30/03/2014 MOTD2 Extra

Hello. Welcome to Match Of The Day 2 Extra, discussing all the weekend's

football on BBC One, Radio 5 live and the BBC Sport website. And

coming up on the show today, we'll discuss whether Chelsea's royal

upset at the Palace has really ended their title hopes, ask what three

points means for Pulis, and reflect on Rodgers' Reds, and whether Tim's

time's up at Spurs. Liverpool could go top of the table with just one

point. Joining me today are former Liverpool and Man City midfielder

Didi Hamman, Match Of The Day commentator Steve Bower, and the

Daily Mirror's chief sports writer, Ollie Holt. We wanted to get

involved as well, text us, find us on social media. We will get to your

comments a little later. Only one place to start, Crystal Palace's 1-0

win over Chelsea at Selhurst Park. We will get onto praising Crystal

Palace shortly, but are you surprised, Ollie Holt, at the

negativity that is coming from Jose Mourinho? Criticising his players'

courage, saying the title race is over for them? I am not surprised,

no, because that has been his mantra all season. It fits in with that

theme, to be honest, it has been his beam all season, we are not good

enough to win it, it is a joke to say we are going to win it. So if

they do win, he is a genius - that has always been his narrative this

season, and you know, I think it is probably a result that not many

people saw coming, I didn't. But I have tipped Chelsea since the start

of the season, and I will stick with them - there have been so many

twists in this title race, it has been a brilliant season, I think,

and there are probably plenty more left. They have got experience, you

know, they are a class side, they rested a couple yesterday probably

for the Champions League, which is an issue for them, I think. I think

they are up against it now, but I am going to stick with them. We will

talk more about Jose Mourinho, but is it over for Chelsea? According to

him, they have never been in it! In a way, you are giving your players

and excuse when they do fail. I think that is exactly what happened,

I am not surprised that he goes to town with his players, because that

is what he has always done. I think it could have an impact on his

long-term, you know, future at the club, because if you do that with

players, they do not take it too well. They lost to games against

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, and now they are in a situation where

once they must win at Anfield. They are not scoring many goals, I cannot

see it. I think it is between Liverpool and Manchester City. Did

you see it coming? No, but Crystal Palace is away is one of those

fixtures were the big boys could slip up, it is one of the best

atmospheres in a stadium, the Selhurst Park crowd. But that team

they put out, they probably had half an eye on PSG, but they were still

good enough to beat Crystal Palace if they earned the right to play.

Palace wanted it more, I will praise Tony Pulis later, but that is the

type of fixed yet - if you're going to win the league - that you need to

get something from. Let's hear from Jose Mourinho after that defeat

yesterday, we will drill down into it. I think now we lose any chance

of finishing first, I think. Now we depend too much on other results. We

threw away three points. We lost against a team that is difficult,

but we lost against a team that was better than us in terms of spirit,

mentality, and that is the last thing that normally my teams are.

You talk about how it can affect players, but given the players know

how Jose Mourinho works, will they pay a great deal of attention to

that? The players who were there are five or six years ago when he was

their first time, they know how the deals with it. When you publicly

criticise your players, it can go either way. If you do not get a

reaction in the next four or five games, it could go the other way -

players may think, did he need to say that? He says we have no chance

to win it, we are out of it, and all of a sudden we gave the title away.

What does he want? Where do we stand? It will be interesting how

they go. If Tim Sherwood said that... I was just going to say

that! We were told that would be the mark of a naive manager, derring-do

disses players in public. And yet Mourinho, who we are told is the

master of mind games, the master of motivation, which he has proved many

times in the past, he is doing something similar. So double

standards on behalf of us as a country looking at, I don't know,

criticising a naive English manager? Or is it the media, something we

touch on a fair bit, treating Mourinho differently to how we treat

other managers? I am aware of that accusation. From non-Chelsea fans,

saying we lack of everything he says. Maybe we do to a certain

extent, but in defence of the English media, he doesn't have a bad

record as a manager. He is one of the greatest managers there has ever

been in terms of winning European cups, Champions Leagues, leads in

different countries. He is not a bad coach! If anyone said what he said

about Arsene Wenger, any other manager would have been slaughtered

in the press for weeks. One remark, one day, he is a failure because he

has not won a trophy. Any other manager would have got harsher

treatment. I thought he was heavily... I thought that lacked

class, like most people. I thought it was a cheap shot. But I thought

it was heavily criticised for that. I wonder, you make the point about

Tim Sherwood questioning his players - if Arsene Wenger had been negative

in post-match interviews and Arsenal had been beaten at Aston Villa,

Crystal Palace, would there be greater discussion of Arsenal in

this situation? I think it comes down to managerial style, and we

never know what Mourinho will say inside the dressing room and in

front of the camera. Arsene Wenger, you really have to push him in an

interview to get anything to publicly criticises players.

Arguably the best manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, inside the dressing room,

I know for a fact he would let rip. But when the camera would come, in

our position you push and push, he would not slaughter his own players

in public. So two very different sides to that. Whether Mourinho is

different inside the dressing room than he is publicly, whether the

players think, he is saying that for the public, but what we have been

told is different, that remains to be seen. But the greatest manager of

them all would not publicly slaughter his players. Josh in

Nottingham, Chelsea need to buy a world-class striker, Diego Costa?

Torres and Samuel Eto'o are not cutting it. Craig in Cardiff, we

need a decent striker, we should never have sold Sturridge. Some of

2013 and 2014, spent a total of ?109 million, they have recouped nearly

57 million of that, mainly through Juan Mata but also Kevin De Bruyner.

We all come back to this, they need a top-class striker. That has been a

Achilles heel all season, that they have one of the best defences in the

Premier League, but they cannot or do not score enough goals. They have

not got a centre forward who is in double figures for this Premier

League season, and it is very hard to win the league like that.

Liverpool, they have made all the difference this season. Letting

Lukaku go was a strange decision, I think he would have done better than

all three put together in the Chelsea team. But they need to bring

somebody in. He came in, and you cannot judge him on his first

season, you have to give him one or two more seasons before you judge

him, but they have not really made much progress. Last year, they were

winners of the rubber league, they finished third, a pretty good end to

the season. -- the Europa League. I do not think they made much progress

this year. Allen in Hertfordshire, is negativity did not bother the

players when they post four past Spurs, six past Arsenal. Gordon

says, why is the focus is always on the the Chelsea team, rather than

the team they lost against? A good .4 matches the city at Arsenal, or

will they regret not holding onto it? -- a good point for City. The

mentality of that is that it is still a difficult fixture, everybody

thought Manchester City would power on, give Arsenal credit for coming

back into it. I do not think they will be too disappointed with a

point at Arsenal and three from Old Trafford, I think Pellegrini would

have taken that. That is what he said afterwards, we will take that.

They have still got to go to Liverpool and Everton, Goodison Park

is one of the hardest rounds to get a result this season as well with

their home record. There will be twists and turns, but I think at the

moment that looks a good point. This afternoon's game, Liverpool, if they

get a point at home to Spurs, will go top of the table. This is live on

5 live. Both managers have been arguing about who is under the most

pressure, we can hear from them. I think that, you know, there was no

expectation of us being where we are, so there is certainly no

pressure on ourselves. Obviously, other teams, I suppose the likes of

Tottenham, will be a team that was maybe looking to challenge for the

league this season. The pressure is on Liverpool. Since there little

with the other night at Sunderland, when Sunderland got back in the

game, after winning so many titles in their time, they are very close.

One point off the lead, absolutely flying, a strike partnership that is

the best the Premier League has seen for a very long time. They have a

real chance. Now they have to believe that they have got something

there that might fall through their grasp and slip away. Leave me, that

is a really bad feeling to have. -- believe me. The pressure is on all

three of you to deliver insightful answers! Liverpool's defence is

fragile, but if we treat every game like a cup tie, we might just do it.

Seven on the trot, they will have to win another four or five to win the

title, that might be tough. Yeah, how long can they keep that going?

The way they are playing at the moment, you cannot rule it out,

because there is a buzz around the whole club, the whole city, and

everybody is really grasping the opportunity to win the league. I

would not put them passed it to win it. I still think Man City

favourites, rightly so, but this would be a huge win if they beat

Spurs to go top of the league, five points clear of City, even though

they have got two games in hand. It may come down to the game against

City. Talking about their defence, it is better than people make out.

The way they play, they scored so many goals, automatically people

think that means they cannot defend. A lot of the offenders have been at

this year, and when you score five or six, sometimes you have to take

chances. -- a lot of defenders. They must be under some pressure, and

they? Yeah, for sure, but their presence in this title race is a big

part of the reason why it is so compelling, because there is this

whole idea of a great club reborn and challenging up there, as we were

saying in the office, that there is a feeling that you cannot stop this

now. There is so much emotion involved in this title challenge now

that, OK, it will bring pressure, but it also brings an incredible

momentum with it, and you start, you know, inevitably thinking about

folklore type stuff. You start thinking about Shankly saying how

the cop can suck in a goal... I am laughing because I have been sent a

text, Spurs, please beat Liverpool, the thought of them being champions

again would drive me to emigration, not more of Shankly! When United

started challenging under Alex Ferguson, everyone talked about

busby and we are going to hark back to the great days of Liverpool. This

looks like a rebirth. We are talking about expectedations and --

expectations and pressure. During the week everything was fine against

Sunderland and that last 20 minutes was nervy. That wouldn't be as nervy

if they weren't going for a title. .ing the crucial thing for Liverpool

is they got through that, albeit by the skin of their teeth. I think

now, I'm fascinated today, they can go back to the top of the league and

put a marker down. Now people do expect them. Everyone expects

Liverpool at Anfield to score and to win. Can they're do that. The last

time they were in this, you were in the Liverpool team, about this stage

of the season, everyone thought they were genuine contenders, and what

was levelled on you was you hadn't been there before. Scowled that

happen to -- could that happen to this team. Yes, but we were up

against the best team I played against in Premier League history,

Arsenal, but as a player you know, the manager can say what he wants,

if fans can as well, if you have a chance to win the league, of course

you expect to win. If you get a chance in football, you have got to

take them. You don't know the next time the team is in that position.

Today they expect to win. You saw what happened on Wednesday, there

was flares and Anfield Road there were fans there and the coach could

hardly get through. These players walk off the coach and they will be

two or three inches taller. It can give you confidence and belief and

we have not seen any nerves. We have seen 20 minutes against Sunderland.

I think we will find out more about the team today. It is a big test.

When people talk of history of clubs, when you played for a club,

did you feel the history, or is that something that we concentrate on in

the media and actually all you're concerned about it your team mates

and the here and now? If things go well, it can give you belief and can

intimidate opponents. It can be a burden when things don't go well,

because you get told how great the teams were. Years ago. And how bad

the team is now you're there! When things go well, it is something to

give you a lift. Being part of that Liverpool family. But when you play

for a big club, that is part of the problem now with see at United, you

know they get compared and people have high expectations and I think

Liverpool is in that position, because nobody expected it. But the

team will feel now, or people within the club, if they don't win the

league this season, they will feel after the season they have missed a

huge opportunity. With Liverpool the belief is there that they will

always score. If you're going for a league, when I was at Cardiff, five

minutes before half time, they were rocking, they were 2-1 down and got

a goal with Skrtel, but you're thinking they're going to score one,

two and that was against a relegation team. Even against

Chelsea and Manchester City, they're taking to the field and they know

they have a fantastic chance of scoring. I was speaking to Kenny

Dalglish on Friday about this, the nerves thing. He said, well, of

course they were be nervous. But I was always nervous before games,

particularly for derbies, Cup Finals, but he said, I would have

been confused if I wasn't nervous. So of course they will be nervous,

but it is how you deal with it. Steve is a Liverpool fan and he says

it is down to Liverpool, there is confidence and a feel good factor,

Suarez is the Player of the Year and Rodgers manager of the season.

Tristan says don't write off Spurs, anyone can beat anyone. They're a

massive price and I'm having it. Do you think Spurs will go for it? Yes,

that has been the way. Over the years Liverpool/Spurs has been a

traditional fixture, it is always an open and exciting game. The pressure

is off Tottenham slightly. Nobody expects them to be top four now. No

one know what is is happening with the manager. They won't be parking

the bus. I'm fascinated to see how Liverpool cope with yesterday's

results. Everyone thought they were the winners without kicking a ball.

Steve says nobody expects Spurs to be top four, I wonder if Everton

believe they could be top four. They're seven behind Arsenal with

two games in hand and they're still to play Arsenal. Today they're at

Fulham. This is the lunch time gim and Jonathan Overend is there. It is

an important match affecting top and bottom. We are ill lum nalted by fee

mix Magath. He said it is the most important match because it is.

Fulham make three changes. Amorebieta is suspended. In come

Holtby and Kasami and Del democrat Dembele, the younger one. He has

played live minutes against Norwich and seven against West Ham earlier

in the season. But today he leads the line for Fulham. As for Everton,

they're unchanged from the team that played and won 3-0 at Newcastle.

Still no place for Phil jack yell Ca -- Jagielka. Does that discussion

about Liverpool and the title equally apply to Everton and going

for fourth about pressure and all of a sudden there is a shift in target?

I don't think as much. It is not quite the same. Because it is not

quite the same prize. And not quite the same weight of history. But to

an extent. I think Everton have got a lot of momentum with them. I think

Arsenal, that could be a really important point that Arsenal got

yesterday. It just, is that seven points? Yes. Although Arsenal have

got to go to Goodison, that gives them a buffer. We all, without going

back to that, we expected Arsenal to lose, well I thought City might roll

them over. So I think Everton have got their work cut out, but they

have got momentum. If they were to overtake Arsenal, it would change

their summer and the level they're at and the players they might bring

in there are transfer rumours, Everton linked with Tom Cleverley.

Yes they were in a position in 2005 where they finished fourth, but lost

the play-off and the way they have been playing, if they were to finish

fourth, they deserve it, because they have been a breath of fresh

air. They have changed their style. David Moyes did a good job, but

Martin has taken them to a another level. The loan players have made a

difference. Gareth Barry has had a huge impact. It would be great to

see them in the Champions League, but they need to keep that momentum

going. Arsenal have had tough fixtures and they're still ahead of

Everton and they have easier fixtures coming. I think Everton

have their work cut out. If they can win today it sets up next Sunday

perfectly at Goodison and I'm doing that game and looking forward to

that. If they can win, I think that puts the pressure back on Arsenal,

who haven't got a good record at Goodison and if they beat Arsenal,

then all the pressure goes back on Arsenal. Nobody expected Everton,

although Roberto Martinez promised Champions League. The pressure is

off everton if they keep winning. Do you fear for Fulham, if they win

today, they're off the bottom, but he is making changes, it is a

subject we have touched on, the new managers have come in, do they know

their best team? I do fear for them. Say this without knowing about a

player, but if you're throwing a 17-year-old into a situation like

this, I am not making a comment about the player, but it shows a

level of desperation. And I think they do need to win today. They are

in the realm of last chances now and I think it is too late for them. I

think they're down. Crystal Palace have Liverpool to come, they have

Manchester City to come and Mark in Stoke, I assume he is a Stoke fan,

he says Tony Pulis is now a darling of the media, now he is at a London

club, when he was at Stoke, he was slaughtered. The media are

hypocrites. We're based in Salford not London. But is that it fair? Or

are we lauding the job Pulis has done given his starting point? You

have to give him credit. At Stoke he took them to that next level at

Crystal Palace he was five points off the bottom. If he were to keep

them up, he must be in the running, I know Brendan Rodgers will probably

win manager of the year, but he must be in the running. That job is

outstanding to beat Chelsea and they have a cushion now. When you come to

the end of the season, the Fulhams and Sunderlands and Cardiffs may get

to a position where they need to win and we know how hard it is to win at

the best of time and the pressure will mount. Palace are in a great

position. It would be great if it was between Brendan Rodgers and Tony

pewle lis for - Pulis for manager of year. It is the first time since

1981 a team have gone from eventh to first. Even thought Crystal Palace

were down and nobody wanted the job. I don't think Tony Pulis wanted the

job. They're so organised and they have to buy into that. He made that

big thing he said listen, there is only so much organising you can do,

the players have got to buy into it. Joe Ward seemed to typify that,

there was a clearing tackle on Schurrle and a second half he went

on a Maradona like dribble. Yes and I think to go back to the point, I

think if Tony Pulis had taken over at Stoke when they were bottom, we

would be talking the same. It is not a London bias, but admiration for

the job he has done. You were at the Hawthorns yesterday, that final five

minutes of injury time, could define the season for Cardiff and West

Brom? For a neutral, it was extraordinary. It was an

unbelievable game and shows both teams' season. Yes, when West Brom

scored, arguably Cardiff were in the Championship and West Brom were

probably safe and then 60 seconds later they had a chance to make it

four and then Cardiff get an equaliser. It felt like a victory.

Talking to palace, they have got Palace next and that is a huge game.

They showed terrific character. It is more cadging -- damaging for West

Brom. You talk about putting a gap between yourself and the bottom. If

they had made it safe. He went on social media and I apologised --

apologised. It is a big blow to concede in the 96th minute. I think

Cardiff are the most likely out of the bottom three to get out of it.

Rather than Sunderland. I think so. Sunderland can't score goals. Car

give v difference -- Cardiff have got a goal in them and Sunderland

haven't. It is important to keep a clean sheet. But to win you need to

score. This is why I think Sunderland will struggle. So Fulham

and Cardiff are the most likely to get out. It is the belief they get

from it. They were celebrating like a victory. Cardiff have that

injection of belief if they can take it on. After the capital one cup, I

thought Sunderland would be all right. But they haven't had a bounce

from that. And they have got a shocking ru in. They have Tottenham,

Chelsea and Manchester City. From a fans' point of view, Pepe Mele after

Cardiff equalised smiled and shock Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hand. As a West

Brom fan I might be annoyed. It is difficult to put yourself in that

position. As a neutral, I think the guy has a lot of class and I would

have said that before yesterday. I thought it was classy what he did

with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. I saw him at a press conference when they

played Manchester United. I think he has a lot of class. As a guy, I fear

for West Brom after that result. But I think it was an odd appointment.

We have got to end there, we are out of time. In the Edinburgh Derby

Heart lead Hibs by a goal to nil. Thank you for your company. So

Liverpool against Spurs on five live this afternoon from 4 o'clock,

Sunderland against West Ham tomorrow from eight and Match of the Day 2

tonight. Thank you for watching and listening. We will see you next

week.