OnewayRoyalMadridonWednesdayonaheadof a keygameatGoodisonPark, willdiscusshowEvertonandManchesterUnitedhaveevolvedsinceevidencethumpingwininthatpicturelastseason.
Plus, inpartfivetoday, Showwillbeasking.
Isthere a regionalbiasinprintfootballjournalism?
Orisit a myththatallsportseditor's supportLondonteamsNoregionalbuyersinthestudiotodaywithLondon's finestJohnCross?
Theyhaven't interviewedwithnewknowas a coupleofthepapershaveaswell, reallygoodinsightthere.
TheMirrorRashfordcouldbefitfortheeurosandsonearsosorrafterMelissaalmostcompleted a hatchet, whichwouldhavebeenfournilextraordinaryinthatgame, Martinlipsinhereinthesunendoftheline, allcontroversyabout V.
A R.
Andtheforensicanalysisofoffsides, whichhasbeenwindingpeopleupquite a lot, looks a Zo I foundgonnaallowthePremierLeaguetohave a thickerlinewhenitcomesto a judgingoffside.
AndijustslippedsofarbelowthestandardsthattheysaidthatwhatwouldrunalloverthemafterthatinitialupturnedinformanttoNigelPierce, certainthey'vegottenseveralgameswithout a winthatcameouttheblue.
ButyouknowNigelPearsonprettywellfromhistime.
Unlesstoday, whatwashelike?
Thatitwasfantastic.
I mean, obviously, youhadtogettoknowhimfromthethepressconferenceheseesquite, he's inthezone, youknow, he's likenew, youknow, Itwas, youknow, justsometimes I justwanttotalk.
I mean, they'rejust a greatlittledoubleoutthedetailreallywell, togetheronthetraininggroundonjustthewaytheybounceoffeachother.
Sothey'regivingthemselves a greatchance, somethinghe's just, youknow, theresultsyesterdaywouldjustfascinatingfortherelegationfire, obviouslyknowledgeonFriday, nowaswell, yousayfascinatingAstonVillasayabsolutelyhorrificbutwillcomeinthenextpart.
Butweshockedbywhatyousaw, wasreallyfirsthalf.
I didthinkitwas.
Itwas a bitof a stalemate, reallywasn't muchof a game, wasit?
ButButthedifference I thinkthatyouseeinWatfordisthatwithNigelPearson, I mean, they'vebeensetlooseandmanagersthisseasonshouldn't forgetthat I'm notmassivelyinfavorofwhat a revolvingdoorpolicyonmanages I thinkthatstrikesmeasitis, a clubthat's notthatwillrun.
Youcan't argueotherwise, buttheyjuststayinthePremierLeagueonassoonastheygotNigelPierceand I thought, Well, here's onethat's that's inspirationalis a goodmanagerialappointmentbecausethey'rewelldrilledthatwillputtogether, aren't they?
And I justfeltthathavingseenlivablequite a lotrecently, I justfelttheyweren't quitefiring.
Theyweren't quite a thetopoftheirgame, andthey'realwaysvulnerable.
Anditwasinterestingtohearclocktalkafterwardsabouthavingtheteambeingundersomesortofburden, becauseeveryonetalksabouttheserecordsbeatingmyowncities, youknow, recordof 18 consecutive, wouldn't set a coupleofyearsago.
I mean, lastseasonwas a thrillingprimarilysimplybecausethatToto, we'veneverseenanythinglikeitonnow.
Thatwasincredible.
Inanyotheryear, Liverpoolwinitbyanabsolutestreet.
Then I foundthatwasstillthebestbuycountry.
Yeah, absolutely.
Liverpoolwayahead.
ButManCity, I mean, lestoffelt a bittwiceintheirshortoftheMiamiin a fewadditions, Maybeyoucouldgetcloser, butthosetwostreetsaheadofeveryoneelse, somethingwetalkedaboutManCityinParttwo.
Yeah, I thinkthere's alsothatsortoflonelinessofbeinginfrontwhereyouhaven't gotthepressureofsomebodyapplyingandsnappingawayheelstotryandforce a mistakeoutofyourbeinginfrontforsolongthatperhaps, iswejustlost a littlebitof a bitofconcentration.
I'lllivepulled a oneagain, buttohavethatmanythatmuch, youknowthatmanypointtothestage.
Thesceneisincredible.
Youmakesuretheseasondoesn't peteroutnowbecauseiftheydogooutthe F A CupChelseaandthenyouknowtheonewhodon't againstAtleticoMadrid, theycouldhave a coupleofmonthswithnothingridingonthosefixturesofthevictorytouroftrophyparadearoundthecountry.
Wouldn't youknow?
Itmightsoundstrangetoseebecauseitcouldbeon C climactic.
IfyougotthetheseasonthetitlewrappedupbythefirstweekofApril, youalmostwonderwhethertheyneed a secondtrophytoreallyshowthedominanceoftheinthedomesticseasononDDE.
Youknow, that's why I thinkthethe F a CupgameonTuesdaynights.
Soimportant, and I thinkthey'llreallydo.
Itwillbesomethingonit, and I thinkthinktheirnightslikethat.
ThisRealmadridteammaybeordinary, butthereshouldbenodoubtthePepGuardioladelivered a managerialmasterclasslastWednesdaynightandthenincludesquotesinthere, inwhichPepsaysno, itwasn't a managerialbusclass.
It'll I didn't reallydoanythingasinDon't givemecreditwhenweweren't asinwhenweloseveryfinemarginseitherway, whatsweetofhimtoplayitoutwhenhecouldhavetaken a llthegloryCouldn't youwerethere, too?
Butthisissofarremovedfrombeing a classicaroundMadridteamthatyoufeelthisteamisthereforthetakinghavegoneonenilbehindimmensityifthey, youknowiftheymessthisup.
BearinginmindalltheangerandfrustrationaroundtheEuropeanban, youhavethemancityfansinthetopcorner, thegroundsingingtheirheartsoutthemagnificentthroughout, butsinginglargely a lotofsongsaboutyou a friendabouttheChampionsLeaguebanonDhe.
Youknow, I mean, Ramos, I mean, is a comedypantomimevillainisNickpullsbackGabrielleJesus, whoprobablywouldhavescoredonifithadbeen 31 Thenit's gameover.
I stillthinkthatthemancitywillstillbestrongenough.
Butyoufeelthatin a mixedthisangerandfrustrationabouttheEuropeanban, itiswritteninthestars.
Well, I startedoffoninmycareeronthetheteamfrom 1968 tonearly 70.
TheywerethegodsthattheEuropeancopanscoupleoftheoneontheleagueonthelastdayoftheseasonwithBelleandSummerbeeandFrannyLeeandNeilYoungandallthoseontheyweretheywereheldislikethebeaconofwhateverthisthis, thisteamoverthelast 56 years, they'redifferentstratospherethatwecantalkaboutthemlike a C MilanorRealMadridintermsofwhatitdon't domestically.
I thinkyoucan't eventhere, andyouhopethatwhattheydidtheMadrid, becausethere's onlythreeEnglishteamsnowoneinthebandaboutyouhopethatthatsortofignites a loveaffairwithwhatEuropeanfootball's about.
Hewantstotakethetrainbackandshowhimthat, barelyabletoopenhiseyeseveninhomeforfouryearsnow, I thinkobviouslydementiais a horribleillness.
He's thinkhe's inadvancedstages, obviouslydidn't goseehim a lot, and I thinklikehesaidinthepiecethere, I thinkhesawhimbeforetheplayoff, finallywenthomeandhad a glintinhiseye.
I mean, that's howtiehisrelationwithitsbeen a previousCupfinalsbefore, hasn't itapartfromin 96 whenhe's playingforHerefordandtheylostthedaybeforeingrainedturnofthemanagersthattheyhavetocomebackinthenextdaywasdevastated.
WhatyourthoughtsononDeanSmithpositionatVilla?
Itwouldbe a massiveupsettoday, butwe'veseenthosebeforeandcupfinals.
Itwouldbe I didaninterviewforyesterdayfor a CZreconstitutedTheVillasunderhalf a reallygoodseasoninamongstthekindofthehighsandlowsandthatthebuzzword, Really, thewholepiecewasaboutrevenge, and I guessthey'rehavinglostthattheeditorhad.
BecauseasgoodasManCity, a villawithPauland I thinkthey'rebeingtimeshaven't I meaneven, youknow, concertwastalkingaboutthisbasicallywheretheyhadreallydevastatingdefeats, whereitprobablyhasleftquestionmarksoverthemanager.
I thinktheykindofsorealplayersgettogetherafterthewhatfordefeatVictory's roadjustafterquestioning.
And I meanfromtheoutsidelookingin, I thinkDeanSmith, doinganamazingjobistakenthemup, whichisnot a given.
I knowthere's kindofSpencermoney, butit's notthateasy.
It's reallyknowandhe's gotinto a WembleyCupfinalandyetitstillseemstomethatis a bitofdoubtfloatingaroundaboutsomekindofDeanSmith, youknow, ishetherightman?
I justthinkofcourseheis.
Youknowifthere's a connectiontherewiththefans, but I'm nottotallyconvincedit'll.
ThefanskindofWoodwouldappreciatethatin a mixeddefeats.
But I justthinkthatwhathe's gottogettodayis a reactiontothatlamentableSouthamptonperformancebecausethat's thepoint, isn't it?
And I thinkupuntilthispointhe's alwaysgot a reactionand I thinkthat's thekey, soyouget a reactionfrom a reallybaddayattheofficeandtakethatforward, get a betterperformance.
That's whathe's got.
EveryonemakesmanCityfavorites.
Ofcoursetheydo.
Butwhat?
ThekeyforVillahereisdoingthemselvescreditgettinggetting a performancetobeproudoffbecausepeopletalkaboutthemdoing a FulhamDon't megastarseasonforthem.
To a degree, I justthinkit's shiftingthegoalpostsomewhat.
I mean, I'm upforanythingthatfranklychangesandimprovesouruseof a R, becausewhathasdrivenmetofrustration, distractionon a hugeadvocateofthehourwehaveto.
Wecan't runawayfromit.
Wehavetointroduceitisthereanditshouldbeusedwell.
IstheEnglishPremierLeaguearroganceinthatWethinkwearesomuchbetterthaneveryoneelsethatwecandoitin a differentwayandcleanerandEllerybothSocutting.
I thinkinsomeoftheremarksthattheysortofsaidaboutthewaythatwedon't usepitchsidemonitors.
I mean, itislaughablybadaboutfailuretousepitchsidemonitors.
Andalso, I don't thinkweevergetoverthefactthatiswellingquiteniceandsmoothly, thankyouverymuchintheChampionsLeagueandevennowintheEuropaLeagueaswell.
And I justthinkit's it's ludicrousthewaythatwe'veintroducedinthearrogancethatwehave.
Itstems, really, I think, from a poorleadershipfromMikeRiley, who I mean, youknow, I'm Jackiewentaswell.
Buttherewassomebriefingdone.
Wasn't a PremierLeaguewhichwasincrediblyusefulas a journalisttogoandfeed, oftenlearnfrominwhichwewerebasicallytoldthattherefereesaretold, areencouragednottogoandconsultthemonitorstorelyontrustintheveil?
Andwithleadershiplikethat, howonearthareyougoingtomake V A R work?
Butwhatfascinatesmeisthat I wastalkingtosomeoneat a clublastweekendundersortof, youknow, howitgoes.
T ThePremierLeaguemeetings I sawsaidaboutmyonlythenandtheythey'renoon a witchhunttogetout.
MikeRiley.
Theyjustwant a betterTheyarethatsoonerorlaterwejustgottoacceptthatmullet.
Riley's had a stinkerwiththison, basicallyinfootball, whichwedidn't lookforhisgaitgirl, whowedolookforsomeoneiftheyknowtheyhaven't doneitverywell, might.