03/04/2016 MOTD2 Extra

Good afternoon, welcome to MOTD2 Extra on BBC Two,

Joining me today, Stoke and Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given,

Kevin Kilbane and journalist Amy Lawrence.

We are lucky to have Kevin Kilbane and Shay Given, they have been stuck

in a list together for the last ten minutes. It could have just been me

and Amy! Use the hashtag #bbcfootball

on social media, or text 85058 Norwich boost their survival chances

whilst dealing Newcastle a massive blow in their attempts

to beat the drop. Harry Kane scored but Spurs drop two

points at Anfield, meaning Leicester can extend their lead at the top 27

with over Southampton. What next for Aston Villa? If you are being kind,

you can say they are on the brink of relegation. Some people say they are

down already. What about the headlines?

The Mail on Sunday's sport pull-out has a picture of Harry Kane

with the headline "Have We Blown It?"

The Sunday Mirror focuses on Newcastle's defeat to Norwich,

it also says Danny Drinkwater is set to land a bumper new deal.

And in the Sun - "Roo Aren't Auto Pick."

That is a focus on England. Norwich three, Newcastle two at Carrow Road.

Let's hear from both managers before we get the thoughts of our guests. I

was disappointed at half-time. The first half, we did not play well,

but the second half, I was pleased with the reaction of the team. The

only positive is the reaction of the team. We have to do that before. If

the teams react, that is fine, but we had to do it before. Before, we

scored two goals, we had the control of the game, but then they scored

the third. It will be more difficult. We have seven games to

play and we had to keep confidence, starting with the next game. It is a

pretty critical defeat given the status of the two teams? Yes. What

upset me more is the way that we conceded in the last minute of the

first half. I was really disappointed. But we have to keep

going. You made it difficult? Yes, it is not good for me, I assure you,

but anybody having been up against today has got their money's worth. I

am delighted for our supporters. We are starting to turn it around. We

have picked up seven points in three games, which is great, after a

really poor run. But we need to try to build on that. It is obvious that

the momentum is with Norwich, seven out of a possible nine? Of course,

and scoring goals. We know they concede, but when they are at home,

the crowd is right behind them, the momentum is with them. You can ski

them -- see them scoring goals. If they stay up, it will not be keeping

clean sheets and winning 1- C Rowe, they will have to go and beat sites.

On this programme and others, we have spoken about the psychological

weakness of Norwich, Shay. I am thinking about West Ham coming from

2-0 down, Liverpool from 3-1 down. The fact that they allowed Newcastle

back twice and got a win is as important? It is massive for them.

As a former Newcastle player, it is gutting for Newcastle. It was billed

all week as a cup final for who will win, and obviously Norwich won. But

Norwich look like they have the confidence back, seven points out of

nine games, a couple of months ago they might have drawn or lost that

game, but the confidence from the two previous games gave them a real

lift. They are six points clear of Newcastle at the bottom, it is a big

cushion. And they now have Palace and Sunderland? It has always felt

like such a critical phase, when you look at the body language of their

players, the management of the club and the fans, you could smell

something in the outcome if you like, at Carrow Road yesterday. When

you consider that Newcastle were chasing forward and they got

themselves back in late on, it was such a knife edge, for them to

salvage from such an unexpected source, a left-back not known for

his goal-scoring ROS, it is those moments which sometimes give people

a sense of a miracle, the wind is behind us -- not known for his

goal-scoring prowess. They have two big, big games for the situation at

the bottom, but they believe that they can beat his teams, which will

be massive. I think it is a miracle, I was listening to five live, Chris

Sutton sounded happy. In the commentary yesterday driving home,

it was fabulous listening to them at Carrow Road. He was great yesterday.

Ayew after a new contract? He was on fire yesterday! Lovelace on the

winning goal, as Gary O'Neil said afterwards, if you had a spot the

Ball competition he would have guessed that it would have gone to

the right. On the atmosphere, Ian Dennis said it felt like a play-off

game? It did, that came across yesterday. You are not watching

live, the glistening, the atmosphere was up beta, that is what you get

when you go to Norwich, it is almost like when you go to Leicester, they

have a real, up you to feel. Even when they were struggling they had a

great atmosphere, and you get that at Carrow Road. It is so easy to

have the fear. And they must have 2-2. And the fact they cannot

succumb to that really bodes. As you two revel in the atmosphere, Shay

sits quietly and stews. The position at the bottom of the table, Palace

34, simple and 27, -- Sunderland have 27. They scored a late goal,

yesterday, Mitrovic got the so-called equaliser and Newcastle

thought they had a point. Then to give away a goal in the 93rd minute

is a real kick in the teeth. Denny says was brought in, we spoke about

it upstairs, to sort out the defence, make them tight and hard to

beat. They looked better against Leicester, but to concede three

goals at a fellow relegation candidate is a big disappointment

and they will be scratching their heads, is it too late to survive?

Were you surprised, given what Mitrovic had done against

Sunderland, that he did not start yesterday? There seems to be

criticism around that, but then won the argument is that they have come

back from the international break. He might have carried not, you do

not know the circumstances. As Kevin says, gold is also important. I

think it is imperative that he starts every game. -- goals are so

important. Newcastle are leaking too many goals. You expected it with

Benitez, and they got a bounce against Leicester... In terms of

performance, not result. Rafa Benitez has said the times when they

conceded, late in the first half, late in the second, you need to see

it through until half-time, regrouped, get organised, chat

amongst yourself and the manager has his say, when you get at 2-2 so

late, it is not ideal but you see it through, you literally sit in,

almost have a siege mentality and grind it out. Newcastle, even with

Benitez in there, you cannot change the mentality of the players in

there who have had the losing feeling for such a long time. You

cannot work miracles in a short space of time. And it can't be

helped if your goalkeeper, such an important element to any back four,

to have to deal with that. I feel a bit sorry for Newcastle from that

point of view. If you look at Benitez's characteristics as a coach

at the situation Newcastle R.N., you can't help thinking, why didn't they

do it sooner? You are leaving yourself such a short amount of time

to try to influence the whole way that a team is playing. How quickly

can you realistically turn around a defence that has problems? How

quickly can you get a group of players reorganised? The pressure is

on, and to have to do it in such intense circumstances... I think it

takes time, and Benitez probably realises that. You can have an

immediate effect on a side, but it will be the same old flaws coming

back unless you do it over a long period. And he can change the

players, obviously. Maybe they should have done it earlier, maybe

in January, he could have brought in some players and maybe change their

fortunes, but when he took over in March, any manager who has come in

at the bottom three in March have been 100% relegated, a statistic

that I saw. It is a damning verdict, maybe they should have acted

earlier, it is a big struggle now. If you have to change your

goalkeeper, from a defence point of view, how big a challenge is that

for a back four to adapt to be different goalkeeper, in your

experience? Darlow came in yesterday, he is not inexperienced.

He is inexperienced in the Premier League, he has played a lot in the

Championship. I thought Alan Shearer was a bit harsh on much of the day.

He always is, he is very grumpy. Hates goalkeepers. It flew past him.

He made a great save in the first half. It is not ideal, Rob Elliott

is probably one of their better players, he is out for six months or

whatever with a cruciate, and they lost Tim Krul, so to lose two

goalkeepers in one season... It is not the goalkeeper, let's be

honest... It is very easy to hammer a back four... That is where you can

hammer Newcastle, they are terrible. They lost Tim Krul, that has been an

initial blow. Rob Elliott has played really well, he has been consistent

but is facing so many shots every game, largely down... They have a

lot of experience in the back four, Daryl Janmaat, he is experience but

he is an attacking full-back. Coloccini, it is there ever a

last-gasp challenge. They just don't have that solidity as a back four.

There was a nice treat from Jack Butland to Rob Elliot, saying you

can come around and watch Euro 2016 at my house. Both their injuries...

People were treating me, saying I have a voodoo doll! You will feel

for both of them. I know goalkeepers can be very close when they are

working in teams and partnerships, that it has opened doors for you?

Hopefully, I have a reserve game this week to get back, I have not

played for five months. Hopefully I will come through the reserve game

and push for a start at Stoke. There is a massive summer ahead of us, I

would love to play. And Ireland. But you feel for Jack and Rob, they are

massive injuries. It is remarkable to try to play on with a broken

ankle. But when you are playing, the adrenaline flies through you, you

think it is just eight week or something. Is that an exclusive, you

do not have a voodoo doll?! I definitely don't. Let's move on to

another goalkeeping performance at the Stadium Of Light, Ben Foster's

heroics. Sam Allardyce was reluctantly impressed. Oh, we don't

have Sam Allardyce, we will just talk about it! Ben Foster was asked,

if he had a chance of making the England squad. He probably does? I

would like to think so. We wondered why he was not called up a couple of

weeks ago, when Tom Heaton was called up. No disrespect to Tom

Heaton, but he has been playing in the Championship and Ben Foster has

come back really well. He was Man of the Match yesterday and kept

Sunderland at bay. Jack Butland will miss the European Championships, so

there is the question for who will start? I would like to think that

Ben Foster, playing well in the Premier League, will have to have a

chance. Even how they performed, Sunderland might feel that this was

a missed opportunity, the four point gap tween them and Norwich, even

though they have a game in hand? With Sunderland there is the concern

that it might be death by 1000 draws. The frustration of decent

performances. You can imagine for Sam Allardyce it must be... He must

be wanting to bang his head against the wall, to not get the points that

he feels the performances merit. But he has that experience and will be

saying, we keep doing this, it will come. You have to hope that is the

case. But any more draws, he will start feeling hot under the collar.

They are creating so many chances. On another day they would have

scored two or three yesterday, but for faster. They are creating

chances, getting a friend, but it is the number of goals they are

conceding from winning positions. You would not expect that from a Sam

Allardyce team. I am sure he has worked tirelessly on the defensive

shape, but when you look at Southampton in recent weeks,

Newcastle, they go in front, they concede, they are not able to see it

through. With Norwich, they are creating chances, scoring goals.

Sunderland are scoring goals, albeit they did not yesterday, they create

numerous chances. That could be the way to stay up, if they beat sides

rather than trying to contain. Paul Newcastle says it is tough to accept

that we would be mid-table with this squad if we still had Alan Pardew?

Would they? I don't know. Depends which Alan Pardew. Paul, could you

tell which Alan Pardew? Simon says Newcastle can still stay up. Alex is

only 34 and has achieved more as a manager than Ryan Giggs. One day he

will be out at top club. -- Alex Neil. Let's go to the top of the

table. Leicester can go seven points clear

at the top with victory over Southampton in the

lunchtime kick-off. Guy Mowbray is at the

King Power Stadium. Good afternoon and welcome to

Leicester where the sun is shining as it has been on the Foxes all

season. I am joined by former captain Matt Elliott. Visit

excitement, nervousness, confidence? The supporters are excited and

nervous but the players and their performances are confident. A lot of

people think they are going to capitulate and drop off the pace but

there are no signs of that. Lots of narrow wins recently, Sir Alex

Ferguson says that is the mark of a championship winning team. People

look at a pitfall in whatever performance, that is the thing to

do, people are trying to knock Leicester off the top. And make it

seem difficult for them. They have churned out these results, four

clean sheets in the last five, six goals conceded in 13 games. It is

incredible stuff. We spoke similarly in December and it was more hoping

rather than anything else back then. Is there a real belief now this is

going to happen? I think they're rich, the genuine belief has been

that for a good few weeks if not months. As the season has gone on

confidence has grown, all around the club and the City in general. They

see the performances they are churning out. It has been highly

impressive stuff. I do not see them faltering. They are not feeling the

pressure. The teams below them are under pressure as usual yesterday,

Tottenham concede two points effectively and it puts Leicester in

a strong position. Is the situation a bit different for the players now

or has that mindset from? I do not think they are finding it difficult.

It would be difficult if not none were one point behind, you don't

want to put a negative outlook on it that they can afford to lose two

games and still be top of the league. It sounds ridiculous but it

is a fact. They have that cushion, hopefully they will not need to rely

on that. This afternoon against Southampton will be a very difficult

game, highly talented opposition. Dangerous with that. Leicester have

come up against the odds on a few occasions this season and have come

up trumps. No reason why that should change. Even as you come into

Leicestershire on the motorway you pass the sign saying welcome to

Leicestershire, the Fox on the sign has an extra spring in its step.

STUDIO: It hasn't, it is an inanimate object. Thank you very

much, let's get some team News now with Ian Brown.

I am feeling some tension in the air and I'm supposed to be neutral. That

is because it is now so close for Leicester City. Mathematically five

wins from their last seven games would see today's free doughnuts

replaced by champagne. Loudly a Ranieri has a clean bill of health

after the international break. Kasper Schmeichel is OK. -- Claudio

Ranieri. Southampton arrive in decent form, two defeats in 11 and

last time out was the fantastic comeback victory over Liverpool.

Mane and Wanyama came off the bench to good effect and they start here.

We are at the stage of the season where it feels like when we are

discussing each club virtually every avenue has been exhausted. There is

stuff in the Observer, Paul Doyle talking about Ranieri adapting at

from clubs. He does not have a set philosophy, he looks at the players

and in many ways goes with them. It sounds common sense. The thing about

Ranieri is lots of people do not know him very well. We have

assumptions about him, when he first arrived in England he was the

Tinkerman, he had the funny way of talking. We have had assumptions

looking at his football career since then. In Italy, the nearly man, he

does not win major honours. Assumptions based on a very tiny

period of time when he was manager of Greece. I think you should does

not like the fact that people throw that out in some sums. You lost to

Faroe Islands, oh dear. People say, I went into the terrible situation

and I had four games. -- that him sometimes. But actually a lot of

people do not know him very well at all. And he is a liberal minded,

clever, smart man with a lot of experience who is open-minded to

lots of things. He has his own ways of doing things but he is not

someone with a set methodology that he takes to wherever he is and

expect people to adapt to him. The genius of course this season and

Leicester is that he has not imposed his own ideas, particularly when you

look at the defence, that is a classic Italian -- he has imposed.

They were leaking goals and he worked with them. But he has look at

what he had and gently constructed something, got it to work, and he

does not overcomplicate it. How rare do you think this is as the first

round the table who is still playing Premier League football. How rare in

the modern game visit for a manager to adapt to the players rather than

a manager expecting first to adapt to him? -- is it. I do not know if

it is easier difficult but it is impressive what he has done. I think

Nigel Pearson deserve some credit, it feels like he came on, guess he

changed a couple of things, the full-backs and the couple of

players, but he has continued where they left off last season. It is all

right during that if Leicester had stayed safe this year we would have

said it was another good season. But for them to be top of the link for

most of the season is remarkable. The only thing going back to today

is, last game at Newcastle you could feel there was tension in the

stadium -- last game against Newcastle at home. It was nervous.

It will be interesting to see, Southampton are very good, better

than Newcastle, according to the league position. It will be

interesting to see the nerves in the stadium today. Talking about him

adapting and back to this article, he looked around for someone to

replace Cambiasso, he thought he was the best in front of the defensive

line. We will buy Gokhan Inler, then I chose who was ready for the

friendly, drink water and then Kante. -- Danny Drinkwater. That is

the thing I could not praise him enough for, how he never sings about

him. He is quick to brush everything off. Quick to put it onto the team.

It is about the players and what they did last season and the

continuation. Some managers I feel when maybe you get into that

position you start challenging they start to almost believe in their own

hype. That is not the case with him. He seems like a genuine guy and he

is kind of happy to allow the players and staff to take the

praise. That is the endearing thing I think about Ranieri. The way he

is. When you see Marc Albrighton, you were at Villa within, at

Leicester there are players who have a point to prove. Robert Huth to

Stoke, Higginbotham to Manchester United. -- Danny Drinkwater. When I

was at Villa Marc Albrighton was not even on the bench. It is a fairy

tale story for him and I think that comes from the manager. It is them

the belief and confidence. I know Marc is a bit of a Conference paper

Ranieri has obviously gone in and put his arm around him and said to

him he is a class player. He did not have too beat a player, he can get

balls into the box and Vardy and Mahrez feed off that. There are

other pairs, moderate who has well, free transfer, Matt Phillips talking

about him today. He has been Mansell season. The one thing today that

will set alarm bells going is seeing a message on Twitter on the way here

that says Leicester City champions scarves are on sale. I have just

been told that, as a fan you do not buy those. You do not even want to

look at it. A month ago they are saying it will be then winning the

league, it changes the pressure. As a fan you do not get when you any of

that. As I say they could go seven points clear if they win because

Spurs dropped points Adam Ball last night. -- at Liverpool. I think that

it is hard, it was a decent point. That is the ridiculous situation

that you are analysing the table now and same drawing at Anfield is

dropping points. That is credit to Leicester. I think Tottenham played

really well in a fantastic game, the goal from Harry Kane was

outstanding. They were not at their absolute best but still I think they

could possibly have won the game. With slightly sharper end product.

There is slow enough football to be played that it could be a valuable

point. It was a brilliant game to watch, that is anything you want at

the end of season, the intensity and nerves around the game. Harry Kane's

goal was sublime, outstanding finish, but it was the intensity

watching the game. Seeing the real energy. Both teams as well. They

were both excellent throughout. That is what you want from the Premier

League. That is what sells the Premier League around the world. The

intensity, the real unity from both sides but it was that little bit of

nickel in the game as well. Great game to watch. -- niggle. It was

excellent, Pochettino was punch in the ground at the end, he thought it

was points dropped. Coutinho was excellent. But a fantastic game to

watch. Harry Kane afterward said it was points dropped which shows the

mentality, if you take the positive as a Spurs fan, the mentality. Very

much a different Spurs and within the camp they said it was

constructed. Obviously they are looking at every game thinking they

should win every game which is quite extraordinary when it is not what

you would associate with Tom and going into April. That has not been

there mentality for years. -- with Tottenham in April. We can only

assess that in a few hours and that will be the way for a few weekends

now. They will have to get used to the situation that Tottenham will

play first, and have to deal with the result and probably wait to see

how good a result it might be. And we will keep going round in circles

every Sunday. I think in two weeks' time Spurs play on Monday night.

Aberdeen have taken the lead in the Premiership at home to Hamilton so

that could cut the gap to four points at the top. On Harry Kane,

the back pages today, the Son have said Rooney is not an automatic

pick, the mail on Sunday says he will not be dropped. This will

continue because of Harry Kane, and given that Wayne Rooney is injured,

there is no guaranteed spot? Wayne Rooney has to get fit first and

foremost and playing. If he is fit I think he will go. Whether he would

be automatic choice, realistically it is not deserve to be first choice

striker Uwe Harry Kane is playing. But his goals at international level

and experience suggest he will have a major say in the side. -- the way.

Can I ask you boys who have played... Me? Just checking. Where

the have a captain in the squad who was not playing it is an issue. We

had it at Ireland, Robbie Keane not necessarily first choice at the

Euros. His influence around the dressing room, I think that will be

vital in the summer. Realistically we know as a team of reviews we have

not created an awful lot of chances and Robbie has inevitably

stepped-up. He will play a vital role in the summer. It is a

difficult situation may be considering the experience Robbie

has and the goal C has called he would automatically see himself as

first choice. It is not necessarily the case. -- the goals he has

scored. Is that a conversation between the manager and captain,

look, I want you here for what you bring as well as playing or do you

just have two treat them the same? Robbie is a few years older than

Wayne Rooney. Wayne will still be thinking he should be starting in

the summer. Obviously the big questions, Harry Kane is on fire,

Vardy arguably starting as well. Great headache for Roy Hodgson in

the summer. Sturridge as well, not quite in form but another top-class

striker. It is a nice headache to have,

having so many good strikers. Now we are on to the section that Shay is

really looking forward to. The Total Football pull-out in the People

newspaper has the whole of its front page on Villa, proud history, what

future? Fans are holding up a banner saying no fight, no pride, no

effort, no hope. It is very difficult to disagree with that,

Shay? It is frustrating for the fans. There is a different

demonstration every week. It looks like the club is dying a slow death.

It is inevitable they will end up in the Championship. It is getting the

right manager in charge to get the right players in the summer, they

will have to get rid of some players, they will have to bring in

players who know the Championship and how to get out of it and bring

the right manager to get them out of that division. Their current squad,

if they go down, they could even struggle in the Championship next

season. Who they will bring in is so important, and what players they

bring injuring the summer, but it is sad to see. Aston Villa is such a

big club, such a great club. I was there yesterday, it was awful. The

atmosphere at the start of the game... The players only have

themselves to blame. You could argue that the fans are right, the

attitude of many of them is pathetic. When they started, it was

almost like, how many will we get beaten by today? I always look at

sides when they don't have the ball, the majority in the Premier League,

you will not have the ball for big rereads of the match. It is about

the intensity, closing down, showing a desire to work and close down,

they had nothing yesterday. In all honesty, it was all the slick

Chelsea took their foot off the Gas, they were just walking through them

at will. Once they got the fourth goal, they basically just stroked

the ball around the pitch. There were maybe a few tackles going in, a

couple of bookings, but it was too little, too late, it was like a

token gesture the end. Villa were terrible, I saw them against

Liverpool recently, I saw them yesterday, watching them, it is not

a good watch, you can understand the fans. It is cringeworthy, you almost

can't bear to watch it, it is like watching somebody suffering and you

feel very uncomfortable. I was at another game yesterday and the game

was on in the press box on the television beforehand. You almost

can't bear to watch it. There seems to be so which deep-rooted

disaffection. It is the fans, it is the players, board level, management

level, they have obviously had a lot of problems. When we were young, in

the old days, fans would be able to gather outside in a car park and

directly make eye contact with the owner, sack the board, you know

Preston Marquardt can you do? You with them and and try to make your

point, but the owner is miles away in America. He doesn't even want to

be in charge anyway. Very difficult. Can you understand the hatred of the

funds toward some of the players? If players are being pictured on

holiday, accidentally deleting pictures of cars, which is what the

reason was, as a footballer, can you understand how angry it makes fans

who spend their hard earned money watching you? -- accidentally

tweeting pictures of cards. It is not easy. Many players would have

gone away to unwind because of the little break, but if you opt so far

adrift at the bottom of the league, you had to keep your head down, go

home, close the front door and wait until training on Monday morning,

the last thing they want to see is players in clubs or whatever. It

rubs salt into the wound about, the cars they are hurting so much and it

is not nice to see. The players have to live their life and can turn into

mud is -- can't turn into months. You can go away with your girlfriend

or your mate, or just keep your head down. It stinks, doesn't it, when

you see the pictures? We saw them last week. It automatically that the

fans' backs up, that would have been no mind yesterday. Andy Gray said

yesterday I think Agbonlahor has conned the Villa fans for many

years. It is my opinion, not that of the channel, in a season where they

have been absolutely pathetic, as club captain, I know what it is

like, it is not easy, but they have been shocking, that is what Andy

Gray said yesterday. Then a player was quoted saying that he wants to

play Champions League. He got slaughtered yesterday. All of a

sudden, he comes on and is getting booed, I had not been aware of it.

It will not help you mentally, that statements like that are ridiculous.

Seeing the pictures again, you can't argue too much with what Andy Gray

has said. It is inevitable that they will be relegated, they need a

manager in place now... Jake says it says a lot about

Villa's prestige that David Moyes et have been linked to what would be a

Championship side. Another dealer says that Mick McCarthy could take

them back. Who would you go for? Somebody like Mick McCarthy, Nigel

Pearson, Steve Bruce, managers who are successful at getting teams out

of the Championship. They should do it as soon as possible, Black is in

charge at the moment, they have a new board, they need to make a

statement, let's get a manager in, we will rebuild in the summer, he

will be here for a couple of years, at least it lifts the doom and

gloom. They should be targeting players. You have some players like

guests dead who has been proven in the Championship. -- like Rudy

guested. If you stick with that squad, they could quite easily go

down again. Isn't it imperative that whoever they get in, they get people

out? If there is a bad atmosphere and bad vibes, which there obviously

is, it could be easy... That could hard to do. They might have to cut

their losses and take it on the chin financially, and paid people off,

almost, if necessary, to make a clean break and have a totally

different atmosphere inside the club, starting from as soon as this

season finishes, once they are put out of them is a re-, it has to be a

fresh start. As regards to the high rocky, there were several shots from

the directors box, I don't know if you saw them, they have gone from

all these people who have been criticised and moved on, now we are

told they need football people, how many do they need? They had David

Bernstein, Adrian Bevins, both formerly of the FA, lots of

experience, how many do you need? You want to keep it simple? It sends

out a message to the supporters that we are released trying now, too

little, too late, but at least it looks like there is a structure in

place, a plan going forward. Brian Little, I played under him, he is a

very, very good manager with great knowledge of all aspects of

football, not just Premier League and European. We could rely upon

somebody like him to get the recruitment plan up and running. Did

you ever see Randy Lerner around a Villa? He came to the training

ground a few times, not on a regular basis, but a few times, but I think

in the last season or so he has not been seen at Villa Park. He came out

of the statement couple of years ago saying he wanted to sell, and it is

still on the market. It is all good wanting to sell it, the fans would

like a new owner, but Randy Lerner has said it is time this body else

to take over, but I don't know what price it is up for sale, and all

that will stop it does not seem like they are close to selling it to

anyone. I would like to think you could maybe come back and get

involved. Shay Given, Kevin Kilbane and Amy Lawrence with me.

Manchester City and Arsenal were both 4-0 winners yesterday.

Promoted clubs, against Bournemouth and Watford. Is that a frustration

that if the heat is off, they will not deliver performances? That is

the easiest assessment to make. I always go for the easiest option!

Obviously the pressure is off, they have relaxed a bit, but some other

elements have been important. You can see Kevin De Bruyne coming back,

making a big difference to Man City, what a lovely player he is. There

are some players who have come in recently and have made a big

distance. Alongside Coquelin is gives them a completely different

midfield foundation which has made a big difference to how they play, the

return of Danny Welbeck and it will be has refreshed the front line. --

Danny Welbeck and is Iwobi. With one eye on the Champions League, and you

will hear PSG against Man City this week, those Kevin De Bruyne coming

back slightly change the context? I don't think so. Watching City

playing over the last couple of games, the intensity that they play

at will be another notch for city, I think PSG will have too much for

them. I think Joe Hart was touch and go over yesterday, it would be a big

plus if he could come back. Kevin De Bruyne was class yesterday, you can

see how good he is. It is like a new signing for them, but PSG are

fantastic as well. They go to Paris on Wednesday night, if they get any

sort of score draw, even nil-nil, it would give them a chance, I imagine

PSG will be favourites but I would not rule City out.

On 5live at 4pm, commentary on Manchester United

Louis van Gaal's future is discussed on the back pages

The Sunday Times says, "No sign of LvG going as he rips up

He is changing how the site will train over the course of the summer.

This time last week he was not on a poster for the Far East tour, that

meant he is going, such as the situation at Old Trafford! We are

all good at looking for clues, but the only people who know what is

going on inside Man United. It is obvious he would have a say on their

summer plans, but that does not necessarily mean that Man United do

not have their own plans at a higher level. I wonder if that is down to

Sir Alex Ferguson's interview this week, saying they should keep Van

Gaal. But he will not come out when he is in an ambassadorial role,

saying they should get rid of him?! But it seems to have changed the

course of Van Gaal 's future. But if he gets into the top four and they

win the FA Cup, is that job done? I don't think they would fire him if

he did that. For whatever reason, the Man United fans, and a lot of

them back home as well, they are not happy with Van Gaal for whatever

reason. Lots of transfer rumours around both about Ross Barkley

Andrew Mullen Lukaku leaving Everton? I hope that won't be the

case. Martin as has been saying that Lukaku will leave when we decide. He

is targeting top four, that is how they should be. The squad this

season should be higher up the table because of the players they have.

You can hear updates of Leicester against Southampton as they try to

extend their lead to seven this lunchtime, then full commentary of

Man United against Everton at 4pm. Then on MOTD2 later there will be

full