Update - the deal is done and has been announced. For those who can't be bothered hitting a link here is the article.
The Dutch Royal Family, through the lineage of the House of Orange, can trace its roots back to the 1500s to a man called William of Orange - aka William the Silent. He was called the Silent as he rarely spoke out on controversial matters.
However that trait didn’t stop him from instigating a rebellion against Spain that lasted eighty years before independence for the United Provinces was achieved nearly a century after his birth.
William the Silent is still known in the Netherlands as the “Father of the Fatherland” although sometime in the last five hundred years the Dutch decided that they liked the independence bit but silence was just not for them.
Just take a look at the in-fighting and public feuding that has been part of most Dutch national teams for good parts of the last thirty odd years. Some may speculate that a calmer more reasonable demeanor might have brought more success to a country that twice lost to home nations in the World Cup Final while flaming out in numerous European Championships and World Cups.
After all, a single European Championship win in 1988 seems scant reward for a nation that has not only produced some of the world’s greatest players over the last four decades but also some of the most entertaining teams.
However, it might also be argued – and what is wrong the Dutch would argue with a good argument – that it may be the Dutch characteristic of single-mindedness and an appetite to discuss and debate controversial issues that has actually allowed the Dutch game to grow and prosper not only nationally but internationally.
It is easy to forget that less than half a century ago Dutch football was an irrelevance. The country may have made it to the 1934 and 1938 World Cup Finals in Italy and France but the amateur footballers of Holland were there to make up the numbers rather than to compete for the trophy.
The turning point came in the mid-fifties as professional teams were sanctioned followed two years later by the creation of a national league. Even then there was no sudden improvement. In the early sixties the Netherlands lost at home to Luxembourg in the European Championship qualifiers – as it happens the last time the Netherlands lost at home in a European qualifying game.
Success came when the authoritative coaching skills of Rinus Michels crossed paths with the fabulous footballing skills of a young Johan Cruyff. Domestic dominance quickly morphed into European success as Ajax won three successive European Cups between 1971 and 1973. Michels became the first top class Dutch coaching export when he left to coach Barcelona after the first European win. Two years later Cruyff also arrived at the Nou Camp.
Both men joined the Los Angeles Aztecs of the NASL for the 1979 season although the spell was largely without success. After the North American sojourn Michels split his time between the Dutch national team and a couple of Bundesliga teams while Cruyff headed home to Holland after a brief spell with Levante in Spain.
Cruyff’s return was fortuitous as it coincided with the emergence of three players who would go on to become part of one of the late 20th century’s great teams – AC Milan. While Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard came under Cruyff’s influence upon his return to Ajax it was not the same for Ruud Gullit.
Gullit had been approached by Ajax as a youngster but the deal was never done. Instead he joined Haarlem before moving to Feyenoord as a 20-year-old in 1982. A year later Dutch football was shocked when Cruyff turned down a contract extension at Ajax and instead opted to join their great rivals Feyenoord. At Feyenoord Gullit was to learn from the master-craftsman.
Later that decade, Van Basten, Rijkaard and Gullit played under Michels in the 1988 European Championship wining side and were signed by Milan’s ambitious owner Silvio Berlusconi.
Berlusconi saw in the three Dutch players a way by which Milan could again dominate Italy and Europe. It worked like a charm and the Milan side with the Dutch trio remains the last team to win back to back European titles. Before their arrival at the San Siro Milan had not won Serie A for almost a decade and the European Cup for nearly 20 years.
But as a player Gullit was never backward about coming forward and was never on Christmas card terms with Fabio Capello or for that matter #### Advocaat. In 1994 Gullit walked out on Advocaat’s Dutch squad just days before the World Cup finals in the USA in 1994.
Injuries took their toll on Gullit and he bounced from Milan to Sampdoria then back to Milan before finally arriving at Stamford Bridge in July 1995. It was a move that reinvigorated the Dutchman and at 33-years-old he was still good enough to finish as runner-up to Eric Cantona as the Premiership Player of the Year.
Glenn Hoddle, the man who signed Gullit, resigned to take the England job in 1996 and the Dutchman was appointed as player-manager to replace him.
The first season in charge brought Chelsea a FA Cup and Gullit became the first non-British manager to win a major English trophy. The year after with his side sitting second in the league and in the last eight of two cup competitions “cuddly” Ken Bates sensationally fired the man who had brought silverware to Stamford Bridge for the first time in 26 years.
To this day it is still unclear as the reasons behind Bates’ actions.
A brief and largely unhappy stint at Newcastle ended after he benched local legend Alan Shearer. Even so Newcastle still made it to the FA Cup Final during his time there only to lose 2-0 to the treble winning Manchester side of 1999.
A period of five years then lapsed before Gullit again took the managerial reins, this time he returned to Feyenoord for the 2004/05 season but a fourth place finish was much below expectations.
So what can the LA Galaxy and fans of MLS teams expect from Ruud Gullit. First of all they are getting a man with the sort of instant credibility that comes from being one of the great players of his generation. His strength, speed, power, skill and tactical acumen made him the consummate modern player. As a player he was recognized around the world.
Some may describe his managerial record as poor or mediocre but that would be harsh. He won the FA Cup with Chelsea (in the days when Chelsea never won anything) and they were well positioned when he was fired. When put in the context of the time his spell time at Chelsea was a success.
The Newcastle job chewed him up and spat him out. The halcyon days of Kevin Keegan had given way to a brief spell under Kenny Dalglish that finished acrimoniously. Under Gullit Newcastle still reached the FA Cup Final (the only team to reach two consecutive finals and lose both times to teams that completed domestic doubles) but a poor start the following season combined with issues in his private life brought his time to an end after only a year. Although Newcastle could not be considered a success it might be more accurate to describe it as a work in progress prematurely terminated.
Certainly the return of the prodigal son to Feyenoord failed to achieve instant success. The Galaxy will be getting a coach that has had some short sharp managerial lessons administered but by now they should have sunk in.
They’re getting a man who can relate to the Beckham circus having been regarded as a god by Milan fans during his playing days and one that is media savvy.
Probably most importantly they are getting a manager who will not be distracted by the media focus on the Galaxy’s most important investment and who understands that no matter how much media attention, the Galaxy, like every other professional sports team, is in the results business.
It will also have not escaped Gullit’s notice that he will be following in the footsteps of two giants of the game who have also been two of his greatest influences - Michels and Cruyff.
Twenty-eight years ago the Dutch duo joined a league that was hemorrhaging money and was destined for extinction. Even though Michels was a pioneer who showed the world what Dutch coaching could offer, nothing registered in North America.
But the rest of the globe took notice and you have only to look at the 2006 World Cup in which Leo Beenhakker, Guus Hiddink and #### Advocaat all coached other countries to understand how highly valued and appreciated Dutch coaching is.
But with the exception of Thomas Rongen, MLS has to date not fallen under Dutch influence. Now Gullit, a Dutch football Crown Prince, has been presented with a chance to resurrect his managerial career and to perhaps leave a mark on the game in North America in a way that his royal footballing forefathers could not.
The Ruud Gullit File Born Sept 1, 1962, in Amsterdam.
Club Career Haarlem 1978-1982 Feyenoord 1982-1985 PSV Eindhoven 1985-1987 Milan 1987-1993 Sampdoria 1993-1994 Milan 1994-1995 Sampdoria 1995 Chelsea 1995-98
471 games, 174 goals.
International Career Netherlands, 66 caps, 16 goals.
Honours Dutch Second Division 1981 Eredivisie 1984, 1986, 1987 Dutch Cup 1984 Serie A 1988, 1992, 1993 Coppa Italia 1994 Italian Super Cup 1988, 1992, 1994 Champions League 1989, 1990 European Super Cup 1990 Intercontinental Cup 1990 FA Cup 1997 European Championship 1988
Managerial Career Chelsea 1996-1998 1997 Won FA Cup; 6th in Premiership. Newcastle United 1998-1999 1999 FA Cup Runners Up; 13th in Premiership Feyenoord 2004-2005 Finished 4th in Eredivisie
Craigy_f - (Are you) feeling a tad more confident after beating the Ukraine? What’s your take on Lampard being booed? Are there any other instances like that which you can recall? Do you pay attention to stats in football? Do you read any print media on football?
Bobby – I will not feel confident until there are enough points to finish in the top two. However, the win against Ukraine does guarantee that Scotland will go into the Italy game with a chance of qualifying. As for Lampard being booed – I can’t understand how supposed fans can boo one of their own players.
The same thing happened to Gary McAllister playing for Scotland. A few decades ago it wasn’t unusual for Old Firm players to get bad treatment from the other side of the divide. In terms of the stats question is yes. I do most of my daily reading electronically.
D Powell22 - Has anyone heard of any clubs that are interested in Jozy Altidore? I know he is turning 18 at the end of this year. Is he going to play for a European team next?
Bobby – With his physique and talent I can guarantee that there are a lot of European teams watching him. However, I don’t think it is a slam dunk that he will be off to Europe next year. I also don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing either.
Therealrico - Derek Rae feels South American needs to revamp their WC qualification process. While I do think that Fifa's rankings are fairly BS, I think that the WC and Euro Cup qualifiers need to be revamped using the Fifa rankings. For example all the minnows of Europe or South America I think should have to play a pre qualifier. With countries like the Faroe Islands, San Marino, and so forth having to play in a qualifier to determine who get to go to the next level. Similar to what they do in the champs leagues with teams from places like Wales. This would put less strain on countries like France, or Italy, who have players playing way too many games as it is. What do you guys think?
Bobby – I think the upside of the present South American qualification system has been missed. First of all they are playing games while European countries are either playing WC or Euro qualifiers. In fact South American countries are playing fewer games than European countries as they don’t play a qualifying tournament for the Copa America.
South American countries will play 18-20 games; European countries will play a minimum of 24 games between the two qualifying tournaments. That’s an average of 33% fewer games played by South American countries if you exclude the possibility of a play-off round.
Since South America went to the 18 game qualifying round the gap between top and bottom has narrowed considerably. For example you referenced the minnows of COMNEBOL - who would these minnows be? I can’t think of one South American country that wouldn’t finish in the top four in CONCACAF. You also have to consider that the 18 game format guarantees as far as it is humanly possible that the best 4 (or 5) countries from South America reach the WC finals.
Before the 18 game format it was a case of only 4 or 6 games which significantly increased the chances that a good team would pay a hefty price for an off day.
Finally do you really think if there were less WC qualifying games that the clubs would not simply pick up the slack?
Djnima - 1. Do you think management is the problem at Spurs? I think Jol should go. However Spurs seem to have a problem more with defending rather than management. They rely too much on King and he is always injured. 2. Pls post a new pic on the website without your glasses. 3. Have you seen Fifa 08? Are you into video games? 4. Where do you see Mourinho popping up this season? AC? Inter?
Bobby –1. What is your definition of management? If you are talking about the board then the answer is yes. 2. I don’t have one. 3. No, and no. Jeremy is the guy you want for video games. I’m from a different generation. I'd do just about anything before playing video games. 4. You might not see him popping up any place if all the bigger sides play reasonably well until spring.
Ringo - I say bring back pitches like the old Baseball Ground, Derby. Two months into the season and not a blade of grass left and ankle deep mud. Now THAT was football! I`m planning on watching tomorrow`s Georgia/Scotland game, but I`m not sure which team to root for, could you help me out?
Bobby – Was it at the Baseball ground that Brian Clough perfected his love of over watering? The pitch always seemed to be a mud bath. If I was you, I would support the team with the most surnames beginning with the initial M.
CIAO - What do make of Donadoni as Italy's coach so far?
Bobby – Inconclusive. Italy’s position is a product of a poor start right after the WC last summer. I don’t think you can blame Donadoni for that. However, if Italy fail to qualify then the excuses will count for nothing and he will be gone.
MeanSucka - What do you think of John Terry's sudden knee injury ahead of the Russia match? I'm sure it will give more fuel to the whole "plastic pitch" fire, no? I can't believe some people are comparing Field Turf - which is relatively new to the Astroturf fields of the 80's and 70's. That's pretty bad journalism, isn't it?
Bobby – Terry’s knee was a problem before he got any place close to a “plastic pitch”. Blaming his knee locking on the Moscow pitch? You might as well every other injury on grass surfaces. Newer artificial surfaces versus what we had 20 years ago was the point I made on Monday’s show - it is not an apples to apples comparison.
CIAO -Do you think any of the clubs fighting for CL glory need to bring in any additional players? Are any of the Ajax player cup tied? Do you think Huntelaar will make his long awaited move to a bigger club in January?
Bobby – It very tough to find players that are not cup tied so any “winter” signings tend to play in domestic leagues and allow the players they have replaced to be rested for the European games. Ajax players – if they played – are cup-tied. There were a few posters that were telling me a few months ago that Huntelaar was sure to go to a big club last summer – it did not happen and it may not happen in January either.
Gegz - Don't you think that Ever Banega should be included in the Argentina line-up as he may be the long-term replacement for Riquelme? And don't you think at times Tevez tends to overdo it a bit?
Bobby – I don’t see Banega as a long term replacement for Riquelme – he has a very different style. Having Riquelme in the side dictates that Argentina plays through him – otherwise he doesn’t bring very much to the team.
Banega brings a bit of everything with him - more like a Redondo. Tevez’s strength is his desire and his ability to run at defenders – he would not be the same player if you asked him to do anything different.
Craig_f -The plonker and his mate on Fox are talking about Premier League games outside England, either in the US or Asia. Kind of a mirror of what the NFL is doing with the Giants Dolphins at Wembley.
Bobby – I have no idea why anyone would suggest taking Premier league games outside of England. There is no business case to be made for a move like that. The NFL does it because they need to try and develop an overseas market for their product. That is not a problem for the Premiership. It sounds as if someone may have come up with an answer before making sure that they understand the problem. And to top it off I can only imagine the sanctioning and jurisdictional issues that something like that would create.
I will put up a midweek European Championship qualifying post on Wednesday morning.
Henk Ten Cate will bring attacking verve and a notoriously short temper to Stamford Bridge, writes Daan Schippers. Cate or should it Ten Cate played 21 games for the Edmonton Drillers in the NASL in 1980.
Former Manchester United winger and now Dallas resident, Gordon Hill, chimes in with his thoughts on the dearth of young English talent. What a sight Hill and Steve Coppell were on the wings in Tommy Docherty's Manchester United side of the mid-seventies.
The G14’s response to Michel Platini’s proposals to reshape football in Europe.
Ask fans to name the first Dutch team to win the European Cup and many will blurt out Ajax. However, Feyenoord beat them to it. Here is an abbreviated article on their coach Ernst Happel who also took the Netherlands to the 1978 World Cup Final.
Glenn Moore on the Premiership striker’s best friend – Paul Robinson.
Touch blue (no pun intended) paper and retreat. SFA Chief Gordon Smith chimes in on Old Firm bias.
The surgeries and treatment rooms of Europe are full of football players – so we must have another break for European Championship qualifying. But this time over the next five days there is also the start of the marathon that is South American qualifying. And so this week we start in South America.
The last two World Cups have seen Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay qualify both times with Uruguay moving on through a play off in 2002 after finishing 5th in the ten country group. Uruguay repeated as 5th place finishers two years ago but failed to negotiate a way passed Australia.
Whichever country finishes one behind the four automatic spots two years from now will play the 4th place CONCACAF team rather than New Zealand (sorry that should have read the winner from Oceania).
Winning at home is critically important in any competition but South American World Cup qualifying reinforces just how important it actually is. Tracking back though the 2002 and 2006 qualifying results show that the top four have only lost three games out of their 72 home games and have drawn only 14.
In 2006 the “final” four only lost once at home (Paraguay to Colombia), drew 8 and generated 89 points from a possible total of 108 - 82%; in 2002 two games were lost at home (Ecuador to Argentina, Paraguay to Colombia), six were drawn producing 90 points out of possible 108 – 83%.
Go back a further four years and although World Cup holders Brazil did not have to qualify, the overall outcome was very similar. Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia and Chile all qualified with Argentina unbeaten at home. The others lost four games but three of them were to table topping Argentina. Even so the top four still generated 88 out of a possible 108 points at home (81%).
Argentina are at home to Chile who have former Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa in charge of a competitive game for the first time. Chile made the headlines for all the wrong reasons at the Copa America this past summer and Bielsa has his work cut out if he is to make it to South Africa 2010. He has some very promising youngsters on the threshold of solid international careers but qualification for a World Cup may have to wait another four years.
Brazil start with an away match against Colombia and Ecuador hosts the ever improving Venezuela. Bolivia are preparing very differently for an opening game at sea level against Uruguay and then a home match against Colombia at altitude in midweek. Domestic players are continuing to train at altitude while foreign based players (including DC United’s Jaime Moreno) are working out at lower levels. Peru versus Paraguay is the other game.
European Championship qualifying for next summer’s finals in Switzerland and Austria may give us a first qualifier this weekend to join the co-host nations. However, if it does happen it won’t be from Group A.
The top four countries all face potential banana skin matches. Group leaders Poland have never made it to the Euro finals and are two points clear at the top with three games left. On Saturday they are at home to Kazakhstan, a country they beat 1-0 earlier in qualifying.
Serbia are away to Armenia (in their final four games Serbia plays the bottom three and host Poland in the last round); Finland travels to Belgium – a tricky fixture for Roy Hodgson’s side; Portugal with four draws in their last 5 matches travels to Azerbaijan.
Scotland may lead Group B and may “only” require two wins and a draw to qualify but I have this horrible feeling that this is the weekend (or Wednesday) when it all goes pear shaped. And before I receive any e mails questioning my “Scotchness” let me tell you something. Any Scottish fan over the age of 25 has to be worried or they are brain dead.
Far too many Scottish football revival articles being printed for my liking. For every piece I’ve read I can come up with a heart breaking disappointment. In reverse chronological order – losing 6-0 to Holland Euro 2004 qualifying; knocked out of the 2000 Euro play off by a poor England side; losing to Morocco 3-0 World Cup 1998; Costa Rica, a 1-0 loss WC 1990; 1986 WC scoreless draw against 10-man Uruguay for 89 and a half minutes; Hansen and Miller in a Keystone Cops routine WC 82 in a must win game versus Russia; Iran 1978 1-1 ; losing 2-1 to Spain at Hampden 1974 European qualifying; Zaire World Cup 1974, at least that was a 2-0 win; England 1968 at Hampden; losing two late goals to Poland 1965 at Hampden; World Cup play off against the eventual runners up Czechoslovakia in Brussels in 1962. And there are more. If Scotland goes through I will be as happy as anyone. But until that moment arrives my skepticism will be unabated. Oh yeah, they play Ukraine at Hampden on Saturday.
Germany are the most likely nation to be the first to book one of the remaining 14 spots. Unbeaten in eight games with seven wins and a draw, the Germans need only a share of the points when they play the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. A loss for the Irish would put the Czech Republic within a sliver of joining the Germans.
England should be able to qualify with a win over Estonia and then draws against Russia and Croatia. But rather like my feeling about Scotland, I am tending towards a counter intuitive view of England. Impressive wins over Israel and Russia a month ago can only mean an unimpressive display is on the cards versus a poor Estonia side. No matter they will get three points which will nicely set up Wednesday’s massively gigantic showdown clash (a bit of tabloid stuff there) in Moscow.
Israel faces a mammoth task in beating Croatia in Zagreb if they are to maintain a realistic chance of advancing. The last time these two countries met Arsenal’s Eduardo da Silva notched a hat trick as Croatia inflicted a 4-3 home loss in Israel. A win on Saturday would put Croatia impressively through with two games to spare.
Denmark and Spain renew a bitter rivalry (bitter for the Dames anyway) with Denmark desperate for a win that will keep them in contention for a top two spot in Group F. Since 1984 Spain has beaten Denmark in the 1984 European championship in France; thrashed Denmark 5-1 at the 1986 World Cup; won 3-2 at the group stage of Euro 88; defeated Denmark at the qualifying stages of the 1990 and 1994 World Cup and lost the corresponding fixture of this competition 2-1 back in March.
Denmark have six shut outs in eight games but none of their four wins have come against any of the top three teams. Even so Denmark currently trail Spain and Sweden by 5 points and Northern Ireland by two a win here could put the Danes in a decent position. Spain, Sweden and Northern Ireland all have to play each other while Denmark has to face the Irish (a) and Latvia and Iceland at home.
Another packed weekend of action with league titles decided, the Dutch Cup going to Ajax after an extended penalty shoot out, relegation fights continuing across Europe and Glenn Roeder resigning his position at Newcastle.
Premiership is suing YouTube over copyright infringement.
Meanwhile West Ham may find that they are sued into oblivion.
But Ian Bell contends that the likes of Wigan are missing the point.
On Friday’s FSR we mentioned that FIFA/UEFA might not take of any civil court action by Premiership clubs against West Ham to well.
Amy Lawrence looks at how the Premiership has changed as it reaches 1,000 games. Based on 380 games being played each year I can't work out where the number 1,000 comes into it. On the other hand one of the responses that lists the Premiership nightmare eleven is fun to consider. Who would be in your nightmare eleven for the 2006/07 season and you might also want to select a manager?
Philip Cornwall looks at the value of the Premiership at birth.
Patrick Barclay looks at Manchester United on what turned out to be the eve of their ninth Premiership title.
Guy Hodgson’s review of the City – United derby is worth reading for the first three paragraphs alone.
And remember to nominate your dogs and stars from this week’s televised games.
If you are a fan of a team in a top tier European League it is no longer good enough to just keep track of your team’s fortunes but also the Championship races in other countries.
Particularly at this time of year – the reason? Welcome to the wonderful world of UEFA Coefficients. For it is country and club coefficients that will dictate what rounds clubs will be dropped into (country coefficients) and the seeding that the club will attract when the various draws are made – the club coefficients. for the two European competitions next season
So if you are a Celtic fan for example you are checking the results from Germany this week in the hope that Stuttgart can maintain a lead on Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and eventually take one of the three CL spots to the exclusion of Bayern.
If Bayern usurp Stuttgart them Celtic will be more likely not to be seeded in pot 2 which means when they enter the third round of Champions League they are more likely to face a strong team such as the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Arsenal or AC Milan. The site that I linked to is maintained by Bert Kassie who does an incredible job of staying on top of the constant changes in the UEFA Coefficients.
Last weekend we saw Celtic, Inter Milan and Lyon wrap up their respective titles and all by the proverbial country mile. The Dutch title will be decided this weekend but the contrast with the title processions in Scotland, Italy and France could not be more marked.
A few weeks ago it looked as if PSV were going to stroll to the title but over the last six games they have stumbled badly with only one win and three draws. Even going into the final few minutes of the game last week against Utrecht it looked as if they would at least enter the last round of play with a two point lead over AZ Alkmaar and Ajax.
But, with four minutes left Utrecht equalized and AZ Alkmaar took over top spot on goal difference with Ajax second and PSV trailing in third. All the teams have 72 points but AZ have a goal difference of 53, Ajax 47 and PSV 46. If AZ take the title it will be only their second all time – that last was in 1981 – and they will be the first time that a side outside of the big three in Holland (PSV, Ajax and Feyenoord) has one the championship in 26 years.
For the second and third place sides a play off for the other Champions League spot. awaits. AZ plays Excelsior who are currently 16th, Ajax plays 15th placed Willem II and for PSV it will be Vitesse who are sitting in 12th spot. AZ and Ajax are both going for the domestic double and will face each other in the Dutch Cup Final.
In France, Italy and Portugal it is a case of the second place team playing the team right behind them in the table.
At stake in both France and Portugal are automatic group spots for the league runners up and in the case of Portugal there remains a faint hope that Porto might still be caught. Lens still leads Bordeaux by a point in France even though a win last week was their first in six matches. Bordeaux are riding a crest at the moment and are unbeaten in their last eight games (four wins and four draws). They have also scored five goals in their last two wins which constitutes an attacking explosion for a side that has only hit the back of the net 35 times in 33 games.
Benfica and Sporting Lisbon could both be considered in-form teams with the Eagles unbeaten in 17 games (12 wins and 5 draws) and Sporting have not tasted defeat in their last 14 games (9 wins and 5 draws). Benfica’s last loss was back on November 18 while Sporting’s last loss was to their great city rivals by a score of 2-0 when they last met. Porto enters the weekend with a four point lead and also face a derby encounter against Boavista who are struggling in a lower mid-table position.
The Rome derby is the match of the weekend in Italy with Lazio looking to complete the double over Roma. After falling one game short of matching a club record on nine straight wins Lazio fans will be concerned that the team is running out of gas with two draws and a loss in their last three games. It could be a more noteable occasion than normal for Roma’s Francesco Totti and Lazio keeper Angelo Peruzzi. If Totti plays he will set a new record of 23 appearances in this derby rivalry while for Angelo Peruzzi it may be his last as he contemplates a season’s end retirement.
In the UK the battle at the top and bottom of the Premiership will demand attention but in the Championship and Scottish League there will be some compelling match ups. In Scotland, Gretna needs to beat bottom of the table Ross County in the last game of the season to secure promotion to the SPL for next season. They currently lead St. Johnstone by a single point and what makes this remarkable is that it will mean that Gretna will have achieved three successive promotions.
In the second tier of English football two of Sunderland, Derby and Birmingham will gain automatic promotion and a massive payday to the Premiership. The side that misses out will have another chance together with three other teams in the play offs. The problem is that is far from clear who the other three teams will be. With two games left only three points separate seven teams. Fans of Preston, West Brom, Wolves, Southampton, Stoke, Colchester and Sheffield Wednesday will be sweating ever moment this weekend.
The FSC MLS Game of the Week is the LA derby with Chivas playing LA Galaxy. You would think that if any team can use the media attention showered on the Galaxy the last few months to their own advantage it would be Chivas. I have yet to see Galaxy this season but have watched Chivas twice. They were well in control of the game against Toronto FC and thought that were unlucky to lose to Houston Dynamo. Maykel Galindo’s seering pace is going to create a lot of chances for him this season and I could see him making a big impact during his first year in the league.
Toronto FC opens their new stadium (BMO) this weekend against the Kansas City Wizards the team that convincingly beat them 3-0 on Wednesday night. The trades that Mo Johnston made to acquire Kevin Goldthwaite and Marvell Wynne looked to have improved the defense although the central pairing of Jim Brennan and Marco Reda didn’t inspire confidence. Centre back is not the position for Brennan who was probably Toronto’s best player over the first two games when he occupied the left side of the defense in a 3-5-2 formation.
Toronto desperately needs a player with presence in the centre of the defense and there is no indication that such a player is presently on the roster. The midfield is struggling to string more than two passes together and rarely get into positions to support the two strikers. Up front Alecko Eskandarian is constantly tearing down blind alleys but at least he is giving honest effort. We will see if home support of 20,000 can help Toronto to their first goal and win.
Bufftvs – Now that Tevez looks like he can play in the EPL, where will he be next year? And who else from West Ham do you see moving on when they go down, as seems inevitable?
Bobby – I can’t see Tevez staying with West Ham or moving to another Premiership team. Spain or Italy would be likely destinations I suppose.
Henry14 - Do you see Wenger signing Eto'o if he is made available? As an Arsenal fan l feel we are probably an Eto'o like striker and a winger of Ribery's quality from challenging for the title and if Wenger does not have a trophy next season do you see him being told to go to the board of directors and stop coaching? Q2 looking at the remaining fixtures who has the advantage to win the title Chelsea or United?
Bobby – I don’t see Arsenal having the kind of money it would take to sign Eto’o. Plus I cannot see Barcelona making him available. As I see it he would be the last player that they would want to let go. Ribery is a more likely transfer target. As for Wenger being upstairs I don’t think that is going to happen either. A manager is moved for one primary reason – the board thinks that someone else could do a better job. Given that they have supported him in the youth movement I can’t see them giving up before it is complete.
United has the advantage in that they can afford at a minimum to lose to Chelsea and to one other team and still win the title because they have a much better goal difference – 16 goals is a lot to make up. In terms of the teams they each have to play it looks very even to me.
bigdave disaster - Is there anything more to read into Henrik Larsson, king of kings, leaving Man U than just his loyalty toward Helsingborgs? Man U prime to win the league and very much in contention for FA and more importantly Champions League it would seem the only person happy is Saha.
Bobby – Larsson showed when he left Celtic and Barcelona that he very much knows his own mind. From a Manchester United perspective I don’t think chasing Larsson would be a good message to send to the other forwards. He is 35 and is not one for the future. It has been fun watching him the last few weeks though. It has also been fun listening to the number of commentators who have suddenly realized what a great player he is/was.
wja425 - What are the consequences of relegation for a player? I have heard that contracts are often written such that they become null if a team is relegated. For a player who stays with a club on a contract negotiated while the team was in the Premier League, do their wages remain at their original level, or are there automatic pay cuts written in if the club is relegated?
Bobby – It depends on the contract. The North American comparison would be one-way or two-way contracts in hockey. Some players enjoy enough clout to negotiate a salary level no matter what happens; while others might have to accept a significant reduction should relegation happen. Lucas Neil is rumoured to have a “get-out” clause should/when West Ham are relegated. I assume that it would allow him to become a free agent.
Flashman - Enjoy watching the weekly EPL review you do Bobby, but after your review of West Ham-Spurs, you said 'You have to feel sorry for West Ham.' Really.
Their season of sel####estruction includes a bizarre pre-season of takeover speculation, signing players illegally(allegedly), players' gambling addiction problems, boardroom turmoil, a dysfunctional, clique-filled roster full of self-centred 'Bentley Babes', sideline punchups, sacking a manager who comes back to thrash them and a player charged with assault in a nightclub rhubarb who then leaves the country against club rules.
To that you can add, as the media report that the Upton Park stadium announcer made a series of inappropriate comments and an FA investigation that Spurs fans were racially taunted throughout Sunday's game.What exactly is there to feel sorry for with a club like this? Oh, sure, they have a history; just not sure they have a future to match it. Also, since they are often Spurs' feeder club, do you see anyone shifting over? They have some good players but this season really puts a stain on some reputations.
Bobby – The comment was made in the context of the game not in relation to West Ham’s history or off field antics. In order to have cracking game like that you need two sides going at it and that was the case on Sunday. In that sort of situation it is tough to see one team walk/limp away with nothing to show for their efforts. However, having said that football is often a cruel game.
I read that Marlon Harewood might be a Spurs target – I found that surprising. The Spurs left side is still a problem but I don’t see Paul Konchesky providing a solution or Matthew Etherington who Spurs gave up on previously. Luis Boa Morte perhaps?
Danny Gabbidon is a fine player who WHU have badly missed this season and Dean Ashton – if he recovers from the broken ankle – could play for any side in England.
ulsterson - All the recent articles the youth and future of the English game as well as a low murmuring about so few English players on EPL teams made me wonder what ever came of the laws FIFA seemed to be trying to pass a while back. If I remember correctly it had to do with a certain number or percentage of players being required to have come up through the youth system or at least in the league. I don't know how great that would be for the EPL but I would think it would help individual nations nurture their young talent to a greater degree and perhaps forge more of a bond between club and country. Any news on this or did I miss it?
Bobby – The proposal is still on the table but the big clubs are fighting it.
Gunner44 - I read this on BBC is it true and if it is how good is this guy? "Arsenal are weighing up a £6m summer swoop for Ajax winger Ryan Babel. (Daily Mirror)"
Bobby – The Daily Mirror is not all that reliable although Wenger has been linked with a bid for Babel before. I have not seen very much of him lately but he played for Holland in the FIFA Under 20s two seasons ago and looked very good. Being an Ajax product – there again so was Patrik Kluivert!! - £6m would seem to be a bargain but he has only scored three league goals this season so I am wondering if he has stalled out. Any Dutch league fans out there that can add anything?
verbal97 - Ahead of the build-up to the 2nd leg today, Liverpool's website asked who would you build your team around - Gerrard or Ronaldinho? Not surprisingly, Gerrard got 95.4% of the vote. But that got me thinking, if you were offered carte blanche to build a team right now, who would be your choice of player to build your team around and why?
I would choose Gerrard (as atleti rolls her eyes) because of leadership qualities and he's one of (if not the) best all-around players in the world. I would have to say my second choice would be John Terry for again, the leadership qualities, plus it's a nice luxury to have a central defender that can actually score a few goals.
Bobby – I would go for Peter Cech.
Thierry Henry - Where do you get CHAMPIONS LEAGUE in CANADA these days? TSN only shows CURLING... and we have no ESPN...
Bobby – I had the choice of Liverpool – Barcelona (RDS – the French language TSN) and Valencia – Inter on TLN. RDS was 15 minutes late in joining the game because of Canada Games curling. I switched back and forward during the first half then opted for Liverpool – Barcelona in the second half. My Dad called at half time (he has Shaw Cable) to say that he had found the Liverpool game with English commentary on channel 1 – no idea how that happened. Tomorrow I am hoping for a choice between Real Madrid/Bayern Munich and Milan/Celtic.
Gongatore - Now that Liverpool manhandled Barca out of the CL and rightfully advanced, who would you look FR (will he stay?) to buy for next season? Barca needs to regroup in order to compete next year. They will be very lucky to win La Liga at this juncture.
Bobby – FR may well move. There have been comments made about how he has strong man-management skills but tactically he is not top drawer. Before Barcelona decides who to buy they will first have to decide who to sell and no doubt the Ronaldinho to Milan stories will surface again. As I said earlier I can’t see Eto’o leaving and I would say the same about Messi. Ronaldinho might turn out to be more expendable than it might appear. I might come down to how quickly Giovanni dos Santos is maturing.
Porto vs. Chelsea - A good draw for Chelsea, but perhaps a little more difficult than many of the pundits will have you believe. Jose Mourinho and Porto boss Jesualdo Ferreira are no strangers to each other. Ferreira has a reputation as a shrewd and cunning tactician who gets the most out of his players.
Premiership buffs may turn up their noses when they see Helder Postiga leading the Porto line but under Ferreira Postiga has recaptured the scoring touch that made him one of the most sought-after youngsters in Europe.
Porto made a poor start to group play but three successive wins and a draw turned it around. A 2-0 away win in Moscow against CSKA was pivotal. Goals from Argentine midfielder “Lucho” Gonzalez and former Barcelona winger Ricardo Quaresma did the trick that day and both players are enjoying good seasons. Brazilian striker Adriano Vieira has just returned from injury and he should be back to match-fitness by February.
Celtic vs. AC Milan - These two teams have met four times before in European competition and Celtic has yet to record a victory. In 1969 Celtic returned to Parkhead after achieving a scoreless draw at the San Siro. But Prati took advantage of a McNeill error early on in the first half of the return leg and Milan went on to beat reigning champions Manchester United in the semi-final and then to beat Ajax 4-1 in the final at the Bernabeu.
Two seasons ago the teams met again with Celtic losing 3-1 at the San Siro. Two goals in the last two minutes by Inzaghi and Pirlo flattered Milan. The return leg finished in a scoreless draw. Milan fans will have noted that their team again made it to the final that season.
Celtic fans need no reminding of their atrocious away record in the Champions League - one draw and 11 defeats. In his four Champions League away games in charge of Celtic, Gordon Strachan has seen his side concede 14 goals.
However, Celtic's record at Parkhead is quite imposing. Including qualifying games, Celtic has only lost one of the last 19 home games with four draws.
PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal - Arsenal is unbeaten against PSV in their four meetings in the last four years. Although they lost two games - their last two - PSV cruised through as runners up in group C to Liverpool. PSV was unlucky to lose to Milan at the semi-final stage two seasons ago and last season they lost in the round of 16 to Lyon 5-0 on aggregate.
PSV supporters are used to a continual turnover of players but they also saw for their manager Guus Hiddink leave this past summer. However, his replacement Ronald Koeman is an extremely experienced manager when it comes to European competition and he also lifted the European Cup as a player.
The PSV squad is a veritable United Nations with thirteen countries represented in the first-team pool. Gomes (Brazil) provides the Dutch side with consistent goalkeeping while the back four normally comprises of a Dutchman (Jan Kromkamp), a Portuguese (Manuel da Costa), the Brazilian (Alex) and a Mexican (Carlos Salcido). Csaba Feher (Hungary), Tommy Simons (Belgium) and Phillip Cocu are often joined in the midfield by Australian Jason Culina or Edison Mendez (Ecuador). In attack Jefferson Farfan (Peru) and Arouna Kone (Ivory Coast) round things off.
Lille vs. Manchester United - Although Lille beat and drew with Manchester United in the group stage last season neither team qualified for the last 16. In fact the goal Lille scored against Manchester United was their only marker in the Champions League last season.
This season they scored 8 goals, only lost one game and qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League for the very first time. However, they did need to beat Milan in the San Siro in the last game of group play in order to qualify. Goals appear to be coming more freely this season for Lille but much of their strength still resides in defense and particularly midfield. Cameroon international Jean Makoun is an all action figure in midfield and is complemented by the young French attacking midfielder Mathieu Bodmer. Both have been rumoured to be Premiership targets in the past.
Roma vs. Lyon - This is new territory for Roma given that they have never qualified for the knockout stage of the last 16 of the Champions League. Although there are signs that some younger players are successfully breaking into the Roma squad and contributing, it will still come down to the likes of Totti, Chivu, Pizarro, Mancini and De Rossi to do the heavy lifting.
Lyon's ambitions extend beyond the last 16 and by that I do not mean the quarter- final stage at which they have departed the competition in the last three seasons. Domination of the French league is one thing, but it is the Champions League where Lyon needs to succeed. The French champions should have Brazilian striker Fred back in time when the tournament resumes in February and that should provide Lyon with a major boost.
Barcelona vs. Liverpool - Not surprisingly this game is being held heralded as the tie of the round. This match up is intriguing on many levels - the Champions League winners from the past two seasons; Rafa Benitez facing a club that he has triumphed over before; the number of Spanish players plying their trade at Anfield; and two teams with worldwide support and fabled histories.
I suspect that this is not the match up Barcelona would have preferred but there again I doubt Liverpool are overly impressed either. Benitez has been heavily criticized for his rotation policy at Liverpool. With the team now running into form the pay off for Liverpool may not necessarily come in the Premiership but in the Champions League.
Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich - These two sides are certainly no strangers to each other having faced each other 16 times in the last 30 years in European competition. And it is Bayern Munich who holds the upper hand with nine wins and two draws over that time.
Neither side was ever in any danger of not qualifying for the knockout stage. Real Madrid finished as runners up to Lyon while Bayern Munich won group B, seven points ahead of third placed Spartak Moscow. Bayern Munich has only failed to make the group stage once in the previous five seasons but have not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage.
It is a far cry from the turn of the century when they reached the semi-final in three successive years, and finished runners up once (to Manchester United) and won the trophy when he beat Valencia two years later. It was of course Real Madrid who knocked them out at the semi-final stage, and Madrid went on to lift their eighth champion European Champions trophy by beating the unfortunate Valencia.
This game might have stirred the blood a few years back, but it is likely to be a dour 180 minutes…. or maybe even more.
Inter Milan vs. Valencia - Valencia must be hoping that the injury hoodoo that they have suffered through during the early part of the season will be long gone by the time February rolls around. During the summer, Valencia was aggressive in the transfer market signing Ferdinando Morientes from Liverpool, Asier Del Horno from Chelsea, Empoli striker Francesco Tavano, speedy winger Joaquin from Real Betis as well as reclaiming David Silva who had been on loan at Celta Vigo.
While the signings encouraged Valencia fans that the team could mount a legitimate challenge to Barcelona in Spain, injuries to a number of key players have taken a toll domestically. However, it did not seem to affect their European form as they finished top of group B three points ahead of Roma and seven points ahead of third place, Shakhtar Donetsk.
With three wins in their first three games Valencia was very much in the driving seat right from the start. A draw away to Donetsk in the fourth game of qualifying was a minor bump in the road and by the time Valencia traveled to Rome qualification was secure and Roma’s 1-0 was largely inconsequential.
Inter's route to the last 16 was very different and after two games the Italian side looked to be odds-on favourite to become a high-profile casualty at the group stage.
Losses to Sporting Lisbon and Bayern Munich (without scoring a goal in either game) placed Inter firmly behind the 8-ball. But the Milan side roared back with three successive wins, and by the time they traveled to Munich progress to the last 16 had been secured.
The ties are to be played on 20/21 February and 6/7 March with the final in Athens in May.
The Money Prize money to be paid out to the 32 group teams-$363 million. Pool money from TV to be shared-$355 million. Estimated prize money for the eventual winner-$29 million. Total sponsorship and TV revenue generated by the Champions League-$986 million.
blissStreet - I think you'd have to agree that the brown kit Tottenham wore this past weekend is even uglier than Bolton's purple one.
Bobby – I have to admit that Spurs strip out did the Bolton one. You certainly don’t come across too many brown strips and you can see why. Maybe someone can confirm or not – didn’t Coventry have some sort of brown uniform about 20 years ago?
Gunner44 - What do you think will happen to Barca now that they don't have Messi or Eto'o? Will they struggle or will it not affect them? I think Ronaldinho will now have to prove why he is in deed the best in the world coz his team desperately needs him. Also what do you think of Totti's performance so far and do think he can win something for Roma this season?
Bobby – Barcelona cannot afford more injuries their strikers and you are right Ronaldinho needs to step up. Taking a player like Eto’o cannot do anything but hurt Barcelona – the question over the next few months is whether or not they can pick up the slack. Messi missed a lot of last season anyway so I do not think he will be as big a loss.
henry14 – What do you make of Freddy Adu, l personally feel that he does not make the Man Utd grade because he did not set the less physical less faster US league on fire, do you feel he can make the grade.
Bobby – Freddy is just another young player with potential but with a lot of work and a long road ahead of him.
riocharlie - I've seen most of the Liverpool games this year and I was surprised to see Hyypia in the game. I thought Benitez would have preferred the younger more athletic Agger.
I wonder if Gerrard isn’t suffering a bit from all of matches he’s played in the past 2 yrs. He hasn’t looked good for awhile, and after the hour mark he went from the right to the center and was still missing in action.
Bobby – Hyypia certainly looked bad against Arsenal and I think you will see more of Agger in coming weeks. His style is very much like Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson and Gary Gillespie from Liverpool gone-by. He doesn’t look overly physical but he seems to read the game well and he can pass the ball. Good point on the number of games that Gerrard has played. It might also have accounted for Frank Lampard’s poor run at the start of the season.
neophyte - I do have a couple of thoughts--pass it through the truth meter and let me know what you think: I have noticed that when my (the team I coach)central midfielder (who can score and pushes like the Stevie G of old) doesn't feel confident with the back 3-4 he plays deeper and more defensively. This affects the whole team since he is the playmaker, similar to what Liverpool is doing. 2nd--If Gerrard could take a break from international duties and just rest a bit I think he would be better off. How could you do this and still play all the political games and stop the rumors etc.
Bobby – The international scene closes down until February so he wil get a rest from that. However, the holiday fixture list is just around the corner and that always takes a toll.
AlexMorph - If Liverpool doesn’t make the champs league do you see Gerrard moving on? What about Benitez? Where might they go?
Seems like Gerrard would be just what Madrid are lacking right now, or (dare I say?) Man U as a replacement for Scholes. Inter are always turning over managers, and Ancelotti must be in the pits at Milan, so maybe Benitez would go to one of those?
Bobby – No to Gerrard moving on and the same for Benitez. The Premiership performances might be poor but remember Liverpool has cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League. Capello has settled on his midfield – he will be quite happy with what he has – unless he wants to play Gerrard in Beckham’s old position but that is another discussion!!! As for Gerrard to Manchester – don’t hold your breathe. I’ve followed the English league for a long time and the only player I can remember moving between these two clubs was a player called Phil Chisnall in the mid-sixties – yes I was young at the time. He went from United to Liverpool. I remember being upset because I had just collected his card but then he went and got transfered.
Riocharlie – What’s the over/under on the number of injuries and withdrawals for Beckham to get a shot at his 100 caps?
Bobby – McClaren will take out a “help wanted” ad before he calls Becks.
henry14 - If you were Arsene Wenger how would you fit in Senderos and Djourou into the team when you have Gallas and Toure who are some of the most injury free players around, how would you cater for their improvement.
Bobby – You play them in the Carling Cup, the early rounds of the FA Cup and find opportunities in the Premiership when players might need a rest or are carrying a knock.
realmadridccfan - 1. What do you think of the new "designated player" rule by MLS? do you think it will be a good thing for MLS or do you think that it will begin the same fate as the NASL, for which they signed big name stars and within a few years folded up shop?
2. What about the new MLS-Mexican "Champions League"? Will this prove that MLS can compete with one of the top leagues in the world (or at least in the Americas?)
3. After two months of Spain's La Liga, who do you think have been the biggest surprise and disappointment are? My biggest surprise has got to be Sevilla at number two and are continuing on last year's fine form that won them the UEFA Cup. My biggest disappointment has to be Villarreal. The form that got them a UEFA Champions League spot in the 2004/05 season has disappeared.
Bobby – 1. As long as it does not become a free for all - which is what the NASL was - then I think the change will be good for MLS. 2. For a young league - and most of the MLS critics seem to ignore the fact – an opportunity to play against foreign opposition in a competitive format can only be good. However, I will be surprised if an MSL team wins the first couple of competitions. 3. Have to agree with you on Sevilla and Villarreal although Real Zaragoza (good) would run Sevilla close.
meansucka - You have to love the FA Cup with all these small clubs playing and the strange occurrences that ensue. From the coin throwing incidents to the 20 soccer balls kicked onto the pitch to the 35K pound loss accrued from playing at an empty Fratton Park. All unfortunate, to be sure. What is the strangest small club cup incident you've seen?
The MLS and USL seem to operate within both the US and Canada in contrast to football leagues in other countries. What are the implications from a governing body point of view and do you think it a wise idea overall with Vancouver and Toronto FC playing with the American teams? I know there's sometimes a debate over Celtic jumping ship and joining the Premiership.
Bobby – FA Cup and small club cup incident – nothing comes instantly to mind. The things that have stuck with me are the shocks such as Hereford knocking out Newcastle.
The Toronto playing in a US league is not as issue. There are numerous other examples around the world – Monaco in France, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham in the English league, Berwick Rangers in Scotland. The issue of Celtic and Rangers jumping to the English league is how many Premiership clubs are going to be willing to vote themselves into the Coca Cola Championship at a cost of $50M – not many I would think.
djnima - 1. What do you think about Rooney's form lately? Didn't look that sharp against Blackburn even though he had 2 gifts.
2. What did you think about the RVN show this weekend? NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT AND IT KILLS ME! Real are only 1 game behind Barca and with the many players missing up front Real look like they have a good chance of ending the years drought. I don't know how far they can challenge into the champs league but I would love to see the New Real clash with an EPL or Italian Giant. Those are the kind of matches we live for. Thoughts???
Bobby – Rooney is an outstanding player who scored a hat trick the week before and he looked ok to me. I picked Real Madrid to win La Liga although the Champions League might be a better fit. I still think Capello will find a way to win something this season.
verbal97 - I'm surprised that nobody has brought up Mike Newell's comments. I think he's a good manager, based on overachieving (up until a month ago) with a team that should be no more than a team fighting relegation. I thought he would probably be offered a job in the premiership this upcoming summer if not sooner.
Now, he's almost definitely going to be fired, although the REAL veiled reason is his lashing at the team's directors. When (rather than if) fired, what will become of Mike Newell?
Bobby – He would have been ok if he had just sasid the assistant referee was ####.
travelcoach - Question about the fox soccer top 25 ... top 35 clubs.
I know this list is old and came out before the Revs loss this weekend and the, the ... well, whatever it was that Liverpool pulled ... but do you really see the Revs and Houston as being better teams than half the Prem?
My Manchester City seems unable to score this season; I'd love to see them play the Revolution in a friendly. But, to put either of these MLS teams above Bolton seems ... not right.
Bobby – Everyone who picks their top 25 has their own criteria. Personally, I have never picked an MLS team and don’t foresee me doing so for a few seasons yet.
koppite - This is a very frustrating Liverpool team. LFC needs a 25 - 30 goal a season striker. Bellamy, Crouch, and Kuyt will get maybe 15 each. The Reds lose the ball too easily and are too fond of passing backwards. A ball winner like Ronnie Whelan (who can also score) is badly needed. The Reds were successful when Rushie and King Kenny were ####ing in 40-50 goals a year and the midfielders McDermott, Souness, Whelan were each getting into double figures. Reina makes mistakes but so did every Liverpool keeper. Just the mistakes are amplified by lack of goals at the other end. Finally, Rafa has to understand that football is a team game, not a squad game. Gallas' goal was a prime example of a team not accustomed to playing together.
Bobby – Koppite, sorry to point this out but if Sheffield United had a 25-30 a season goal scorer they would doing alright as well. Benitez hasn’t been given the resources to go and spend $40M plus to land someone of that caliber.
Bigdavedisaster - With the transfer window approaching do you see any big players moving and are US players able to be signed by EPL sides now? I have also been having a fight with friend about which is the bigger collapse Forest or Leeds and is there any other comparable to them?
Is England boss the toughest managerial position in football from a pressure stand point?
Bobby – No European Cup winner has fallen as far as Nottingham Forest so I would say that Forest’s collapse is the greater although Leeds was more intense. Ferencvaros - one of Hungary’s most renowned clubs - was runners up to Leeds in the 1968 Fairs Cities Cup (now the UEFA Cup) and to Dynamo Kiev in the Cup Winners Cup in 1975 and is currently on the point of bankruptcy and may disappear.
Former East German clubs have not fared well. FC Magdeburg beat Milan to win the Cup Winners Cup in 1974 and are now in a German regional league. Carl Zeiss Jena were Cup Winners Cup runners up in 1981 to Dinamo Tbilisi – now in a German regional league. Lokomotive Leipzig (another runner up in the CWC this time to Ajax in 1987) went bankrupt and was dissolved a few years ago. The team was reformed as an amateur outfit and had to start at around the 10th tier in Germany. “When Saturday Comes” had an article on them about a year ago and at that time they were regarded as the team that had fallen the furthest after reaching a European final.
As for the toughest managerial position in football – I would go for the Italian national team job.
I received a question about the seedings for the group stage. The best internet site I have come across that details in the inner working of the UEFA seeding system and the co-efficients is authored by Bert Kassies. It is an impressive piece of work.
With the final thirty-two now decided you would have to rate Levski Sofia's (first Bulgarian side to make the group stage) defeat of Chievo as a major surprise as well as Ajax blowing a late lead and going out to FC Copenhagen.
FC Copenhagen contains some names that should be recognizable to many. Tobias Linderoth (ex-Everton), Marcus Allback (ex-Aston Villa) and Jesper Gronkjaer (ex-Chelsea) have all spent time in the Premiership. Goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen was with Rangers in Scotland while Razak Pimpong played for Ghana in the World Cup. Canadian Atiba Hutchinson, who will surely play in one of the big three leagues in Europe within the next couple of years, just signed for Copenhagen this year after spending two seasons with Helsingborgs of the Swedish league.
Here is the country-by-country by pot breakdown of the 32 teams that will be drawn on Thursday and last season's make up.
