10/12/2017 MOTD2 Extra

Hello and welcome to Match

of the Day 2 Extra.

We're on BBC Two, 5 Live,

the BBC Sport website and app,

as well as the iPlayer.

A huge day of football.

Joining me today, former

Newcastle and Manchester City

goalkeeper Shay Given,

Andy Cole, who won five

Premier League titles

with Manchester United,

and the Times' chief football

writer, Henry Winter.

Plenty for you to discuss. Send us a

text on 85058. Use the hash tag

#bbcfootball. This lunchtime we will

be discussing derby day.

We'll discuss the Manchester derby,

arguably the biggest game

of the season so far,

which is live on 5 Live at 4.30pm.

We'll also be at Anfield ahead

of the Merseyside derby,

with Liverpool playing

Sam Allardyce's Everton at 2.15pm.

Updates from Southampton

against Arsenal.

They have had just over 15 minutes

and Southampton lead 1-0. Charlie

Austin with the goal.

And we'll talk penalties

after Christian Benteke insisted

to take and then missed one

in injury time as Palace

drew with Bournemouth.

As far as the papers are

concerned...

The Express, "You can Conte us out",

with Antonio Conte conceding Chelsea

won't retain their title

after a fourth defeat of the season

yesterday at West Ham.

The Mirror, "Cynical City",

with Jose Mourinho urging referee

Michael Oliver to clamp down

on the cynical side

of Pep Guardiola's team

and what he calls "tactical fouls".

The Sun, "Top dogs, dirty dogs",

with Vincent Kompany claiming

City have been top dogs

since Sir Alex Ferguson retired,

whilst also referencing those

Jose Mourinho quotes.

We will come to the Manchester on

Merseyside derbies in a moment.

Details from Southampton.

Southampton lead 1-0, played 18

minutes. A really good start to this

game. Charlie Austin got the goal

within two minutes, 1-2 with recent

adage after a mistake by Per

Mertesacker. Both sides have had

chances since. Arsenal a moment ago

with the ball inside Southampton's

penalty area. Flowing counterattack

from Southampton: ending with a

last-minute tackle. Chris Sutton

alongside me.

A really good start.

Arsenal did not start the game well,

Per Mertesacker, Charlie Austin made

him pay. Southampton have started

the brighter, they should have been

two up. Charlie Austin missed one.

Petr Cech made a smart save.

Arsenal

feeling the way back into it.

Defensively, concerning so far from

the home side. 90 minutes played.

Saints 1-0 Arsenal.

Chris Sutton

sounded like he is merely enjoying

himself! We will have plenty of

updates over the next 45 minutes on

MOTD2 Extra. Manchester United at

home to City, the derby. City clear

of the united by eight points at the

moment. If they lose this, United,

that is the title?

It will be very

difficult to win it if someone goes

11 points clear mid-December, very

difficult. Manchester United have to

go into the game thinking they have

to win it. Home team, that is what

you have to do anyway.

When it or

not lose it?

Win it. If they draw,

eight points adrift. If they play

like they did last week, they will

have a chance.

There is therefore a

freedom for City but in every game

there is a freedom for City, does

not matter, they do not alter their

style.

That is Pep Guardiola's

management style, from Barcelona and

my

Bayern Munich. Today will be gone

meat no different.

They will play

expansive fantastic football, they

have done or season. -- I fancy

City.

What do you make... Loads of

the pack pages have gone with it,

two days ago, City's players go over

with a gust of wind, now if they

lose the ball, they commit tactical

fouls?

Jose Mourinho said it in the

past, the match begins in the press

conference. This happened in Spain.

He wants the press conference to be

at the same time as Pep Guardiola's.

Lunchtime in Manchester, the two of

them. So that they could not react

to what the other was saying. What

Jose Mourinho did, very clever, the

live stuff, he talked about the

Manchester City players going down,

if there is a bit of wind around, so

he got the point to Michael Oliver

about Man City players diving which

went to the back pages of the

Saturday, then he talk to the Sunday

newspapers, tactical fouling. Jose

Mourinho has probably got a check

list, diving, tactical fouling...

Classic Jose Mourinho, putting

pressure on Michael Oliver.

Therefore, if Michael Oliver got

something wrong today, he is partly

responsible, for piling on the

pressure?

But he is very clever

because he just says enough without

necessarily stirring the FA

disciplinary group. Technically, he

is not supposed to talk about the

referee in advance. He is putting

the pressure on the referee by

talking about the Man City players.

We all know his players do it as

well.

What I would say, Michael is

one of the best referees in the

league and he will not be fazed by

it. You could argue he is stepping

out of line by making these comments

before the game because the game

does not need building up, biggest

of the season, he is maybe trying to

get away from, I don't know, as

Henry says, putting the pressure on

officials.

Players

will not be bothered by this, will

they?

Not at all.

It is a nonsense.

Your manager can say what they need

to up the press conference, day

before the game, whatever, once the

team's walk-out, the managers,

irrelevant, the players have to

produce the goals, passing

movements.

Going back to... We can

go and talk to the tactical side of

the game, use a must win for Man

United, do you expect them to go at

City from the start? -- you say it

is a must win. You expect them to

sit back and defend and blast them

on the break?

I could see that

today, late counterattacking

football. They have the pace up

front. I was saying fair earlier,

early goal, it opens up the game,

just like it did last week. -- I was

saying off air earlier. Hopefully,

we get that, otherwise it will be

very tactical. It makes a big

difference who gets the first goal.

Will City be vulnerable to the

counterattack, given there will be

space arguably to exploit behind the

full-backs, certainly Kyle

Walker...?

My concern from the City

point of view would be set plays

with the height Man United have the

advantage over Man City. If they get

the right delivery with Romelu

Lukaku and the likes, Aaron Fulani

might come in, don't know the team

yet, physically, they are stronger

in the air -- Maroney Fellini. I do

not know if the fans would accept

that, or, do you think they are

superior at the minute? I don't

know.

Big decision. I would be very

surprised. Old Trafford. You cannot

do it at Old Trafford. But I am not

the manager. It is a lot easier for

me to say. When you play at Old

Trafford you have to go out and win

games. Man City plagues well, you

still have to say, we need to win.

Such a massive game is so easy in

this -- Man City playing so well,

you still have to say, we need to

win, such a massive game so early in

the season.

There is this whole

thing about the Manchester City

being vulnerable about set pieces,

they miss John Stones, fantastic

season. But it was the West Ham goal

for Ogbonna.

Huddersfield scored

from a corner as well.

Deflected

goal. In recent weeks, they have

only conceded two this season.

That

is their slight vulnerability.

Post-match interview last week after

the win over West Ham, Pep Guardiola

said to the BBC that if they are

vulnerable at set pieces, the

easiest thing is not to concede the

set pieces which I imagine is maybe

easier said than done in the heat of

a Manchester derby.

Man United will

have to come and attack and it is

inevitable they will get corners and

free kicks. They have to stand up to

that, Man City.

A couple of things

from the papers today, the Mail on

Sunday, this is the one I have read,

a really good interview with Raheem

Sterling about how he has learnt,

how he has developed his game. You

talk to him on England duty as well,

is this the Raheem Sterling you

recognise?

This is the Raheem

Sterling I recognise since he has

been working with Pep Guardiola. You

hear the stories from training about

how Pep Guardiola works with him,

almost physically moving him around.

13 goals this season, the sort of

goals, you question his

decision-making in the past, some of

his movement, now, he is pausing

before shooting, looking...

The

quote in this on his finishing is

brilliant. He said, before it was

pure excitement. My God, I in front

of goal! About to score. I have

missed. He says, candidly. I always

looked back at the chances

afterwards and asked, why am I

rushing? Why are my legs moving so

quickly? When he scored in the

Champions League, he said, I had a

look to see where the keeper was and

I knew I had an extra second, I took

my time, I relaxed, I looked where I

could put the ball in the... In the

past, I would have just kicked it.

It sounds like he is teaching

himself patients. Which I am

assuming you found naturally. You

were an out and out finisher.

When

you read that earlier on, I was at

home having a chuckle. When you are

there, you have more time than you

think. People think, you have a

split second. If you are relaxed,

you have longer. Some of his

finishing, he is changing his mind.

Already celebrating before he kicks

the ball. You can't. Now he is

improving, week in, week out.

Sometimes he has been made

scapegoat, in good positions, not

taking chances.

Did you find at the

start of your career, Bristol City

days, even Arsenal as a kid, where

you always relaxed in front of goal?

Did you get more relaxed more

experience?

Yeah, of course. But

once you are in no, you know how

much time you have. Ultimately, if

the defender makes the tackle,

otherwise, it is a penalty. You go

to whatever: you believe it is

right. He was shooting as quickly as

possible.

Michael Owen makes the

point that school football is really

important because then you are

probably the best player there and

you will get ten chances. Academy

football, you get two, three. He

says one of the reasons he got all

the records was because he had

chance after chance. As Andy says,

he was calm in the box because he

knew another chance would come soon.

In many ways, one of the reasons why

Raheem Sterling has had to teach

himself that or partly be coached

about that is because finishing is

not the natural thing for him when

he was a winner.

Getting in

fantastic positions last season,

fluffing his lines, he even says to

himself he was panicking, now like a

totally different player. One-on-one

with the goalkeeper, he says

himself, he has the calmness to

finish and I think a lot comes from

the manager. Pep Guardiola is

saying, I believe in you. You can

only get better and improve. Raheem

Sterling this season has been one of

the players of the season.

The other

thing Man City fans probably will

not like in the article but is kind

of refreshing when it comes to

British football, looking at the

bigger picture, him wanting to play

abroad for his own development. City

fans do not want to hear it. But not

enough British footballers say that.

Man City have fantastic players

coming through. Raheem Sterling is

not one of their own. He does not

have that instinct of loyalty

necessarily. I think it is

fantastic. The more English players

who go overseas, the better it will

be for their development personally

and professionally and the better

for the national team. Very

interesting he's doing these

interviews because he is trying to

change his image, not his image, he

was almost the poster boy for

England's failings at the last

tournament which was unfair because

there were so many issues behind the

scenes and with the manager and

other players.

Arguably, through how

certain newspapers treated him...

On

one side, I would not dispute that.

Some of the criticism was wrong.

When he was getting that criticism

in the Euros, Pep Guardiola called

him up and said, I cannot wait to

work with you. Shay's point about

how important the manager is is very

important.

From Man United's point

of view, who is most important for

them this afternoon, Romelu Lukaku,

Anthony Marciano or Jesse Lingard

assuming that is the three that play

together?

The three of them. The way those

three played last week, that's what

you want to see some looking at

that, I will say they are all going

to be very big assets for Manchester

United this afternoon.

Pogba is a

massive loss and it's a huge

advantage to Man City. He will

probably be at Old Trafford

twiddling his thumbs, thinking why

aren't I on the pitch.

And I agree

with you, so why has Graeme Souness

written, Pogba ban can only help

United.

I don't know, Graeme Souness

is an old-fashioned, fantastic

midfielder don't get me wrong, but

the game has changed so much. It's

quicker. Graeme Souness is a hard

tackling midfielder so him and Pogba

are totally different players.

Every

time I mention that column, you

giggle.

I think Graeme has a bee in

his bonnet about Pogba. He's played

really well at the back end of last

season and for some reason Graeme

doesn't see him as a proper player

midfield. I don't know why.

He goes

on to say United are defensively

better without him him. He's all

over the place, positionally.

I

think Manchester United are

completely different team when they

have his dynamism. The way he

destroyed Koscielny with setting up

the goal. I think there is a bit of

old school, you can't imagine Graeme

Souness wanting to have an in MotoGP

of himself. But that's this

generation, I think it's fantastic.

-- an emoji of himself.

That would

be hilarious, Graeme Souness having

his own emoji! Never justified over

a season his transfer fee. Fill in

Northwich, City fans moaning

a season his transfer fee. Fill in

Northwich, City fans moaning, at

least we have a bus to park and not

broken down defence. Get in touch.

Let's find out if Southampton

Arsenal are still entertaining.

It

certainly is. Southampton still

leading 1-0. Arsenal have crept back

into the game in the last five

minutes and have their best

opportunity. Aaron Ramsey, a

pull-back to him, driven towards the

bottom corner. And the keeper got

done so sharply to save it.

Yes,

right back in it now, on the edge of

the box. They are pinning

Southampton back. It's all Arsenal

at the moment, if you are

Southampton you just want to get a

half-time.

Great game, it really is.

Still 13 minutes to go until

half-time.

There's also the Merseyside

derby this afternoon.

Liverpool versus Everton at 2.15pm.

Steve Wilson's at Anfield

for Match Of The Day 2.

Here we are at Anfield, with Mark

Lawrenson. Local difficulty coming

up here between Liverpool and

Everton, the first of two and the

Cup draw has added piquancy to this

fixture but it never really needs

it.

No, and I think as well the

build-up has been interesting when

you consider that Everton played on

the Thursday night but no one who's

going to play probably played on the

Thursday night and Sam didn't go. I

think he will turn up with a plan

whether that's in terms of formation

or what remains to be seen. What's

interesting from Liverpool's point

of view is the fab four, whether

they can maintain the kind of form

they have shown because they have

been brilliant. I would say with

Liverpool, they are the best team in

the league is considering the wave

Manchester City have just got over

the line with some of the games.

You

have played in enough of these games

to know sometimes the football game

doesn't break out in some of these

Merseyside derbies and that would

suit Everton.

Yes, but I would say

in my day they throw the ball on

after half an hour, that's obviously

no longer. Everton completely

changed the system and were lucky to

get nil. Up they will have to be

confident. It will be interesting to

see whether Liverpool can have the

time and space to knock the ball

about. I suggest probably not.

And

of course Sam Allardyce is the last

manager to have come here and won,

he did that with Crystal Palace in

April.

Doesn't count.

But he will go

back to that blueprint and tried to

recreate the performance if they

can.

Everyone knows what he's about,

he's a good manager in these

situations so I suggest they will

probably go along, he will hate me

for saying that but try to win all

the second balls. He will definitely

have a plan. Before these games we

generally get to find out what the

teams are and the systems, not

anything coming out of Goodison Park

so he's definitely got a plan.

Liverpool have scored 40 goals in 11

games, Manchester City have scored

23 goals in their last 11 games so

Liverpool have scored 17 more games

than rampaging Manchester City.

It

is now rampaging Liverpool.

Liverpool are the best team in the

league in terms of football they

play and I would suggest they are

every neutral supporter's favourite

team.

But they are not going to

catch Manchester City.

They're not.

Every time Mark Lawrenson said

Liverpool were the best team in the

league, you looked like you are

going to punch me! It's not me

saying it.

I can understand it but

they are 14 points behind Manchester

City. It's wrong! If Liverpool are

14 points clear then yes, it's a

no-brainer. If Manchester City win

today, for me they will probably win

the league. Liverpool are long way

off.

She didn't like the fab four

journalism, but what are we going to

call them? The awesome foursome.

They are fantastic going forward, I

still think you would pick the

majority of Manchester City's

defence ahead of Liverpool's. I

think there's a Manchester City's

team which Liverpool have still got

to do. There is still a debate about

whether Henderson should be starting

in midfield.

Why do you think there

is that? He's Liverpool captain, why

is there a debate around it?

If you

talk to Liverpool fans, some of them

feel that when you have this

attacking potential, let rip quickly

and he can sometimes take extra

time. Actually he's pretty good,

certainly a developing player.

So if

you have the pace up front, Andrew,

I want the ball quickly?

Definitely.

As a centre forward, wide, all the

boys want it quickly because they

want to punish the defence quickly.

You take the extra run, straightaway

you are getting down about it. I

know what you're saying about

Henderson because sometimes he gets

the extra touch, he's not the Steven

Gerrard who can get it at his feet

and go.

At the risk of angering you

again, Shay, since Liverpool were

thumped by Spurs at the end of

September they have conceded just

three in the league since then, won

seven out of nine and drew the other

two so they have four. The defensive

statistic might surprise people.

Yes, because when they concede a

goal, they were 3-0 in Europe

against Seville, then came back to

3-3, when you say that three goals

in the last number of games that's

very good defensive work by the

whole team so maybe Klopp has worked

on it and improved on it. Maybe

three months ago they would have won

7-3, they have tightened things up.

It's whether he plays a right back

and Clement has been decent in

recent games.

Let's talk Everton. We

can hear from Gini Wijnaldum.

Back-to-back home wins, scoring

plenty of goals, is this the best

place you have felt in Everton this

season?

I think so, we were up to a

very slow start but hopefully things

are turning round now. There's more

confidence in the team, more

passivity around the players so it's

on the right track.

Sam Allardyce

got an incredibly good reception

when he walked out just before

kick-off, what's it been like with

him?

It's been good, he knows what

he wants.

18 years since Everton won

at Anfield, that's far too long,

isn't it?

You are speaking to

someone from Iceland where you are

probably the underdog in all of the

games. I know anything is possible

in football and if he can carry on

what we've been doing in the last

couple of games, we will have a good

chance of getting a good result.

He

talks about the underdog, should

Everton be the underdog?

What, in

this fixture? Yes. In terms of

what's happened this season, in

terms of the uncertainty of the

manager.

This season, fair enough.

The bigger picture? Should be still

be underdogs?

Yes, absolutely. I

think so. Looking at it historically

they have fantastic periods in their

history, Liverpool over the last 40

years have had fantastic periods and

maybe it suits Sam Allardyce to play

up the underdog thing. It's

interesting to see how quickly they

have responded. It's going to be

interesting to see how Pickford

plays today, because Joe Hart

missing at the weekend, he will

still be England's number one but

it's a big game for Pickford.

How

can Joe Hart continue to be

England's number one if he isn't

playing for West Ham when Gareth

Southgate has said he needs his

players to be playing club football?

I think Gareth Southgate is probably

hoping reporters are not checking

back. Exactly that, he's going to be

accused of inconsistency. He's also

said he will go into the World Cup

the most experienced player, with

the most caps, as captain.

But

slightly off the subject, just on

that, Joe Hart can't be England's

goalkeeper in the World Cup if he

isn't playing for West Ham when

Pickford, Butland... There are

English keepers playing week in week

out.

I think Jordan would struggle

starting the World Cup but it's only

one game so if you drop one game, it

is still seven months to the World

Cup. Nearer the time would be the

time to make the decision, not mid

December. Joe Hart is an experienced

goalkeeper. In tournament football

as well. Pickford and the others

have never played in tournament

football before. Joe Hart will know

himself, if he's not playing for

West Ham for the rest of the season,

not saying he wouldn't, but if he

didn't he would struggle in the

World Cup.

When Everton beat West

Ham in the midweek game a couple of

weeks ago when Rooney was deeper, do

you think you will be deeper for

Everton this season now?

I would

imagine so. After that performance

as well, after some performances

early on this season, I think that

his strongest position. He can

virtually dictate the game from that

area. Some of its finishing, Wayne

Rooney of old, he's still quality

player. Everton, the problem is for

me, Lukaku. You have got to play a

centre forward if you buy him.

If

you play Rooney even deeper, you can

get Sigurdsson.

The positive I

suppose is he probably wouldn't be

playing through the middle. A player

who did well at the end of last

season for Everton, then seemed to

fall out of favour with Ronald

Koeman for whatever reason.

It seemed Ronald Koeman said, I

don't like you. Cumani cars. Maybe

he could have got a hat-trick.

Keeper made a couple of good saves

as well -- Niasse. Pace on the

counterattack, that might be a

weapon Ronald Koeman might look out

for.

Can you see them getting

anything out of it?

They might, it

might be tough.

Always a dangerous

position to be in when you start

agreeing with Lawro!

It is going to

be difficult.

I cannot see it. I

hate to mention the fab four.

Nothing for Everton for you?

He has

improved the defence, you can see it

with Ashley Williams and's

performances, but Liverpool are

frightening going forward.

Christian

Benteke was influential that day, he

was also influential yesterday, but

for the wrong reasons, we will talk

about his performance for Palace

after a half-time update at St

Mary's.

Classy goal from Charlie

Austin is the difference.

Southampton leading 1-0. Charlie

Austin's goal was a combination with

Tadic and a good finish from the

front man. His fifth of the season.

He could have had a second soon

after. Arsenal's best chance was a

shot from Chris Ramsey wonderfully

saved by Fraser Forster. Both sides

looked vulnerable to the other

side's counterattacks.

Sloppy start

by Arsenal. Well taken goal by

Charlie Austin. They should have

been 2-0 up. Arsenal have come back

into it, smart save from Fraser

Forster, Arsenal finished the

stronger, but Southampton look a

threat on the break.

Arsenal missing

the chance to go back into the top

four this lunchtime.

Plenty of

updates on the second half through

the course of the afternoon.

Goalless in the Scottish Premiership

lunchtime game. Text from a Roy in

Peterborough, when Royal Palace get

a real striker? Christian Benteke

has been a waste of money. -- when

will Palace. Roy Hodgson admitted

afterwards he was not supposed to

take the penalty.

It is fairly

obvious, my thoughts. The management

decide who the penalty takers are

and we do not expect players in the

course of the game to change those

decisions. But we are not on the

pitch. Had it been a training

session, we could have done

something. It was a Premier League

game and although we tried to shout

out our instructions, they did not

get as far as the penalty spot.

Is

there an argument he should have

shouted louder?

No argument at all

from me. The penalty taker is your

penalty taker. You need those three

points. I am not sure why Christian

Benteke thought he could take it.

Is

the responsibility from all of the

players to stand up to Benteke and

say, you are not the penalty taker,

you are not taking this?

There

should be no confusion, I agree with

Andrew. They have lost two points,

they could be crucial at the end of

the season, they could get relegated

or stay up on the back of it. Roy

Hodgson is fuming. Bubbling

underneath. He has given the penalty

taker... Benteke should not be

anywhere near the penalty spot. I

played with Christian at Aston

Villa, I know he will be gutted.

So

he should be. Centre forward

sometimes they feel like they should

be taking penalties.

Me personally,

I did not take penalties for a

reason. If my team is in that

position, I know we need the three

points, my ego is put aside.

Christian's penalty record is not

that great.

Awful. He has scored two

in five for Palace. He has missed

three including yesterday. Scored

nine in 14 overall. Missed nearly a

third of his penalties.

I was

wanting to ask Andrew, the whole

idea of penalties, do you think they

should count totals? You one,

Fulham, they do count, but do you

think it this value is the totals?

If I say yes people say...

Is that

yes?

Alan Shearer is doing Match of

the Day 2! Tried telling Alan

Shearer penalties don't count! From

the goalkeeper's point of view,

would you have any advantage if

there are two penalties in the same

game taken by the same player? If

the same player had taken the second

penalty after scoring the first,

would you feel like you had any

advantage?

I don't think so, it

comes down to mind games, game of

poker, will he go the same way? Alan

Shearer, one the best. The

goalkeeper up against Alan Shearer,

they would still be fearing the

outcome would be in the back of the

net. His penalty was top-quality

yesterday, unbelievable. Was not

like it was lucky.

Let him take it

again. I do not know if these of

Palace fans texting in, there are

not impressed either way. Benteke

should be dropped. Gary, fine him

four weeks of wages, might remember

next time. Another, every point is

crucial. Benteke put his ego above

the team's best interests. In the

dressing room after, would you be

having a pop at him?

Yeah. But then

we go back to leaders in the team.

We need the three points. Why is he

taking it? When he picked the ball

up, I would have said, excuse me,

not today. We need these three

points. The boy has scored a very

good penalty, let him take it.

Obviously going against the manager.

You have a designated penalty taker.

They must have been able to get the

message onto pitch.

That is done to

the players.

I appreciate it is

noisy and the technical area is

miles away. There was a Man United

penalty earlier this season when

Romelu Lukaku wanted it and it went

to someone else and Jose Mourinho

wanted someone else to take it and

he managed to get that message on

eventually. You would have thought

managerial staff...

They are going,

he needs to take it. 3-0 up, Crystal

Palace, does not matter. Injury

time, predicament they are in: huge

movement in the season.

Does he have

an ego?

No, he backs himself, he

scores, but there is a penalty taker

, and we are green he should take

it, nobody.

Newcastle yesterday,

they have taken one point from their

last seven games, they are in 16th,

could you feel at St James's Park

yesterday concerned and worried?

You

could. Newcastle got their nose in

front so the crowd was up. Leicester

started coming back. You could feel

the nerves. That is the moment at

Newcastle, such a big club commie

want players to get on the ball and

express themselves. You could see

them not hiding but they did not

want the ball, playing into

Leicester's hands, looking over

their shoulder, above the relegation

zone, takeover chat, a lot of stuff

going on and off the pitch as well,

a worrying time.

I do not

particularly want to mention him

again but I am going to. Alan

Shearer tweeted, nowhere near good

enough, Newcastle. Sell our club to

someone who wants to be here before

it is too late. Do you agree with

him? You cannot blame Mike Ashley

necessarily for what is going on on

the pitch but you could blame him if

the money is not there to strengthen

in January.

I can blame him because

ultimately he says Rafa Benitez, get

us up, I will give it to you. I

don't think he has given him a beam.

How do you stay in the Premier

League if you do not back your

manager financially? Half the

problem does stem from him.

The

nightmare scenario is it drags on,

they ruin the possibility of

bringing in new recruits in the

transfer window and Rafa Benitez who

is widely admired in this country

and abroad, he might leave, because

of this slowing down of Mike Ashley.

I understand he wants to get as much

as he can, he has built his business

on shrewd business decisions, but

this is damaging the club long term.

It is devaluing it. The closer they

get to the relegation zone, the new

takeover... They will pay 20, 30

million less. There is no guarantee

they will be in the Premier League

next season.

Andrew saying, Rafa

Benitez doing the job of a lifetime,

top manager, got them promoted, he

deserves better. Matthew, I am a

Newcastle fan and we are gone

without investment. In your

experience of covering these kinds

of things. It seems like... I have

never tried to buy a football club,

but it seems like quite a short

period of time to get a deal done to

release funds to help them in

January?

They are very experienced

in business and football, maybe

there is an element of brinkmanship.

Frustrating the Newcastle fans

because they have seen games, they

know how financial resources could

be brought in... So much is in

place, the stadium, the manager, OK,

they need more players, but it is

the proverbial cliche, hotbed, there

are good young players coming

through, they should be developing

them, they should not... You

mentioned Alan Shearer, Michael

Carrick, individuals like that, they

should be starting their careers at

Newcastle United and not heading

south. So much is right about that

club, but it just needs a stronger

owner who is going to invest

financially. Mike Ashley has done

good things behind the scenes, but

really, they need more money under

new outlook.

Moving on to a couple

of other things very quickly.

Another former club of yours, what

is going on at Stoke? I don't know.

You have only got two minutes!

I

feel a little bit for Mark Hughes,

getting a lot of stick. I feel like

he does not get enough support in

the transfer window. Seven Man City,

five yesterday.

They have brought in

a fair few players.

You have to use

the money when you sell. Jack Walker

had an ambition for Blackburn and

you would think they would want to

give them more to have a go at

getting back into Europe. He is

getting a lot of stick, Mark Hughes.

I suppose the goals they are

conceding is worrying.

He is a

victim of the expectations he

himself has raised in recent seasons

by having decent league finishes.

Maybe there is a question about the

quality of the football at times,

but I think it is a little bit

unfair to have a manager of his

quality under pressure now.

But they

are so inconsistent, you can

understand the frustration of the

fans.

Of course I can. When you keep

finishing top half of the Premier

League, the fans are thinking, we

can get into Europe. Like Shay

touched on, selling best players

commie have to buy the players to

try to move to the next level --

selling best players. Top manager,

Mark Hughes. He has done well at

every club.

Predictions from all

three of you, maybe because that

means you get loads of stick on

social media for the rest of the

afternoon! Merseyside and Manchester

derby.

3-0 Liverpool and Manchester

United united 1-2 Man City.

3-1

Liverpool. 2-1 Manchester United.

2-1 for the Fab four.

Are you just

on a mission to annoy Mark?

And 1-1

Manchester derby.

Thank you very

much to all three of you. The games

are covered across five Live this

afternoon, full commentary of the

Manchester derby from 4:30pm from

Old Trafford and all three games

will be on match of their day to 2

later with the angry Alan Shearer

and Danny Murphy. -- Match of the

Day 2. Goodbye.