23/03/2014 MOTD2 Extra

Hello, welcome to Match Of The Day 2 Extra, live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5

Live and the BBC sport website as we discuss the weekend football,

including Arsene Wenger's 1000 game in charge, one of his most eventful.

I'm sure the performance of Andre Marriner will be up for discussion,

as will be the performances of Liverpool and Manchester City, as

the title race hots up. Both men and Match Of The Day 2 later are in the

studio, Peter Schmeichel and Jason Roberts. We also have Jonathan

Northcroft, football correspondent from the Sunday Times. Your thoughts

as well, please. Or you can go on the Match Of The Day Facebook page.

I'm sure you'll have your thoughts on Arsenal and Chelsea, Andre

Marriner. And which goal was better, Rooney's or Alex Tettey's? I know

you have a lot to say about Arsenal, Chelsea and Andre Marriner. We will

do it in greater detail in a little while. Overall, was that the day for

you that Arsenal dropped out of the title race? I think in the last

couple of weeks it has look like they have run out of energy, fuel if

you like. They have been very volatile to little things happening

in games. So it looks like that. This time, it is whoever has

momentum, it looks like Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. They

are the three teams that are going to battle for the title. You were at

Stamford Bridge yesterday. In many ways, you are grateful Arsene Wenger

didn't do the press conference afterwards because you had so much

to fit into your report? An extraordinary game, three four

front-page candidates. Chelsea reasserting themselves as title

favourites, Arsenal's intrusion, I think that's it, and the remarkable

inclusion of Andre Marriner, one of the most obvious refereeing mistakes

I've seen. You were thinking, you wouldn't like to be in an identity

parade with Andre Marriner choosing! A remarkable day as far as the title

challengers were concerned. Liverpool hit six, Chelsea hit six,

city its five. As Peter says, you need momentum at this stage of the

season and they certainly have it. Arsenal's performance, lost two the

last three, leads you to think they are dropping out of it. City, big

games coming for them, Liverpool still have city and Chelsea to come

at Anfield. Liverpool could be the kingmakers. Or, at Anfield, make

themselves champions. A lot to discuss as regards yesterday's

football. Let concentrate on one of today's games. The first one, Spurs

against Southampton at White Hart Lane, later it is Aston Villa

against Stoke. Let's talk to John Watson, during this game for Match

Of The Day 2 later. Hello. I thought it was still sheep skin weather, but

it's pouring with rain now. This could be a really attractive game on

the field. Also, there will be a lot of eyes on the dugouts, given what

has happened to Tim Sherwood over the last couple of weeks and also

the fact that Pochettino was linked with the job is to not That

speculation is still going on. Whether Tim Sherwood sits in the

dugout or not, we'll wait and see. He sat in the standard Lisbon, to

restrain himself a little bit. Spurs have fallen away a little bit.

Defeat by Arsenal here last Sunday, a stubborn performance, an

understrength team in Lisbon, out of the Europa League. Now, looking at

the Premier League table, nine points seems an awful lot for

Tottenham to make up in eight games. Tim Sherwood has a bit of a job on

there if he is going to carry on in charge next season. Pochettino, I

think Southampton ought to leave well alone and so does everybody

else. I think he's been one of the surprise in success is amongst

managers this season. Saints fans could not believe it when Nigel

Adkins got the sack and this unknown South American came in. But they

have been playing some rattling good football. What bigger incentive,

when you have four players all on the fringe of the England World Cup

squad? Exacta, you say they have been playing rattling good football.

Tim Sherwood has admitted that Spurs haven't. Then he adds a caveat to

that, he says these are not his players. Is that fair? Up to a

point. The players that Tottenham signed, they would not have been his

choices because he would not have been in the seat. The players they

signed with the Gareth Bale money have not been a roaring success.

Chadli has, he will possibly be playing behind Adebayor today. But

the water of players that cavemen have not settled into what you would

call a potentially Championship winning team. -- the players that

came in. Somehow he asked to mix and match with the ones he knows and the

ones he hasn't seen enough of. Several have been injured as well.

Thank you very much. John matzoh and will be doing that much later.

That we want to yesterday's big game at Stamford Bridge. Before we get

the thoughts of Peter Schmeichel and Jason Roberts, Jonathan Northcroft,

let's hear from both managers. Ten minutes, amazing. The way that we

started, the way that we pressed them, the way that we recovered the

ball and attacked spaces immediately. It was fantastic. In

ten minutes, I think everybody in the stadium felt... Not the final

score, but I think everybody felt that easily Chelsea would win this

match. After that, the penalty, Redcar, men. -- red card, ten men.

Obviously easy and comfortable. I think after ten minutes, everybody

knows it. I believe I take full responsibility for the defeat today.

There is not much purpose to talk too much about it because we have a

big game on Tuesday night and we want to respond. We were not at the

level today. After 20 minutes, it was game over and that becomes a

nightmare then. You know, you have no chance to come back, basically.

Down to ten men, 3-0 down. Every minute, no minute in the game of

that stature that is not important. And we missed a few of them. Let's

start with Chelsea. Chelsea's performance has kind have been

forgotten. How impressive were they? Cull hugely impressive, no

surprise in the way that Mourinho went about that game. Big, strong

powerful players that do offensive things right. That is why they have

the best defence in the league. There would not be a better setup,

trying to win the ball high. Chelsea said, no problem, we will win it

high and when we break we will break incisively. The amount of times that

they won it in central midfield and got behind Arsenal, it was a

surprise. We saw Liverpool do it to them. It's not just that, it's the

fragility of the Arsenal team. You saw the confidence drain out of

players. They didn't look out for the fight. They highlighted on Match

Of The Day last night that Chelsea did to Arsenal exactly what

Liverpool did at Anfield. Press them high, win the ball back. In football

you need plan A, what you are trying to do. Then you need a plan B, plan

C. It looks like Arsenal do not have that. If I was Arsene Wenger, I'd be

disappointed at not playing Flamini. I'd be disappointed in my key

player, my captain, basically just gave up. You can't have players

giving up on games like that. For Arsenal, Jonathan, you have a

headline here saying Arsene Wenger needs to rebuild his team. I'm not

completely in agreement with that. I think he has the players that can

make another challenge for the Championship. But you need players

like Mesut Ozil back, fit, strong for the start of next season. I

think if he can crack sees number two, I think there will be

challenging again. He needs two or three players, one of them is

definitely a centre back. He needs somebody that can control and change

it into plan B and C. I'm talking about leadership. On their days,

they are great players, Mertesacker and Koscielny. But everything went

wrong from the beginning of the game. They are right in the position

to change it, one of them is the captain, you should be able to

change it straightaway. With Arsenal, it's difficult separating

the factors. You are right about the leadership angle. The way they gave

up was similar to how they gave up at Anfield wanted got bad. Some of

the same players were doing it. The point I was making with the rebuild,

in a funny way, what Arsenal have gained this year has also taken away

from them. Arsenal has tried to put more experience into the team so

they can deal with the other teams in the Premier League but what

easily and they are more consistent. -- a bit more easily. It has become

quite an old side, a lot of guys early 30s, coming up to 30, the

Premier League this season has been all about pace and energy.

Southampton, Liverpool, Chelsea, I just wonder if Arsene Wenger, that

team is only going to get shown again and again in these types of

games. He probably needs more Aaron Ramseys. I don't think they are that

close to challenging, purely because of the philosophy, what they are

trying to do. You look at Arsenal's team that they built in the past, he

built a micro-invincible is, based on power, pace, technical ability,

detail. They are trying to break teams down with small plays,

technical football. When you come up against the better sides like

Chelsea, they are big, strong, technically good and built on sound

defence. I think that Chelsea and city are both far away from Arsenal.

That goes back to it is fine if you have plan A, but you need B and C?

When you have that The Invincibles you think, there is no way we can

beat them. I like the way he thought, we can't beat them at

first. The difference between the teams in the 90s, it was nothing. It

was all about what happened on the day, how the big players responded

to what was happening. The tactics very often went out the window. You

are up against the best team, the best players, they match you man for

man, position for position. You can't predict what is going to

happen. When you look at it again yesterday, a lot of managers like

the ball from the goalkeeper to be cast into the middle, then the

full-back, it is a pattern that is so easily read. If you have players

like Chelsea, strikers that are powerful, that have an engine to run

all game and still do the job of strikers, they can put pressure on

them all day and they will win the ball in their half. That makes it so

it easier to play. I hadn't thought of it like that, but do you think

the game, in essence, has become more patent and predictable? Three

signs that are stretching out at the moment, maybe, have the ability to

the ability to be unprintable? There is a new phase going on, the

Barcelona Way was the way to play, and then Bayern Munich took that,

Dortmund as well, they added the power and ability. The big

difference between Barcelona and Ryan Munich, Barcelona play across

the pitch, then they do something. Bayern Munich, at all times, they go

forwards. It is much more effective and difficult to play against.

Mourinho was the first manager to find a way to play against Barcelona

and everybody else caught on. There are different ways of being

predictable, you can be predictable by playing long balls, always trying

to roll through midfield and press. Chelsea were more than happy for

Arsenal to say, all right, you can dominate possession, we will win it

and get behind you. Mourinho spoke to you guys in the press

afterwards? It was typical Mourinho, he chose that moment to

criticise a player, in a way, he once more from him. He said it was

good from Andre Schurrle today, but I also see the bad in him. To me, he

looked sensational today, driving with the ball, energy. But I picked

Mourinho wants his consistency to improve and he talked about him

being young. This is his first season, you'll be better next year.

What was frightening for the rest was that was not Chelsea's best

team. They missed Willian, Ramirez. Let me read some text messages

before we get on do Andre Marriner. Happy 1000th Arsene Wenger. Time to

go with grace. Gary - the magic has gone, he needs to move on. Then this

which leads us on to Andre Marriner. Surely the referee did Arsenal a

favour? They needed a goal-scorer and an attacker rather than a

defender. At dirty macro down, it does not matter how much you lose

by. Robbie Savage said he was disappointed Kieran Gibbs did not

make more of a fuss at being the wrong player sent off. But you said

there could be a reason for that is that if Arsenal were going to chase

the game they needed Oxlade-Chamberlain and not Gibbs.

Maybe Gibbs thought it was better he went off and not Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The players might have made more of a thing of a left back going off

here rather than a potential match winner. It was a bizarre mistake by

the referee. We were shocked referee at that level can make a mistake

like that. It was the whole refereeing team. It wasn't just

Andre Marriner. He got the advice in his ear from the officials. The

excuse is, the goalkeeper was in his way but the linesman had a great

view of it. The linesman did not fly, did he? The referee was macro

line was clear. He has a great view of it, no excuses. Even if he is

right and he was impeded, refereeing is about getting your angles right,

isn't it? I don't think he has any excuses. I think, there is a lot of

money involved, and motion and feeling, every time we play a game

of football. We spend a lot of time talking about it. I think we should

take the referees and put them in front of cameras every game, to

explain why they made the decisions they did. I would have loved, he has

the time, when he goes back to the dressing room, he has the time to

review everything he has done, have time to speak to his assistance and

his partners in crime! He will have time to prepare himself like any

other manager, like Arsene Wenger had to come out and face the music,

faced the fans, he would have had time to prepare that. Arsene Wenger

did not face all of the media. The second thing is, Andre Marriner did

say sorry. He might not have done it in front of a camera but he did

apologise to Arsenal. Have you read the apology? No, but he said he made

a mistake. There is a paper that headline is the fact he said sorry,

which is the Mail on Sunday. There headline begins" blunder referee" so

they give with one hand and take away with the other. The

broadcasters and TV will hammer the referee, he has said sorry, what

more can he do? I think Peter's point might be the story is laced

with the things that people said, it was a difficult decision to make and

things. It wasn't. This was an apology through the referee's union,

not even him. I think referees get criticised too much anyway. He has

been honest. It is a very bad mistake, and it wasn't just by him.

It did not change much in the way that Arsenal played. We have to be

careful because he has made a mistake. Whether he says sorry not,

it does not matter because he will still get a slapped wrist. He made a

mistake. The amount of football we watch, the mistakes referees make. I

was at again yesterday, I won't say where I was, but the referee

yesterday, his interpretation of the rules was crazy. I cannot understand

someone who has gone through the whole educational bit, got a licence

to referee, gets into one of the highest leagues in Europe and comes

out and consistently is such a bad referee. He has had an influence on

how the game went. I don't think Andre Marriner is a bad referee. But

he made a mistake on camera in one of the biggest games in England. You

go in front of the cameras and you try to take the sting out of it.

Everybody would still have criticised him. But he could have

said, I really made a mistake, I am sorry about that. It takes the sting

out of it or it gives us an explanation. No matter how important

football has become to everybody, financially and emotionally, that is

the element. We could do the whole show on this. Jose Mourinho raised

an interesting point, monitors at the side of the pitch, maybe it is

time to get them back? The referee is the one who has the least

information out of all of the people watching the match. Who told him it

was a penalty? We don't know. But a simple monitor for the fourth

official could have allowed him to make the right decision. Manchester

City, 51-macro when over Fulham. It was important for us to return to

the Premier League, winning. We had three games in our hands, so it is

important not to drop points especially at home. There is only

one thing we once, and earlier I think it is going to be very tight.

He has received so much praise, has Toure, and one of the other things

he said was he talked about his third goal yesterday and how he was

pleased he scored but because some people had been claiming in the

Capital One Cup final, that goal had been a fluke. Obviously people did

not understand how he strikes a ball. The goal yesterday started so

far outside the post and it came in. He has been outstanding. The top

scorer in the Premier League which for a midfielder is incredible. The

Manchester City, winning 5-0 yesterday, Aguero being injured,

Negredo has not been getting the goals he would like, they will need

to replicate that in terms they can affect the opposition. With Aguero

injury, it is not the type of injury you can come back and be 100%

straightaway. If you'd eat Arsenal 6-0, you think you have done

something for your goal difference the Manchester City take it away.

Think back a few years when just one goal between them. Every goal

counts. What I found unbelievable with Toure, and midfielder scoring

19 Premier League goals. I cannot remember that happening. They may

have done it but in a different way. It is unbelievable. Negredo does not

get the goals, but look at the game yesterday, his interaction with

other players, eventually resulted in a penalty being given. You do

have dry spells, but the most important thing is you do something

for your team. I think Negredo is doing that. Are they the favourites?

Every side in the title race keep saying they are the favourites? I

said yes they are. Having watched Chelsea and the way they play, this

is before Arsenal went down to ten men, I think it is between Chelsea

and Manchester City. I never thought Liverpool could sustain that kind of

performance level they have. But what they did yesterday was

fantastic. We have two say it is between those three now. It is going

to go down to the wire. It will be how the big players are performing

for their team. Can Sturridge and Suarez keep scoring goals? That will

take Liverpool right to the end. They say the next game is the most

important, Manchester City's next game is the Manchester derby. That

is Manchester City out of it then! Let's hear from Pellegrini and David

Moyes. It is a difficult game. Manchester derby and Manchester

United. The way they qualified for the Champions' League, we need to

play very well on Tuesday to add three more points. Tomorrow, we will

start thinking about Manchester United. We are in good shape, we

played well today and we are off the back of a good result. So hopefully

we will go into the next game confident to try to get a result. Do

you think United can get a good result in that game? Yes. What's

different about United, for the first time in the season, they have

got some momentum behind them. Don't get me wrong, city will still be my

favourite. But a little bit change in style for United, bit quicker and

more purpose about them. The senior players have grabbed hold of the

situation now. And after Liverpool they said, no more of this. There is

renewed determination and they go in with almost nothing to lose against

Manchester City. But city from each other better squad and the better

team. It will be Manchester City for me. The team selection will be

interesting. Manchester United's best 11 does not include Mata. It

will be interesting to see if Welbeck plays. He did not score in

the last game, but the ability to run behind defences, the ability to

do stretching -- stretching defences. Welbeck comes into the

side and changes it purely by running in behind. Are you saying

United's best side does not include Mata when Robin van Persie is fit?

He has to play in that Number ten position. United are built on pace.

Even if Manchester City got a draw at Old Trafford, Peter, they could

still win their other two games in hand than go ahead of Chelsea. But

when you are in a title race, you cannot think like that? It is a

horrible situation they find themselves in. Liverpool and Chelsea

have momentum, they know they have momentum as well. They are winning

games. But they have The Games in hand that Liverpool and Chelsea have

already won theirs. They need to win them. When you play around

Christmas... Did you hate having games in hand? Depends how strong I

thought the team was. We had games in hand every season I played for

Manchester United, when it came to the end of the season we had games

in hand. Most of the time it was OK because we were good enough. But my

very first season, we had to play Monday, Thursday, Saturday and

Monday. Against teams who had already been relegated and we lost

the championship. It depends on where you are as a team. I am not

saying Manchester City are not in a good place, because they are.

Obviously from a Manchester United point of view, what happened at

Olympiakos and what happened against Liverpool at Old Trafford was so

bad, I don't think anyone in living memory can remember it being that

bad. And what Jonathan said about the senior players, they have been

taking action now. Saying they have to put much more into The Games.

Several Manchester City to play Manchester United, the next home

game after Liverpool in the Premier League, it will be a bit more

difficult for them. We will talk about Liverpool max, but let's go

back to White Hart Lane and get the team news.

Five changes the Tottenham after their 2-2 draw against Benfica.

Younes Kaboul returns. He is captain today. Hugo Lloris is in goal.

Moussa Dembele is back from injury but there is no Emmanuel Adebayor,

so Roberto Soldado start up front with just one goal in his last 12

appearances. Two changes from Southampton. Morgan Schneiderlin is

injured. So Jack Cork start in midfield. Tweeting - Brian Murphy

says I think you are wrong about the referees. Ryan says, referees have

more influence on a game than most people on the pitch. I agree with

Peter, make them explain decisions. Let's move on to Liverpool. This is

their match from yesterday. The momentum of this team, you have won

them all in a row? Sunni yes, we have the motivation for this game,

they keep calm because we played very well. In football, you never

know what you're doing next week. Have you been in a strike

partnership like theirs, like him and storage, where it is purely

instinct? I have, I played with Nathan Edrington for a couple of

seasons. The great thing is that the team understood the right thing to

do for us. We built the team on the strike partnership. I think

Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers have recognised that. You can play a lot

of passes and squaring the midfield, but your best two players are up

top, let's get it to them the way that they like it, in and around the

box. If there is a high line, they are always looking to run behind and

when they do that there is not many places to go. If you drop, you have

the likes of Sterling, there are so many different options and ways to

beat you and score goals. For an opposition defence, you are not sure

how to go about stopping them. Is this the rebirth of the diamond? The

thing with Brendan Rodgers is he has been changing at all of the time. As

Jason said, he has stumbled upon this great partnership. Rather than

keep with his 4-3-3, or whatever, he has adapted his team. That's really

good management. I spoke to Daniel Sturridge and he said that he does

not play them together in training, they are usually on different sides,

maybe to make the sides fare! But he said it was instinct between them.

You can really see that. Quite a few text messages and tweets coming in

about Liverpool. Saying you know, praising soirees and Sturridge. But

one says, what is the cause of the weakness at the back? Is it a centre

back problem, a lack of concentration or is it just the way

they are set up and play, that means they will allow chances against

them? Just think about the way that they are set up. So much pace in

that team. I having so much pace, some at eagerness to go forward and

trying to create chances, that means that the centre back Best, very

often, are isolated with pace. Skrtel and Daniel Agger are not the

quickest in the world. What he has done well is change a team that for

years and years were playing very tactical. He is now saying, we are

going for it, we are going to score goals. If they score three, we will

score six. That mentality has taken them to near the top of the table.

If they do not win the Premier League, and they are showing a lot

of promise for the future, he needs to work on that part as well. They

need to have something really strong, and I think Gerard is doing

that OK. He's sat in front of the back four, that he has no pace

either, really. He needs to work on that, make sure he's got pace. I

know I am saying this, I had Steve Bruce in front of me, probably not

the quickest player, but then we had Gary Pallister, very quick. When you

commit people forward, whatever happens the other way, at least you

have one player that can keep up with whatever is happening also I

that's important. I think Liverpool can be kingmaker is, if they are not

going to win the league, it is those two games. City, Chelsea, unbeaten

at home since September. You can see what they can do at home, against

Everton and Arsenal. You have to be careful about the way that you go

about the game, tactically. Five out of their last eight games are at

home? Yes, look at their form at Anfield, can they win it? Yes. Can

they create the conditions for people to win the league? Yes.

Mourinho will be going in there with a plan. All of his games left apart

from Liverpool are against relegation teams. If there's one

thing he's brilliant at, it's identifying a key game and make a

plan for it. I'm not saying that he can forget about the other games,

but they can and should win them, he'll already be thinking about

those games. Brendan Rodgers used to work for Mourinho, there is added

spice. Jonathan Northcroft, Peter Roberts and Peter Schmeichel on

Match Of The Day extra this afternoon. Massive result for

Norwich, they beat Sunderland. Robert Snodgrass was in the thick of

it. That afternoon. Good afternoon. When you got back in the dressing

room with the three points and looked at the other results, did

that make it an even more satisfying afternoon? Of course. It's one of

those days where everything goes well for you. When you have Alex

striking the ball as well as that as well, it is one of those games. You

know, it gives us not much breathing space, but a bit of reading space.

Sunderland need to win their games in hand and other teams are below

us. A massive result for the full old club, especially for the

backroom staff they were under a bit of pressure. A remarkable strike,

wasn't it? Of course. I would love to sit here and tell you that he

does it in training, but there is no chance. Terrific goal that topped

off a terrific display for him and the team. When you are in a

relegation dogfight, you need everybody putting in a performance

and fighting for each ball. That is what it was yesterday. We were

asking a lot of people if his goal was better than Wayne Rooney's.

Which do you think? To be honest, Alex Tettey's is coming out of the

sky. Also, I don't think he ever does it. So I would say his.

Rooney's girl was unbelievable, it was on the volley as well. I'm going

to be biased and say Alex Tettey. You are saying you had not seen that

from him before, had you ever seen Chris Hughton celebrate like that

when it went in? I haven't seen it, but the boys were talking about it.

I think everybody was in shock. The fact he scored a screamer like that.

There were lots of emotions on the game, if Sunderland won they would

get a few points on us and would give them momentum. It was great,

and not just not losing the game but to get three points, it was

brilliant. A great day for the football club and everybody

involved. When people talk about Norwich at the moment, a massive

discussion about the fixture list, the final four games and how

difficult they are. Is that something that you, as a group of

players, discuss, or as the cliche goes IU only looking at the next

game? To be honest, I've said before that you only focus on your next

game as a footballer. You'd be lying to say if you don't have one eye on

those four games realising it's tough, but every game in the Premier

League is tough. A relegation fight yesterday, the match, it adds spice

to it. Everybody is fighting. It is the business end of the season. We

know straightaway that they are to have games. But so is the Swansea

away, they are a great side. Cup finals, every team in the bottom ten

will be fighting, like cup finals. They'll be looking to take maximum

points from each game and we are no different. Appreciate you taking the

time to talk to us this Sunday lunchtime. Talk to you soon.

Robertson of grass on Match Of The Day 2 Extra. A lot of people on the

debate between Alex Tettey and Rooney. Sam in Newcastle says that

Alex Tettey's goal was better, I'm a Newcastle fan and I love seeing

Sunderland suffer! Mandy says it was Alex Tettey by far, so exciting to

watch. Another one, maybe Russell Brand from last night, the goal

should have been disallowed for pushing the defender. Terry, West

Ham fan, Rooney's goal, great vision, great strike. Chris in

Manchester says that Rooney's must be better. He do? Rooney. Rooney.

Why? The fact he doesn't even get an opportunity to look at it. To take

it on and get it, the only way that takes away from it is that the

keeper is not looking for it. Alex Tettey's was amazing. You don't see

players score from the halfway line that much, though. David Beckham

announces his entry into the world of football, everybody talked about

that, it was equally as good. I like the honesty, people say that he does

it all the time in training, so I'm impressed with that. Norwich's next

few games, Swansea and West Brom, get points out of those you would

say they would be OK? Well, what points are required to be safe this

year? Some are saying it might not be 40 points, it might be 35.

Norwich or 32, one win would be a big advance for them. You have been

down there in the past, when you look at the bottom of the table, if

we are talking about momentum at the top of the table, who do you see as

having momentum towards the bottom? It's hard, none of them are playing

well. None of them! That has been this thing about Crystal Palace,

Tony Pulis has come in and done a great job, but no wins in five

games. The home games, when you are down there, forget the away games,

you've got to have a clean sheet, the home games you have to get those

points. They have Chelsea, Liverpool, City and Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace are going to be thinking, we have had a really goes

at home to pick up the necessary points. Sunderland have the games in

hand. Palace and Sunderland, we have given them quite a lot of praise

over the last three or four months because of how they have tried to

get out of play. Actually, they have just hit the buffers, both of them

at the wrong time? When they get the job, they get the job because it

hasn't worked before. No doubt. They come in and it's not their players.

That is massively important to understand. As a manager, you have a

philosophy, a way you want to play. You come in and the pieces that you

have to put on the board, they are not the pieces that you picked. You

have really had no opportunity to have an influence on how the game is

going to go or how they are going to play, other than what they have. I

think they have done all right. Sunderland, they have been in the

same position as at the top, they have games in hand. It's got to be

horrible for the other teams, every time they win, they might go clear a

bit, but they know if Sunderland windows two games, without playing

there might be sucked back in. And their games are horrible? Liverpool

and City, isn't it? You never know, team struggle. This bit of the

season, forget about the other countries, this is where the Premier

League really becomes interesting. Everybody loves it for it. Because

any game played from now until the end, any game, both teams can win

and both teams probably need to win the game. That is why the game, the

Premier League, is such a great, popular... At the bottom as well, I

played at Blackburn, last game of the season against Wolves, to stay

in the lead. I can't tell you the pressure. You're talking about

people's jobs, what it means to the fans, the club, the players come and

not only in terms of being prestige, Premier League players, also

financially, with the Premier League contract. You go into the game with

huge pressure on you. Did you talk about it as a group of players,

those pressures? You don't talk about it, we all know it. Don't get

me wrong, the financial thing is the last thing you think about, but

there are loads of reasons why this is such a big game, but only for

you, the people that might lose their jobs, the club, the prestige,

we all want to play in the Premier League. You talk about the pressure

for Sunderland, Palace, massive pressure, more than I have felt in

my career. A United fan, I still think Alex Tettey's goal was better.

Tettey, it was unstoppable. I'm sure we will discuss that later on. Thank

you for your company. Aston Villa against Stoke is on BBC Radio 5 Live

from four o'clock. When you join us on Match Of The Day 2 later, Peter

will hammer Andre Marriner once again! See you next week. Goodbye.