Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on MOTD2 Extra

Image source, Reuters

"The success Bournemouth have had this season is almost as big a story as Leicester and West Ham. Eddie Howe hasn't changed his philosophy at all and the players who have come up through the divisions have done really well in the top flight too. 

"Looking at Aston Villa you wonder: Why is it taking so long to appoint a new manager?"

Image source, Rex Features

Voting closed on Friday for the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award.

So who should be on the six-man shortlist when it is announced on 14 April? And who will succeed Chelsea's Eden Hazard as the winner?

Ten BBC football pundits - Alan Shearer, Chris Waddle, Chris Sutton, Jermaine Jenas, Danny Murphy, Danny Mills, Kevin Kilbane, Pat Nevin, Mark Lawrenson and John Hartson - have revealed their six outstanding performers of 2015-16.  

Unsurprisingly, nobody has tipped Hazard to win again. Find out who everyone thinks should win here.

Image source, #bbcfootball

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on MOTD2 Extra

Image source, Rex Features

"Steve McClaren was having a crisis meeting every two weeks when he was in charge at Newcastle. I think that tells you everything you need to know about the players' attitude at St James' Park."

Leicester City Council have reportedly started plotting the route for a possible title-winning parade., external

So we want to hear today about how you marked your own amateur sporting successes.

Joe, Lancaster: Scored a last-minute screamer to win an inter-schools footy tournament at the age of 15. Was hoisted onto a teammate's shoulders during the victory celebrations but fell off, fracturing both wrists. Local paper wanted to get a picture of me in my plaster casts the following week holding the trophy aloft, I dropped it and damaged it beyond repair.   

Oh Joe. 

Image source, Reuters

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce on staying up: "I'm more confident than I've ever been since I've been here based on the performances.

"If we can perform this week like we did last week that is all I can ask for and hopefully it will be big enough to bring us probably our biggest three points of the season."

Image source, Reuters

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri: "Everyone is looking at what happens in the last six matches, me too, I am very curious, but we have to wait. There are a lot of people pushing behind us and that's important but it's important to keep our feet on the ground.

"Sunderland are desperate and it will be a big battle. Sometimes there is pretty football but I am waiting for a battle."

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on MOTD2 Extra

Image source, Getty

"There is no fear factor about playing Manchester United. It's gone, completely gone. I think Louis van Gaal will be out with the empties at the end of the season to be honest with you. 

"The whole thing about Jose Mourinho, if he's been told he doesn't have a chance [of taking over at Old Trafford] then why isn't his agent pushing him for every other job? He's gone so quiet that you think he must be in a job."

Trevor Sinclair
Former England winger on MOTD2 Extra

Image source, Getty Images

"If Manchester United can go to White Hart Lane and not lose that would be huge - this is a defining week in their season. There is a bit of momentum behind Manchester United at the moment. If he finishes in the top four and wins the FA Cup it would be hard to get rid of Louis van Gaal.

"They have put themselves in a strong position, he would expect to stay."

Image source, AP

Jamie Vardy's season-long party continues.

He has turned up at the Stadium of Light, with energy drink in hand, big tunes in ear and a tennis ball for a bit of keepie-up.

You can take the lad out of Sunday League etc.

Footbaell: Andy Carroll is a good player to come off the bench in 0-0 with 15mins to go. Simple as.

the buccaneer bar: Lawro is spot on about Carroll - one game doesn't get him to the Euros, I'd rather take Shearer!

Rian Hoskins: Carroll does need to adapt his playing style to improve his injury record but then he would lose his main assets.  

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on MOTD2 Extra

Image source, Getty Images

"Andy Carroll is way down the list of strikers England have got at their disposal. They have a real luxury of strikers. How often does Carroll do what he can do best for West Ham? Taking him to the Euros would be like going back to the dark ages.

"Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck - they are all better players and the game is completely different now. It's not just whack it into the middle and fight for it. When has Carroll ever really been outstanding?"  

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on MOTD2 Extra

Image source, Rex Features

"At 2-0 up against West Ham it looked like Arsene Wenger's decision to leave out Petr Cech and Per Mertesacker was genius but what we eventually saw was a bit of everything Arsenal have been over the last five season; everything good and unfortunately lots of bad things too. 

"It's going to be another season of glorious failure I'm afraid."

Relegation battles, stressful? Not when you have seen the things Big Sam has seen.

Allardyce bowls off the team bus at the Stadium of Light in a mood as sunny as the weather.

Image source, Reuters

Trevor Sinclair
Former England winger on MOTD2 Extra

"Arsenal have had lots of opportunities to win the league and they will be kicking themselves. They have the players to mount a proper challenge but players at the wrong moments have not produced the goods.

"Their players always seem to fail at the final hurdle. They were 2-0 up at Upton Park and couldn't see it out. Tactically they couldn't stop Andy Carroll, it's not good enough."

And it is as you were for Sunderland as well as Sam Allardyce keeps faith with the XI that drew with West Brom.

It picks itself.

Leicester have named an unchanged starting XI from the one that beat Southampton last weekend.

Trevor Sinclair
Former England winger on MOTD2 Extra

"Sunderland will stay up. They have the experienced manager and the players at their disposal. They have a better squad than Norwich and come May they will be above the Canaries."

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on MOTD2 Extra

Image source, Getty Images

"They're totally living the dream, that is the great thing about it, Leicester. It's a tough game for them today though at Sunderland. The Black Cats' performances have been better than their results in recent weeks. I think they'll stay up." 

Image source, Rex Features

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho found his way to ringside for Anthony Joshua's heavyweight title win last night.

And, look what happened. Parked in full sight of the Sky Sports cameras, he was asked for his plans for the future.

"I am always linked with jobs and in the summer I will have a job, but in this moment I can promise you I do not have a contract with any club,” he said, denying reports that he has an agreement with Manchester United already in place., external

He also revealed that the job offer from the Syria FA (pictured below) was genuine. And, predictably, dismissed out of hand.  

Image source, Syria FA

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on MOTD2 Extra

"Leicester have had a series of 1-0 wins and that is exactly how you win the league - win even when you don't play well. They've got such a good defensive platform and can break so quickly, it's a perfect system. They've only lost three games all season - it's staggering, really it is."

Trevor Sinclair
Former England winger on MOTD2 Extra

"Claudio Ranieri has done a great job. He has made the players concentrate on the next game. There are a lot of selfless players in that group who are happy to work hard and keep clean sheets and let the special players win them the game.

"Look at the expansive football Liverpool were playing a few years ago when they were favourites to win the league. You don't win leagues like that. Leicester have won their last four games 1-0 and that's how you do it."