Henry 14 - 1.what do you feel about Senderos because l thought Drogba apart from goal did not do much to trouble the defense. Do you think the criticism handed to a 21 year old against a 28 year old is justified?

2.l have seen Chelsea and everyone’s seems to be waiting for them to fire on all cylinders and produce a performance that merits the stars in their team. Do you think Chelsea have reached their peak expected of them or they have but Man Utd. have just been too good for the champions to live with them?

3. What do you make of Abou Diaby?

4. Have you seen a better piece of magic or dribble than Ronaldhino did against Bilbao?

Bobby – 1. Senderos is an experienced international even though he is 21. Drogba’s primary job is to score goals and if he achieves that without “troubling the defense” then more power to him. Drogba has definetly got into Senderos' head.
2. I think Chelsea has an extra gear that they have still to use.
3. He looked good last year until he was injured against Sunderland.
4. Yes – Ronaldinho didn’t score. Here are a few of my favourites courtesy of youtube. There was also a Ronaldo goal when he was with Barcelona but I could not track I down.
 
Eddie Gray in 1970 scoring for Leeds United versus Burnley.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic against NAC 2006.

George Best scores against Sheffield United (not Wednesday as it says) in 1971. He scored goals like this more than once.

Another Best special – this one against Fort Lauderdale in the NASL.

Gongatore - .How do you see the Barca-Liverpool return leg? Who does Barca start?
Tactically, what can they do to negate a fired up Scouser side at home?

Henry14 - As l sat to see the Barcelona match and saw Eto'o play more like his old self, l felt that, Barca at their best are the best on the planet, what approach do you think Liverpool will take because they are expected to attack at the same time Barca will have to attack?

Gunner44 - Do you think now that Eto’o is back Barca will be able to overcome Liverpool at home?

Bobby – Barcelona has to win by two goals or by a score of 3-2 or higher so they have to attack. Benitez will be happy to sit back and hit on the counter – there seems to be no reason to attack. The longer it goes on without a goal then obviously the better it is for Liverpool. If Liverpool scores a goal Barcelona still needs to score two to stay alive.

Wja425 - Javier Mascherano already has more playing time at Liverpool than he had at West Ham after September. And by all accounts, he performed well on Saturday. Is that a commentary on Pardew and Curbishley as managers that they couldn't fit him into their systems (there was an article suggesting that recently), or that Mascherano fits Benitez's style much better? It doesn't make a lot of sense that a player can not make the squad for one of the worst teams in the EPL but can play a critical role for one of the best teams.

Bobby – I think Benitez knows how to fit Mascherano into his team and I still think that he will come good and will turn out to be a great acquisition for Liverpool. In terms o####ood player not being able to hold down a place in a poor team I’m not sure it is as simple as that. It can be a case of the type and style of players you are playing with as well. After all do you think it is easier playing with good players or bad players?

Buffytvs - Ronaldo has been a huge part of the team's success this year -- do you think he will move on at the end of the year, as the rumour mill suggests?

Bobby – I cannot see Ronaldo moving from Old Trafford anytime soon. I think it is all part of the better-contract dance.

Gunner44 - Who do you think will win EPL player of the year Drogba or Ronaldo? Or will it come down to who wins the Title? And in your own opinion who has been more valuable to his team?

And do you think Cesc should be EPL Young POY coz in I think the boy deserves it considering how consistently he has performed all year been only 19?

What do you think Henry's Problem is confidence, new players around him, starting to lose his touch or just lost in his own little world? And should Wenger Bench him especially if RVP returns?

Bobby – I would pick Drogba at the moment as the player of the year because he carried Chelsea through a large part of the season. Fabregas is a shoe-in for the young player of the year. I don’t think Wenger will bench Henry. As for his problems – missing Robert Pires perhaps. Rosicky has had a good first season but Wenger is playing him in a position that he rarely if ever played while with Borussia Dortmund. Pires and Henry had a telepathic understanding – it is not the same with Rosicky.

Foxcube - I feel that Arsenal had no choice but to go with youth development, the Ajax way, whereas Chelsea remains absent-minded with huge money in the pocket. What about Man Utd in the 80s and 90s? Were they considerably richer than other clubs? How did they cultivate their own reserves? And why isn't AC Milan's system producing any great players?

Bobby – United may have been richer than other clubs but the youth squad they produced in the early 90’s was probably as good as any with the exception of the Busby Babes. United have always produced players through the youth system but few are up to SAF’s standards. (Colin Shindler’ s book George Best and 21 others is a great read, as well as Jeff Connor’s The Lost Babes). The lower leagues are littered with players who have not made it at Old Trafford.

Good question about AC Milan. They have always been regarded as a buying club rather than a club that develops players. The two that I think did come through the ranks and were world class players were Gianni Rivera and Paolo Maldini.

LosAngelesChelseaFan - Do you think the article on the Porto meeting between Abramovich and the fans in the Sun has credibility or is just their normal way of creating sensation?

Bobby – A way to create a stir.

Henry 14 - Do you know where Glen Little was and why he is at Reading when he has so much talent?

Bobby – I believe he spent a bit of time at Burnley and may have been at Crystal Palace at the start of his career when Steve Coppell was in charge. You don’t find too many tall rangy type wingers around anymore. He reminds me a bit of Chris Waddle, Ted McMinn (Rangers and Derby in the 80’s) and Tommy Hutchinson of Manchester City and Coventry in the 70’s and early 80’s.

Old Coach - What current managers do you consider to be the best talent evaluators?

Bobby - I think most of us would go for the usual suspects in England - SAF, Arsene Wenger - particularly Wenger. Sam Allardyce would have to be part of that group as well - even though many don't find Bolton's style entertaining.

However, I think the managers who really have to work their socks of to make sure that they leave no stone unturned are the Championship managers. George Burley has a great track record of team building at the lower level and Billy Davies at Derby is another one. Roy Keane has done a great job so far of moving players in and out and now has Sunderland in a position to challenge for an automatic promotion spot.

I think you also have to dig a bit deeper as well and look at the clubs that have developed a system that continually attracts good young players. I'm thinking of a club like Sevilla who have lost some very good players but they seem to find a way to replace them. Werder Bremen would be a good example of the same thing in Germany.  Auxerre did it for years when Guy Roux was in charge.

Premiership and Championship teams take a break from league action this weekend as the focus turns to the third round of the FA Cup. While it is at this stage when most fans turn their attention to the oldest knock out competition in the world there has already been eight rounds of action.

The search for FA Cup glory has already been passed from Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A. to Fleetwood Town to Salisbury City and on to Nottingham Forest. In the second round Forest was potential giant-kill prey to Conference side Salisbury City. This time around they get to play the role of hunter. 

Premiership Charlton will visit the City Ground on Saturday with an ever increasing list of problems. After 15 years in charge (the first five as co manager with Steve Gritt) Alan Curbishley called time at the end of last season. Since two other managers have come and gone and Curbishley has swapped clubs with Alan Pardew who is now looking to dig Charlton out of relegation problems.

Six points from Premiership safety, without an away win in well over a year, knocked out of the Carling Cup by Chesterfield (currently in mid-table in League One), and with top scorer and potential saviour Darren Bent out for a month with knee trouble, the troubles are mounting at the Valley.

A month ago Forest would have been relishing the thought of putting one over on a Premiership side in the FA Cup but a series of set-backs (only one win in five games since beating Salisbury City in the second round replay) may have the Midland’s club worrying more about their own league form.

Forest, who finished with only nine players after Clingan and Cullip were sent off, dropped out of top two for the first time since August when they were humiliated 5-0 by Oldham on New Year’s day. While Premiership safety is the priority for Charlton, automatic promotion is vital for Colin Calderwood’s charges.

As well as missing Clingan and Cullip on Saturday through suspension it looks as if Forest will also be without Kris Commons who caught the eye in the televised second round games. The tricky forward is injured and missed the game against Oldham. Commons is out-of-contract this summer and although talks have been held no resolution is in sight. A couple of weeks ago Steve Claridge ran the rule over Commons and pinpointed his strengths and a few problems that may well frighten off Championship and Premiership teams that have shown an interest.

Neither time can boast of a stellar FA Cup record although both have won the fabled trophy. For Charlton FA Cup Final appearance came in the two seasons after WWII. In 1946 they lost to Derby County 4-1 after extra time. This final gained some notoriety as prior to the 1946 final Derby County was said to have carried a Cup-curse placed on the team by a gypsy. You can read about the curse and another oddity involving the game ball by following the marked links. (Jose and Fergie – are you ready to invoke curses yet?)

Charlton returned to Wembley the year after and again the game went to extra time but this time the London club scored the only goal of the game to beat Burnley.

Nottingham Forest won the FA Cup in 1898 by beating Derby County (see curse!) 3-1 but it took over six decades before they were to lift the trophy again. In 1959 Forest beat Luton 2-1 with goals from Roy Dwight and Tommy Wilson. Dwight (uncle to Reg Dwight or Sir Elton John as he is more readily recognized) broke his leg that day but Forest held on with only 10-men (no substitutes) to lift the Cup.

Forest returned to Wembley in 1991 but lost to Spurs 2-1. The Final was again marked by a serious injury albeit one inflicted by the injured players own rash challenge – this time it was Paul Gascoigne.

The third round draw can be found here and this is a link to the latest news from the official FA Cup website. The winners pocket around $80,000 in prize money and a place in the 4th round draw.

FSC  FA Cup  listings can be found here.

Featured Games to date.
Extra Preliminary Round        Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A.    5-2     Billingham Synthonia.
Preliminary Round                 Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A     5-4     Thackley F.C
First Qualifying Round            Fleetwood Town                    3-0      Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A.
Second Qualifying Round      Fleetwood Town                    4-2      Goole AFC 
Third Qualifying Round          Fleetwood Town                    2-0      Warrington Town
Fourth Qualifying Round        Fleetwood Town                    2-0      Wisbech Town
First Round                             Salisbury City                         3-0      Fleetwood Town
Second Round                       Salisbury City                         1-1      Nottingham Forest
Second Round Replay           Nottingham Forest                  2-0      Salisbury City