Sunday 6 December 2015 07:19, UK
"Ed, I haven't been this nervous since Euro 96"... Ed Chamberlin reflects on his Monday Night Football experiences with Gary Neville, and what Valencia can expect from their new head coach.
Wednesday was a strange day, with news breaking on Sky Sports News HQ at midday that Gary Neville will be taking over as Valencia's head coach until the end of the season. What a fantastic opportunity for him and I wish him the best of luck.
It's been a great experience working with Gary on Monday Night Football. It's been quite a journey since that first MNF together in August 2011: Manchester City v Swansea.
I remember looking across to Gary for re-assurance as the titles rolled only to be told: "Ed, I haven't been this nervous since the tunnel at Wembley in Euro 96!"
What followed was a rollercoaster hour of television, with plenty of bumps that ended with us getting to the tunnel shots at the Etihad seven minutes earlier than planned. I like to think that we've become a good deal more polished since then.
I will never forget Gary taking an entire half-time to explain a Stoke goal from a corner that looked nothing special to me at the time but he dissected it to show the brilliance of the set-piece and the work that must have gone on on the training ground. That half-time sums Gary up. Thorough and inventive with boundless and infectious enthusiasm for football. One thing is for sure, La Liga has just got a lot louder.
We've also had a lot of fun, especially since Jamie Carragher joined the show a couple of years ago. It's been very enjoyable reading stories and quotes from Monday Night Football on social media this week. Our next challenge will be to analyse Valencia's formation, marking at set-pieces and pressing game...
No doubt about the headline maker last weekend: Jamie Vardy. The odds of Vardy scoring consecutively in his last 11 Premier League games with Sky Bet was a mere 41,421/1.
A brilliant story and I enjoyed the three strikers in the studio on Super Sunday - Thierry Henry, Dean Ashton and Alan Smith - summing up his achievement. Vardy is 5/4 to extend the record at Swansea on Saturday and you certainly wouldn't bet against him.
Mesut Ozil did us a big favour scoring against Norwich at 2/1 with Sky Bet. In his last 12 Premier League games, Ozil has scored twice and made 11 assists. It's only early December and he's already over halfway to breaking Thierry Henry's Premier League record of 20 assists in a season.
He's well worth watching in the goalscorer markets, as he seems to be getting further forward and in much better goalscoring positions this season.
Much was made of Arsenal slipping up again in the road but that's harsh on Norwich, who rode their luck in the first half but were well worth a point in the end and could easily have won it.
When we saw Norwich at Newcastle on Super Sunday, they were far too open and easy to play against and were readily picked off. Since then, Alex Neil has come across a formula to make Norwich much harder to beat, with Gary O'Neil marshalling the team from midfield.
This week, they go to fellow new-boys Watford, who are equally difficult to break down. Both deserve credit for the way they have adapted to life in the Premier League and having gone for Ozil to score last week, this week no goalscorer at Vicarage Road makes plenty of appeal at 9/1.
The following day, we will be at St James' Park for Super Sunday. Last time we were there, the place was jumping after a 6-2 rout against Norwich but the wheels have come off again since then and once more it feels like a club is on the brink of crisis.
The team is languishing 19th in the Premier League table, having been humiliated at Crystal Palace last weekend. It's a dismal tale.
Newcastle have won one of their last five Premier League games and going further back, just three of the last 25 since March. This is the fewest points the team have ever had after 14 games in a Premier League season and they have already conceded 30 goals - the joint most along with Bournemouth.
They have gone odds-on (10/11) for relegation and face a major test on Sunday against a Liverpool side galvanised by Jurgen Klopp. What a contrast between these two sides. Liverpool are shortening all the time for a top-four finish and were so impressive at St Mary's on Wednesday night.
It was painful watching for a Southampton fan but the most impressive display I've seen from a visiting team there for some time. I'm not sure Newcastle fans will agree but I'm really looking forward to seeing Klopp's men again on Super Sunday. We start at 3.30pm on Sky Sports 1.
