27/04/2014 MOTD2 Extra

Hello and welcome to MOTD two Extra. A massive afternoon in the

Premiership where Liverpool could move closer to the title with a win

over Chelsea Old Oak City will look to keep up the pressure at Crystal

Palace. Speaking of pressure, Ryan Giggs didn't feel it yesterday.

With me in the studio, Mark Lawrenson, Amy Lawrence, football

writer for the Guardian, and Ben Smith from BBC Sport. And we want

you to get in touch, as ever. Before we get the thoughts of everybody in

the studio, let us go to the Stadium Of Light. The first game is around

15 minutes all, Sunderland against Cardiff, being watched by Alistair

Young. It is very tense, 0-0, in front of a

full house at the Stadium Of Light. The tension is very high, Sunderland

might have had a penalty after three minutes, a corner, hitting the arm

of Theophile-Catherine. But no penalty given by the referee. Cowie

is playing his first game since February 22. His body, just wide of

the post. Plenty of updates throughout. The

2pm game is at Anfield, Liverpool against Chelsea. How nervous will it

be there? I don't think it will be nervous.

The way Liverpool are playing at the moment, there won't be any nerves.

Footballers will say they are tired but, because they are playing so

well, they play every single day will stop they are blowing teams

away. Even against Chelsea, as good a side as Chelsea. Amy, what do you

expect? I see where you are coming from but

a bit of me can't help thinking Jose Mourinho has been replaying the game

against Manchester City, to see if he can engineer something similar.

How do you see it? I think Liverpool will start quickly. I think Matic

and Mikel will sit in the back four, an area where Liverpool are strong.

If they can fill that space, they have half a chance. 15 goals in the

first 50 minutes in the majority of their games this season. A

remarkable statistic. Mourinho spoke at a press conference on Friday, the

anticipation was he would have to be cautious to deal with this and not

be cavalier. He thought for a moment, and said, if we have the

kick-off, the ball has to go forward! We will show you some of

that rather odd press conference in a little while.

Let us go to Anfield. I am told, and good afternoon, by the way. I am

told the atmosphere outside is quite something at the moment?

I have been coming to Anfield for 30 years, and I have never experienced

an atmosphere like this, it has been building up through the past month.

The fans feel this is the big one. They have been here for hours

already, the team will be arriving any minute. The atmosphere is

electric. Why is it like that? You would

normally expect after such a long time without the title, for there to

be nervous. Everything we are hearing is that it is not nerves but

sheer excitement and enjoyment? It is also belief.

As a football fan, when you look at 18, you know when that team belongs

in the title race. Liverpool belong where they are. The is bleak it can

happen. Previously when Liverpool were second, people might not have

believed it could be done. But people are waiting for that big

party. It is looking more and more likely. Do you expect them to blow

Chelsea await this afternoon as they have done with so many other sites?

I heard you in the studio that you can't believe Jose Mourinho doesn't

have a plan. My big question is can anyone stop Liverpool when they are

at their best? Regardless of who they are playing, I regard -- I

think Liverpool just have too much. Our commentator for that game is

Steve Wilson. Somebody offered to buy his pass! We don't know who will

be commentating! I went to the Tottenham game the

other week, and I was there three hours before. I have never seen so

many people there. Old Trafford is like that on a match day, so many

hours before. Three hours, it was packed outside. Against Manchester

City, they were lining up, waiting for the coach. It doesn't seem to be

pressure with Liverpool. They seem to be embracing and thriving on it.

Steve Pieters has suddenly had an impact. Whatever it, they are

incredibly relaxed. He looks after Ronnie O'Sullivan, doesn't he?

Is there any sense of complacency? With so much attention on this game.

Still Crystal Palace away on Monday. If we're not talking about nurse

now, we might be, I know it is Newcastle at home, with all due

respect to them, when you are going for the title, in the final game, at

home? I don't think so. There is a momentum now. It feels like there is

a crest of the wave and nobody wants it to crash. People are enjoying

that right. If you are lucky enough to experience that especially waited

this long. There is something really beautiful which is giving people so

much buoyancy. The other thing is, Liverpool fans

have seen great teams, players and managers. They know they have a

really, really good side which is why there is excitement. Talking

about enjoyment and excitement, you might see the difference in

enthusiasm in these next two clips we will play you. First of all, in a

moment, we will hear from Brendan Rodgers. This extraordinary press

conference on Friday. We start with the answer after being asked whether

he was pleased or disappointed about the Chelsea fixture schedule.

You want me to laugh or to cry? Just the truth.

I can say, I can't say the truth because I don't feel free. And your

potential team selection? That is private. Is it your intention to

name the usual team? Private. The most important thing for me is my

club. And the supporters of my club. I think Chelsea fans would like for

Chelsea football club to be respected and get the respect it

deserves. There are certainly no mind games on behalf of myself. He

knows me well enough to know it wouldn't bother me what anyone says

or does or tried to say. I have seen some stuff written. It is hugely

disrespectful to some of their players. If they are deemed to be

the weaker ones in the squad, what ever team they will put at all costs

more money than ours and will be more experienced than ours. So, as I

said, it is difficult, because they have got the game in the week. If

they played the same team on Sunday and Wednesday, there is a cost to

that. We saw that with Manchester City, when they played us, it was

intense. We worked tirelessly, we were aggressive in our defence.

Manuel felt on the Wednesday when they played Sunderland they had a

real cost and they ended up drawing the game. I am sure Jose Mourinho

will not want to go down that route. In terms of mind games, it is not

something that affects me. Martin Richmond has said should Chelsea be

allowed to field a weakened team? You can answer that question, Ben

Smith. I have seen a goal has gone in at the Stadium Of Light.

It is that man again, Connor Wickham, four goals in 2.5 games. A

corner from the left, Wickham kept his head down brilliantly.

Sunderland have taken the lead. I will come back to my question in a

minute. On Connor Wickham, does this show, if you play someone upfront

consistently and allow him to develop a rhythm, he will eventually

deliver? Yes. The idea of sending him on

loan, they didn't think he was ready. They had to give him that

game time. He has almost become Hobson 's choice. It is working for

him and great for Sunderland. He is a lad who has always had lots of

promise but never delivered. Now we are seeing it. It must be difficult.

The same as with Ross Barkley. Two different clubs, on loan, a month

here. It must be difficult. He was so highly rated as a youngster. A

lot of people watched him when he was emerging, playing for England at

youth level. It was almost a race, who would get this great kid. His

progress has been so stop, start. Like you say, Sunderland, Altidore

has struggled for goals this year. They have had to try something. It

is amazing he is so confident. It depends what you say as a manager, I

want you to come back with experience and I will put you in an

-- the team. They would be three points behind

Aston Villa. And would have played the same number of games. Can you

remember my question? Jose Mourinho and weakened teams. I am not buying

this from Mourinho. I have no doubt he will rest some players, because

of injury. He will love this situation. Going to Anfield where

everybody expects Liverpool to blow them away, he will love that.

Everything he says and does he for a reason. If his attempt is there to

make Liverpool perhaps think they might have an easier ride, even if

it affects the fans which it does not appear to have done, or if it

affects the team in a timely way. I don't think it will work. As it

Liverpool will have too much but he will try absolutely everything. He

can't moan about having to play Tuesday, Sunday, Wednesday. They are

successful. It is what they train for. He loves this. He can't tell me

he doesn't want to be in this situation. He wants to be in the

thick of it. If they can somehow get a win today. Perhaps City slip up at

Goodison. I still think he thinks he can win both. I think he has gone in

a strange place psychologically. You were at the press conference. This

is the one situation where Mourinho wasn't trying to do things for

effect. You got the feeling, I have never seen for years, a manager in

such a volatile, strange mood. Very peculiar. He reacted badly to almost

everything thrown at him, even questions which were quite gentle,

routine questions. He was tired. He was very strange and argumentative.

A couple of weeks ago, he was looking at what was in front of him.

Manchester City drop those points at Sunderland. The Champions League was

very much possible. I think you look at his team and thought, we can do

this. The result last weekend has knocked his plans. He is taking it

badly. Jose Mourinho is not used to having a season where he does not

win something. The first time it happened in a decade was at Real

Madrid. He called that a failure. He feels he needs a trophy to justify

his managerial season. From all your years of watching Jose Mourinho, do

you think this is different to previous years of creating this

siege mentality which he did that Inter Milan and Real Madrid? You

think it is different this time? I think he is trying to create a siege

mentality. But if everything went very well for him, he wants to be

the first man to win the Champions League with three different clubs.

That is a massive for objective for him. When you look at this game

against Liverpool, you have to look at it in conjunction with the

Atletico Madrid game. Has Jose Mourinho ever given up a game in his

life? You cannot tell me he is thinking, we will let Liverpool have

this one. I know he likes Brendan Rodgers, but there is no way he is

giving up that game. He wants to be the first man who has won the

Champions League three times with three different clubs. He has still

not got over the Garcia goal. Seriously, he has not. Ryan says

that I believe that the Liverpool -Chelsea game will be a draw today.

We should not forget Manchester City on this. No. I was there at West

Brom on Monday night. I did not think that that crowd thought that

they were going to win the championship. It was very subdued.

Without David Silva, he is 30% of their team. He is such a great

player. If the result was Manchester City's way at Anfield today, it

opens it up. Yes, but I just think that Liverpool are playing so well.

It does not matter who they are playing. Michael in the West

Midlands says, it pains me to say that Liverpool are brimming with

self-confidence. Those attributes will win you any title. Jose

Mourinho once the title more, but the title is... I do not understand

that last line. I do not know what it says. If you're a Manchester

United fan, who would you want to win the league, between Manchester

City and Liverpool? In that situation, I think most would prefer

Manchester City to win the title. Interesting. It will be a bad

summer. They have plenty to think about. We will speak about that

shortly. Will this be a failure for Manchester City if they do not win

the title? I think they have got the trophy that Pellegrini set out to

win at the start of the season. Last year, all we were talking about was

Manchester City. It feels like a much calmer, steadier ship. That is

an achievement in itself. But having spent the money that they did last

season, I think it is something of a failure. Perhaps they have let it

slip. It was there as the win. It started to slip around the time that

Negredo picked up his first injury. He did not come back fully fit. They

always seem slightly unsettled. Yes, it is funny, because before

Liverpool got going, you look at the four attacking options at Manchester

City and you could not see anyone stopping them. The debate was what

is the best striking partnership? Yes, Negredo, they have missed them.

Would you expect them to splash the cash this summer. Will they be

allowed to? We will find out in May. I think they will tweak things

rather than rebuilding things. They have got the quality. It is just a

matter of getting it out of the players. There is no reason why they

cannot win the league next year. We are here for your points of view.

Have Cardiff responded to going one goal down at the Stadium Of Light?

If anything, Sunderland have come closest to scoring a second. Jack

Colback collected the ball outside the penalty area. He almost added to

Connor Wickham's goal. It is 1-0 to Sunderland. All is well in the world

at the Stadium Of Light. They are out of the bottom three. Do

you know who Manchester United played yesterday at Old Trafford,

because there does not seem to be much mention of them on television

or in the newspapers? There is hardly any mention of that game from

Norwich City point of view, and it was crucial. For 40 minutes, Norwich

City were competitive without looking like scoring. That has been

the problem. The world we live in, it is just mad. All of a sudden,

Manchester United are sorted, they are fixed. But we know that they are

a long, long way from being a good team. I have heard that they will

speak to five different managers. If you ask me who the new manager

should be, I would say Carlo Ancelotti. Definitely, that game had

more significance for Norwich City than Manchester United? It is hard

not to worry in a big way about Norwich City. We have just seen

Connor Wickham score for Sunderland. Goals for Norwich City have been a

disaster area. Van will swing Cole is the one. He is the lightning bolt

when you're going to have a discussion about that. -- Ricky van

Wolfswinkel. He has only had the one goal since arriving. The other

striker, Johan Elmander, he has one goal as well. I do not know if it is

that they are not creating enough chances. Or can you blame it on the

strikers themselves? If you do not have a centre forward that is going

to get a handful of goals, never mind 15, how do you stay up? You are

only as good as your strikers. When US says teams coming up, you say,

who is going to score the goals? You're right. Steve Bruce

transformed Birmingham. He bought players. When it comes to Norwich

City, the strip -- the strikers we have mentioned, they are all very

different. If you're only going to play one of them, your game is going

to be different, depending on who you play. Yes. When they bought

Ricky van Wolfswinkel, we thought, that is clever. They are bedding him

in for next season. But he is not scoring. You go back to Norwich

City. The decision to get rid of Chris Hughton. With four games left,

maybe they thought they had to react. But if you're going down, who

is the best man to bring you back up? I would argue that Chris Hughton

would be a good bet. I find it a strange decision. Finally they got

the guts to sack him at the end of the season. That is a myth, and new

manager comes in and you do great. I do not think it actually works. We

have seen in the Premier League, apart from Tony Pulis. When you look

at Norwich City, you do not want to advocate that you should be changing

your manager. But perhaps they have been punished for their loyalty to

Chris Hughton. Perhaps if they had changed earlier, it would have given

someone else a chance. But now, with the running that they have, it was

fairly pointless. The other thing as well, West Ham, when Sam Allardyce

had a bad time and they backed him. If they had sacked him, the manager

that Norwich City needed to stay in the league was Sam Allardyce.

Everyone said that. West Ham stayed firm, and great credit to them. Mark

said, we all knew at Ipswich that Connor Wickham went to soon. You do

not lose that natural talent. It would be great if he helps put

Norwich City into the bottom three! Another viewer says, the title is

going to the home of English football, Liverpool. The change work

for Tony Pulis, it obviously also worked for Manchester United and

Ryan Giggs. Ryan Giggs is the interim manager. Let's hear from

Emma Neil Adams. I felt ten feet tall when I walked out of the tunnel

to Trafford. I have never felt like that. The fans were great today, to

me, the staff and the players. It has been a frustrating season for

them. It was brilliant today. Do you take this one game at the time? Yes.

The standard is set and we have got to carry that on against Sunderland.

It will be a tough game. They have had good results, away at Chelsea,

away at Manchester City. We need to keep to the standards we set today.

There are two games left for the season. It is massively important.

We will be right for the next game and the one after that. I will not

say it is in our hands, but we have to make the performances. If

Manchester United when a German a Spanish club, would Ryan Giggs be

the favourite to be the next permanent manager? I think he would

be highly in contention, perhaps more so than he is. There is a jolly

good argument to say, why not? Some people within the Manchester United

hierarchy are strong advocates. It is the class of 1992. There was the

telling image at the end of the game, he was there with his mates,

Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. If you are going to do the job and you are

Ryan Giggs, it cannot be any better than doing it with your oldest

friends, effectively. They must have sat and talked about football for 25

years and been exchanging views. That must give him lots of

confidence. But our Manchester United daring enough to do that? If

they do, I think they will get more leeway from the fans. The fans were

very supportive of David Moyes for a long time. I think they would be

even more supportive of giving Ryan Giggs enough time to get it right.

Financially, that does not work. That is the big question for

Manchester United, the share price. If it goes down, it will be a

problem for the owners. That is all they are interested in, because they

do not turn up to watch the game. Even so, do you think they will look

at how old Trafford reacted to Ryan Giggs yesterday and take that into

account? Footballer clubs do not often listen to their fans? I do not

think emotion comes into it. It is very easy to see what Ryan Giggs has

done at Old Trafford. It would be easy to say, give it to him. But it

is not beyond the realm of possibility that David Moyes could

have won these last four games. They are not difficult game. That was

their biggest home win of the season. Yes, but they went to St

James's Park and lost recently. This could give us a false impression of

Ryan Giggs as a manager. He is not David Moyes. He will have an effect

on the dressing room. Can Ryan Giggs go into the dressing room, lick his

team-mates in the eye, and say, sorry, but your time is up, you have

got to leave the club? United need a strong man to do that job. When

Kenny Dalglish went from player to player manager, he already had a

good team. The differences that Manchester United need major surgery

in terms of the players. They need a new right back. They have never

placed Paul Scholes. That is another factor. You're going into the

transfer window, and if you're trying to get one of those great

players, would you like to come and play for Ryan Giggs, who is a

brand-new manager, or would you like to play for Louis van Gaal? There is

perhaps a difference from an external point of view.

Vincent Tan, the Cardiff owner, said Bud was their lucky colour. But

maybe not so today. Just before half-time, Cardiff are

down to ten men. A foul on Connor Wickham. Quite controversial. The

referee has sent him off. Surely, a definitive moment in

Sunderland's season and Cardiff. Cardiff are down to ten men. It will

be Borini against Marshall is if you have moments in front of a packed

Stadium Of Light. Here is Borini. And he scores to the right-hand

side! Sunderland, clear blue water over Cardiff City.

Phil Dowd played six seconds of advantage before bringing playback.

He probably did so thinking they would score. He had to be sent off,

it was madness from the defender. At least give someone a chance to get

back. It reminded me of the opening day of the season with Arsenal and

Aston Villa and Anthony Taylor, playing advantage for Aston Villa

for a good four seconds. When the ball didn't go back in comic he

brought it back to the penalty. Is that good refereeing for you?

Golly. In rugby, we will see rugby penalties -- advantage being played

for a lot longer than that. I think that is really good refereeing, he

is saying, go on, score. It has been a good ten days for Gus Poyet and

his men. The opposite to what is happening at Aston Villa at the

moment. They were thrashed at Swansea yesterday. By all accounts,

when the players went over to their fans at the end, they shoot them

away. They have real problems. There was chancing yesterday. We know

things haven't been great. To get to that point, it is a new low.

Yesterday was a low point for Lambert. At the moment, they are not

playing the football that is inspiring.

Half-time at the Stadium Of Light. Sunderland lead. Connor Wickham

getting the first. Borini getting the second in the first minute of

injury time from the penalty spot. Caulker remonstrated with Phil Dowd

as they left the field about the red card. One-man advantage as well in

the second half. That could leave them three points behind Aston Villa

having played the same number of games. Do you believe Aston Villa

are still in the relegation battle? If you look at the remaining games

for Sunderland and you would favour them. I have spent a lot of time

this morning analysing all the games everyone has left. Did the journey

flyby! Where you confused? It emphasised how... You look at it and

you think, three teams have to get above Villa but it is possible.

Cardiff have 30 from 36, if they lose. Fulham have 31 from 36.

Norwich have 32 from 36. Sunderland, 32 from 35 if they get

three points today. Villa have the Stech of relegation, they really do

feel it. All of a sudden, then, it was far too easy for Swansea. They

don't look like they have the stomach for the fight. Didn't their

season for apart when got injured? He has struggled for form. He is the

only Villa player in double figures. No one else is even close.

I am not sure about this, the owner has to decide whether Villa are a

Premiership team which can push for a European place, or if they will

float around. But if the money isn't there, what does he do? Having spent

the money when Martin O'Neill was that, to have pulled the plug. It is

very odd. I think he feels he has had his fingers burnt. Why should he

keep chucking money at this club to get them into eighth position?

Financially it is not worth it. Newcastle fans might feel the same

about Mike Ashley. He has probably made money, that is the difference.

Yes. You could argue Villa and Newcastle, they might only reach a

certain level. But the fans will say Liverpool have not spread ridiculous

amounts of money compared to Manchester City all Liverpool --

Chelsea, yet they are at the top. I know where you are going. With

Villa it is a shame. Randy Lerner was one of these overseas owners

with the best intentions. He wanted to run a really well ordered club

who was settled and solid. For some reason, a couple of bad managerial

appointments are with Martin O'Neill, things were looking good.

Gerrard Houllier, not the right thing. They are now in a situation

where all these ideas of how he wanted to run Villa isn't working.

The money has become bigger. Ashley, you can't convince him if he spends

an extra ?50 million, where will they finish? He won't finish in the

top six. He is thinking, and not get into Europe. A clinical

way of looking at it. Going back to what Liverpool have done. And

Everton. Newcastle and Villa must think, there shouldn't be much

difference between us and Everton. If you are Villa and Newcastle, you

would have to spend a lot of money to get the same quality as

Liverpool, in all honesty. That is my argument for Mike Ashley and

Randy Lerner. Just to try and compete. It is their money. They are

saying, if anybody else wants a go, come on.

Anybody can win the FA Cup, the League Cup. Why couldn't a Newcastle

or are Villa have had a go at that? And Southampton. The glory that that

can give you. Looking at Liverpool, so many people turning up. You can

give that to other teams in a different way. An anonymous text, as

in Manchester United supporter I can only applaud the attacking play

Liverpool have adopted. They deserved to win. The Championship or

the Premiership? I wish them all the best for the game today. Scott says

he is tired of hearing about Mourinho and his excuses. Field any

11 and Liverpool will blow them away.

We talked about foreign owners, and expectations, you could say the same

about Fulham. We are disappointed because we were

leading. So it seems, really, that unfortunately we made almost an own

goal. If you got a goal, then you get pressure. And so, maybe, take

only one point. An amazing 12 minutes. They have

made a tactical change and put two at the top end of the pitch, in real

bit of quality from Dejagah. A great header. All of a sudden, a crazy 12

minutes. After that, you need to roll your sleeves out and see what

you have got. Thankfully, we have responded in the right way, we have

hit the post and the bar. You think it is not going to be your day. A

little bit of quality at the end was there for everybody to see.

They let it slip there, Fulham. Probably one of my most obvious

questions! A calamitous situation. The mood in

the stadium at 2-0 up, they were flying. That deflation after they

were paid back. -- pegged. I heard the commentator last night

describing Felix Magath as a German Tony Pulis. We might be looking at

an English version of Felix Magath. It might just not be happening. You

could see the desolation in the stands, and the players. They have

to go to Stoke. And Crystal Palace who are in fantastic form. There is

a realisation that it is beyond them and the miracle won't happen.

He made the change at half-time and it worked. When Steve Bruce made his

changes, he didn't have anyone left to repel what Steve Bruce was doing.

In the end, it was a draw. Both managers did well with what they

had. A massive win for West Brom. I have never seen a group of fans and

players celebrate so much. The other week they had the same against

Cardiff. That takes West Brom 236 points. One behind West Ham. They

are not quite there. I think they are probably just the right side of

the line. Since that Cardiff game, the dressing room bust up seems to

have done them the world of good. When it happens, I thought it didn't

look good. But they have responded really well. There is nothing wrong

with it. I first day at Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, I turned up for

training. Graeme Souness, Alan Kennedy, fighting. The first day

within the first five minutes. I thought, I should have gone to

Arsenal. It's not a great problem, it is blokes. A big day of football

in the Premiership. Half-time at the Stadium Of Light, Sunderland lead by

two goals. Zaha is warming up, it looks like he will come on.

Full commentary of Crystal Palace against Manchester City. Plenty of

updates on Chelsea and Liverpool. Peter says as a United fan I would

say the best answer to the question is that I would prefer the title to

be one for the 96. We will see you next week. Goodbye.