Paul Pogba is a showman and has to play in Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final - TACKLE KEOWN

  • Martin Keown answered YOUR questions in this week's Tackle Keown
  • On the agenda was this weekend's FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley
  • And the Premier League announced their team of the season on Wednesday 

Sportsmail columnist Martin Keown answered your questions as we look forward to the semi-finals of the FA Cup this weekend.

Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Southampton will be fighting it out to reach next month's final, while we also look back on the Premier League team of the season.

Scroll down below to read back through Martin's answers to your questions. 

  • Martin Keown

    Host commentator

That's a wrap

That's all from Martin, thanks for joining and see you again next week.

Is it fair that Tottenham are playing their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley? Adam from Boston

FA Cup semi-finals always used to be played on a neutral ground.

Manchester United would never play a semi-final at home in the days when Old Trafford and Villa Park hosted the last four.

At the start of the season we said how Wembley would never truly feel like home for Tottenham.

That is still the case but Tottenham have found a way to win at Wembley. Even though they will be in a different dressing room, the players will be used to a familiar matchday routine.

I don’t think it’s right that this semi-final is played at Wembley... and there’s a ready-made excuse for Jose Mourinho if he wants it!

Do you think we should have safe standing? Rob from Cork

I am in favour of safe standing.

It has been proved to work in Europe and plenty of supporters are standing anyway as it is.

I have seen safe standing in action at Celtic Park when watching my son Niall play there with Partick Thistle.

It improves the atmosphere as the Celtic fans who stand are singing throughout.

Why do Arsenal continue to struggle away from home? Matt from Eastbourne

You cannot hide from Arsenal’s away results. They have been shocking.

Arsenal have not won a Premier League away game since December.

At home, Arsenal’s brilliant football gets them results but to be successful on the road you need to dig deep, pull together and play with a steeliness.

When they play away, there seems to be something missing.

The narrative is that Arsenal need to win the Europa League but that does not mean a blind eye should be turned to what is happening in the Premier League.

Arsene Wenger will be most alarmed by Arsenal’s away form.

Would Patrick Vieira make a good Arsenal manager? Jon from Hertfordshire

Arsene Wenger is still Arsenal manager and while he remains in the job we should remain respectful.

It might be that Wenger would want a former Arsenal player who knows the club to be his successor.

Of all the players with whom I shared a dressing room during my career, Patrick seemed the best-suited for management.

He had so many special qualities as a person. He held everyone’s respect, was very intelligent and very focused.

While Vieira was a catalyst for our success on the pitch, he was an equally important figure off it.

He was a force for good in the dressing room, pulling everyone together.

The Premier League has launched a ‘Playmaker of the Year’ award for the player who ends the season with the most assists. Should there be an award for the best defender? Jenny from Toronto

If we can have an award for the players with the most goals and assists, then why not have one for the defender who makes the most blocks, tackles and interceptions?

Brighton’s Lewis Dunk has made the most blocks (50) and the second-most interceptions (63) of any centre back in the Premier League this season.

Why not generate a formula which takes into account all these statistics plus clean sheets and shots on target faced to determine the seasons’s best defender?

The creative geniuses would not have the platform to work their magic were it not for the defenders winning their tackles and blocking shots.

Let’s give them the recognition they deserve.

Are there any other players who did not make the cut who could feel hard done by? Thomas from Cleethorpes

There is not a great deal of balance in the midfield three of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Christian Eriksen but that is because players have voted for who they think are the best creative midfielders.

It is a serious compliment to Eriksen that his fellow professionals count him in the same bracket as the Manchester City pair.

This season he has decided to stand up and be counted. He is much more precise with his passing and is trying to hurt his opponents.

Eriksen has gone in with the attitude that Harry Kane and Dele Alli will not take all the plaudits - he will be Tottenham’s main man, too.

It does mean that Fernandinho has missed out on team of the year. Like Ederson, he has been really important to City.

He has been their nightwatchman, filling in the games around De Bruyne and Silva while they destroy teams.

You cannot argue about the inclusion of Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Sergio Aguero in terms of their goals but it does mean that Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane are unlucky to miss out.

I’d be surprised if Sane does not win Young Player of the Year.

Do you agree with the PFA Team of the Year? Luke from Kent









Ederson does not get the praise he deserves.

Was Pogba man of the match last night? Jack from Dorset

I actually thought Marcus Rashford was Manchester United’s most threatening player in the first half.

There was one wheeling run where he showed incredible composure and clipped a ball to the far post which nearly reached Jesse Lingard.

We know he runs at great pace but at Bournemouth there was a very good balance coming into his play.

He played down the middle and that seemed to inspire Romelu Lukaku to impress when he came off the bench.

Should Paul Pogba play in the FA Cup semi-final? Bobby from Nottingham

I think you do play him on the big stage.

He is a showman and showmen do things in these games that you can only dream of.

Players like Pogba see FA Cup semi-finals as their moment and that is when they can serve up a moment of magic.

There has been a debate over whether Alexis Sanchez should play.

Wembley is almost a second home for Sanchez. He has won the FA Cup twice there, scored in his two semi-final appearances and found the net twice against England at Wembley in 2013.

How can you leave out a player so suited to playing at this ground?

Welcome to Tackle Keown

Martin will be answering readers' questions here from 12:30pm.


Paul Pogba has to play in Man United's FA Cup semi-final - TACKLE KEOWN