17/08/2014 MOTD2 Extra

Good afternoon the Premier League is back and so is Match of the Day Two

Extra. And we are joined by Philip Neville and Matt lawton. We are on

BBC1 on five live and on the BBC sport web-site and there is plenty

to discuss on this opening weekend. Including of course Louis van Gaal's

defeat as Manchester United manager in his first match with Swansea. We

have reaction to Palace coming so close to getting a point at Arsenal.

That is Spurs' late win under Mauricio Pochettino. Manuel

Pellegrini begins his defence of the title against Newcastle and

Liverpool play Southampton. The events at Old Trafford dominate the

back pages today. The Telegraph is saying, false start, our confidence

is smashed says van Gaal. The Sunday Mirror say show me the money. The

Sup says Manchester United confidence is smashed to pieces. The

Mail say stashed up, but -- smashed up, but their main picture is of

David Moyes. They have interviewed him. We want you to get involved. If

you're surfing Twitter you can find a picture of Swansea celebrating

their win at Old Trafford and Chelsea players getting ready for

the game. Whatever takes your fancy. First the game at Old Trafford.

First we will hear from Louis van Gaal. What is your verdict on

today's game? Verdict? I don't think that I have to speak about the

verdict. It is very disappointing that we have lost our first home

match, because we don't reach the level we can bring. I think we were

very nervous. In the first half. But in the second half, we never played

as a team. And therefore I am responsible, because you have to

play in the structure and they didn't do that so much. You cannot

bring it in your first home match, that is also disappointing for the

fans. That's a pity. Philip Neville, did anything about Manchester

United's performance surprise you yesterday? No, this was a team and a

set of players that finished seventh. You don't just go from that

to a Championship performance. They were without experienced players.

And I think yesterday was only confirmation that Manchester United

needs to invest and invest heavily. Did anything surprise you Steve? No,

the optimism was based on bringing in a successful manager. But the

team is the same team that finished seventh last year and there hasn't

by any concrete changes. I heard John Murray read a text from a

listener who said all that United have done is put lipstick on a pig!

If Ashley Young at left-back is lipstick on a pig, I guess it is. I

think it was difficult, you could see him struggling, the sort of

started 3-5-2 and then went to a back four. I don't think Paul

Scholes' comments after the game would have helped him. But Scholes

was right their success has been based on 4-4-2. It is the exciting

style they like to play and as Scholes said, slow, boring. Slow,

boring. If you look at all the back pages, you know it is all about van

Gaal slamming some of the United players for a lack of confidence,

wanting money. If in the first game of last season, David Moyes had put

Ashley Young at left-back, do you think the headlines would be backing

the manager in the same way? I don't think. Putting Ashley Young at

left-back, you're breaking the tradition of the club. He is looking

at the squad and probably 3-5-2 is the best way. But it didn't work

yesterday. Why is 3-5-2 the best way? The best players are your

centre forwards with Rooney, van Persie and Mata. To get them in the

same team it means you have got to play with 3-5-2 with wingers as your

full-backs. He has had a look at the squad in pre-season and they had a

fantastic pre-season, yesterday was a wake up call. There is still a lot

to do. Do you think because there has been so much coverage of how

United were going to play, do you think that was a bonus for Swansea,

who could, who had as much of a pre-season as they wanted to to work

on, knowing that United would play a certain way. Because it has been

signposted so much? Phil's probably more qualified to tell us if it

helps managers knowing the way a team is going to play. I watched

Scolari win a World Cup when everyone knew how he was playing and

he let everybody in the training sessions each day. I think they

played badly and while I have highlighted tactical changes and

Ashley Young at left-back, there is a dearth of quality. It underlines

the difficult job that fifl was involved in trying to do last

season. There has been a decline in standards at that club -- fifl was

involved in trying to do last season. There has been a decline in

players. There are good players at the club. How many? There is a lot.

There is a nervousness. Particularly playing at Old Trafford, when teams

come, they fancy winning. That has never been known. I think what we

found out last year is that it has to be major investment and not just

players, run of the mill players, but world class, two, three, maybe

four world class players. There are Are the quality players

underperforming. Van Gaal was saying they won't playing with their

brains. Why are experienced players who have won a lot of trophies

making wrong decision at crucial times? I think when van Gaal goes

into a club, it does take two or three months to get used to his

philosophy. Playing 3-5-2 is a change. A lot of players have won

league Championship medals. But it will take time and the next two

weeks are a massive, massive era for the club. We will talk more about

Manchester United and Swansea today. The first game of this Sunday is at

Anfield, Liverpool against Southampton. Steve Borrow is

commentating on this. I would imagine there is real excitement

arounden field -- around Anfield. Yes Luis Suarez is gone, but there

are exciting players who have come in? You're right. I have been

talking to a few of the fans and the supporters love nothing more Nan a

new signing. Liverpool have had more signings than anyone can probably

remember in recent history. Yes, the biggest player has left. That is one

of fascinating conundrums of the season, how Liverpool cope, Brendan

Rodgers said they scored without Luis Suarez. But how will the

psychological effect be different. When you talk to defenders when Luis

Suarez was on the pitch, there was a difference. How will they line up

and the new faces fit in. Lovren is probably I think the most important

signing that they have made. He was the play hear the they were crying

out for in the last few games of the season, where they conceded goals at

Crystal Palace. A leader, Brendan Rodgers says he feels he has

replaced Jamie Carragher. So I think he is the most important

acquisition, but we know what they were capable of and they conceded

more goals than Chelsea and Manchester City and Lovren will help

them. There is a sprinkler right behind him. I can't be the only one

thinking I hope it hits him! As far as Southampton are concerned, in

some ways the pressure is off them today. It is unknown territory. I

will split the fee if it does come off. Ronald cue mavrn could have --

Koeman could have up to five new faces, including Shane Long. No one

expects them to get anything today. The difference last season I -- is

every manager knew Southampton would give you a game. They have lost five

players and it will be interesting to see if they can get the new

players to hit the ground running. It is a big ask and a big task to

follow from eighth last season. But today they can play with freedom as

long as they don't concede early. No one expects them to get anything.

Even around Anfield expects Liverpool to get off to a winning

start. Annoyingly they turned the sprinkler off just before the

interview. He left us quickly at the end. Steve, Southampton, you have

seen them pre-season, you were impremssed with what you saw. Yes, I

saw them at Brighton and I was impremgssed with Tadic. -- impressed

with Tadic. He was the best player in the Dutch league. Pelle has added

to that. Shane Long, whether you think it is worth ?12 million. He is

a difficult player to play against. You ask any defender. They have now

got I think a better goalkeeper. I have not seen a lot of Fraser

Forster, I think he was better than Boruc. And they had unity in the

game with Brighton. It was almost as if they had been through the debris

of June and were left with a smallish group of players, who were

going, there is only us left, let's bond together and they played well.

I'm worried about Southampton. I saw it a bit with Liverpool, not

Liverpool, Tottenham when they brought in so many players and it is

very difficult to integrate a lot of players in a short space of time.

They were my team of the season, they played some fantastic football.

I know they have lost five players, it could be six if Schneiderlin

goes. How they integrate the players quickly will be the key to this

season. Who do you think the biggest loss is? You know, probably Lallana.

I think he is an outstanding player. It is a shame he is injured now. But

yeah, so exciting and just kind of a player that represented what their

ambition and their flair. The reason I ask is Will said if Liverpool want

to finish top four, they need to get a higher rank of striker than

Lambert. We should suggest he is not too concerned about Southampton

losing Lambertment do you think Liverpool still need another

striker? Yes, Luis Suarez got 31 goals. Him and Sturridge up front

got 52 goals. Sturridge does get injured, he is still young. They

have Champions League and I think they need a world class players.

They have brought in eight good players, and they need strength

in-depth. I still think they need a top striker. Fall cow, somebody of

that ilk. Jamie Carragher said it is a difficult player to identify.

Because Sturridge deserves to be the main striker, the players he has

bout, he will play with one striker. I take Phil's point, Falcao you

would bite their hapds off, but what does that Plean for -- mean for

Sturridge and he would have to change the way he sets the team up.

I almost think it is, Eto'o was mentioned, different players, a good

striker, better than Lambert, but not someone that is necessarily

going to displace Sturridge. I think he would work that out. Sturridge,

the kind of guy he was in Sturridge's mind he was the main man

laster season. Sturridge was not happy if he wasn't playing as the

focal point of the attack. But Rodgers made it work by using

sterling in various positions. So... They could get in Falcao and play

them both. Are you saying some strikers would replace Luis Suarez

from a goal view, but actually it is harder to replace him from a subtle

of position view? Yes it is the stature of having someone up there

who is world class. Lambert is a good signing. Sturridge can't play

all the games with the Champions League. Lambert has been signed for

the Stoke away, the Southamptons away. When you're playing teams

outside the top four and he has the experience to handle that. But in

the big Champions League games you need people that defenders think I

will have a tough night tonight. Let's move onto someone else you

have been speaking to, Jamie carried one one-day, David Moyes in another.

This 3-page article in the on Sunday, he looks up lot better than

he did when he left United. Does he seem so? He does, and I told him so.

He looked grey, didn't he? We all did? I can remember Kevin Keegan,

his head turning grey very quickly and his complexion changed and I

thought watching David Moyes last season was like that -- his hair. He

bounced out of his car, he has been keeping fit over the summer. Does he

admit that he made mistakes question does he feel he made mistakes? I'm

not sure he necessarily things he made mistakes but he would admit he

would approach the job in a different way, in hindsight, but it

is easy to say in hindsight. I think he felt, and again, I keep going

back to fill, but we are sitting here with his assistant, I think

they have all been, since April, they have picked over it and

disgusted and have been trying to they have picked over it and

disgusted and have been trying work out what they might have done

differently and where it went wrong -- discussed it. He didn't really

want to elaborate, I don't think he saw a great deal of value in it,

because it is gone. The big thing for him was he did not feel he had

enough time to succeed or fail, that was his line. People may agree or

disagree with that, but the other thing was the nature of his

departure, that was the thing that really hurt him. Is the nature of

the club and the structure of the club a problem, as much as who is

managing? I think when David Moyes got the job, it was a massive thing

not having David microbial. Having someone like him -- David Gill, it

would have been helpful. The first transfer window was a let down and

we needed to bring in new players, the manager now needs to bring in

new players, so they have not got over that. It was the way it

happened. The last day in the job it was my darkest day in football, the

way it was handled, that has been accepted by both parties, and when

you sign for Manchester United, you think you will get time, because it

is a club that has always encouraged longevity and that is the one thing

David Moyes has always said. Would you suggest transfer windows in

general for Manchester United have been bad over the last ten years,

rather than good? If you look at the start, the last Manchester United

central midfielder to scored ten goals or more in a season was Paul

Scholes in 2003. Frank Lampard hit double figures in consecutive

seasons between 2003 and 2013. I don't think he would say they have

had bad windows for ten years. My worry is that this summer's transfer

window is looking very much like last summer's. Chelsea have done

their business early, Arsenal have done it early, Liverpool have done

it early, in the middle and are still doing it. Manchester United

have done very little and I am not sure that Luke Shaw or her rarer

were on the list that Van Gaal would have handed over Van Gaal before the

World Cup -- Herrera. I think this is in the Independent on Sunday

today, Manchester United has been a cash cow for the Glazer family for a

long time and they have milked it and it is time they gave something

back, and they are in urgent need of spending some money. The thing that

amazes me is they are securing all of these big sponsorship deals, the

most recent one with Adidas, they are paying an awful lot of money,

near ?1 billion, you would think they would be sitting there

thinking, any chance of actually addressing this so we sponsoring a

team that is... ? So I see some pressure really starting to come on

people. If the scouting system strong enough, the recruiting

process? The structures are all in place. I think when you have a

manager like Sir Alex Ferguson, he was so dominant, he identified the

players and he went and got them. If you look at his reign, every two,

three or four seasons, he would spend a lot of money, even going

back to Mike Phelan, Neil Webb, Gary Pallister, Paul Ince, when he

rebuilt his team, he always bought four or five players and United are

at that stage where they need that Ahmad to galvanise the team. But

could you not by some at ?8 million or ?10 million which or do you

always have to spend ?40 million players? United has spent ?100

million in the last two transfer windows. I think they need to spend

50 or ?60 million on one individual players. They used to be ?30 million

players, the ?8 million players are now ?20 million players, it is the

way the market has gone. I think it is time to rebuild. A couple of

years ago, we bought Robin van Persie, he won Man United the

league, now it is two or three more players. And do you think

yesterday's result, losing at home to Swansea, does it make a tangible

difference to how difficult it is for United to move in the next

couple of weeks, do target become more expensive because clubs who

might sell realised that United's need is getting greater by the day?

Is it harder to convince them to come? I don't think it is harder to

convince them, you have a ?1 billion sponsorship deal, people know there

is a pot of gold waiting to be spent, but in the next two weeks, we

have to go and do it. I want to ask what David Moyes' future is, if you

say, we can buy any player in the world, people will put their prices

up. Where does David Moyes go next, do you think? I think he goes

abroad. I don't think there are too many opportunities in England that

would necessarily interest him. I think there was definite interest

from Crystal Palace, but I don't think he is ready, with the greatest

respect to Crystal Palace, I don't think he is ready to drop from

Manchester United to Crystal Palace just yet. And so I think he goes

abroad. We will talk Crystal Palace in a moment. We have a tweet saying

Luis Suarez, Liverpool can't cope without him and with all of these

signings, they will be a Tottenham all over again. Let's get the team

news from Anfield. As expected, Liverpool start with

only one of their three summer signings from Southampton, Dejan

Lovren is in to bolster a defence that conceded 50 goals last season

and without Luis Suarez, that is an area that must improve if Liverpool

are to challenge again. Manquillo starts, on loan from Atletico

Madrid, Luke in midfield and Lambert is on the bench. Sam Adelaide

Southampton have debuts for Fraser Forster, Shane Long is on the

bench, while Morgan Schneiderlin, who has now apparently accepted he

has to stay at Southampton, is in the team. Thank you very much for

that. In the cricket, by the way, India are 6-0 in their second

innings, trailing England by 332 runs, it is on Radio 5Live sports

extra. Let's go to one of the other big talking points of the opening

weekend, Crystal Palace, not necessarily their defeat at the

Emirates, but who is going to be their new manager. After the match,

co-chairman Steve Parish spoke to Gary Lineker.

Why do you think he was so frustrated, to have to move on? I

don't know. For me, it is very important that we have good

communication and I think the communication was difficult, so it

is difficult for me to tell you. There are lots of things in the

press about transfer problems, we never had a problem, I never tried

to impose a player on any manager. We were given targets and before

that we were given, the sporting director and I got two and we were

given another list recently that unfortunately we were told the

players were not available from the clubs. There was never any friction,

the stories about me wanting certain players and Tony not wanting them is

not the case. My job is to get the done when the manager has decided

what they want to do. From what Tony achieved last season, we have every

faith in him picking the right players. None of that has been a

problem, but he seemed to get increasingly frustrated through the

summer and whatever it was, you have to ask him. For me, it is about

looking forward. We have achieved so much over the four years, it is

another important week for me, where I have to do my job and make the

right decision about the future of the football club. I am always

looking for a manager who will work with me over a long period of time

but they have to buy into the things we want to do at the football club

and the other investments we have to make. The club has been

underinvested for 20 years, so we cannot wave a magic one. We have

things in the pipeline, a new training ground, extending the

stadium, but the money has to be spread around. Having said that, we

agreed a big transfer budget, so it is a good opportunity for somebody

to come in and help rebuild the club and make it even bigger.

The full eight and a half minutes of that interview is on the BBC sport

website, and he said in the interview we would have just the two

Tony Pulis. -- have two Aske. His people have denied a claim made in

the interview that he may have been seeking work elsewhere and in fact

went to seek an extension to his contract at the end of the season

and were continuing right through to this week. The suggestion he had

other things lined up is "utterly ridiculous". If you know Tony, and

have Tony works, Steve, one of the things he looks at is long-term

planning and building a club up, so they have the right facilities, the

right training, the right ground, even to the extent of the size of

the physio room so there are not too many players who think they can get

treatment because they have an eagle here or there. It is about the

long-term and if he did not think he had the long-term backing...? I had

a couple of breakfasts with Tony in Brazil in the World Cup and he was

talking about how much he enjoyed the season, he had a great time. He

possibly took a bit of persuading to take the job in the first place but

he really enjoyed it. Things had gone fantastically well for him. He

had been recognised by everybody as to what a great job he had done,

Manager Of The Year and everything, but he was talking about the

infrastructure of the club and saying it was a championship club in

the Premier League and it needed to change. It can't change overnight, I

think he understood that, but it does need to change if Crystal

Palace are going to be viable as a long-term Premier League

proposition. You can only assume he didn't feel that was happening not

quickly enough or wasn't that to happen at all. I find it

incredible, 48 hours before the start of the season, he has gone

through the whole summer, pre-season, building his team to

play Arsenal yesterday and four Tony Pulis to walk out, he is an ambition

manager -- ambitious manager but he is also loyal to his club so for him

to walk out, the circumstances must have been quite severe. He must have

seen a lack of ambition going forward and I know the chairman came

out last night, I think it was probably damage limitation on his

behalf, but I think Crystal Palace have lost the manager that would

probably guarantee keeping them in the Premier League. He wants

everything done the right way. It strikes me, I think you are right,

two days before the start of the season, but the frustration is

transfer related. It is three weeks before the end of the transfer

window and there is clearly some sort of power struggle. They have a

director of football there, I don't know how the dynamic really works,

but there were suggestions friction towards the end of last season and I

think Pulis was getting frustrated and it has to be player related, I

think, signings related. Ian Moody is the director of football, head of

recruitment, which means Malky Mackay is evens favourite for the

job, because of their work relationship at Cardiff. Do you see

him as the favourite and agree with the bookies, Matt Lawton? Well, Tim

Sherwood is being mentioned as well. I just think if Steve Parish is

looking at that, I think Tim Sherwood was quite impressive last

season. Surely the Pulis experience tells you that experience is the

thing that might keep a team like Crystal Palace in the Premier

League. Personally, looking at the situation at West Ham, I would give

Sam Allardyce a call. Through David Gold, you couldn't just give Sam

Allardyce a call, that would be tapping up! Absolutely, sorry! Very

naive to suggest that. Would you go experience over bright young thing?

I think experience always tells in the end but I would like to see

Malky Mackay back. You look at the players and the style of football

that Tony's players at Crystal Palace have, Malky Mackay is the

perfect fit. Arsenal were hit and miss but they picked up the three

points and Calum Chambers was probably the most positive. Fans

voted him Man of the Match. Umentd I thought he could be England's right

back for years to come. But he could be England's centre-half. I think he

is a tremendous footballer. We have got more texts and tweets coming in,

Ryan says, Manchester City will be champions and Chelsea second.

Liverpool will come fourth. Let's focus on Manchester City. They start

their title defence away at Newcastle today. It is the 4 o'clock

game. Here is Manuel Pellegrini. To win here the first year the Premier

League and the cup, both things in the same year, of course it is a

proud for me. But more proud is the way we play. For me it is important

to win titles, but more important is the way you win. The way to do it is

in the way we did last season. We will continue playing in the same

way. For me the most important thing is to retain our title and to

improve in Europe. In your first few games, you played three of the top

teams, you play Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. How important is it

going to be to make sure you do well in those games. Last year we didn't

do it well in the first game. We lost a lot of points especially

playing away and we won the title. It is important to start a strong

team and win the first game. Manuel Pellegrini there. India are a wicket

down at the cricket. And now to St James' Park and talk to Guy mow

bray, who is doing the game for us. City your title favourites? They're

not actually. I have gone for Chelsea. I think with the avded

strike power -- added strike power and Jose Mourinho meaning business

and City focussing on the Champions League, I think Chelsea may nick it.

But that said, you could put any of the top six anywhere from one to

six. Particularly before a ball has been kicked. But City will be up

there challenging. I wonder about today. They weren't good last week.

I know with a mix and match team at Wembley. But Manuel Pellegrini has

said he doesn't feel the team is ready. Last season they lost four of

their first six away games. So Newcastle haven't beaten City since

2005. Maybe it is good to get them early. Alan Shearer said it is a two

division league, the top seven that won't be relegated but any three of

the other 13 could go down. Newcastle I assume are in that 13

for shearer. Where would row put Newcastle this season? I would put

them about tenth. I think they will do all right. I'm impressed with the

signings Alan Pardew has made. I think they're in better shape than a

year ago where they wept to City -- went to City and lost 4-0. Graham

Carr has been busy, the chief scout. I'm looking forward to seeing

Riviere and Cabella. The sort of players Newcastle fans want to see.

And De Jong has come, the captain of Ajax. He is another very good

player. What else I want to mention, the way Newcastle United do thing

right when it comes to their fans and we must remember today there is

a series of events commemorating the lives of John Alder and Liam Sweeney

killed on the Flight MH17. There will be a series of events and the

Newcastle flag the is at half-mast. We will remember them today. Thank

you. The Newcastle flag at half-mast and the tribute to the fans is on

the front-page of the Newcastle programme this afternoon. That game

on five live from 4. One other word on Newcastle, which seems trite

going back to the football, but they have had from a playing point of

view and a transfer point of view a remarkably calm summer. They have

done something in the transfer window. It must have been, Alan

Pardew's kept his counsel on this. But they had signed nobody. A few

loan signings, but that was it. He must feel a sense of freedom that he

has actually able to change things a bit and bring some players in. In

recent years they have gone into that one good year, one bad year

thing Newcastle. I don't know whether you call last year a good or

bad. They're final league position was pretty good. But there was some

high profile down sides to that as well. I think they will be OK. I

don't see 13 teams quite be being in the bottom half. I would say there

is a top seven, a middle five and a bottom eight probably. Does that add

up? This a top seven a middle five and a bottom eight. That is right, I

was just checking. You just think that maybe 21 teams! As far as

Manchester City are concerned, is it a two-horse race with Chelsea? I

don't think. So but what I would stay about Manchester City they have

the best spine in the Premiership in Joe Hart and Kompany and Aguero. The

signing of keeper from Malaga is a good signing, for the last two

seasons, Hart, I'm a big aed mirer of him -- admirer of him, but there

have been times when he has been complacent. That may give him a

jolt. Do you agree why there is an obsession, when he talks of having

two players in every position, that is seen as natural. Anywhere on the

pitch apart from the goalkeeper. We have seem obsessed by there only

being one number one. The keeper is the one position you can't rotate.

You can't? No, you can't rotate keepers, it breeds nervousness.

United tried it a couple of seasons ago and if you're a defender you

like your keeper that you have played behind each week. They know

the voice, your eyes behind you and you need somebody to play there

every week. Paul O'Driscoll said will Costa be a hit for Chelsea or

just a one season wonder? I think will Costa be a hit for Chelsea or

just a one season wonder? I he is probably a hit. I went to Austria a

couple of weeks ago with a number of journalists to see Mourinho and the

way he spoke about him and not just the player, but about the man, he

thinks the guy's amazing, the way he fought his way up, established

himself and had a lot of knock backs and you know the pressure he was

under at Atletico after the brilliant striker that had been

there. He has proved himself. I think he feels he has built for --

he is built for the Premier League. I spoke to Ancelotti and he said was

was brilliant. Chelsea for you? Yes. And for me. Wells for eh. India

9-2. They're off for rain. But still time for Gambhir to be run out.

Chelsea's game with purposely is on five live on Monday night. And then

on Friday night there is a programme to celebrate 50 years of Match of

the Day and the best theme tune in the business. Dah-dah-dah-dah!

Dooe-dooe Dee. If you listen too that song, the thing that comes to

you is... Movtd. Mplts as soon as that came on, you dropped what you

were doing, straight sat down. Sniet is football, it is people, it is

movtd. -- It is football, it is people, icht is Match of the Day.

You can see match of the day at 50 on Friday. Back to the present day

and let's hear from three other Premier League managers who won

yesterday. First, the now English speaking Mauricio Pochettino. It is

important win. I would say congratulations to my players,

because it was a very great performance. After the penalty and

the sending off of Kyle, it was a difficult game, but we played like a

team. This is the important thing and we deserve in the end to win. We

had to play better second half. But you can never question the

commitment of them. That is what they have achieved, because of that

there is a great togetherness which they don't give up. And in the end

we could have won comfortably. The first goal always is vitally

important. We have got it and we have had two or three chances to

maybe clinch the game and make it more comfortable towards the end. It

got a bit hectic. I thought we were excellent. We had a ten minute

period where we couldn't get out of our own half. After that, I thought

we were excellent and we had chances to win a few games. I thought we

were a threat all afternoon. Solid performance. The back four were

outstanding. Sissoko I thought for hi debut was fantastic. Vlaar has

only played 45 minutes since the World Cup and Hutton and Senderos

were fantastic. I thought they were massive performances in that fwam.

-- game. Stoke/Villa was the last game last night and considering

people were talking about Stoke being a top half side and people

tipped Villa in the bottom three that, win has gone under the radar a

bit. Alan Hutton and Charles N'Zogbia started the game. I don't

think Charles N'Zogbia had a squad number last season and Hutton was

playing for Scotland and nobody else. How they have come in, fair

play, whatever the problem was it has been dilt with. -- dealt with.

What else dud you learn from yesterday? The vanishing spray

didn't work well at Arsenal. I think what we learned is it is going to be

competitive. I think particularly at the bottom half of the table, like I

agree with Alan there could be 10 to 13 teams could get relegated. I know

it is the first game, Stoke were the team that will surprise people. That

was probably a poor result for them yesterday. But I'm looking forward

to seeing the big boys in the next two days. You don't want to judge

anything on the opening day of the season. But Hull can be interesting

this season, season. But Hull can be interesting

this he has had a good summer in the transfer market, Steve Bruce. It is

how they deal with the Europa League. Yes, that will take its

toll. But Steve Bruce did a brilliant job. Why doesn't he get

linked with bigger jobs. The England job? I think he is should be the

next time the England job is up. He should be in the mix. He never

played for England, which was an injustice. I think he would be quite

good in that role. Hull need to replace Long before the end of

August. But yeah, I think Steve Bruce, every where he has gone, he

has done a good job. And Leicester, they drew with Everton and Nigel

Pearson isn't part of that, of the three promoted sides are they the

best equipped or QPR? I think Leicester at the moment, they were

impressive yesterday. The energy they showed in the second half in

particular and they got 100 points in t Championship, that tells you

that almost guarantees you Premiership safety. Funny how these

things work out. Chris Wood may not have been playing for them if he had

gone to Wolves. Yes I believe Derby and Fulham were looking at him.

Nigel Pearson said he was staying. I was impressed with Leicester. Colin

says it is sches's -- Chelsea's title to lose. Ronny said no one

seems to be considering that van Gaal picked that team to fail so get

the Glazers to open their wallets. That is why he is talking about

confidence after the first game. Thank you to my guests. Match of the

Day Two back tonight and on Five Live you can have your say on the

big talking parts as part of new Sunday Social. We will see you next

Sunday lunch time. MUSIC: "Black Skinhead"

by Kanye West