It's good to talk ... especially on the radio

So, I've got to start with an

apology. To anyone who heard

me on the radio after we lost

at Villa last week, I'm sorry,

you deserve better. Especially

if you wanted an intelligent

insight into the game.

A rough transcript, purely

from memory, goes something

like this.

Radio guy: Things didn't go

your way today, Marcus. How

did you see the game?

Me: Mmmm.

Radio guy: OK. But can you

give the listeners an insight

into how you feel after seeing

the side battle so well, but the

result not go your way?

Me: It sucks.

Radio guy: Er, right. But talk us

through the game, the tactics

and exactly why things didn't

go your way?

Me: I don't know anything.

Etc, etc, etc.

There were two problems.

First, I was hurting. I hate

losing. Second, I didn't know

we were live on air! They didn't

tell me. Or maybe, just maybe, I

didn't listen.

Amanda's mobile was buzzing:

'Marcus sounded really

angry'... 'Your guy was scary'.

And others I can't repeat. But

I thought we were just

warming up. It was all a

breakdown in communication

— which is exactly what we

can't afford against

Manchester United today.

Games like these are why we

worked so hard to get into the

Premier League and we don't

want to throw away our

chance by giving away a soft

goal through a lack of

communication.

We nailed it at Old Trafford on

the opening weekend when

we grabbed a 0-0 draw and I

was man of the match, and we

need a repeat today.

One of the best communicators,

and keepers, in the game will

be at the opposite end from

me — Edwin van der Sar.

We are good buddies from our

time together at Fulham and I

tried hard to learn as much as I

could from him. His feet were

so quick — I'd never seen a

keeper who could rush out,

then suddenly change his mind

and drop-kick the ball away at

top speed. With either foot!

As for our tactics today, well,

we're going 9-1-1 (there's an

emergency services joke in

there somewhere) and I'm

going to kick the ball as far as I

can every time I get it.

But, seriously, if we keep it

tight by communicating well,

we have a genuine chance of

getting something.

And then I'll do all the radio

interviews those guys want.