LosAngelesChelseaFan - Is your take on Peter Kenyon that Abramovich has lost the interest to create the best team in the world, or do you think they may be playing games with the market?
Bobby – I don’t think I would read too much into anything Peter Kenyon says.
Henry14 - Q1 read an interesting quote fro the mirror that Foster will be first next season at Old Trafford, your thought. l feel it the English media campaign Q2.Do you feel Becks has done enough to get a recall albeit one or two games Q3.Can you say Kanoute is for real, has he developed into one of Europe’s top strikers or it a season show like Forlan? Q 4 What do you make of Jose’s statement do you want to enjoy the game or after the game, even if he wins the quad next season, do you see him at Chelsea beyond 2010 with that style of play?
Bobby – Q1 Unless van der Sar and Kuszczak both get injured I don’t see Foster starting on a regular basis. Q2 – He should not have been dropped in the first place. It was case of McClaren trying to position himself as a new brush. If McClaren recalls him I will be surprised as it would mean a massive loss of face. Q3 – I don’t think Kanoute has done enough to be considered one of Europe’s strikers. Even then he is still a far better player than Forlan. Q4 – I don’t understand the first part of the question. How many current managers do you see still being around in three years time.
RINGO - Who are the only team to reach the champions league final, without ever being champions of their own country? And who where the first English team to play in the European Cup?
Bobby – Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester United?
Simba9 - With respect to Chelsea - A lot has been said about their lack of entertaining football, and this has been duly blamed on Mourinho. How exactly does a manager make a team play "exciting football"? Doesn't it really depend on the players and their individual strengths and skills? What is the definition of "entertaining/exciting football" and how much of that is as a direct result of the manager? And with that said-- honestly tell me why you think Mourinho "will be gone before the start of the new season.”? Who will be his ideal replacement that will deliver this "exciting football" and why? (This is a genuine question I have asked before, which has not been answered; I seriously would like to know your opinion... so please engage me.
Bobby – Exciting football comes from committing a team to attack and taking the game to the opposition rather than sitting back and looking to counter or even worse just waiting for the one chance that always comes along. It is a direct result of the manager. I think Mourinho will be gone before the start of the season because I don’t think he will regain control of who Chelsea signs. Mourinho dictated who was signed during his first two summers at Stamford Bridge but that was not the case last summer. Ideal replacement – Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Roberto Mancini, Carlo Ancelotti, Frank Rijkaard to name five. You said ideal not possible.
rwonfootball - Q1 - Even if Real Madrid wins the title, they have to retool for next year. What do they need to do? Q2- What is the key one-on-one to watch in the UCL final? Or key tactical element?
Bobby – Q1 Real Madrid are probably further on than you might think. They have a solid core of younger players that they can build from. Capello started the change with his winter signings. Q 2 – Whether or not Kaka can run free.
davard - Rafa Benitez has taken a lot of heat for obviously focusing on the Champions League once he realized this season's Premiership title was beyond his grasp. My question is - Is it worth more to do what United did - win the Prem, get knocked out of the Champions League at the Semis - or do what Liverpool did - finish 3rd, and (not yet, but for the sake of argument) win the Champions League final?
Bobby – It will likely be close. We will have to pay until the final pay outs are announced.
Henry 14 - What do you make of Wenger's comments that arsenal will win the league, my head say we will be fourth or third, but my heart wants to say first, l just can not see us winning the league, l fancy Chelsea.
Bobby – The bookies have made Chelsea the favourites to lift next season’s Premiership. IMO there are too many things that will happen over the next three months to start picking winners and losers.
Gongatore – Q1 - What do you see Barca doing in the off season to strengthen the side? Q2 - In your eyes what will be the most significant signing in the EPL, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga this summer? Q3 - The hype surrounding David "####e" is already nauseating and I live in SF. Do you think he will make an impact on the pitch for the MLS? I think his signing is a good marketing strategy.
Bobby – Q1 Firing Frank Rijkaard. Q 2 – Sorry I’m not a psychic, you have to ask after the signings are made. Q3 – yes and yes.
Bobby - I know I missed the Speakers Corner deadline so get to this if you can.
Regarding van der Sar- You mentioned in the report that the Cup goal seemed to have O'shea and Vidic out of place possibly, with respect to a well concieved goal, but you didn't mention van derSar. All of this Foster speculation seems to stem from van derSar's handling of that goal. He did seem to start out, hesitate, and then start out again. While I feel he is and has been excellent, you have mentioned many times his weakness with outside shots and fairly compared or not he is still no Great Dane or even Peter Cech. I agree that Foster talk is just paper talk. He may have had a good season but he has a looooong way to go to prove he can handle the job at a higher stage(Howard had a good season too and noone is talking about SAF making a mistake there).
My question is (finally), what is your assessment of van der Sar's role in that goal and are there any keepers out there who I may not know of that you feel are or could be realistic considerations for the post?
Bobby - Right again!
Man U where the first to enter in the second year of the competition ,Chelsea should have been England`s first representative ,but the FA would not allow them to take part ,fearing a fixture pile-up (and this was in the days before the league cup) and saying that the new competition would probably not catch on!
Proving that the FA being a bunch of incompetent idiots is nothing new!
Also, I have to agree with Derek on the report: Romans look seemed to say, "Glad we won, but even after this boring waste of time that goal means I've got to wait for TSO to quit."
I've also got to mention that Derek is starting to grow on me. As they say, "He just needed time to settle in".
Simba9
I would like to answer your questions from a Chelsea perspective.
"Exciting/entertaining" football is a relative term.You will not find any Chelsea supporters complaining (just as you will not find any Liverpool supporters complain ,IF they bore their way to another CL win).
It is not Chelsea/Mourinho`s job to entertain the neutral fan or public ,but to keep their own supporters happy ,which they are doing.
I think Mourinho used the resources he had available to the best effect possible.
He WILL be in charge next season ,and if everyone can stay fit ,especially J.Cole and Robben(and I know that`s a big if) ,then I think you will see a different style of play ,Mourinho can adapt to any situation or set of circumstances better than any other manager.
After next season however ,I would not be surprised to see him move on ,as a replacement I would like to see some-one like Martin O`Neill.
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