:00:09. > :00:46.Joining me today Jermaine Jenas, Shola Ameobi
:00:47. > :00:57.You can get in touch and we need you to. You can text us as well. This is
:00:58. > :01:00.what is coming up. Manchester United leave it late
:01:01. > :01:03.to book their place in the FA What does the future now hold
:01:04. > :01:07.for both Louis Van Gaal Newcastle come from
:01:08. > :01:15.behind again to win Eden Hazard scores his first
:01:16. > :01:18.goals of the season and says he wants Leicester
:01:19. > :01:22.to win the title. Not that Jermaine Tina Fey is happy
:01:23. > :01:37.with that! -- Jermaine Jenas. Claudio Ranieri's side can go eight
:01:38. > :01:40.points clear of Spurs The Mirror has the headline
:01:41. > :01:43.Sakho Drugs Shock and says Mamadou Sakho faces a 12 month ban
:01:44. > :01:46.for failing a drugs test. Shaun's paper The Sun leads
:01:47. > :01:48.on Louis Van Gaal admitting that he could be sacked
:01:49. > :01:52.even if he wins the FA Cup and that Eddie Howe is in contention
:01:53. > :01:57.to replace Roberto Martinez The Express says a deal has been
:01:58. > :02:01.agreed between Jose Mourinho and Manchester United. We have heard
:02:02. > :02:05.that one before but we will start with that, discussing Manchester
:02:06. > :02:11.United and then 2-1 victory over Everton. This is Louis van Gaal. You
:02:12. > :02:19.can see the joy in the eyes of the players. It is fantastic to see. But
:02:20. > :02:26.also for the fans. I think we deserved to go into the final,
:02:27. > :02:36.because I think the referee... We didn't have any foul in our benefit.
:02:37. > :02:41.And we changed the match, I think. We had so many chances, we could
:02:42. > :02:44.have finished it much earlier. Everton could probably say they
:02:45. > :02:51.played so well in the second half and they had chances to win it as
:02:52. > :02:55.well, couldn't they? No, they gained in the match because they got all
:02:56. > :03:02.the fouls. All the vowels around the 60 metre area. And then the fans of
:03:03. > :03:12.Everton were cheering. But in the first half and before that, no. That
:03:13. > :03:15.is the last time the referees are deciding the game and not the
:03:16. > :03:23.players any more. I think we need to tell Louis van Gaal that he is in
:03:24. > :03:27.the final! He sounded delighted! Is that for you, the Manchester United
:03:28. > :03:31.of old? A bit more what the fans expected? I think so. In terms of a
:03:32. > :03:36.spectacle, the game was excellent. Those teams played their part in
:03:37. > :03:39.that. Manchester United were brilliant in the first. Anthony
:03:40. > :03:43.Martial was a pleasure to watch yesterday. I enjoyed watching Wayne
:03:44. > :03:50.Rooney in that centre midfield role. He will probably give Roy Hodgson
:03:51. > :03:54.Sun issues in the future, good ones. And a specialist person in that
:03:55. > :03:58.position? I have mentioned over the week on the radio, even training
:03:59. > :04:02.with Wayne Rooney, he always ended up in midfield anyway. He is one of
:04:03. > :04:05.those players who wants to be involved and win every training
:04:06. > :04:09.match he is involved in. He knows how to play the role and I thought
:04:10. > :04:14.it was brilliant yesterday. Everton, I thought they showed real spirit in
:04:15. > :04:18.the second half. If it wasn't for the brilliance of Anthony Martial,
:04:19. > :04:22.things would have been different for them. Anthony Martial is being
:04:23. > :04:24.compared to the great Shola Ameobi and the great Thierry Henry Henri,
:04:25. > :04:31.something we were talking about just before we came on air. Yes. If you
:04:32. > :04:38.look at his display yesterday, there are shades of Henry of all. A young
:04:39. > :04:41.player, who came in for a big price tag, and he is starting to show
:04:42. > :04:48.people what you can do. He had a fantastic season. That performance
:04:49. > :04:52.last night, I think it was the best of the season for him, and he has
:04:53. > :04:59.shown everybody what he could do and he finished it off at the end with
:05:00. > :05:06.that Thierry Henry type goal. He is such a great talent. At such a young
:05:07. > :05:09.age. Manchester United played really well as a team. Didn't Louis van
:05:10. > :05:15.Gaal sound like somebody who were saying this is why I have to state?
:05:16. > :05:18.Don't doubt me. For the first time we have heard doubts about whether
:05:19. > :05:23.he would stay in his press conference. But also I am the man.
:05:24. > :05:26.If he was going to stay for another year, don't you think Manchester
:05:27. > :05:30.United should give him a new contract? We can't give you ?200
:05:31. > :05:35.million this summer if you have only got one year to go and you go at the
:05:36. > :05:39.end of next summer? Either he adds another year on to next year's
:05:40. > :05:44.contract or they say that is that. You have got to say that. It was
:05:45. > :05:49.entertaining. People like Marouane Fellaini were playing well. He got
:05:50. > :05:52.the best out of them. Everton rattled them but Manchester United
:05:53. > :05:55.came back and that is something we have not seen enough. Maybe
:05:56. > :06:00.everything that has gone before with Louis van Gaal will still count
:06:01. > :06:03.against him ultimately. Is that performance against Everton enough?
:06:04. > :06:07.Possibly not. I was listening to Graham Taylor this morning on Radio
:06:08. > :06:12.5 Live and he was asked if Manchester United finish in the top
:06:13. > :06:16.four and win the FA Cup, surely that is a success? Surely that is an
:06:17. > :06:21.improvement on the beginning of the season. I think it is. Don't get me
:06:22. > :06:24.wrong, I have been seriously bored with everybody else watching some of
:06:25. > :06:28.Manchester United's performances of late. But there has been a
:06:29. > :06:30.difference. Manchester United players will look at themselves and
:06:31. > :06:34.say they have not been overly impressed with the way they have
:06:35. > :06:37.performed as a team at times, but you cannot argue with the
:06:38. > :06:45.productivity side of things in terms of where they are and what they have
:06:46. > :06:48.got to go for at the end of the season. Still chasing that top four
:06:49. > :06:50.spot. And in the FA Cup final now. I think the bigger issue is things
:06:51. > :06:53.like the interviews that we have just heard. Manchester United fans
:06:54. > :06:58.will be screaming at the television asking for Louis to be happy. We
:06:59. > :07:03.have got into an FA Cup final and we don't need to be complaining about
:07:04. > :07:06.fouls and this and that. It is almost that connection between a
:07:07. > :07:10.manager and the fans which is still a problem. Most of the fans don't
:07:11. > :07:14.really want him. How can they tell him to be happy when they are still
:07:15. > :07:21.grumpy? We have seen empty seats at Old Trafford. I find it interesting
:07:22. > :07:26.that a last-minute goal, and all the players are euphoric, and he comes
:07:27. > :07:31.on air and you don't see any of that elation. I find it very strange. To
:07:32. > :07:38.win a game at the death like that, you would think he would be
:07:39. > :07:40.delighted to come through that one, and Manchester United are used to
:07:41. > :07:46.winning trophies and they have put themselves in that position again to
:07:47. > :07:51.possibly do that. It is a balance between the quality of football and
:07:52. > :07:54.winning trophies. 2007, first FA Cup final for Manchester United, could
:07:55. > :07:59.be the first trophy for three years, and that is what matters, getting
:08:00. > :08:02.back on a level. Yes, but they also want to play entertaining football
:08:03. > :08:06.which is what the fans have always wanted. It is like the players
:08:07. > :08:10.themselves are taking responsibility and deciding whatever Louis van
:08:11. > :08:15.Gaal's pragmatic approach, they will take it on. Maybe Anthony Martial
:08:16. > :08:19.knows that he wants him to take it back to midfield, but he is going to
:08:20. > :08:21.take that guy on. They are taking their own responsibility with some
:08:22. > :08:26.of his structural guidance, don't get me wrong. Do you sometimes think
:08:27. > :08:31.you won't listen to the manager and he will just play the game? There is
:08:32. > :08:36.youthful exuberance. The fact they have those three young players up
:08:37. > :08:41.there, you know what it is like when there is no fear in a team and that
:08:42. > :08:47.is what these three are playing. They are going out there, they are
:08:48. > :08:51.fearless, and I think that is testament to the three of them. They
:08:52. > :08:55.are young players and they want to go out and play and try and score
:08:56. > :08:59.goals, and I think that has really helped Manchester United this
:09:00. > :09:11.season, certainly with rash that coming in and doing what he has
:09:12. > :09:16.done. -- Rashford. We have talked about this a lot, but today the
:09:17. > :09:19.Sunday Express says that Jose Mourinho will join Manchester
:09:20. > :09:24.United. They say he has agreed a deal. They will not announce it
:09:25. > :09:27.until the 21st of May, according to The Express. You got the impression
:09:28. > :09:33.watching that press conference with Louis van Gaal but he was very
:09:34. > :09:36.stagnated in answering. It comes from a newspaper in Portugal, who
:09:37. > :09:40.would have knowledge of Jose Mourinho's activities. We know he
:09:41. > :09:44.wants the job and we also know that he has been getting twitchy that
:09:45. > :09:52.there is no deal on the table. The link to PSG that came out in the
:09:53. > :09:56.week, that came from the Mendes camp. But from a Manchester United
:09:57. > :10:00.point of view, I suppose it has been difficult. If he had lost everybody,
:10:01. > :10:05.everybody might have put their hands up and asked for a different
:10:06. > :10:08.manager, but now they could be in a final and fourth in the Champions
:10:09. > :10:13.League and qualifying for that as well... It is difficult. Overall,
:10:14. > :10:17.you think change is coming. Let's touch on Wayne Rooney again. Keep
:10:18. > :10:30.your texts and tweets coming in. Martin says it was Wayne Rooney's
:10:31. > :10:32.best game for a long time and he should be a deeper role for his
:10:33. > :10:35.country and leave the quicker and more mobile players up front. Does
:10:36. > :10:38.he justify getting into the England team in that position? Look, for me,
:10:39. > :10:40.Wayne Rooney when he is fit and available as England's best player.
:10:41. > :10:43.Because of the talent that he has, he can play everywhere and anywhere
:10:44. > :10:48.and he has done that for Manchester United. Listen, before he got
:10:49. > :10:55.injured. Look at the form he was in. He was scoring goals. Then Harry
:10:56. > :10:58.Kane and Jamie Vardy have come to the forefront, scoring all the
:10:59. > :11:02.goals, and I think it was unfair on him a bit, because he was out.
:11:03. > :11:09.People were saying that he should not be in the team. He is England's
:11:10. > :11:13.captain. When you look at performances like that, you see the
:11:14. > :11:18.value that he has, not just for Manchester United but for England.
:11:19. > :11:23.Certainly I think he can play that role. It is up to Roy Hodgson
:11:24. > :11:31.ultimately to try to get the best team he can possibly for that. Shaun
:11:32. > :11:34.Custis, before the last World Cup we were talking about the difference
:11:35. > :11:39.between nine and ten and now it is eight, nine and ten and he will be
:11:40. > :11:45.playing in goal and an ex-World Cup! Apparently he is very good in goal!
:11:46. > :11:49.There will always be questions. There are always questions about
:11:50. > :11:53.whether he is fit, feeling all right, best position, striker, is he
:11:54. > :11:58.ten? And now it is a question of whether Roy Hodgson names as a
:11:59. > :12:01.midfielder and a striker. His goal threat rate is phenomenal. People
:12:02. > :12:08.always say you have got to start with Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy, and
:12:09. > :12:16.I think you have got to count in Wayne Rooney and Delhi Ali. Welbeck
:12:17. > :12:26.as well. It ebbs and flows and there could be twists and turns before we
:12:27. > :12:31.get to the Euros. He has next if you goals here and there, but he would
:12:32. > :12:36.think that pace is getting away from him and it is important to have that
:12:37. > :12:39.pace. We have seen the impact that Rashford has had, stretching teams
:12:40. > :12:42.and getting them going the other way. I think you get more goals out
:12:43. > :12:46.of Wayne Rooney in that attacking midfield position because he has the
:12:47. > :12:51.ability to time his running. He will find certain areas in and around the
:12:52. > :12:55.18 yard box, where he is deadly, by the way, where he will not be picked
:12:56. > :12:59.up, and it will be difficult for defenders to mark him. He could
:13:00. > :13:04.almost get that new lease of life that Ryan Giggs got when he came
:13:05. > :13:08.into the midfield position from being a winger. It is well he puts
:13:09. > :13:15.his hat on him and says that you are my man and you will play in that
:13:16. > :13:21.position. Or whether his manager put him in that position. In every
:13:22. > :13:25.tournament, Wayne Rooney seems to be the dominant question. Should we fit
:13:26. > :13:29.him in because he is out of form, injured, and now should we fit him
:13:30. > :13:33.in because he has lost one yard of pace? We really want to pick Wayne
:13:34. > :13:35.Rooney because there is no argument about whether he should start at all
:13:36. > :13:40.and we have not been in that position for a very long time. It is
:13:41. > :13:44.difficult for Roy Hodgson. I don't see why he doesn't play Delhi Ali
:13:45. > :13:52.and Harry Kane together. I don't see how he doesn't and that almost takes
:13:53. > :13:55.that position away. And Jamie Vardy? Don't get me wrong, some people
:13:56. > :14:00.would say it is a good problem, but if Wayne Rooney was not our captain
:14:01. > :14:04.it would be a good problem. We have talked about Manchester United, so
:14:05. > :14:12.now Everton. Roberto Martinez is also under pressure, just like Louis
:14:13. > :14:16.van Gaal. We play a very good side in Manchester United and we have got
:14:17. > :14:22.to congratulate them, but in a game where we reacted with incredible
:14:23. > :14:25.fire and togetherness, from a football point of view in the second
:14:26. > :14:32.half we were dominant. As good as you can see in any football game. It
:14:33. > :14:36.is hard to take, but the performance was proper, and a typical Everton
:14:37. > :14:40.response in the face of adversity. That is Roberto Martinez who says
:14:41. > :14:45.after that defeat that they can still win trophies under him. You
:14:46. > :14:53.guys have been getting in touch. This one from Ground. He says that
:14:54. > :14:59.he can win silverware, but not with Roberto Martinez in charge. And Ian
:15:00. > :15:03.says Everton are going backwards and struggling to win matches, never
:15:04. > :15:07.mind silverware. Did they produce a performance that would have helped
:15:08. > :15:10.their manager yesterday? Would we have seen more fight in a Merseyside
:15:11. > :15:27.derby? It was a buffoon is the managing
:15:28. > :15:32.needed to get out of his players. Ultimately they fell short -- it was
:15:33. > :15:35.a performance. You can see the fight in the players, they still have it,
:15:36. > :15:41.they still want to fight for the manager. Albeit for a Martial goal.
:15:42. > :15:48.And the lack of quality finishing from the likes of Romelu Lukaku.
:15:49. > :15:53.Rationale does Montaner 's face similar situation to Louis Van Gaal?
:15:54. > :15:56.Off yes, the fans are not happy with what is happening. They are within
:15:57. > :16:02.their rights to not be happy with some of the performances they have
:16:03. > :16:08.seen. Going back to the Liverpool game, it all hinged on a ten minute
:16:09. > :16:12.spell for Everton. In the early stages, 425 minutes, they were in
:16:13. > :16:19.the game. In the attacking third it was like they did not want to pass
:16:20. > :16:24.to other. It's just didn't happen. If that had knitted together it
:16:25. > :16:29.would have been a different game. Two goes after half-time and after
:16:30. > :16:34.that it is the, that's it, Martinez has to go. I thought, in the game
:16:35. > :16:38.yesterday, those players showed a lot of hand and spin it for their
:16:39. > :16:44.manager. I'm not sure it will be enough... The frustration is that it
:16:45. > :16:49.is a far better squad than are in the league. Especially when you see
:16:50. > :16:54.at Leicester and Tottenham at the top and, they think this squad was
:16:55. > :17:00.good enough to attack that and they haven't. If you don't live or work
:17:01. > :17:05.on Merseyside he concedes from afar, the media, and I don't just mean the
:17:06. > :17:10.newspapers, the TV and radio, they are against him. They don't think
:17:11. > :17:13.he's the one to turn it around. They think his previous track record
:17:14. > :17:21.shows he isn't the person to take on a good squad. Sometimes it has
:17:22. > :17:25.worked from home, he is stubborn, he has kept Kevin Mirallas on the bench
:17:26. > :17:30.all season, he plays his way or the highway. He is self-confident and
:17:31. > :17:38.that can be to your detriment sometimes. In terms of what is in
:17:39. > :17:42.the Sun, today, I wouldn't believe a word of that of course...
:17:43. > :17:48.LAUGHTER How realistic an appointment and
:17:49. > :17:53.Eddie Hobby? A great fit for a team like Everton. He would go in, sort
:17:54. > :17:57.them out, get the best out of players. He has once tried this
:17:58. > :18:02.outside Bournemouth, at Birmingham, it didn't work out and he went back
:18:03. > :18:09.to Burma. You wonder if Bournemouth has become his natural habitat. It's
:18:10. > :18:14.a big risk to take him out. And he likes to play a certain way and he
:18:15. > :18:22.has his own philosophy. Which links mostly to the next chapter. We've
:18:23. > :18:25.been talking about the FA Cup semifinal, Watford against Palace.
:18:26. > :18:30.If we talk about managers tailing off towards the end of the season
:18:31. > :18:41.and potentially Quique Sanchez Flores, winning the FA Cup may not
:18:42. > :18:45.be enough to save him. Let's concentrate on his Flores story. Can
:18:46. > :18:51.you believe that there is even talk of him being sacked? Definitely not.
:18:52. > :18:56.He's had a phenomenal season. I think none of us knew what to expect
:18:57. > :19:01.at the start of the season. The semifinal and safe in the Premier
:19:02. > :19:06.League, if I was a Watford fan, I would think, he's done such a good
:19:07. > :19:11.job, maybe he will move onto better. There's talk of a break clause in
:19:12. > :19:17.his contract. 12 months break clause. As a player that you would
:19:18. > :19:22.think if I can perform this year maybe I can go on to something
:19:23. > :19:26.better. I don't know the communications going on between
:19:27. > :19:32.Flores and Watford but from his point of view perhaps he is still
:19:33. > :19:35.looking elsewhere. There is clearly something not right in the Watford
:19:36. > :19:41.camp for these rumours to be circulating. Coming to fruition. I
:19:42. > :19:46.think it is important to understand that Watford at the start of the
:19:47. > :19:51.season was one of the teams picked for relegation. Look at the job he's
:19:52. > :19:57.done. The fact that they are in the semifinal, trying to win a trophy.
:19:58. > :20:01.It is just ludicrous nowadays, where you'll find clubs who have come up,
:20:02. > :20:10.done so well, for the manager to be in this position. I don't know
:20:11. > :20:14.whether it has come from his camp. Player power? A quote from Flores,
:20:15. > :20:19.he says Watford fans need to know that he is completely happy there.
:20:20. > :20:24.We looked at the stats. The first time they stayed in the top flight
:20:25. > :20:29.since 1987, the first time ever that have stayed in the Premier League
:20:30. > :20:33.for two consecutive seasons. A brilliant performance by ten 2-mac.
:20:34. > :20:39.I spoke to him at Christmas for half an hour and he was really happy
:20:40. > :20:44.there. -- a great performance by Flores. This change is the second
:20:45. > :20:50.half of the season which dropped off spectacularly. Relegation form since
:20:51. > :20:56.Christmas, when a goal and scored one goal, he used to ban them in for
:20:57. > :21:00.fun. Two players lose faith? And because players can and go at
:21:01. > :21:04.Watford is the regularly, there's a big turnaround of players in and out
:21:05. > :21:08.of the revolving door, is not hard to foster a base at Watford? Equally
:21:09. > :21:15.the question of him going to Valencia. They are looking for a new
:21:16. > :21:20.manager. He spent to be interested in a job like that, as a former
:21:21. > :21:24.player. So I understand slightly worried he might look elsewhere and
:21:25. > :21:28.why the owners might think so. It's always the tabloids who get accused
:21:29. > :21:32.of putting unfair pressure on the manager and now we get a considered
:21:33. > :21:40.piece from Sam in the Sunday Telegraph! He said he had the best
:21:41. > :21:44.coat and scarf combination! There that Watford dropped, if they
:21:45. > :21:47.continue that next season they could be in serious trouble, look at the
:21:48. > :21:52.weight Lester finished last season and have played this season. He
:21:53. > :21:56.compares the two. You can see the argument. Yet the evidence of why he
:21:57. > :22:02.should go seems then apart from trying to better himself at
:22:03. > :22:07.Valencia. From the perspective of the club, Sam says it is the model
:22:08. > :22:12.at Watford, they have to shock the system. It's what they do. They have
:22:13. > :22:18.feeder clubs and they bring in six or seven brand-new players. Maybe
:22:19. > :22:24.you manage it with a new feel for the club is something they need --
:22:25. > :22:30.maybe a new manager, it might just put them ever run the club. It might
:22:31. > :22:37.not be a case of, we are not happy with view, Flores, realistic to this
:22:38. > :22:41.model because it will keep us in the league. This semifinal is a huge
:22:42. > :22:49.opportunity for Watford and also the Palace. They've had a difficult one
:22:50. > :22:59.since Christmas, getting the win against Norwich a couple of weeks
:23:00. > :23:03.ago, was great for them. To almost be in a separate season in the FA
:23:04. > :23:08.Cup for Palace, the fact that they are winning these games but could
:23:09. > :23:15.not win any Premier League. It's such a great thing for the club. I
:23:16. > :23:27.know the club and the manager well. He will be gunning for silverware.
:23:28. > :23:33.It is great to see the likes of Palace and Watford in these
:23:34. > :23:39.competitions and the later stages, great for the FA Cup, a think. Great
:23:40. > :23:47.that we've got this club is going for silverware. Hopefully we'll have
:23:48. > :23:50.as good a game as we had yesterday between Everton and Manchester
:23:51. > :23:56.United and we will see who gets there. What is Alan Pardew like in
:23:57. > :24:02.the dressing room, and that sort of stage, does it change, the way he
:24:03. > :24:08.talks to the players? , He is a confident guy, confident in his
:24:09. > :24:12.ability and his players. Inspiring? Definitely. He exudes confidence and
:24:13. > :24:22.wants his players to play with confidence. The rain that they were
:24:23. > :24:26.and would have hurt him. -- and then that they were on. They've got a
:24:27. > :24:33.chance to make a major final now. He will believe that they are good
:24:34. > :24:36.enough to win the FA Cup. Two wobbly teens, Palace, and Watford, they
:24:37. > :24:41.know what a fantastic opportunity this is for both of them. Even with
:24:42. > :24:45.Manchester United in the final there is a chance to win the FA Cup
:24:46. > :24:50.because they know that Manchester United have not been consistent.
:24:51. > :24:54.Bernat have come into form yesterday but you might catch them on a bad
:24:55. > :24:56.taste and you've got a great chance to win the title. Not just this
:24:57. > :25:01.match. Let's turn our attentions
:25:02. > :25:03.to the Premier League. Newcastle came from 2-0 down to draw
:25:04. > :25:06.2-2 against Liverpool at Anfield. Rescued what could be a crucial
:25:07. > :25:07.point. Afterwards Rafa Benitez spoke
:25:08. > :25:17.to Simon Brotherton. A good eight days for Europe, ?5,
:25:18. > :25:23.the win against Swansea and applied against Liverpool. Yes, it was a
:25:24. > :25:27.crucial game for us, for the confidence of the players. City
:25:28. > :25:32.conceded a goal and reaction was also positive in terms of belief.
:25:33. > :25:42.This one could be the same. I don't know because it depends on the other
:25:43. > :25:48.games as well. 27th change in the players in the last week? Yes, they
:25:49. > :25:58.are quite professional and they work hard. -- Tony Sims change in Bernat?
:25:59. > :26:04.-- don't you sense a change in Bernat? They work hard every day, I
:26:05. > :26:10.am very pleased with them. We will be on BBC Two today with my guests,
:26:11. > :26:23.so absolutely the Newcastle collections! Jermaine, what impact
:26:24. > :26:28.has Benitez had? He is known for his tactical skills, one of the biggest
:26:29. > :26:32.things I have noticed is a mentality shift at the club. Players showing
:26:33. > :26:36.that dedication and spirit, that they obviously need. Listening to
:26:37. > :26:42.have come together, I don't know if they've had a kind of team meeting
:26:43. > :26:46.to say, this is what we need to do to stay in the league. But coming
:26:47. > :26:51.from the camp is a positive, when you see the players they seem to be
:26:52. > :26:55.singing from the same hymn sheet and a pint against Manchester City which
:26:56. > :26:58.should really have been three points, and applied against
:26:59. > :27:02.Liverpool yesterday which was huge, coming from two goes down. In the
:27:03. > :27:08.first half, Liverpool was in session. And a couple of changes,
:27:09. > :27:16.and it was just a different side -- in the first-half, Liverpool were
:27:17. > :27:22.sensational. He's given that club hope when most of us felt they were
:27:23. > :27:30.going. As well as a game is important. The Swansea game was
:27:31. > :27:34.important, such a big thing to win at home and then go into the
:27:35. > :27:42.Manchester City game will go down and then come back, all this builds
:27:43. > :27:47.momentum. They really had to dig deep in the second half yesterday.
:27:48. > :27:50.The fact that they had come back just days before against Manchester
:27:51. > :27:57.City, they will have got belief from that. As Jermaine said, tactically,
:27:58. > :28:00.what the manager is trying to implement will take time low
:28:01. > :28:07.hopefully we'll see the fruits of that. An interesting discussion
:28:08. > :28:11.yesterday that people have decided that Newcastle went two of their
:28:12. > :28:19.last three games! It could be over for Spurs, Newcastle won seven games
:28:20. > :28:23.in the league season, where do we suddenly think they went two of
:28:24. > :28:28.their last three? I am sorry, I have supported them a long time and they
:28:29. > :28:34.always let you down! It is to order, whatever you say with those last
:28:35. > :28:41.three games, it's tough to stay up. Scoring the goals. They don't seem
:28:42. > :28:48.to come easy, the goals. All the hard work within the team. It is
:28:49. > :28:53.nice to see her paces back because he is a genuine goal-scorer, as much
:28:54. > :28:59.as Mitrovic gives you, he doesn't have the fox in a box style yet. I
:29:00. > :29:09.think that will make a big difference in those games. How many
:29:10. > :29:12.gays... Hanging will have had a draw against Manchester City and
:29:13. > :29:16.Liverpool? This is something the players can hold onto, the manager
:29:17. > :29:23.has come in and changed the mentality of those players, the game
:29:24. > :29:29.from -- the confidence gained from the last three games will hold him
:29:30. > :29:32.in good stead for the next three. Are as frustrated as Alan Shearer
:29:33. > :29:40.was that they didn't get rid of Steve McClaren earlier? In hindsight
:29:41. > :29:45.it is easy to sit here and say that. Certainly they've got themselves, in
:29:46. > :29:50.Rafa Benitez, a top manager, who's got the credentials in the Premier
:29:51. > :29:55.League, whether or not they have done it too late, only time will
:29:56. > :30:02.tell. Being a Newcastle fan myself, it is frustrating to Xavi change
:30:03. > :30:09.that has happened under Benitez. Why could it not have happened earlier?-
:30:10. > :30:12.back frustrating to see that. Suppose Newcastle go down on goal
:30:13. > :30:18.difference or by one point and then Benitez goes and you have to start
:30:19. > :30:22.again? That if he could be persuaded to stay and build something for the
:30:23. > :30:27.long-term, something Newcastle haven't done for so long, would he
:30:28. > :30:28.be able to swallow his pride and to a year in the Championship and come
:30:29. > :30:40.back? How long have we got to talk about
:30:41. > :30:49.Mike Ashley? Shall we move on? On to Liverpool! Mamadou Sakho is being
:30:50. > :30:52.investigated by Uefa for a failed drugs test, which happened after the
:30:53. > :31:02.Manchester United Europa League game. We are hearing it is a fact
:31:03. > :31:07.burn it similar to Yaya Toure, who was banned in 2011. Possibly a 12
:31:08. > :31:12.month ban for Mamadou Sakho. Can you believe it has come to that? I can't
:31:13. > :31:20.believe players are daft enough to take medication of their own without
:31:21. > :31:25.checking with the club doctor. And what on earth is a fat burner and
:31:26. > :31:29.why would you take one? I was always in the fortunate position of being
:31:30. > :31:35.absolutely ripped, so I was fine! They were chasing me! This is a new
:31:36. > :31:41.thing, as far as I am concerned. When I was playing, fat burners were
:31:42. > :31:45.nonexistent. Whenever you took any type of medication, it always came
:31:46. > :31:49.from the club doctor. I wrote a piece recently and I had a bit of a
:31:50. > :31:57.laugh with it with a few journalists about how scared I was to take
:31:58. > :32:02.Lemsip. They will go crazy on the Lemsip now that I have retired! But
:32:03. > :32:06.that is the situation you get into. Paracetamol and water, no matter how
:32:07. > :32:10.ill you are. I remember the cup final against Chelsea. I did not
:32:11. > :32:14.sleep. I slept for one hour before the game. I was up all night. I
:32:15. > :32:18.couldn't sleep, ill, and the doctor came up and gave me water and
:32:19. > :32:24.paracetamol and that was my lot. No matter what. I am perplexed in this
:32:25. > :32:31.day and age with all the media scrutiny, substance abuse not just
:32:32. > :32:37.in football but in sport, that players... Mamadou Sakho is taking
:32:38. > :32:42.stuff like this without thinking about the consequences. There might
:32:43. > :32:47.be rugby players watching today. In rugby, you can take a certain type
:32:48. > :32:54.of fat burner. It is batch tested, and presumably the same in football,
:32:55. > :32:57.but he has until Tuesday to request analysis of his sample. There is
:32:58. > :33:02.speculation over what type of substance it was. The fact that it
:33:03. > :33:07.has come to this, and it is this unknown area and he doesn't know.
:33:08. > :33:10.Exactly. Certainly a lot of footballers don't necessarily look
:33:11. > :33:16.at what substances are banned. There are so many out there. For me, you
:33:17. > :33:22.have got to talk to your team doctor. Make sure that everything
:33:23. > :33:28.you are taking, all the supplements that you are putting in your body,
:33:29. > :33:33.that they are legal. It is a very silly situation that he finds
:33:34. > :33:38.himself in. He could get up to two years, they say. It is the impact on
:33:39. > :33:41.the club as well. He has been playing really well and he is
:33:42. > :33:46.pivotal to everything that has been good about his club for the last
:33:47. > :33:50.three months. These next couple are just so important. They are possibly
:33:51. > :33:55.going to be in the European semifinals, and to have him missing,
:33:56. > :33:59.it is just a headache that you don't need as a club and you expect a
:34:00. > :34:03.player to behave far more responsibly. What do you make of the
:34:04. > :34:09.way Liverpool have handled it? Very efficient. Absolutely and they
:34:10. > :34:12.almost had the option to play him yesterday because of Uefa but they
:34:13. > :34:18.took the sensible decision and they work right white to do that. -- they
:34:19. > :34:22.were quite right to do that. They will be fuming with him and rightly
:34:23. > :34:29.so because you don't expect a player to be that daft in this day and age.
:34:30. > :34:33.Arsenal against Sunderland kicks off at 2:05pm today. A point for
:34:34. > :34:36.Sunderland take them out of the bottom three that they have a
:34:37. > :34:44.dreadful record against Arsenal, just one win. Arsenal have got to
:34:45. > :34:48.prove themselves. They are going through a tough period within their
:34:49. > :34:52.own club and their own fans, so they will want to put on a big
:34:53. > :34:56.performance. Sunderland have got games in hand, but Arsenal at home,
:34:57. > :35:02.it is as tough as it gets, to be honest. If they can take one point,
:35:03. > :35:05.that will be great for them, but there are three Newcastle heads
:35:06. > :35:12.sitting on the table so good luck with that! I will balance it out for
:35:13. > :35:16.you, Sunderland fans! When we look at Jermain Defoe, we look at how
:35:17. > :35:20.important his goals have been for Sunderland but he hasn't scored
:35:21. > :35:28.since the 2nd of January. His last seven have been away from home. What
:35:29. > :35:38.is that about? When they play away from home, you set up differently.
:35:39. > :35:43.That might suit Jermaine, it's sitting back, as opposed to being at
:35:44. > :35:50.home when they are the team looking to push on. That might suit him, and
:35:51. > :35:56.we all know that Jermain likes to run off the back of a defender. Did
:35:57. > :36:02.you ever get in that situation when you prefer to be away from home?
:36:03. > :36:07.Certainly, with the pressure they are under, and the position they are
:36:08. > :36:13.in, playing at home, maybe they feel under a bit more pressure to try and
:36:14. > :36:21.win games. That can be detrimental for performances. When you go away
:36:22. > :36:26.from home, the home team is expected to win, so that might suit the way
:36:27. > :36:31.that Sunderland and Jermain Defoe play. Off the bottom three fighting
:36:32. > :36:39.it out, they have the best goal-scorer, Sunderland. And as a
:36:40. > :36:42.team, we know that he might get one, but you can't say that about Norwich
:36:43. > :36:46.and Newcastle where is Jermain Defoe has been there and done it. He is
:36:47. > :36:52.possibly not Sam Allardyce's ideal type of man as a striker. He would
:36:53. > :36:55.probably prefer a bigger guy to take the knock-downs and Sam Allardyce
:36:56. > :37:00.himself has had to adapt to the way Jermain Defoe feed the ball, but he
:37:01. > :37:05.has proved that he can find a way to go, no matter what the tactics are.
:37:06. > :37:09.And he still looks as fit and sharp as ever. When you think he went off
:37:10. > :37:12.to Canada and we thought that was that and he came back and when he
:37:13. > :37:24.came back he wanted to play for England again and we thought, yeah.
:37:25. > :37:29.I have played with him so I can imagine what it is like! But he put
:37:30. > :37:36.in the work. He said to Sam, stick this lad here. I saw him, being back
:37:37. > :37:39.in Newcastle, and you look at him and he is so hungry and that is the
:37:40. > :37:45.thing with him, he always has been hungry for goals. He is going to
:37:46. > :37:54.look 20 when he is 50. Yes. He breathes, lives the goals. That can
:37:55. > :38:01.only stand Sunderland in good stead. And a question for you. Acceptable
:38:02. > :38:07.second place? When you see Leicester and Tottenham playing and occupying
:38:08. > :38:11.the top two spot, you think Tottenham should have done it. It is
:38:12. > :38:15.so long since they have won the Premier League. And Arsene Wenger
:38:16. > :38:18.said it is embarrassing that Arsenal are not above Spurs and Leicester.
:38:19. > :38:27.The accent is a criticism from the fans but he sounds like a broken
:38:28. > :38:31.record. ! He accepts the criticism. He says we were a bit tired today.
:38:32. > :38:35.Arsenal fans have got fed up with that and they want to hit a new
:38:36. > :38:40.message, a different approach. You are looking at me and thinking how
:38:41. > :38:45.can I dare suggest that Arsene Wenger should go, but the mood is
:38:46. > :38:48.really not great and there are a lot of empty seats and the fans are
:38:49. > :38:55.waiting to see if the board will make a big decision and change it.
:38:56. > :39:03.Many Arsenal fans will say that it has always been the plan for the
:39:04. > :39:11.contract to run out and let them go, let him go with dignity. I said
:39:12. > :39:15.second place earlier. With the demise of Chelsea and Manchester
:39:16. > :39:19.City not quite producing, this was the year that we thought Arsenal
:39:20. > :39:26.would step up. And it was looking like it at one stage. Earlier in the
:39:27. > :39:29.season, we thought they would. The problem is they are not really in
:39:30. > :39:36.contention to be chasing for it. A lot of Arsenal fans would be like,
:39:37. > :39:39.right, so long as we are going for it, that is acceptable. The worst
:39:40. > :39:42.thing I have heard from Arsenal fans of late is that they would prefer to
:39:43. > :39:46.finish outside the top four because that is the only thing to get Arsene
:39:47. > :39:51.Wenger sacked, which I think is unbelievable. Lots more to talk
:39:52. > :39:55.about. If you watched Match Of The Day last night, you might have heard
:39:56. > :40:01.this. Edit and hazard, the Chelsea midfielder, who scored two goals,
:40:02. > :40:09.his first in the Premier League. -- Eden Hazard. We have four games to
:40:10. > :40:16.play and we cannot be in a Champions League next season. We must get
:40:17. > :40:19.ready for next season. I get the sense that your supporters don't
:40:20. > :40:27.want Tottenham to win the league. We don't! The fans, the clubs, the
:40:28. > :40:32.players, we don't want Tottenham to win the Premier League but in
:40:33. > :40:35.football you never know. We are hoping for Leicester because they
:40:36. > :40:45.deserve to be champions this season, but we will see. We had a good game
:40:46. > :40:49.to come next week. Look at Jermaine Jenas's face! You have been getting
:40:50. > :40:53.in touch about those comments. Mark says it will motivate Spurs players
:40:54. > :40:57.even more. How embarrassing that Chelsea's season is about stopping
:40:58. > :41:00.Spurs winning the title. The fact that beating Tottenham would be
:41:01. > :41:04.their biggest achievement shows that Eden Hazard has no interest in
:41:05. > :41:10.Chelsea and no professionalism and he has got to move on. An exciting
:41:11. > :41:14.new future for Chelsea. He has said what everyone else is thinking. And
:41:15. > :41:20.has there ever been such a dramatic fall in one season in the Premier
:41:21. > :41:26.League? Let's cut those two things up. He is not going to sit there and
:41:27. > :41:31.say that he wants Spurs to win the league, come on! It is what
:41:32. > :41:35.everybody knows. There is obvious rivalry between Chelsea and Spurs. I
:41:36. > :41:39.am pretty sure that most of the league, most of the London clubs,
:41:40. > :41:46.would prefer a letter to win the title. Going into the game, I know
:41:47. > :41:49.it will be a good game and so on, but if Spurs keep doing what they
:41:50. > :41:54.are doing now, I don't give Chelsea a chance in that game anyway. We
:41:55. > :42:02.will see. As Martin Keogh said last night, if Eden Hazard had had last
:42:03. > :42:04.season's season, he could have got away with comments like that but
:42:05. > :42:11.most fans will think that he hasn't really performed this season. We
:42:12. > :42:16.know what happened at Chelsea. It is unbelievable that you can go from
:42:17. > :42:19.being the best player in the league to that. We don't know what is
:42:20. > :42:22.happening behind the scene. There have been changes of manager and you
:42:23. > :42:26.don't know what happens in the dressing room but it has been a
:42:27. > :42:33.tough season for Eden Hazard and for him to come out with that comment, I
:42:34. > :42:37.just find it unbelievable, really. Surely he should be focusing on what
:42:38. > :42:43.he can do for Chelsea and forget about the other clubs. You wonder if
:42:44. > :42:47.he had his head turned with talk of Real Madrid. You would know. When a
:42:48. > :42:53.club is coming in for you, you have heard word that they are coming in,
:42:54. > :42:57.how does it affect you on the pitch? It can affect you, it can, but it
:42:58. > :43:02.depends where you are at and which club you are at. Eden Hazard is at a
:43:03. > :43:08.top club competing at the top level in the Champions League. I am pretty
:43:09. > :43:13.sure his contract is very healthy. He is at Chelsea Football Club, not
:43:14. > :43:29.at a lower team. For example we have had issues in the past. For example
:43:30. > :43:37.Wanyama getting chased by Spurs. He is not a dyed in the wool Chafee fan
:43:38. > :43:45.-- Chelsea fan. He may just want to move on. It is more of symbol. -- it
:43:46. > :43:49.is more simple. He had that phenomenal season last year and this
:43:50. > :43:52.year special attention will have been placed on him from every single
:43:53. > :43:57.team to make sure they shut him down. Putting in specific players
:43:58. > :44:00.just to shut him down to make sure he does nothing. And that mixed in
:44:01. > :44:10.with the fact that Chelsea from top to bottom basically fell apart as a
:44:11. > :44:13.club, and couldn't but the performances together, that weighed
:44:14. > :44:17.heavily on his shoulders. They wanted Eden Hazard to save them and
:44:18. > :44:23.he didn't have the answers. With the start that the club had, confidence
:44:24. > :44:28.was down. I don't care who you are, confidence plays a major part in
:44:29. > :44:33.what we do. Obviously he has had a lack of confidence this season. He
:44:34. > :44:36.has shown it in his performances. I think the fact that they are playing
:44:37. > :44:44.left in the last game of the season will be thrown at them for the next
:44:45. > :44:51.three weeks. -- playing Leicester. We are not killjoys. We want some
:44:52. > :44:56.fun, in a post-match interview, because I do them and they sent me
:44:57. > :45:02.to sleep. Your man certainly led him into it, invited him to hang
:45:03. > :45:05.himself. In that match this afternoon, you get the feeling there
:45:06. > :45:10.are bigger tests to come for Leicester City. Manchester, Everton,
:45:11. > :45:20.Chelsea, they need to slip up and force base to win. When you expect
:45:21. > :45:23.them to win is when you get nervous. Gladio Raney Airey said for the
:45:24. > :45:26.first time this week that they have got to believe that they can win. --
:45:27. > :45:39.cloudier Renny This can change the mindset. Why
:45:40. > :45:41.change anything? It has gone so well. Three games to go, so why not
:45:42. > :45:56.go for it? After the late goal they got the
:45:57. > :46:01.feeling was good but now they know they will not have Jamie Vardy for a
:46:02. > :46:06.couple of games. Maybe he thinks, and must change the record, Latin
:46:07. > :46:10.and up, and the lads might have said, I like that, others might have
:46:11. > :46:15.gone, no, I don't know if we can deal with this. He will have had
:46:16. > :46:22.that feeling day in day out and he's made that decision. Wearing your
:46:23. > :46:25.striker's hat, how will this affect the way that teams play against
:46:26. > :46:31.Leicester because they won't have Jamie Vardy and he has been so
:46:32. > :46:37.pivotal. Opposition defences have always been scared off the pace he
:46:38. > :46:42.has. I think teams they will play can set up differently. Having Jamie
:46:43. > :46:46.there, running behind and harrying players, he has been a major factor
:46:47. > :46:52.in the success of Leicester this season. So I think it is important
:46:53. > :46:56.to note that it could have an adverse effect on the Leicester
:46:57. > :47:02.team. That goes back probably to what Claudio Ranieri said this week
:47:03. > :47:07.to give the players some belief. With Jamie Vardy being out, maybe to
:47:08. > :47:14.change the way they are looking at the games, and hopefully, we all
:47:15. > :47:19.know he is a top manager... You have to trust his instincts, it has gone
:47:20. > :47:25.so well so far. Yes, there is no doubt it will be a big loss, not
:47:26. > :47:29.having Jamie Vardy. Some people would say it would be a bigger loss
:47:30. > :47:33.of they didn't have somebody like Wes Morgan, don't get me wrong, from
:47:34. > :47:38.an attacking aspect they might lose a little but what has carried them
:47:39. > :47:42.for the last month is the back four. Without Jamie Vardy there will have
:47:43. > :47:46.to play differently. They won't be able to hit that ball through the
:47:47. > :47:52.middle because the striker won't have the pace. You are relying on an
:47:53. > :47:56.experienced manager to find a way of playing differently to get the
:47:57. > :48:00.results. They have got the results and hopefully that will hold them in
:48:01. > :48:07.good stead because every question that has been asked of them, they
:48:08. > :48:13.have been answered. If you are just tuning in, that is the voice of
:48:14. > :48:21.Shola Ameobi. Jermaine and Shaun Custis with us now. Our viewers have
:48:22. > :48:26.been getting in touch, saying, silencers, I think Leicester will be
:48:27. > :48:30.OK today but the best they can hope for is to draw with Manchester
:48:31. > :48:36.United. Manager says that those will do it, they have been the best team
:48:37. > :48:46.all season and finally have a great chance and momentum is with them.
:48:47. > :48:50.And the Spurs challenge, you will be at White Hart Lane on Monday, to see
:48:51. > :48:55.them play westbound. There's only one thing, they can do what they are
:48:56. > :49:00.doing and hope for a slip-up. The beauty of Spurs is that they are
:49:01. > :49:03.peaking at the right time. I was listening to some of the interviews
:49:04. > :49:08.with some of the players before and after the game with Stoke City. They
:49:09. > :49:12.can't wait to get out of the blocks. They can't wait to show these teams
:49:13. > :49:23.what they are capable of. You have got players like Lamela was having a
:49:24. > :49:29.resurgence towards the end of the season when some are tired. I've
:49:30. > :49:33.tried to find weaknesses and you struggle. That balances with, what
:49:34. > :49:38.have West Brom got to play for? I think Spurs will be too powerful for
:49:39. > :49:42.West Bromwich on Monday. Although it all depends on what Leicester City
:49:43. > :49:52.do today. That will affect Spurs whether they like it or not. Is the
:49:53. > :49:56.difference, Shaun, that Leicester could have finished in the bottom
:49:57. > :50:01.ten of the Premier League, and next season, Spurs will be challenging
:50:02. > :50:05.game if they keep their manager? Even Claudio Ranieri seems to feel
:50:06. > :50:10.it is now or never for Leicester. He does not expect this again next
:50:11. > :50:15.season especially if they've got Champions League commitments, which
:50:16. > :50:18.they will have. This is their once-in-a-lifetime chance. And you
:50:19. > :50:22.sense with Spurs but they could be going on, going forward. Although as
:50:23. > :50:27.to wander from the point of view of Spurs, they would be pretty crushed,
:50:28. > :50:30.if they miss out this season will that knotted them a bit because they
:50:31. > :50:36.will know that possibly they were the better side and they didn't do
:50:37. > :50:41.it. Like Liverpool. If you look at the stats, they on the one in
:50:42. > :50:46.everything. Apart from the important thing! It will hurt than 100%. I
:50:47. > :50:51.think there will be a feeling, not exactly that it is
:50:52. > :50:56.once-in-a-lifetime for Spurs but it was easier to do it this year than
:50:57. > :50:59.it will be next. Look at teams like Manchester United and Chelsea, they
:51:00. > :51:07.will be back in there and it will be even harder. Look at what Liverpool
:51:08. > :51:10.did. When they should have won the league. Look at the way they fell
:51:11. > :51:16.off next season and Brendan Rodgers lost his job. As much as we say it
:51:17. > :51:23.is now or never for Leicester, think it is the same for Spurs. If they do
:51:24. > :51:27.it they can win more. The kick-off at five past two in the Premier
:51:28. > :51:30.League is Sunderland against Arsenal, let's get the team news.
:51:31. > :51:33.Let's head to the Stadium of Light where Alastair Yeomans has the team
:51:34. > :51:42.Only one defeat in six games for Sunderland and Arsenal haven't
:51:43. > :51:46.changed from the team that beat West Brom on Thursday. Jack Wilshere is
:51:47. > :51:50.on the bench, significantly. This first appearance at the senior side
:51:51. > :51:57.this season after he broke his leg. Good news for Arsenal and for
:51:58. > :52:03.England. Thank you. Updates on five live. That will kick-off at five
:52:04. > :52:14.past two. We've only got a couple of minutes left, Shola, it's a big one,
:52:15. > :52:17.Manchester City beating Stoke 4-0 yesterday, Iheanacho hazards and
:52:18. > :52:23.stick this season and nobody seems to want to celebrate with an -- he's
:52:24. > :52:27.had some stick. Yet in 11 goals in eight starts, with Pep Guardiola
:52:28. > :52:33.coming in, a player you would want to keep, even on the periphery. What
:52:34. > :52:39.phenomenal statistics. Most every time he shoots, he scores. And for
:52:40. > :52:43.Manchester City, with all the money they have spent to be able to
:52:44. > :52:48.produce young players coming through is testament to what they believe
:52:49. > :52:53.in. The fact that you've got a young player like that, being able to come
:52:54. > :52:59.on, and Manchester City are always going to create chances, you have to
:53:00. > :53:02.take those chances. Look at all the press that has been behind Marcus
:53:03. > :53:07.Rashford and the young players at Manchester United. He has probably
:53:08. > :53:13.scored more goals than Russia and this season, -- then Marcus
:53:14. > :53:18.Rashford, this season, without playing as many games. If you meet
:53:19. > :53:25.him in the area is that a big difference? Know, everyone matures
:53:26. > :53:34.at different times. He's got a long way to go. He's young. He can find
:53:35. > :53:42.the back of the net. As a young striker, all that City are trying to
:53:43. > :53:46.do can only be good. Shola, thank you, Shola Ameobi, Shaun Custis,
:53:47. > :53:50.Jermaine Jenas, thank you, remember, Leicester against Swansea later.
:53:51. > :53:52.You can hear Watford v Palace on Sports Extra.
:53:53. > :53:55.Match of the Day 2 is on BBC One tonight -
:53:56. > :53:57.Jermaine will be back alongside Charlie Adam.
:53:58. > :54:00.Whatever you are doing and this Sunday afternoon, have a good one,
:54:01. > :54:01.and we will see you later.