:00:08. > :00:40.Good afternoon, welcome. We are on BBC Two, BBC Radio five Live and the
:00:41. > :00:47.BBC sport website. Joining me, Martin Keown, Phil Bardsley and Guy
:00:48. > :00:53.Mowbray. You can get in touch, we need your thoughts. Use the hashtag
:00:54. > :00:58.on social media or you can text us. He is what is coming up. The fairy
:00:59. > :01:04.tale is on for Leicester City, five points the lead with an impressive
:01:05. > :01:06.victory at Manchester City. Four straight victories for Tottenham,
:01:07. > :01:12.they are second after beating Watford. We look ahead to Chelsea
:01:13. > :01:18.against Manchester United, Louis van Gaal is again forced to answer
:01:19. > :01:20.questions about his future. And, is the great escape on for Aston Villa?
:01:21. > :01:28.They have taken eight points from five games. Leicester City
:01:29. > :01:34.dominating the back pages. It also features Jose Mourinho not having
:01:35. > :01:42.Louis van Gaal's job, according to the Manchester United manager. 8000
:01:43. > :01:47.Leicester City fans were singing this at the Etihad Stadium
:01:48. > :01:50.yesterday! The Leicester City story would be one of the biggest stories
:01:51. > :01:55.in football history, it is Hollywood. Without a doubt, they are
:01:56. > :02:00.going to make a film about Jamie Vardy. We have talked about this
:02:01. > :02:05.before, whether it would eclipse Nottingham Forest's achievements. I
:02:06. > :02:09.think it would, because in this Iraq things have changed so much. We
:02:10. > :02:15.never thought another team would challenge the establishment, the
:02:16. > :02:20.teams with money. They are doing it big style. I was at Anfield, when
:02:21. > :02:25.the goals were flying in at the Etihad Stadium, I was still in
:02:26. > :02:27.shock. I am annoyed, because we should not be surprised anymore,
:02:28. > :02:30.because their performances have warranted where they are. They
:02:31. > :02:36.deserve to be top of the league, they are the best in the country. I
:02:37. > :02:39.cannot help but be surprised, that is years of history ingrained in
:02:40. > :02:45.new. You played with Robert Huth at Stoke City, Peter Crouch has
:02:46. > :02:50.tweeted, he said, so pleased that Robert Huth is in the news for
:02:51. > :02:54.something other than an arm in the face! It is normally Peter Crouch
:02:55. > :03:01.doing that! P has been a huge part of it. He made a change to go to
:03:02. > :03:09.Leicester City. Somebody of his experience, he won two titles at
:03:10. > :03:12.Chelsea, he has come to Leicester City and stamped his authority on
:03:13. > :03:18.the game. He is enjoying his football. They have a settled
:03:19. > :03:25.defence. They have a great team spirit. They deserve to be top of
:03:26. > :03:31.the league. If the danger, when they start to really believe it and think
:03:32. > :03:35.they can do it? Yes. But look at what they did last season, they won
:03:36. > :03:39.seven out of ten, with real pressure. You want to be a Premier
:03:40. > :03:44.League player, you hold your head up high, I am a Premier League player.
:03:45. > :03:49.Maybe that is bigger than going after the title. They just have to
:03:50. > :03:53.keep doing what they are doing, not talk about it too much, the games
:03:54. > :03:58.cannot come quickly enough, but when they come around, to watch Jamie
:03:59. > :04:02.Vardy perform like he does, so many good performances, they are great to
:04:03. > :04:06.watch. They soak up the pressure, and their pace on the break, it is
:04:07. > :04:12.like watching a skimming stone across the ground. If you ever had
:04:13. > :04:17.to play against Ian Rush, he was a nightmare, and this is a modern-day
:04:18. > :04:23.Ian Rush. It is coming late for him, to see this happen... We all have
:04:24. > :04:28.dreams to do well, they are living the dream. I hope they can go on and
:04:29. > :04:33.do it, but it will hit at some point, the pressure will hit, and it
:04:34. > :04:40.is how they cope with it. Let's get the view from inside the camp.
:04:41. > :04:44.Danny, we don't want any of the cliches, we will take each game as
:04:45. > :04:55.it comes. Can you believe it? It is an amazing story. It is amazing. We
:04:56. > :05:02.are just enjoying it. Last season, the last ten games was pressure. At
:05:03. > :05:07.the minute, we are just enjoying every minute and look at for the
:05:08. > :05:11.next game. We have talked about it being Hollywood, we have Benedict
:05:12. > :05:18.Cumberbatch playing Jamie Vardy, how about Drake playing due? We joke
:05:19. > :05:26.about it, but it would be bigger than what Nottingham Forest did.
:05:27. > :05:36.Candy go along with that? We said Idris Elba would play Wes Morgan as
:05:37. > :05:44.well! The manager is experienced, he gets us focused on the next game.
:05:45. > :05:49.The next session, he will tell us to forget the Manchester City result,
:05:50. > :05:57.we will be focused on Arsenal and preparing to bid them. He wants to
:05:58. > :06:07.win every game. As long as we all give 110% each week, he is happy.
:06:08. > :06:14.You can see that on the Saturday, we are giving our all for each other.
:06:15. > :06:22.How are you? How are you doing? I watched you set up in recent weeks,
:06:23. > :06:26.do you do work on defensive shape? At the start of the season, middle
:06:27. > :06:32.of the season, we were leaking goals. There were a key questions
:06:33. > :06:39.about that. We were scoring a lot, but he has done a lot of work to
:06:40. > :06:44.make sure that we have tightened up. We have got five clean sheets in the
:06:45. > :06:49.last seven. Even yesterday, we won 3-1, but the defence and goalkeeper,
:06:50. > :06:56.we were disappointed that we conceded that goal. It was slightly
:06:57. > :07:04.offside. That shows how determined we are to keep clean sheet. We were
:07:05. > :07:11.leading 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium and we are disappointed we conceded.
:07:12. > :07:17.Who was it with the dodgy backpass? I was trying to help him out a bit!
:07:18. > :07:24.In all honesty, you looked so relaxed yesterday, is that the key
:07:25. > :07:32.to the success? We are really enjoying our football. The manager
:07:33. > :07:39.has set us up so well, and the group were so close, it is one of the best
:07:40. > :07:45.team spirit is I have been involved in. There is no pressure on us, we
:07:46. > :07:53.are just enjoying our football, working hard. Teams don't know how
:07:54. > :07:59.to take us. People are waiting for us to slip up, but we are just
:08:00. > :08:03.trying to keep winning games and we will see where it takes us. What is
:08:04. > :08:09.Claudio Ranieri like behind closed doors? We see him on TV, we think, I
:08:10. > :08:13.want to play with him, eat pizza with him! Is he stunned behind the
:08:14. > :08:20.scenes? How different from Nigel Pearson? He is very serious at
:08:21. > :08:31.times, and at other times he has a joke with us. He was -- always want
:08:32. > :08:37.us to improve. We beat Manchester City 3-1, I am sure from previous
:08:38. > :08:45.weeks he will show us clips of what we did wrong! He expects us to
:08:46. > :08:53.improve and get better. That is what is good about him. Demanding more
:08:54. > :08:59.from us. We take it on board and we try to work hard in training and put
:09:00. > :09:06.the things we did wrong right. We appreciate you speaking to us. 5000
:09:07. > :09:12.to one at the beginning of the season to win the title, they are
:09:13. > :09:16.now favourites, the pressure is on. Do you think the lesser workload
:09:17. > :09:19.will help them, they have extra days to recover, not in the Champions
:09:20. > :09:25.League or the cups? It is about managing your mind. If they dare to
:09:26. > :09:29.think about what they are achieving, the cub -- it could become a
:09:30. > :09:33.problem, but Danny says there is no share. You start to think maybe the
:09:34. > :09:37.pressure is coming, but there is still a lot of football to be
:09:38. > :09:42.played, maybe it is better that they are in and around the big games. The
:09:43. > :09:47.manager will want to keep developing B-side. Don't get dizzy in your
:09:48. > :09:51.head, work on the training pitch, that is what you need, that
:09:52. > :09:58.mentality takes you to a trophy. I am glad we are talking about Danny
:09:59. > :10:02.Simpson. That almost complete the set, in the first half of the season
:10:03. > :10:07.it was Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, then the praise expanded to Danny
:10:08. > :10:13.Drinkwater and N'Golo Kante, now every word -- everybody in the squad
:10:14. > :10:17.has had praise, Kasper Schmeichel and all the way through. That is
:10:18. > :10:21.what Claudio Ranieri has engendered, a total team. Kristian fix at
:10:22. > :10:27.left-back is one hell of a player. He came on a free transfer. Some of
:10:28. > :10:34.the business they have done, and Wes Morgan, he has improved beyond all
:10:35. > :10:38.recognition. Now they are getting credit, everything is coming
:10:39. > :10:41.together at the right time. Going toward the target of maybe winning
:10:42. > :10:52.the Premier League. Does it make you feel ridiculous, Phil, you look at
:10:53. > :10:58.the stats, ?19 million, their team yesterday, prepared to two and 39
:10:59. > :11:03.million at Manchester City? -- 239 million? You are worth 3 million
:11:04. > :11:09.quid, LF back is worth 25 million quid, as it ridiculous? A bit, but
:11:10. > :11:13.clubs are willing to pay these prices, top teams have paid
:11:14. > :11:19.ridiculous amount of money for free centre halves, they don't look like
:11:20. > :11:22.the team they do when Vincent Kompany is in the team. Back to
:11:23. > :11:30.Leicester City, they have been sensational. What impressed me most
:11:31. > :11:33.is their defensive shape and their shape out of possession, they also
:11:34. > :11:36.organised and a threat on the counterattack. You have to take your
:11:37. > :11:42.hat off to the defence and goalkeeper. They have been
:11:43. > :11:45.sensational. You played for title winning teams at Arsenal, with a
:11:46. > :11:50.different mentality in a way, because you were more fancied, but
:11:51. > :11:56.the same principle applies, do you go in winning and winning, where you
:11:57. > :12:00.get a buzz and you cannot stop? Is it true, it becomes a habit? Danny
:12:01. > :12:07.talked about a team spirit, it is fantastic, you come in every day and
:12:08. > :12:10.you win. Stoke City going through a losing run, you don't necessarily
:12:11. > :12:14.like the people around you, you have to work hard, but they are your best
:12:15. > :12:18.mates when you are winning, the feeling of togetherness grows, you
:12:19. > :12:22.trust each other. You start to achieve things you never thought you
:12:23. > :12:26.could do. That is what we are seeing, I and giggling watching them
:12:27. > :12:31.play, I was in the press room at Tottenham, there was a buzz, because
:12:32. > :12:35.Tottenham are going right under the radar, thinking they can win it, and
:12:36. > :12:38.maybe they are best equipped. Because the focus is on Leicester
:12:39. > :12:45.City? Yes, but N'Golo Kante and Jamie Vardy don't think they will
:12:46. > :12:50.trip up. They are homing in. We are enjoying the ride, we are all
:12:51. > :12:54.neutrals. Of course, I would like to see Arsenal do something, they need
:12:55. > :12:59.to wake up quickly, but Leicester City, it is almost everybody's team.
:13:00. > :13:09.People say, can they do it? Week by week, they are pulling more points
:13:10. > :13:14.clear. Who would say they would be 13 points clear of Manchester United
:13:15. > :13:17.at this point of the year? It is happening at grassroots, my
:13:18. > :13:22.daughter's primary school, all of a sudden, two or three Leicester City
:13:23. > :13:27.supporters have appeared! Is it just what the Premier League needed? Yes,
:13:28. > :13:32.it is a breath of fresh air. The Jamie Vardy story is fantastic. We
:13:33. > :13:39.pick out several players, but Danny Drinkwater was at Huddersfield. A
:13:40. > :13:45.crop of the Manchester United youth system, he has gone away, gone to
:13:46. > :13:48.Huddersfield, and now he is at Leicester City, he has been
:13:49. > :13:55.sensational, he has covered every blade of grass with N'Golo Kante. He
:13:56. > :13:58.is enjoying his football. How big a psychological blow for Manchester
:13:59. > :14:03.City? Joe Hart was talking before the game, he said they have to win,
:14:04. > :14:07.title rivals, Leicester City, but to lose that in that fashion...
:14:08. > :14:11.Something is very wrong, they have already lost to Tottenham earlier in
:14:12. > :14:16.the season, and deliverable. We took at about the announcement of a new
:14:17. > :14:20.manager, but these are top professionals. Yaya Toure looked
:14:21. > :14:27.half the player, has he been affected? You are a winner, you get
:14:28. > :14:32.on. If I was a Manchester City player today, I would have been
:14:33. > :14:37.outclassed. You only play against your rivals twice a season. That
:14:38. > :14:39.hurts a lot, you have to be able to do well against them. It was almost
:14:40. > :14:49.an imprisoned yesterday. By the same token, I wouldn't be
:14:50. > :14:56.surprised if Manchester City went on to win four in a row. Such is the
:14:57. > :15:00.quality they have got. The thing that went wrong is again that
:15:01. > :15:05.defensive frailty. When Vincent Kompany is not there, every now and
:15:06. > :15:10.again they come up against a team like Leicester and they crumble. It
:15:11. > :15:16.has not been solved. Everyone talks about having sympathy for Manuel
:15:17. > :15:20.Pellegrini, but on the other hand there are failures there. With the
:15:21. > :15:27.amount that is being invested in it, they want out. I think it reflects
:15:28. > :15:37.really poorly on the staff of Manchester City, and if you take one
:15:38. > :15:42.person out and it is that different. You work as a unit and a team, it
:15:43. > :15:47.cannot be affected that much by one player. Of course some players are
:15:48. > :15:53.better than others, but to see the way they defend now it is incredibly
:15:54. > :16:01.poor when he is not there. Set pieces again was a massive factor,
:16:02. > :16:07.seeing Aguero picking up Huth, it is a bit of a mismatch. Do you buy into
:16:08. > :16:12.the fact that because city have done it before they know how to do it
:16:13. > :16:17.again or does hunger overtake that? As soon as you win a trophy, it is
:16:18. > :16:22.gone, you put it aside. You cannot live off what you achieved in the
:16:23. > :16:28.past. We saw this with Manchester United every year. Sir Alex
:16:29. > :16:31.Ferguson, forget about that, we are looking forward. I don't know what
:16:32. > :16:39.happened to some of these Manchester City players, they are international
:16:40. > :16:42.globetrotter some of them. These guys remind everyone else of what
:16:43. > :16:46.really matters when the big games coming up and they seem to have lost
:16:47. > :16:55.something this season, man city. Chelsea have almost lost it
:16:56. > :17:01.completely. This consistency in performance can quickly disappear.
:17:02. > :17:04.We have been asking you to get in touch, Phil says I've joined
:17:05. > :17:09.Manchester city fans on loan from Liverpool until the end of the
:17:10. > :17:16.season. Jack say something is only impossible until it is done.
:17:17. > :17:21.Nicholas, no matter how far Leicester are ahead they are
:17:22. > :17:25.underdogs until they have won it. Jacob says Manchester city defending
:17:26. > :17:29.this season has been abysmal. I think we all want Leicester City to
:17:30. > :17:35.win the Premier League just so that Gary Lineker will present much of
:17:36. > :17:45.the day in his underpants. Would you join him in your underwear? No,
:17:46. > :17:48.because I didn't say it. A word on Tottenham, you mentioned they could
:17:49. > :18:02.slip under the radar, what has been different under Pochettino this
:18:03. > :18:07.season? Watching it yesterday, Eriksson really surprised me, the
:18:08. > :18:13.tortures he has on the ball. They were patient. The exercise was to
:18:14. > :18:20.beat Watford, they came there for a point. Spurs are in the running,
:18:21. > :18:24.stay nice and patient. There is your fullbacks just to tap it in. The
:18:25. > :18:30.difference though was the fans because they feel now they have got
:18:31. > :18:33.a team. After all these years, they believe in their team now and you
:18:34. > :18:44.could sends it in the stadium. Tottenham believe they can be
:18:45. > :18:50.champions without a doubt. Trippier, they sang his praise on Match Of The
:18:51. > :18:58.Day last night. You look at Tottenham, what Pochettino has built
:18:59. > :19:02.is impressive. Yes, he did a fantastic job at Southampton. He's
:19:03. > :19:06.got the Spurs job, is got some bright talent there. Danny Alice
:19:07. > :19:12.came off the bench, another assist, he looks a real talent and Spurs
:19:13. > :19:19.fans should be excited. A bit like Leicester, a super-team all the way
:19:20. > :19:23.around. It is only in recent times Trippier has started playing at
:19:24. > :19:28.left-back. He does it on the other side with Danny Rose and Ben Davis.
:19:29. > :19:31.Knows when to bring them in and give them a break, I think the only
:19:32. > :19:39.person who has started every game is Harry Kane. It is the core of the
:19:40. > :19:44.England team. In the Europa Cup but they almost in that competition? It
:19:45. > :19:50.is a difficult one for them. How he plans his teams will be very
:19:51. > :19:55.interesting. The early kick-off in the Premier League this afternoon,
:19:56. > :19:58.1:30pm at the vitality, Bournemouth against Arsenal, let's get the team
:19:59. > :20:01.news. This feels like a must win game for
:20:02. > :20:10.Arsenal, who then host Leicester this time next week, but the Arsenal
:20:11. > :20:18.fans will be dreading the thought that Afobe can score against them
:20:19. > :20:22.this afternoon, sold by Arsenal one year ago. He has said in an
:20:23. > :20:27.interview that he feels he wasn't given a fair chance at Arsenal so
:20:28. > :20:32.clearly a man with a point to prove. Eddie Howe names the same team that
:20:33. > :20:38.won at Crystal Palace, and Arsenal makes just one change to the team
:20:39. > :20:44.that drew against Southampton. Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces
:20:45. > :20:49.Campbell. Afobe not given a fair chance at
:20:50. > :20:57.Arsenal, do you agree with that? If that's what the player feels, he is
:20:58. > :21:03.probably the best judge. He might look at other players who have
:21:04. > :21:08.played instead of him and thought he should have had a chance. But how
:21:09. > :21:13.long do you wait for young players? Arsene Wenger is one who wants young
:21:14. > :21:17.players to have a go, at the end of the day he is doing it now. If he
:21:18. > :21:23.scores today it will really hurt Arsene Wenger. Does not being given
:21:24. > :21:29.a chance make you hungry to go on? Of course because there is always
:21:30. > :21:37.away from the big clubs. We touched on Danny Drinkwater before, now he
:21:38. > :21:41.is Leicester doing really well. Afobe has gone away from Arsenal,
:21:42. > :21:48.gone to Bournemouth and kicked on from there and looks a real threat.
:21:49. > :21:52.Do you think, Martin, it is a mentality thing? It wasn't the worst
:21:53. > :22:08.goalless draw at Southampton you have ever seen. A month ago they
:22:09. > :22:13.were top. If you took the whole of October off when they hardly got any
:22:14. > :22:17.results, the same happened throughout January, you get these
:22:18. > :22:22.parts on the back and Arsenal reach these dizzy heights. Everyone is
:22:23. > :22:25.telling you how good you are, well Leicester are not listening. I think
:22:26. > :22:30.if you are warrior you just keep going until eventually you get that
:22:31. > :22:35.trophy. The pat on the back doesn't matter, it is lifting the trophy at
:22:36. > :22:42.the end of the season. Arsenal still have a chance because the landscape
:22:43. > :22:45.is such that you can lose a few games and still bounce back but they
:22:46. > :22:50.are under real pressure. It is a big few weeks for Arsenal, playing
:22:51. > :22:58.Bournemouth and then Leicester next week, it is a must win. They were
:22:59. > :23:03.not under pressure earlier this season when they stuck five at
:23:04. > :23:07.Leicester. Joe Kumble has impressed in fits and starts, but they
:23:08. > :23:21.shouldn't be a problem to Arsenal. They should have scored two or three
:23:22. > :23:26.at Southampton. -- Campbell. With Bournemouth there's not much with
:23:27. > :23:32.five points above. No, but suddenly it is a difficult place for the big
:23:33. > :23:36.boys to go to, Bournemouth. They now believe they should be there and
:23:37. > :23:41.they deserve to feel that way. Arsenal have got to wake up,
:23:42. > :23:46.otherwise it will become for another year. Arsene Wenger has 11 seasons
:23:47. > :23:50.now without winning the Premier League, it is almost unthinkable.
:23:51. > :23:53.For o'clock kick-off, Chelsea against Manchester United at
:23:54. > :23:58.Stamford Bridge. A lot of the back pages are filled with quotes from
:23:59. > :24:06.Jose Mourinho. Is it just a coincidence we have this big week at
:24:07. > :24:15.City unveiling Pep Guardiola, then talk of Old Trafford. These stories
:24:16. > :24:23.have never gone away, have they? They never will go away unless we
:24:24. > :24:26.get a categorical decision. Manchester United have got a manager
:24:27. > :24:31.but they wouldn't be doing their job if they weren't always looking to
:24:32. > :24:36.the future. When they say talks have been hard with Jose Mourinho, my
:24:37. > :24:40.thought on that is people have been sounded out, would you be interested
:24:41. > :24:49.if, theoretically speaking? I'm not so sure it will absolutely
:24:50. > :24:53.categorically happen. I think Manchester United have a big
:24:54. > :24:57.decision to make, the hierarchy of there. With Manchester City
:24:58. > :25:01.appointing Pep Guardiola, he will get a big war chest to spend, I
:25:02. > :25:05.think Manchester United have a massive decision to make this
:25:06. > :25:10.summer. You grew up as a Manchester United fan, do you go along with the
:25:11. > :25:18.thought Pep Guardiola is not the right fit? Here's a quick fix. The
:25:19. > :25:23.time he has spent at his previous club is not too long. I'm not sure
:25:24. > :25:31.he's the right man. If it was me, it would be Ryan Giggs. I would bring
:25:32. > :25:37.back the people who have made the club successful over the years. But
:25:38. > :25:42.it is a big job for Ryan Giggs, isn't it? I just think he is the
:25:43. > :25:47.right man. You have got to have those players back in the club. It
:25:48. > :25:52.is interesting, the default position we all seem to take is that Louis
:25:53. > :26:03.van Gaal will not be there next season. They are up -- 13 points
:26:04. > :26:20.behind. When they played on Tuesday night it
:26:21. > :26:25.was more of a bright, Manchester United style performance. The system
:26:26. > :26:30.they played, I think it suited them. There was more pace in the attack. A
:26:31. > :26:35.focal point for me, I think Michael Carrick has got to play. The way he
:26:36. > :26:40.dictates the play and passes the ball forward, I think he is vital.
:26:41. > :26:46.We mentioned Ryan Giggs, this is in the Mail on Sunday today, saying it
:26:47. > :26:55.is a seminal moment for United and if you really want a boss who will
:26:56. > :26:59.rescue them, give it to Ryan Giggs. Could he conceivably get it before
:27:00. > :27:03.the end of the season? I'm not saying he won't make a top manager,
:27:04. > :27:10.and sure he will but we have seen what will -- what has happened to
:27:11. > :27:18.Phil Neville now at Valencia. When you think that Guardiola and Jose
:27:19. > :27:22.Mourinho, where they are in Spain, so many times their parts have
:27:23. > :27:28.crossed and I feel they will come back again to manage these clubs. Is
:27:29. > :27:34.your feeling that he needs to go somewhere else first? I think so. If
:27:35. > :27:40.you go to Valencia and don't win in eight games you can ruin your brand,
:27:41. > :27:43.can't you? He can't be an assistant manager again, and that is the
:27:44. > :27:49.decision they have got to make. Will they take the plunge and give him
:27:50. > :27:55.the job? I'm not sure, it is a huge job. What is Ryan Giggs like? Does
:27:56. > :28:01.he give the younger guys advice, is he that sort of guy? Yes, he was
:28:02. > :28:11.great. I was a local lad, growing up in the same area he was an idol of
:28:12. > :28:14.mine. To play alongside him was a great experience, but for me he had
:28:15. > :28:16.a nasty side about him as well and I think that's why he's been so
:28:17. > :28:18.successful and won so much in his career. I think he is a perfect fit
:28:19. > :28:22.for the job. He career. I think he is a perfect fit
:28:23. > :28:27.out of the players and I don't see any reason they shouldn't give it to
:28:28. > :28:33.him. What kind of impetus has got to change? A bit of
:28:34. > :28:33.him. What kind of impetus has got to right system, the right style of
:28:34. > :28:38.play. I don't think, apart from the right system, the right style of
:28:39. > :28:43.last couple of games we have seen, the derby game and the game against
:28:44. > :28:48.us on Tuesday night, the right way they are playing. I think Ryan Giggs
:28:49. > :28:56.would get the best out of the players, who is the right man for
:28:57. > :29:05.the job. In terms of Chelsea, Oskar under Guus Hiddink is not the same
:29:06. > :29:11.Oskar under Jose Mourinho. I find this amazing that the same group of
:29:12. > :29:17.players, not like a tap, but they almost seem to be able to turn it on
:29:18. > :29:24.and off, and they have turned it right on for Jose Mourinho. They are
:29:25. > :29:28.unbeaten under Guus Hiddink. I do find it incredible. The amount of
:29:29. > :29:31.influence just a change and new manager can have. The biggest
:29:32. > :29:39.disappointment for me this season has been Fabregas. I watched him
:29:40. > :29:43.playing in the Watford game, I didn't think he had his greatest
:29:44. > :29:48.game, but as you say, a bit of confidence. Some of these players
:29:49. > :29:51.need an arm around the shoulder. I think Jose Mourinho said some
:29:52. > :29:57.interesting things during the weekend, about how he needs to be
:29:58. > :30:01.more humble and create a doubt in a player who is successful to get him
:30:02. > :30:05.out of his comfort zone and he went too far with it, and lost confidence
:30:06. > :30:10.in the players. If you are player and you can see the bigger picture,
:30:11. > :30:14.that's fine, you don't let him hurt you too much but when he starts to
:30:15. > :30:18.affect your confidence, and your performance is going, and it is
:30:19. > :30:22.quite remarkable how bad they came and the manager caused that problem.
:30:23. > :30:26.If he's going to come to Manchester United he's going to have to put the
:30:27. > :30:31.arm around the players because they need that push from a confidence
:30:32. > :30:34.point of view. I wouldn't back against him being successful but it
:30:35. > :30:39.has got to be less about him and more about the players.
:30:40. > :30:46.The John Terry situation, it is strange that he has said it is all
:30:47. > :30:52.over, his manager has not said that, do you feel sorry for him? We are
:30:53. > :30:58.all different. Did he need to Russian and ask? It was a bit
:30:59. > :31:04.insecure of him. I don't think it was necessary. At 35, I went to a
:31:05. > :31:09.World Cup, Arsene Wenger never came near me to offer me a new deal. I
:31:10. > :31:14.was climbing the steps to the bus around the town, and he asked, what
:31:15. > :31:20.about your contract? I said, you had six months. But I was thinking about
:31:21. > :31:24.the team, not myself. It is a political move from John, the
:31:25. > :31:30.hierarchy will win. It has been a magnificent career, and who knows?
:31:31. > :31:36.The next manager might insist that John Terry stays. But he has handled
:31:37. > :31:40.it not in the way that I would have. Do you not believe the line, I could
:31:41. > :31:47.not play for another Premier League club? I can understand it, the
:31:48. > :31:51.emotion and the way he has played, he pumped the chest for the Chelsea
:31:52. > :32:03.fans for a reason, there are lots of places he can go,... China. He may
:32:04. > :32:10.feel America... Phil's eyes lit up about China! Wayne Rooney, I don't
:32:11. > :32:16.know if you have knocked him out recently, but what does he make of
:32:17. > :32:20.the situation? He is enjoying his football, he is getting back to his
:32:21. > :32:24.best fitness wise. It is a massive factor as a player, confidence, you
:32:25. > :32:31.always go through stages where you suffer from confidence. But top
:32:32. > :32:37.players find ways of scoring goals and getting back to their best, and
:32:38. > :32:41.he has done that. He is still a top player. I am sure he will be in
:32:42. > :32:45.years to come. I don't think he has ever been that far away this season.
:32:46. > :32:50.Sir Alex Ferguson always made a point of saying this, Wayne Rooney
:32:51. > :32:57.has always got his golf in bursts, and he is in a burst this season. It
:32:58. > :33:02.happened last season. It is only history repeating itself. It is
:33:03. > :33:07.because of who he is, he gets more criticism than anybody else. But it
:33:08. > :33:11.is the slow start to the season, how he manages himself in the
:33:12. > :33:16.off-season, as you get older, I don't think you can take a month
:33:17. > :33:20.off, you have to stay close to the fitness, no partying, you can have a
:33:21. > :33:25.bit of fun now and again, you have to keep professional, then you come
:33:26. > :33:28.straight back into it. Only six week 's ago people were questioning
:33:29. > :33:34.whether the England captain should be in the team, but that is not a
:33:35. > :33:39.question anymore. Anthony Martial, you mentioned him earlier, how
:33:40. > :33:45.difficult is he to play against and how good can he be? He has had his
:33:46. > :33:51.doubters. The can be a superstar. I tried to ruffle him up a bit, I gave
:33:52. > :33:57.him a nudge, he just gave me a cold glare. He is thinking, next time I
:33:58. > :34:02.get the ball, you are in trouble, and I was, he created another goal.
:34:03. > :34:07.He will be a superstar, he has got the right players around him, I am
:34:08. > :34:09.sure it is a matter of time. It sounds like Thierry Henry, they have
:34:10. > :34:17.that aura around them, you cannot touch them. You try that as a
:34:18. > :34:20.defender, to ruffle somebody up, and it is the ones that stay quiet and
:34:21. > :34:29.tried to destroy you that you have most respect for. I would try
:34:30. > :34:32.everything possible! Lets get an update from the Scottish Cup fifth
:34:33. > :34:39.round, a big game, hot against Hibs. 18 minutes gone, rain battering
:34:40. > :34:45.against our faces, but it is not stopping the capacity crowd from
:34:46. > :34:49.enjoying themselves. The most atmospheric ground in Britain on its
:34:50. > :34:56.day on Derby day. You would not think they are in different
:34:57. > :34:59.divisions. We have lost Prince Paul Appin, he went off after five
:35:00. > :35:03.minutes with what looked like a hamstring injury, so Don Cowie makes
:35:04. > :35:11.his debut, after his signing from Wigan Athletic.
:35:12. > :35:14.Let's talk about Stoke City. Three back-to-back 3-0 defeat, what is
:35:15. > :35:20.that down too, after a positive season? We started really well, the
:35:21. > :35:25.defensive record has been sensational, in recent weeks we have
:35:26. > :35:33.lost, we lost the captain to a back injury, and defensively we have lost
:35:34. > :35:39.Mark Wilson as well. Losing three games 3-0 is never good. It is up to
:35:40. > :35:43.us now to get back to basics and get them done right. And put things
:35:44. > :35:48.right. We have a tough game at Bournemouth next week. We hope we
:35:49. > :35:52.can go there and get some points. We know we have the players in the
:35:53. > :35:57.squad, the manager has brought some good players in, it is up to us to
:35:58. > :36:04.knuckle down and have a go. It is about getting the balance. You play
:36:05. > :36:08.a lot more football, you are less direct than you were, of all of the
:36:09. > :36:16.training sessions, have they changed? The methods are what I have
:36:17. > :36:21.been used to since being a young boy at Manchester United. The manager
:36:22. > :36:26.brought that to the clubs that he has been out, possession, small
:36:27. > :36:31.sided games. The way we are playing, we try to get the ball down, knock
:36:32. > :36:35.it about. When it is going difficult and the results are not going the
:36:36. > :36:41.way you want, you have to get back to basics. Run a bit harder and
:36:42. > :36:46.faster and fight for the balls. Do the ugly side of the game. We have
:36:47. > :36:52.some nice players in the squad, but it is not happening. It shows the
:36:53. > :36:57.technical players will have to work and graft at some point, and if they
:36:58. > :37:02.don't want to do that, you suffer. Absolutely. The manager puts onus on
:37:03. > :37:08.the wide men tracking back. Marko Arnautovic Chas been one of our best
:37:09. > :37:14.layers. And Ryan Shawcross, how important he is. He is a top
:37:15. > :37:19.centre-half. We really miss him when he is not lying. Hopefully we get
:37:20. > :37:21.centre-half. We really miss him when him back soon. Let's look at the
:37:22. > :37:28.bottom, Sunderland him back soon. Let's look at the
:37:29. > :37:32.down at Anfield to rescue a point. Belief is everything, belief in your
:37:33. > :37:39.ability, that you will play well, and if you have it, do do. Do you
:37:40. > :37:42.feel better now? I believe I can guide the players to safety if they
:37:43. > :37:50.want to go there, but they have to listen a bit more and learn a bit
:37:51. > :37:54.more in terms of how to control a game in certain stages, how to stay
:37:55. > :38:00.in a game, and how to punish the opposition.
:38:01. > :38:04.You have been getting in touch. Jamie says, don't like to criticise,
:38:05. > :38:11.but Simon Mignolet is not good enough. How have the manages both
:38:12. > :38:15.failed to see that? This one, disowning Liverpool fans who walked
:38:16. > :38:19.out, disgraceful, the jaw is on your shoulders. Phil says, the defence
:38:20. > :38:23.shames the badge, horrible defending, no excuses. You were
:38:24. > :38:29.there, you stayed for the last 13 minutes! Your thoughts on that
:38:30. > :38:34.situation? The question had to be asked, you raised the point, because
:38:35. > :38:39.we talked about how crowds make a big difference, the players mention
:38:40. > :38:42.it, the crowd can be the 12th man, the cliche, does it have a reverse
:38:43. > :38:48.effect? I don't think it had anything to do with it, it was
:38:49. > :38:53.defensive frailties, Simon Mignolet and Mamadou Sakho made mistakes.
:38:54. > :38:58.Sunderland need to be praised, they realised they were back in the game.
:38:59. > :39:03.The way that fans walked out, we heard about this at Newcastle and
:39:04. > :39:09.places like that, it has been a damp squib, but this was well organised,
:39:10. > :39:14.well intentioned and a success, 25%, maybe 20%, certainly a number of the
:39:15. > :39:18.crowd left. The fact we were asking the question has only added credence
:39:19. > :39:23.to their argument. Liverpool issued a statement with their side of it,
:39:24. > :39:28.they said it is only 200 tickets for six games a season, it is hardly
:39:29. > :39:31.anything, but the point remains that football has got to be fairly priced
:39:32. > :39:38.for all, that was the general point will stop --. I think the point has
:39:39. > :39:44.gone down well, and it shows how important the fans. Even if it was
:39:45. > :39:48.nothing to do with it yesterday, who do we want at football matches to
:39:49. > :39:53.generate atmosphere? Do we want the ones who can afford ?77 for a game
:39:54. > :39:57.and who sit there quietly? Or do we want the people who will generate
:39:58. > :40:05.proper passion and atmosphere? The argument is that they want a younger
:40:06. > :40:09.generation in, but were Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker spot on? They said
:40:10. > :40:12.it is inconceivable that with the new TV deal that they can even
:40:13. > :40:18.consider this. It feels it is one step too far for the fans who have
:40:19. > :40:23.stuck with the game. They need to stop to fix the prices, when you
:40:24. > :40:29.compare us with Germany and other prices, it is ridiculous what our
:40:30. > :40:33.fans pay. Never mind the travel past -- cost, you are bringing the next
:40:34. > :40:38.generation, shirts, we are asking too much of the fans. You were at
:40:39. > :40:44.Sunderland with Simon Mignolet, do they need a new goalkeeper? He has
:40:45. > :40:48.made howlers. He has made a lot of mistakes, but I admired him at
:40:49. > :40:52.Sunderland, he was great for us. Going to Liverpool is a big step in
:40:53. > :40:58.his career, he was only young at the time. They are a top team. They need
:40:59. > :41:05.some body they can trust in between the sticks. At the minute, it is not
:41:06. > :41:11.looking like the players have faith in him. A big job for Sam Allardyce
:41:12. > :41:17.at Sunderland, but a big point yesterday. How much more have they
:41:18. > :41:27.got in their locker? It looks like Sam is believing. It will be tough.
:41:28. > :41:30.For that situation? Sam is the right man. He knows what the Premier
:41:31. > :41:34.League is all about, he is experienced enough to get the best
:41:35. > :41:38.out of the players, but there is only so much you can do, it is to
:41:39. > :41:44.the players on the pitch to get the points and the performances in. They
:41:45. > :41:49.have got to keep Jermain Defoe fit. He only had two chances yesterday,
:41:50. > :41:53.he scored with the second one. Only Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane have
:41:54. > :42:00.scored more Premier League goals of the Englishman. He looks so sharp.
:42:01. > :42:05.He was playing as a loan striker, a thankless task in that team, and he
:42:06. > :42:09.is still alive. Still scoring goals in a team that is not creating many
:42:10. > :42:15.chances, so you take your hat off. The problem for them is getting out
:42:16. > :42:19.of the bottom three. They all four of five points adrift, that will be
:42:20. > :42:24.tough. It could be a north-east shoot out. I am the only madmen who
:42:25. > :42:27.thinks Aston Villa still have a chance of staying up, even the Aston
:42:28. > :42:36.Villa fans would question that. They beat Norwich. Eight points adrift.
:42:37. > :42:43.13 games to go, Leicester City had 29, sorry, 19 points from 29 Tom
:42:44. > :42:48.Aston Villa have 16 from 25. But this is no ordinary Leicester City
:42:49. > :42:53.team. I think Aston Villa are already down. It is about showing
:42:54. > :43:02.pride, looking towards next season. Remi Garde... You know him well. He
:43:03. > :43:05.is a very proud man. He does not want to pledge his future beyond
:43:06. > :43:13.this year, because he feels guilty he is part of the problem. But I see
:43:14. > :43:16.him being there long term. They are doomed at the moment, it is about
:43:17. > :43:21.restoring pride, getting back to winning games of football, and if it
:43:22. > :43:24.gets you close, people start getting nervous and looking over their
:43:25. > :43:32.shoulder, who knows, but I don't think they can get out. Norwich?
:43:33. > :43:35.Let's see. It is new for them. Aston Villa have been so poor for so long,
:43:36. > :43:40.maybe Norwich can feel they can go on a run and everybody else will
:43:41. > :43:44.look at Leicester City, but I don't think Aston Villa will be in that
:43:45. > :43:48.group. Martin will be back on Match of the Day 2 with Jermaine Jean is
:43:49. > :43:54.and Jason Mohammad this evening, Chelsea, Manchester United, live on
:43:55. > :44:00.the radio from 4pm. Have a good afternoon, see you later.