13:16
Ben Wirth has asked: Are Liverpool serious top four
contenders, and do you think Brendan Rogers will be sacked if they fail
to qualify for the Champions League?
'No, I don’t think he will be sacked. They are improving. I
thought they started the season very well but if their season is like
the match against Swansea – first half good, second not particularly
great, then they won’t make the top four. We have to look at their
consistency.
'Brendan is pretty new to top four-level management, but Liverpool could be the surprise package of the season - especially with Luis Suarez coming back.
'Philippe Countinho is injured, so it’s a bit easier to make room for him now.
'Everyone’s talking about Daniel Sturridge, but Suarez is their No 1 striker. Sturridge is scoring goals consistently for the first time, but Suarez has always been consistent. That’s a fact, to quote Rafael Benitez.
'If the both of them can be accommodated, or if there’s healthy competition, that’s good for Liverpool.
'Sturridge is the best English striker around at the moment. It’s a nice problem for the manager but he’s got to get those two working together.'
'Brendan is pretty new to top four-level management, but Liverpool could be the surprise package of the season - especially with Luis Suarez coming back.
'Philippe Countinho is injured, so it’s a bit easier to make room for him now.
'Everyone’s talking about Daniel Sturridge, but Suarez is their No 1 striker. Sturridge is scoring goals consistently for the first time, but Suarez has always been consistent. That’s a fact, to quote Rafael Benitez.
'If the both of them can be accommodated, or if there’s healthy competition, that’s good for Liverpool.
'Sturridge is the best English striker around at the moment. It’s a nice problem for the manager but he’s got to get those two working together.'
Returning: Luis Suarez is still Liverpool's main man
13:07
Dancingqueen in Cardiff has asked: They’ve had a
big week - and you can have one of them in your side… do you pick Lionel
Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
'I wonder how much of this is about pushing each other on, with them bothplaying in the same era.
'We all know they’re the best two players in the game, you just can’t stop them. They're unbelievable.
'I think Messi is more of a team player. Ronaldo is more about individual brilliance.'
Click here to read about Messi and Ronaldo's latest hat-trick feats
'We all know they’re the best two players in the game, you just can’t stop them. They're unbelievable.
'I think Messi is more of a team player. Ronaldo is more about individual brilliance.'
Click here to read about Messi and Ronaldo's latest hat-trick feats
World star: But would you prefer Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo in your side?
13:03
Mighty from Manchester has asked: It’s been ten
years since the incident with Ruud van Nistelrooy… I know you’ve spoken
about it here before, but when did you first start to regret your
actions? Did your phone start buzzing with people asking: ‘What have you
done?’
'We could have paid for a new roof at the FA for the amount
we paid in fines over that incident, but I don’t go through my life
regretting things.
'I make my decisions based on the time, when you don’t have the benefit of hindsight.
'This was at the end of my career and I’d played against Ruud Van Nistelrooy on many occasions – this wasn’t the only time I was involved in disciplinary matters with him.
'Whether it was right or wrong, this was pent up. There was a team aggression towards him.
'He was involved in an incident with Patrick Vieira shortly before the penalty, when he took a dive, feigned injury and Vieira was sent off. It felt like the last straw for this particular individual. We’d had enough of him and any respect went.
'Now, I look back and have great respect. He was probably the best finisher Manchester United have had. But he got what he got then because we’d had enough of him.
'The game was drifting nowhere and then it was like the Alamo – the anger was fuelling. We thought they had got three points and only achieved it by unfair means.
'You could say what we did was unforgivable, but we jumped up and down around him.
The media were focussing on that rather than the result, so we had an idea of the ripple effect. I know about role models. There is a way to conduct yourself.
'Yes I could have done far better – and should have. But I can’t take it back and I’m not sure I want to take it back.
'You have to be emotional to be good at what you do – you give all of your character to winning. There is sometimes a line you go over.'
'I make my decisions based on the time, when you don’t have the benefit of hindsight.
'This was at the end of my career and I’d played against Ruud Van Nistelrooy on many occasions – this wasn’t the only time I was involved in disciplinary matters with him.
'Whether it was right or wrong, this was pent up. There was a team aggression towards him.
'He was involved in an incident with Patrick Vieira shortly before the penalty, when he took a dive, feigned injury and Vieira was sent off. It felt like the last straw for this particular individual. We’d had enough of him and any respect went.
'Now, I look back and have great respect. He was probably the best finisher Manchester United have had. But he got what he got then because we’d had enough of him.
'The game was drifting nowhere and then it was like the Alamo – the anger was fuelling. We thought they had got three points and only achieved it by unfair means.
'You could say what we did was unforgivable, but we jumped up and down around him.
The media were focussing on that rather than the result, so we had an idea of the ripple effect. I know about role models. There is a way to conduct yourself.
'Yes I could have done far better – and should have. But I can’t take it back and I’m not sure I want to take it back.
'You have to be emotional to be good at what you do – you give all of your character to winning. There is sometimes a line you go over.'
No regrets: It's ten years since Keown's run-in with Ruud van Nistelrooy
12:51
Kevin in Hertfordshire has asked: It’s the Manchester derby on Sunday, but what is the biggest derby you ever played in?
'The biggest derby really has to involve whoever is challenging for the title at that time.
'In the eighties in was Liverpool v Everton – both at the peak of their powers. Having played in that game just at the end of that period, I can talk with certainty at the size of that game. I played in the 4-4 game at Goodison in the FA Cup.
'Now I think the Manchester derby is the biggest. Both teams are very evenly matched in their financial muscle and the players at their disposal.
'When was the last time Tottenham won it, or Arsenal won it? In Arsene Wenger’s early years Tottenham weren’t the power they are now. It becomes bigger if they challenge for the title this season.
'I think Man City will win on Sunday. I just feel from David Moyes' point of view the game is coming a bit early – as he has had a lot of the tests so far.
'He had to go to Anfield, he’s had Chelsea at home, his very first Champions League game and suddenly he’s got the derby away. He will have wanted it at home.
'He’s got a lot of experience but he’s having to deal with a lot of new challenges.'
Click here for Wayne Rooney's latest words on United training ahead of the derby
'In the eighties in was Liverpool v Everton – both at the peak of their powers. Having played in that game just at the end of that period, I can talk with certainty at the size of that game. I played in the 4-4 game at Goodison in the FA Cup.
'Now I think the Manchester derby is the biggest. Both teams are very evenly matched in their financial muscle and the players at their disposal.
'When was the last time Tottenham won it, or Arsenal won it? In Arsene Wenger’s early years Tottenham weren’t the power they are now. It becomes bigger if they challenge for the title this season.
'I think Man City will win on Sunday. I just feel from David Moyes' point of view the game is coming a bit early – as he has had a lot of the tests so far.
'He had to go to Anfield, he’s had Chelsea at home, his very first Champions League game and suddenly he’s got the derby away. He will have wanted it at home.
'He’s got a lot of experience but he’s having to deal with a lot of new challenges.'
Click here for Wayne Rooney's latest words on United training ahead of the derby
Back in the day: Martin Keown (left) played in the Merseyside derby for Everton, blocking Peter Beardsley's shot
12:44
Luke in Shropshire has asked: Jamie Redknapp said
Jose Mourinho doesn’t seem to know what system he wants to play with
Chelsea. Do you agree?
'In all fairness to Mourinho, he’s inherited these players.
The biggest change is the wide players – Eden Hazard and Oscar. In the
past he’d have had Arjen Robben and Damien Duff, they were quite rigid
and stayed wide. It was effective.
'He also had a big, strong centre forward in Didier Drogba. Most people were stunned that Romelu Lukaku was allowed to go on loan. It almost seems like he missed that penalty in the Super Cup and it was "Off you go".
'Mourinho must have had an inkling Samuel Eto’o was coming in, and I think he will come good – but he’s not played at a high enough level for 18 months. He needs that sharpness.
'I think there has been a reaction after losing to Basle, because Mourinho would never lose at Stamford Bridge it the past. It almost becomes a crisis.
'I watched their defeat at Everton and they should have won that match. Everton put in a monumental performance. When Arsenal lost the very first game of the season there was mass hysteria – people become unbalanced very quickly.
'I’m pretty sure Roman Abramovich was running down to reassure the manager: "There’s some change it’s going to take time." You give the person time.'
Click here to read how Roman Abramovich visited the Chelsea dressing room after tjhe Basle defeat
'He also had a big, strong centre forward in Didier Drogba. Most people were stunned that Romelu Lukaku was allowed to go on loan. It almost seems like he missed that penalty in the Super Cup and it was "Off you go".
'Mourinho must have had an inkling Samuel Eto’o was coming in, and I think he will come good – but he’s not played at a high enough level for 18 months. He needs that sharpness.
'I think there has been a reaction after losing to Basle, because Mourinho would never lose at Stamford Bridge it the past. It almost becomes a crisis.
'I watched their defeat at Everton and they should have won that match. Everton put in a monumental performance. When Arsenal lost the very first game of the season there was mass hysteria – people become unbalanced very quickly.
'I’m pretty sure Roman Abramovich was running down to reassure the manager: "There’s some change it’s going to take time." You give the person time.'
Click here to read how Roman Abramovich visited the Chelsea dressing room after tjhe Basle defeat
Difficulty: Jose Mourinho watched his Chelsea side lose to Basle in the Champions League
12:36
Welcome, we have our first question! @augustinejua
has posted on Twitter, using #TackleKeown, asking: Ramsey has been by
far the best player in the league this season - why would Sturridge get
the player of the month and not him?
'He’s certainly the best Arsenal player this season, he’s
even more influential than Jack Wilshere and that’s saying something.
Dare I say, he is now starting to look like Cesc Fabregas. Only after a
couple of years of playing did he wade in with goals - that was the
icing on cake for Cesc.
'This fella is doing it all at once. His decision making on the ball is good and it’s very rare that he gives its away. Before he would try things that were too risky, now he calculates what’s on and what’s not.
'The intelligence of his movement now is astute, he can arrive in the box almost unnoticed. He said it himself last night that he’s got a calmness and composure when he gets into final third. All over the pitch really. The distance he’s covering is phenomenal.
'Mathieu Flamini has particularly pleased me too. Maybe that’s my personality. Arsenal can’t win games without Ramsey and Girouds being able to express themselves in the right way, but just as important is to see Flamini charging round the pitch, pointing at people, getting players into position. He’s been just as much a revelation as Ramsey – it’s balance.'
Click here to read about Ramsey's star display in Arsenal's Champions League win over Marseille
'This fella is doing it all at once. His decision making on the ball is good and it’s very rare that he gives its away. Before he would try things that were too risky, now he calculates what’s on and what’s not.
'The intelligence of his movement now is astute, he can arrive in the box almost unnoticed. He said it himself last night that he’s got a calmness and composure when he gets into final third. All over the pitch really. The distance he’s covering is phenomenal.
'Mathieu Flamini has particularly pleased me too. Maybe that’s my personality. Arsenal can’t win games without Ramsey and Girouds being able to express themselves in the right way, but just as important is to see Flamini charging round the pitch, pointing at people, getting players into position. He’s been just as much a revelation as Ramsey – it’s balance.'
Click here to read about Ramsey's star display in Arsenal's Champions League win over Marseille
Impressive: Aaron Ramsey has been in fine form for Arsenal
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