:00:27. > :00:38.Hello. Good afternoon to you. Welcome to Match of the Day 2 Extra.
:00:39. > :00:42.Joining us this afternoon former Arsenal and England defender, Martin
:00:43. > :00:45.Keown who had a big impact on the final score yesterday. He's back for
:00:46. > :00:48.more. Alongside Stoke City defender, Phil Bardsley who hobbled off
:00:49. > :00:52.yesterday, but is fit and well today and Andy Dunn Andy Dunn, the
:00:53. > :00:56.Mirror's chief sport writer. Good afternoon to you all. You can use
:00:57. > :01:02.the hashtag BBC football to get involved and text us on 85058. This
:01:03. > :01:09.is what's coming up. Liverpool's Mane man is at the double to damage
:01:10. > :01:15.Spurs title challenge. Arsenal beat Hull City, but what does the future
:01:16. > :01:24.hold for Arsene Wenger? We shall hear from that man, Antonio Conte.
:01:25. > :01:30.And we'll look ahead to a huge relegation battle at 4pm live on 5
:01:31. > :01:36.Live, Swansea City taking on Leicester City. Some back page
:01:37. > :01:42.headlines. The Sun, "I'm off." I'm not. Serge serge ready to quit.
:01:43. > :01:45.Arsene Wenger hinted he will remain Arsenal manager beyond the end of
:01:46. > :01:52.the season. We'll discuss that. The Mirror goes with top gun Benitez,
:01:53. > :01:54.saying Arsenal are eyeing up a coaching team of Rafa Benitez and
:01:55. > :02:00.Thierry Henry if Arsene Wenger quits. The Sunday People goes with
:02:01. > :02:05.dreamer Klopp still crazy for the title. That's where we're starting
:02:06. > :02:11.at Liverpool. You were there yesterday. It was more like the
:02:12. > :02:14.Liverpool we saw in 2016? It was. It was the irresistible Liverpool when
:02:15. > :02:20.they attack like they did in the first-half, the first 30 minutes
:02:21. > :02:26.certainly. They are irresistible. It was relentless and quick. Mane was
:02:27. > :02:30.unstoppable yesterday. It was everything we had come to expect
:02:31. > :02:33.from a Klopp team and certainly everything we have come to expect
:02:34. > :02:38.from a Klopp team against the big teams. Everyone leaving Anfield last
:02:39. > :02:41.night had the same question, what happened in January? What happened
:02:42. > :02:45.against Hull City? They couldn't understand it because Liverpool at
:02:46. > :02:50.their attacking best are unstoppable and there was also a great feel
:02:51. > :02:53.Jason around the place. Klopp is a big one for getting the crowd
:02:54. > :02:58.involved like a lot of managers are, but he makes a big play and the
:02:59. > :03:01.atmosphere there was electric and basically Spurs once Liverpool got
:03:02. > :03:07.at Spurs straightaway and knocked them out of their stride and they
:03:08. > :03:14.never got into any stride Spurs. Phil is it too simplistic to say
:03:15. > :03:19.Liverpool, they missed Mane? Is it to say that was the problem? I think
:03:20. > :03:26.losing Mane to the Africa Cup of nations and an injury to Coutinho,
:03:27. > :03:28.but players who come in have got to take their opportunity and for
:03:29. > :03:33.Liverpool that didn't happen. They fell way short. One win in January,
:03:34. > :03:42.I think, it was for a club of Liverpool's stature is not good
:03:43. > :03:47.enough. Ben Davis had a tough afternoon against Sadio Mane. I feel
:03:48. > :03:54.sorry for Ben. I have been on the receiving end of that when Sadio
:03:55. > :04:00.Mane was at Southampton. Within five minutes he got two shots. I was
:04:01. > :04:04.thinking I would get closer. He is a top player and missed him in January
:04:05. > :04:09.dearly. More like the Liverpool we come to expect under Jurgen Klopp?
:04:10. > :04:13.Yes, but all they have done is made it easier for Chelsea to win the
:04:14. > :04:17.Premier League. I was hoping Tottenham would win this one to make
:04:18. > :04:20.a fight of it at least. Jurgen Klopp works on hearts and minds and he
:04:21. > :04:23.spent the week working with his players and reminding them of how
:04:24. > :04:26.good they were. They lost their confidence and lost their way at
:04:27. > :04:30.home. It was becoming an ordeal for them. Incitied of the emotion, it
:04:31. > :04:34.was becoming tricky. Mane really, I mean, he was a breath of fresh air,
:04:35. > :04:37.but he has, it gives them a real balance at the top of their team and
:04:38. > :04:42.you have to have that, to play against pace, it is a nightmare. It
:04:43. > :04:48.is relay pace. It is incredible pace. Ben Davis had a torrid time
:04:49. > :04:52.and especially when you had Eric Dyer in the back line and Rose who
:04:53. > :04:57.was a huge miss and they struggled. What I would say about Liverpool and
:04:58. > :05:01.Mane is they looked physically fresh yesterday and now, they've only got
:05:02. > :05:04.13 games left in their season, until the middle of May, that's it. 13
:05:05. > :05:09.games. Klopp was talking after the game, they don't play again for I
:05:10. > :05:12.think it is two weeks tomorrow when they play Leicester away, I think.
:05:13. > :05:17.He was saying he was going to give them a couple of days off and have
:05:18. > :05:23.another pre-season. I said to Phil, does that mean, he's going to work
:05:24. > :05:28.them hard? Pre-season working these guys hard because of the game being
:05:29. > :05:34.based around that physical freshness. He said his dream was to
:05:35. > :05:40.win all 14 games. The chance is slim and none. As a player, it's
:05:41. > :05:43.interesting. You don't want to be sitting around thinking too much
:05:44. > :05:50.about what is ahead of you, sometimes I would rather work and if
:05:51. > :05:54.I goat used to working it not a stranger anymore. You have had a
:05:55. > :05:58.break and you should feel fresh and you don't because you lose your
:05:59. > :06:01.fitness a little bit. Maybe there is a feel-good factor again and he is a
:06:02. > :06:05.feel-good factor manager like no one else. We talk about this heavy
:06:06. > :06:09.metal, they are dancing to the beat yesterday. But when it goes wrong,
:06:10. > :06:13.there is a quietness in the room as there was at the Kop the last few
:06:14. > :06:18.games before this one. So they're on the way back. I think they're good
:06:19. > :06:25.enough to finish in the top four. They won't win. Chelsea are away and
:06:26. > :06:29.running now. They have given themselves too much to do. It is a
:06:30. > :06:34.mountain to climb for anyone to catch them now. In Liverpool's
:06:35. > :06:40.favour, I think they will finish top four because of the fixture
:06:41. > :06:43.deadlock. You look at Tottenham and Pochettino and he came into the
:06:44. > :06:49.press Conference and he was pointing out they play Europa League, FA Cup,
:06:50. > :06:52.Europa League, and then League again while Liverpool are going through
:06:53. > :06:56.another pre-season. Liverpool winning the first game and they beat
:06:57. > :07:01.Arsenal and went to Burnley and lost, so where are we with
:07:02. > :07:05.Liverpool? Will that happen next? I don't think we can say the
:07:06. > :07:11.drawbridge is up and Liverpool will be successful. Tottenham have really
:07:12. > :07:14.let themselves down and Dyer taking liberties in possession. Is he a
:07:15. > :07:18.centre-half? Does he play, when he plays in centre-half, you can't take
:07:19. > :07:21.that kind of time on the ball and they really missed Danny Rose
:07:22. > :07:25.yesterday and they look like they play of three because at the back
:07:26. > :07:29.because they have got players suited to it and when they don't have Danny
:07:30. > :07:33.Rose they go back to a four and they've played a three away from
:07:34. > :07:39.home up until now. They did it at Arsenal and they were magnificent
:07:40. > :07:47.and they really looked a good side. Let's hear from Mauricio Pochettino.
:07:48. > :07:51.We didn't have a chance enough to try to score, but the first-half was
:07:52. > :07:59.very poor. Our performance was poor. That is true. We need to be honest.
:08:00. > :08:02.If you want to fight and challenge for the Premier League, we cannot
:08:03. > :08:08.accept that and we need to recognise that we were really poor and
:08:09. > :08:14.understand why. The big question is will they make top four? The title
:08:15. > :08:20.has gone for Spurs? It has. Judging by that performance yesterday. I was
:08:21. > :08:24.really shocked. I mean I was shocked at one how despondent Pochettino
:08:25. > :08:28.that was. That's how off colour Spurs were. They were never at
:08:29. > :08:33.races. He mentioned, Pochettino, there was a lack of aggression and
:08:34. > :08:37.there was a sort of almost a laziness summed up by Eric Dyer
:08:38. > :08:40.getting caught on the ball for that second goal. I thought Pochettino
:08:41. > :08:46.got it wrong. They defended too high. Teams who get success at
:08:47. > :08:50.Anfield tend to drop deep, don't over commit, I think Spurs did and
:08:51. > :08:54.got picked off by the pace of Mane. All-round they were just not there.
:08:55. > :08:58.Having said that, the two quick goals knocked the stuffing out of
:08:59. > :09:03.Spurs. They didn't have any time to get back into that game? Liverpool
:09:04. > :09:07.could have scored ahead of those two goals and scored after. Mentally
:09:08. > :09:13.when they couldn't win the Premier League, it was like nothing else
:09:14. > :09:17.matters and they tumbled down the table and let Arsenal sneak into
:09:18. > :09:22.second place. Is Pochettino thinking there needs to be a resolve for my
:09:23. > :09:28.players if we can't finish first, we finish second. They're going to
:09:29. > :09:31.throw their good work away. You have got Manchester United starting to,
:09:32. > :09:35.by the way Manchester United, six draws at home, if they could turn
:09:36. > :09:39.those into wins they would be in second place now. So they're all
:09:40. > :09:42.marching behind you Arsenal, Spurs, all the teams are together and
:09:43. > :09:46.you're going to have to grow up a little bit. Tottenham can't worry
:09:47. > :09:52.about not winning it, you're going to have to finish in the top
:09:53. > :09:57.position. Perhaps the most over used word is mentality. The question with
:09:58. > :10:01.Spurs is it mentality or are the players not good enough to win a
:10:02. > :10:05.title? I think they're good enough and the manager showed it that he
:10:06. > :10:09.doesn't think they were right mentally. Yes, you can be undone by
:10:10. > :10:13.a bit of greatness. Davis should drop off quicker and deal with that.
:10:14. > :10:17.You're playing against someone rapid and you have got to give yourself an
:10:18. > :10:21.advantage. Why is he holding the line there? He didn't react to the
:10:22. > :10:26.danger. He didn't get a reaction from his team and he will be it is
:10:27. > :10:30.appointed. Phil this is Pochettino's third season this charge. Under him
:10:31. > :10:33.the only team in the top six they have beaten away from home is
:10:34. > :10:37.Manchester City, therefore is that problem psychological or I go back
:10:38. > :10:41.to the point, are the players not good enough to go to the top six
:10:42. > :10:45.sides and win away from home? Spurs are one of the most exciting teams
:10:46. > :10:48.in the League. I watched them live the last couple of seasons and they
:10:49. > :10:54.beat us 4-0 twice at home. I think there is a lack of mentality in
:10:55. > :10:58.amongst the squad, a bit of experience maybe to be in the
:10:59. > :11:03.position where they are challenging for Premier League titles. You look
:11:04. > :11:06.around the squad, it is a young squad and inexperienced. Maybe
:11:07. > :11:10.another season or two, you never know, but at the moment, I just
:11:11. > :11:14.can't see them winning the League. I just don't think, I think there is
:11:15. > :11:18.an element they can be adventurous away from home. A lot of the top
:11:19. > :11:23.sides, someone like Manchester United went to Anfield and defended
:11:24. > :11:26.deep and parked the bus. I don't think Pochettino is capable of doing
:11:27. > :11:29.that. He probably hasn't got the players. I think that in terms of
:11:30. > :11:36.winning the title, I don't think you can win the title if you're reliant
:11:37. > :11:45.on one man your goals. Harry Kane barely got in the game. Dele Alli
:11:46. > :11:48.hardly got in the game. Look at how young Dele Alli is. When you're
:11:49. > :11:52.challenging for title and you looked in the continual for the game and
:11:53. > :11:56.you're thinking real menment you look at some teams and you look in
:11:57. > :12:00.the tunnel before the game and you think, I have got half a chance
:12:01. > :12:03.against these. There is a lot to be admired with Tottenham because they
:12:04. > :12:09.have been in the Champions League. I know that's not gone well. Playing
:12:10. > :12:13.at Wembley ten years ago and we were awful as well. They're building a
:12:14. > :12:16.new stadiumment they're trying to compete on the transfer front. They
:12:17. > :12:21.are at the top of the table. I think there is a lot to applaud and it is
:12:22. > :12:26.that maturity of the player that, you know, you go to these places,
:12:27. > :12:30.you suffer, you make sure next time, you have seen your little book, I'm
:12:31. > :12:36.suffer that again. They're equipping themselves. It wasn't a Pochettino
:12:37. > :12:40.performance. It was lacklustre. There was no energy around the
:12:41. > :12:46.pitch. They couldn't put their legs up to run. It was unlike them. What
:12:47. > :12:51.about Dele Alli the Sunday Express is reporting that he is linked to a
:12:52. > :12:55.move to Manchester City? And Barcelona and Bayern Munich and
:12:56. > :13:00.linked with a lot of people. It is strange the way he keeps getting
:13:01. > :13:03.linked. He had that purple patch of goal scoring particularly the goals
:13:04. > :13:07.against Chelsea, magnificent. I have seen him a couple of times away from
:13:08. > :13:09.home this season. I saw him at Manchester United when they got beat
:13:10. > :13:12.by Manchester United. And yesterday, when they got beat and he wasn't
:13:13. > :13:16.effective at all. He wasn't effective at all. Strange that the
:13:17. > :13:21.stories keep coming out. Here you've got Dele Alli who is on his second
:13:22. > :13:26.contract. So signs a contract. Then signs another contract for let's say
:13:27. > :13:30.?50,000 a week. Then after that, you get Harry Kane signing for say
:13:31. > :13:35.?100,000 a week something like that. So now, Dele Alli is only one year
:13:36. > :13:41.into a five year deal and if people are saying, it suits him and his
:13:42. > :13:45.people I would suggest, if he's a ?40 million, ?50 million target then
:13:46. > :13:50.he can go into the Tottenham board and say, "I'm a ?40 million player.
:13:51. > :13:59.I deserve more than that." I think there is an element... It would be
:14:00. > :14:05.disaster for to Tottenham to lose this player. Finance won't be a
:14:06. > :14:08.problem for this guy. Be a part of the Tottenham history and help turn
:14:09. > :14:11.the club around. They're not that far away Tottenham. They are close
:14:12. > :14:17.for it happening. They probably need a striker. When Kane was out they
:14:18. > :14:22.didn't have that resource. They are just a couple of players away from
:14:23. > :14:26.being the champions. Build a team around him. You have got Rose. You
:14:27. > :14:29.have got Walker. These type of young English players. Top, top players
:14:30. > :14:38.and you stick with them and build your team. You know how these things
:14:39. > :14:43.work. You know how these things work, Dele Alli will say I love
:14:44. > :14:49.Spurs. I'm committed to Spurs. You can't tell me he's overly unhappy.
:14:50. > :14:53.Coming second, he won't be happy. It happened at Arsenal where they have
:14:54. > :14:56.lost players and it could happen against at Arsenal. Some players
:14:57. > :15:01.haven't signed contracts and will they stay? You point at the
:15:02. > :15:04.trophies. You want Utopia as a player. If you're winning trophies,
:15:05. > :15:07.that's the icing on the cake and if they don't get it, they will move
:15:08. > :15:15.and it will be the same for Dele Alli. One final point on Dele Alli.
:15:16. > :15:20.All top players want to play in the Champions League. Real Madrid or
:15:21. > :15:23.Barcelona come calling, you can't tell anyone watching that Dele Alli
:15:24. > :15:27.is not going to be interested by what Real Madrid have to say.
:15:28. > :15:33.Of course he would be interested. He wants Champions League football and
:15:34. > :15:37.he wanted to play but England and that would help that cause, and if
:15:38. > :15:42.you are building your team around him and he is the main man, he wants
:15:43. > :15:48.paying as their main man. Who is saying that topping am not going to
:15:49. > :15:53.make the Champions League? That's not get ahead of ourselves, he is
:15:54. > :15:56.not Real Madrid level come let the game win something at Tottenham and
:15:57. > :16:01.do something for England, it did not go well in the US. He is still
:16:02. > :16:10.maturing and developing and it is too early for him to leave -- in the
:16:11. > :16:14.Euros. We can hear first from Arsene Wenger after their victory over Hull
:16:15. > :16:23.City. Noticeable there were some banners saying Arsene stay. Well,
:16:24. > :16:29.you know, I have a big respect for this country and this club. I'm
:16:30. > :16:32.grateful because I work here for 20 years and that absolutely
:16:33. > :16:36.exceptional. But my job is to make these people happy and when I don't
:16:37. > :16:41.do it, I feel guilty, that is what it was important for us to win.
:16:42. > :16:45.Arsene Wenger talking after the win over Hull and referring to the
:16:46. > :16:52.discussion which has been widely reported in the papers with Ian
:16:53. > :16:57.Wright. You know him, is he staying or going? I'm almost bored with this
:16:58. > :17:01.and people are probably bored with my answer! This when
:17:02. > :17:08.-- when you're a player and you look at a monitor, you want somebody who
:17:09. > :17:14.trusts you and believes in you, you don't want to be bored -- at a
:17:15. > :17:19.manager. You want variety in your work. Wenger gave me all that is a
:17:20. > :17:22.player. Everyday we did to me different, he believed in me, we
:17:23. > :17:28.were challenged, can you go unbeaten? He has achieved many great
:17:29. > :17:31.things. What he had to decide is if he has come to the end of the road
:17:32. > :17:36.in terms of his managerial qualities that he had to offer. If he went
:17:37. > :17:40.here without any succession plan management for the club it would be
:17:41. > :17:43.too soon. I don't think the club are ready for him to leave. A lot of
:17:44. > :17:48.thinking needs to be done at a high level. Yes come at the end is coming
:17:49. > :17:57.but maybe another one year contract. Wenger should be make to be part of
:17:58. > :18:02.the manager coming in, in the same mould. He has been such a big part
:18:03. > :18:05.of the club, the new stadium, he is clever committee but the idea out
:18:06. > :18:10.there and let other people believe it was their idea and then grows it.
:18:11. > :18:14.That club is a huge story of success also I am a competitor as well and
:18:15. > :18:20.I'm disappointed in what they have done, not since I left, but I
:18:21. > :18:24.thought they were going to win everything in Europe and it didn't
:18:25. > :18:30.happen. There is a disappointment but we are realistic to know that
:18:31. > :18:35.Chelsea came in with their millions and changed the landscape, Man City
:18:36. > :18:37.cabinet. That is why Arsene Wenger has struggled. Leicester told us you
:18:38. > :18:42.don't need to spend the most money to win and that is what hurts and it
:18:43. > :18:45.will hurt Arsene Wenger. He can't quite get the recipe right and that
:18:46. > :18:52.is the biggest mystery. A good piece in The Times today, Rio Ferdinand
:18:53. > :18:56.speaking ahead of Arsenal's game against Bayern Munich in the
:18:57. > :19:01.Champions League. He's as he would not have wanted to play for Wenger,
:19:02. > :19:05.he said Arsenal need a rocket and they won't get it from their
:19:06. > :19:09.manager. He is wrong because he would have loved to play for Wenger,
:19:10. > :19:18.I can't think of a player who has not improved. That is is not what he
:19:19. > :19:23.is saying. I think he's wrong. I'll give you a flavour. I often look at
:19:24. > :19:26.big managers and asked, would I like to play for him? With Wenger the
:19:27. > :19:30.answer is no. Everyone is different but if I'm not doing the right
:19:31. > :19:33.things as a player, I want somebody who can press my buttons, give me a
:19:34. > :19:36.rocket every now and then, the whole team to liven up the dressing room
:19:37. > :19:40.and sent shock waves through the group. From what I hear, Wenger is
:19:41. > :19:49.not that sort of guy. How does he know that if he hasn't played for
:19:50. > :19:51.him? He would have loved to have worked for Arsene Wenger, because
:19:52. > :19:56.everybody does who works with him. He is getting stuff from players.
:19:57. > :20:00.Players play way above themselves under Arsene Wenger and ago summer
:20:01. > :20:07.and they are not the player. It is his judgment of players. Can he
:20:08. > :20:10.still did a player? Who are the midfielders at the moment? Xhaka has
:20:11. > :20:18.come in, Wilshere is on loan, who is better? This the hard questions need
:20:19. > :20:22.be asked. People talk about the mentality of Arsenal and there is a
:20:23. > :20:24.soft belly in the midfield. Don't buy the best midfielder in Europe.
:20:25. > :20:33.You mean mentally? From your point of view, does he
:20:34. > :20:40.give players a rocket? Rio is saying he doesn't. What he does, he leaves
:20:41. > :20:45.you out. He leaves you out of the team. And if he is with you, he
:20:46. > :20:51.supports you. That is all you need. From the outside, a suggestion Rio
:20:52. > :20:58.is getting at is that he is too soft. Does he indulge players? If
:20:59. > :21:04.the indulging in a poor run of form, Mesut Ozil? If the indulging him?
:21:05. > :21:10.Because he is a big name? Things like that. It is an environment he
:21:11. > :21:14.creates which is one of trust and belief in his players and he doesn't
:21:15. > :21:18.fly off the handle. He is very consistent and stable and that is
:21:19. > :21:22.how the club has been built. That is the worry for Arsenal, when they
:21:23. > :21:24.change that, what will the next manager be like? Everybody is
:21:25. > :21:30.thinking that the grass is greener but will the new guy be any better?
:21:31. > :21:34.We won't know. Maybe they say, we should've done this three or four
:21:35. > :21:37.years ago because we have won the league. It might be that Arsenal
:21:38. > :21:41.fall out of the Champions League. While they have such a good man, I
:21:42. > :21:50.believe they will hang onto him. And you get a mention in this Rio item.
:21:51. > :21:56.The great side with that Spike 's -- spine. You are at the end of its!
:21:57. > :21:59.That leads me onto this, when you were playing for United and you look
:22:00. > :22:04.in the tunnel and you saw Martin Keown and Patrick Vieira and
:22:05. > :22:08.Emmanuel Petit, what was going through your mind? I was 17 when I
:22:09. > :22:13.first went to Highbury and it was intimidating, seeing these big
:22:14. > :22:16.blokes, and now you look at the Emirates and you think, they are
:22:17. > :22:24.very good players, top players, but have they got that...? I watched
:22:25. > :22:29.them away at Chelsea last week and it looked like ten kids running
:22:30. > :22:32.around on a pitch. No organisation, no nothing. If you are challenging
:22:33. > :22:43.for titles, you need to go to Chelsea and do something. Can I ask
:22:44. > :22:48.Francis Coquelin has to MB at Eden Hazard, fantastic gold
:22:49. > :23:03.It. You have to regroup and organise and go from there. Arsene Wenger
:23:04. > :23:06.went more towards Barcelona, more technical and the physical players,
:23:07. > :23:10.I was in there for the physicality to be fair, the next one wasn't
:23:11. > :23:14.physical. The belief was that we need to go more technical and it is
:23:15. > :23:18.the balance. In the Premier League as Guardiola is finding, there has
:23:19. > :23:23.to be a toughness about you which Chelsea have. Costa is the toughest
:23:24. > :23:27.centreboard in the Premier League and have got that balance through
:23:28. > :23:32.the team. -- centre forward. I would look at the opposition in the tunnel
:23:33. > :23:39.and they looked up at the error and Emmanuel Petit because they were
:23:40. > :23:43.giants -- at Patrick Vieira. Arsenal need that type of player. You ask
:23:44. > :23:49.where you find someone like Patrick Vieira. Kante is an example, he is
:23:50. > :23:54.the best midfielder I think we have ever seen. If Leicester can recruit
:23:55. > :23:59.somebody like that, why can't Arsenal? What do you make of the
:24:00. > :24:06.link in the papers this morning, Rafa Benitez and Thierry Henry? When
:24:07. > :24:10.Martin says about a succession plan, I can't believe they haven't
:24:11. > :24:17.considered it. They will know where they are going to go. They will know
:24:18. > :24:20.what direction to go in. If Wenger leaves, it would be remiss of him
:24:21. > :24:26.not to tell them now. I don't think that'll no way, it is too soon. That
:24:27. > :24:33.changing the reins cannot happen this quickly. I don't think they are
:24:34. > :24:40.ready for it. Unless the board do think he is going to go. It is a
:24:41. > :24:45.multi-million pound business, we can't rely, if you are the manager,
:24:46. > :24:49.I can't wait for you to decide. We need to get our house in order. I
:24:50. > :24:54.imagine there is an indication behind-the-scenes. When I have been
:24:55. > :24:58.with Arsene Wenger, he has lost none of those reflexes, he still wants to
:24:59. > :25:01.do it, it is whether it is right and proper for him to do it. As he done
:25:02. > :25:06.enough to deserve to stay there and I believe he has. It is his decision
:25:07. > :25:10.to make. He has created so much and it is unique. I admire him for what
:25:11. > :25:16.he has achieved and the success he has brought, but finishing top four,
:25:17. > :25:19.the occasional FA Cup, Champions League quarterfinal maybe, is it
:25:20. > :25:23.enough for Arsenal? If I'm an Arsenal fan, certainly not. You want
:25:24. > :25:26.to be challenging and winning the Premier League and getting to
:25:27. > :25:31.Champions League finals. That is where the club is at. The lunchtime
:25:32. > :25:37.game in the Premier League is Burnley against Chelsea. The Burnley
:25:38. > :25:42.defence pretty much picks itself, it is in midfield where we have some
:25:43. > :25:46.variation. Jeff Hendrick is suspended, Ashley Westwood makes his
:25:47. > :25:50.full debut after his transfer from Aston Villa and so does Robbie
:25:51. > :25:53.Brady, signed from Norwich City the money comes in for Scott Arfield.
:25:54. > :25:59.The Chelsea team has pretty much picks itself for the last few months
:26:00. > :26:07.and so again, David Luiz's sore knee is fine and Chelsea are unchanged.
:26:08. > :26:15.Thank you. You fancy Chelsea to win that one? Yes. Burnley have got a
:26:16. > :26:18.very fine home record, but looking back at that Chelsea performance
:26:19. > :26:23.last week, it is hard to pick a fault in them and to find a
:26:24. > :26:29.weakness. It is very difficult. They have a way of playing and the
:26:30. > :26:32.personnel. It sounds strange, that I think the difference Conte has made
:26:33. > :26:36.is that he has coached them and coached them. You can tell they know
:26:37. > :26:41.every last detail of what they are supposed to do on the pitch, from
:26:42. > :26:46.the wingbacks, Alonso and Moses, they know where to be. And when
:26:47. > :26:51.they're not, he goes mad. Against Arsenal he picked up his assistant
:26:52. > :26:57.by the collar and threw him down the line to go and tell him! It is
:26:58. > :26:58.brilliant, how well drilled they are. We saw it with the Italian team
:26:59. > :27:04.will they did really well in the
:27:05. > :27:08.tournament. It was a variation of the system he has got now and it's
:27:09. > :27:12.difficult to play it and manage it. You have got to know everybody's
:27:13. > :27:19.role and responsible deep and he knows it. He has shoehorned in
:27:20. > :27:24.Hazard as a skilful player and still to be creative. He is playing one
:27:25. > :27:29.striker now. He had the midfielders that sit there, Matic and Kante avec
:27:30. > :27:35.a brilliant. Who couldn't play with those two guys? -- and they are
:27:36. > :27:40.brilliant. And on the sides, Moses has been a revelation. It is a
:27:41. > :27:43.fantastic story. It is led by the manager. The transformation
:27:44. > :27:47.defensively has been extraordinary. Earlier in the season they had a few
:27:48. > :27:53.problems, especially when there were playing back four. I was at the
:27:54. > :27:57.Swansea game when Gary Cahill had a terrible match and suddenly Conte
:27:58. > :28:01.changed it and look where they are. I think he has found the right
:28:02. > :28:05.formation for the right players. You look at Moses and Alonso, you would
:28:06. > :28:10.never look at them before and think they would be winning the title at
:28:11. > :28:12.Chelsea but they have come in and the manager has shown faith and kept
:28:13. > :28:18.them in and they looked solid and well drilled. One wingback is
:28:19. > :28:22.crossing and the other is in the box because they rely so much with the
:28:23. > :28:25.discipline in the centre of midfield. So much trust in the
:28:26. > :28:31.squad. They are going to run away with it. Costa, Kante and Hazard get
:28:32. > :28:36.the headlines but Moses and Alonso have been the unsung heroes. We
:28:37. > :28:44.mentioned it, that Arsenal game, it is a Moses cross, and Alonso
:28:45. > :28:51.finishes it. We have seen it often. And six years ago, Bolton against
:28:52. > :28:58.Wigan at the DW Stadium, FA Cup fourth round replay, around 7000
:28:59. > :29:02.people there, Moses comes on as a sub for Wigan and Alonso comes as a
:29:03. > :29:08.sub for Bolton Wanderers. Now Conte has taken them, they gone different
:29:09. > :29:11.routes. Alonso went back to Italy, Moses was on loan all the time but
:29:12. > :29:19.he has got them both and they are now in a system they are relishing.
:29:20. > :29:25.We had Moses on loan at Stoke. He was completely not interested in
:29:26. > :29:32.training! But on game day, he was on it and brilliant for us. Just to
:29:33. > :29:40.alert listeners to Radio 5 Live that that stat came from your head! And
:29:41. > :29:46.Gary Cahill played in that game. Sam Ricketts got injured, he got badly
:29:47. > :29:53.injured, he ruptured his Achilles. Alonso came on for him. Moses came
:29:54. > :30:05.on for Callum McManaman. Where did you park?! And Klasnic scored the
:30:06. > :30:08.winner. Conte is a winning machine, people underestimate him, you put
:30:09. > :30:13.good players with a very good manager and it is a recipe for huge
:30:14. > :30:17.success. When he was at Juventus, his first season they went unbeaten
:30:18. > :30:21.in the whole season on the second season they went top of the two
:30:22. > :30:24.games come after three games in the third season and a record number of
:30:25. > :30:28.points and he is a serial winner of trophies. He understands the system,
:30:29. > :30:33.it is not that of saying Moses, what can I do with him? This is how we
:30:34. > :30:37.are playing and you are playing. He gives a clear message which is what
:30:38. > :30:39.players want. Contrast that with the weight Man City plague and it is
:30:40. > :30:44.about creativity and he is an artist. It is a lot easier to be
:30:45. > :30:48.told to do a job and that is why Conte is flying this year. Next it
:30:49. > :30:52.could be different when the artistic side of Man City comes through and
:30:53. > :30:55.they can understand it. There are some huge managers in the Premier
:30:56. > :31:01.League this year and Conte has been the pick.
:31:02. > :31:09.Right, let's turn our attention to Slaven Bilic. Let's hear from Slaven
:31:10. > :31:17.Bilic. I am the first one to say it is hard for the referees, the pace
:31:18. > :31:21.of the game, contact sport and you are on the wrong end in all the
:31:22. > :31:28.major decisions and there were like more than a few. You can can live
:31:29. > :31:36.with one or two, but you can't live with so many of them. I really rate
:31:37. > :31:44.him. He knows that. I told him that privately last year. Now I can't get
:31:45. > :31:48.over this. I can't get over this. Look, I'm going to go home tonight
:31:49. > :31:56.and instead of having three points and be so happy before this break
:31:57. > :32:01.and everything, to have that bitter feeling, it's awful and the
:32:02. > :32:06.refereeing was, sorry for the words, nothing personal, but the refereeing
:32:07. > :32:11.today was awful. He was very emotional, Slaven Bilic.
:32:12. > :32:15.He is. But we watched that game in the studio yesterday afternoon.
:32:16. > :32:20.There was a discussion over whether Gareth McCally impeded James Collins
:32:21. > :32:25.for the equaliser for Johnny Evans, but do you think the refereeing was
:32:26. > :32:30.that awful? Well, look, I think when you're playing against one of Tony
:32:31. > :32:34.Pulis' teams, you're wound up and it was one of those where they went a
:32:35. > :32:36.goal up and they sat back and it was all about West Ham. Everything
:32:37. > :32:41.seemed to go against him. There was a goal that was disallowed which,
:32:42. > :32:45.you know, I look at that and to be honest, I don't think the player
:32:46. > :32:50.was, but he did push the goalkeeper that was the infringement. There was
:32:51. > :32:58.another penalty appeal. Everything seemed to be going against him. He
:32:59. > :33:02.was wrong on the throw in and there was probably a foul on Collins
:33:03. > :33:06.because Collins came off the bench to deal with that situation, but it
:33:07. > :33:09.was a towering header from West Brom and they just keep going and it was
:33:10. > :33:13.the frustration of the afternoon. It is interesting to listen to him, his
:33:14. > :33:18.honesty, he wants the two week period to relax and the three points
:33:19. > :33:22.in the back... Even though West Ham have got themselves out of a bit of
:33:23. > :33:28.a hole, all the decisions, I watched that last night and it was the
:33:29. > :33:32.build-up, they were marginal. There was probably a foul in the build up
:33:33. > :33:37.to West Brom's first goal, probably, but you could see him not giving it.
:33:38. > :33:41.Questionable. Probably, I think, what I would call say a seven times
:33:42. > :33:45.out of ten that's probably given, but only that. They were all
:33:46. > :33:50.marginal and the increased frustration of conceding so late.
:33:51. > :33:54.Two, whatever infringement may or may not have taken place, it was a
:33:55. > :33:57.good cross and a towering header. Phil, have you seen a marked
:33:58. > :34:03.improvement when you've played West Ham? Because they have had a couple
:34:04. > :34:07.of tricky results, haven't they? It was a strange, well, a good point
:34:08. > :34:13.for us at their place, but there was a strange atmosphere at the ground.
:34:14. > :34:17.It took them time to adapt from moving to Upton Park and going to
:34:18. > :34:23.their new stadium. They have players with exceptional ability, but I
:34:24. > :34:26.think when corroll doesn't play, you can tell the difference when he
:34:27. > :34:34.doesn't. Yeah, I think, you know Slaven Bilic is doing a steady job
:34:35. > :34:38.there and bitterly disappointed. Andy Carroll comes in and he's
:34:39. > :34:43.almost unplayable. And then he's injured again. This is, they're
:34:44. > :34:48.going to have to manage. You don't hear anything of the injury. Kept
:34:49. > :34:54.quiet and puts a hole in their season every time he gets injured.
:34:55. > :34:59.West Bromwich Albion, what a job Tony Pulis has done there. Tony's
:35:00. > :35:02.teams have always been like that. It was a disappointing result for us
:35:03. > :35:05.last weekment we was poor first-half. The second half we took
:35:06. > :35:11.the game to them a little bit more. I felt we should have got something
:35:12. > :35:16.out of the game. We had a um can of good clean chances which we didn't
:35:17. > :35:20.take place. He has a well drilled and organised team and typical Tony
:35:21. > :35:26.Pulis team. You came off yesterday by the way? Yeah. Disappointing to
:35:27. > :35:30.come off as always. A little bit of a tightness in the hamstring. It was
:35:31. > :35:33.a disappointment, I got back in the team and put in some steady
:35:34. > :35:38.performanceks, but hopefully not too bad and back training next week. You
:35:39. > :35:43.weren't exhausted chasing after za hard? I think he was exhausted
:35:44. > :35:49.chasing after me! You know what them wingers are like. They don't like
:35:50. > :35:53.chasing full-backs. Do you feel they gave the ball to Benteke the way
:35:54. > :35:57.they should? If I was Benteke, is this ball coming in or not because
:35:58. > :36:03.the amount of tricks and flicks? Stop, start. Stop, start. My quads
:36:04. > :36:10.are in bit stop starting. He put Townsend on the left and za hard on
:36:11. > :36:14.the right to get crosses in the box for Benteke, I can't recall too many
:36:15. > :36:18.crosses going in the box. Our goalkeeper had a clean kit after the
:36:19. > :36:23.game. Not much for our goalkeeper to do and not much service for Benteke.
:36:24. > :36:35.Andy, are Palace going down? I fear for him. I fear for him a lot. I
:36:36. > :36:39.look at that squad. I am thinking they bought some players. I'm sure
:36:40. > :36:41.when Sam went there he thought that squad was easily good enough to get
:36:42. > :36:46.out of trouble and it hasn't happened. They're on a run, the
:36:47. > :36:50.result last week, you know, it was a shocking result. The sort of result
:36:51. > :36:55.that can knock the stuffing out of you. And you would expect some
:36:56. > :36:59.response, wouldn't you? It didn't look, from what Phil tells us, there
:37:00. > :37:05.wasn't much of a response. I fear for them when you consider there are
:37:06. > :37:09.green shoots of hope from the other teams around them. If it was anyone
:37:10. > :37:14.other than Sam Allardyce because their recording has been shocking
:37:15. > :37:20.but they play Middlesbrough, if they can win that game, that gives them
:37:21. > :37:27.hope and belief. You see the team on paper and it is a decent team.
:37:28. > :37:32.Strong, powerful quick. The last season Sam took Sunderland away and
:37:33. > :37:36.got a response from that break. I think they only lost three games in
:37:37. > :37:44.the last, I think it was 12 or 13 and stayed up. And instead they get
:37:45. > :37:48.thumped by a team at home and don't go on Sam's traditional mid-winter
:37:49. > :37:53.break. It is a different Sam Allardyce after what he went through
:37:54. > :37:57.with the England job. Has he got the stomach for this? He found himself
:37:58. > :38:03.in a situation that he probably shouldn't have gone to. You mean the
:38:04. > :38:07.impossible task? Was it six wins in 46 matches that John Motson told us
:38:08. > :38:11.yesterday. It is a terrible, terrible set of results, isn't it?
:38:12. > :38:16.He has gone there. It has become a culture of losing football matches.
:38:17. > :38:22.How can we expect him to turn that around? You know, if Sam sat on the
:38:23. > :38:28.bench yesterday, you know, and looking at this and he can't help,
:38:29. > :38:34.but maybe think I was England manager not long ago, it was my
:38:35. > :38:37.dream job. Would he let that affect his professionalism? He needs this
:38:38. > :38:40.break and the build up to Middlesbrough and everything is on
:38:41. > :38:44.that game and he has got the players to do it. They're at home. He talked
:38:45. > :38:48.about the fans as well, saying that the fans, it has become a difficult
:38:49. > :38:51.place to play at home. They paid for their fans to travel up there. It
:38:52. > :38:55.was an olive branch and they have got to play their part and if you do
:38:56. > :38:59.that, you could book Palace to win that one. Talking of trips abroad,
:39:00. > :39:02.David Moyes is taking his players to New York. Some of them are going to
:39:03. > :39:07.watch the ice hockey and some are going to watch the basketball. Is
:39:08. > :39:10.that a good idea? They are going to train running around Central Park.
:39:11. > :39:14.It would have been a good idea had they won yesterday! I wrote a piece
:39:15. > :39:21.about this in the week. What is acceptable? As a result before you
:39:22. > :39:26.go on a mid-season break? So, in other words, 4-0 at home getting
:39:27. > :39:31.beat by Sunderland wasn't acceptable to Palace, we can't go off to Dubai
:39:32. > :39:35.on a jolly. I feel building up to this game when David was talking
:39:36. > :39:41.about going to New York... Sometimes you need to be away from each other.
:39:42. > :39:46.We were losing games hand over fist and I've got to sit and look at you
:39:47. > :39:56.for another two weeks. It might be best let me go and live my life and
:39:57. > :40:00.go away and then we will be back in each others company. No, I don't
:40:01. > :40:05.think, we're footballers. We're not tourists. I am not with the trip,
:40:06. > :40:09.there is plenty of time for that when you finish. Yes, a change of
:40:10. > :40:17.environment, but in each other's company. It is freezing cold in New
:40:18. > :40:29.York. It is forecast sub-zero. New York or Dubai? A bit of sun. Dubai!
:40:30. > :40:33.Ice hockey, New York. At least, it is not masquerading as a training
:40:34. > :40:38.camp. They're going there for a bondering session. For socialising
:40:39. > :40:42.and Sam loves the mid-season break and you can't tell me that it's...
:40:43. > :40:45.The north-east, people are working hard, aren't they, on the coalface
:40:46. > :40:49.and suddenly these players who are not performing are off in New York
:40:50. > :40:54.enjoying it or sunning themselves. It is the wrong message. It is work
:40:55. > :40:57.for us at Stoke the last three seasons. We have had a couple of
:40:58. > :41:03.good results leading into knowing that we were going to on a
:41:04. > :41:06.mid-winter break to Dubai and come back refreshed and gone on to get
:41:07. > :41:11.another couple of good results. It has worked for us, but I don't know
:41:12. > :41:17.if it is a training camp. It is not a summer holiday. They will take in
:41:18. > :41:21.Ground Zero and the basketball. It is a bonding trip. I guess not
:41:22. > :41:24.everyone likes bonding trips, but David says he thinks it will be
:41:25. > :41:28.benefit. If he thinks it will be been fit regardless of that result,
:41:29. > :41:32.it will be a benefit which I think Palace were mistaken, if he thinks
:41:33. > :41:36.it is a benefit they should go regardless. You can understand
:41:37. > :41:39.Chelsea going to New York for a break because they probably deserve
:41:40. > :41:41.it! The sun is great. There is a health benefit for doing that and
:41:42. > :41:46.there is a training facility there as well, but I'm not sure about New
:41:47. > :41:51.York! Like the Dubai trip, it has been a
:41:52. > :41:57.good work out. It has been a good... Is it all work or is there a bit of
:41:58. > :42:01.play? All work! LAUGHTER
:42:02. > :42:07.I remember Charlie Adams sat there and winking at me. Some downtime.
:42:08. > :42:14.Yeah. Everyone deserves a bit of downtime. Phil's reluctance to
:42:15. > :42:21.answer is, "I'll tell you off air! " Andy, let's talk about the
:42:22. > :42:25.relegation battle today, Swansea City, Leicester City? I think
:42:26. > :42:29.Swansea will win the game. I was impressed. I'm impressed by what
:42:30. > :42:32.Paul Clement is doing. They made the right decision to get him in and
:42:33. > :42:37.sadly for Bob Bradley to lose his job. I look at Leicester. I think
:42:38. > :42:41.he'll go back to the team. He rested for the Cup game and that's the team
:42:42. > :42:44.that's been performing. If you rotate and then a team plays well
:42:45. > :42:48.and they are all out again and you're bringing in players who were
:42:49. > :42:53.off form in the first place. So you want him to play the Cup team?
:42:54. > :42:58.Elements of that. If you've got a defensive unit there. That team have
:42:59. > :43:02.conceded ten goals in four games and they look like conceding every time.
:43:03. > :43:08.Do I think morgue-should be playing today? I'm not sure they should.
:43:09. > :43:12.Ranieri said come back and be the player you were last year and all is
:43:13. > :43:17.forgiven. So I believe he'll play the 11 that played last year apart
:43:18. > :43:21.from Cante. He will play his main players and it is about believing in
:43:22. > :43:24.those players. I can only imagine what's going on in that dressing
:43:25. > :43:29.room. Nobody wants to be a champion and get relegated. Do you want that
:43:30. > :43:35.with your name? That is almost a disgrace to end up where they are
:43:36. > :43:39.and they have got to come together. Their strength is unified. They are
:43:40. > :43:43.all strays thrown together. Even their manager could never win a
:43:44. > :43:46.trophy. Sort it out and get together and they can be a good team. Martin
:43:47. > :43:50.thank you very much indeed. Phil, good lucks with the injury and Andy,
:43:51. > :43:57.thank you very much indeed. Thank you for your texts, e-mails and
:43:58. > :43:59.tweetsment we're back tonigh with Match of the Day 2. Thanks for
:44:00. > :44:03.watching. Bye-bye.