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Sky Sports Premier League Podcast

SNF Podcast - Watford v Leicester

05 Mar 2016

Transcription

Chapter 1: What was the significance of the Watford v Leicester match?

0.183 - 10.007 Jamie Redknapp

Alan Smith, the former Leicester striker, here with Jamie this evening. Great excitement again for your former club, Alan. How significant were these three points? Hard earned today.

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10.19 - 28.49 Alan Parry

Yeah, you can say that. I mean, tough, tough game, but fantastic win. Had to scrap for everything out there tonight against Watford. And, you know, a manager formerly known as the Tinker Man, who hasn't made many changes this season, makes a couple at half-time that really changed the course of the match in Leicester's favour.

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28.691 - 38.121 Jamie Redknapp

Yep, two big changes at half-time. We'll hear about those hopefully now with Kasper Schmeichel, who's waiting to speak to us. A tenth clean sheet of the season for you, Kasper. Congratulations. But was it tough out there today?

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39.35 - 51.294 Kasper Schmeichel

Yeah, it was very tough. We knew coming to Watford is a tough ask and we knew that it was going to be a tight game and it turned out that way and Riyad's come up with a bit of magic, so we're delighted.

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Chapter 2: How did Leicester's substitutions impact the game?

51.775 - 57.527 Jamie Redknapp

Tell us about half-time then and those two changes. Was it a different approach? Was the manager unhappy?

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58.992 - 81.456 Kasper Schmeichel

No, I wasn't unhappy. I think we started the game quite well, but we sort of lost our way a little bit towards the middle of it. They were flooding the midfield a little bit and getting on top of us, so the manager made the change and we went to a 4-1-4-1 when we were defending. It gave us a little bit more stability, a little bit more balance, and it's proved that it's helped.

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81.436 - 93.943 David Jones

Kasper, Jamie Redknapp, congratulations. A lot gets said about Jamie Vardy, Amaris and the likes, but I just want to ask you about the back four that you play behind. They just look like they've got such a great spirit and that never-say-die attitude.

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95.678 - 113.383 Kasper Schmeichel

It's an absolute joy and privilege to play behind those boys. They throw their bodies on the line after every game. It's a case of walking wounded in the dressing room. They lay everything out there. As a goalkeeper, they're a dream to play behind.

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Chapter 3: What challenges did Kasper Schmeichel face during the match?

113.684 - 117.774 Kasper Schmeichel

I'm not going to single anybody out because absolutely everyone deserves massive praise.

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118.516 - 127.558 Jamie Redknapp

I will, Kasper, because Riyad Mahrez has come up with something really special again today. Do you feel if you do keep it tight at the back, you just have that X factor to win those tight games?

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129.108 - 152.449 Kasper Schmeichel

I think all the way through the season, we've always had that belief that we've got the players going forward to do something special. Obviously, Riyad and Vards get the plaudits, and deservedly so, but we're there to provide the fundamental base for them to go and do their magic. Again, Riyad today, he's come up with the goods again.

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152.769 - 159.115 Jamie Redknapp

Give us an idea, Kasper, how much you, the players, talk about the enormity of what you could achieve this season?

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159.095 - 159.145

you

160.934 - 188.818 Kasper Schmeichel

To be honest, and I know people will probably think I'm lying, but it literally is true. It's one game at a time because that is what's got us where we are now. And if we start getting ahead of ourselves, then we risk blowing it. But we enjoy this win tonight and we have a few days now. I think we're on Monday Night Football next time. So we get a little extended break until the next one.

189.799 - 190.84 Kasper Schmeichel

We'll be ready for that now.

190.82 - 197.35 Jamie Redknapp

And with nine games to go, Casper, finally, you won seven of your last nine last season, so if you do that again, you're going to be champions, aren't you?

199.954 - 213.454 Kasper Schmeichel

Who knows? Yeah, I mean, we've put ourselves in a good position, but, you know, nine games, we saved ourselves last season in nine games, so a lot can happen in that time, so we ain't getting carried away with anything.

Chapter 4: What tactical changes did Leicester make at half-time?

217.059 - 217.52 Jamie Redknapp

Thank you very much.

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219.085 - 238.25 Jamie Redknapp

They held their nerve, and that one moment of magic from Riyad Mahrez proved the difference. 14 attempts to Watford's 11, 14 the second highest they've managed away from home this season, seven of which on target to Watford's four. 50-50 possession doesn't really tell the full story. In the first half, Leicester had 43%.

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239.452 - 252.157 Jamie Redknapp

In the second, they had 57 after making those two changes, and they had ten more touches than Watford did in the opposition area. Five wins out of seven. Five clear. How did they do it, Jamie?

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253.101 - 265.961 David Jones

I think you have to really congratulate Claudio Ranieri at half-time. He made two big substitutions because... First half, the game really wasn't going his way. They didn't have incisive football. They weren't passing. They wouldn't play it up the pitch.

266.562 - 281.1 David Jones

And then second half, he brought on King for Okazaki, which is a brave move because you take off a striker and then you bring on an extra midfield player because he obviously feels they want to get some comfortable possession of the ball, which they didn't have first half. He also brought on Schlupp, who gives them that chaos factor that I said. And then they started to get possession.

281.22 - 286.386 David Jones

And then that's when the goal comes in the first ten minutes of that game. And you can see it gave Watford a major problem.

286.703 - 293.689 Jamie Redknapp

Let's have a quick look at the goal, Jamie. Claudio Ranieri is on his way to speak to us very shortly, but we're not going to get bored of watching this, even if you have to see it a couple of times.

294.77 - 297.793 David Jones

They get possession of the ball, Alan, that's what we were talking about. You mentioned it during the game.

Chapter 5: How did Riyad Mahrez influence the outcome of the match?

509.603 - 539.901 Claudio Ranieri

I want to run very, very fast. I don't know what happened. I asked my players, every match is the final, it's the last match. What we can do, that's it. How many points? I don't know how many points. Do you remember at the end of the first part of the season, we achieved 39, if I remember well. I said, I want to achieve one more, 40 and 39. 79. I don't know if I'm enough, but I will be happy.

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540.221 - 546.479 Claudio Ranieri

But of course, now we are running for something special. Why not? Great stuff.

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546.7 - 549.889 Jamie Redknapp

Congratulations tonight, Claudio.

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550.375 - 552.259 Claudio Ranieri

Bye. Thank you so much to everybody.

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552.279 - 569.6 Jamie Redknapp

Worth reminding everybody that the nine games that they finished last season was the time they came alive, winning seven of those, just dropping points against Chelsea and against Sunderland. So if they do that again, 22-22, Out of the last 27, the title is theirs.

569.68 - 587.475 Alan Parry

Easy. They're going to be champions, aren't they? Totally different circumstances. They were fighting for their lives and now they're fighting for glory. So, I don't know. But, I mean, they've got a manager there, haven't they? Hugely experienced. And he takes the tension out of situations, doesn't he? He's got that ability, has a laugh with the players.

587.495 - 589.579 Alan Parry

And I think that's vital with this running coming up.

589.559 - 604.459 David Jones

Interesting games as well to finish. If you look at the last three, for instance, you've got May Night at Everton and Chelsea. Could you imagine a situation where they're playing Chelsea last day of the season? I think Chelsea fans would rather Leicester win than Arsenal or Tottenham, that's for sure. So that's going to be an interesting last day. If they can get to that as well.

604.479 - 618.505 David Jones

They're dream fixtures. Let's be honest, the next few games, and Kasper mentioned it, Newcastle at home, who are in free fall, that's a really good one. But I love the way they're playing. The manager deserves so much credit and delighted for them and all the team.

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