Bobby – Dundee lost to Fraserbough in the 50s in the Scottish Cup so they should not be counting their sheep just because they are playing a Highland League side.
Craigy_f - Best and worst of the FA Cup 3rd Round for you? Which is your favourite CUP? Did you check out Mario Kempes' Perfect XI? Read something about EFC working with some soccer organization in Canada - Is this still going on? What will be your next live football match? Any ties that leap out at you for the fourth round?
Bobby – Best game was the Stoke vs. Newcastle match. Worst display was probably Sunderland going down 3-0 at home to Wigan. Favourite Cup – probably the World Cup, mainly due to the build-up even though it normally disappoints.
Kempes XI – yes I saw it in Four Four Two, it was close to the Dirty Dozen. I know the Argentina victory in 1978 is tainted somewhat but I thought they were a fantastic team. I remember watching Ardiles run the midfield and just being blowing away with how intelligent he was with the ball. Passarella was a rock at the back and good going forward. Tarantini (never worked out at Birmingham) bombing forward as well. Up front Kempes and Luque and then a year after came Maradona. Menotti was intriguing as well.
Everton are/were doing some stuff with the Ontario Soccer Association and GolTV.
Next live match – don’t know. It looks as if I will be busy through the spring and so maybe a trip to Toronto for an early MLS game might have to do.
Fourth round ties – nothing that others have not pointed out. The only thing I might add is that there will be a maximum of nine Premiership sides in the last 16 so it opens up a descent chance again for a “minnow” to sneak into the final..
The RealRico - As the conversation of commentators and brown nosing Bobby continues, I have to ask Bobby, how come you don't do any commentating on FSC? I know you have been asked this before, but I couldn't remember the answer.
Bobby – I have never been asked. I did some Canadian Soccer League stuff twenty years ago and that was what set the ball rolling and that led to radio, magazines, newspaper, FSR and the blog. To be honest I am quite happy doing what I am doing. It all fits nicely together with my other stuff and maybe sometime in the future the opportunity might arise but there again maybe not.
As an aside I have found myself watching games more as a colour commentator over the last few years. When we started off in 2001 I think I watched the games with the perspective of telling viewers what happened. It then dawned on me that the viewers knew what happened - what was needed was comments on why it happened – the job of a colour commentator.
I’m not sure that too many colour commentators in North America actually get that. Even though I might be accused of bias I think Christopher Sullivan does an outstanding job of telling the viewers why it happened not what happened.
I hear far too many colour guys in North America (particularly in Canada) acting as ancillary play-by-play guys. I think the other issue is that the more you hear from some of them the more you realize that there is very little depth e.g. no names but the guy that constantly second guesses the referees decision after viewing slow motion replays and then tells us if the official was right or wrong.
As far as the UK colour men are concerned I really enjoy listening to Robbie Earle and Paul Walsh.
In Canada as far as analysts are concerned Paul James gets a check mark from me – solid comments.
AlbertaGooner - Does anybody else remember Danny Blanchflower? He was a wonderful analyst back in the 1970s.
Bobby – He made the News of the World a worthwhile read beyond the stories of dirty vicars in sex scandals. Blanchflower was certainly one of the more intelligent players and analysts – and a wit as well. Unfortunately I think he suffered from Alzheimers for years before his death.
MrMoore - Blackburn are now in a poor run of form, but surely you can now mea culpa on your "dissing" of Roque Santa Cruz? The man is toward the top of the premier league goal scorers and in all competitions looks a pretty decent goal scorer.
Bobby – One season – or part of a season – does not a successful career make. Let’s see him do it for a couple of seasons and that way he can prove Bayern Munich and me wrong. You are in good company so far – Mitch Peacock passed on a message from Steve Nicol telling me I would rue my opinion of Santa Cruz.
Medpanton - Bibby, U have bin tlking abt the gud and sweet football arsenal are playing. do u see them as a team to win the title this season? I wil b listening ur program tonight.
Bibby – I think I get the question. I think Arsenal’s defense may cost them the league. Am I close?
Verbal97 - Anyway, I actually have a question this week. Aside from Arsenal, it seems that no players come up from youth levels in "the big 4", and even then its players Wenger bought from another club at a young age. Where's the next Robbie Fowler or David Beckham?
Someone from a Liverpool message board made a good point about Benitez in particular, in that if he were in charge at the time he would have NEVER given Fowler, Owen or Gerrard a chance. My questions are 1) is the pressure to get results at the top prevent the managers from giving youth players a try, 2) is the issue the managers or that the players aren't as good as before and 3) what effects, if any, is this having on the national team.
Bobby –1. There has always been pressure on managers – that is not new. And frankly managers at the top are so well paid that it is not as if they face ruin if they get fired. I just can’t believe that any manager cannot find a place for a promising player if they want to.
2. I would suggest a third option which is that with the money that they have available many of the top Premiership teams find it easier to sign what they consider to be a ready-made answer rather than living through the growing pains of a younger player.
3. Marginal – the national team is the supposed to be the cream of the crop so I don’t think that a potential national team player is going to be missed.
A more general comment on Premiership youth development - Paul Hart who developed some good talent at Leeds and Nottingham Forest is now in charge of youth players at Portsmouth. It might take a few years but if Portsmouth sticks with Hart then it should produce great dividends.
Getz76 - I know EU trade laws would forbid it as written now, but do you think there will ever be a salary cap in European soccer (ala NFL, NBA)? Do you think it would be beneficial? It seems to have done something in those leagues; while the NFL doesn't have relegation and some teams are insanely mismanaged (Cardinals, Bengals); in general every 4 or 5 years there are new teams that dominate or do well.
Bobby – You are right, as it currently stands EU laws will not permit salary caps. Under the just approved Treaty of Lisbon there is – in theory - always a chance that might change. But I would not hold my breath.
It may work in North America (and in Rugby League in England) but that is not a like for like comparison. Would it still work in North America if there was15 NBAs, 15 NFLs and 15 MLBs? A nightmare is what it would be.
What’s more you have to look at who would be the winners and losers if salary caps where imposed. Prices would not go down, salaries would as well, and so who makes a killing – the owners. Owners then make more money which leads to clubs being sold for ever higher prices.
The owners are the only winners, not the fans and not the players. It is interesting that players are criticized for their salaries but how many people questioned the $100M + made by Martin Edwards when he sold his United shares?
TijuanaTim - I sit back and smile about your regular opinions. However tonight you have excelled yourself. Running down Peter Crouch, where do I start? Firstly you would give your left testicle not only to have him playing for one of low level Dundee jokes let alone Scotland.
His goal scoring rate at international level exceeds both of your heroes...Kenny Dalglish (twice as good) and Dennis Law also. Both of whom scored some of their goals against poorer, less accomplished, less fit and amateur oppositions.
Crouch is loved by top coaches (with more 'soccer' knowledge than you could ever dream of having) and fans globally, especially at major clubs like Liverpool, Southampton and Portsmouth.
Where next, oh yeah 'Richard Cresswell was causing Newcastle problems', Bobby no he was not - he was completely ineffective.
Next 'Kevin Phillips was no threat in the Prem', he was his club's top scorer on repeated occasions and was the last player to hit an amazing 30 Prem goals in one season.
Then James Beattie (same comment as Phillips)...er Bob, he scored almost 100 Prem goals less than 300 games. He joined Southampton as a raw young forward and by the time he had played the same amount of games as Alan Shearer (who also started as a raw young forward at Saints) he had netted over twice as many goals - same league - same level of opponent etc
Bobby, try and be a little more professional and a shade less ill-informed and opinionated without an ounce of analytical back-up.
A bit about me so that you just don't blow me off. I am in my 30th competitive season of coaching, I have coached/managed at all levels. One of my former players won six full England caps and played for your countries greatest club, another was involved in million pound transfers and scored winning goals at Wembley....I am not sure whether this was before or during the time you have been an 'expert' or have been an author of a 'blog'.
Otherwise keep up the good work, it would be cool if you could interview or meet some football people 'in the know', it would add to your insights. BTW, your team Carlos - Jeremy etc are awesome. Happy New Year
Bobby – Oh I am so embarrassed. How could I ever have got it so wrong? Tim, you are of course right on all counts. Please accept my humblest apologies and feel free to correct me in the future.
Verbal97 - "Crouch is not horrible, but he is nowhere near world class" Getz gets it. Can't the haters at least concede that (yes, you too Bobby)?
Bobby – Verbal 97 after an ill-advised comment about Crouch during the World Cup (I think I used the word flop or something close) I retracted soon after. However, his numerous limitations are there for all to see.
Redfan2000 – This whole Crouch debate is nonsensical. Bobby raised it yet again because he failed to impress in the Luton game, in Bobby's estimation. Liverpool have four of five strike options and Crouch is by no means the least able of those available, period.
What failed to come out of the FSR was that Crouch got no little or no service or support. The much vaunted Kuyt and Babel did not get close to providing the kind of support Crouch thrives on. Torres would have fared no better.
If you are left alone up front which is what happened on Sunday, you have little to play with, boxed in by two backs and the CBs. The FSR analysis was more or less just a plain old character assassination, much as some of the comments on here.
A tactical analysis of why Liverpool failed to play well or create many scoring chances would have been far more worthy of the FSR. Luton played ok, but they were allowed to. At least Crouchy poached the goal that saved us a fate, with blushes, as bad as Everton's. It is not like he squandered fifteen attempts because he did not.
Peter Crouch has a role to play at Liverpool which is to score goals, but unless Rafa plays players who will give Crouch (or Torres for that matter) better supply he will not score goals. The focus of Liverpool's woes needs to be on the tactics and team performance, rather than on one striker or any single player.
Bobby – Just one comment, well ok two. If you really believe that Fernando Torres would not have fared better against Luton Town why the hell did Liverpool pay over $50M for him?
Torres can turn a defense and exploit the space behind the back four something which Crouch is largely incapable of doing. Character assassination? Come on.
Wiegs9 -Simon Barnes' opinion on Alan Shearer as manager seems at least partially based on Shearer having no managerial experience. I'm fine if this is pure opinion from Barnes, but I'm curious if there is any factual basis. In other words, are players (esp. star players) who don't apprentice at a top division club/nation or start managing at lower-level club/smaller nation before becoming a top division manager generally failures?
Bobby – I stand to be corrected but I cannot think on one manager in the modern era that has moved directly from the role of player to that of a successful manager and succeeded over an extended period of time. Dave MacKay did it for a season or two at Derby post-Clough.
We have had the likes of Gullit and Vialli but they flamed out. The nearest might be Kenny Dalglish and I think it fair to say that Heysel and Hillsborough took away any chance that there might have been to succeed in the long run ala Ferguson and Wenger.
I don’t think you can compare international to club managers given that there is a very different dynamic at play. When you look at the last two decades a major trend has been towards managers who have learned the trade as opposed to the old fashioned view that if you were a player then you could manage.
I think there is a much broader acceptance that teaching and coaching are skills much different than playing while man-management skills and leadership are probably more important than anything else. As Arrigo Sacchi said "you don't have to be a horse to be a jockey."
Djnima -1. What is your opinion of Karim Benzema? He looks to be the hottest property in European football. Do you think he is over hyped due to the fact that he plays in Ligue 1 (a step down for BPL, Serie A, and La Liga I’m sure you would concur)? 2. Do you see Alan Hutton signing for United in the summer? Would you rate him as a long term replacement for Gary Neville? 3. Have you heard of this Skrtel fellow?
Bobby –1. He looks to be the real deal to me. 2. I would not discount Spurs as a final destination yet. 3. No.
And finally…….
TijuanaTim I was only kidding I just wanted to keep you to last. Where do I start?
“Bobby, try and be a little more professional and a shade less ill-informed and opinionated without an ounce of analytical back-up.” TT practice what you preach perhaps. Or does the comment “you would give your left testicle not only to have him playing for one of low level Dundee jokes let alone Scotland” pass as striking insight and wisdom from 30 years of experience at all levels? If it came to watching Peter Crouch week in and week out I wouldn’t give your left and right ones for that privilege.
“His goal scoring rate at international level exceeds both of your heroes...Kenny Dalglish (twice as good) and Dennis Law also”. Your comparison of Peter Crouch to Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law? I’ll let that one stand without comment. Liverpool and Manchester United fans please feel free to chip in. (Crouch’s scoring rate at the international level is better than Fernando Torres as well so I can only assume that you also rate Crouch higher than Torres).
“Crouch is loved by top coaches….. and fans globally, especially at major clubs like Liverpool, Southampton and Portsmouth.”
Pity he isn’t loved by the Liverpool manager. Once again if you are going to call me on lack of analytical back-up then I expect more than grandiose statements from you.
How about some insightful comment about Crouch’s skills and how he compares to the likes of Adebayor, Drogba, Torres or Berbatov? How many times in his career has Crouch actually turned a defender and created a chance let alone scored?
Strength, mobility, movement, power in the air, finishing on the deck (the only thing I would give him close to a pass mark for), pace, touch, creativity?
No let’s just dismiss all that stuff because Crouch supposedly has a good touch for a big man - as if big players should not be able to control a ball. Crouch is a starter at a mid-table Premiership side – nothing more. He is, as I have said repeatedly, a very limited player and certainly not one that should be playing for a side like Liverpool.
“Where next, oh yeah 'Richard Cresswell was causing Newcastle problems', Bobby no he was not - he was completely ineffective” Stoke had Newcastle on the rack for most of the second half and Cresswell was part of it stretching the Newcastle defence on their right side and forcing saving tackles and saves. He was so ineffective Tony Pulis kept him on for the full game. Maybe it had something to do with the two great last ditch saves he forced.
“Next 'Kevin Phillips was no threat in the Prem', he was his club's top scorer on repeated occasions and was the last player to hit an amazing 30 Prem goals in one season” If you going to quote me please quote me correctly and in context. Phillips scored 30 goals in the Premiership…………over 8 seasons ago. His last scoring season in the Premiership was 2005/06 and he scored 4 goals in 23 appearances. (As an aside Phillips was not the last player to score 30 goals in the Premiership.)
The question related to the Coventry striker Michael Mifsud and whether or not he could step up to the Premiership. The point I was making was that there is a large gap between the two leagues and you only have to look at the top scorers in the Championship (Beattie and Phillips) and compare how they were doing in the Premiership before dropping down a division. Phillips last scoring season in the Premiership I have noted above; Beattie has scored 13 goals in 20 plus Championship matches this season. He took him 76 games in the Premiership to score his last 13 Premiership goals.
“He (Beattie) scored almost 100 Prem goals less than 300 games. He joined Southampton as a raw young forward and by the time he had played the same amount of games as Alan Shearer (who also started as a raw young forward at Saints) he had netted over twice as many goals - same league - same level of opponent etc” If 81 goals are almost 100 then you are correct. I wasn’t aware that Alan Shearer had ever played for Southampton in the Premiership. I thought he joined Blackburn from Southampton just before the Premiership kicked-off. There was almost a decade between Beattie starting for Southampton after his move from Blackburn and Shearer but if you are going to compare Crouch with Dalglish and Law then why not compare Beattie with Alan Shearer?
If you consider me an “expert” then that is your word but it is not something I have ever called myself and it is not something I would be comfortable with. I learn something new about the game every week and only wish that when I was younger I had been more observant and would have had more access to how other countries played the game.
There are a lot more people with far greater insight than me but there is also a lot of rubbish and clichés that comes out of the mouths of ex players and coaches. To put forward the notion that only people “in the know” can intelligently comment on the game is elitist and wrong.
I find that intelligent comment and analysis comes largely from what you would probably consider outside of the game rather from within it. Or maybe you can provide a list of sources of intelligent comment on the game that you approve of?
There was a lengthy post on Crouch on November 6 2007.
you really are a piece of work you only have a job atfox because your not good enough to have one back home.watching your report on peter crouch was unjustified.and if you had more knowledge about football. it would be funny. when crouchie scored his goal against luton he had ran from the halfway line to put it in.and maybe you should be made to watch all his goals from last season.
you realy are a joke
www.cbc.ca is the link for a written report by TV reporter Don Murray on the crazy state of affairs in Italian. It was broadcast a few times over the past 24 hours.
Bobby: We do live in a great time for widespread media resources. Your reference to the old Canadian Soccer League made me think back with a smile and a little shudder when Canadian soccer fans were subjected to the steel-trap (clenched-fist, shurely. ed) mind of Thundering Dale Barnes.
There have been recent reports 'round these parts that analyst Craig Forrest isn't back next season for Toronto FC telecasts. Is your hat in the ring for this spot?
Last edited by flashman on January 8th at 10:28 PM.
I personally got a hearty laugh out of your rant on Crouch, Bobby. It's moments like that that I make sure to tune in to the Report every Monday and Friday.
This is going to sound like an advertisement but a player who doesn't get much recognition as a "big man" player in comparison to Crouch is Valencia's Nikola Zigic. He heads the ball much better than Crouch, he has more pace than Crouch, and he is probably better than Crouch. He is a substitute for Koeman's side right now but within the last few weeks he has in my eyes justified a starting spot on Los Che or on another team.
He does have a bad knack of getting carded, but other than that, he is possibly the best big man in the world.
Flashman - The Canadian Soccer League was a bit of a financial disaster but it helped to produce some players. Twenty one years after the start and 15 years after it ceased there are still CSL vets making a living. Paul Peschisolido (at Luton I think), Pat Onstad (Houston Dynamo), Tomasz Radzinski (in the Greek League?) are still going. I'm not aware of any others playing although I am sure that there are a number of ex players coaching. If Canada had not gone out to Guatemala in the preliminaries for the 1990 World Cup (the one that Mexico was banned from) it might have worked out differently. The CSA talk about the need for a profesional league but when there was one they gave it very little support I felt.
Any idea what Dales Barnes (broadcaster turned CSL commissioner)is up to?
My understanding is that Craig Forrest will be exclusive to the Sportsnet/Setanta $15 a month station. My hat - if I had one - is staying on my head.
Last edited by BobbyMcMahon on January 9th at 4:27 AM.
Thanks Bobby for answering my question. I like the quote! I'll try to remember it so I can use it in the future.
After posting the question, I tried to think of current examples of successful players-come-managers. The best people I could think of are Mark Hughes (though, he didn't start in club management), Roy Keane (far too early to call him successful) and Gordon Strachan.
wiegs - Hughes took the most interesting route after starting off as an international manager. Keane is as close as you will get as far as jumping from player to a large club. Sunderland may have been in the Championship when he took over but their history and support is impressive. Strachan was player manager at Coventry (relegated), Southampton (7th ? in the Premiership and runners up in FA Cup) and decided it was time to leave.
thanks for answering my questions, even the one that was tongue in cheek. I actually agree that Crouch is a mid-table striker and would be acceptable as that. I had a big, long comment saying just that which for some reason wasn't accepted yesterday. In the comment I also addressed redfan's assessment that Torres wouldn't have fared better with saying that Crouch (nor any other Liv. striker) can create a chance for themselves. I thought (incorrectly) that you thought Crouch was a #### player that should be in the championship at best.
As for Mr. Dodge Stratus, it's an absolute joke to compare Crouch with Liverpool's best player of all time, Dalglish. Crouch does one or two things pretty well, but Dalglish was the most complete forward player I've ever watched (although I've only watched archived games of Dalglish). That's like saying that Luc Robitaille scored more goals as an LA King, so he must be better than Gretzky.
I also can't get over how crappy at heading the ball Crouch is. He can't jump, he never seems to use his neck and he never gets any power what so ever. What's the use in him being big?
I think Crouch could learn a lot from SWP when it comes to heading the ball ,even if he didn't actually get a touch yesterday ,for a guy only 4ft 12in he still gets up higher than Crouch.
Although he does have a poor touch for a short guy.
Verbal97 - I think we (me and you at least) have reached a meeting point. My source of irritation has been the comments making Peter Crouch out to be something that I don't believe he is i.e. a top class talent worthy of being considered as a first choice for Liverpool.
I was fortunate enough to see Dalglish a good number of times - in his younger years and also as he hit his prime. In terms of Celtic and Liverpool he was an absolute superb player - probably the best shielder of a ball I've seen. He had an incredible sense for timing his runs into space and also leading others into space. He was an artist who when at his best made you feel that you had just experienced greatness. I say him make his Scotland debut at Pittodrie and a few times after that for Scotland. If truth be told he rarely exhibited his club form for the national team. I think it has been forgotten how controvesial a choice he often was during his Scotland years. Having said that if he had gone to Mexico in 86 then maybe Scotland would have beaten Uruguay.
Isn't 4'12" the same as 5'0"? In any event, there was a game early last season where the color commentator (I forget who, or even which game) questioned how little Luis Garcia could be SOOOO much better than Crouch at heading the ball. It's because Garcia has neck muscles and uses them whereas Crouch just lets the ball play his head instead of the other way around. Maybe Crouch doesn't have neck muscles, in which case, if I were his coach I'd tell him to make his gf a lucky woman (sorry for the crassness) to build up his neck muscles (if done correctly, of course).
I'm just fed up with the three stooges (Kuyt, Crouch and Voronin). It's what prompted my development questions because there's two young strikers (Nemeth and Eccleston) that can't stop scoring at the moment (albeit at reserve and youth level, respectively). Would it be so proposterous to think that in the mean time Babel should be given a run of games partnering Torres? I'm surprised that rotation hasn't hit that combo yet. He's NOT a winger and he actually knows that to score, you have to A) hit the target (Kuyt) and B) not shoot directly at the keeper (Crouch, Voronin).
I just hasve a question.Will fox soccer channel show the 2008 of African cup of nations? If they show the european cup, i think its only fair that they show the african cup too since there are lot of africans that subscribe to the fox sports. Please convince the powers that are at the fox soccer channel to show the event.
shaster - FSC doesn't show the European Championships (ESPN does). My understanding is that the ACofN is available on a French satellite channel in the USA. As viewers you have a lot more clout than me. You guys pay the bills.
Last edited by BobbyMcMahon on January 9th at 7:15 PM.
Verbal 97 - "You're fired" "OK" that is mutual consent. I cannot but help feel that Newcastle will never win a domestic trophy in my lifetime. They cannot but go with Shearer. Before the 48 hours is up I am willing to bet that we will see some headline that screams something about a new "Dream Team" of Shearer and some grey hair (or no hair)being placed in charge.
Where next for Big Sam? The relegation candidates have already turned over (well almost all) - any thoughts? We started the season with two Sams and now have none.
so bobby what now for Big Sam? What now for Newcastle? Do you think Big Sam was given enough time? Does that question even make sense? Me personally i was never a big Sam fan but geez 8 months sure isnt enough time to turn around that train wreck.
IMHO: No way was Big Sam given enough time. But, that seems to be Newcastle's modus operandi, no?
City are linked with a bunch of deals. If they get one forward who can create opportunities and beat defenders ... Torres-like ... then all will be well. They need to let a few, like Samaras, go, too.
bOBBY - what do you think of Koeman over at Valencia?? I havent seen too many of their games( i dont have GolTv) but they arent playing well, what is going on? Are the players not buying into his system, does he need to clean house, whats up?
Valencia haven't played well this entire season. Bluntly, just plain rubbish. They're actually lucky to have picked up wins (out of fluke goals) on a couple occasions. Basically, struggling to score goals and play some truly uninspired stuff.
Koeman was brought in after they sacked Quique, but little has changed. Hence, he decided to make some significant changes by black-listing particular players (Canizares, Albelda, Manny Fernandes, Zigic, and someone else who escapes my mind at the moment).
Simply put, they're under major construction. They've brought in Argentina midfielder Banega so far, in an attempt to rebuild the squad.
They currently sit #7 with 1 point separating them from Sevilla at #8. At this point, the team is not a strong contender for a spot in Europe.
Bobby when do you think that the Newcastle fans will stop kidding themselves, they are a mid table team, and to achieve results you need time. Allirdyce was doing a more decent job, anyone else remember last year’s embarrassing loss to Sheffield utd 1-0 loss at home.
Secondly: is Eduardo going to be what Jeffers was supposed to be ‘the fox in the box’, and is it me or is adebayor looking more and more like henry (not as his level yet, but he still play like him a lot)
"If you consider me an “expert” then that is your word but it is not something I have ever called myself and it is not something I would be comfortable with. I learn something new about the game every week and only wish that when I was younger I had been more observant and would have had more access to how other countries played the game."
Doesn't foxsoccer in their commercials tout you as their resident soccer expert Bobby? What do you have to say about that!
I enjoy Bobby's expertise and analysis. I love his delivery. And, this is soccer, so we're not supposed to agree with him on everything.
The only character I have trouble with is the shorter brown-haired guy on Fox weekends ... you know, the bar scene has three guys,the older guy who used to pretend to tend bar, the guy who is taller, and the guy who wears too much lipstick and seems to talk in loud monotone a lot. That last guy.
I think the problem with Newcastle has less to do with realization of what they are than the fact that they're run like a fantasy team. The new manager will be the 5th one since 2004 and their obsession with signing big name strikers at the expense of their defense. They did fairly well under Robson, getting into the CL spots, but since then, they haven't done anything unless you count "winning" the Intertoto Cup.
They'll probably hire Steve McLaren after failing to convince a bigger name manager to come and they'll probably sign Peter Crouch for more money than he's worth. In fact, I hope they do that as it will be very entertaining. Plus, people would not have to worry about talking about Crouch as much because he won't be on a big club and he'll probably get injured immediately as he steps onto St. James' Park as a Newcastle player.
It looks as if Fernandes is heading back to Everton on loan from Valencia. I haven't seen very much of Valencia this season but what I have seen has been brutal. Atleti nails the situation.
Is it a case that Eduardo has been promoted by being benched?
i Agree, he is saving him for league, plus eduardo has been playing alot recently and im not sure he is used to playing this much, and they need rvp and adebayor for the cl. I guess they are older in the League cup, due to Gilberto and RVP (he is very old because he is like 24)
talk about weird. you bail on everton less than 24 hours after you said you would stay and now your heading back to everton on loan. Wow thats like running into an ex-girlfriend you left cause you were sleeping with her best friend.
U think Valencia has it bad try psg, they haven’t won at home yet, however away they have like 19 points, they won at st. Etienne, Monaco, le mans, they are even more frustrating
if valencia are under major construction my question would be why? what happened from last year, they finished a respectable 4th in the league. i cant remember them losing many players in the offseason. they have some very good players, villa isnt having as a season as last but still playing well, and others.
I think the goalkeeping situation created some problems, and last yr they were a surprise, because until they got close to La liga, until the last 2 days they had a shot, and also because sometimes you lose a little confidence, the press slates the performance and you put pressure on youself when you shouldn’t, it happen to a lot of teams,
I am the soccer analyst for the Fox Soccer Report and appear twice a week - every Monday and Friday at 10:00 EST. I have also been a regular contributor to the Fox Soccer Channel website since the summer of 2004. Over the last twenty years I have contributed to various radio and television programs throughout North America as well writing about the game for newspapers, magazines and websites.
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