:00:26. > :00:27.Good afternoon, welcome to MOTD 2 Extra on BBC Two,
:00:28. > :00:33.Joining me today, former Fulham and Middlesbrough
:00:34. > :00:35.goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Hull centre-back Michael Dawson
:00:36. > :00:43.Use the hashtag #bbcfootball on social media, or text 85058
:00:44. > :00:53.We would like your thoughts on the following subjects over the next 45
:00:54. > :00:54.minutes... Coming up, we'll discuss the futures
:00:55. > :00:57.of Arsene Wenger and Alexis Sanchez, who started on the bench
:00:58. > :00:59.in Arsenal's 3-1 From Cup-winner to sinner,
:01:00. > :01:02.Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in the thick of it as Manchester United
:01:03. > :01:05.are frustrated by Bournemouth. A second straight win for Leicester,
:01:06. > :01:07.under Craig Shakespeare, While Middlesbrough drop
:01:08. > :01:11.into the bottom three As far as this morning's newspapers
:01:12. > :01:25.are concerned... Zlatan Ibrahimovic's elbow
:01:26. > :01:27.appears on most back pages. Tyrone Mings and Zlatan Ibrahimovic
:01:28. > :01:31.are both facing retrospective action Mail On Sunday has "Hangover",
:01:32. > :01:35.some referees under fire In the Mirror "We're going to get
:01:36. > :01:38.Koe", Arsenal battle We are going to start with Arsenal
:01:39. > :02:02.after their 3-1 defeat at Anfield. Frustration, really. I think the
:02:03. > :02:08.newsman before kick-off when they learned Sanchez was not going to
:02:09. > :02:12.start. -- and amusement. It's a bizarre one. His stats this season,
:02:13. > :02:16.he has been involved in 21 goals. You leave your star player, an
:02:17. > :02:21.enthusiastic, energetic player on the bench. I don't know, he has
:02:22. > :02:25.clearly done it for reasons perhaps that he is keeping the equally by
:02:26. > :02:29.the team, if you like, but it's a very difficult one to justify.
:02:30. > :02:34.Particularly when your first half performance was as bad as it was.
:02:35. > :02:41.They looked so poor, Arsenal. I think the fans got increasingly
:02:42. > :02:43.frustrated during the course of the game. We will also price as
:02:44. > :02:47.journalists being there at the game. After the game, I spoke to Arsene
:02:48. > :02:52.Wenger. -- we were all surprised. He said he wanted a bit of an aerial
:02:53. > :02:56.threat. Giroud's goal-scoring record against Liverpool is very, very
:02:57. > :03:02.good, but it was a bizarre decision to leave out Sanchez considering the
:03:03. > :03:05.form he has been in. At the risk of affecting team selections when they
:03:06. > :03:10.play Hull next, who would you rather go man-to-man with? It's a good
:03:11. > :03:19.question. Sanchez, we all know what a top player he is. Giroud comes
:03:20. > :03:22.under an awful lot of criticism, whenever I've played against him, he
:03:23. > :03:24.is incredible inside the box. The linkup play is a lot different to
:03:25. > :03:27.Sanchez. If you don't start your main man you are going to come up
:03:28. > :03:31.under a lot of pressure on people asking questions about why he didn't
:03:32. > :03:34.start. When we win the game... Both would be a difficult battle, but you
:03:35. > :03:40.would probably get pulled around for by Sanchez? Sanchez, if you get one
:03:41. > :03:45.versus one with him, he can slaughter you. His quality, for me
:03:46. > :03:49.he is one of the best players in the league. One versus one he is
:03:50. > :03:55.creative. Giroud is a hold-up player in the box. He is a talented man.
:03:56. > :04:00.They just don't get around him, when you go up to him, he normally sticks
:04:01. > :04:05.where he plays, Sanchez. The two centre halves would have been
:04:06. > :04:10.delighted that he wasn't playing. Sanchez asks more questions. When he
:04:11. > :04:15.came on, every time Sanchez got the ball, Clyne was on the back foot, he
:04:16. > :04:18.has got the pace to beat me. Where is Giroud is more predictable. You
:04:19. > :04:22.know as a centre-half you will have more of a battle, more of an aerial
:04:23. > :04:26.threat. He had fewer touches than the goalkeepers in the first half.
:04:27. > :04:30.His service wasn't there and he wasn't involved in the game
:04:31. > :04:34.whatsoever. Do you think that Arsene Wenger had decided on this life he
:04:35. > :04:39.was going to play at Anfield even before the fall when the Leicester?
:04:40. > :04:43.-- decided on this line. I know the centre halves were different, but
:04:44. > :04:48.Liverpool will cause all source of problems by Jamie Vardy running
:04:49. > :04:53.behind the Liverpool centre halves -- were caused all sorts of
:04:54. > :04:56.problems. You would expect Alexis Sanchez to have caused similar
:04:57. > :04:59.problems if he had gone with that sort of line-up was Greg I couldn't
:05:00. > :05:08.begin to understand it. I think he knew from Thursday or Friday. I
:05:09. > :05:13.think he has started a huge game at Liverpool without arguably his best
:05:14. > :05:17.two players. However where you pitch it, I just don't think you can... He
:05:18. > :05:22.is in a no-win situation in trying to explain it. I do think he was
:05:23. > :05:26.talking about the need to have some might be much more direct
:05:27. > :05:30.afterwards, but that is not thing, that is not Arsenal, that is not the
:05:31. > :05:37.Wenger we all philosophy. They just got lost. The team looked stranded
:05:38. > :05:42.in the first half, without direction or a player. I think Sanchez's last
:05:43. > :05:47.game, yes, he came on as a substitute, but his last game at
:05:48. > :05:52.Bayern Munich I thought was so poor, so infuriating and so selfish. And I
:05:53. > :05:55.think it's a bit of a hangover from that. I think when you are a
:05:56. > :05:59.centre-half and you are playing against pace, you don't want that.
:06:00. > :06:04.You would rather play against a big and strong centre-half. Leicester,
:06:05. > :06:08.the two centre halves against Liverpool, body caused all sorts of
:06:09. > :06:16.problems. Pace is not what centre halves want to be playing against.
:06:17. > :06:21.It's as simple as that. Let's hear from a former centre-half, here is a
:06:22. > :06:26.bemused Martin Keown on much of the day last night. Stunning. I really
:06:27. > :06:30.can't understand the thinking behind that, why Arsene Wenger wouldn't
:06:31. > :06:35.want to play him as the best player. He said he wanted to play a bit more
:06:36. > :06:40.direct. They didn't actually do that in the match. They kept on pressing
:06:41. > :06:43.with Lallana. I can't remember, I'm struggling to remember in what kind
:06:44. > :06:48.of tepid Arsenal performance in the last what 20 years and Arsene
:06:49. > :06:53.Wenger. There was a lack of spirit, of fire in their bellies. They just
:06:54. > :06:58.didn't turn up in that first half, left themselves far too much to do.
:06:59. > :07:01.Iain Wright said on BT yesterday evening, John Cross, it's on the
:07:02. > :07:07.back of the Sun this morning as well, Alexis Sanchez quit Arsenal?
:07:08. > :07:11.You can see him doing it as well. Well, he has got less than two years
:07:12. > :07:15.ago. He will have a year left in the summer. Arsenal have a major
:07:16. > :07:19.dilemma. If he is not starting games, he has clearly upset the
:07:20. > :07:24.manager, I think there is only one resolution. PSG want the player, as
:07:25. > :07:27.do Juventus. I think you will have big offers this summer, cute money
:07:28. > :07:32.on offer in China as well. I understand Arsenal have offered him
:07:33. > :07:36.a new contract, it has been on the table for a while, he has not signed
:07:37. > :07:40.it, what's that telling you? There is a frustration. He is an
:07:41. > :07:44.ambitious, brilliant player. I'm not sure if he is in the top five of the
:07:45. > :07:50.world, but if he is not, he is just below it. He is a player that would
:07:51. > :07:54.fit into any top league club that can win trophies. My mates who
:07:55. > :08:06.Arsenal fans are quite pessimistic at the moment. Mark, if they are
:08:07. > :08:09.going to be passed to Mr, could they see a summer where they need a new
:08:10. > :08:11.manager at a club who don't have Alexis Sanchez and won't have to
:08:12. > :08:14.appears league football next season? For me, what would be interesting
:08:15. > :08:16.this season, I think Alexis Sanchez is waiting to see what finger
:08:17. > :08:19.decides to do in the summer, along with a number of players, and that
:08:20. > :08:22.is going to be the key -- what Arsene Wenger decides to do. There
:08:23. > :08:25.will probably be a turnover of players. If you leave is, it's a
:08:26. > :08:29.completely different story because it depends on who comes in and
:08:30. > :08:34.replaces him, what his ideas are, and whether or not players like
:08:35. > :08:46.Sanchez and muscle will re-sign. If you are signing for the manager as
:08:47. > :08:52.much as the club. He either likes you or he doesn't like C. -- will he
:08:53. > :08:57.doesn't like you. Like Mark said, he is made by looking at that. They or
:08:58. > :09:02.a club in limbo, for you, at the moment until they sort out Arsene
:09:03. > :09:07.Wenger's future? Because there is so much talk about this going on, is he
:09:08. > :09:09.going to be there or not? Is Sanchez going to be there? Limbo any
:09:10. > :09:16.football club from a player's point of view is hard to be playing. Also
:09:17. > :09:20.for his own personal contract, is he going to be there? We spoke about
:09:21. > :09:24.the game against Bayern Munich. It was a different performance that you
:09:25. > :09:28.would normally see from Sanchez. He is normally switched on. Selfishness
:09:29. > :09:33.in his game was completely different to what you would normally see on
:09:34. > :09:37.him. What do you think they will do this summer? And if you think you
:09:38. > :09:43.will go, but do you think Arsenal will go for? Allegri, your paper,
:09:44. > :09:48.the Mayor, the headline says that they will try to get Ronald Koeman
:09:49. > :09:52.from Everton. -- the mirror. He would do you think they will go for?
:09:53. > :09:56.It's in the balance, there is no doubt about it. There is a contract
:09:57. > :09:59.offer of Arsene Wenger to stay, but he is not stupid, he knows the
:10:00. > :10:04.tension amongst the fans. I don't think you staying at the finish
:10:05. > :10:07.outside the top four. It is a huge decision to make so I don't think he
:10:08. > :10:14.will stay. They could have gone the Guardiola and felt they had a good
:10:15. > :10:17.chance last season. There is not an actual really obvious replacement.
:10:18. > :10:23.There are managers they could go for, but for me, I think Arsenal
:10:24. > :10:26.felt that Guardiola would have been a great success because of the way
:10:27. > :10:29.he plays football, the style. I don't think there is a natural
:10:30. > :10:34.successor. Managers they are probably looking at and scouting and
:10:35. > :10:39.thinking. But I think it so depends on what happens to the outcome of
:10:40. > :10:43.Arsenal's season. Whether they finish in the top four or can rescue
:10:44. > :10:48.the season with a Cup. He is more likely to go in the summer than ever
:10:49. > :10:51.before. Arsenal have not been in this situation before. Ronald
:10:52. > :10:56.Koeman, would he really leave Everton? Could they get him out of
:10:57. > :11:00.Everton? He would be a good fit. I also think Allegri would be popular,
:11:01. > :11:08.bearing in mind Conte and the success he has had at Chelsea. Wane
:11:09. > :11:12.said on Facebook, Arsene Wenger cut his nose off despite his face trying
:11:13. > :11:19.to make a point that no player is bigger than the club. Paul Davies
:11:20. > :11:25.says, it was 100% the correct decision by finger. They are seeing
:11:26. > :11:32.how badly we can play before he leaves. Chris Evans, starting
:11:33. > :11:36.Sanchez on the bench shows he has lost the plot. Steven Gerrard on
:11:37. > :11:40.Friday night on 5 Live set, Liverpool are at their best when
:11:41. > :11:44.teams try to go toe to toe with them, i.e., don't set up to defend
:11:45. > :11:48.and hit them on the break. Being part of the Hull side that has
:11:49. > :11:52.beaten Liverpool this season, was that your philosophy then, keep it
:11:53. > :12:01.tight, keep it tight and try and Nick Watt? You have two. With the
:12:02. > :12:04.front three that they have. -- try and make one. They have players that
:12:05. > :12:06.can hurt you. Firmino, they are world-class players. If you give
:12:07. > :12:09.them space, they will hurt you. We didn't give them space when they
:12:10. > :12:14.came to the KCOM. We hit them on the break, and it worked. Arsenal
:12:15. > :12:22.couldn't deal with it. That is what Liverpool are good at. Their record
:12:23. > :12:26.against the other top six is phenomenal. It is very good. With
:12:27. > :12:30.Liverpool, it works one way or the other. One is to sit back, absorb
:12:31. > :12:34.the pressure and hit them on the counter. It works less frequently as
:12:35. > :12:38.opposed to closing them down and starting from the front. Like Lester
:12:39. > :12:43.did, put them under pressure right from the off. Jurgen Klopp wants
:12:44. > :12:47.them to play out of the back all the time. If you put them under
:12:48. > :12:51.pressure, you will force errors, it has shown time and time again this
:12:52. > :12:55.season. If you don't do that effectively, they will blow your
:12:56. > :12:58.way. That is what they like to do at Anfield in particular when they play
:12:59. > :13:04.the big teams. You look at the Leicester game, they have players
:13:05. > :13:09.getting in behind them. Fardy caused them all kinds of problems. He is so
:13:10. > :13:12.far up the field, one ball in and he is creating chances. The game at
:13:13. > :13:15.Anfield yesterday, the way they dominate, they are a joy to watch
:13:16. > :13:21.when they are in the form that they are at Anfield. When they played
:13:22. > :13:25.Spurs as well a couple of weeks ago. I thought Mane was terrific, his
:13:26. > :13:30.energy and determination destroyed them time and time again. The front
:13:31. > :13:35.three what all like that. Lallana's effort and application from midfield
:13:36. > :13:38.was absolutely fantastic. I know Lallana has switched positions,
:13:39. > :13:41.joining up with the front three times, but he is so effective in
:13:42. > :13:45.that midfield three. I thought he ran the game from midfield
:13:46. > :13:48.yesterday, absolutely sublime. Last night I didn't think Liverpool
:13:49. > :13:53.played their best. I thought they sat back a little bit, possibly, you
:13:54. > :13:58.know, off the back of the Leicester defeat. They weren't as in your face
:13:59. > :14:01.as normal. But I think the way that Arsenal setup and the way that
:14:02. > :14:05.Arsenal played it allows Liverpool to gain confidence and win the game.
:14:06. > :14:10.Firmino, one of the best performances I have seen last night.
:14:11. > :14:13.He scored the first, was involved in the second with Mane. You know, Mane
:14:14. > :14:20.can create something from nothing, he has shown that time and time
:14:21. > :14:24.again this season. Let's move on to the first of today's two games.
:14:25. > :14:34.And Hugo Lloris says his manager should take all of the credit.
:14:35. > :14:42.I think, thanks to the gaffer, since the beginning he has brought his
:14:43. > :14:46.energy, he has brought his philosophy, he's created a real
:14:47. > :14:50.atmosphere inside the training ground. And in Tottenham Hotspur
:14:51. > :14:54.since five years now, and I still think that today it is not the same
:14:55. > :15:01.club as when I first joined. We have improved a lot. And I think the gap
:15:02. > :15:06.with the best club in England, and this is a way that we try to go, all
:15:07. > :15:09.together, united, and all committed with the club.
:15:10. > :15:15.A club you used to play for Michael, I'm sure you are still in contact
:15:16. > :15:17.with the players that are stored there. What do you think has been
:15:18. > :15:28.the big difference? Is belief? It is Pochettino as well. When I
:15:29. > :15:33.left he had just arrived. They are moving to a new stadium, training
:15:34. > :15:38.ground, the players he has brought in and away the young players have
:15:39. > :15:45.developed, Kyle and Danny Rose, for me they are the best full-backs in
:15:46. > :15:49.the league, if not in the world at this point. When either of them
:15:50. > :15:55.don't play they are not the same team because they are that good
:15:56. > :15:59.going forward. That would give Harry Kane freedom. Dembele, Wanyama,
:16:00. > :16:07.Alderweireld, big signings who can take the club to the next level. Is
:16:08. > :16:14.it mentality? I think Pochettino has instilled the belief. I still think
:16:15. > :16:21.they need a trophy. Going out of the Europa League was a serious setback.
:16:22. > :16:24.That was an opportunity for them. I know we deride the Europa League in
:16:25. > :16:31.this country but I just think Pochettino has made such amazing
:16:32. > :16:35.strides out of them. Transform the club and push them into being
:16:36. > :16:41.regulars in the top four. He has that potential and a brilliant young
:16:42. > :16:46.team. To make an extent they need some silverware. Then I think there
:16:47. > :16:52.is no stopping them. With the new stadium as well. There is so much
:16:53. > :16:57.potential. : McNamara is at White Hart Lane.
:16:58. > :17:02.Tom and have only lost once at home in the Premier League in every year
:17:03. > :17:06.but the one visiting manager who did win here was Ronald Koeman, at the
:17:07. > :17:11.back end of last season with Southampton. Pochettino names and
:17:12. > :17:15.unchanged team from last weekend, Harry Kane scoring 12 goals in 11
:17:16. > :17:20.games so far this year. Everton also have a striker informed, Romelu
:17:21. > :17:24.Lukaku level with Duncan Ferguson's club record last weekend against
:17:25. > :17:30.Sunderland. The joint top scorer along with Sanchez in the top five
:17:31. > :17:32.this season. Everton unbeaten in nine league games, just one change,
:17:33. > :17:44.Gareth Barry can begin. I will ask you a two of you not on
:17:45. > :17:48.social media so all of the stick will be John Cross. Who would you
:17:49. > :17:55.rather have in your starting team, Romelu Lukaku or Harry Kane? I was
:17:56. > :18:01.with Romelu Lukaku and Chelsea, he showed glimpses, you could see he
:18:02. > :18:06.had the talent and ability. At Everton he has re-established
:18:07. > :18:14.himself as a regular top scorer. Harry Kane, I think a lot of people
:18:15. > :18:20.are supplied to the way he has consistently scored goals. At this
:18:21. > :18:29.stage it is the toss of a coin, but I will sit on the fence. I'm not
:18:30. > :18:37.sure that was an option. I did not say Lukaku, Harry Kane, fence? It is
:18:38. > :18:46.a tough one. If I read the stats to you, people will have releasing
:18:47. > :18:54.this. Both players have 17 goals, 21 games for Harry Kane, 25 Lukaku. 63
:18:55. > :19:02.and 68 shots. Conversion rate of 27%, 25% for the Lukaku. So it is
:19:03. > :19:09.fair to sit on the fence. Defence is not strong enough for anybody to
:19:10. > :19:19.join you. Who would you rather be marking? I mean, playing with
:19:20. > :19:27.Harry... Coincidently. Training with him, when he was young I scene where
:19:28. > :19:35.has gone to, however the reserves get on? The years the goal-scorer,
:19:36. > :19:41.he would get Cav. Half chance and in the back of the net. Lukaku when I
:19:42. > :19:45.played against him he is so strong, everyone says you should get tight
:19:46. > :19:53.that you can't do that because he will roll you. The goal last week he
:19:54. > :20:03.is that strong. I will sit on the fence... I'm still following Spurs,
:20:04. > :20:06.Harry is the goal-scorer. Might have to play against them last game of
:20:07. > :20:13.the season. So you are on the fence as well. The two not on social media
:20:14. > :20:17.on the fence. As the one on social media, the stick will be coming your
:20:18. > :20:26.way. Believe me, Everton fans of the most brutal fans of social media.
:20:27. > :20:31.Having said that I am still going for Harry Kane. Open goal for
:20:32. > :20:36.Everton fans. Over the next five years I would hang my hassle him
:20:37. > :20:44.getting 25 goals every season rather than Lukaku. I think maybe Lukaku
:20:45. > :20:47.more of the all-round package. I would not save battering ram that
:20:48. > :20:52.the leader of the line. I just think your goals for forward, if I had to
:20:53. > :21:00.pick one I would go with Harry Kane. He is terrific. What has been the
:21:01. > :21:09.big change in his game since the reserves when you were aware of him.
:21:10. > :21:16.Is it literally getting stronger? His physique has come with age.
:21:17. > :21:25.Harry when he was a young lad went out on load, and wasn't scoring
:21:26. > :21:29.goals that he is now. As a team player when you play against him he
:21:30. > :21:34.works as socks off. For someone with the quality he has, to work the
:21:35. > :21:40.Centre forward line figures is incredible. When he doesn't play
:21:41. > :21:46.Spurs them seem to take. For Everton, we keep talking about the
:21:47. > :21:54.top six going. Four, are we doing everything in the service? They are
:21:55. > :21:57.not quite there yet. It is a little bit too far at this stage and it
:21:58. > :22:02.shows by also the way Ronald Koeman chops and changes his team quite
:22:03. > :22:05.regularly. He hasn't got that established XI where he can say they
:22:06. > :22:10.are the ones to rely on whereas there is the think they have got 12
:22:11. > :22:16.or 13 players Pochettino can rely on every week. Perhaps because Everton
:22:17. > :22:22.are not as far down the process. That's right, he said judge me after
:22:23. > :22:28.the second lot of transfer windows. Then I will have the squad that I
:22:29. > :22:32.believe is capable of competing. They are halfway through that
:22:33. > :22:37.process. It is going to take time. What they are doing at the moment I
:22:38. > :22:42.think is exceptional and he has taken on even though they had that
:22:43. > :22:47.period when they struggled, but since then they have really come on
:22:48. > :22:53.and they looked very strong. Great to see the young lads getting a
:22:54. > :22:58.chance, Davis, Luckman. Davis was excellent at Hull. The first time I
:22:59. > :23:05.have seen him, he went from strength to strength since then. The a few
:23:06. > :23:11.weeks ago because Man City, his performance was topped off with a
:23:12. > :23:15.goal. He is a young English that hopefully for the future will be an
:23:16. > :23:21.international. Like Barkley, the further you love watching. A lot of
:23:22. > :23:28.criticism earlier in the season. Maybe some of it unfair. But the
:23:29. > :23:37.prospects. In the Sunday Times Steve Walsh, referring to him as the next
:23:38. > :23:43.Bryan Robson. That is a heck praise. Suddenly is to me because he was my
:23:44. > :23:52.boyhood hero. I mean, Ross Barkley clearly doesn't lack belief at all.
:23:53. > :24:02.Davis, he said. Wow, OK. His socks rolled down, he is a bit of a
:24:03. > :24:10.throwback. Is he really the Robson type? Captain Marvel. Davis I think
:24:11. > :24:17.is more forward. It is great to see Koeman. The accusation was a little
:24:18. > :24:22.bit at Southampton that he did not bring in the young players that
:24:23. > :24:30.actually he is embracing it now. Giving Luckman an early opportunity.
:24:31. > :24:37.Ross Barkley, he gave him some serious tough love and the staff of
:24:38. > :24:41.the season. Nothing more critical of Barkley than his own manager and
:24:42. > :24:46.actually now we begin to think, I still do not think he has quite
:24:47. > :24:50.realised his huge potential but if there is one manager who could get
:24:51. > :24:56.the best out of them it would be Koeman., quickly keeps their feet on
:24:57. > :25:00.the ground, after that Man City performance he said it was just one
:25:01. > :25:05.game. An awful lot of work still to do. That is right, the black Steven
:25:06. > :25:07.Gerrard did it for years which is what makes them world-class. Let's
:25:08. > :25:27.move on to yesterday. Ibrahimovic and his elbow contacting
:25:28. > :25:31.Tyron is. This is what he said. Listen, on TV you can see images
:25:32. > :25:36.whatever. In my situation I jumped up, I Jumpei, at the same time I
:25:37. > :25:44.protect myself and unlikely the chance into my elbow. Many times
:25:45. > :25:53.these occasions happen and I hope you didn't get injured. Jumped into
:25:54. > :25:56.his elbow. Do you see it that way? It doesn't look good. The only thing
:25:57. > :26:04.you would say is there was a motion towards his direction, and it is a
:26:05. > :26:10.bad challenge. However referee Mrs it I don't know. That all comes
:26:11. > :26:15.about because of the chalice beforehand. -- misses. But I think
:26:16. > :26:21.misses accidentally treads on Ivanisevic, he knows it gets context
:26:22. > :26:26.that I do not think he knows it is his head. That is the result of that
:26:27. > :26:31.challenge. Ibrahimovic clearly upset about that. He goes in a bit more
:26:32. > :26:38.forcefully than you probably would normally. You would expect the first
:26:39. > :26:44.to be sited retrospectively? Caen -- you expect both players to be cited
:26:45. > :26:52.retrospectively. They were having a go at each other for 45 minutes.
:26:53. > :26:57.Ibrahimovic had thrown Mings to the ground five minutes earlier. People
:26:58. > :27:01.saying how good a battle it was. All of a sudden this happens now it has
:27:02. > :27:06.been taken, there is that elbow and stamp, Mark does not believe it was
:27:07. > :27:12.intentional but only Mings knows that. The elbow looks as though he
:27:13. > :27:21.has had a go. I'm sure the referee will be looking. They will, on the?
:27:22. > :27:27.Without any shadow of a doubt Zlatan will be cited. I thought it was a
:27:28. > :27:30.running battle. He feels whether Mings meant it or not, that one is
:27:31. > :27:38.less clear-cut, I think there's no doubt when you see Zlatan looking
:27:39. > :27:43.up, he thinks Mings has done him. I think he has gone out to avenge
:27:44. > :27:48.that. It is a very clear elbow. I will be amazed if he does not get
:27:49. > :27:53.charged. Trevor says they should both be given retrospective bands.
:27:54. > :28:00.The Abramovich has no excuse. It was dirty from both players. Another
:28:01. > :28:06.disgraceful performance. Kevin Friend was ridiculously bad, the
:28:07. > :28:16.referee. How did Ibisevic survive with only one yellow?
:28:17. > :28:23.The mail on Sunday has headlined the referee 's stag do for Anthony
:28:24. > :28:26.Taylor during the week. What is wrong with that? Nothing really.
:28:27. > :28:34.When you look at the performances this weekend is that a coincidence?
:28:35. > :28:42.Just unfortunate? One of those that stands out is Swansea Bernie, the
:28:43. > :28:50.handball given against Swansea. It was such a bad decision. It was a
:28:51. > :28:56.bad decision, mistaken identity, it wasn't because they were on a stag
:28:57. > :29:05.do the week before. They have had a time. Maybe they were confused after
:29:06. > :29:10.seeing people calling for a abattoir. Next season when you do
:29:11. > :29:14.that you are inviting criticism. Yes they got permission from the Premier
:29:15. > :29:21.League but three of them went away to Marbella and afterwards it was
:29:22. > :29:32.highlighted, Greg Foe by the way, in The Times, brilliant story,
:29:33. > :29:38.basically on red alert. Sure enough two of them have had nightmares. It
:29:39. > :29:41.is the wrong time to do it. , it is lifeless, when you see them out,
:29:42. > :29:47.having a get together, if you don't then perform you are coming under an
:29:48. > :29:49.awful lot of pressure. You are reading things, now the referees are
:29:50. > :29:54.doing that because they didn't perform well yesterday. Obviously
:29:55. > :30:03.the Swansea- anyone could have ended up not being so costly. He could
:30:04. > :30:04.have been under more pressure. So the ten months of year they have to
:30:05. > :30:13.live monastic click? If a group of players went on a stag
:30:14. > :30:19.do mid-season, they would get hammered, they really would.
:30:20. > :30:23.Mid-season. Leicester last Christmas, they were dressed up as
:30:24. > :30:30.teenage Ninja Turtles and went abroad at! Everybody was saying that
:30:31. > :30:34.it was team spirit. It was a three-day stag do, that was beyond
:30:35. > :30:38.the pale. By the way, Leicester were able to do it because the following
:30:39. > :30:42.weekend they performed and then the following weekend and they won the
:30:43. > :30:46.title. That is when you get away with it. If you perform the next
:30:47. > :30:51.game, everything is OK, they talk about it and joke about it. But when
:30:52. > :30:55.the performance doesn't match up to it then all of a sudden you are open
:30:56. > :31:02.for criticism. Unfortunately for the referees, it was the very next game.
:31:03. > :31:08.A three-day stag do doesn't mean they are on the lash for three days.
:31:09. > :31:12.We are judging them by our own standards at! Inevitably when you
:31:13. > :31:17.have journalists and footballers involved, it is very debauched.
:31:18. > :31:21.Mistakes happen, it's not the first time a referee has made a mistake
:31:22. > :31:25.and got it wrong, but it gives people opportunities to look at, why
:31:26. > :31:31.has that happened? It's got nothing to do with the stag do, but were
:31:32. > :31:39.chatting about it. I saw it wit, I think it was Daniel Sturridge. Be
:31:40. > :31:43.prepared for discussion about whether referees should go on stag
:31:44. > :31:49.dos! Aside from the stag do, the serious point is at Old Trafford,
:31:50. > :31:57.for example, the Hull who heart regarding Mainz and Ibrahimovic just
:31:58. > :32:03.took two minutes to sort it out -- regarding Tyrone Mings. With a video
:32:04. > :32:08.screen it could probably have been sorted in one minute or 90 seconds
:32:09. > :32:17.and you have moved on. As long as they haven't been on a stag do!
:32:18. > :32:21.Video technology is a must. It is a multi-billion pound industry. It is
:32:22. > :32:25.laughable not to give them the technology. The Premier League are
:32:26. > :32:31.onside with it, I think the FA are, the sooner it comes the better.
:32:32. > :32:36.There are times, when you look at the Mainz challenge, are you 100%
:32:37. > :32:40.sure that he didn't do it on purpose -- the Tyrone Mings challenge. If he
:32:41. > :32:43.didn't do it on purpose, if you can establish that, does that mean he
:32:44. > :32:49.doesn't get penalised for it even though it was just an accident. You
:32:50. > :32:54.are still allowed uncertainty with video technology. If you take Rugby
:32:55. > :33:03.Union Orogbemi, if it is given as a Traore field, and -- a try on the
:33:04. > :33:08.field, the referee will say, I'm giving it, you have to find a reason
:33:09. > :33:13.for me not to give it. You can still have the uncertainty. We have that,
:33:14. > :33:17.we still have it. Look at the Burnley incident. It was some folks
:33:18. > :33:23.who handled the ball last, it was very clear. Many people will say,
:33:24. > :33:27.that wasn't a penalty. With Tyrone Mings, the elbow, you probably have
:33:28. > :33:31.to have a panel of four people, yes or no. In all of the sports that
:33:32. > :33:36.have the technology, there are still instances where it is not clear,
:33:37. > :33:40.like cricket. You will eliminate with the handball, you will
:33:41. > :33:44.eliminate things like that which are so obvious and you can reverse that
:33:45. > :33:49.decision right there and then, which can have a major, major bearing on
:33:50. > :33:53.the club's future. It is so tough on the referees as well. Would you want
:33:54. > :33:58.to be in their shoes? We are watching on TV and saying, is that a
:33:59. > :34:01.penalty or not? We have to give them credit, they get a lot of criticism
:34:02. > :34:08.as well. A little more video analysis. Write when the decision
:34:09. > :34:14.has gone against you, you say to the referee, I realise it's tough for
:34:15. > :34:18.you, I accept that! The Scottish Cup quarterfinal weekend. Holders
:34:19. > :34:22.Hibernian went through yesterday. How are Celtic doing? Celtic on the
:34:23. > :34:27.losing to the bottom club in the Scottish championship. It was a
:34:28. > :34:31.beautiful training ground move, a free kick played to Cammy Smith who
:34:32. > :34:36.peeled off at the last second from his marker, got into space, John
:34:37. > :34:43.Sutton headed back across the goal and Davies from close range left
:34:44. > :34:48.footed past Gordon. Celtic are trailing Sinckler and by 1-0. Let's
:34:49. > :34:50.focus on Leicester's 3-1 win over Hull.
:34:51. > :34:53.Two consecutive victories under caretaker Craig Shakespeare.
:34:54. > :34:58.Martin Keown had some rather interesting, is to make an much of
:34:59. > :35:03.the day last night. This is what he said. He suddenly wants to be a
:35:04. > :35:07.manager, it doesn't really said that comfortably with me. If you are an
:35:08. > :35:12.assistant manager for Ranieri and he has walked, why do you certainly
:35:13. > :35:17.want to be the manager? It is not necessarily Ranieri's man who was
:35:18. > :35:20.brought in. You have personal ambition, but I feel it is almost
:35:21. > :35:24.out of order he wants to jump in for that job. Surely they will go for a
:35:25. > :35:28.manager that is bigger with more experience. Leicester are a big club
:35:29. > :35:31.to manage, they are playing in the Champions League. I re-round bout
:35:32. > :35:38.three times just to check that that is what he was saying. Tom says the
:35:39. > :35:43.pundits or Shakespeare's back from wanting the job. Shakespeare has
:35:44. > :35:49.been here four years and has more right than anyone to throw his hat
:35:50. > :35:53.in the ring, says Andy. I don't have a problem with it. It is not Craig
:35:54. > :35:57.Shakespeare's problem or fault that the manager has been released of his
:35:58. > :36:02.duty. He has been there for a number of years, he feels he is up for the
:36:03. > :36:05.job. On the last two performances, the way he has turned the attitude
:36:06. > :36:10.of the players around, the enthusiasm and the joy back in the
:36:11. > :36:13.game for the players, why not? Why not give him the opportunity for now
:36:14. > :36:16.until the end of the season? Unless they have got somebody who they have
:36:17. > :36:20.had their eye on and think is the ideal person for the job, why not
:36:21. > :36:27.give it to him? What happens when a number two takes over? It happened
:36:28. > :36:30.at Hull over the summer when Mike Phelan stepped up. It started great
:36:31. > :36:35.but then things started to go awry. Is there an automatic increase in
:36:36. > :36:39.energy and belief to try and do it for the number two? You have seen
:36:40. > :36:44.the reaction they have got at Leicester, two games and two wins.
:36:45. > :36:47.Ourselves at Hull, when we went through a situation when Steve Bruce
:36:48. > :36:51.left and Mike Phelan took over, we were in a difficult situation
:36:52. > :36:55.because we had just been promoted. The staff had left us well. Mike did
:36:56. > :37:00.an incredible job with the players that we had, there was a lot of
:37:01. > :37:11.injuries. And he got us off to a great start.
:37:12. > :37:16.Obviously he got the job and things didn't go to plan. We all know it is
:37:17. > :37:18.a game on results, if you don't get the results, unfortunately is the
:37:19. > :37:20.manager who gets the sack. The relationship changes, doesn't it?
:37:21. > :37:23.Being a captain, you speak to the gaffer now, he never really changed
:37:24. > :37:26.too much. He was still doing the coaching, an awful lot of coaching
:37:27. > :37:30.when Steve was there, but then you have the press to do, signing
:37:31. > :37:34.players, going from a coach to a manager must be incredible. When he
:37:35. > :37:37.goes home and doesn't have to deal with players. Now he has to deal
:37:38. > :37:41.with everyone, the whole training ground. It must be a big deal for
:37:42. > :37:49.him. But they have got the reaction that Leicester wanted. Not what Hull
:37:50. > :37:52.City wanted because they had a great win against us yesterday. If you
:37:53. > :37:55.follow Michael's for process that, at the moment Craig Shakespeare is
:37:56. > :37:59.very much coaching the players and getting the results, and everything
:38:00. > :38:02.that comes with being the manager will snowball over, he doesn't have
:38:03. > :38:07.to sign players or Scott players at the moment, that will also ball. It
:38:08. > :38:14.will. I think I can take on board what Martin Keown was making in
:38:15. > :38:19.that... Go on the. I went to the Leicester press Conference the day
:38:20. > :38:22.after Ranieri got sacked. I was surprised at how upfront Shakespeare
:38:23. > :38:26.was about wanting the job. We shouldn't knock someone's ambition,
:38:27. > :38:31.I get that. But I also felt that he was a coach under Ranieri, and you
:38:32. > :38:34.have to tread a fine line between respect and ambition. And I think
:38:35. > :38:38.that he was making no bones about it, being completely on the
:38:39. > :38:43.ambitious side. We shouldn't knock that, but why I think it sits
:38:44. > :38:49.uncomfortably in this issue is that basically the players, I felt,
:38:50. > :38:51.wanted Ranieri out, wanted the change, and it's clear to me that
:38:52. > :38:56.they basically suddenly turned up again to play for their man,
:38:57. > :39:00.Shakespeare. And that's why I think that, turning on and off the tap,
:39:01. > :39:05.just sits uncomfortably. It looks like the players have gone, Ranieri,
:39:06. > :39:09.not for us, we won Shakespeare. And they've elected Shakespeare. It
:39:10. > :39:13.still sits uncomfortably with me -- we want Shakespeare. It seems that
:39:14. > :39:18.way. It seems obvious that has happened. Ranieri has been relieved
:39:19. > :39:20.of his position, that minute the players completely change their
:39:21. > :39:24.attitude and their performance on the weekend, you know, Craig
:39:25. > :39:29.Shakespeare knows the vast majority of those players, particularly the
:39:30. > :39:36.core of the players that he played. There was only one different from
:39:37. > :39:39.last season. All of those players, Ulloa back on the bench who had a
:39:40. > :39:44.huge fallout with Ranieri prior to him leaving. That is the hard thing
:39:45. > :39:48.to die just, Ranieri did a great job and he was so well liked with
:39:49. > :39:52.everyone outside of the club -- hard to die just. To see such a
:39:53. > :39:57.turnaround is such a short period of time, people have was questions.
:39:58. > :40:00.From the point of view of fans going forward, you can't continue to look
:40:01. > :40:04.backwards, you have to look forwards. The fans, the best thing
:40:05. > :40:08.that could have happened, the next two games have got six points. Is
:40:09. > :40:11.Leicester hadn't won the league last year, would this be a talking point?
:40:12. > :40:15.Leicester City, all they were looking to do was they in the
:40:16. > :40:19.Premier League. Under Ranieri they were struggling, Shakespeare has
:40:20. > :40:23.come in and had two wins. The owners will be thinking, I've done the
:40:24. > :40:28.right thing. And for all the talk of players changing their efforts, you
:40:29. > :40:31.talk to the Leicester fans about Ranieri's tactics this season, what
:40:32. > :40:37.Shakespeare has done is go back to how they were playing last season,
:40:38. > :40:41.Okazaki, Vardy, the same midfield with the exception of in DD for
:40:42. > :40:48.Kante. He is taking it back to basics. Monday night I didn't think
:40:49. > :40:52.there was any subtlety about it in terms of he has completely ripped up
:40:53. > :41:01.Ranieri's tinkering tactics, gone back to just end DD for Kante. You
:41:02. > :41:06.had the same manager, the same work ethic, the same style, hitting its
:41:07. > :41:10.long, Vardy off, as you say. It was just so obvious to me that they
:41:11. > :41:14.basically started playing again. Look, they have got to turn it
:41:15. > :41:18.around, they've got to do that, I understand why they have done that,
:41:19. > :41:24.because they have got to dig themselves out of that problem. But,
:41:25. > :41:27.yes, I just don't think that we should particularly be lauding
:41:28. > :41:35.Leicester's heroics in the last two games because I still think it is
:41:36. > :41:39.plagued. I want to rent in the relegation battle -- it is playing.
:41:40. > :41:46.-- I want to end on the relegation battle. Middlesbrough, without a win
:41:47. > :41:49.in ten and in the bottom three. The biggest frustration for the
:41:50. > :41:55.Middlesbrough fans is the way that they play. They are setup to not
:41:56. > :42:00.concede, and they do concede, ... They have scored just three goals.
:42:01. > :42:06.He has brought in three strikers but still plays with the one upfront. He
:42:07. > :42:10.made a change at the weekend. He played Gestede upfront, but didn't
:42:11. > :42:14.seem to have any real effect on the game. That has been the major
:42:15. > :42:18.frustration for the fans, he hasn't made the change sooner. We have a
:42:19. > :42:23.lot of social media from Middlesbrough fans saying it might
:42:24. > :42:27.be a change with Karanka. Hull got a bit of a bounce with Marco Silva.
:42:28. > :42:30.Swansea have definitely got one would Paul Clement. Crystal Palace
:42:31. > :42:34.have been a bit up and down with Sam Allardyce. Is this what the law by
:42:35. > :42:42.fans want" the general consensus from fans is probably yes. They are
:42:43. > :42:45.concerned with the slide they have had towards relegation. Steve Gibson
:42:46. > :42:49.is very, very loyal and doesn't make a decision based on Frans Botha Mac
:42:50. > :42:56.reaction, he will make a decision based on his own thoughts -- fans'
:42:57. > :43:00.reaction. Do you think you're rix periods of being in the relegation
:43:01. > :43:05.battle will benefit you this time? -- Elor experience. I certainly hope
:43:06. > :43:08.so. Scoring goals is the biggest thing. Centre forwards are worth all
:43:09. > :43:12.of the money in the world because they are hard to get. Middlesbrough
:43:13. > :43:16.have a good defensive record by scoring has been a problem. That is
:43:17. > :43:21.the majority of the teams down at the bottom, conceding too many goals
:43:22. > :43:26.as well. Scoring. Our experience can hopefully stand us in good stead. We
:43:27. > :43:30.have Swansea at home next week and we are looking to try and pick up
:43:31. > :43:36.the three points and climb up the table. Marco Silva has given the
:43:37. > :43:42.place a lift? He has come in. Mick did a fantastic job on limited
:43:43. > :43:46.funds, and players that we have there. The gaffer has come in and
:43:47. > :43:49.the first things now. Hopefully he can keep us on until the end of the
:43:50. > :43:53.season and get us out of the bottom three.
:43:54. > :43:58.You can hear Sunderland-Manchester City on 5 Live at 4pm.
:43:59. > :44:01.I'll be back for Match of the Day 2 tonight.