:00:29. > :00:31.Good afternoon, welcome to MOTD 2 Extra
:00:32. > :00:33.on BBC Two, 5 live and the BBC Sport website.
:00:34. > :00:37.former Newcastle manager John Carver,
:00:38. > :00:42.Burnley goalkeeper Paul Robinson and journalist Andy Dunn.
:00:43. > :00:46.Use the hashtag #bbcfootball on social media, or text 85058
:00:47. > :00:57.Can Arsenal halt Leicester's title charge?
:00:58. > :00:59.it is currently goalless at the Emirates.
:01:00. > :01:02.The top four are all in action today with Manchester City playing
:01:03. > :01:05.Newcastle find themselves back in the relegation zone
:01:06. > :01:09.while Sunderland get an important win over Manchester United to move
:01:10. > :01:16.The Mail on Sunday has papers: the headline "I'm Doomed",
:01:17. > :01:19.with van Gaal admitting the top four is out of reach.
:01:20. > :01:24.The Sunday Times, "Dithering United run risk of losing Mourinho".
:01:25. > :01:26.Andy's paper, the Sunday Mirror, "High Rollers".
:01:27. > :01:29.The Leicester owner will throw the players a ?1m Las Vegas
:01:30. > :01:38.It's third against first at the Emirates.
:01:39. > :01:51.I said it was goalless but goodness knows how. 60 minutes in, both
:01:52. > :01:56.goalkeepers have been busy, Kasper Schmeichel hearing off his line,
:01:57. > :02:01.Aaron Ramsey broke from the halfway line, I think he actually had a
:02:02. > :02:05.chance to put the ball over Schmeichel but did not make proper
:02:06. > :02:10.contact. 20 seconds later Petr Cech making a blinding save to his right
:02:11. > :02:14.hand side from Jamie Vardy. Alexis Sanchez went close in the first
:02:15. > :02:19.minute and Arsenal have had a penalty appeal turned down for
:02:20. > :02:25.potential handball by Kante. It is all go and it is living up to
:02:26. > :02:29.expectations. Paul Robinson as I said it has been living up to
:02:30. > :02:34.expectations. Exactly like the game at the King power. I think it will
:02:35. > :02:39.be an open game today. Two teams really fighting for the title. Who
:02:40. > :02:43.would have thought Lester would be there. Fantastic result against
:02:44. > :02:47.Manchester City and I think today if they get any kind of result I think
:02:48. > :02:57.they are stonewalled favourites for the title. They will get a boost by
:02:58. > :03:02.the fact Mertesacker is back, Jamie Vardy will fancy his case against
:03:03. > :03:06.Mertesacker. That is why Coquelin maybe gives him some protection.
:03:07. > :03:12.Arsene Wenger and Arsenal will be caught this dilemma, do you set up
:03:13. > :03:19.to counter Leicester's counterattack style. If you see what I mean. Last
:03:20. > :03:23.week Pellegrini it looked like he had never seen Leicester play. There
:03:24. > :03:27.was no provision for their style and City were beaten easily. The
:03:28. > :03:33.question is whether Arsenal will play their natural game and leave
:03:34. > :03:36.themselves exposed to the pace of Vardy Riyad Mahrez. Watching the
:03:37. > :03:41.first 17 minutes it looks as if they are playing their normal game.
:03:42. > :03:47.Plenty of possession for Arsenal and a couple of half chances. Definite
:03:48. > :03:50.shout for a penalty and all of a sudden Leicester are nice and
:03:51. > :03:55.compact and they break and they have the best chance of the game. And
:03:56. > :04:00.more pressure contrary to what Arsene Wenger says, more pressure on
:04:01. > :04:05.Arsenal. More pressure on all of the title rivals and Leicester. I do not
:04:06. > :04:10.fly decided that now they have more time to think about it, 13 games in
:04:11. > :04:16.14 weeks and a lot of time to think about it. I do not buy into that. I
:04:17. > :04:20.think last week Manchester City did not put out any provisions for
:04:21. > :04:23.Leicester, they were confident in their own ability, we are Manchester
:04:24. > :04:28.City, this is how we are going to play. I do not think they gave them
:04:29. > :04:31.enough credit. I wonder whether going forward for the rest of the
:04:32. > :04:35.season, you talk about whether Arsenal might change about the way
:04:36. > :04:41.they played, maybe some of the other sides fighting nearer the bottom,
:04:42. > :04:44.and the start of the season they thought that could be three points
:04:45. > :04:50.against Leicester but now they will change the way they play which puts
:04:51. > :04:53.added pressure on. I think that will definitely change, but what
:04:54. > :05:01.Leicester cannot do is change the way they play. It is Barry Fulton we
:05:02. > :05:05.stick to their principles. The way they play on the counterattack is
:05:06. > :05:09.fantastic. What I am worried about, I would love to see Leicester
:05:10. > :05:14.winning both my one worry as I was involved in Newcastle as a youth
:05:15. > :05:19.coach when we threw away the lead, and we threw it away, it is amazing
:05:20. > :05:25.how all of a sudden personalities changed. Coaches and managers, their
:05:26. > :05:30.attitude change. Everybody in the club. It was like a holiday camp
:05:31. > :05:34.before that, everything going nicely. We were scoring goals and
:05:35. > :05:37.event was going for us, we were winning games but all of a sudden
:05:38. > :05:43.the pressure turned and it turned about now. And how did it change? I
:05:44. > :05:47.think people got more tight, people started expecting them to go and win
:05:48. > :05:51.the games where nobody expects Leicester to go to Arsenal and win,
:05:52. > :05:56.like last week nobody expected them to beat Man City. But all of a
:05:57. > :06:01.sudden the pressure just gets turned up a little and it starts affecting
:06:02. > :06:04.people in a different way. I think they have enough personalities
:06:05. > :06:09.within their team not to affect them. Was that the keys at Leeds? I
:06:10. > :06:14.was going to say it was very similar. A couple of seasons we were
:06:15. > :06:17.leading the league with the likes of Manchester United behind us,
:06:18. > :06:21.experience of being there and doing it. But when you have not been there
:06:22. > :06:26.and you are expected to win every weekend and it does not go for you,
:06:27. > :06:29.you do not know how to put it right. You do not have the experience of
:06:30. > :06:34.being at the front of the pack. And it does change before. Do you think
:06:35. > :06:40.a couple of things maybe the counter that, Ranieri is more experience
:06:41. > :06:45.than Kevin Keegan was and has experience of title run ins in Italy
:06:46. > :06:50.for example. And also, this is the sixth successive game he has picked
:06:51. > :06:53.the same starting XI. The first Premier League manager to do that
:06:54. > :06:58.this season which seems Riddick but he is not faffing. They are having
:06:59. > :07:05.so much fortune in this spell not picking up any injuries. They have
:07:06. > :07:09.such a tight squad they can allow Ritchie De Laet to go to
:07:10. > :07:13.Middlesbrough on loan. They have consistency and they know what they
:07:14. > :07:17.are doing. I think because they have got themselves in this position I
:07:18. > :07:23.think they are going to succeed. I will tell you why. They have not got
:07:24. > :07:29.the FA Cup, Champions League, they can put their energy in. That is
:07:30. > :07:33.their biggest tribute. They can prepare for a game on the weekend
:07:34. > :07:38.and we have a full week. The other sides around them have not. And they
:07:39. > :07:45.can also look back on a run of form which if you include the last nine
:07:46. > :07:50.games of the previous season, 25 this season, they have taken 75
:07:51. > :07:55.points from 34 games. This is rock solid form. They can say we have
:07:56. > :08:00.only been bitten by Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. We are a good team.
:08:01. > :08:05.We believe we are a good thing. And there is not that much pressure.
:08:06. > :08:11.That story, the ?1 million visit to Las Vegas. That is probably only
:08:12. > :08:16.because there is no title win bonus in their contracts. At the start of
:08:17. > :08:19.the season you are not putting in how much you get if you win the
:08:20. > :08:24.title. From the outside Ranieri seems completely different to how he
:08:25. > :08:29.was at Chelsea, highly strung, messing about with the team. I think
:08:30. > :08:36.that has come into the players. They genuinely are not feeling the
:08:37. > :08:39.pressure. Can I ask you, Andy, one question that lets out in the
:08:40. > :08:45.build-up. Arsene Wenger was talking about Mahrez and said in all honesty
:08:46. > :08:51.he was not really aware of him but then he went on to say that in this
:08:52. > :08:54.day and age he could not sign a player for ?400,000 because people
:08:55. > :09:00.would be saying, why have you sign someone for ?400,000. The rest ?40
:09:01. > :09:06.million people would immediately say it is a great signing. Is that a sad
:09:07. > :09:10.indictment on the whole industry? In a way it is, it is a reflection of
:09:11. > :09:16.where they are at. I would not save indictment. Funnily enough Ed
:09:17. > :09:19.Woodward in the Conference calls are the same thing to American
:09:20. > :09:27.investors. -- I would not say indictment. Leicester City are
:09:28. > :09:30.buying in that market, Woodward, explaining, was asked a question
:09:31. > :09:36.directly by an investor, saying why can we not do what they did? Because
:09:37. > :09:41.we have to purchase ready-made world-class players. They do not
:09:42. > :09:46.come at 400 grand. That proves the point that there are bargains out
:09:47. > :09:48.there if you are prepared to put something by missing, structure,
:09:49. > :09:54.development staff, to go out and look for it. There are bargains out
:09:55. > :09:58.there for everybody. The Leicester wage bill is 17th in the family,
:09:59. > :10:02.only three below them are the three teams that have come up. The
:10:03. > :10:08.recruitment, chief scout, they deserve a lot of credit. What we're
:10:09. > :10:12.saying is the recruitment for certain clubs is not necessarily
:10:13. > :10:16.about finding the best player, it is about spending a lot of money on
:10:17. > :10:24.so-called marquee signings, to satisfy the market? And investors?
:10:25. > :10:31.Then football is not a sport. But Mahrez coming from French League 2,
:10:32. > :10:36.Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool to a certain extent, are not
:10:37. > :10:42.shopping in that market. Should they be? I don't know. It is hard to say.
:10:43. > :10:45.They want players who have established themselves in the
:10:46. > :10:48.Champions League, establish themselves maybe with international
:10:49. > :10:53.credentials. When was the last time one of those big clubs did not buy a
:10:54. > :10:57.fully fledged international. If you move onto City against birds, we're
:10:58. > :11:00.talking about consistency of selection.
:11:01. > :11:02.Only 18 outfield players have started a league game
:11:03. > :11:10.They are doing something very similar and until the injury to the
:11:11. > :11:18.Tongan, the spine tended to be the same. -- injury to Yann Vertonghen.
:11:19. > :11:25.He has done a fantastic job and as you say he has a very small squad.
:11:26. > :11:32.-- Jan Vertonghen. It seems a good place to be. The biggest example is
:11:33. > :11:36.Erik Lamela, he was great going forward when we went there, but now
:11:37. > :11:42.he is running backward as well. He is buying into the dairy and the way
:11:43. > :11:46.the manager wants to play. It is there any way he will stay in the
:11:47. > :11:49.team and players realise that. There have been no problems coming out of
:11:50. > :11:53.Spurs, normally you are waiting for something to happen but the
:11:54. > :11:57.chairman, the manager, they will be some rest. The one tiny thing was
:11:58. > :12:02.Andros Townsend, that has gone. It seems to be a steady ship. His
:12:03. > :12:08.lamellar again a perfect example of just allowing somebody a bit of time
:12:09. > :12:11.to get used to everything. I have to be honest it takes foreign players a
:12:12. > :12:17.bit of time to get used to the Premier League. When he came in and
:12:18. > :12:21.it was all, the transfer fee on his head, all of these expectations and
:12:22. > :12:25.he has given him time. He has put him in the team, took him out, put
:12:26. > :12:31.him back in and now he has got back in and does not want to come out. It
:12:32. > :12:35.has taken Mesut Ozil over a year, really and he is an established
:12:36. > :12:40.world-class player. And I think going back to the likes of lamellar,
:12:41. > :12:44.Spurs have bought into this, they can use 18 outfield players, they
:12:45. > :12:50.have been fortunate with injuries but they have also had an entire
:12:51. > :12:54.preseason with Pochettino. Apparently it is rate clear they are
:12:55. > :12:59.very fit, they are the team that covers the most ground in the
:13:00. > :13:01.Premier League. Ben Davies 's today in the Sunday Times talks about the
:13:02. > :13:05.intensity of their training sessions. If all of the players are
:13:06. > :13:08.praising the sessions and praising that intensity it cannot just be
:13:09. > :13:14.like that means they have not had injuries. There is science behind
:13:15. > :13:17.it. Of course and we are talking about Arsenal and Leicester but
:13:18. > :13:21.Tottenham are out there. People are not giving them enough credit, the
:13:22. > :13:24.way they are playing and mothers 's old they are getting. We talked
:13:25. > :13:28.about the squad, the training. Everything is geared up for them. I
:13:29. > :13:33.would be cautious of ruling them out. But would you put Spurs in the
:13:34. > :13:38.Leicester group then, as in, everything is going swimmingly, not
:13:39. > :13:43.party time, but you are not starting to think about it. You have to live
:13:44. > :13:47.Spurs into that Leicester group of all of a sudden, yes we could
:13:48. > :13:52.witness. I think Leicester are out on their own. It would not be as big
:13:53. > :13:59.a shock if Tom did it. But what I will say is Tottenham also have the
:14:00. > :14:03.distraction of the Europa cup. They now have that carrot. They could
:14:04. > :14:07.qualify. If you win this competition. I think they will stay
:14:08. > :14:12.in the top four anyway so they have a comfort blanket but I think they
:14:13. > :14:19.have a super opportunity. It is so open, fascinating. Spurs, we are
:14:20. > :14:24.saying how well they are doing but generally in terms of points this is
:14:25. > :14:29.pretty much where they are nearly every system. 48 points from 25
:14:30. > :14:35.games. One season at this stage they had 53 points, 11-12. They are
:14:36. > :14:38.generally around this mark. Now maybe they will feel pressure
:14:39. > :14:42.because they are being talked up as the team rather than City or
:14:43. > :14:46.Arsenal, which we will forward, Spurs being talked up as the team to
:14:47. > :14:50.be challenging rest. Would you expect a response from Manchester
:14:51. > :14:56.City today given last week? I think so. All of the pressure is on Man
:14:57. > :14:59.City today. If they have got expectations of winning this Premier
:15:00. > :15:05.League they have to go and win this game. They have got their problems.
:15:06. > :15:13.In the centre of defence whether company comes back, he is a factor.
:15:14. > :15:17.Managerial wise it is interesting, how Pellegrini will react. We have
:15:18. > :15:19.been talking in the press about how the players are reacting to the news
:15:20. > :15:30.that Guardiola is coming in. How does Pellegrini react? He says
:15:31. > :15:35.the right things, that he is going to go all-out to win every trophy.
:15:36. > :15:41.If you know that the job is ending in a finite amount of time, I cannot
:15:42. > :15:45.it doesn't affect you. All the rumours were going around about
:15:46. > :15:50.Steve McClaren coming in in January. And it was difficult. You say that
:15:51. > :15:55.you don't take notice of it, but players do have one eye on the new
:15:56. > :16:00.guy coming in. Did you discuss it with the players? Was it an unspoken
:16:01. > :16:04.subject in the dressing room? When I took over, I said, I'm in charge
:16:05. > :16:09.from now to the end of the season. This is how it is. If we do well, I
:16:10. > :16:15.have the chance of the job, if not, I don't. Don't worry about anything
:16:16. > :16:20.going out on the outside. We have to stay together and do the job that's
:16:21. > :16:25.in front of us. I think the players want Pellegrini. The way he has
:16:26. > :16:29.conducted himself, he has been very dignified. He's said to the boys,
:16:30. > :16:37.enough is enough. I'm going to say what's going on. It's looking stupid
:16:38. > :16:42.on me, I'm going to put this to bed. And I think the players owe him a
:16:43. > :16:47.performance between now and the end of the season. This will be the day
:16:48. > :16:51.that Leicester and Spurs get big doses of reality. Expecting big win
:16:52. > :17:02.for Arsenal and Manchester City. If you are watching us, there is a
:17:03. > :17:07.monitor just over there with Arsenal against Leicester on it, so I am
:17:08. > :17:14.being deliberately rude to everyone in the studio! A very enjoyable,
:17:15. > :17:20.wide open game. We have played just over half an hour. Giroud just had a
:17:21. > :17:24.very clever back header into the net, rightly ruled offside. Petr
:17:25. > :17:31.Cech has made the best save of the game. That was from a Jamie Vardy
:17:32. > :17:37.header. Wes Morgan has made two important defensive contributions to
:17:38. > :17:40.Leicester, intercepting a cross from Oxlade-Chamberlain and blocking a
:17:41. > :17:47.shot from Sanchez. I am here with the former Luton and Leicester boss,
:17:48. > :17:53.David Pleat. What do you make of it? Leicester has grown in confidence
:17:54. > :17:57.from the early minutes. Arsenal has grown in approach. Leicester are
:17:58. > :18:03.getting it forward quicker than Arsenal. Kante in midfield is
:18:04. > :18:07.absolutely fantastic. He has won challenges and spread the play. A
:18:08. > :18:14.fantastic game at the moment. Great stuff. 13 minutes remaining in the
:18:15. > :18:18.first half. Let's go to the deciding one-day international in South
:18:19. > :18:24.Africa. Not a great day so far for England's Atman. They were bowled
:18:25. > :18:31.out for 236 after 45 overs. Almost a Test match start from South Africa
:18:32. > :18:38.in reply. Broad and Topley seeking early wickets that England
:18:39. > :18:43.desperately need. A second one-day 104 Alex Hales, who played
:18:44. > :18:51.splendidly. He was ninth out. He got very little support. England rather
:18:52. > :19:01.frittered their wickets away in Mr siding match. South Africa are 14
:19:02. > :19:07.for no wicket in the fifth over. Lots of tweets from Newcastle fans.
:19:08. > :19:13.Dan says, I am embarrassed to be a Newcastle fan. No fight from the
:19:14. > :19:18.players. Ian, it is time for McLaren to admit defeat and walk away. We
:19:19. > :19:24.need someone who can motivate players and not excuse them. Another
:19:25. > :19:29.says, relegation is a certainty with McLaren in charge. He is clueless.
:19:30. > :19:34.Let's hear from the manager of Newcastle. You are going away to
:19:35. > :19:38.warm weather training. Some Newcastle fans wouldn't mind a bit
:19:39. > :19:44.of warm weather training, and they probably deserve it. They follow you
:19:45. > :19:48.through thick and thin, and they have had no reward today. It is a
:19:49. > :19:53.training camp. We have tried to arrange a game over here because in
:19:54. > :19:58.18 days, we need a game in between. We can only fix a game abroad. They
:19:59. > :20:03.were the only ones who could players, teams out of season, just
:20:04. > :20:12.playing pre-season for the second half. We tried to get a game here.
:20:13. > :20:15.But wherever it is, it is a camp. It's not warm weather training. It
:20:16. > :20:19.isn't a social. It is work. Who would like to explain the difference
:20:20. > :20:26.between warm weather training and a training camp in warm weather? It
:20:27. > :20:30.was too defensive. No one would blame 18th going and finding... They
:20:31. > :20:37.dead in the game until March the 2nd. Sunderland will be going away
:20:38. > :20:41.to Dubai. You cannot blame a team for going away when they have a
:20:42. > :20:47.chance to get some warm weather training. That is what it is. Why
:20:48. > :20:52.does he feel the need to defend it? Do you feel there is a difference,
:20:53. > :20:56.we will hear from Allardyce at the moment, but do you think there is a
:20:57. > :21:02.real difference between the two in body language? You might think body
:21:03. > :21:08.language is important. Allardyce seems continually bullish, and
:21:09. > :21:11.McLaren maybe doesn't. I think Sam is like that because he sees the
:21:12. > :21:17.team is progressing. Since he bought the three players in the window,
:21:18. > :21:24.they have made huge strides. A good performance against Liverpool and a
:21:25. > :21:29.win against City yesterday. But Steve spent 51 million in the
:21:30. > :21:34.summer, 29 million in the January window, so there is more pressure on
:21:35. > :21:38.him. Everybody is expecting Newcastle to get out of this
:21:39. > :21:45.trouble. After the performance yesterday, we are in trouble. I
:21:46. > :21:49.genuinely think it is an element of personal character. No matter what
:21:50. > :21:55.happens at Sunderland this season, Sam does not believe he has anything
:21:56. > :21:59.to prove. But Steve does. He is very sensitive to the perception out
:22:00. > :22:04.there that he hasn't been a success, he hasn't been as good as he could
:22:05. > :22:10.have been. He has had limited success club wise, but he will think
:22:11. > :22:15.that his England managerial career didn't end in the way he wanted it
:22:16. > :22:20.to. He is under pressure again. He feels he has a lot to prove himself.
:22:21. > :22:25.He has a lot to prove after Newcastle spent all this money. The
:22:26. > :22:31.pressure is always there in that job. I have played under both
:22:32. > :22:35.managers, and Sam in that situation as Sunderland... I looked at
:22:36. > :22:39.Sunderland's performances and fixtures, and everything in my body
:22:40. > :22:44.said that Sunderland would be relegated. But another part of me
:22:45. > :22:49.said, Sam doesn't get relegated. When he took that job, I said they
:22:50. > :22:54.will not get relegated. And I still believe they won't. With his man
:22:55. > :23:03.managerial skills, he gets the best out of people. If he has the right
:23:04. > :23:09.type of foot ball, he will play the right type of football. They did
:23:10. > :23:14.well at the start of the season. If you asked Sam what he was doing with
:23:15. > :23:19.a training camp, he would not be so defensive. He might say, we are
:23:20. > :23:25.going to a warm weather training camp, and we might go out and have a
:23:26. > :23:28.beer together! The amount of times you arrange things like this, and
:23:29. > :23:32.you have a bad defeat on the Saturday and you have to fly off.
:23:33. > :23:37.Because they have bought in three or four players in the window, it is a
:23:38. > :23:42.great opportunity to get together. There were 11 individuals on that
:23:43. > :23:46.pitch yesterday. So this might be a great time to look at the video,
:23:47. > :23:50.spend time together and find out about personalities. If they are
:23:51. > :23:55.going to perform like they did yesterday, they are in trouble.
:23:56. > :24:01.You've got to get 40 points. You've got 24 at the moment. We've got to
:24:02. > :24:08.win five games and get a draw. We've only won six all season. In terms of
:24:09. > :24:14.points per game, that would be relegation form. It is easy to say,
:24:15. > :24:18.we are going for warm weather and we may even go for a beer, if you have
:24:19. > :24:28.just beaten Manchester City rather than... But back to Newcastle, they
:24:29. > :24:32.don't have a leader. They were 3-0 down after 15 minutes yesterday.
:24:33. > :24:37.There is nobody saying, let's sit tight and go more direct for ten
:24:38. > :24:42.minutes. Let's get our shape. They are still trying to play out and
:24:43. > :24:47.back when they are 3-0 down. There's too much division in the team. His
:24:48. > :24:55.Coloccini and leader? Not really. He is the captain of the foot wall
:24:56. > :25:00.team, but he is not like the old-fashioned captain, like Shearer
:25:01. > :25:06.away. Coloccini is not vocal. He plays for himself, if I'm honest.
:25:07. > :25:11.It's something the club will have to address. In times like now, when we
:25:12. > :25:16.are in trouble, we need some leaders. There's not many leaders at
:25:17. > :25:23.any football club. The leaders are a dying breed. Trying to find them is
:25:24. > :25:28.not easy. Still goalless at the Emirates, but better news for
:25:29. > :25:36.England's cricketers. Reece Topley is on a hat-trick. He has dismissed
:25:37. > :25:41.Quentin De Kock and du Plessis. Quentin De Kock was originally given
:25:42. > :25:46.not out, but it was reviewed. It was an inside edge on the fire pad. Good
:25:47. > :25:54.use of the review from England. Three have been overturned today.
:25:55. > :25:58.The umpiring has been poor. Let's move on to Sam Allardyce, and hear
:25:59. > :26:05.from him after their win over Manchester United. I've showed a
:26:06. > :26:11.commitments, a desire and a will to try to get ourselves out of the
:26:12. > :26:15.problems we are in. My constant need for the correct decision-making
:26:16. > :26:20.processes on the field, it is always me, are you doing the right things
:26:21. > :26:24.in the right areas? Keep to the basics, sought out that right, and
:26:25. > :26:29.you have enough ability to get on the end of it, and then it is up to
:26:30. > :26:35.you to take the advantage and go on to win. And gladly, we have done
:26:36. > :26:40.today. When you are playing under him, is that what he reinforces all
:26:41. > :26:44.the time, basic decision-making? He wants you to do the right thing and
:26:45. > :26:50.stick to a game plan. He is very clear on what he wants and expects,
:26:51. > :26:55.and if you don't give him that, he's not... The players either love him
:26:56. > :26:59.or hate him. If he doesn't like you, he will make life uncomfortable for
:27:00. > :27:06.you. But if you buy into what he does and give him everything, he is
:27:07. > :27:11.great to play for. Are those messages easy to understand? Before
:27:12. > :27:14.the game against Man U yesterday, he spoke in a press Conference about
:27:15. > :27:20.how it was hard to get that message across to some of the players. And
:27:21. > :27:26.that is a site that has some experience. O Shea, Brown,
:27:27. > :27:33.Cattermole. They are not kids. He has had to bring players in the
:27:34. > :27:36.transfer window. Newcastle bought very attacking, he bought very
:27:37. > :27:41.defensively. The players did a really good job for him. He is
:27:42. > :27:45.talking about the formation, the structure and dynamics of the team,
:27:46. > :27:52.the system he wants to play, rather than the message. When you watch
:27:53. > :27:56.them, it is the back four, one in front... It is so simple. You are
:27:57. > :28:02.saying they have all bought into what he wants them to do. He has now
:28:03. > :28:08.found a formula. He looks like he has a settled side. The one thing he
:28:09. > :28:12.has got, and he has said on a number of occasions, clean sheet. Got to
:28:13. > :28:17.keep clean sheets, stay in the game. He has kept a few clean sheets, but
:28:18. > :28:23.he has signed a player who can deliver the ball into the box, so
:28:24. > :28:28.they can score goals from set plays. That's why they have a huge chance
:28:29. > :28:32.now. Do you think there is a sphere in modern management about keeping
:28:33. > :28:40.things simple? Is there a fear about how we will talk about it, how the
:28:41. > :28:44.fans will talk about it? Not all footballers are simple people, but
:28:45. > :28:48.we want the basics. Working with Alan Shearer, we were on the
:28:49. > :28:52.training ground, and I was explaining something to him about
:28:53. > :28:59.making this run. I was explaining it to Alan! And he said, can you show
:29:00. > :29:03.me what you mean. And I did. He is a top England international football,
:29:04. > :29:09.and he still needed showing. You have to go to basics, narrow
:29:10. > :29:14.everything down, and be particular, but don't overcomplicate it. We will
:29:15. > :29:22.come back to that. Let's go to the Emirates. Arsenal fans always worry
:29:23. > :29:27.when Atkinson referees. Rihad Mahrez has missed his last two penalties.
:29:28. > :29:34.The duties are handed to Jamie Vardy. He stands on the edge of the
:29:35. > :29:39.penalty area. Drives it in! Cech goes the wrong way, and Leicester
:29:40. > :29:42.are at it again. This time at the Emirates Stadium, just before
:29:43. > :29:49.half-time. They lead before a girl -- they lead by a goal to kneel.
:29:50. > :29:53.Another big step towards the most unlikely title win.
:29:54. > :30:06.The goodness me he thumped that. You don't save them. Did you see the
:30:07. > :30:14.incident? Three referees. Can we go back to David Craig? Did you see the
:30:15. > :30:17.incident? That's back David Pleat. Certain penalty, clumsy challenge.
:30:18. > :30:24.Jamie Vardy was clever, but just prior to that Kante had made a run
:30:25. > :30:29.and got upended and there was a booking for the Arsenal player.
:30:30. > :30:34.Martin Atkinson played on. You mentioned him, Mr Chapman, he has
:30:35. > :30:43.refereed Arsenal, I was looking, 12 times, five wins, five losses, two
:30:44. > :30:47.draws. I was not casting aspersions, all I am doing is reflecting on some
:30:48. > :30:53.fans were saying. Of course, Martin. Sorry... I will leave you alone
:30:54. > :30:59.David. Massenet tinctures see how both sides respond. It is an amazing
:31:00. > :31:08.end to the first half. You could not score as a better time. Everybody
:31:09. > :31:11.changes in the team talk. The game is set up. I have watched bits and
:31:12. > :31:17.pieces and I'm not surprised the way the game has developed. When you
:31:18. > :31:23.have got a player like Jamie Vardy who likes to get across people. He
:31:24. > :31:28.is always honourable. He is unbelievably confident at the moment
:31:29. > :31:33.having had the season he has had. David mentioned maybe he induced
:31:34. > :31:38.challenge but that is what he is doing. The way he dispatched the
:31:39. > :31:46.penalty, the confidence is sky high. Against the poll, only a player and
:31:47. > :31:50.his utmost confidence can do that. Against Aston Villa he did not get
:31:51. > :31:54.enough credit for that attempt that was kept out when Okazaki scored the
:31:55. > :31:57.rebound, it was an unbelievable attempt from a player who basically
:31:58. > :32:02.seems to be getting more confidence and getting better when a player you
:32:03. > :32:08.do not normally associate someone. You are right that he injured the
:32:09. > :32:12.challenge, Monreal put his foot there. Strikers do that, clever
:32:13. > :32:15.strikers do that. And with goalkeepers, when they come out nine
:32:16. > :32:18.times out of ten the striker could quite happily jump over the
:32:19. > :32:23.goalkeeper but they leave their leg in and they go. Aaron Ramsey has
:32:24. > :32:27.just been booked as well and they are off their feet at the Emirates.
:32:28. > :32:32.Everything could do with being calms down. They need half-time. They
:32:33. > :32:39.cannot afford to go down to ten men. They need to get in there and
:32:40. > :32:43.regroup. He had some words there, Jamie Vardy, after taking the
:32:44. > :32:50.penalty, I think with Monreal. He has that streak in him. When he said
:32:51. > :32:55.the signal to the City fans last week and you thought, he is a
:32:56. > :33:01.confident boy, verging on the cocky. The half-time whistle has gone.
:33:02. > :33:12.Bullying from the Arsenal fans at half-time. Half -- booing from the
:33:13. > :33:16.fans hardly at the referee and partly the team. It will be
:33:17. > :33:27.fascinating to analyse this the night, they think they should have
:33:28. > :33:31.had a penalty for a challenge on Mesut Ozil. Martin Atkinson then
:33:32. > :33:38.paid an excellent advantage, as David Pleat said, definite penalty.
:33:39. > :33:42.Jamie Vardy induced the challenge, but big contact and Vardy stuck the
:33:43. > :33:50.penalty away briefly. Martin Atkinson the last man to leave the
:33:51. > :33:55.field gets roundly booing but at the moment Arsenal on their way to a
:33:56. > :34:01.famous away win. Big second-half to come. Plenty of updates throughout
:34:02. > :34:08.the afternoon. Let's go back to the Stadium Of Light, Sam Allardyce and
:34:09. > :34:11.the positive effect on his side. Louis van Gaal now admits that
:34:12. > :34:18.Champions League is starting to look out of reach. We had to win this
:34:19. > :34:22.match because we had to be in the race for the top four positions in
:34:23. > :34:32.the league. Then you have two when this kind of match. But I think we
:34:33. > :34:35.can only blame ourselves. You mentioned top four, of course that
:34:36. > :34:39.is still the target but how difficult will that be? Very
:34:40. > :34:44.difficult. I have said that to the players because you cannot close
:34:45. > :34:49.your eyes. Last week using the title was within reach and now the top
:34:50. > :34:55.four is not. Is that the effect on going? I cannot see, I think that is
:34:56. > :34:58.generally what he believes now. Can wonder understand the way he has
:34:59. > :35:02.handled himself. He is an experienced manager, he has been
:35:03. > :35:07.there and won everything but he seems to have such thin skin. Alex
:35:08. > :35:12.Ferguson dominated that pressroom at Old Trafford and every time the
:35:13. > :35:19.press poking with a stick now he gives them something every time. Are
:35:20. > :35:23.you poking him? What has been poking him with the stick has been there
:35:24. > :35:31.for man's style of play. It is not the questions, which we have to ask
:35:32. > :35:35.him. This is Manchester United. But he gives great answers. The lowest
:35:36. > :35:40.amount of points at this stage of the season, the lowest amount of
:35:41. > :35:42.goals, since the Premier League started of course. These are
:35:43. > :35:48.legitimate questions. More importantly the way they play.
:35:49. > :35:53.Yesterday, van Gaal himself said there was very little aggression.
:35:54. > :35:58.Wayne Rooney said the same thing. When you are saying that the basic
:35:59. > :36:03.things such as not enough aggression you have to ask questions of van
:36:04. > :36:08.Gaal. It is very similar to man City with the so-called manager in the
:36:09. > :36:13.wings, it is a difficult situation. I am a bit surprised Man Utd as a
:36:14. > :36:18.football club have not tried to help the manager by coming out and making
:36:19. > :36:22.a statement. I am very surprised. It would help van Gaal because in the
:36:23. > :36:29.press Conference all they are talking about is Jose Mourinho ready
:36:30. > :36:32.to come in. Is it a Chelsea situation where the players are
:36:33. > :36:37.starting to down tools and wait for the next manager because the
:36:38. > :36:44.performances are deteriorating? So do you think the chief executive is
:36:45. > :36:49.canvassing the mood of walls. People before making a decision? That might
:36:50. > :36:54.move of all sorts of people? Two he can make the decision on his own.
:36:55. > :36:57.Probably with the consent of the Glazer family and a couple of
:36:58. > :37:03.important board members but in essence Ed Woodward will have the
:37:04. > :37:07.final say on who is the next manager or whether Louis van Gaal stays.
:37:08. > :37:16.From that point of view what John says I agree with, van Gaal's excuse
:37:17. > :37:19.as to why Manchester United are in silence over the claims Mourinho is
:37:20. > :37:22.in market is because he says, why comment on stories they don't
:37:23. > :37:27.believe. If they don't believe then say they are just wrong. Come out
:37:28. > :37:31.and say that the least they can do is say van Gaal will be there until
:37:32. > :37:36.the end of the season. I do think it will just become, it will be poking
:37:37. > :37:40.him at every single press Conference. There might be a time,
:37:41. > :37:45.he himself has admitted, the story has been confirmed that he offered
:37:46. > :37:50.to go before Christmas. We know there is uncertainty. You can answer
:37:51. > :37:54.this as well, a West Ham fan said to me, why did we get criticised last
:37:55. > :37:57.year for moaning about the style of play under Sam Allardyce as if we
:37:58. > :38:05.are in the wrong and yet Manchester United fans then van Gaal either
:38:06. > :38:08.one. The 's answer you are expecting is that Big Sam has a great
:38:09. > :38:13.relationship with the media. It is an interesting point, actually. I
:38:14. > :38:17.think because the job that needed to be done at West Ham was keep them in
:38:18. > :38:21.the Premier League. That is not the job at Manchester United. They need
:38:22. > :38:25.to be winning. The difference in expectation, the different
:38:26. > :38:31.parameters. That is sort of the answer... And I expect lots of fans
:38:32. > :38:35.to be contacting you on your timeline over the next couple of
:38:36. > :38:40.hours. Back to the cricket: another wicked. Rilee Rossouw has been
:38:41. > :38:43.caught at extra cover by Alex Hales driving Reece Topley, who has all
:38:44. > :38:48.three wickets. That brings AB de Villiers to the crease here in Cape
:38:49. > :38:53.Town in his 200th match. They need captains innings, they are in
:38:54. > :38:59.trouble at the moment chasing 237, in the ninth over, they are 22-3.
:39:00. > :39:03.Let's talk about South London, sixth plays, they have won five of the
:39:04. > :39:07.last six or they have not conceded in the Premier League for nine hours
:39:08. > :39:11.and 14 minutes. A couple of weeks ago we talked about their switch to
:39:12. > :39:14.a back three which had been successful and the other big success
:39:15. > :39:20.was they have got Fraser Forster back. He has been immense, six clean
:39:21. > :39:25.sheets. I signed him when Graeme Souness came into the football club.
:39:26. > :39:30.I was Academy director. We were playing a youth cup match and they
:39:31. > :39:35.did not have a reserve goalkeeper so I asked the scale of the someone as
:39:36. > :39:42.cover. Jimmy Blackall went out to the grammar school, it was a rugby
:39:43. > :39:46.school, not a football school, we signed him from a grammar school,
:39:47. > :39:50.private school, that played rugby as cover in our youth cup. The rest is
:39:51. > :39:55.history. When he came through the door he could not catch the ball,
:39:56. > :39:59.his position was all over the place but he developed into one the best
:40:00. > :40:06.goalkeepers the country and I think there with Joe Hart and Jack
:40:07. > :40:13.Butland. He has gone from rags to riches. And it was not 14, 15, he
:40:14. > :40:17.was 17 or 18, he was a late developer. He was given an
:40:18. > :40:22.opportunity and he has been a huge factor in their success. It is no
:40:23. > :40:26.cause them is that the results have started to pick up, six on the
:40:27. > :40:32.bounce clean sheets. They use a great goalkeeper. Physically huge.
:40:33. > :40:37.These huge. He is agile, his shot stopping, communication improving as
:40:38. > :40:42.he is getting older. His domination of the box. He instils confidence in
:40:43. > :40:47.the defence. From goalkeepers now, do they often tend to be, our club
:40:48. > :40:55.is looking more for good footballers who can go in goal, if you see what
:40:56. > :41:00.I mean. Or is there still places for actual good goalkeepers first and
:41:01. > :41:06.foremost? Goalkeeper's job is to keep the ball out. It does not
:41:07. > :41:10.matter. Now 80% of the game is with your feet, you do not see many
:41:11. > :41:14.goalkeepers these days catching shots, you have to keep the ball
:41:15. > :41:18.out, you have to be good with your feet. The modern-day goalkeeper is
:41:19. > :41:22.an all-round goalkeeper. But the confidence Fraser Forster instils in
:41:23. > :41:30.the defence is incredible. It is almost tangible. At Old Trafford, it
:41:31. > :41:34.was amazing, there was no hint of mistrust from his defenders, he
:41:35. > :41:40.dominated the penalty area. Talking about the new style of goalkeeping.
:41:41. > :41:48.How much emphasis you put on distribution. Someone who dominates
:41:49. > :41:51.that the area, the six yard box, extending out to ten or 12 years,
:41:52. > :41:55.somebody who dominates their is quite rare but he does it. When your
:41:56. > :42:03.scout came back with a goalkeeper who could not catch, do you wonder?
:42:04. > :42:08.I was quite happy we had someone. When he came into the football club,
:42:09. > :42:12.he has such a great society, very intelligent boy, wonderful families,
:42:13. > :42:17.we knew he would pick things up quickly. He did a lot of work with
:42:18. > :42:20.the coach. We have seen him progress quickly. It is great to see because
:42:21. > :42:24.he had this quickly. It is great to see because
:42:25. > :42:30.when you suffer an injury likely did you can come back not as agile, not
:42:31. > :42:35.as fit. But he is even the. Pushing for a chance now with the Euros.
:42:36. > :42:41.Watford in a further bid to Gretel Palace, how worried well Alan Pardew
:42:42. > :42:44.be? He will be concerned. The one thing about him is every single day
:42:45. > :42:50.he'll be looking for the solution. What I will say is my will make an
:42:51. > :42:56.excuse, it is also coinciding with losing Yannick Bolasie, his most
:42:57. > :43:02.creative player. Goals, assists and energy. He has not got a main
:43:03. > :43:06.striker, he brought in Adebayor. But he has had a lot of injuries. He has
:43:07. > :43:12.not talked about it, I am talking about it because people will save he
:43:13. > :43:14.is using excuses. But looking for a solution, thinking tried to change
:43:15. > :43:18.the shape yesterday solution, thinking tried to change
:43:19. > :43:24.searching for that solution. He will find it because he is so thorough.
:43:25. > :43:28.Like Watford this year, people are not talking enough about the manager
:43:29. > :43:32.there, turnover of players, the squad he has put together. As you
:43:33. > :43:36.say they have crept up into eighth place. They have not been given half
:43:37. > :43:41.the credit they deserve. In the same way Ben Davies said we are more than
:43:42. > :43:46.Harry Kane and Dele Alli, they are more than Troy Deeney and Ighalo.
:43:47. > :43:54.Absolutely, the only issue would be people in Spain will come calling
:43:55. > :43:57.for the manager. Thank you very much, two at Tenby on the night.
:43:58. > :43:58.Updates from Arsenal against Leicester throughout the afternoon.
:43:59. > :44:03.Goodbye. POUNDING BEAT,
:44:04. > :44:05.CHATTER Get ready, because BBC Radio 6 Music
:44:06. > :44:09.Festival is heading to Bristol. We've got a mind-blowing
:44:10. > :44:14.mix of bands playing.