Germaine Greer says that Football counts as culture just as much as opera does.
And what's more we have more divas.
CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying second leg results.
A former director of Norwegian club Lyn has been found guilty of fraud in dealings with John Obi Mikel.
Michael Henderson provides a dissenting opinion on the “old pros” excuses for dissent.
Alan Pardew admits that his transfer moves have backfired.
For this weekend preview it was a toss-up between the Old Firm derby and the Merseyside derby and the coin landed on an edge.
Rangers vs. Celtic
This will be the 286th Old Firm league derby. Rangers have 111 wins, Celtic 92 wins and there have been 82 draws.
This season Rangers currently lead Celtic by three points with a game less played and five games remaining until the league splits. Even so, these two have to play each other another three times before the season wraps up and it has been five months since they last faced off – an eternity in Glasgow.
Rangers supporters have been chomping at the bit wanting an opportunity to extend a run that has seen their team win 1-0, 2-0 and 3-0 since the return of Walter Smith in January 2007. For Celtic fans it is the polar opposite.
When you add a draw in December 2006 it adds up to the worst run for Celtic in SPL Old Firm games since 1995-97 when they went ten games without a win – losing six and drawing four.
The draw in December 2006 brought an end to a Celtic streak that had brought three wins and a draw with Rangers being held scoreless in all four games.
During that run Alex McLeish stepped aside as Rangers manager, and his replacement fared no better. Not long after McLeish’s demise, Paul Le Guen became the shortest serving manager in Rangers history and the only one to not complete a full season.
And so having been the instrument that led to two managerial terminations at Ibrox, Cetic’s Gordon Strachan now finds himself a potential victim of the same syndrome – being second in a league of two teams.
Strange when you consider that Strachan is still within striking distance of becoming the first Celtic boss since Jock Stein to win three consecutive league titles but a fact nonetheless.
Four pieces of silverware in his first two seasons in charge means nothing in a city where “what have you done lately” means when did you last beat the other lot and if you did, you had better beat them again….and again.
What is more with defeats in the Champions League and the Scottish Cup there is nothing for Celtic to fall back on except the SPL.
The phenomena of Old Firm managers going head-to-head with only one left standing is not new. Jock Stein brought an end to Scot Symon’s thirteen year stint at Ibrox in 1967. Symon’s years in charge had brought Rangers fifteen trophies and they had twice made it to the final of European Cup Winners Cup Final.
Even the great Jock Stein was pushed aside in 1978 after Jock Wallace’s Rangers gained the upper hand although Wallace unexpectedly bolted for Leicester around the same time. Graeme Souness saw off former Lisbon Lions Billy McNeill and Davie Hay between 1986 and 1991 while his successor Walter Smith was the principal reason for the demise of Liam Brady, Lou Macari and Tommy Burns.
Smith came a cropper as Wim Jansen spent his one season at Parkhead breaking Rangers run of nine consecutive league titles. #### Advocaat enjoyed initial success at the expense of Josef Venglos, John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish until Martin O’Neill came along to push the Dutchman over the edge in 2001.
Liverpool vs. Everton
After last weekend’s controversy at Old Trafford perhaps the most important starter will be referee Howard Webb. (In his 30 games in charge this season Webb has sent off only one player and issued 100 yellow cards).
With seven games left Liverpool leads Everton by two points and are hoping to complete a league double over Everton. The comparable match last season finished scoreless as have two others in the last five seasons and Everton have not won at Anfield in their last seven visits.
You have to go back to the last century to find the Toffees last win. It came in 1999 when an early goal from Kevin Campbell decided the game.
Tim Cahill (3), Andy Johnson (2) and Lee Carsley from the present Everton squad have scored against Liverpool but Cahill will miss the game – and possibly the rest of the season after reinjuring a foot.
Everton’s leading scorer is Yakubu Aiyegbeni and he is only one goal short of becoming the first Everton player since Peter Beardsley in 91/92 to score 20 goals. However, Yakubu has failed to find the mark against Liverpool in any of his appearances against them.
On the other side Steven Gerrard, Harry Kewell and Dirk Kuyt have all scored two in the derby games while Peter Crouch has a single. After scoring twice from the penalty spot back in October Dirk Kuyt is trying to become the first Liverpool player since Emile Heskey in 2000-01 to score in both meetings in a season.
A draw or win for Everton would mean the battle for fourth would continue unabated. A victory for Liverpool would open a sizeable five point gap with only six games remaining.
Both sides have to play Arsenal and Birmingham away from home.
Liverpool must also visit Craven Cottage to play Fulham, and finish the season away to Spurs. There are also home games against Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City.
Everton have four home matches against Derby County, Chelsea, Aston Villa and on the final day of the 2008 season Newcastle United.
Some statistics and tidbits gleamed from the Liverpool FC website, Evertonresults.com and various other places. You can find more by clicking on the links.
This will be the 178th Merseyside league derby - Liverpool 66 wins, Everton 56 wins, 55 draws.
League results at Anfield have brought Liverpool 37 wins, Everton 23 wins, and 28 draws.
The last 'derby' hat-trick for Liverpool saw Ian Rush score four in a 5-0 win at Goodison in November 1982, while for the Blues Dixie Dean hit three at Anfield in September 1931 in a 3-1 win.
Should Fernando Torres score he will equal the club record of scoring in six successive top-flight home games. It has been achieved by Fred Pagnam (1919), Roger Hunt (1964), Ian Rush (1983) and Michael Owen (1999).
14 red cards have been issued in the last 17 derbies with seven being brandished in the last six games. (21 have been sent off in the history of the fixture).
Yakubu now has 13 League goals for Everton this season, better than anybody since Andrei Kanchelskis got 16 in 1995/96 and he has 19 in all competitions, last achieved by Tony Cottee in 1993/94.
Yakubu has been substituted in 15 of his 20 starts in the Premier League this season
Eighteen of Torres’ goals have come at Anfield – only two away at Derby and Boro.
After England’s European Championship exit there has been even more debate on foreign quotas and player development. The Times has run a series of articles over the last week on how some other countries in the world go about the job of developing players and encouraging participation.
Holland – a place for everyone. Out of all the models that are out there this seems to be one of few that acknowledges that it is not just about elite development and neither is it just about encouraging people to play.
At the heart of the Dutch model is the belief that for the sport to be healthy there has to be a place for players of all abilities. It seems to me that the North American debate (definitely the Canadian debate) is polarized with recreation on one end of the spectrum and elite development on the other with no one willing to give an inch. The truth of the matter is neither of the polarities have it right.
Here’s something from www.footballeconomy.com ‘The average annual salary of a footballer in England's top flight has broken through the £1m ceiling for the first time. Players in the Premiership are now earning 15 times more than the 'golden generation' who lifted the World Cup in 1966, even when inflation is factored in.
In 1966 First Division players were paid an average of £100 a week by their clubs. When performance-related bonuses are taken into account, today's figure stands at £21,000 a week according to accountants Deloitte. The rate of increase means that footballers earn almost as much in a week as the average person is paid in a year.
Moore's World Cup-winning team earned about six times the national average week in 1966. Deloitte predicts that the first £200,000 a week player, equivalent to an annual salary of £10m, will emerge by 2010”.
And on to the action that is in store this weekend. It is hard to look beyond Serie A with the top five clubs plus European champions Milan facing off. Current league leaders Inter remain unbeaten after twelve games and are only two points off the record breaking pace that they set last season.
Inter travels to play Fiorentina on what will prove to be an emotional occasion. Fiorentina Coach Cesare Prandelli lost his wife on Monday after a three year fight with cancer. Many of you will remember that Prandelli had just taken over the reins at Roma in 2004 when she was diagnosed with the disease and he opted to stand down.
The coach was not on the bench last weekend as his team drew away to Reggina but he is expected back for Sunday’s match.
Fiorentina started the season unbeaten in their first eleven matches before succumbing to Udinese a couple of weeks ago. Even so Fiorentina, four points behind Inter with a game more played, have already played Roma, Juventus and Milan this season and drawn all three games. Schemer Riccardo Montolivo is suspended and will be missing from the home side’s line-up.
Inter qualified for the last sixteen of the Champions League in midweek and when combined with the league lead things are looking good for Coach Roberto Mancini. What’s more Inter have only lost once (Feb 2006 2-1) to Fiorentina in their last nine Serie A meetings and are undefeated away from home in the league since April 2006.
Julio Cruz (6 goals) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (7 goals) pack a wallop up front and summer signing David Suazo looked sharp last week as he scored a goal and set up another.
Milan and Juventus will be reacquainted after Juve’s one year leave from the top flight. Like Inter, Milan have already sealed a spot in the last sixteen of the Champions League although the winners or runners up spot have still to be decided.
Milan have the Club World Cup in Japan (on FSC) in a couple of weeks which means missing a week of Serie A action and then they have the local derby on the weekend before Christmas. When you add it all up it means that Milan can ill-afford to see the current gap with Inter and the chasing pack widen any further.
Currently the European Champions are eleven points behind the leaders while fourth placed Udinese are eight points ahead albeit with a game more played. Milan’s home form has been poor and they are still winless in the league after four draws and two losses.
Juventus have slipped effortlessly back into the top league with twenty-five points from thirteen games – good for second spot. But while their home form has been very impressive (16 points from 7 games) there is lots of room for improvement when on the road.
Only nine points have come from six away games with ten goals given up and only one shut out so far. Trezeguet and Iaquinta have combined for 17 league goals with eleven of them coming at home.
Udinese are one of the good news stories so far in Europe. A team that has historically enjoyed modest success are sitting fourth with five wins and three draws coming in the last eight games.
Wins against Fiorentina and Juventus have fans of Serie A sitting up and taking notice. They don’t score a lot of goals but when they do they seem to make them count. Away from home they have shut out the opposition four times in seven matches and although they only average a goal a game that has translated into a very respectable twelve points.
Only Milan (13 points) and Roma (17 points) can better that mark and it is to Rome that Udinese travels this weekend. Given their record so far Roma might be wishing it was the other way around.
Nearly 70% of Roma’s points this season have been picked up away from home while five home games have only generated an unexceptional eight points – only Milan out of the top ten teams have secured fewer (4).
Quick free kicks – The Barcelona derby promises to be a cracker. Espanyol unbeaten in their last nine games and are a heady fourth only two points below Barcelona and four behind Real Madrid.
Barca failed to beat their neighbours in the two games last season (a loss and a draw) and take their dreadful away form to the Olympic stadium. But the stadium has not seen very many goals this season with only nine coming in six games.
Whereas Espanyol have lost once at home Barcelona have only won once away from the Nou Camp. But perhaps the most interesting statistic is that Espanyol’s seven wins have all been by one goal so far.
JayFSR - Would you consider The Rep. of Ireland a minnow team? Do you think they will be able to make it through with Italy? I Think Roy Keane should coach them. That would get some results!
Bobby – No. One of my criteria (and it is just how I separate countries in my mind) is to be a top class minnow a country must never have reached the Euro Championships or World Cup Finals.
A country can regain some sort of minnow status by not playing in major finals for the last 20 or 30 years. As it is the Republic fail to meet either criterion.
I cannot see Italy not finishing first but the runners up spot is definitely up for grabs. You may think Roy Keane should coach the team but I doubt Roy does and I really doubt that the FAI does. You will need the entire group that was around in 2002 to be put out to pasture before Roy Keane is considered. What’s more an international team is no job for a very young coach.
Getz76 - What do you think of Sir Alex Ferguson resting C. Ronaldo for an EPL fixture and then losing?
Bobby – Understandable – Ronaldo played two international games with qualification at stake and these games would come with added pressure. United was also playing a team close to the foot of the league with only a single win.
If you are going to ignore these circumstances then you are never going to come up with a justifiable reason to give the player a break and he will just burn out. Ferguson is looking at a picture that is bigger than one game.
Yrusodull - Fergie looks like he may be in it for his comments to officials at the weekend, but I think the officials should be doing the explaining! Over the last 2 weeks bad or missed calls have ruined and / or decided the outcome of several matches. (Scotland vs. Italy, Canada vs. S. Africa, Tottenham vs. West Ham, etc.) Why are the governing bodies not held accountable for this? With the technology available today, some consistency in the calibre of officiating should be obtainable. What can be done to rectify this blight on the beautiful game!
Bobby – I’m not sure how you jumped from a Fergie rant (about Bolton being overly physical) to the issue of bad or missed calls but no matter. In the debate over the use of technology the proponents fail to explain the logistics of how and when it will be used and the longer term impact it will have.
From my perspective technology supporters focus on one off incidents to buttress their case but fail to acknowledge that once the cat is out of the bag then it will subsequently become open season on calling for replays. There is no doubt in my mind that the reviewing of refereeing decisions by replay would eventually lead to a substantial change in the character and quality of the game.
The logical conclusion of refereeing-by-replays– and supported by human nature – will be for the referee to call everything and wait for a replay to change it. Tackle in the penalty area – the referee’s normal response will become to award a penalty and then call for a replay to prove or disprove.
That option is far more palatable than the other which would be to let play go on and have the possibility o####oal at the other end. Then the potential is call back a goal at one end and award a “retroactive” penalty for the first incident. I can see that one going down well at Old Trafford in a scoreless draw with minutes left and United being on the wrong end of the decision!!
However, the best argument against decision by replay is the number of times that a television replay still fails to bring agreement on whether or not the referee was correct.
Technology pushers tend to live in a world where if you just replay an incident then everyone will agree on the call. There is little evidence to support that. There are colour commentators (especially in the US) who operate on the basis that their primary job in the absence of analysis is to critique the referee’s decisions courtesy of replay.
Many times the referee is correct and the colour commentator is wrong and even though they’ve had the benefit of slow motion and time to think about the decision.
Finally you referred to the Spurs – West Ham game. I felt that Mike Riley got both penalty calls correct – you don’t (I assume), so how would technology help? We disagree after seeing the same incidents slowed down many times.
Craigy_f –1) Who would a winter break in the Premier league benefit most? Is it likely to happen? 2) Do you blame the odd dodgy referee for Scotland’s exit or perhaps their failure to get anything in Georgia? 2a) Money aside - would you hazard a guess as to why top English players aren't a sought after export. 3) Care to have a stab at the next England manager? What do you make of the process to pick a new manager so far, Barwick aided by Brooking with input from 'a number of PL managers'? 4) My first and second best moments of the football weekend were 7-1 and Juventus giving Palermo an utter hiding, what are yours? 5) Just let us know how we can put you in a foul mood so we can see some more of that lovely stuff you produced the other day
Bobby 1) The players you would think. I saw some stats a couple of years ago that claimed that Bundesliga players suffered fewer injuries after the winter break than Premiership players. In order for it to work properly the Premiership would have to cut down to 18 teams from 20. Otherwise the same number of games will have to be packed into a smaller window. I don’t think you will see a winter break in the Premiership.
2) I don’t blame the referee for Scotland’s failure. Going into the Georgia game I felt a win was needed – even a draw was not good enough. However, although it was a great effort the reality is that overall Italy and France have much better teams than Scotland.
3) The day before Martin O’Neill “declined” I suggested on the Team1040 radio program from Vancouver that I thought O’Neill would pass on the opportunity. It was a pure gut call. The problem is that after that my gut has taken a break and there are precious few other names that jump out at me.
I don’t think Capello will be offered the job; Louis Van Gaal – horrible media skills. I would be very shocked in Jose Mourinho was really interested let alone take the job. An interesting suggestion I read was Claudio Ranieri.
As for the process – I don’t think there is one. It sounds like another fly by the seat of your pants process. Barwick would give instill a great deal more confidence if he articulated a more formal process – even strike a three man advisory committee or something – and give timelines.
4) Dundee beating Hamilton Accies 1-0 to narrow the gap at the top of the Scottish First Division.
5) Good mood today – sorry.
amenina - 1. What has struck me about this is how huge this story is in the US and international football media. Do you think it'll be as huge if it were France/Germany/Italy/Spain who did not qualify? Somehow I think there wouldn't even be half as much coverage.
2. Do you agree with the following statements? a. The EPL is the most watched league in the US; so naturally, many people support the England NT, 'cos they're familiar with all their players. b. The British media is the most accessible (common language), so the US media report more on the England NT than other national teams. c. Many US commentators are from Britain (you, Webster, Cohen at FSC, and a few folks at ESPN), so they talk more about the England NT 'cos that's what they're familiar with. d. England is such a polarizing team (many love them, others can't stand them), and a "sexy" topic (Beckham, WAGs, all the business at the FA), that them failing is bigger news than many other teams succeeding. (kind of like the Yankees or Mets)
Bobby – 1. No there would not be as much coverage if France/Germany/Italy/Spain did not qualify.
2. a. Disagree – I would suggest that the Mexican league is the most watched league in the USA. I also disagree that you would support a country because you watch a domestic league. The might have a little bit more interest but “support” is too strong a term.
b. Part of the reason but there is much more to it than that. Political and economic ties for a start. Throw in US players playing in the league as well as well as players from a wide array of countries and it is difficult to find a part of the Premiership that someone can’t identify with.
c. I would suggest you have it the wrong way round. If there was more interest in the other domestic leagues then in all likelihood you would have commentators who are more representative of these leagues. In my case I’ve spent well over half my life and almost all my adult life in North America (and none of it in England) so I think your cause and effect is a bit suspect.
d. Who are the Yankees or Mets? Are they in the Conference?
Gregz - Q1. What’s up with Henry, he is really struggling in my opinion. Q2. Tim Vickery seems to believe that Tevez may lose his place as first choice striker to Aguero for Argentina, any thoughts?
Bobby – 1. The season is only three months old. How is he struggling?
2. It’s strange that you should say that because I have never considered Tevez to be Argentina’s first choice striker. He wasn’t going into WC 2006 and certainly not during the tournament. Since then I have seen nothing to indicate that he was Argentina’s default choice to start up front. Aguero is going to become a fantastic player and from what I have seen he appears to be more adaptable to the style of the players – more so than Tevez.
Redfan2000 - Looks like Alex McLeish just quit as Scotland manager Bobby, to take on Birmingham? Seems to me like a step down or is there more to this? What’s your take on this and who do you think will replace him?
Bobby – That is a big disappointment but understandable. International team management is not a career for younger managers more like a stepping stone to rebuild a career or to make a mark.
Either way a return to club management is normally the end result. As a Premiership team Birmingham can pay a lot more (a lot lot more) than Scotland can plus the position offers day-to-day involvement. (There again after picking up compensation payments for Walter Smith and Alex McLeish maybe the SFA will be in a position to pay more?) Plus it means Martin O’Neill and McLeish can again fight it out for city supremacy!
Who to replace him? Billy Davies will get a mention and probably has a shot at it – the name Graeme Souness will get press. I’ll throw in a couple of names and profiles that might fit – Jim Jeffries, George Burley and Bruce Rioch. Craig Levein at Dundee United will get a mention (although too young in my opinion) and Jimmy Calderwood at Aberdeen might be a good fit.
Sleeper000 – Do you think Modric is going anywhere in the winter or if Dinamo might keep him until the summer? Knowing how the Dinamo board functions, he's probably gone in the winter. Also, what club do you think he might end up at?
Bobby – I try as a rule to avoid comment on transfer speculation. Too many unknowns. One more caution, Daily Mail=Anything for a Headline. Also Daily Mail gets around 0.0005% of their transfer stories right.
RINGO - Have you been surprised by the results of the junior clubs on their first entry into the Scottish FA Cup? And when do you expect to see Tayport taking part?
Bobby - It has taken a long time for the juniors to be allowed into the Scottish Cup but I am not surprised at how well they did in the early stages of the Cup.
Only Linlithgow Rose is left and we have to wait until later this week to see who they draw next. However, from what I have been told there will be more than a few teams hoping to avoid Linlithgow in the next round.
The best run junior clubs have always been a step ahead of some of the teams in the lower reaches of the Scottish Football League – as have some non-league clubs. The decision to allow junior clubs entry into the full SFA Cup came a little too late for Tayport as last season they had a relatively poor season – the first in a long time. I’m confident that they will make it to the SFA Cup sometime soon and it might even encourage me to take a trip back for the game.
Tintagel - So, Bobby, just what was Benitez thinking of with his comments on the owners? How about another tack? It was a cry for help. Benitez's heavy workload increased when he restructured the Academy, and he took oversight responsibilities, and he still has not replaced Ayesteran. When you are overworked, you try to force the issues to shorten the time necessary to carry it out properly to make it fit your overly heavy schedule. Hicks and Gillett would be much farther ahead to get him help, i.e. a replacement for Ayesteran. I should be Rick Parry's job to sell this to the owners, so I hope that he is up to it, for Liverpool's sake.
Bobby - Interesting observation. Another possibility is that the real problem is between Benitez and Parry. I believe Benitez had a feud going with the Director of Football while at Valencia and perhaps something similar has erupted.
Thanks to all the regular visitors and posters, your support and enthusiasm is remarkable. Also, thanks to other bloggers who linkthrough to this site.
Stuart James explains why teams may not be so keen to be in the group of top seeds alongside Austria at Euro 2008.
Gabriele Marcotti on Italy’s performance against Scotland. I found the Scottish press placing a bit to much emphasis on the awarding of the late free kick to the exclusion of some of the officials other decisions. I don't think the claims of victimization are credible when measured over the ninety minutes. It also masks the issue that although Scotland has made great progress there is still a roads to go.
Mark McGhee takes a look at former teammate Alex McLeish’s tactics and decisions.
Paul LeGuen’s seven months in charge at Ibrox makes him not only the shortest serving boss of Rangers but only the second to have failed to win a trophy during his tenure. (For trivia buffs the other was the much-maligned Davie White from 1967-69. White had the misfortune to have Jock Stein’s Celtic as the opposition.) LeGuen also leaves the post without a win against Celtic.
It is difficult to comprehend how one of the most highly regarded young managers in Europe could so suddenly become a man with a great future behind him.
Only twenty months ago LeGuen had just led Lyon to a third successive French title on his watch before stunning the football world by resigning. A move to Italy or Spain appeared to be imminent in a matter of days but nothing materialized.
Over the next year LeGuen was rumoured to be ready to sign with a number of European clubs but each time LeGuen had a change of mind. When finally Rangers announced his move to Ibrox to replace Alex McLeish more than a few eyebrows were raised. Even though Rangers and Celtic attract 50,000 plus audiences and enjoy a global base of support the SPL is not normally regarded as a stepping stone to greater things.
Some suggested that LeGuen saw the Rangers position as purely temporary until a big Premiership team – Arsenal was frequently mentioned – came calling. If that is now to materialize LeGuen needs to rebuild his career over the next few seasons as his time at Ibrox will remain a black spot for sometime to come.
Rangers’ SPL form has been abysmal while progress in the UEFA Cup as been the sole source of solace for the Ibrox faithful. The players LeGuen bought have been largely ineffectual, a trait he shares with the man he succeeded Alex McLeish. Both were forced to rake through the bargain bin looking for players that might improve the team’s quality while costing very little.
Neither manager came anyplace close to the extravagant transfer kitty enjoyed – and largely squandered – by #### Advocaat between 1998 and 2001. Few managers can have spent so much money with so little return than the man known as the “Little General.”
Now attention shifts to a replacement. Former Rangers manager and current Walter Smith as well as ex-Ibrox star Terry Butcher are the bookies early favourites. However, don’t be surprised if names like Derby boss Billy Davies and Southampton manager George Burley to surface in the next few days.
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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