14/01/2018 MOTD2 Extra

Hello and welcome to

Match Of The Day 2 Extra.

We're on BBC Two, 5 Live,

the BBC Sport website and app,

as well as the iPlayer.

Joining me today, former Leicester,

Chelsea and Fulham goalkeeper

Mark Schwarzer.

Many other clubs as well. I get

shouted that when I miss any out. I

get shouted at.

Burnley and

Ireland's Jon Walters,

and Oliver Holt, who is chief sports

writer for the Mail On Sunday.

As ever, we want to hear

from you using the hashtag

#bbcfootball on social media.

Or you can text us on 85058.

Here's what's coming up:

What does the future holds for

Alexis Sanchez. He has not travelled

with the Arsenal squad to

Bournemouth this lunchtime.

David Moyes' West Ham score four

at Huddersfield to move up to 11th

and ease their relegation fears.

Chelsea fail to score for the third

time in a week as Leicester

frustrate the champions at Stamford

Bridge.

And we'll be live at Anfield ahead

of Liverpool against

Manchester City at 4 o'clock.

As far as the papers are concerned,

the Sunday Times has this. Helping

hand. Watford's controversial

equaliser at home to Southampton

yesterday.

In the Sunday People Sport,

"I'm In", with Jurgen Klopp joining

the scramble to snap up Sanchez.

The Sunday Mirror,

"Sanchez Pep Talk".

They claim that Guardiola will make

a personal call to Alexis Sanchez,

but they also claim that Liverpool

have joined the race for the

striker. We will start with Alexis

Sanchez and the news that he has not

travelled with Arsenal to

Bournemouth. Mark Schwarzer, that

would indicate he will be gone

sooner rather than later.

You would think so. I'm surprised

he's still there now. The summer

would have been the best time to get

rid of him for 60 million. Arsene

Wenger feels like he needs to

replace him before he lets him go.

That was the issue before the

transfer window in the summer.

Using

same thing now. Because this has

been such a circus since the summer

and maybe even before them, Jon, if

you are in that Arsenal squad going

to Bournemouth today, would there be

a sense of relief that he has been

parked away and you can concentrate

as a grip on this game?

Quite

possibly. It has turned into a

sideshow. Six months left on his

contract. Does he decide to stay? Is

he going to be a bad egg for the

rest of the season? There are

leaving him out of the squad.

The

rating could be on the wall.

How do

you understand it? I am not sure it

will be a relief to the Arsenal

fans. It looks like they're about to

sell their best player to Manchester

United for the second time in a few

years.

You think it is united?

I do

not have any inside knowledge,

needless to say, but from what I

read, from my colleagues on social

media this morning, that seems to be

the favourite. I always assumed that

it would be Manchester City, like

most of us. Whoever it is, I think

Arsenal have got into a bad habit of

mismanaging these things. However

they have done it, whatever you

think about Liverpool losing their

best player to Barcelona, they got

£145 million for him. Arsenal are

about to sell their best player to a

domestic rival for a fraction of

that, probably.

It does not seem

like good business. Is that

mismanagement? Arsene Wenger this

week, and I will bring in the others

in a moment, Arsene Wenger said this

is the way it will go in the future.

Players will run down their

contracts and they and their

representatives will take a higher

percentage of the money because the

transfer fee will not be there. He

was highlighting Ross Barkley, not

necessarily talking about his own

players.

Do you think he's trying to

mask the mistakes that Arsenal have

made? Up to a point. It will be

interesting to hear what the

Galicia. I think players will do

that. It makes financial sense for

them. It is down to the good

management of the football club to

make sure that does not happen.

In

your hand, what would you try and

balance out between running a

contract down or extending a

contract when you say you have still

got two years left on it?

I am not

in the Alexis Sanchez bracket.

Unfortunately. I have never been in

that situation where I have run a

contract down. I always liked the

security of knowing I will be at the

club I'm giving myself to that club.

With six months left, financial

sense for him would be to run it

down. But does he really need that?

If he is going to go to United,

Ollie says, what if he goes to City?

He could win trophies and the

Premier League this year.

Financial

security, is that why you prefer not

to run the contract then?

Yes, I

would say so.

Psychological? It is a

bit of both. I know a club sort of

want you if they are going to be

offering you contracts for the

length of time. You want to be at

the club were you know your future

is there. If you have a family, if

he is down in London, and he is

going to go to a team in Manchester,

it he will have that side of it,

moving them, he will have a few

years at a certain club.

There is a

lot going on buying the scenes. The

older you are, it is about family

security, continuity, knowing that I

have been here for a couple of

years, am I going to stay longer? It

helps your family be settled. Your

kids are at school. That comes into

it. With Alexis Sanchez, it comes

down to what his ambitions are. Does

he want to win trophies. It does not

look like that will happen at

Arsenal. If he went to Manchester

City, it would be a great

opportunity to start winning major

titles. If he were to choose United,

you would say, United are massive

club, one of the biggest in the

world, can they match Man City going

forward with a player like Alexis

Sanchez? Him playing at his best

would lift them to another level.

When you look at the systems that

they play, is he better suited to

the Man City system, three front

players to all intents and purposes,

whether it be Raheem Sterling, Leroy

Sane, or Aguero and Jesus. That

front three, rather than for the

right weight, which is what would

happen with United, supporting

Lukaku?

Lukaku?

The way that City play

football, it is awesome.

They would

find a spot in the side. Alexis

Sanchez worked his socks off the

entire game, nonstop racing.

That is

how City play. He has not done that

recently. That is the frustration

for a lot of Arsenal fans and the

outside world. This man can do it,

but he does not do it regularly for

Arsenal.

United need him more than

City. As dominant as Man City are,

at eye do not think it would be

great for them to seem good to Man

United. I think he would improve

Manchester united a great deal, and

possibly make them a player in the

Champions League as well. He has got

the power to improve Manchester

United's season considerably.

But

you can balance it out and say, if

you're Manchester City, we are

strong enough, even though it is

Alexis Sanchez, let's take the high

moral ground, we do not need them,

we have settled, happy squad. You

can see his behaviour sometimes. Why

rock the boat? I overheard two Man

City fans last week discussing

whether he would, if he came, be the

new Rodney Marsh, who disrupted

Manchester City at that time.

Yes,

disrupted Malcolm Allison's team. I

can see that point. Manchester

United need him more than Manchester

City do. Maybe that is the reason

why this window appears to have for

Manchester United. City, you would

think, whatever happens to Alexis

Sanchez, it will not change the

destination of the title this

season. It will be a massive boost

for Manchester United in the medium

to long term if they get him.

You

can use the hashed out if you want

to get in touch with us through the

afternoon, particularly Arsenal

fans. We will go to Bournemouth

shortly to get the team news from

the Bournemouth- Arsenal game. Let's

talk about West Ham.

West Ham are up to eleventh

after winning 4-1 at Huddersfield.

They were 18th when

David Moyes took over.

Should lots of people be eating

humble pie at the moment, Mark

Schwarzer?

Lots of people were

surprised that West Ham went with

David Moyes after the way things had

gone with him previously,

particularly at Sunderland. What he

has done has been brilliant. He has

turned their fortunes completely

around. He has surprised me and how

he has been able to do that.

Arnautovic is a player that the

biggest criticism anyone put towards

him was he did not have the

consistency. Jon will vouch for that

at Stoke, he showed glimpses of

being that player that they signed

from Inter Milan. He was at Inter

Milan because he was a phenomenal

player. He was not showing that

regularly. Since the arrival of

David Moyes, and it is no

coincidence, it has to be down to

David Moyes. Having a different

approach, demanding more, that has

worked well.

The last time you were

on we spoke about Marko Arnautovic

and the frustrations that there

could be from playing with him. Do

you think that the credit that

should go to Moyes is to change the

position of Arnautovic, put him or

through the middle, where he does

not have to track back as much?

I

think he can play across the front.

If you get him playing, he is such

an asset. He has everything. A lot

of credit has to go to David Moyes

for that. He has come in 90 has been

phenomenal. He has got everything,

strength, pace, movement, left foot,

right foot, the skills. He has

greater freedom now? He does not

have to track back as much.

Quite

possibly. Is it the position or is

it more in his head? I think with a

player like him, he can play

anywhere. If you get it right in his

head, he can be fantastic, as he is

showing no.

I think it is the head.

Whatever David Moyes has done, spoke

to him, put his arm around him, got

him playing in a certain way, then

he's up there with the best players

I have played with or against.

On

discipline and tracking back and all

of that, is there a roll, a space in

modern football, for people who may

be do not have the greatest of

discipline when it comes to work

ethic, do you think?

Yes. Some teams

will play more counterattack, some

teams will leave three up, or two

up, and leave a player, and if he

can produce when he is doing that,

you can afford that in your team,

but he has got to produce. If you

can leave a player to not work as

much as the team and he has a flair

player, producing goals and assists,

dragging the team up, holding the

ball, there is a place for him.

Do

you need to find

the manager that can get the best

out of him in David Moyes?

I do not

think Mark Hughes ever got the best

consistently out of him. I know it

is a short period of time, but the

managers getting the best out of

him. When Sun Alex was at QPR, Neil

Warnock would not let him touch the

ball in his own half.

He was

basically giving a minder in Shaun

Derry. He said, you will have to do

all the running for Adel Taarabt,

and you allow him to do his thing.

I

think that works, up to a point,

with certain players. If a player is

that important to a team creatively,

which at that player was, because

they did not have anyone else of

that nature, I guess what we would

call a luxury player. There seems to

me to be less and less room for the

old conventional Number 10, who

drifts, and like Mark Schwarzer was

saying earlier, does not track back.

It is the balance. Let's not take

away from Marko Arnautovic. They can

track back. Plenty of times when we

played together, he was in his own

box, picking up the ball. But you

want him to get the ball in the

opposition half. Do you leave him

one against one against the right

back or centre-half, or do you want

him defending?

He can do it. Let me

read some tweets. Freedom to play,

be creative, not be imprisoned by

the rigidity of the state formation,

it is proper football. West Ham

says, playing without a recognised

striker at the moment under David

Moyes, the freedom Arnautovic has

will be enhanced by PC players.

Michael says Arnautovic is a

confidence player. He needs to feel

loved and wanted. Right now he has

all three things in his favour. If

West Ham can sign a holding

defensive midfielder and a Pizzi

right winger we would be fine and

Arnautovic could thrive. Do you

think, Oliver Holt, you can be a

good manager even if you have had a

relatively bad four years?

I do.

I think David Moyes is a good

example of that. You say that lots

of people are eating humble pie.

They are. When David Moyes joined

West Ham, he had a few supporters in

the media. That is because people

have the memory of what he achieved

that Everton. On Match Of The Day

last night, he has become the fourth

manager in Premier League history to

have 12-handed game. Yes. If you're

around long enough that will happen.

What happened with him, he lost lots

of confidence at Man United and made

a couple of bad choices, in my

opinion. Sunderland seems to be a

graveyard for ambitious managers.

If he got off to a bad start at West

Ham that probably would have been

the end of him as a top-flight

manager in England. And I think he

has proved that you can have bad

times and come back. It's early days

but he's made a terrific start.

but he's made a terrific start.

I

think it happens with players as

well. They have times where they

struggle and then they make a move,

or even if they don't, a manager

comes in, there is an uplift. David

Moyes has a great record at Everton.

What he did at that club, that

stability there, he created that,

and then the move to Manchester

United just didn't work out for him

and I think it would have been

difficult for anyone to replace Alex

Ferguson in that first year. And

then afterwards, of course, it was a

bad time for him at Sunderland. But

he's showing. I'm sure he's learned

a lot and he's a different person.

Some people have said to me about

players, they might do very, very

well at a middling Premier League

club or top half Premier League

club, and then they get a move to a

top six club and they struggle. They

get -- they then get sold to someone

else and they struggle again, partly

because of being racked with some

kind of self doubt that they

couldn't cut it at the top.

There's

definitely a part of that because

when I went to Chelsea from Fulham,

just the weight of expectation to

win every single game when you go

through that door, to win every

trophy you are involved in, it's

enormous. Some have just struggle to

play at the club because you are

just in the glimpses and all of a

sudden you have one thing -- one or

two things to do in the game and

they can't deliver at that moment.

As a manager I can only imagine it

must be tenfold, 50 fold that

because of the pressure, the weight,

the size of the club.

Exactly what

Mark is saying. The pressure is

probably not on as much. The

pressure is on different ways if

you're down at the bottom but if

you've got to produce consistently,

and for the money you are spending

as well.

When I was Fulham, and it's

a fantastic middle club, the

pressure was so different in

comparison. Being in the north-east

and then going to North London,

Fulham, it's a great family club. We

had an amazing time there but I was

blown away by... There pressure but

there's not a lot of pressure. Then

you make that step across, that very

short step across to Chelsea, which

is, by turns of gradient, enormous.

Did you have any self-doubt after he

said that Hugh?

He was trying to

mess with me!

LAUGHTER

But did you?

I got it. I had to

change my game when I went there as

well. Because at Fulham,

Middlesbrough, you are not

dominating every game. You on the

back foot, you were playing a deeper

line, the defenders would be per. At

Chelsea, you are the team attacking

all the time so as a goalkeeper

you've got to play higher up the

pitch. You've got to play between

the defenders and yourself. And it's

a mindset, it's a change in the way

you play. It seems quite little but

it's a big change you have to make.

It happens even more so with

somebody going to United and the

fans then, OK, entertain us. We

expect this, that football.

I also

think some managers and players,

they suit some kind of club. It's

often said about Jose Mourinho,

isn't it? He's absolutely his best

when he was at Porto and then Inter

Milan. In both cases they weren't

really expected to win. They weren't

really expected to win it and he

massively overachieved at those

clubs and it suited him better,

perhaps, than being at the biggest

clubs in the world.

We have had this

text, some of the papers linking

Liverpool to this move. Let some

overpay for him. Definitely the

level of player Liverpool need, not

that either has to be brought in

right now. We know Alexis Sanchez is

up with Arsenal.

Confirmation of that team sheet for

this game. My understanding is

Alexis Sanchez took full part in

training yesterday. I haven't heard

what Arsene Wenger has said about it

but it does point to that imminent

move away either to Manchester City

or Manchester United. Bournemouth

might sense a real opportunity here.

Peter check is in goal. Otherwise

it's the same team who were in the

League Cup of the semifinal playing

on Wednesday. -- Petr Cech is in

goal.

goal. Josh King, Jermain Defoe and

Stanislas are all unavailable.

Stanislas are all unavailable. The

three centre-backs for Bournemouth,

Charlie Daniels on the flanks.

I will ask you, Mark, do Arsenal

look ordinary without those players?

Without Sanchez?

They certainly

don't look as formidable. Both of

those players can be frustrating and

it's been well-documented --

documented because Sanchez, Sanchez

clearly upset that he's not moving

at the end of the transfer window,

and Ozil has looked disinterested,

which is where he's received that

criticism, but they are, on their

day, world-class players, both of

them, and without them, you could

argue, as we were saying before, you

can forget about it and move on but

still think they bring that extra

and creativity and level of

performance that normally those

players, if any, can produce that.

We talked about David Moyes. Let's

talk about Roy Hodgson having a big

impact at Crystal Palace. Five

points clear of the rotations owed.

Your Burnley team discovered

yesterday they are a tough nut to

crack. -- five points clear of the

relegation zone.

Well-organised. We

didn't cause them to many problems.

They had three big powerful boys at

the front and though at times they

did chase back a lot, we left them

quite a lot, where they could just

break. And they interchange very

well and he's done really well with

them. I was speaking to a friend at

the club yesterday who said Hodgson

is the best manager he's ever played

under. The way he is with the

players, not just in the team, but

out of the team as well, so high

praise for him.

When you talk about

Crystal Palace being organised,

we've talked about David Moyes

organising West Ham. Thirdly

well-organised. As a fine new sort

of think it should be a given that

teams are well-organised because you

have time to prepare for games, and

that seems a fairly obvious thing a

coach could do. Can you quantify how

difficult it is to organise a

football team? Have you been in

disorganised teams in your life?

Definitely. So many egos you have to

juggle as a manager as well. And if

you look at the injuries Crystal

Palace have, some players with

serious injury -- injuries will be

playing in the team, and it's down

to how you play as well. How do you

get the best out of your best

players?

But to be organised, is the

key to it this shape training? You

know, where there is no ball and you

put a ball somewhere on the pitch

and then the manager tells you where

you need to be if the ball is there?

Or is that too Basic?

As a player, I

will know where to be on the pitch.

Some managers would like that, would

like to dictate the shape through

the week and other managers would

expect players to know that. It's

also knowing your players. You get

somebody like a la Everton, and he's

organised that. -- somebody like

Alan -- some alibis. A more solid

base to work from. It's knowing your

players and how you want them to

work as well.

Yesterday it was that

Hodgson has energised the place. So

full of energy. He's 70, isn't he?

His enthusiasm has swept through the

whole club.

Yes, I heard that

interview and I think there was a

lot of question marks when he was

given that job and in Crystal Palace

giving it to him, because of his age

and also because of what happened

with England, but I think we are

talking about the redemption songs

of David Moyes. I think he's a very

decent guy, Roy. He is a terrific

manager and he was vilified, really,

as most England managers are when

things go wrong, and I think a lot

of people are just very pleased for

him that that wasn't the end of the

story, the Iceland thing, and he

would take issue with this, that he

had a reputation to repair, but

nevertheless, I'm glad the last

memory of him was not as a manager

with the defeat to Iceland.

Your

trumpet might be under the desk if

you want to blow it!

I worked with

him for two years and I get what he

said, one of the best managers he's

worked under. At times is the

simplicity. It's also that

repetition. Throughout my career,

I've been at clubs where you talk

about players, you get to a point

where you're frustrated because you

are losing games, you concede basic

goals, and you go to the manager and

say, we need to get back to the

basics, we need to get organised, we

need to get our shape going, but the

manager's response would be, I want

you to enjoy football and enjoy

training, I don't want to put you

through those basic sessions, but

that's what brings you results. I've

had a number of managers who brought

you back down to basics and almost

walk you through things.

It's a way

of enforcing individual discipline.

Sometimes the simplest things can

make the difference, yes. You watch

any sort of play, when something

goes wrong, it's generally a basic

mistake. If not a complicated one.

People overcome hate football all

the time and as managers I think

more of them should go back to the

basics of training. -- people

overcomplicate football all the

time. I think the very core of it

should be the basics and working on

it.

And that is the basics, the

enjoyment.

Roy was very much against

playing small sided games at the end

of the session. More often than not

he would get the hump and say, you

sort it out, because he just didn't

want it. He would say, you've worked

so hard during this basic shape

organisation, you've had enough. Go

get your feet up and rest. But the

boys were like, I want to play a

small side game.

#bbcfootball if you

want to get in touch. Andy, what can

you say that's not already been said

about our manager? Honest,

statesman-like, erudite. The list

goes on. Another says, Manager of

the Year. The big game today,

Liverpool versus Manchester City.

Steve Wilson is there for us. Let's

start with the big news, Steve,

which is it looks like there is no

Virgil Van Dijk for Liverpool this

afternoon?

Yes, and obviously we

won't get confirmation of that team

for a couple of hours yet but it is

being reported by the Liverpool Echo

on their social media sites, and I

understand from around the place

here, that it is right that Virgil

Van Dijk has tight hamstrings and

won't be risked today. Obviously a

major blow for Jurgen Klopp and

Liverpool taking on Manchester City

today. The first game post Phillippe

Coutinho and all that. At that

instant return in the FA Cup victory

over Everton but the Dutchman will

not be involved, I understand, for

Liverpool.

Do you think Liverpool

has a point to prove after what

happened in the first game earlier

in the season?

I think they think

they have a point to prove. I think

they feel that red card was harsh

and there have been similar

incidents over the course of the

season since then that have not

resulted in red cards so you would

perhaps have a certain sympathy with

that point of view. Liverpool have a

fantastic record here against

managers that it -- against

Manchester City, but it is strange

that City have only won once on this

ground since 1981, which is

remarkable, so Liverpool, with or

without Phillippe Coutinho,

obviously without, without Van Dijk,

are coming into this game believing

this is a battle they can win.

Nobody here thinks they will

overhaul Manchester City at the top

of the table but do think they can

overhaul them over 90 minutes and I

think Liverpool think they can

finish second behind Manchester City

in the Premier League. A big win

today, unlikely though that would

seem against the runaway leaders,

actually would put Liverpool second

in the table.

Alexis Sanchez has

been linked with both of those

clubs, more with the visitors than

the home team, but as you say, it is

early and both representatives might

not be there, but have you heard

anything?

Well, there have been

people very close to Liverpool here

saying that any interest that has

been drummed up in the papers about

Alexis Sanchez has basically been

driven from his agent's end. There

are people here who don't believe

Liverpool have a serious interest in

signing him but I just think that

there's every chance that Alexis

Sanchez will be where you are now,

in the city of Manchester, win the

next 24, 36 hours. What we don't

know yet is whether it is City or

United, but I don't think it will be

Liverpool.

Thank you very much,

Steve. Commentary on BBC Radio 5Live

from 4pm Anfield. Arsene Wenger has

said that a resolution on Sanchez's

future is imminent. Don't read too

much into it because even I don't

really know what way it will go!

Zane says, if Sanchez and Walcott

both leave, surely we need at least

two to replace those three, not one.

Another says, this is a relief. No

player is bigger than the club. I

will be glad to see the back of him.

Rick says, we wouldn't find before

Sanchez came, actually better.

Arsenal is bitter -- better than one

man. You can get in touch on

#bbcfootball. Burn be played City in

the cup last weekend. What did you

make of them? -- burn played City.

Excellent. I Teimana 3-1 down. I was

chasing shadows. They work so hard

off the ball. When they lose the

ball, the front they are chasing,

the middle they are chasing, and the

back four are right up, and they do

not amble up, it is a full on

Sprint. The price the pitch and they

want to win the ball back in the

opposition half. He has the whole

team, to a man, working.

With that

quality. Do

quality. Do you need to go long war

often than not to be that?

They can

leave that space in behind and play

out. It is basic. The pressing and

winning. It is similar to Liverpool

in terms of how the press. It is

foul on. They do not give you a

break. If you look at how each

player runs, if you get any player

of that quality to work so hard for

the team when they get the ball, and

in the opposition have, it is not

impossible to play against, but very

difficult.

Do they look at the

shaping training? I think they do.

They have a system they play. They

have world-class players, but I

think, and I have spoken to some of

the players, and their training

sessions are really foul on, very

technical, so it is clear that they

are at another level, because of the

personnel that they have and the

manager they have, but they will go

through things and be repetitive.

I

have got to read this. Graeme

Souness' column in the Sunday Times

each week is well worth reading. It

is certainly thought-provoking

whether you agree or not. He says

that Virgil van Dijk is the best

centre back Liverpool have had since

Alan Hansen.

"The ball

is an enemy for Eliaquim Mangala.

He's in the wrong movie

at Manchester City.

That's why they should

have gone for Van Dijk."

I am a fan of Graeme Souness and his

punditry, written and televised.

Virgil van Dijk appears to be a

class act. I think eyebrows are

raised when people say, I think

somebody said he was a bargain

recently. We will see. I hope he is

a great signing for Liverpool. It is

early days. What he has shown a

previous club suggests he will be a

fantastic signing, and I think

something that lots of people have

said, a leader. That is something

that Liverpool need. I am not saying

they have not got any leaders but

they need the addition of another

strong character. It is a real shame

he's playing today. I think this is

the best chance of City being upset

this season. It is the hardest game

they have left, quite possibly. A

Liverpool team in form, even without

Coutinho, they would have a decent

chance at home, at Anfield, in as

close to a cauldron as we have got

in English football now. They have

got a real chance. That chance is

lessened by van Dijk not being

available.

Should City have gone for

van Dijk?

I am surprised they did

not. It is a massive game for

Liverpool. Ollie is right in saying

he is a really good player. He has

done well wherever he has played. He

has progressed from Celtic to

Southampton. This is another level

again. When you look at the one

appearance he has had so far, he won

everything in the air, he had

authority and looked like nothing

would get past him, then he popped

up and scored the winner. You have

that added bonus. It will be

interesting to see him and Joel

Matip together. That could be a

formidable defensive pairing.

Imagine trying to run up against

those two? He is a tough player to

come up against, a threat in both

boxes. He has had a great start. Not

playing a lot of football in the

last couple of weeks, his first

game, probably foul on training as

well.

He will be missed by

Liverpool. Arsene Wenger has said

more the television about Alexis

Sanchez. Arsene Wenger says, he is

being vague at the moment. The

situation is not completely decided

one way or the other, so I left at

home. Rio Ferdinand has tweeted on

the subject. I have just seen

Sanchez is not in the Arsenal squad

today so I am en route to use them

to direct him to Old Trafford. Use

the hash tag if you want to get in

touch.

Should Stoke point Martin

O'Neill? I am a Stoke fan, having

been there for so long. Andy Ireland

player. If I was Stoke, I would be

clambering to appoint him. Why?

Going back to simplicity. Stoke

Neagle organisation.

Neagle organisation. -- need

organisation. They are down in the

bottom three, but such a fantastic

club. I hope they get out, and

appointing him, with a Roy Keane

would come with them as well, I do

not know the ins and outs, I do not

know if he has been offered it, with

Ireland, we were fourth favourites

to get out of the group behind

Serbia, Austria, Wales, everyone

gave us no chance, and lots of

people are judging him on the

Denmark game, will it was a terrible

result, but if you look at how we

have done under him, with Ireland, I

can only sing his praises.

Do you

think that because he received so

much criticism for the Denmark game,

and because he feels that maybe now

is the time, I know you cannot speak

for him, but the criticism has hurt

him after the Denmark game?

I cannot

speak for him, as you have said.

Everything was rosy until that

hammering. If you look at our record

under him with Ireland, how we did

in the Euros, where we got two in

the group, and a couple of

decisions, a winner Shane Duffy

should have had against Austria was

taken away in the last minute, a few

decisions, and we got down to one

game, and you cannot be judged on

that one game against Denmark. Only

the players can produce on the pitch

at the time. If you look at his

record as Ireland manager, and

previous clubs he has been at, if I

was Stoke, I would be desperately

trying to get him to sign.

It would

be basics first, and I mean that in

a complimentary way, after the

discussions we have had?

As a

player, you want to play for him.

His former players have said, you

want to play for him. You cannot put

it down to anything. It is very

difficult but it is going

difficult but it is going back to

basics.

Have Stoke lasted identity,

their playing style, they have

changed dramatically from when Tony

Pulis left? Mark Hughes try to have

this period of adaptation,

attacking. When you watch Stoke, it

seems like they do not really have a

way of playing?

Quite possibly. No

one used to like coming to Stoke

when we were there. Everyone hated

it. That has changed over the last

couple of years. It needs to go back

to being the way it was. When that

place is rocking, the Kreder behind

the team, there is no other place

like it. It is terrible for other

teams to come and play.

There was a

fantastic atmosphere. Talking about

cauldrons, when Stoke were doing

well, that was a cauldron. We were

talking about some managers and

their characters sitting clubs. I

can see Martin O'Neill's character

sitting Stoke. That's like underdog

thing. You will not get any light

and shade from me in terms of

disagreeing with Jon. I am a massive

fan of Martin O'Neill and I think he

would be a good appointment.

You

know the Stoke squad. Would it be

good for him to take Roy with him?

Yes.

Yes. That is not to say that Martin

is a soft touch. You do not want to

get on the wrong side of him. He

will tell you just as much as Roy,

pull your weight.

Is he in the same

sort of mould as Tony Pulis? The man

manager, an older style generation

of manager. He has his way, he is

relentless in the way he wants to

play, and what he wants to instil in

his players.

Each manager is

different, but then you can see how

David Moyes has gone at West Ham,

and David might -- and Roy Hodgson

at Crystal Palace. I think Stoke

need Martin O'Neill to do a similar

job at Stoke.

Paul says I think he

has overstayed his time with the

Republic of Ireland team. George

says he is a good manager and Stoke

are not in a position to take a big

gamble. Gavin, an overrated manager.

I do not expect him to create

miracles at Stoke. Use the hash tag.

Or you can text. You work with

Marcus and his coaching staff. --

you work with Mark Hughes and his

coaching staff.

What will Eddie

Niedzwiecki do? He was very

hands-on. Mark Bowen on the

sidelines. They had very little

input on the day-to-day basis. They

dipped in and out, but Eddie

Niedzwiecki did every bit of the

session. That side of things will

not change. Obviously the man in

charge is no Eddie Niedzwiecki,

taking responsibility, but he will

go with the tried and tested. He may

make little adaptations, because he

can ultimately make the decision now

he's in charge. I cannot see too

much changing now. He will try and

cheer them up, try to get a result,

which is vitally important. I do not

think much will change.

There was a

real makes yesterday of criticism

for the Stoke hierarchy, for getting

themselves in this situation,

wanting Quique Sanchez Flores, he

turned them down, and sympathy

going, what more could they have

done? They made him the Frankie

turned them down.

That is how it

works. I tend to agree with the

latter. They wanted him and they did

not get him, so they move on. I do

not see any problem in that. They

seem like a pretty well-run club to

me. They gave Mark Hughes time. I

think they wanted that to work. As

happens, momentum was against him,

and he was not looking like he was

going to turn it around, so the

acted. I have sympathy for them.

OK,

thank you very much. The live

football coming your way on five

live, Stoke at Manchester United

tomorrow night, an eight o'clock

kick-off, full commentary, and

filled commentary this afternoon

with Liverpool at home to Manchester

City from four o'clock. Highlights

on Match Of The Day two later.

Thanks to Mark, Jon and Ollie.