Oh, we LOVE the bitterness here Mark.

Steve, Twickenham: Can you explain why Manchester City have not done anything to replace the massive void in central midfield left by Rodri's injury? Even when Rodri returns, we don't know if he will be the same player and surely his playing time will be reduced to prevent another injury, so a backup will be required in the future as well as urgently required now.

Phil: Still time, Steve. Still time. I’m a little surprised they have not addressed that area as it is clearly weakened, not just by Rodri’s injury but because it also looks like advancing years are catching up on Kevin De Bruno, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva. It was a shock to see them completely over-run by Paris St. Germain in Paris last week.

Pep Guardiola has, so far, added resources in defence and up front but adding the sort of quality that would actually enhance Manchester City’s midfield is difficult, especially in January when clubs don’t want to sell their best players.

If they don’t do it in January, I would fully expect City to attack this area in the summer, even with Rodri on schedule to have returned.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and defender Josko Gvardiol are set to speak to the media in just under half an hour.

You can watch the stream by clicking 'watch live' at the top of the page. We'll also bring you the most important quotes.

Glyn: Hi Phil, Why would any young person want to become a referee? I don't mean they shouldn't, more that the level of toxicity associated with it, why would they?

Phil: Great question, Glyn. Why would anyone want to subject themselves to the levels of abuse we have seen directed at Michael Oliver since he sent off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly at Wolves on Saturday? I happen to think the decision was wrong, but this happens in football with referees, players and managers. All make mistakes.It is disgraceful and disturbing that the police are now involved after threats made against Michael Oliver and his family? What has football come to when this is happening?

We have also heard stories in the past about referees being abused in grassroots games. We’ve all had our moans about referees and decisions as fans, but this shocking level of abuse is utterly unacceptable and wildly out of proportion.

I have often wondered what makes referees want to do that particular job. Mistakes are made – but sometimes even when they are not, they are still the targets of abuse from thousands of people. And we should also ask ourselves - where would football be without referees?

Mark Halsey
Former Premier League referee on BBC Radio 5 Live

On what would have happened if David Coote had come out as gay while he was a Premier League referee...

It would have been very tough for David Coote. It shouldn't be like this. We all knew [fellow referees] about David's sexuality. That didn't bother us. He was a human being, he was a nice person, so what about his sexuality. So what? It's all about sharing love and understanding people and what they are going through.

Society today, it stinks and it's good that David has got his friends and family to show him the love and the companionship that he needs to get him through this. I hope that the PGMOL are helping him though this because I really hope David can get through this.

Mark Halsey
Former Premier League referee on BBC Radio 5 Live

[Sacked Premier League referee David Coote]coming out and taking full responsibility for his actions, he's not making excuses, he's taking full responsibility. Listen, he's a human being, we all make mistakes in life. Everybody makes mistakes in life and they deserve a second chance and nobody should go through what David is going through. I really, really feel for him. When the referees get together, we've all said things about players or managers.

David is a human being, he's made some mistakes and he doesn't deserve the death threats. I've had death threats before against my family, my wife who was battling leukemia, cancer. They wanted to see us dead with the cancer coming back. Some of the things they wanted to do to my young daughter was just horrendous.

Zander Murray
Scotland's first openly gay male footballer on BBC Radio 5 Live

On what would have happened if David Coote had come out as gay while he was a Premier League referee...

Look what he was getting at the minute. The abuse he would have got being a referee in the top flight, it would have been awful to deal with. But the positives, it is a wonderful community, especially in sports that's going to have your back.

Of course, the PGMOL will have his back. It would have been really, really tough. People just need to understand the words they are saying can really cut deep.

Mark Halsey
Former Premier League referee on BBC Radio 5 Live

There's no place in society for what we're seeing on social media at present and all around the world.

The abuse that is happening in all walks of life needs stiff prosecution, stiff sentences and then they need to be re-educated.

The authorities need to do more on the social media sites.

Zander Murray
Scotland's first openly gay male footballer on BBC Radio 5 Live

When I came out in September 2022, David Coote was one of the first people to reach out to me. We have remained in loose contact, I haven't heard from him in a while but I'll never forget his message and I looked back on it last night.

He cited that he has immensely struggled and he's got many upwards battles but he's so thankful that he has seen another person, a beacon of support for him and his own struggles so I can vouch for what he is saying in the media and press recently that he has absolutely struggled with this.

He's made a massive error, a massive mistake. However, does that equate to the abuse? This is the second onslaught, from the first onslaught, as David said, he could not have come out because he couldn't have handled that.

That's something that really hurt my heartstrings because there are many periods that I couldn't have come out because if someone had said something to me when I was struggling, I don't know if I would be here.

I've no doubt coming out is a weight off his shoulders. Yes he has made a huge mistake but I wish the homophobic abuse stopped.

Sacked Premier League referee David Coote covered a lot of ground when giving his first interview to The Sun since videos emerged on social media showing him insulting Liverpool and former manager Jurgen Klopp, as well as sniffing a white powder.

In the interview, Coote:

• Apologised for behaviour caught in videos, saying he “was not sober” when the videos were taken
• Said he hid his homosexuality for fear of abuse
• Said that pressure, stress and workload of 90 games in the 2023-24 season led to him to ‘escape’ with drugs
• Believes targeted “abhorrent” abuse on social media has the most impact on referees and their friends and family
• Said he received death threats and has an ‘accelerated police response’ tag on his home address
• Says refs unprepared for “goldfish bowl” of Premier League football

Read the full article here

Image source, Getty Images

In a separate statement issued late on Monday, David Coote apologised for the behaviour that led to his sacking, saying: "This has been one of the most difficult periods of my life. I take full responsibility for my actions, which fell way below what was expected of me.

"I am truly sorry for any offence caused by my actions and for the negative spotlight it put on the game that I love. I hope people will understand that they were private moments taken during very low times in my life. They do not reflect who I am today or what I think."

Speaking about his sexuality to the Sun, Coote said he felt a "deep sense of shame" during his teenage years and told his parents when he was 21 and his friends when he was 25.

"My sexuality isn't the only reason that led me to be in that position," he said. "But I'm not telling an authentic story if I don't say that I'm gay, and that I've had real struggles dealing with hiding that.

"I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well - a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being," he said. "And that's led me to a whole course of behaviours."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Premier League referee David Coote has said he hid his sexuality during his career, fearing the abuse he would receive for being gay.

Coote, 42, said the pressure of his work contributed to the behaviour that led to his sacking by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December.

Speaking to the Sun in an interview published on Monday night,, external he said: "I'm gay and I have struggled with feeling proud of being 'me' over a long period of time.

"I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult."

Coote, who officiated more than 100 top-flight games, gave his first interview to the Sun, the newspaper which led the reporting of his misconduct.

Steve: Hi Phil, morning. love your regular Q&A! Question on strikers in the transfer window. With a few days to go why are West Ham and Arsenal seemingly struggling to bring someone in? Seems to be a lot of possible targets and money to back the managers and I thought players loved the draw of the capital.

Phil: Thank you, Steve. Other locations are available! I think London will always be an attraction but these days I suspect finance and the sort of clubs they can choose from also play a big part. And there is lots of competition out there if good strikers become available.

There is still a few days to go until the close of the window and I am sure both of the clubs you mention will be trying to re-inforce in those areas if they can.

Rory Smith
Chief Soccer Correspondent for The Athletic, on The Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

I wonder if Marcus Rashford's wages are related to Ruben Amorim's approach.

I don't know if anyone around Marcus Rashford has watched how Raphinha is playing this year - Barcelona don't need a left winger, not a chance and the guy who plays up front is a Polish fella [Robert Lewandowski] who scores goals in quite large volumes.

There is not a spot at Barcelona. Borussia Dortmund couldn't match his wages and I suspect Monaco couldn't either.

Rene Meulensteen
Former Manchester United coach on BBC Radio 5 Live

If I was Rashford, I would make every means work to see if I could get that transfer over the line, no matter how.

It would be best for all parties and would be good for Rashford to rediscover himself in a new league.

It's never a good thing to highlight personal issues with a player in public. It does nobody any favours. Not the players, not the manager and not the club.

• 24 November: Marcus Rashford scores the first goal for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, in a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town
• 1 December: Scores twice in a 4-0 win over Everton
• 12 December: Is substituted after 56 minutes of the Europa League tie with Viktoria Plzen. United are losing 1-0 and his replacement Rasmus Hojlund scores twice in a 2-1 win
• 15 December: Left out of United's squad for 2-1 win over Manchester City
• 17 December: In an interview with Henry Winter, Rashford says he "needs a new challenge"
• 20 January: Sources close to Rashford say he has not given up hope of playing for United again
• 26 January: When asked about Rashford, Amorim says he would rather put his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach on the bench instead of "a player who doesn't give the maximum every day"

Steph Houghton
Former Manchester City and England captain on The Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

Marcus Rashford hasn't played enough football over these last few months so what level would he actually be at?

Is it a case where you just want to go and play football and get that enjoyment back to be on the pitch and performing at your best?

We know there is potential there, we've seen it before in that 30-goal season where he was really good for Manchester United but that hasn't been consistent enough and he's 27.

He's not a young boy anymore, he's experienced at this level. This is probably a crucial season for him.

Rory Smith
Chief Soccer Correspondent for The Athletic, on The Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

I wonder if what Amorim is saying to Marcus Rashford is that there is no place for him at Man United and if he wants to play football, he has to take a wage cut and find somewhere to kick start his career if he wants to.

I spoke to a friend of mine at Napoli a couple of weeks ago when they were linked with Rashford and the response was that on the wages they think he is on, which I suspect isn't accurate, that that would buy four or five players.

They're not paying £320K or £350K a week to players in any other country than England and Saudi Arabia. Rashford has to made a choice. If he wants to play, I suspect he will have to go abroad or drop to a theoretically lower level in the Premier League and he will have to take a hit on his wages.

Steph Houghton
Former Manchester City and England captain on The Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

Ruben Amorim has sent his precedent, without a doubt.

I feel as if we have been speaking about this for the last two years now in terms of Marcus Rashford and where his future lies and how he's going to impact Man United.

As a Man United fan you probably want your homegrown players to be that leading player whatever manager there is.

In this moment in time, in my opinion, the best thing would probably be to move. We don't know his ambitions and what he wants to do.

Rashford is too good a player to not be included in the squad but I think Amorim is right in the sense that you have to do it every single day to be the best version of yourself.

You have to turn up every day, you have to apply yourself and what he is saying is that Marcus is not doing that at this moment in time.