09/04/2017 MOTD2 Extra

Hello. Good afternoon and welcome to Match of the Day 2 Extra on the BBC

Two,. Joining us this afternoon, former England and Arsenal defender

Martin Keogh, Shay given and the chief sports writer from the mirror.

You can use this hashtag to get involved. This is what is coming

up... A sixth consecutive win for Spurs who put for past Watford to

keep up the pressure on Chelsea. Chelsea responded with victory at

Bournemouth, Liverpool beat Stoke City, that was described as a mother

by Jurgen Klopp and we will have team news from the Stadium Of Light

were Sunderland play Manchester United in the lunchtime kick-off. A

real mixed bag in the papers. Jose Mourinho wanting to bring method

Ozil to United and as for The Mail on Sunday, they have him staying,

but we must buy stars. The Sunday Telegraph, apparently Antonio Conte

clubs pressure. We will talk about Chelsea shortly but let's start by

talking about Spurs and Barton, for you, or are they the real deal?

Without doubt. I like that core strength of players, like Eric Dyer

and Dele Alli, taking ownership of their football club. Young players,

there is a bit of competition between them, both of them scoring

goals yesterday. They are staying in the title race. It is not easy when

it is looking like Chelsea will win but they are still competitive. They

are much stronger mentally and they will take it to the wire but they

have to tough away games coming up against Crystal Palace and Leicester

and we will see what they are made of. That will be tough. If Spurs the

right place to be for a young footballer? Under the right code.

This is a coach he gets a fantastic amount out of his younger players.

It is the right place to be and I am sure fans are sick of people saying

about keeping the players there. Keeping Dele Alli, his record now is

astonishing. It is undoubtedly the right place for him to develop under

the manager, develop in a side that is loving it. You see the expression

they are putting into the game, they are relishing this run they arrived,

but if Dele Alli is as we would all say, a player who is on the radar of

Real Madrid at Manchester City and if we are saying he is a ?70 million

player, he is thinking and his agent is thinking, I must be worth this

amount in wages. Spurs will have that problem of keeping hold of a

player and convincing him it is in his best interest to stay under

Pocchettino and learn, rather than if he carries on this type of form.

How good is Dele Alli? Every week he seems to go up a level, he is a

fantastic player. He is so young, just starting off. The thing is,

going back to whatever contract he is on, he has to be the top earning

player at the club and keeping him there for the long-term future. It

is all about the finances for Tottenham, they are building a new

stadium, but players like Dele Alli, they have to stay at the club for

the future. He looks like a really good kid and all their players, when

they talk to the press, there is an intelligence about them. They are

striving for excellence, their training ground is out of this

world. A brand-new ground they are building, there is so much there,

holding onto the manager will be just as important as holding onto

this very good group of players. Chelsea, I think they are seven

points better off, Tottenham, but Chelsea have raised the bar a little

bit but they should not give up on that, these

Tottenham players. They should be proud of what they are achieving.

They do not want to just switch off and then they were leapfrogged by

Arsenal. They will see the job right the way through. They are making it

tight. Dele Alli has been shielded. You hear more from the other young

players than you do from Dele Alli. In a way, from our point of view, we

would rather he come out and speak more, but he has been shielded from

the media glare as such. It is interesting. He is a very

experienced kid, he played probably about 100 games for MK Dons and

played a lot of games for Spurs. He does his talking on the pitch and he

is doing it very well. One of the other starters is of course Eric

Dier and he has been talking to Simon Brotherton. There is quite a

lot of freedom in the way that you played. That is the only way for us

to play, really. Playing that way, we will get the best out of

ourselves and play better as a team. I think we have learned a lot from

last season and hopefully we can keep going in this way. I think

maybe at times last season, we got a bit too tense and worried too much

and thought too much about things and I think we are just going game

by game and really focusing on the games and playing our football and

enjoying it. On shows like this, we often emphasise how good Christian

Eriksen has been and Dele Alli but this season, Eric Dier has been

magnificent, enjoying the leadership that perhaps Spurs lacked last

season. Definitely, he is one of the standout candidates, Martin mention

the core of the team and he is at the centre. He sits in front of the

back four and he has played exceptionally well. Going back to

last year, they will still be hurting from what happened last

season. They got pipped, by Arsenal, there are big rivals, for

the Champions League, but this year they look stronger and mentally they

will be stronger because of what happened last season and they will

push Chelsea all the way. The result at Bournemouth is a big win for

Chelsea. They are driven by what happened last season? Eric Dier

under Roy Hodgson and the England setup, he is seen as a future

England captain. He is that much of a strong personality. He has had to

fight for his place in the Spurs team. It is competitive. He was

brought up in Portugal, playing his football there and he talks about

the English football players rushing around and there is an air and a

quality about him, he's calm in possession. There is something in

that with their young English players that we are trying to

nurture it through. He came through with Chambers and John Stones. He

has been moved into midfield, we could rescue the England team by

doing that, we are not blessed with many midfield players we can call

upon and he is someone who is very important. I see him as being a big

player there. Going off on a touch with England, it Gareth does play

that system of three at the back, you need to strong players in

central midfield and at the moment, we are a bit short of them and he

could be one of them. When you watch birds at the moment, do you think

there is an air of confidence and swagger. If you look at the goal by

Dele Alli, it was fantastic, but if you rewind the tape, it comes from

Hugo Lloris, under pressure from the Watford strikeforce and he rolls the

ball out and they play from the back. The goal comes Rabada ten or

11 passes, there is a real confidence in the side. I do not

think it is rocket science. Pocchettino is the man behind that,

he set up the system and how they play. Hugo Lloris probably was not

much good with his feet, but he is a fantastic goalkeeper and he has

improved so much in that department. Strikers close him down but he is

casual on the ball in a positive way and players at the back, I know they

do that, they work every week on the system, how they play, where players

want to be and the build-up from the back. It is a big part of their

game. We will not know about the mentality or whether Spurs have

changed until Spurs actually win a trophy. If they go on to win the FA

Cup, for example, if they knock over Chelsea, City and they are suddenly

in a different ball game. That is mouthwatering that one. In the

Premier League, you cannot do a lot about winning

it, you when your game are they win their game, but it is about who is

best, let us have it to the finish. That game at the end of last season,

finished off Spurs league when Hazard scored a couple of goals.

That game imploded, let us hope we do not see that. Let us see a fair

fight in the semifinal, but I cannot wait for that game. They are the

standout teams. Phil Neville was talking about the best coach team,

Tottenham, maybe it is Chelsea. Antonio Conte really stitches in his

information, both teams know what they need to do. There is so much

riding, both teams might feel they can get a double this year. That is

what we have but it looks as though Chelsea will win the league. You

mentioned when Spurs beat Chelsea at White Hart Lane. There was almost a

feeling they are almost measuring themselves against Chelsea and they

feel that they are at their level. All you can ask them Spurs is that

they will improve this season, the fact that Chelsea have gone on that

remarkable run, winning so many games, Spurs can do nothing about

that. They have improved and I think next Saturday, it will just... The

strength their squad, I think there is a case for trippy eight being the

England number two ahead of Klein. I do not see anyone playing to that

level. They both can play. The manager, how he is keeping them

happy. Look at the improvement he is getting out of players, looking from

the outside, you wonder who has improved. Kyle Walker has improved

immensely. There are not many better full-backs in Europe. It comes back

to the ambition, can they keep these players in the summer, Manchester

City might be looking for a right fullback. There was a story about

Danny Rose and Manchester United. If you are Danny Rose, at Tottenham

Hotspur, you wonder if you should go and work under Jose Mourinho, seeing

how he treated Luke Shaw. It is really a no brain to stay under

Pocchettino. We will come onto Jose Mourinho and Luke Shaw surely. Let

us hear from Phil Neville. Pocchettino is doing a good job. I

love him. They are the best coached team in the Premier League, they are

a young team who keeps getting better. People talk about players

leaving, they have to keep them. Best coached team in the Premier

League. Can I ask you, Martin, when it comes to winning titles and

trophies and you have done that with Arsenal, when you win a trophy, what

does that do for the whole atmosphere of the football club and

is that what Spurs need to do, get that first trophy under their belt

under Pocchettino? What it does is it galvanises everyone together and

you start to become much more a part of the club. That is for certain. If

there is anyone with any ideas to leave, they

are not thinking about that. Pretty well if you look at Arsenal last

season, if they had won the league, they would not be the situation with

Mesut Ozil. Suddenly the grass is greener were you are, life is good.

I do not see that with Spurs. I think we can go another season or so

but they do need to win a trophy pretty soon. They have the

capabilities of doing it. They want to become stars and why not become

legends at Tottenham? As an Arsenal fan, it has been difficult for

Spurs, they are coming into something now. When you go to White

Hart Lane, the fans know, they are in awe of their team and they are

right behind them because they see something special every week. Do you

think teams are fearing going to White Hart Lane? Definitely, the way

they are playing. You know you're in for a tough game. We went there

recently, 4-0 down at half-time, or Watford

yesterday, it is going to be tough. That is why it is important what

happens next year. Phil Neville is right about Pocchettino, he will be

in demand and there is no question of him leaving at the moment but we

-- when we had that lunch with Fergie, I knew bumped into Barcelona

President is, as you do! There was a great code from Pocchettino, who

said that these things happen! Let's talk about the papers and Antonio

Conte because he seems to be enjoying the challenge presented by

Spurs and this is the quote from the newspaper, I love the pressure, I

live off the pressure, I don't see pressure, I put pressure on. Five

times he has used pressure. I think we know that. Where we sit at

Stamford Bridge, we sit directly behind the Chelsea dugout and the

pressure he puts on himself, it is incredible. I sometimes wonder how a

coach can be that intense for long periods of time in his career. It is

incredible. You see players that were angry on the pitch, got into

much mode and I think he feels that is what he has to do. He was a

serial winner at Juventus, the winter season unbeaten mare, last

season, he is capable of big things and he believes that if I do not

keep beating that drum on the side of the pitch, then the team will not

perform. He gets his players up for it. I have seen him pick up his

assistant by the lapels and lead him down the line to say something. He

has got incredible enthusiasm. He feels pressure because there is

pressure to perform at Chelsea, pressure to win a title. I am sure

he is desperate to do that in the way that Carlo Ancelotti did as

well. People often forget as well, you talked about Juventus, he has

also coached Italy as well, in big games and Martin and I were in

Bordeaux for the Italy and Germany game and we were at the side of the

pitch and we were talking about the energy that he puts into again

himself just been on the touchline. Fascinating. And he came at the

start of the season he was not playing three at the back. I do not

think he understands four at the back at all but he went with it and

he has imposed his beliefs on the team. Kante, they say football is a

numbers game, but he just changes the numbers because he offers

himself in wide positions, back of the defence, forward positions, they

always have that extra player on the pitch and he now complete to

midfield players. He likes that two in front and then he can have Hazard

and Pedro, that extra inventiveness at the top of the team. Phil is

talking about Pocchettino as being the best coach, I do not think

Chelsea are behind that and you would have to look at Jose Mourinho

who is always well drilled. We have some excellent managers and that is

why we are seeing really good coaching and good information and it

is the coaches who get that message across the quickest he will win

something. I think Pep Guardiola at the top of all of this, he is an

artist and I see him next season as conquering all of this.

There are coaches but you need talented coaches. He will be

thinking not long ago I was supposed to be the best manager in the world,

why are they not talking about me but I'm sure he will get the

investment to go again and Manchester City will be pushing for

the final. I will say this about Antonio Conte and his coaching, you

are right that you have to have the personnel but would we have

envisaged Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses playing such key roles as the

wingbacks? You would not have said, you've got the personnel, I would

not have had those two down as key factors in Chelsea's season. That's

because we could not have believed those two could have done it, Alonso

gave a brilliant free kick yesterday, totally underestimated.

You never saw him as a full-back but they will come all the way back and

they are in a five and that they have the two in front so how would

you break them down? They know their roles and responsibility. That's the

coach. Let's look at some of the papers. I don't know what this is

doing here! Andy Dunn, apparently Britain's best columnist, according

to the Minna! An interesting piece, Joe is say hello to a new striker

and goodbye to Ibrahimovic- Jose must say hello. Has Ibra had his

time at Manchester United? He said he didn't know if he was going to

stay, my point of view is that he has been outstanding this season.

Had he not made that elbow attack I think he might have been my

Footballer of the Year. However he will be 36 and October. If he stays

another year he must play. You can't imagine Zlatan saying that he will

stay with no guarantee of playing. And then you've got to fit Zlatan in

with the other strikers. And that's the younger players, Rashford,

Martial, they will go down the pecking order and I don't think he's

the future of Manchester United. He's been fantastic this season but

going forward, long-term, then he is not the future. To get a relatively

young striker in, a top striker like Griezmann and then integrate other

players in... Martin, would it be a mistake for Ibra to stay another

year? They may win the Europa League and he had a massive hand in that.

If he stays another year, perhaps the legend will not be as strong...

He has won 11 trophies in 13 seasons. He is a true champion.

Today he's talking about us and them. He is still a player, not a

coach, and his will have to stay if Dashti change if he stays. He will

become Wayne Rooney's, next's Wayne Rooney. Rashford will need to be

managed, an interesting young teenager scoring for Mourinho.

Mourinho does not necessarily want to work with teenagers. Ibrahimovic

is outstanding that he is 36. When you look at the bench, back in the

date it was Dwight Yorke and Teddy Sheringham. They need strikers. They

are not scaring anyone. That's all gone now. They need to get that

back. They need a dearth of strikers. Manchester United need to

buy strikers but protect Rashford. And the back page of the Sun, they

have leapt it out anyway, Ibra says Jose has every right to blast flops.

Martin just said Jose doesn't want to work with teenagers. Ibrahimovic

knows what Jose is like, you worked with him at Inter Milan. He knows

his style. Does he have a point that United are overachieving? I don't

know about overachieving but I think Zlatan can take criticism to his

face but there are players like Luke Shaw who this week has come in for a

lot of criticism and I think he should say it in the changing room

to his face and keep it out of the press. Back him. Don't do it in

public. Those players go home to their families. For me, as a

manager, if you want to get the best out of a player, saying it to his

face and then protecting him on the outside I think is the way forward.

How this go in the dressing room? Zlatan has played every Premier

League minute he's been available under Jose. He doesn't get

substituted. And then he calls out other players publicly, and

Ibrahimovic says he has every right to blast the flops. Reading between

the lines... Separating himself from the other players a bit? That is and

what they want. It would be better if both the manager and the top

players said, we are equally to blame in some way. They are now

pushing the blame onto the youngsters. How about believing in

Luke Shaw and trusting him? How about saying, he came off the bench

and it was his strike that led to the penalty at the end of the game

against Everton. Instead the manager lays claim to his success by saying

that every move he made was because of Jose shouting at him on the

sidelines. That is not good management. Let the player grow. He

is an outstanding talent. I think sometimes Mourinho says too much.

You should have a member of staff who cut him short! Five and a half

minutes, his interview after the Everton game. He did this at

Chelsea. He needs more control. He should apologise sometimes what he

says to the players. Briefly that was bizarre. At the same time Jose

was in the press Conference saying how he was orchestrating what Luke

Shaw did, saying he was the brains, the same time Luke Shaw was giving

interview elsewhere, not knowing what his manager was saying. It's a

really difficult situation. Batstone our attention to today. It's a

massive game for Sunderland. They played Manchester United, Ian Brown

has the team is. Sunderland ten points adrift of safety myth David

Moyes has minimal scope for change even though he has Victor Anichebe

upfront, Borini drops out and Pienaar is on the bench after his

problems. Manchester United, a lot to do just, five alterations from

the Everton game. You talked about Luke Shaw, he starts today, Paul

Pogba returns and Mkhitaryan, plus Romero in goal and Darmian at right

back. Those making we are de Gea, Young, Rashford, Zlatan is in and

the captain as Marouane Fellaini. Thank you, updates from Ian and

Steve throughout the afternoon on radio five Life. Your reaction to de

Gea missing out for Manchester United? Five changes and Marouane

Fellaini the captain. Marouane Fellaini as captain is strange, some

of the fans don't think you should be at the club and now he's captain.

And de Gea is one of the best keepers in the world, he has done

very well, Romero, though, so I think they will be OK in that

department, Sunderland struggling to score. Presumably Luke Shaw will

start with Mourinho running along the touchline! Get back here!

Interesting that they are making the changes because clearly you are

coming to the stage where they've got the Europa League game, they are

away at Anderlecht on Thursday, it is one of those, I think, he doesn't

say, I will prioritise the Europa League, he just says, we are going

for everything but at the back of his mind he probably just has one

eye on his Europa League... Will they win the Europa League? It's got

to be their best bet. The fixtures are difficult between the end of the

season and now, they play Chelsea, City, Spurs, I can't see them

finishing... You wouldn't want to put all your eggs in one basket

because anything could happen in the final. He does love winning

trophies. If he wins the Europa League that's a very good season for

Manchester United. Very good. People look at their league position but to

win two trophies in one season when there are four or five trophies to

play for would be a big success for Mourinho. I think pressure has been

put on him by David Moyes in the paper today saying that they need to

win trophies. I think that Manchester United will go all out to

win today. Let's hear from Jordan Pickford about Sunderland. He's been

talking to Football Focus. Eight games without a win, we've got a

tough test coming up and as a Sunderland glad it's not ideal,

knowing the vibe in the area, that is down to us players and staff, to

put things right on the pitch on game day. We need to work as best we

can to get those three points. Three years ago I think we were eight

points adrift and we needed a miracle is why can't we do it now?

Jordan Pickford. I asked you how good Eric Dier and Dele Alli is,

Shay, but Manchester United, if they lost de Gea would they go for Jordan

Pickford? He's a good keeper. He's 23, he's played all season in

Premier League, when he was at Preston they spoke very highly of

their keeper, now he has the decision to make because it looks

like Sunderland will get relegated, don't beat around the bush. He will

probably be one of the main players they could sell in the summer. By

all accounts they might want the money for him. As a player, he's a

Sunderland boy, maybe he will want to stay in the Championship and get

them back in the Premier League. He doesn't want to go to Chelsea, man

city or Manchester United answered on the bench. He's had a taste of

first-team football and he doesn't want to go back to doing that -- he

doesn't want to to Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United

and simply sit on the bench. I think they will take the decision out of

his hands. They want the money. Somebody said that in January they

might try to sell him but he was injured so they couldn't sell him. I

just wouldn't like him to go to a big club and not play. He's still

young as a keeper. I think that's the issue, he's getting game time,

he's very young for a goalkeeper. I don't think there's any rush. He

gets so much action, doesn't he? He is making so many saves. And when

you are at a good club you are only making one or two saves the match.

Perhaps it is lucky that Joe Hart did not go there in the summer

because this lad has had an opportunity to play. Andy, what is

your view on David Moyes, under pressure for many reasons. I am a

little bit surprised, basically that the club did not take more action

for the incident... The interview with Vicki Sparks. I am surprised

they did not take stock action about that. And in terms of the way that

the season has gone, I look at him and I don't think he has transformed

them in any way shape or form, apart from the first goals which have now

dried up. Basically it's been a huge disappointment for him, this season.

I think that by the sound of it he will be given the chance to bring

them back up because they are going down. It has been coming. If you

look at Aston Villa, for many years near the bottom of the table,

Sunderland hanging on, Sam Allardyce getting them out of trouble,

somehow, it has almost been inevitable, sitting there with 20

points, it is almost pitiful. And the finances as well, I don't know

how much money they've got to bring in new players, I don't know if they

will promise in a certain amount and then pull the rug from under his

feet. And to sell them to one of their rivals seems to be quite the

wrong message. A look at the back page of the Sunday Muhuddin Mire.

Mesut Ozil on his way to Manchester United, says the paper. - the Sunday

Mirror. I am sure that Jose would like him. He's not a Jose type of

player but I talked to Jose and he said that he used to watch training,

and Jose would turn his back on Real Madrid training, and you're the

kerfuffle going on behind but whenever Mesut Ozil was on the ball

it made a different sound. Like a golfer when he hits a pure shot.

Whether Jose might be saying this for effect, he claimed that he could

listen and he knew when Maslow 's and was kicking. And he loves him,

he thinks he is great. He looked great when Jose rejoined Chelsea, he

didn't think that Mesut Ozil would be suitable for the type of game he

wanted to play. The type with everyone pressing, working as hard

without the ball as they do with the ball. But now with the United set up

I think he could. Mourinho called him a cry as well. That is in his

book, he says, at half-time, you've got to go and prove me wrong, and he

didn't come he stayed in the dressing room. But Jose did write

the foreword for his autobiography. Speaking of books, the Mail on

Sunday have an interview with Mesut Ozil. This is Rob Draper. They've

obviously got the rights to serialise his new book, Gunning For

Greatness. He says, I get criticism but I don't care, and success on the

pitch. Do you understand why so many fans get frustrated that he drifts

in and out of matches? Without doubt. David Rocastle ticked

and off a lot of boxes, he was a physical player and technically

gifted. This fellow has one of those but not both. He leaves the Arsenal

fans frustrated. Manchester City, he was running through on goal and he

was favourite and suddenly he was not favourite, it took like he was

running away from the ball. There are body language issues, you he is

a success story, but when you're in a team that is not having a good

time, you have to work hard. Dennis Bergkamp for me have the complete

package, he was a better player only because he worked hard out of

possession. They are both brilliant in possession but you have to do

both. Arsenal cannot carry someone and they are looking to the top

player to get them out of trouble. He has been ill

or not available or not ready for selection and that has left a huge

question mark. If he stays, everything has to be rosy in his

garden for him to play well and that is not the case at the moment. He

does not give many interviews, but there is a book coming out and you

can understand why he is doing this. He says he has a connection with

Arsenal, I love London, but I cannot say what will happen in the future.

In the summer we will talk. What does that mean? When you listen to

that, do you think he likes living in London, but... Chelsea are in

London as well of course. And Spurs. Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are the main

players at Arsenal and neither of them have signed a main contract. It

is not a money issue, I don't think they're holding out for money, I

think it is more the ambition of the club, what is happening with Arsene

Wenger, highly going to invest in the squad in the summer and these

two could play in any top European team and that is the big question

mark. It is quite a revealing interview and also shifting it onto

Arsene Wenger, unequivocal support for Mesut Ozil today. It would be,

because he has had that support from Arsene Wenger. When he has had bad

games and certainly in big games he has had bad games, so I am not

surprised he has the support of the manager because he never criticises

players publicly in the way that Jose Mourinho might do and also, he

allows Mesut Ozil his freedom to express himself. Arsene Wenger is

happy for him to do what he does. He does not want his artist painting

fences. He will, I am afraid, but he will not say publicly. That is the

difference between him and Jose Mourinho. He only says, he talks

about the good things that people do, but not the things they cannot

do. I does feel there are question marks. He has been ill, mystery

illnesses, hamstring injuries, at least Sanchez has come out and said

something. He has got a bit of balls about him, he has become an angry

man and difficult to work with but he is showing passion. They beat

West Ham, they have a difficult game on Monday night against Crystal

Palace but Arsenal are still in there with a shout and they can

turn around their season. If they finish in the top four, it is

certain that Arsene Wenger will stay. I think these guys contract

will run out and Arsenal will say, you will have to stay here for

another season. They are key to the success of Arsenal. Let's talk about

Liverpool, masterstroke by Jurgen Klopp at half-time yesterday? When

they saw the team sheet, we talked about it, young lads upfront, we

thought it was a good chance to beat Liverpool today and we did play well

in the first half, maybe had a couple more chances we could have

taken. At half-time, Firmino and Catania came on and they definitely

changed the game. They both scored as well and you all the goals last

night, both fantastic finishes, but at the same time, as the goalkeeper

I will stick up for Simon Mignolet. He made two great saves and on

another day we could have four the game 3-2. They concede Jurgen Klopp

probably running to him now, to hug him, because especially the second

save was one of the saves of the season. We watch the game in the

studio, he was not laughing at half-time. He is the manager that we

look at and would love to play for him. He looks great, he is enjoying

every moment of every player's career. I love his interviews

afterwards. That was massive for them to get back and win that match.

It really would have opened the door for Arsenal to get back in. We are

just showing pictures of those wonderful scenes at the end were

Jurgen Klopp ran onto the pitch. We were scratching our heads when they

saw that Ben Woodburn was starting as well. Is that because Coutinho

had only passed a fitness test to get onto the bench. Presumably so,

because Coutinho came back one month ago hands has been, started to come

into form but were struggling to recapture his form. Maybe that was

an element to do with that. I don't understand it otherwise, because

they have no more commitments, they have just got to get the best they

can out of the remaining fixtures. I am not entirely sure... It worked

and they were IMPAC players. As a defender, where they see players

like back coming off the bench at half-time, it is like, let's have

it. I see them coming off the bench and it is like, the game can change

and they have turned it around for them. Imagine that he looked at you

and said, OK, let's have it! Imagine. What about Stoke City? Is

it a case of the season petering out? Definitely not, we have had a

bad run of recent form. We have wanted to finish in the top half, we

have had four defeats in a row and that is not good enough from ours.

On another day, yesterday, we would have at least got a draw out of the

game or perhaps won. Little things are not going right for us. Next

Saturday we have whole city at home and it is a huge game for us. We

really need a victory. We vowed not to mention the corner from Charlie

Adams, because ultimately it was a free kick. If you were watching

midway, has he recovered? Mark Hughes or the funny side. He must

have got a lot of stick. He hands it out. To be fair. If there is one

player I can imagine giving out stick, it is him. It was a free for

us to give him abuse the next day. What do think is happening at Stoke

City? They have had a good season, mid-table, players are just starting

to take their foot from the gas. I think there is an element of that

with all clubs. When we decide, everyone says how important it is to

stay in the Premier League and when teams become safe and are not going

to threaten, we have now got a big sex, I think in the past, we could

have said every year it is a big three or a big four but now it is a

big six, so the need them, there is that wedge of teams in the middle

and once you are safe, I can understand it mentally, you do take

your eye from the ball. West Brom are feeling the same. Exactly, they

are in a familiar position, so maybe, it is that. I am not sure.

Maybe Mark Hughes at the moment... Treading water is the wrong word,

but every season trying to better ninth position or get higher than

ninth position. 36 points. I think they are. If they are not, then half

the table is in trouble. It is so close right in the middle of the

league, if we can get a couple of victories together, then I think we

are up to ninth place, eighth place or ninth place. It is so close in

that middle half and can change quickly. The running, the remaining

games for Stoke, but they are not overly difficult. Only one out of

the top six left. I think teams in that area have to be stronger

somehow. They have to go through periods of losing game after game

after game and then suddenly turn it around and feel comfortable and

happy with the season. Let's talk about Manchester City, you were

there, they beat Hull. Our certain individuals playing for their

futures? 100%. No doubt about that. It is like the headmaster is out

there, Pep Guardiola is magnificent. He has seen the players who came

off, the ones he is happy with, you will be here next season. He is very

demanding. They were 2-0 up, he was screaming instructions, he wants the

back four up and wants them to pay the complete game, I think the

second goal, I think it was a record number of passes. Every player in

the team had a touch. Incredible. It was a perfect gold from the point of

view of the manager but I feel the goalkeeper needs to be changed for

next season. You cannot go with him. It was not the greatest finishes. I

know John Stone should come to the ball, but the goalkeeper should have

saved it. There is lots of surgery to be done to that team but have

some outstanding talent, the likes of sterling and Sergio Aguero and

Sane. Yaya Toure is a mystery, I still feel he has something to offer

and there might be a club going after him, and I wonder if Arsenal

would go after him if he becomes available. Tax coming in about Kyle

Neill Bravo. Surely Pep Guardiola understands that the goalkeeper as

to stop the ball coming in rather than have good feet. Morton was at

the game. I was not there, but Claudio Bravo is fantastic with his

feet. Is he though? I don't know how good he is. The manager says he is.

He has conceded seven goals from the past seven shots. Can you stop the

ball going that way? And he has struggled in the last number of

games. You save the amount of shots he has conceded and the amount of

goals, it is simply not good enough. I think that department will

definitely be lived at in the summer. There is definitely a boy

there a goalkeeper. You were talking earlier about how Hugo Lloris has

developed his skills, is that becoming more and more apparent. He

makes great saves. Yes, he does. Bravo does not. Hugo Lloris was a

great goalkeeper but now he has gone the next up with his feet. If you're

playing for Pep Guardiola, you have to be good with your feet but you

have to make great saves. Could Joe Hart not have done this, developed

really well in this position? Whatever Pep Guardiola sees does not

see in Jill Hart... It had to be the Euros. He just did not want him at

the club, it did not give him a chance or an opportunity and reading

the papers the last couple of days, is that one of his biggest mistakes,

not keeping Joe Hart? Just a quick word on that massive three points

yesterday for West Ham and Slaven Bilic. Huge pressure. You can see

that pressure building up, huge three points for the owners as well

because they were getting to the situation where they had to come out

and back the manager and it did not look great. The vibes from Slaven

Bilic are not great. Amazing, three points and we are saying they're OK.

Swansea City in deep trouble. Yes. They had a really good period and

now they have struggled in the last five or six games. Yesterday, their

confidence looks pretty low as well. I saw them a few weeks ago and they

had a problem at right back. Tactically, and he could not cope.

Good to see you. Everton against Leicester City live on BBC Radio

five live, Marden and I back with much of the day to later because

Mark Chapman is at the Masters. Have a great day. Goodbye.