13/12/2015 MOTD2 Extra


13/12/2015

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Transcript


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

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On BBC Two, 5 live and the BBC Sport website.

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With me this lunchtime, Mark Lawrenson, BBC commentator

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Conor McNamara and journalist Neil Custis.

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You can get involved too - just use #bbcfootball

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The subjects include the misery piling up for Manchester United

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after defeat at Bournemouth. Manchester City leave it late

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to deny managerless Swansea. Watford win again

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to leave Sunderland And we'll look ahead to a busy day

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in the Premier League with Remi Garde facing his

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former side, Arsenal. As far as the papers are concerned

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this morning. The Sun is one of many to focus on the Euro 2016 draw. They

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also have a story saying that Jose Mourinho wants to sign Jamie Vardy.

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Mail On Sunday sport pull-out - "Simply Dire."

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The Sunday Times have gone with that as well. Out of his league. A week

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of misery for Louis van Gaal. Just looking at the papers, there doesn't

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appear to be many questioning van Gaal's future in the same way that

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this season a lot of papers have been questioning Mourinho. Why is

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that? The word from Old Trafford is that he has a future. They have

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invested so much in him, not just ?250 million in players, but they

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have bowed to his every whim, building screens on the training

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ground to stop the wind coming in. It's to stop people falling asleep!

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Pre-season tours used to be guided by the commercial department and now

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he is demanding things. They have invested so much that they are not

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prepared to let him go at this point and that is the clear message. There

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is little point in questioning his immediate future. If he gets to the

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end of the season without this improving, and they are far away

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from the title than it is a different matter. In the final year

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of his contract it could get worse. Even with a full team it wasn't

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great and I look at it and I think, will it get any better? I can't see

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it. The most damning thing about yesterday was that I wasn't

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surprised. The thing is, three points off the top. That tells you

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about how bizarre the league is. What is the Gary Numan song? That is

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it. It is madness. The fact they are playing so poorly and are only three

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points off the top of the league. I was watching Match of the Day this

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morning and thinking about how easy it is to criticise but then you have

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to look at why it is happening. I wonder whether the leagues that van

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Gaal has been in before are not like the Premier League and the Premier

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League is faster. It is more physical. You have less time on the

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ball. Whether it is technically as good it doesn't matter. Those are

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the major ingredients. I don't know whether his ideas and philosophy are

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attuned to those facts. He likes them to take one touch before taking

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a shot which often loses a chance. You look at yesterday's game, King

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playing for Bournemouth is exactly the player that United could do

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with. They have those players but they are restricted in the way they

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play, nothing off-the-cuff, no flair, no risk and no reward. The

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proximity to the top of the table has masked some concerns. They are

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still within touching distance. It is a particularly low points tally

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for this stage of the season. Ella Greaney had the same points as he

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had now in his first season -- Pellegrini. He was at the top of the

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league then. If you do quirky stuff, people say there is genius behind

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it. Phil Jones is taking corners and when they are winning that is great

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but when Powell comes on, he has not been good enough for three years and

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why is he good enough now? You talk about investment in the summer tours

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but what about the quarter billion pound investment in players? Having

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the best goalkeeper in the world and still churning out results like

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that. For Bournemouth, in the summer, I'm sure when the bosses

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went around selling TV rights, I bet Bournemouth were very limited on

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selling point. Chelsea and Man United... Is that right, they have

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to have one touch before they can shoot? Early in training he was

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advising them to have a touch before shooting. Shots don't get away

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quickly. The other thing about the lack of goals... You watched

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Championship players in the Premier League, they always have a touch

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which is why they don't score. How mad is that? We talk about the

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spending but I don't think you can criticise people at the top because

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Edward Woodward has got the purse strings, they have trusted him, they

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have got the target, but going in without another striker was

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negligent. You say you can't criticise the managers but Oliver

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Holt describes the United hierarchy as clueless suits. Would you go that

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far? I think I would actually to be honest. I thought you might! I have

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seen Manchester United live, probably four games at Old Trafford

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and it has all been exactly the same. City West Brom... As in the

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money. It is about the money. To paraphrase the article of Oliver

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Holt, after having gone out of the Champions League this week, for the

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message to come out of trap that the Premier League is more important

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than the Champions League, he questions the fact that when they go

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out of the Champions League the following day they are being linked

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with Gareth Bale, Neymar, Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba. How are the

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hierarchy necessarily briefing you guys in the media to try to lift...

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That is part of that? Those five players will not sign for United to

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play that style of football. None of them. There is no harm in trying to

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get one. They weren't saying that in the moment they went out of the

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Champions League and there is no way they didn't want to advance in the

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Champions League because the main reason they got van Gaal in was to

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get back in the Champions League and be a major name in Europe. There is

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no doubt they would like those players and they were pushing them,

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but given the mood around the club, I do not think they would want to

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move. -- they would be pursuing them. Inevitably whoever you

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realistically bring in looks like a second choice option, and it's

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almost like downgrading what you end up getting because you have been

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talking about huge stars. They signed Martial and Memphis this

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week, they have been young and experienced, they could be very good

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players but why did he not have another striker? After the Wolfsburg

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game, look at Memphis and Martial, they cost nearly 60 million quid.

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The Ajax team that won the Champions League in 95, possibly the youngest

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side ever to lift the trophy, so you can't use that. It is not an excuse.

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They had good players. Not when Memphis was the top scorer in

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Holland. Jack says that United are playing with little optimism and van

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Gaal is alienating the fans and many players. No imagination and no

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players are willing to take a risk. Jonathan, under Moyes there was no

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game plan and now the tactics are awful. Laughing stock, shocking.

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There is no doubt he has steadied a sinking ship. That is not easy to

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say! It could have been worse! Setting sail again. Ancelotti, where

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are you? Let's hear from the United manager after the Bournemouth

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defeat. In the first half in spite of the goal against us in the first

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minute, we kept the rhythm in our game. We scored goals, created

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chances. We could have scored more. Out of those chances. It was 1-1. I

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had the feeling that we could win here. Then of course the second set

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play, they scored again. Then it is very difficult to make the equaliser

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because this team is fighting together and pressing the ball

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always. It's very difficult. Then to create chances. When you watch

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Manchester United as a former player, do you sense that they are

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intimidated to play their natural game which is what a lot of United

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fans are tweeting. I'm not sure it's that they are intimidated to be

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honest but it's just that he doesn't pick enough attacking players, that

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is the first thing. Obviously you always have to go back to Sir Alex

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Ferguson. What he said about pressing, Bournemouth where

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pressing, but what does he expect? It's the Premier League. This whole

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thing about the back six, two always in front of the back four and the

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goalkeeper and he's trying to win games with four attacking players,

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and by the way people like Juan Mata Ander Herrera are not exactly

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outstanding in attack. -- and Herrera. I think they are

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intimidated. I remember we interviewed Jonny Evans at the start

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of the regime and he was saying, because of all of the information in

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their brains they are thinking, should I be five yards here, five

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yards there? You have someone with the flair of Di Maria and you can't

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get the best out of him even though you saw how well he played early on.

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Early on Martial and Memphis played well. Every time a mistake is made

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he notes it down and I think they are intimidated and scared to take a

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risk because if they take a risk and give away the ball they are in

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trouble. You can see how indignant he is in interviews. He is blaming

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the opposition, we are not doing anything wrong. Wolfsburg are the

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second-best team in Germany, there is always some excuse rather than

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United themselves not producing. The statistic this morning was that the

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last three Premier League games in the second half, one shot on target

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in each of them and this is Manchester United! Some of these

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games were at home. They are passing back into their own half more than

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any other team, shorter and fewer forward passes than any team. Van

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Gaal was upset with the long ball accusation towards Fellaini but this

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is nothing to do with that, just how many times they are turning back to

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their own half more than anyone else in the league. They took off the

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full-back after 60 minutes. That is a normal substitution. We spoke to

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Glenn Murray after they had beaten Chelsea last week, they could have

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had four or five and Glenn Murray could have had two or three in the

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last 20 minutes. Have they settle down in the sense that it takes time

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to adapt to the Premier League and they suffered three or four horrific

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injuries in their first six weeks which meant... They have not changed

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which is a great thing, they took a few beatings, and Eddie Howe has not

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changed the way that they play. You come to terms with the Premiership

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and obviously it does take a while. At Brighton we got into the old

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League 1, as it was, you would sit in the dressing room and think, my

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goodness, look who we are playing. In our first game we got beaten 5-0

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by Arsenal at home, but they still have two legs and they breathe and

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all of that, and Bournemouth have come to terms with that. He does not

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complicate the way they play. They are not thinking about what they

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should be doing and where they should be running. In a lot of his

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interviews he has spoken about the importance that they have with pace

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going forward in Josh King who obviously scored yesterday and

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Stanislas as well. Such a cruel blow to lose Callum Wilson who was such a

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great goal-scorer. When I went to see them towards the end of the

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Championship they were using the pitch as a 12th man, they hardly

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ever get the ball out of the ground, they always make low passes. They

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are using it as a 12th man. They obviously have a small stadium. It

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is a romantic story the way they have come out and yes they have the

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wealthy Russian guy in charge, the thing about most fairy tales is that

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it features a rich prince. You can still be a very tale even with a

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rich prince. Fair play to them for competing so well. I am pleased for

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Bournemouth and Eddie Howe, what an exciting team. An amazing six

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points. This underdog has a bite to match its bark. If you play with

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ambition and without fear you have a chance because in the past in the

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Premier League when teams come up it's about clinging onto a result.

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Clinging onto your status. Bolton were one of the first teams to say,

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we will take you on. Under Sam. He beat the big boys a lot. Watford are

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also having a go. When you play clubs lacking in confidence like

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Manchester United and Chelsea, if you have a go you have a chance.

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There were many times under Sir Alex Ferguson that City would come to Old

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Trafford and sit there for the 90 minutes and they were never going to

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win that way. There is now a lot more ambition in clubs. Before we

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move on I want to read a tweet. Charlie Daniels said this earlier,

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yesterday was all for Harry Arter, who lost his baby daughter. To show

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that amount of courage, the level of his performance was exceptional, you

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made every Cherry fan proud, it was an honour to witness your bravery,

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Harry. Manchester City are back top

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of the Premier League but left it Here's Joe Hart's assessment

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of the performance. We were awful. We definitely have to

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improve. You were busy. You played a key part in those three points. Yes,

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I had a lot to do. When we play well I am a bystander some of the time so

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it was good for me to be involved but as the team we have to improve,

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myself included. It can only be a positive that they eventually won

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that. Guess. It is how you win the lead. That is the secret. Chelsea

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last year were masters at it. The thing about yesterday that would

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drive me mad if I was Garry Monk, all of a sudden they start to play

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once he has left. What is that about? The players need to have a

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look at themselves because that is ridiculous. Is that not often the

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case? When a manager goes. Also when you go to Manchester City away you

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have nothing to lose, is it a free hit? Whereas when you are torn to

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Leicester the pressure is on and the funds will go expecting. The fans

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would have gone expecting for the Leicester game at home, definitely,

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but not a free head. How can players just turn it on as opposed to

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completely giving up? It is ridiculous. That is the modern-day

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player at the moment. Presumably it is the new manager to impress. They

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knew the writing was on the Walther Garry Monk and all of a sudden he

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gone and they now that they could be gone. That was not an untypical

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performance. If it were not for the late winner... A lot of City

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performances I have seen where they turn up thinking it is going to

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happen without making it happen. You cannot say Sergio Aguero and Vincent

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Kompany are out, they have such an embarrassment of riches. Manuel

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Pellegrini said based on the second half performance we can beat anyone

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in Europe. Based on the performance on Saturday they will not beat

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Arsenal. It is about attitude. The reason Man Utd won so many titles

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was not because they would always beat Liverpool, but the next week

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they would go to West Brom or Sunderland and win whereas the

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others would slip up. They won the league because they had the best

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players. They had the right attitude as well. City have the best players.

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It reminded me of the year when they first won the league. A very late

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goal win. That is what champions are, you are not playing well and

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you can pull out the moment. He looks like he can score a goal at

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any time. It is almost like he is not trying to do it all the time.

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Vincent Kompany not being available, I am sick of hearing that. They have

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the most expensive central defensive pairing there has ever been in

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football. Over ?70 million. It does not mean they are good. You are

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aware the company has a history of injuries. He has bought two well

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renowned replacements who have not connected under not producing the

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goods. If you looked at Manchester City last Saturday at Stoke, how

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ridiculous was that? Someone says their attitude is steel. Someone

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else says they did not deserve to win. Someone says I am shocked at

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the quality they have and playing this poorly. Someone else said

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Fabianski did nothing. What kind of manager do Swansea needed to replace

:20:05.:20:13.

Garry Monk? The people they are looking at, either looking at

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experience with Gus Poyet, or a young manager who can be like Garry

:20:19.:20:21.

Monk, like Ryan Giggs, where there is genuine interest. I don my Garry

:20:22.:20:33.

Monk had a bad 11 games and he was judged on those 11 games, which is

:20:34.:20:39.

wrong. I think they should still have him. If I could get David Moyes

:20:40.:20:47.

I would get David Moyes, but as I understand that he does not want to

:20:48.:20:54.

go. I disagree. This Swansea story has been a fun classic point of

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continuity and they kept the position and it has been found out.

:20:58.:21:04.

The days when through the weight of possession they could break things

:21:05.:21:09.

down, or positions have found out Swansea. Garry Monk has not changed

:21:10.:21:13.

things. You do not follow that mould. Everything runs its course.

:21:14.:21:20.

Every effective tactic you have to tweak. Garry Monk had been at the

:21:21.:21:25.

club for 12 years, part of the furniture. He continued that. I am

:21:26.:21:32.

sorry he lost his job. If they are going to make a change I think there

:21:33.:21:36.

is the time to step things up with fresh ideas to build on what they

:21:37.:21:40.

already have. The forward players have let him down. Sigurdsson,

:21:41.:21:50.

Gomis. Only in this spell, you would argue. We must have done some at

:21:51.:21:53.

analysis in the first two months of the season placing them. You cannot

:21:54.:22:01.

blame them all season. In the last 11 games. That is what he has been

:22:02.:22:07.

judged on. They have panicked. It is really unusual for them because you

:22:08.:22:13.

look at them and generally... Everyone is going to panic. Look at

:22:14.:22:21.

the bottom three, four of the bottom five have let the managers go

:22:22.:22:26.

already. Different any other Premier League club, 20% of the club is

:22:27.:22:30.

owned by the supporters' trust and that backs the move as well. As much

:22:31.:22:35.

as they have affection for Garry Monk they felt a change was needed.

:22:36.:22:47.

Three out of five. Unless you know something we do not! Four should

:22:48.:22:52.

have. Someone says not Gus Poyet, his

:22:53.:23:06.

track record in the Premier League is poor. Getting Ryan Giggs would

:23:07.:23:15.

make more sense. Someone says Gus Poyet at a push. Anyone else can do

:23:16.:23:20.

one. Ryan Giggs is not going to go there. Why? He sits and waits at

:23:21.:23:31.

Manchester United. That is the problem. He is not allowed to do

:23:32.:23:35.

anything. Maybe in a few weeks he will. There was a moment in the

:23:36.:23:42.

second half when he sat on the bench and realise they are not allowed to

:23:43.:23:48.

go on the technical area. If he is watching other former team-mates go

:23:49.:23:50.

around Europe and get experience... One. Both levels. Do you not think

:23:51.:24:01.

he will fancy doing something on his own? Absolutely. He might. I do not

:24:02.:24:07.

think he will leave Manchester United. People seem to be against

:24:08.:24:18.

Gus Poyet. Do you understand that? When they appointed Rogers Rogers

:24:19.:24:21.

had come off the back of a bad speller Reading but was a different

:24:22.:24:26.

man. Of course I can understand it given what happened at Sunderland.

:24:27.:24:30.

Battling at the bottom of the table. He found that a difficult scrap.

:24:31.:24:35.

They will want someone with more pedigree of being higher up the

:24:36.:24:39.

table. Swansea for so long were out of the Premier League and have

:24:40.:24:44.

become part of the furniture. This is not the summer you want to get

:24:45.:24:47.

relegated with more money than ever before. Ryan Giggs, if you look at

:24:48.:24:54.

Seoul Shire, his great reputation, by being one of Alex Ferguson's

:24:55.:25:01.

fledgling is, everybody expected him to be a fantastic manager and he

:25:02.:25:05.

struggled at Cardiff and that ended his reputation in terms of being a

:25:06.:25:11.

manager. If he goes to Swansea, Ryan Giggs, and they get relegated it

:25:12.:25:15.

hinders him going to Manchester United. It is not a given that he is

:25:16.:25:22.

going to take over Manchester United. I think he has a lot more to

:25:23.:25:27.

offer than he is being allowed to offer. There is no wiki would want

:25:28.:25:30.

the football to be played the way it is. I agree but I think because of

:25:31.:25:39.

that he does not believe. He waits. Previous managerial experience, Gary

:25:40.:25:44.

Neville's first job, a Champions League club. Ryan Giggs will be

:25:45.:25:48.

wondering of that is the sort of level he should be at. The

:25:49.:25:51.

circumstances are slightly different.

:25:52.:26:03.

We can go to Villa Park and get the team news. Jack English is back but

:26:04.:26:11.

on the bench as Aston Villa go with the same 11 that drew at Southampton

:26:12.:26:16.

a week ago. Kieran Clarke is among the substitutions but there is no

:26:17.:26:24.

place for Agbonlahor. After this, Aston Villa have Newcastle, Norwich

:26:25.:26:28.

and Sunderland, fellow strugglers. It feels like a long funeral.

:26:29.:26:33.

Arsenal have the same 11 and seen substitutes from the Champions

:26:34.:26:38.

League win at Olympiakos. Olivier Giroud is hoping to extend his

:26:39.:26:44.

scoring run, ten in 12 appearances, one away from his 50th in the

:26:45.:26:48.

Premier League. Arsenal will go top with a win. Martin Keown is

:26:49.:26:53.

alongside you. This could turn out to be a good week with Champions

:26:54.:26:58.

League qualification and going top. Yes. Probably the best European

:26:59.:27:01.

performance I have seen from Arsenal midweek and long time. Perfect

:27:02.:27:08.

result for them. They must be starting to believe they can win the

:27:09.:27:11.

Premier League. It looks as if nobody wants to win it. Manchester

:27:12.:27:19.

City with the clumsy win. Arsenal need to lay down a marker that they

:27:20.:27:25.

are in the mix to win. Would it be a massive sell your of Arsenal not to

:27:26.:27:33.

win this season? I think it is an opportunity to win. He needs to be

:27:34.:27:41.

positive. He needs to go for it. I can see a player coming in on the

:27:42.:27:44.

January window and I think Olivier Giroud is working under a lot of

:27:45.:27:49.

pressure because I do not see tremendous loss from Arsene Wenger

:27:50.:27:52.

but whatever he is doing he is getting the best out of them. --

:27:53.:28:00.

him. Last Saturday I thought he was poor. In some of the games this

:28:01.:28:05.

season. He is the man of the top of the team and he has to start to

:28:06.:28:10.

perform for Arsenal. This is an Aston Villa team that is really

:28:11.:28:14.

struggling. I feel for them a guard, a former Arsenal player. There does

:28:15.:28:20.

not seem to be the desire for this football club any more. To all

:28:21.:28:25.

intents and purposes they are relegated even now. Should Arsenal

:28:26.:28:35.

win potato? I cannot hear... Should Arsenal win the title? I think they

:28:36.:28:48.

should. I would not discount Tottenham. I think Arsenal are

:28:49.:28:53.

slightly ahead of them. If Arsenal do not win I think Arsene Wenger

:28:54.:28:58.

will now he has missed an opportunity. He has got off the

:28:59.:29:03.

fence. You can follow that game on 5 live. Villa relegated? Yes. They

:29:04.:29:12.

made a huge error in who they treated Tim Sherwood in that they

:29:13.:29:18.

had a very good, bright manager, someone who was getting the best out

:29:19.:29:22.

of players last season and imposed this structure on him off... It is

:29:23.:29:30.

no coincidence that Aston Villa and Newcastle have the same transfer

:29:31.:29:33.

structure of selling on young players. If you are being told

:29:34.:29:41.

you're being brought into be sold to someone else where is your loyalty?

:29:42.:29:50.

They both have that policy imposed on them. All of the managers have

:29:51.:29:55.

suffered because of it. Tim Sherwood suffered. It was a major error,

:29:56.:29:59.

particularly somebody as headstrong as Tim Sherwood. 13 goals they have

:30:00.:30:10.

scored. They are relegated. Who is going to go to Aston Villa to save

:30:11.:30:20.

them? I actually think it's a really good Premier League season because

:30:21.:30:24.

of how tight it is, three points between the top four. It could be

:30:25.:30:29.

tween the top five by the end of the day. On any given Saturday or Sunday

:30:30.:30:35.

anyone can beat anyone. Aston Villa can't! Six points in the last

:30:36.:30:41.

available 45 and that sums it up. Any given Sunday is one of my

:30:42.:30:50.

favourite films. The Premier League is tight but you sense that Villa

:30:51.:30:58.

are eight points off safety already and they are eight points away from

:30:59.:31:02.

Norwich who have only won one in ten. Absolutely no goals and

:31:03.:31:07.

Agbonlahor is not even on the bench. Talk about living on past glories.

:31:08.:31:12.

I'm not sure that is the right word but who is going to score any goals?

:31:13.:31:17.

The point about the tight Premier League is used as a reason for

:31:18.:31:22.

people to say it's a poor Premier League but I don't think it is. I

:31:23.:31:26.

think it is excellent because the strength in depth is so great. I

:31:27.:31:32.

think if you split it into thirds the middle third of the Premier

:31:33.:31:37.

League because of the money have got better players which I think has

:31:38.:31:41.

made it more competitive but do you think it is better than the

:31:42.:31:46.

Bundesliga because I don't? I think it is better and there are better

:31:47.:31:50.

individual clubs in Germany and Spain, but in terms of 20 clubs, the

:31:51.:31:55.

overall standard, it is not higher than in the other countries. It

:31:56.:31:59.

depends what you want from the league. The argument will go down

:32:00.:32:06.

for the fans of the clubs involved it's really exciting. Some people

:32:07.:32:09.

who look at the commercial side will go, well actually the Bundesliga,

:32:10.:32:15.

talking to people in Germany and France, one of the reasons that

:32:16.:32:22.

Ligue-1 has developed in popularity is because our Paris St Germain.

:32:23.:32:28.

They watch because of the superstars at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga

:32:29.:32:31.

but then it reduces their competitiveness. It does, but

:32:32.:32:40.

looking at the German teams, they play a completely different way,

:32:41.:32:45.

always in your face. We started the programme talking about van Gaal and

:32:46.:32:49.

what is the problem? They are not in your face any more, Manchester

:32:50.:32:53.

United. The top teams in Spain and Germany are better than anything in

:32:54.:32:56.

England but it's like watching a rock band, you just want to hear the

:32:57.:33:01.

greatest hits, that's great, but when you tune in to watch Bayern

:33:02.:33:05.

Munich and Barcelona, they are always winning every week and there

:33:06.:33:11.

are only one or two close games. Are you going to watch a low gig game

:33:12.:33:16.

where Real Madrid or Barcelona are not playing each other? I think it

:33:17.:33:21.

is better than that. Bayern Munich walk it every time. But they will

:33:22.:33:27.

probably walk the Champions League. Going back to this, would you go

:33:28.:33:32.

along with Martin? Never ever! Pictorial do you -- do you think he

:33:33.:33:41.

will consider this a missed opportunity? Given the circumstances

:33:42.:33:47.

they made Olympiakos looked ordinary which possibly they are, but the

:33:48.:33:52.

worry about Arsene Wenger is how to get yourself into that position. You

:33:53.:33:55.

lose the first two games because they always let you down. This is

:33:56.:33:59.

the season where they have to win the Premier League undoubtably. I

:34:00.:34:06.

think Ozil has been fantastic this year and he has not got the column

:34:07.:34:09.

inches of anybody else in that position. It is like Luis Suarez

:34:10.:34:15.

when they came so close, that was their chance. If Arsenal don't win

:34:16.:34:18.

this year I can see them falling back. Henry, Wright, Robert Perez

:34:19.:34:28.

and Walcott have scored more goals. He is underrated. The inconsistency

:34:29.:34:35.

has to be resolved. Mark says that Ozil is the most underrated player

:34:36.:34:40.

will stop he is Player of the Year by a mile. -- underrated player.

:34:41.:34:45.

Most people see him as a lazy luxury player. Why does he not get enough

:34:46.:34:50.

credit? The thing with Arsenal is that URS isn't -- you are reticent

:34:51.:34:57.

to go over the top because you know they will let you down. You sit back

:34:58.:35:01.

and you wait and see it happen for a season. I think he does get the

:35:02.:35:07.

credit. Jose Mourinho once said, I went to Chelsea earlier and

:35:08.:35:14.

unbelievably he let me in the press room early, and we were talking to

:35:15.:35:19.

him and Ozil's name came up and he said, yes, when I was at Madrid,

:35:20.:35:25.

sometimes in training I would turn my back and we would have

:35:26.:35:28.

five-a-side at the air and and not watch, but when he struck the ball,

:35:29.:35:31.

it made a different noise than anybody else. He might have been

:35:32.:35:44.

full of nonsense,... Sugar. I was trying to get you out of that. I

:35:45.:35:50.

wasn't going anywhere, that was just your mind. Let's look at the Euro

:35:51.:35:57.

draw. Made yesterday. England, Wales, along with Slovakia and

:35:58.:36:00.

Russia. Northern Ireland with Germany in Group C. The Republic of

:36:01.:36:04.

Ireland have Italy and Sweden. Germany in Group C. The Republic of

:36:05.:36:07.

was always going to be England and Wales. That will be a fabulous game

:36:08.:36:11.

and a great test and the pressure will be on Roy Hodgson in that game

:36:12.:36:16.

a lot more than Chris Coleman. I can see both of them going out of the

:36:17.:36:20.

group and then England will go out next time... Qualifying, you mean.

:36:21.:36:28.

It will be a great occasion, a great game, and Wales have brought so much

:36:29.:36:34.

more to the party. It's fabulously exciting. The problem is with the

:36:35.:36:38.

way it has been done with only eight teams going out early on is that it

:36:39.:36:43.

could lead to negative football early on, which was never the case

:36:44.:36:47.

in the European Championships when everyone went for it. The group

:36:48.:36:51.

games early on in the European Championships are usually good. In

:36:52.:36:56.

the old World Cups everyone was like, if we don't lose we will get

:36:57.:37:01.

through even in third. But this will be about not losing the first game

:37:02.:37:04.

but generally major tournaments are like that. There are only eight

:37:05.:37:11.

teams going out. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland groups

:37:12.:37:15.

are both fascinating. Northern Ireland have Poland and Ukraine. I

:37:16.:37:20.

would not describe it as fascinating, may be daunting.

:37:21.:37:26.

Certainly enjoyable to watch. Belgium, Italy and Sweden. A friend

:37:27.:37:31.

of mine travelled to Japan and goes to all of the tournaments but he

:37:32.:37:35.

says I will only need two weeks off work! That is a positive spin!

:37:36.:37:41.

Belgium are ranked as the top team in the world but it goes back to

:37:42.:37:46.

Vincent Kompany not being fit and it is not like you are against Spain at

:37:47.:37:51.

their peak. The same with Sweden, Ibrahimovic, if he does not show up

:37:52.:37:55.

for whatever reason, look, they will go and enjoy it. He can have two

:37:56.:38:01.

weeks watching and two weeks as a guest of Betty Ford. Let's go back

:38:02.:38:06.

to the Premier League, let's focus on Watford. Three wins on the spin.

:38:07.:38:21.

Seventh in the table. Injury troubles in Germany, it looks as

:38:22.:38:23.

though you are enjoying this more than ever? I believe goalkeeping is

:38:24.:38:33.

like a wine. I can see that now. Of course it wasn't the best end to my

:38:34.:38:40.

career at Tottenham. You get better with age, here's to ten more years?

:38:41.:38:46.

I don't think so. It's a very tough league. I believe I might be able to

:38:47.:38:53.

play five more years. When I feel I can't do what I did today, of course

:38:54.:39:02.

I will say that it's finished. Sam Allardyce was full of praise as well

:39:03.:39:07.

at the Stadium Of Light. Sam was devastated after that game, after

:39:08.:39:11.

what he has done there, the three points made such a difference.

:39:12.:39:14.

Sunderland were all mucky with the chances they had in front of goal.

:39:15.:39:22.

-- unlucky. There was a time when they went behind and would have

:39:23.:39:26.

crumbled, I don't think he should be so downhearted. As he understandably

:39:27.:39:30.

was afterwards. Watford again, five wins in seven. Yes, and three on the

:39:31.:39:38.

spin. Again it's about what I was talking about earlier, and this.

:39:39.:39:43.

Having a go. Their manager has never managed in the Premier League, I

:39:44.:39:48.

don't know how many... Eventually, though. Point taken, but how many

:39:49.:39:54.

nationalities in the dressing room? We always say that it takes ages to

:39:55.:39:59.

find your best team but he has found his best team. They are very much a

:40:00.:40:04.

counterattacking team and they have done fantastically well. It is so

:40:05.:40:07.

important to have a good start and we know that the team is in the top

:40:08.:40:12.

six or top seven. It is now about continuing into the second half of

:40:13.:40:16.

the season and not being be unknown element. Now the opposition have

:40:17.:40:20.

seen you a few times can they work you out or can you adapt? It is good

:40:21.:40:26.

to watch. They beat Norwich 2-0 next week -- last week. Let the good

:40:27.:40:32.

times roll. They have been perceived as an away side. Well, they are. I'm

:40:33.:40:38.

not the biggest stats person but the goals they have scored away from

:40:39.:40:42.

home compared to home are completely different.

:40:43.:40:44.

Liverpool v West Brom and Tottenham against Newcastle,

:40:45.:40:50.

How do Newcastle approach this on the back of the win over Liverpool?

:40:51.:41:02.

They are daunting opponent and the recruitment in the summer has been

:41:03.:41:05.

good which has not always been the case with Tottenham. Pochettino has

:41:06.:41:10.

brought the success from Southampton, the pressure game. Kane

:41:11.:41:15.

is again. This is the year that Chelsea and Man United might drop

:41:16.:41:18.

out of the top four and Tottenham are banging on the door. For

:41:19.:41:22.

Newcastle given their results, all they have to do is build on the

:41:23.:41:27.

Liverpool game. Let's do it again. Steve McClaren said that the players

:41:28.:41:31.

whether actually crawling off because of the work rate. That has

:41:32.:41:35.

to be given now in every game. Absolutely and that is what he will

:41:36.:41:40.

say, leave it all on the pitch today, the same work rate as last

:41:41.:41:44.

week. It obviously depends on the performance but I think it's a

:41:45.:41:50.

given. I always remember speaking to Reuters after European games like

:41:51.:41:54.

that, and trying to find positives. -- speaking to Reuters lean. At

:41:55.:42:00.

least the players gave everything. And he would say, they should be

:42:01.:42:05.

crawling off the pitch every game! I watched the first half last week

:42:06.:42:09.

from behind the sofa as a Newcastle fan believing it would be a cricket

:42:10.:42:12.

score but that sort of determination, again, as we were

:42:13.:42:18.

talking about, where was it before? Today, show it again and they have

:42:19.:42:23.

got a chance. Like Dirk quite at Liverpool. He was described as

:42:24.:42:31.

working hard and, that means he's not very good! Not many people

:42:32.:42:40.

Cameron White him. Shearer is another one -- can run like him.

:42:41.:42:45.

Shearer will not praise players for just running around. Just run at the

:42:46.:42:50.

goalkeeper against Newcastle and they will love you, you don't have

:42:51.:42:56.

to make a tackle. All fans want to see players working hard. Go to St

:42:57.:43:00.

James's Park and if someone chases a lost cause they will celebrate like

:43:01.:43:04.

they have scored. They forgive you your shortcomings and that is the

:43:05.:43:08.

difference. The thing with business castle team is the lack of effort

:43:09.:43:11.

and that is what has got the fans on their backs.

:43:12.:43:16.

Big game tomorrow night, Leicester against Chelsea,

:43:17.:43:18.

If Leicester win will it change how people are thinking about them? They

:43:19.:43:28.

still won't win the league! As brilliant as they have been. They

:43:29.:43:34.

still won't win. Why not? They won't be good enough. They have only lost

:43:35.:43:38.

one game and we are at the halfway mark. It's easy to say that but they

:43:39.:43:43.

have only lost one game. All they need is an injury to Jamie Vardy. I

:43:44.:43:49.

would take a pound at 10 million to one! The atmosphere will be

:43:50.:43:56.

different because a lot of Leicester fans will be expecting to win given

:43:57.:44:00.

their form and Chelsea's form. That has been a big part of theirs

:44:01.:44:04.

excess, they have been winning and Jamie Vardy has been scoring, I was

:44:05.:44:11.

doing loads of research and looking where they were going to fall down

:44:12.:44:15.

and it is almost like it is such a novelty. -- a big part of their

:44:16.:44:21.

excess. This good run could end any time soon so let's enjoy it. People

:44:22.:44:27.

are saying what if Mahrez or Vardy goes in the transfer window but

:44:28.:44:30.

Leicester would have that problem and when they established those 13

:44:31.:44:36.

players, when they go out of the team they will crumble but take

:44:37.:44:40.

Jamie Vardy on his own and put him in another team I don't think he

:44:41.:44:45.

will play as well. Paul says, doesn't matter how much money is

:44:46.:44:49.

thrown at clubs, with a heart like Leicester you will do well. Thanks

:44:50.:44:55.

for your texts and tweets. Spurs against Newcastle is on five live

:44:56.:44:59.

from 4pm. See you next week.

:45:00.:45:01.

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