33. > :36:36.them back. Who would you go for? Somebody like Mick McCarthy, Nigel
:36:37. > :36:40.Pearson, Steve Bruce, managers who are successful at getting teams out
:36:41. > :36:44.of the Championship. They should do it as soon as possible, Black is in
:36:45. > :36:49.charge at the moment, they have a new board, they need to make a
:36:50. > :36:52.statement, let's get a manager in, we will rebuild in the summer, he
:36:53. > :36:57.will be here for a couple of years, at least it lifts the doom and
:36:58. > :37:02.gloom. They should be targeting players. You have some players like
:37:03. > :37:12.guests dead who has been proven in the Championship. -- like Rudy
:37:13. > :37:17.guested. If you stick with that squad, they could quite easily go
:37:18. > :37:22.down again. Isn't it imperative that whoever they get in, they get people
:37:23. > :37:27.out? If there is a bad atmosphere and bad vibes, which there obviously
:37:28. > :37:34.is, it could be easy... That could hard to do. They might have to cut
:37:35. > :37:37.their losses and take it on the chin financially, and paid people off,
:37:38. > :37:41.almost, if necessary, to make a clean break and have a totally
:37:42. > :37:45.different atmosphere inside the club, starting from as soon as this
:37:46. > :37:50.season finishes, once they are put out of them is a re-, it has to be a
:37:51. > :37:54.fresh start. As regards to the high rocky, there were several shots from
:37:55. > :37:58.the directors box, I don't know if you saw them, they have gone from
:37:59. > :38:02.all these people who have been criticised and moved on, now we are
:38:03. > :38:08.told they need football people, how many do they need? They had David
:38:09. > :38:15.Bernstein, Adrian Bevins, both formerly of the FA, lots of
:38:16. > :38:20.experience, how many do you need? You want to keep it simple? It sends
:38:21. > :38:27.out a message to the supporters that we are released trying now, too
:38:28. > :38:32.little, too late, but at least it looks like there is a structure in
:38:33. > :38:37.place, a plan going forward. Brian Little, I played under him, he is a
:38:38. > :38:40.very, very good manager with great knowledge of all aspects of
:38:41. > :38:46.football, not just Premier League and European. We could rely upon
:38:47. > :38:52.somebody like him to get the recruitment plan up and running. Did
:38:53. > :38:58.you ever see Randy Lerner around a Villa? He came to the training
:38:59. > :39:03.ground a few times, not on a regular basis, but a few times, but I think
:39:04. > :39:07.in the last season or so he has not been seen at Villa Park. He came out
:39:08. > :39:13.of the statement couple of years ago saying he wanted to sell, and it is
:39:14. > :39:18.still on the market. It is all good wanting to sell it, the fans would
:39:19. > :39:22.like a new owner, but Randy Lerner has said it is time this body else
:39:23. > :39:25.to take over, but I don't know what price it is up for sale, and all
:39:26. > :39:31.that will stop it does not seem like they are close to selling it to
:39:32. > :39:36.anyone. I would like to think you could maybe come back and get
:39:37. > :39:39.involved. Shay Given, Kevin Kilbane and Amy Lawrence with me.
:39:40. > :39:45.Manchester City and Arsenal were both 4-0 winners yesterday.
:39:46. > :39:52.Promoted clubs, against Bournemouth and Watford. Is that a frustration
:39:53. > :39:57.that if the heat is off, they will not deliver performances? That is
:39:58. > :40:03.the easiest assessment to make. I always go for the easiest option!
:40:04. > :40:07.Obviously the pressure is off, they have relaxed a bit, but some other
:40:08. > :40:12.elements have been important. You can see Kevin De Bruyne coming back,
:40:13. > :40:16.making a big difference to Man City, what a lovely player he is. There
:40:17. > :40:21.are some players who have come in recently and have made a big
:40:22. > :40:26.distance. Alongside Coquelin is gives them a completely different
:40:27. > :40:31.midfield foundation which has made a big difference to how they play, the
:40:32. > :40:46.return of Danny Welbeck and it will be has refreshed the front line. --
:40:47. > :40:50.Danny Welbeck and is Iwobi. With one eye on the Champions League, and you
:40:51. > :40:56.will hear PSG against Man City this week, those Kevin De Bruyne coming
:40:57. > :41:05.back slightly change the context? I don't think so. Watching City
:41:06. > :41:14.playing over the last couple of games, the intensity that they play
:41:15. > :41:20.at will be another notch for city, I think PSG will have too much for
:41:21. > :41:26.them. I think Joe Hart was touch and go over yesterday, it would be a big
:41:27. > :41:32.plus if he could come back. Kevin De Bruyne was class yesterday, you can
:41:33. > :41:37.see how good he is. It is like a new signing for them, but PSG are
:41:38. > :41:43.fantastic as well. They go to Paris on Wednesday night, if they get any
:41:44. > :41:48.sort of score draw, even nil-nil, it would give them a chance, I imagine
:41:49. > :41:52.PSG will be favourites but I would not rule City out.
:41:53. > :41:53.On 5live at 4pm, commentary on Manchester United
:41:54. > :41:57.Louis van Gaal's future is discussed on the back pages
:41:58. > :42:01.The Sunday Times says, "No sign of LvG going as he rips up
:42:02. > :42:09.He is changing how the site will train over the course of the summer.
:42:10. > :42:14.This time last week he was not on a poster for the Far East tour, that
:42:15. > :42:20.meant he is going, such as the situation at Old Trafford! We are
:42:21. > :42:25.all good at looking for clues, but the only people who know what is
:42:26. > :42:28.going on inside Man United. It is obvious he would have a say on their
:42:29. > :42:33.summer plans, but that does not necessarily mean that Man United do
:42:34. > :42:40.not have their own plans at a higher level. I wonder if that is down to
:42:41. > :42:45.Sir Alex Ferguson's interview this week, saying they should keep Van
:42:46. > :42:51.Gaal. But he will not come out when he is in an ambassadorial role,
:42:52. > :42:55.saying they should get rid of him?! But it seems to have changed the
:42:56. > :43:01.course of Van Gaal 's future. But if he gets into the top four and they
:43:02. > :43:07.win the FA Cup, is that job done? I don't think they would fire him if
:43:08. > :43:12.he did that. For whatever reason, the Man United fans, and a lot of
:43:13. > :43:17.them back home as well, they are not happy with Van Gaal for whatever
:43:18. > :43:23.reason. Lots of transfer rumours around both about Ross Barkley
:43:24. > :43:30.Andrew Mullen Lukaku leaving Everton? I hope that won't be the
:43:31. > :43:37.case. Martin as has been saying that Lukaku will leave when we decide. He
:43:38. > :43:42.is targeting top four, that is how they should be. The squad this
:43:43. > :43:45.season should be higher up the table because of the players they have.
:43:46. > :43:52.You can hear updates of Leicester against Southampton as they try to
:43:53. > :44:02.extend their lead to seven this lunchtime, then full commentary of
:44:03. > :44:03.Man United against Everton at 4pm. Then on MOTD2 later there will be
:44:04. > :44:04.full