Zuco2 - Seriously Bobby, you're pretty good at predictions.
Bobby – Well if you mean I was seriously out to lunch on the relegated teams then you are right! My La Liga predictions were not much better.
Thierry Henry - 1. Whose career do you think has sunken lower? Beckham playing an exhibition game somewhere in Alberta against the Vancouver Whitecaps, or Ronaldo trying to pick up a tran-prostitute in Rio de Janeiro?
2. I've heard there is an exhibition match between CANADA v. BRAZIL on May 31st. But to my amazement, the game is set to be played in Seattle! Did I hear it correctly? What do you make of it? Shouldn't the game be played somewhere in Canada?
3. Your predictions for Euro 2008 would be appreciated.
Bobby – 1. I never really considered picking up transvestites to be a career but if you say so. And give Ronaldo some credit he did avoid some late tackles.
2. Or Brazil. It is a US based promotion.
3. I have a Euro preview planned – now all I have to do is actually write it.
Heterotopian - Can we have your proper Premiership XI, allowing for multiple selections per club?
Bobby – (4-2-3-1); James (Portsmouth); Sango (Arsenal), Ferdinand (Man Utd), Vidic (Man Utd), Evra (Man Utd); Mascherano (Liverpool), Barry (Aston Villa); Young (Aston Villa), Fabregas (Arsenal), Ronaldo (Man Utd); Torres (Liverpool).
Albertagooner -Given Diarra's performance in the FA Cup, I'm wondering whether Wenger may have inserted a clause giving first refusal rights on repurchasing him. I'd put him in the same bracket with Flamini. Any thoughts on this?
Bobby – I am sure that if there had been such a clause something would have leaked out by now. I can’t think of one player that Wenger has signed again after letting go so I would be surprised if he starts now. Not his style, particularly after Diarra wanting to leave. What I find interesting is Diarra wanted away from Chelsea, wanted away from Arsenal and now we hear stories that he is interested in moving to a bigger club than Portsmouth.
Wiscoleeds - Leeds best 3 players since 1960's 1. Billy Bremner 2. Jackie Charlton 3. Johnny Giles (although Gordon Strachan comes close)
Bobby – No place for Eddie Gray?
Redfan4ever - The season is done and dusted and a long summer awaits with two months of transfer wheeling and dealing to watch over while we find some sun somewhere. What's your off the cuff, gut feeling for the Premiership next season? I will qualify the question somewhat by adding the following: Which of this seasons survivors will struggle next term and do you think any of the three teams coming up will survive against those that have struggled this year? Do you think the top will change much?
Obviously we will have slightly altered opinions in August when we know who has been bought and sold, but most of us must be wondering already how next season will go so I thought I would ask you here.
Bobby – I thought at the beginning of the season that there were a lot of poor teams in the Premiership and I don’t see that really changing next season. Look for six or seven teams to permanently hover around the relegation zone.
At the top I am hopeful that it might actually become a little tighter especially if Moyes and O’Neill are given money to spend and if they spend it wisely. Same goes for Ramos except I think it may take a season for him to sort Spurs out and to start looking to challenge the top 6.
Liverpoolfc73 - Are you for real? You couldn’t find a place for Torres in your team of the season? Santa Cruz? and Berbatov? Fernando Torres is hands down a better player with one foot tied behind his back !!
Bobby – I’m for real and you get a red card for a badly timed two footed assumption. If you read the piece you would have seen that it was a maximum of one player per team and so if you have an issue it is Mascherano over Torres and has nothing to do with Santa Cruz and Berbatov.
Gorn - Aight, been gone 2 weeks (not that anyone noticed!), gone fer another 2 Sat., so not trolling, just throwing quarters around belatedly. (c: Here goes:
Bobby: "I defy gravity by jumping and losing height" You watching a lot of Brian Budd lately? That's his favourite quip regarding Crouch (c: Thanks for the great wrap-ups. Can you tell us why you'll no be covering Euro08? Other business commitments? Love to tune in to you during the media circus for some straight dope.
Bobby - Who is Brian Budd? During Euro 2008 it will be the usual Monday and Friday shows and maybe a bit of extra blogging if time allows.
Redfan4ever - Do you fish? The miracle mile north of Lockport is full of large pickeral right now. Folks is a catching them off the shore on pickeral rigs. See you got some sun so maybe you found the fish?
Bobby – I’ve fished twice in my life and I have to say that it was twice too many. Just not my thing. Enjoyed a great run on Sunday around lunchtime and got a Scottish tan.
Henry14 - Here is a site which shows were every club would be in the table had they not be a bad call by the ref.
Q 1 What do you make of the table? Q2 Is Luca Toni the best striker in the world at the moment? Q3 Who is the not so popular name that you expect to have a good Euro tournament? Q4 Your prediction for final 4 in the tournament?
Bobby – 1. The worst call would be taking to time to read it. The premise is ridiculous – what constitutes a bad call and how can it be isolated and not impact the rest of the game?
2. Define best.
3 and 4. I haven’t put a great deal of thought to it yet.
Foxcube - Will Blatter's quota proposal have any chance on May 29? I read from the Guardian? That Rafa is "wary" of it and determined to recruit more English players like Barry Bentley with money from selling Pennant and Crouch. Not very sensible to me.
In the transfer market, which players' move interests you the most? Where would it be their ideal destination respectively?
Bobby – Blatter is looking to get some backing for his proposal but a FIFA vote in favour will only show he has support and nothing much else. FIFA could vote in favour every day for the next century but it depends on EU law and there is no indication that it is about to be changed.
Sorry but there is a large element of logic lacking if someone from the Guardian is trying to make such a point. Shifting two English born players and replacing them with two other English players would leave him in exactly the same position vis a vis English players would it not?
If such a “law” was put into practice I have no doubt that there would be a period whereby players and clubs would be grandfathered and allowed to adjust gradually. Implementing a rule immediately would throw the transfer market into utter chaos.
Transfer market – all we have is rumours and few will come to pass. I think you might see most of the transfer action post Euro 2008. Three things have to fall into place for a transfer to happen – a team willing to pay money; a team willing to accept the offer; a player wanting to move. I’m sorry but ideal destinations don’t come into it – that is why we have Fantasy Football and video games. For players an ideal destination is likely to be where they will be paid more.
Henry Winter reminisces about Heriot Watt University's Celtic Supporters Club annual Tommy Burns Night.
The legend and tragedy of Hughie Ferguson who scored the winning goal for Cardiff in the 1927 final.
We may argue about them until we are blue in the face but the reality is that the referee’s decision is final.
The Aussies are going to bid the right to host the 2009 and 10 the FIFA Club World Cup. I would have thought that a US proposal would be a natural for this tournament.
MF – Ronaldo (Manchester United) MF – Mascherano (Liverpool) MF – Barry (Aston Villa) MF – Downing (Middlesbrough)
FW – Cruz FW – Berbatov
Best Three’s – 60s and beyond Manchester United • Best • Law • Keane
Chelsea • Zola • Cooke • Osgood
Liverpool • Dalglish • Callaghan • Barnes
Arsenal • Bergkamp • Pires • Henry
Spurs • Ardiles • Hoddle • Gilzean
Everton • Lineker • Young • Ball (Alan not Michael)
Manchester City • Bell • Kinkladze • Lee
Rangers • Baxter • Gascoigne • McCoist
Celtic • Jimmy Johnstone • Henrik Larsson • Danny McGrain
Serie A Predictions Revisited (Actual – Prediction)
Inter 1-1 Staggered to another title rather than cruised.
Roma 2-4 Refused to give up despite a squad that lacked the depth of others and pushed Inter to the last round.
Juventus 3-3 A surprise for many that Juventus managed to finish so high. Fiorentina 4-5 There is a lot to admire about Cesare Prandelli’s charges as the coach showed again an ability to extract maximum effort and results from the squad he is given. Looked as if they had blown a Champions League but Milan’s round 37 loss to Napoli opened a door that looked to have been bolted shut.
Milan 5-2 A stumbling start – particularly at home – put Milan behind the eight ball. A late season run seemed to have almost guaranteed Champions League football next season until a crucial 3-1 loss to Napoli. It will be an interesting summer as Milan must now rebuild.
Sampdoria 6-8 While Antonio Cassano provided the spark an impressive home record (only two losses) saw Samp finish in a very credible spot in Serie A.
Udinese 7-7 Eleven points and three positions better than last season. If Udinese can keep this team together and hold on to coach Pasquale Marino (former Catania) next season may bring further improvement.
Napoli 8-15 A tremendous return to Serie A for the Neapolitans who beat Milan, Inter, Udinese, Juventus, Fiorentina and Sampdoria at the Stadio San Paolo. Of the teams that finished above them only Roma left with anything to show for their efforts.
Atalanta 9-12 Little difference from last season – two fewer points and one position lower than a year ago.
Genoa 10-16 The third of the promoted sides and none finished lower than 10th. Only four consecutive losses at season’s end clouded a fantastic performance from Genoa.
Palermo 11-9 Poor away form and a failure to win more than two consecutive games saw Palermo drop back a top six position last season.
Lazio 12-6 A team that has punched above their weight for the last few seasons but limited resources caught up with them this season.
Siena 13-20 The frequent coaching changes in Italy are often a source of mirth but Siena was another team that turned their fortunes around after making a change in the front office. Up until the firing of Andrea Mandorlini in mid-November Siena had picked a single win and nine points from a possible thirty six on offer. Former coach Mario Beretta who had been cut loose last summer after just escaping relation by beating Lazio in the last game of the season returned and with thirty-five over the remaining twenty-six games Siena were safe with games in hand. Seventeen draws made Siena this season’s Serie A draw specialists.
Cagliari 14-18 The Sardinian side looked dead and buried but the appointment of Coach Davide Ballardini just before the New Year saw a spectacular turnaround in fortune. Thirty-two of their forty-two points were earned post- Ballardini and only suffered two losses in their last eleven league games. Home form was key with twenty-four points out of a possible thirty-three coming with the new coach in charge.
Torino 15-17 Turin’s other team finished on the same points as last season but that was enough to move up two places. In 2006/07 Torino only scored 27 goals – this season 36 so it has been slightly more interesting for the fans, particularly at home. Despite a home record of only five home wins, seven draws and another seven losses only two of the games were decided by more than one goal and both in Torino’s favour.
Reggina 16-13 Last May it took a win against Milan in round 38 to ensure another season in Serie A for Reggina; this time they made sure of another Serie A season in round 37. Thirteen points from a possible last 18 did the trick.
Catania 17-19 As they did last season it took Catania until the last round of play to escape demotion. They finished tied with Parma with the worst away record (7 points and no wins) but a respectable thirty points at home (one one fewer than Milan) was pivotal to their top-flight survival.
Empoli 18-10 Fifty-four points and seventh position last season; relegation this season and an attack that scored only 29 times must bear the responsibility.
Parma 19-14 No escape this season after sailing close to the relegation rocks for a few seasons. Winless away from home and defence not let in more goals than any other brought a long-avoided demotion to Serie B.
Livorno 20-11 Last season’s 11th place finish was slightly deceiving in that Livorno was only four points out of the last relegation spot. This season only four points in their last twelve games had Livorno in a death-spiral that they could not escape from.
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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