Premier League talking points: Wayne Rooney & a two-horse race

Wayne Rooney's red card for Manchester United will claim the headlines from an eventful Saturday in the Premier League.

The United and England captain must now serve a three-game ban - but the good news for manager Louis van Gaal is that his 10 men held on for a crucial win against West Ham United to ease some of the wounds from the 5-3 collapse to Leicester City.

This was among a number of key talking points from Saturday's games. Here, we look at Rooney's conduct and some of the day's other significant incidents.

Is Rooney struggling with pressure of captaincy?

While Rooney's reckless lash out at Stewart Downing was irresponsible and put Manchester United under pressure as they tried to protect an important lead, it is an offence that should be placed in context.

This was Rooney's first red card for United in five years and comes at the end of a long spell when he has seemingly curbed his more aggressive instincts - even to the point where some suggested it had taken the edge off his game.

So to suggest Rooney, who believes his best years are yet to come, has suddenly reverted to bad old ways is premature and ignores much of the recent evidence that has seen him much cooler than the hot-tempered earlier days of his career.

One factor has been introduced into Rooney's life recently, however - his appointment as permanent captain of both club and country.

And this may be an area of concern for those who want this wonderfully talented player to continue to have a clean record.

Rooney's red card was his first in the Premier League since March 2009 (away at Fulham)

As a personality whose default position is to take complete responsibility for all aspects of his team's display, it was clear how furious Rooney was with his United team-mates when they cast aside a 3-1 lead at Leicester City. He was visibly angry at the manner in which they conceded their advantage.

And it may be an area Van Gaal feels he needs to address after he followed this up so swiftly with that wild kick out at Downing that earned him a deserved straight red card.

Rooney's performance and effort levels do not need lifting by the award of the status of captain - his desire and determination will be the same whether he has the armband or not.

But there is no doubt Van Gaal and England manager Roy Hodgson will be watching for vital signs that the cares and responsibilities of captaincy do not lead to Rooney placing increased pressure on himself and leading to the sort of incident witnessed at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Former Manchester United defender Phil Neville on Match of the Day: "When Rooney made the foul I thought United must have been in trouble at the back but United were four against two and all the defenders were in good positions. It was just a reckless tackle. There's no need to make the foul because of the position the United defenders were in."

Ex-Wales striker John Hartson on Final Score: "Rooney kicked out at Downing cynically and caught him in the thigh area for no reason whatsoever. And you just ask yourself 'why?' Only he himself will be able to answer that."

Former Chelsea and Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit on Match of the Day: "He could have just tripped him but he just lashes out. Sometimes he gets these moments in his career."

JB on text: Watching Man Utd is the most thrilling part of my week now. It doesn't matter how many they score as we know they can concede twice as many! Always praying as soon as the ball goes over the halfway line that it doesn't end up in the back of the net!

Bobby in Newcastle on text: Awful conduct from Wayne Rooney. The Man Utd and England captain should know better than that!

Sean:  Just when you thought Wayne Rooney had grown up he does that. A toddler throwing his toys out of the pram. Should not be captain.

Is the title battle a two-horse race?

Costa (left) has scored eight goals in his first six Premier League games; only Micky Quinn (10) has done better

With each week that passes, the Premier League looks more and more like it will develop into a straight fight between Chelsea and reigning champions Manchester City.

Both showed their potency in front of goal again on Saturday, Chelsea winning 3-0 against Aston Villa while City had the firepower to overcome conceding a two-goal lead to win 4-2 at Hull City.

The key to Chelsea's fortunes may be the fitness of Diego Costa, who scored his eighth goal of the season against Villa but is still having to manage hamstring problems.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho revealed Costa is currently barely training to protect the injury and he will hope this continuing concern does not have an impact on their season as he has already proved so vital.

Mourinho has the very able Loic Remy as back-up, having suffered from a lack of alternatives last season, but Costa is the big gun and he will not want to be without him when it matters.

Sergio Aguero also has a chequered fitness record at Manchester City but one glance at the strength in depth of both their squad and Chelsea's suggests we should look no further for the champions.

One interesting sub-plot for City was manager Manuel Pellegrini's decision to rest England keeper Joe Hart against Hull City and bring in understudy Willy Caballero.

Joe Hart (far right) was also left out in the Capital One Cup in midweek

This was surely only to keep Hart back for Tuesday's Champions League game as he has been in excellent form so far this season.

Southampton stand between Chelsea and City but even the most optimistic Saints fan would not expect that state of affairs to continue - and while the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool may have title aspirations, on current evidence it is hard to see how they will come to fruition.

It may be less exciting than having four or five teams jostling for position - but these are two high-class sides who will provide plenty of quality.

Gullit on Match of the Day: "The difference with Chelsea this season is the work they do in getting the ball back. The first goal was a great goal and I love the second goal - they still find spaces. And when the opposition is going forward, they also have the possibility of going for a counter-attack. This is the Chelsea I love to see. It's a Chelsea that's hard to beat."

Ex-Leicester striker Steve Claridge on Final Score: "I just don't know how many teams will come to Stamford Bridge this season believing they can get a result. If you came here before the game and you wrote a script of what you thought would happen, the game played out exactly as you might have imagined. So an archetypal Chelsea performance - they looked very, very good."

Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta:  Great win to keep us on top of the table! Now turn to champions!

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany:  Great game of football ... again. We're on track now.

Man City striker Sergio Aguero:  Vital three points to keep ourselves in the race. Our minds are now on Tuesday's Champions game. C'mon, City!

Mitch Mansfield:  Frank Lampard just 155 goals away from becoming Man City's all-time top goalscorer. How long's that loan extension?

Are Southampton top-four contenders?

Southampton's total of 13 points from six games is their best in the top flight since 1983-84

As the revolving door spun at St. Mary's in the summer, many predicted meltdown after the departures of Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren, Calum Chambers, Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana - as well as manager Mauricio Pochettino to Spurs.

Saturday's win against QPR was their sixth in succession and continued a superb start under new boss Ronald Koeman that has them in second place, sandwiched between leaders Chelsea and champions Manchester City.

The departures have been compensated by shrewd signings such as Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic, as well as the determination to keep Morgan Schneiderlin. Throw in the usual array of fine academy products and Southampton's position was never going to be as grave as some pessimists predicted.

It is stretching reality to breaking point to claim Southampton will emerge as top four contenders but all the signs are there that this will be another very satisfactory season at St Mary's under one of European football's most respected and experienced figures in Koeman.

Neville on Match of the Day: "I tipped Southampton to go down at the start of the season but they've been so impressive. They are vastly improved."

Southampton striker Graziano Pelle on Twitter:  Always dreamed to score a goal like today. Great result for my club @SouthamptonFC and our fans.

Paul Adam on Twitter:  Who does Pelle think he is? Pele?

Are Spurs moving in the right direction?

The trademark of Mauricio Pochettino's time at Southampton was his devotion to a high-tempo pressing game that made life so difficult for opponents, allied to the quality he possessed in his squad of course.

It was clear from his body language on the touchline during Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the north London derby at Emirates Stadium that he will be demanding the same from his new charges.

The Argentine cut an ominous figure in his technical area and one of his trademark gestures - and admonishments when it did not happen - was constantly ordering his players to close down Arsenal in possession.

Nacer Chadli has scored four goals in five league games this season, after just one in 24 last season

Twice in a matter of seconds in the first half Emmanuel Adebayor and Christian Eriksen felt the rough edge of his tongue for failing to follow managerial orders.

The Dane responded in the manner required by , stealing possession off Mathieu Flamini early in the second half to set up Nacer Chadli's goal as Spurs earned a deserved point.

It may take time for Pochettino to get things as he wants - but one look at his demeanour tells you the direction he wants to head in.

Neville on Match of the Day: "When you look at Pochettino's team last year at Southampton, they played with high intensity. I think he's had to change that tactic at Spurs because of the personnel he has. Against Arsenal they looked to counter-attack with speed. They were the better team in the first half and they had the better chances."

Ian Marks on Twitter:  Good result for Spurs - it does beg the question why they can't defend as well as that on a regular basis...

Asim S. Tanauli on Twitter:  Strong line-up by Arsene Wenger but I don't understand why Santi Cazorla isn't being played that much.

Daniel Jones on Twitter:  What exactly are Arsenal's training methods? They can't seem to go a single game without a player picking up an injury.

Jamie from Lincoln on text: The season's just started and I can't remember feeling more disappointed. I think Wenger needs to go, and bring in a manager who wants to win trophies. Sorry, but Wenger knows our weakness and for years he hasn't strengthened. Time to go, Wenger.

Can toiling Liverpool rediscover their X-factor?

While Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers saw signs of improvement in Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Merseyside rivals Everton at Anfield on Saturday, there is no doubt they have yet to come anywhere near the scintillating form that took them so close to the title last season.

The 3-0 win at Spurs apart, Liverpool have struggled to repeat the fast, dazzling attacking football that destroyed so many teams last season - often very early on in games.

Much focus will be placed on the loss of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and on a one-to-one football basis he was close to irreplaceable. The injury sustained by Daniel Sturridge on England duty has not helped either.

Liverpool are unbeaten in the last 16 Merseyside derbies at Anfield, with seven wins and nine draws

The removal of some cutting edge has highlighted defensive deficiencies that were in evidence last season but often disguised by the brilliance of their attacking.

Rodgers, however, remains optimistic and it is understandable - although he will want more from £16m striker Mario Balotelli, while £20m Lazar Markovic looks, to put it very kindly at this early stage, as if he is struggling to come to terms with the Premier League.

Liverpool will hope the return of Sturridge will give them back some threat and offer more worries to opponents, particularly in tandem with Raheem Sterling.

It has been a poor start for the team who had the Premier League title in their hands until almost the final games of last season - but Rodgers is right to insist these are early days.

Neville on Match of the Day: "I've never been a fan of his but I saw signs today that Brendan Rodgers has got Mario Balotelli playing for the team and not just for Mario Balotelli."

Former Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis on BBC Radio 5 live: "Everton will be delighted with the point. Liverpool were the better team, so Roberto Martinez will be the far happier manager."

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge:  Gutted... We were unlucky today. I'm closer to fitness each day and working hard to return to help the team.

Everton defender Phil Jagielka:  Happy to have scored my first goal in a while! Great team effort today!

QPR midfielder Joey Barton:  Steven Gerrard shut up one or two of his recent critics with a superb free-kick. Thought Mario Balotelli had a go today. Looked like he cared at least.

Samuel Rhydderch:  Liverpool's philosophy is fluidity and chemistry. The problem now is integrating new players into this philosophy...

Chris White on Twitter:  No surprise Martinez has ruined Everton's defence. There was a very good reason Wigan went down - Martinez is massively overrated.

Can Warnock match Pulis's Palace feats?

Crystal Palace are unbeaten under Neil Warnock, having won two and drawn two of their four games

Crystal Palace's 2-0 win over Leicester City at Selhurst Park means they are now unbeaten in four games under new manager Neil Warnock.

Selhurst Park was a tough place to be earlier this season when they lost their first home league game in miserable fashion to West Ham United.

Tony Pulis had left and Palace were rudderless - Warnock has come in and restored stability to the ship and confidence is back.

Warnock may be an acquired taste as a manager, and some have never acquired it, but no one can argue that he has come into the club and restored the sort of belief and resilience that was so crucial under his predecessor Pulis when Palace did so wonderfully well to survive in the Premier League last season.

Crystal Palace striker Fraizer Campbell on Twitter:  Great back to back wins against a team with loads of confidence. Lads were quality today. Also good to get off the mark at Selhurst!

Palace defender Martin Kelly on Twitter:  Another great team effort today! Buzzing with the clean sheet too. Well done @FraizerCampbell another goal this time he meant it! Haha

Palace midfielder Joe Ledley on Twitter:  Nice to get a win on my first game at Selhurst Park this season! Brilliant team performance for a big 3 points.

Source : bbc[dot]com

MOTD2 analysis: Burnley look doomed without a plan B

MOTD2 pundit Kevin Kilbane expands on his TV analysis of how Burnley's lack of a goal threat means their approach of attempting to contain teams is seriously flawed.

It is now 526 minutes since Burnley scored their first and last Premier League goal of the season and Sunday's 4-0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion showed that determined defending only gets you so far when you do not have anything to offer up front.

The dilemma for Clarets boss Sean Dyche is that if he tries to do anything but contain the opposition then it will leave his side more exposed at the back.

So their midfield is focused on protecting their defenders rather than trying to support their lone striker up front.

The aim of their defensive approach is to keep them in matches for longer but, as we saw against the Baggies, when they go a goal down then they do not have a plan B.

Burnley's lack of ambition in attack means that their excellent work-rate is counting for nothing and, at the moment, it is hard to see where their next goal is coming from, let alone their first win.

Little bite in Burnley attack

The three 0-0 draws that Burnley had coming into the West Brom game gives you a good idea of what their approach this season has been all about.

Dyche does not want his team exposed out wide or for opponents to get behind his centre-backs, who both lack pace, so he looks to protect his defence as much as possible.

Burnley's back four drop deep and keep a very narrow shape, with Steven Reid sitting in front of Michael Duff and Jason Shackell. In fact, most of their midfield is asked to concentrate on their defensive duties.

Average position of Burnley players in first half vs WBA

For 30 minutes at The Hawthorns, it worked. They defended well and gave very little away.

But then they had one loss of concentration at the back, when Shackell got under the ball at a corner and could not pick up his runner, Craig Dawson, who scored at the back post.

The second goal, just before the break, was again from a set-play and a very similar story. It meant that after a half where Burnley had followed their game-plan pretty well, they now had to chase the game.

That meant they had to go for it a little bit, but I don't think that really ever happened.

Dyche changed his midfield, bringing on Ashley Barnes and Nathaniel Chalobah at half-time, but although his players were briefly pressing West Brom higher up the pitch, they never really imposed themselves on the game.

Average position of Burnley players in second half vs WBA

West Brom's defensive midfield duo Craig Gardner and James Morrison were never under much pressure and the Baggies defence was very rarely troubled.

It took 65 minutes for Burnley to get an effort on target, a header which was their lone striker Lukas Jutkiewicz's only attempt of the game.

Jutkiewicz is inexperienced at this level and only leading the line because of the injuries to Danny Ings and Sam Vokes, but it was not his fault he was so ineffective before being replaced by Marvin Sordell after 68 minutes.

Jutkiewicz touches v WBA

He was isolated in attack and, with the rest of the Burnley side playing so deep, invariably the only service he got was through long balls forward, which were easy for Joleon Lescott and Dawson to gobble up.

Baggies are where Burnley want to be

Sunday's game was also a good example of where West Brom are at right now, and they are probably the team that Burnley aspire to be.

The Baggies are hard to break down and well-organised defensively, but the important thing is that they carry a threat going forward too.

Like Burnley, they only had one man up front, Saido Berahino, but unlike the Clarets they gave him plenty of support.

Stephane Sessegnon, who was operating behind him, works very hard but he is not a defensive-minded player, and he was allowed to push on beyond Berahino when he wanted to.

The Baggies were not able to create very much in the first half but, once they had opened the game up, then they enjoyed chance after chance.

Average position of West Brom players vs Burnley

Berahino worked hard across the whole front line and also showed that he can finish. His scoring statistics are very good when he starts - with 14 goals from 22 games for his club and nine in seven for England Under-21s - but that was something he did not do a lot for West Brom towards the end of last season.

He fell out of favour under previous Baggies boss Pepe Mel but it is encouraging to see him back in the team and obviously he has got his confidence back.

Saido Berahino touches against Burnley

It will be the same for the rest of his team-mates. After a difficult start to the season, Alan Irvine's side can now go into a couple of difficult games against Liverpool and Manchester United on the back of three wins in the space of a week.

As well as a new manager in Irvine, there was a huge turnover of players at The Hawthorns over the summer and I think they are going to get better as the season goes on, even if there will not be many games where they find it as easy to score as they did on Sunday.

Time to let the Clarets off the leash?

Continue reading the main story

“While Burnley are concentrating on containing teams, their old intensity is not there and it is holding them back”

Burnley's future looks a lot less bright, and it appears a long battle against relegation lies ahead of them.

They have not spent much money since winning promotion and have probably looked at what Hull did last season as a newly-promoted side for their template for staying up.

The Tigers also lacked a goalscorer in the first half of the season, until they signed Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long in the January transfer window, but the big difference between them and Burnley is the amount of quality and experience they had in their midfield and defence.

Dyche's team is largely the one that came up from the Championship last season and maybe it is time for him to go back to playing to their strengths.

Yes, he is still without the goals of Ings and Vokes while they remain injured, but the key player in their promotion was actually their right-back Kieran Trippier, who was probably the best full-back outside the Premier League.

He defended well, but he also got forward to create a huge number of their chances. So far this season, his team's tactics have not allowed him to do that.

It is the same for Scott Arfield, who linked up so well with Trippier down their flank in their promotion campaign.

Could Trippier and Arfield offer Burnley more of an attacking threat?

I remember speaking to Dyche and him telling me that Arfield was breaking his own records every week for the amount of high-intensity running he was doing during games. There was fantastic energy right through the side.

While they are concentrating on containing teams, that intensity is not there and it is holding them back.

So maybe it is time to forget the defensive approach and let players like Arfield and Trippier off the leash - right now, I don't think Burnley have much to lose.

Kevin Kilbane was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

Source : bbc[dot]com

Garth Crooks's team of the week: Ozil, Welbeck, Moses & Downing

By Garth Crooks Football Analyst

Frank Lampard came back to haunt old club Chelsea with a late goal to earn champions Manchester City a 1-1 draw with the Premier League leaders.

However, Sunday's big match had its thunder stolen by Leicester City, who achieved a stunning 5-3 comeback victory against Manchester United.

West Ham inflicted a third defeat of the season on Liverpool, Southampton moved up to second with victory at Swansea, Arsenal beat a virus-affected Aston Villa 3-0 and Crystal Palace won their first game of the season at Everton.

Elsewhere, Papiss Cisse rescued a point for beleaguered Newcastle boss Alan Pardew against Hull, QPR came back twice to draw with Stoke and Burnley and Sunderland could not find a goal between them.

Take a look at my team of the week and see if you agree with my choices.

GOALKEEPER - Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal)

Of the 10 goalkeepers to have played in three Premier League games away from home this term, none have conceded fewer goals than Szczesny's three

Poland international Wojciech Szczesny made some important saves in Arsenal's win over Aston Villa, but his stop from Ciaran Clark was a defining moment. And what a save it was as well. Even when he mis-kicks or fumbles (which he does from time to time) he still has the extraordinary ability to get himself and his team out of trouble.

DEFENDER - Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton)

Clyne has recorded six clean sheets in his last nine Premier League appearances for Southampton

Nathaniel Clyne has been producing steady performances for Southampton since the summer shake-up at St Mary's. He was under pressure for his place at the back end of last season, but, under new manager Ronald Koeman appears to be playing better than ever. He was at the heart off the move that resulted in Victor Wanyama's excellent finish to win the game at Swansea. It was a typical contribution from a player who loves to get involved.

DEFENDER - Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal)

Gibbs had 90 touches against Aston Villa on Saturday and only in one game (v Manchester United in February 2014) has he recorded more since the start of last season

It was a very professional performance against Aston Villa from Kieran Gibbs, a player who, with a little more adventure and courage to his game, is capable of emulating former Arsenal legends like Pat Rice and Sammy Nelson. I just wish he'd take the handbrake off and really go for it sometimes. The England international can be as good as he wants to be.

DEFENDER - Winston Reid (West Ham)

Winston Reid's goal against Liverpool was also his first effort on target this season

Regular readers will know I love to see my centre-backs affecting the play in the opposition penalty area. Winston Reid gave West Ham the best possible start against Liverpool on Saturday evening with a goal that set the tempo for an excellent game. He also did extremely well coping with a dangerous Mario Balotelli and a very lively Raheem Sterling.

DEFENDER - Wes Morgan (Leicester)

No Leicester City player has recorded more clearances this term than the 45 made by Wes Morgan

I don't normally select defenders whose team have conceded three goals, but Leicester's performance against Manchester United was so sensational I have to make an exception for Wes Morgan. The Foxes captain and talisman was at the heart of this amazing victory. Don't worry Wes, you won't have to cope with Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao and Angel di Maria every week.

MIDFIELDER - Stewart Downing (West Ham)

Downing has more assists this season in five games (three) than he did in the whole of 2013-14 (two in 32 appearances)

It is only a few weeks into the season, but West Ham have started very impressively and one of the main men responsible for that is Stewart Downing. He was certainly their star player against a Liverpool side who, on this evidence, appear incapable of conducting a Champions League campaign and coping with the demands of the Premier League at the same time.

MIDFIELDER - Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

Ozil scored and assisted a goal in the space of one minute and 20 seconds for Arsenal against Aston Villa

Looks like the kid is back in business. Mesut Ozil scored a great goal and provided a mesmerising cross for Danny Welbeck to net his first goal for Arsenal against Villa. The big question for Arsene Wenger now is, does he play Ozil on the left in order to accommodate other quality players or play the German in the centre of midfield where he prefers and was so effective for Real Madrid?

MIDFIELDER - Niko Kranjcar (QPR)

Kranjcar scored his first Premier League goal since February 2012 and it was only the second direct free kick to be scored this Premier League campaign

I think a few people might have raised their eyebrows when Harry Rednapp brought Niko Kranjcar back to the Premier League during the recent transfer window for a second spell at QPR. However, after the performance and equalising free-kick he produced against a very lively Stoke outfit on Saturday, they needn't have worried.

FORWARD - Victor Moses (Stoke)

Moses registered his first Premier League assist since January 2012

I've been a fan of Victor Moses since his days at Crystal Palace. That said, I don't think he fulfilled his true potential at Chelsea or Liverpool, although he would have benefited from the experiences. Against QPR, however, the Stoke winger looked like the performer he was during his time at Wigan.

FORWARD - Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)

Against Villa, Welbeck scored and assisted a goal on the road in a Premier League match for the first time

I must say that, after the possible hat-trick he could have scored but failed to do so in his side's 2-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday I was starting to get a little worried for Danny Welbeck. Yet, his confidence remained undiminished against Aston Villa and his general play was outstanding. His goal will give him a tremendous boost because, when all is said and done, scoring goals is what he is paid to do.

FORWARD - Jamie Vardy (Leicester)

Vardy created six chances against Manchester United; the most by a striker in a single Premier League match this season

What a performance it was by Leicester's Jamie Vardy on Sunday. The man who was playing for Halifax FC in the Northern Premier League only three years ago tore Manchester United to shreds with his pace and scored the goal that gave his side the lead. Louis van Gaal will be pondering what happened to his team of Galacticos at the King Power Stadium. He certainly shouldn't be under any illusion now as to why the Premier League is the most competitive and difficult league to win in the world.

Source : bbc[dot]com

Brian Clough: Your best memories 10 years after his death

To mark the 10th anniversary of the death of former Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough, we asked you to send in your personal memories of meeting the two-time European Cup winner.

In December 1968, Brian Clough dressed up as Father Christmas (above) and came to my nursery in Allestree, Derbyshire. I'm the girl in the photos. I believe he was manager of Derby County at the time and lived in the village.

Wendy Moore, Pointon, UK

He approached the Dell crowd at Southampton just before kick-off one night and I joked: "I hope your players have eaten their Shredded Wheat, they'll need it," in reference to a TV advert he had done. He added: "Now, young man. You'll be pleasantly surprised by what my team can do tonight." They walloped us!

Bill Kenchington, Southampton

I was a young sign writer in the late 1970s. I was sign writing a wall near Trent Bridge, about 500 yards from the City Ground, when Brian Clough walked past and stopped to watch me work for a couple of minutes. "Very skilful young man," he said. "Thank you sir," I replied. I hadn't called anyone sir since I left school. It just seemed the correct thing to say.

Gary Jarvis, Nottingham

I met Brian many years ago when he lived in Quarndon. As a police officer, I went to his house whenever his alarm went off. A lifelong Forest fan, I had a chance to talk about the European Cup final that I had been to. The conversation went. Me: "Do you know, Brian; I watched the last half of the match against Hamburg through my fingers as I couldn't bear to watch." He replied: "Do you know, son, so did I," and smiled. He had the knack of making every person who met him feel special.

Philip Severn, Alfreton, England

Andrew O'Sullivan from Worksop met Brian Clough and Geoff Boycott (pictured) as a 12-year-old

As a 12-year-old boy, I went to watch a Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire cricket match. I got there early and a certain Mr Boycott asked me to do him a favour and "take two tickets to the gate for a Mr Clough". I met Mr Clough and his son, whereby he gave me £5 and asked me to sit with him and the Yorkshire and Notts teams of the day, have lunch and tea with them. I did the same thing three days on the bounce. Brian Clough, Eddie Hemmings, Geoff Boycott, Richard Hadlee, Tim Robinson, Chris Broad, David Bairstow. I've still got goose bumps now.

Andrew O'Sullivan, Worksop

I was driving on to the fly-over on Lenton Boulevard in Nottingham and the traffic was slow because a car had broken down and someone was helping to push it out of the way. I got out to help push and as I did, I noticed the bloke pushing next to me was Clough. I just couldn't say anything as I, like most in Nottingham, was in awe of the man. We got the car started, he said "thank you young man."

Jake Murray, London

When I was a kid, I used to hang around the car park on match day at Forest getting autographs, ran up to him one day and he duly obliged. But he then took me to one side and gave me stern warning. He said: "I'm watching you son and you better not nick anything."

Paul White, Nottingham

Joe Barron's father Paul played in goal for QPR

My father, Paul Barron, played in goal for QPR against Forest at the City Ground once. He walked off the pitch after a 0-0 draw and as he entered the changing room, somebody kicked him up the backside. He turned around to see Brian Clough, who said: "That'll teach you to keep a clean sheet against me young man."

Joe Barron, Nottingham

Brian was in the bar at the old Eton Park in Burton. My dad asked him about when he won the Championship with Derby and Brian came over to tell us the tale. He looked at me and said: "Young man, get me a chair." My dad offered him his own but Brian insisted "the young man will get me a chair". He told his story and left the bar to chants of "one Brian Clough" from the Burton fans.

Alex Winter, Wimbledon

My mother was a cleaner at Marton Grove School where Brian was head boy. He always had a kind word for her and she said on many occasions when walking by her as she moved from one room she'd hear his voice behind her as she prepared to move to the next room. "Hey boy, don't walk by it, pick up Mrs Appleby's bucket and carry it for her." Brian was very special to my mother.

Joe Appleby, Chattanooga, USA

He did a radio advert for me when I was at Match Weekly. We recorded it at Radio Trent and he said he must be back at the City Ground by 8pm to attend a board meeting. He only had one line listing all the stars contributing to the first issue. I knew his voice would be instantly recognisable on radio but he couldn't get it right. To my horror, I looked at my watch and it was 8.30! "Brian," I said, "it's 8.30 and you're late for the board. "Bugger the board, we'll get this right first" - which he did eventually.

Mike Wells, Purley, England

BBC Radio 5 live's Pat Murphy memories of Brian Clough
Cloughie was always very kind about the personal lives of those he allowed into his confidence. When he heard my mother was dying of cancer in the summer of 2004, he sent her flowers and a touching note.
Read the full piece by Pat Murphy here

In the early 80s, my mum worked at a residential home for adults with learning disabilities in Melton Mowbray. Everyone was Forest mad and the officer in charge wrote to Forest asking if the residents could go and watch the team train and possibly meet some of the players. The group were duly invited to the City Ground one morning and sat in the stands to watch that amazing team train and, as the players went back in to get changed, they waved at the group as they prepared to go home.

They assumed that was it but they were then invited into the players' lounge and the whole squad came in to meet them, and spent an hour signing autographs, talking about football and making their wildest dreams come true. They were elated. A great man, often abrasive! But with a heart of gold.

Alastair Hilton, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Brian's penultimate game as boss was a County Cup match against Notts County, and I was chosen to be one of the ball boys. We were lined up in the tunnel before kick-off when Brian - in trademark green sweater - walked up, got down on his knees and said: "Come to granddad." All of us ball boys then gave him a hug in turn. It was a slightly comical situation, but I was almost in tears.

Woz, Nottingham

I used to work at The Royal School for the Deaf in Derby. During the early 1970s some of our members met with some minor hassles at a home match. Clough heard about this, and gave us a permanent free pass to attend all games at the old Baseball Ground.

Richard Morris, Mouthiers, France

Adrian Taylor from Canterbury met Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in France in 1979

This photo was taken in Montpelier, France in 1979 after a pre-season friendly four days before the 1979-1980 season started. The day before, a group of French lads on our camp site told us that Forest were playing 20 miles away in Montpellier. Mr Clough had agreed to taking the European champions to the south of France for a few days in the sun.

After the game we met Brian and his assistant, Peter Taylor. We wanted to talk about football but Brian was more concerned asking about the suitability of the nearby beaches for his family (including a 13-year-old Nigel). Both Peter and Brian were so relaxed and down-to-earth and wished us well for the rest of our holiday.

Adrian Taylor, Canterbury

Aged seven, I sent Brian my autograph book by post. He sent it back to me signed: 'Dear Jonathan, Be good, Brian Clough.' I am 42 now and that one action made me a lifelong Forest fan. How many managers would do that these days?

Jonathan Clarke, Twickenham, UK

When I was 10, my parents took me to the City Ground to watch an open training session. I was in the Scouts at the time and we were doing a sponsored tea making. Afterwards, we were behind the main stand when Mr Clough came out. We were able to get his autograph but, not content with that, my dad asked if I could make him a cup of tea. The great man did even better than that, he took me by the hand and marched me inside and introduced me to all the players. I can still see the shell-shocked look on my parents' faces when Mr Clough finally returned me to them.

Stephen, Nashville, USA

Source : bbc[dot]com

MOTD2 analysis - Man Utd let down by lack of defensive leader

MOTD2 pundit Danny Murphy expands on his TV analysis of Manchester United's defensive problems in their 5-3 defeat by Leicester City.

Manchester United conceded four goals in the space of 21 second-half minutes in their disastrous defeat by Leicester but it was not their collapse that concerned me the most - it was the fact they looked so vulnerable throughout the whole game.

What went so wrong? Well, United's defence lacked leadership, experience and quality. But if I criticise them, then it is also important that I point out they did not have much protection.

The balance of the team was all wrong. We already knew Louis van Gaal's squad was top-heavy with superb attacking talent but this game was the first time we have seen that it does not matter how dangerous they are going forward if they cannot defend.

At times, they were simply all over the place.

You cannot tell me that they did not have the better players - if you compared the two teams on paper, United should have won the game.

But, tactically, United were naïve.

That, on top of the inexperience of some of their players, combined to make them so bad at the back that, every time Leicester went forward in the second half, it felt like they could have scored.

Diamond offered United defence no protection

Leicester should never have got the penalty that led to their second goal, and that clearly ended up being a big boost for them. Even so, there is no excuse for United conceding three more.

Continue reading the main story

“If United want to challenge against the top sides then they have to look at changing their system or their personnel”

They were still 3-2 up with less than half an hour remaining and, although they were under pressure, the game should still have been in their control. Instead, they were nervous.

When you are in that situation, leadership matters. I am talking about somebody at the back organising things - telling a couple of midfielders to sit in front of the defence and saying "stay there and don't move".

In the past, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have been that voice, but they have gone and not been replaced.

Instead, against Leicester, United had 20-year-old Tyler Blackett at the heart of their defence. He is learning his trade and was never going to provide that kind of authority.

When you are a young lad in a back four, you need help from all around you but because of the number of attack-minded players that United had on the pitch, that did not happen. The Leicester players were given far too much space.

I can understand why it happened, because it is hard for players who are forward-thinking to change their mentality and dig in. Too many of United's players have that mind-set.

If you look at United's formation, they again set up in the diamond they used in their win over QPR last weekend.

Average position of Man Utd players vs Leicester

Daley Blind was sitting in front of the defence but he was really the only one protecting it, because in front of him he had Angel Di Maria flying up the pitch, Ander Herrera who is also forward-thinking and then Wayne Rooney who was behind the two strikers.

Blind got lots of praise this week  for the way he shielded the defence against QPR and set the tempo with his passing - but that was a completely different game where the opposition did not have a go at attacking United, or see very much of the ball. So the Dutchman did not have to defend very much.

This time, with the pace and energy of Leicester, plus the number of players they pushed forward, the game by-passed him a little bit.

Blind was trying his best and he is clearly a good player but, when you are isolated like he was, then playing as a holding midfielder is really tough. You just cannot cover the width of the pitch on your own.

United were left even more exposed when their full-backs, Marcos Rojo and Rafael, pushed up into Leicester's half, something they both tried to do.

Marcos Rojo's touches vs Leicester

Rojo is still adapting to the English game and I felt he struggled against the Foxes.

For the home side's fourth goal, he was caught out of position after pushing on past Juan Mata, who was then caught in possession, allowing Leicester to break and score.

Rojo had played a bad ball to Mata, who had a man arriving quickly to close him down, but my point is more that full-backs should not overlap unless their team are in safe possession.

It was a poor decision by the Argentina international, and it was not the only time it happened. Again, that comes down to inexperience.

United still in experimental stage

United play Chelsea and Manchester City in a few weeks and, when they do, Van Gaal could try again at being as open as his side were against Leicester.

Continue reading the main story

“From what we saw against Leicester, United have got a long way to go before they are challenging for the title again”

But what happened against the Foxes showed how much of a gamble that would be.

If United want to challenge against the top sides then they have to look at changing their system or their personnel.

I am not sure they have other defenders in their squad who could make a massive difference because, if you look at the players missing on Sunday, you could really only argue that £27m summer signing Luke Shaw should be given a chance now, and that Phil Jones would play if he is fit.  But that is it.

So a change in system is probably more realistic. We have already seen Van Gaal change from playing with three at the back, which is how he started the season, and he will continue to try to find the right balance with the players he has got.

Playing another holding midfielder would give the back four more protection but that gives him the problem of fitting in all of his big-name attackers. In the last two games we have seen how much quality they now have going forward.

Something has to give, though, otherwise this sort of defeat will happen again.

From what we saw against Leicester, United have got a long way to go before they are challenging for the title again, and it is going to be a scrap for them to get into the top four.

Fearless Foxes get their reward

I have spoken about how bad United were defensively but Leicester deserve credit too. They showed great energy and discipline and never sat back or gave up.

Just as he did against Arsenal and Everton, Foxes boss Nigel Pearson was brave enough to have a go against United, matched his team up to them man-to-man, and decided to let his full-backs go up against theirs.

It was bold, especially when they were 3-1 down, but it worked. They got the ball forward quickly in the channels for Jamie Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa, who caused United's defence all sorts of problems.

To try to cope with Leicester's front three, United's back four were crossing over each other so that their centre-halves were in the full-back position and vice-versa.

Average position of Leicester players vs Man Utd

Vardy epitomised what the whole Leicester side was about, with his display of commitment and passion.

I played against him a couple of seasons ago when he had just joined Leicester from Fleetwood and the thing I remembered about him was his relentless energy.

When I saw him on the team-sheet for the United game, I said, "he will not stop running" and he didn't.

The question mark over him was the same one you ask of all strikers who come from the lower leagues, which is whether he had the quality to score goals in the Premier League. Against United he proved that he does.

Jamie Vardy's touches vs Manchester United

Vardy again showed his brilliant work ethic but he had an end-product too, starting with the cross for Leicester's first goal.

Fairly or not, he used his strength to eventually get the penalty for their second goal, and won a second spot-kick too.

But his best moment was his goal, when he ran clear and showed great composure with a really calm finish against a top-quality keeper in David de Gea.

It is only three years since Vardy was playing for Halifax in the Northern Premier League and his progress to making his Premier League debut against United is a wonderful story.

To me, it looked like he had been playing at this level for years and, if he carries on playing with the same commitment, he is going to score a lot more goals.

Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

Source : bbc[dot]com

Garth Crooks's team of the week

By Garth Crooks Football Analyst

Chelsea look increasingly at home at the top of the Premier League table, shining in a comfortable 4-2 home win over previously unbeaten Swansea.

Arsenal and Manchester City both lost ground on the Blues as they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw and Liverpool are now six points off the top after a subdued performance ended in defeat at home to Aston Villa.

Newly-promoted Leicester claimed their first Premier League win of the season, taking all three points from their trip to Stoke's Britannia Stadium, while Manchester United looked back on track against QPR.

Take a look at my team of the week and see if you agree with my choices.

GOALKEEPER - Julian Speroni (Crystal Palace)

Julian Speroni has kept eight Premier League clean sheets in 2014, as many as Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny and Everton's Tim Howard

Palace's meeting with Burnley was not the greatest game in the world and both teams could have done themselves a great favour by taking all three points from a very winnable fixture.

The only bright spark in an otherwise deadly dull game was Julian Speroni's brilliant one-handed penalty save from Scott Arfield in the 85th minute.

His stop meant Burnley went home with only a point when three were there for the taking.

DEFENDER - Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City)

Pablo Zabaleta has 13 assists for Manchester City in the Premier League, with only Aleksandar Kolarov (14) having more from defence

Pablo Zabaleta's battle with Arsenal's Mesut Ozil was an excellent contest between two top-class players.

There were times during the game when Ozil looked like he had the better of Zabaleta but, if he did, it wasn't for long.

The Argentine defender finished the game the stronger of the two and City were unlucky not to win it in the end.

DEFENDER - Philippe Senderos (Aston Villa)

Phillipe Senderos has won three of his four Premier League games with Villa, only one fewer than he managed in 12 appearances with Fulham last season

Philippe Senderos makes my Team of the Week for the second time this season. His performance was one of the main reasons Villa made life so difficult for Liverpool.

He gave Mario Balotelli a couple of kicks just for good measure and caused problems for Liverpool in both boxes.

Welcome back to the Premier League Mario.

DEFENDER - Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)

Of all the players to play more than 150 games for Man City in the Premier League, Kompany has the best win percentage at 60%

Martin Demichelis got City's deserved equaliser against Arsenal, but it was his defensive partner Vincent Kompany that kept his team together in the midst of a second-half Arsenal onslaught that might have seen them capitulate.

Instead we saw a battling performance from the City captain and his team who came from behind to deny the Gunners victory. A great match.

DEFENDER - Marcos Rojo (Manchester United)

Marcos Rojo had a pass completion of 92% on his Premier League debut, helping Manchester United to a team total of 91%, the best single-game figure seen so far

This lad has a lovely left foot and demonstrated it on a number of occasions against a totally outclassed QPR.

He has a mean cutting edge and reminds me of another former United defender and fellow Argentine Gabriel Heinze, who could also perform in the middle of the defence or at full-back.

He linked up beautifully with Angel Di Maria on the left side when he ventured forward.

MIDFIELDER - Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

Sanchez now has two Premier League goals. The only Chileans with more are Clarence Acuna (6) and Jean Beausejour (3)

Just when I started to think that Alexis Sanchez might have problems coming to terms with the demands of a robust Premier League, he looked every bit the star against champions Manchester City.

His volley for Arsenal's second goal was sheer class and the performance a close second.

MIDFIELDER - Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)

Fabregas is the first player in Premier League history to record at least one assist in six successive games, laying on goals in his four Chelsea appearances and his last two for Arsenal.

There were times against a very dangerous Swansea side that the telepathy between Chelsea pair Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa was comparable with that of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. I was immediately reminded by a dedicated Chelsea fan that it took the Beatles songwriters four years to write a decent song.

Costa and Fabregas are making sweet music after four games!

MIDFIELDER - Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Wilshere's goal against Manchester City was only his second-ever effort at Emirates Stadium, one fewer than Julio Baptista

This was Jack Wilshere at his creative and clinical best.

Against a star-studded Manchester City and a midfield full of quality players, the young Englishman navigated his way through it all and produced a masterclass.

What Arsenal fans need to realise is that when he does not perform in such sparkling style it hurts him as much as it hurts them.

Good to have you back Jack.

MIDFIELDER - Angel Di Maria (Manchester United)

Di Maria assisted his first Manchester United goal taking his total to 18 since the start of last season. Only Cesc Fabregas (19) has more in same period across Europe's top five leagues.

I don't think I've seen a better home debut by a Manchester United player.

Angel Di Maria played a ball for Robin van Persie with the outside of his left boot midway the second half which was mesmerising.

I've tipped United to finish fourth this season but with the this new set-up assembled by manager Louis van Gaal anything is possible.

Watch out messrs Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini as it looks like United are back in the hunt for Premier League titles.

FORWARD - Diego Costa (Chelsea)

Only Wayne Rooney (with eight in four games in 2011-12) has started a Premier League season with more goals than Diego Costa

I don't think I've seen a more effortless hat-trick that the one the Spain international struck against Swansea

His composure in front of goal can only be described as chilling.

On BBC's Final Score, commentator John Motson put him amongst the Chelsea greats like Jimmy Greaves, Peter Osgood and Didier Drogba and Costa has only played a handful of games.

FORWARD - Graziano Pelle (Southampton)

Pelle has scored three goals in his last two Premer League games for Southampton. He scored 50 league goals in his last two campaigns with previous club Feyenoord

The Italian looked good and his two goals against Newcastle made a bad time for under-pressure Magpies manager Alan Pardew considerably worse.

After a mass exodus of players at St Mary's during the close season I tipped Southampton to go down.

I think I may owe Saints fans an apology.

Source : bbc[dot]com