Foolishmoose - I have a tough one for you. Since the majority of my TV time is spent watching FSC, Setanta, GOL and ESPN Soccer programming, and with to my knowledge only ESPN carrying HD, but the minimum amount of soccer programming, my question is, do you have any inside info on when FSC may go HD?
Bobby – Sorry, I do not have a clue what is planned. What’s more I am not looking forward to that day. My imperfections will show up!!!
JayAlves – It’s going to be an interesting transfer season. Kudos to Spurs for firing the first shot and setting the tone as the season isn't even over and teams are going to have to line up their targets quicker or be left in the cold.
Bobby – I find it interesting that the move was made before the European Championships. A good summer tournament would have boosted the price considerably you would have thought.
RonW - Next year I believe they're increasing the number of substitutes who can suit up in the EPL... what effect do you think it will have on the games(if any, besides being better for the big spending/squad teams)?
Bobby – As long as the number that can be used sticks at three I really can’t see how will make much of an impact. Coaches who have been tempted not to name a goalkeeper will no longer have an excuse. Maybe the Premiership missed an opportunity to encourage a little bit more youth development by insisting that at least two of the seven named substitutes be under-21.
Gregz - 1. Bobby, what do you think of Fernando Gago? In recent weeks he has been putting on some remarkable performances for Real Madrid 2. Lots have been said about Hatem Ben Arfa maybe going to Arsenal. If it were to happen do U think he would make it? I'm thinking he is a bit light weight and every summer Arsenal's midfield players get smaller.
Bobby – 1. I have not watched Real Madrid the last two weekends so I can’t really comment on Gago’s recent performances. From what I have seen of him previously I would have said his performances have been underwhelming.
2. How many times has Arsenal been linked with a player they have actually signed? Eduardo, Adebayor, Rosicky, Hleb, Sango? I don’t remember of any of these being on the radar screen prior to signing so I would not put too much reliance on reports of Arsenal’s supposed transfer targets until a deal is actually done.
As for being light weight – he’s played as a striker (and on the left side) so he can’t be that soft can he? As for summer transfer targets I’ll throw out the name of Luis Suarez as someone one of the big clubs might move for this summer.
Thierry_Henry - I don't know if you watched Liverpool v. Birmingham on the weekend. But the 2nd Birmingham goal should never have counted. Jahidi was in between the wall and the goal keeper wanting to make it difficult for the keeper to view where the ball is headed. In that case I think he was interfering with play, even if the free kick went right in. Therefore he was offside. What's your take on it?
Bobby – I did watch the game and the referee’s decision was correct. First of all you have to consider the meaning of “interfering” and the regulations provide a clear definition. In terms of interfering with play a player is judged as such if he plays or touches the ball “passed or touched by a team-mate”. As Jahidi did not receive the ball then he cannot have been interfering with play.
Then it is a case of whether or not he was interfering with an opponent. “Interfering with an opponent means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent.”
Larsson hit the ball from well outside the penalty box. Reina’s view of Larsson was never hindered or obstructed – you can see that clearly from the camera view from behind the net. The Birmingham player didn’t make a gesture or movement. The goal was rightfully given.
Jahmikes - 1. I think Arsenal's main weak spot is defense and have my opinions, can you give an analysis of our starting defenders and the bench ones, mine is we have a good starting 4 but on the bench we look awful sparse from Traore who was underutilized.
2. Do you think the recall of Vela will become Wenger's answer to his wing problems? I see him and Walcott becoming our version of Nani and Ronaldo.
3. I felt that Torres should have received player of the year due to the many external and internal challenges he faced in his season. Ronaldo's ability is without question but being in a stable team made it much easier for him to shine, wouldn’t you agree?
4. What’s your verdict for tomorrow? I think Ferguson is playing a risky game. He used similar tactics against Roma in the semi's and was able to go through because Roma had no real strike force up front to capitalize on their attacks, Barcelona is a team built to score goals, and if Ferguson plays an open game they will score, if he plays defense it will be a stale mate with Barca going through.
Bobby – 1. Biggest problem is dealing with crosses and high balls down the middle. I don’t see much wrong at full back except perhaps trying to cut down on the balls getting into the box. I don’t see the problem as a lack of depth if your central two are not dominant enough. Fix the first problem before you consider depth.
2. What wing problem and with the exception of Marc Overmars when has Arsène Wenger ever played wingers? Arsenal looks to get width from full backs not wingers. Pinning your hopes on a 19 year-old who has not kicked a ball in English football sounds desperate to me. There is nothing to indicate that Wenger is suddenly going to dump his system to incorporate two rampaging teenage wingers. (I’m not even convinced that Vela and Walcott are going to be wingers in the long-term.)
3. No I wouldn’t agree. The award is supposed to go the best player not the best player in an on-going transatlantic soap opera.
4. I have looked into the crystal ball and I can see United winning 1-0 with Paul Scholes scoring a scorching goal around the 14th minute after Zambrotta makes a hash of a pass. As for Barcelona being built to score goals – this version must have been built on a Monday after a boozy weekend.
LGB -1. Which team (in any top league) has been the most disappointing this season? 2. Do you believe Mourinho will end up in Barca, Madrid or Milan (blue or red)? 3. What do you make of Ballack and Drogba's on-the-field spat? Not much has been made of it because of United's antics and, of course, Chelsea won but is this kind of competitive edge what you need in a game like this, especially at such a crucial time? 4. What do you make of seedings in tournaments such as World Cup, Euro Championships and Euro Cup? Worth it or worthless? 5. How many goals do you see Liverpool needing to score at the Bridge for them to progress? How many for Barca at OT? 6. Final question: Why in the world is the PFA player of the year award handed out before the season is over?
Bobby –1. Barcelona.
2. Yes……or some other team.
3. I thought it was very funny. It was playground stuff.
4. It makes sense to me for a number of reasons. There are also different sort of seedings – there is rankings and also the system that makes sure you don’t draw three CONCACAF teams in the same World Cup Final group.
5. Two for Liverpool. And one for Barcelona!!!!
6. I don’t know and neither do I know why the voting takes place around February.
Jahmikes - How many goals has Arsenal conceded from set plays? And what’s their rank in this statistic?
Bobby – Arsenal 11 of 31. I don’t know how they rank but here are the others from the top six. Aston Villa 14/47; Chelsea 11/25; Everton 12/31; Liverpool 18/27; Manchester United 6/21.
ReggaeGunner - Who's been the best RB for the 07/08 season throughout Europe? I've seen quite a lot of matches still trying to come to a final conclusion.
Bobby – How about Maicon?
Redfan4ever – 1. As the season draws to a close and we all reflect on what has been, I was a wondering what for you have been the best, say top three, highlights of season from the various leagues (not cups) you watch around the world? 2. Norman Hunter was related to Ron Harris and Tommy Smith in some weird way was he not?
Bobby – 1. I will go with these three. Chelsea and Spurs sharing 8 goals in the Premiership. Fiorentina’s 3-2 win over Juventus. Villarreal’s 4-3 away win against Atletico Madrid.
2. Chiseled from the same piece of granite.
Redfan4ever – 1. If Chelsea fork out 55 million for Kaka, who would you see them using as a holding midfielder? 2. Also, do you think they would be able keep Lampard and Ballack happy if Kaka arrives? 3. Do you think Drogba is on the way out this summer especially after his temperamental attitude with Ballack over a free kick and his general demeanor against the Mancs last weekend? I do not think he is happy at all.
Bobby – 1. The same one they were going to use anyway – Mikel.
2. Neither appears to have been particularly happy since Ballack arrived so adding Kaka to mix will not improve the situation.
3. Drogba has been unhappy since Mourinho left so I would not read too much into the Drogba/Ballack tantrums as being some sort of turning point.
LGB - I like the offside rule that is going on right now. If we go back to the other way then we'll get goals like Roy Keane's getting ruled out in the 99 FA Cup semifinal.
Keep the rule the same as it is now. I like the fact that goalies can be "distracted". They are protected way too much as it is.
Bobby - You make a good point. Confusing a keeper is not the same as distracting him.
AlbertaGooner – Who was your team of the season?
Bobby – I’ll wait for the post season to list mine I think.
thewobengonboy - Recently Martin Samuel asked the punters to put forward selection recommendations for Fabio Capello. I was slightly surprised that no one went to bat for Tom Huddlestone. I have seen performances where, on his day, he looks like a poor man's Andrea Pirlo with his range of passing, and seems worthy of a look in an England squad where Beckham is clearly past his best. How do you rate him? Additionally, has Juande Ramos done him any favors by trying him out in defense?
Bobby – He has a great touch and is a very good passer of the ball. His lack of pace and mobility is a problem and that would be a bigger problem at the international level. Huddlestone played a good number of games at Derby in central defense before he moved to Spurs and it might well become his accepted position.
Thierry_Henry - 1 - Given the British malaise of not finishing project in timely manner, i.e.: Wembley stadium, London airport terminal death row, sorry, Heathrow... are you surprised on how smooth the construction of the Emirates stadium went?
2 - Do you think Tottenham Hotspurs will avoid relegation next season?
Bobby – 1. Amazed. Just wait for the Daddy of them all – the 2012 Summer Olympics. It will make the costs overruns for Montreal 1976 look like petty cash. 2. Yes – along with Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton, Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United…….
Roseboy64 - Eriksson to be sacked.....What are your opinions?
Bobby – Thirteen points up on last season’s position with two games left - difficult to justify him being fired. Only explanation is Sven becoming another victim of an egomaniac owner.
No doubt Sven will walk away with another big cheque and he does have his new TV career to fall back on this time. However, I think he does have to work on his camera presence – he seems a bit “wooden” – almost puppet-like - at times.
Ringo - Will Hamilton be allowed to play home games at home next season? I see their ground holds 5,400 will that be enough to keep the SPL happy?
Bobby – They have a Field turf artificial surface at the moment and it is being replaced this summer with under soil heating and a proper grass surface. I don’t know what the situation is with the capacity but my understanding is that the SPL has signed off on Hamilton’s plans.
MasMaz - When do we get your team of the season?
Bobby – At the end of the season and probably with a twist.
Thierry_Henry - Is Rijkaard done? He did not show any desire to win today. Starting Henry on the bench was fatal from what I believe. What's your take?
Bobby – His time was up well before today. He has come to the end of the normal life-cycle of a manager.
Zuco2 -Looking at the recent "achievement" of Zenit in the UEFA cup, does it mean that the Russian League is perhaps a stronger league then we might think?
Bobby – It depends on who “we” are. When CSKA Moscow was on route to their UEFA Cup win of 2005 I suggested that Russian clubs would soon be making their mark in Champions League.
To date that hasn’t happened so from my perspective the Russian teams have been disappointing over the last three seasons in Europe. There is money behind the teams and they have brought in some excellent talent. At the moment they are punching below their weight.
Redfan2000 - Time seemed to stop you commenting on the Inter vs Liverpool game, so what was your summation of the two legs?
Bobby – Liverpool was the better team and won it through perseverance and patience. Against ten men and with around five minutes to go in the first leg Liverpool could have easily panicked but they stuck to it.
There were only perhaps two moments when Inter threatened in Milan and the Reina save low to his left was probably the pivotal moment. If that deflection had gone in then Inter might have made a real go of it.
But as it turned out, Reina saved, Burdisso gets a second yellow and Torres scores a terrific goal. We could argue about Inter playing most of the time with ten men and the impact it had on the outcome but you can only play against what is in front of you and Liverpool won without ever really being tested by the Inter attack.
Weah11 - Do you see a clear out (coaches + some players) if Chelsea fail to pass Fenerbahce? I read that Lippi is interested in coming to the EPL.
Bobby – Can I see coaches and players moving on if Chelsea fails to pass Fenerbahce? I can see coaches and players moving on even if they go on to win the Champions League and the Premiership. It is part of the normal process.
By the same token you will not see a clear out (I would define a clear out as six or seven legitimate members of the first team squad leaving). In fact I can’t think of the last time a big club had a real clear out of staff.
It’s down to the fact that players at top clubs are making incredible money and there are very few clubs outside maybe a dozen or so in Europe that are willing to match their wage demands. The fans response to failure is to call for a clear out but the reality is that there has to be another club willing to pay a transfer fee and to pay the salary demands.
Without that other side of the equation most players are more than willing to sit tight and allow their bank balances to grow. Lippi is just one of a number of high profile managers who will be available this summer. It’s a summer of a major final and so that means we will also see national team managers resigning or getting fired.
Don’t be surprised if most of the media interest is around managerial appointments rather than player signings this summer.
Thierry_Henry - Some Arsenal fans are starting to tell Wenger what he should do. As if he doesn't see what's wrong with the team. Just because we've drawn 4 matches in the last few weeks...
Look, at the beginning of the season Bobby suggested we will not be in the top 4. If it wasn't for injury to Eduardo, we would be first. So, relax and keep faith in the magin man, Wenger.
Bobby – As MasMaz pointed out I picked Arsenal to finish third. I have the article from last August archived and hopefully it will be rolled out at the end of the Premiership season for the benefit of all.
Foxcube - Perhaps you did in on TV but I'd love to hear your comments on Mancini's U-turn (or anyone could share?). Another question is why the top 4 in England don't break away from the league and have their own TV deals. Thanks!
Bobby – Mancini has a reputation for being overly emotional at times and speaking before thinking. I think that was one of the moments. The big four don’t breakaway and do their own tv deals because they are not allowed to.
My understanding is that centralized TV broadcast sales is part of the Premier League regulations and to be changed 75% of the 20 teams have to vote to change. As turkeys very rarely vote for Christmas you are not likely a change anytime soon.
ReggaeGunner -I watched the Roma vs Milan match and I was very impressed by the player Vucinic. Why doesn't Spalletti play him in the starting 11 and let Totti play off him or is he more effective coming off the bench. Whenever I see him play he seems to be the difference when he's on the pitch. Always a threat to the other teams when on the pitch. Another to mention is Aquillani, he shoots the ball well.
Bobby – You would think that Spaletti is going to find it more difficult to keep Vucinic out of the starting line-up based on his scoring record off the bench. He’s scored in the three games in the last few weeks when he has come as substitute; there again he failed to score in the game he started.
He’s not overly quick but seems very composed when a chance comes his way. Maybe we will see him in the Rome derby on Wednesday as he scored against Lazio earlier this season.
Venti_Vidi_Vici - Platini was quoted today encouraging English fans to oppose foreign ownership in the EPL. He seems to jump at every opportunity to criticize the EPL and the FA. He disapproves of foreign ownership, lack of English players, the foreign national team coach, the violent play and the 39th match, just in the few months he’s been at the helm. Does he have some anti-English agenda, or is he just concerned with the state of English football, and the effects it has, and could have, on European football?
Bobby – I would suggest that Platini’s issue is more about money than it is about the nationality of the league. The Premiership has the largest TV contract, the largest crowds and has become a magnet for international businessmen looking to make money.
However I don’t think you will see President Platini turning down Sky’s bid for the Champions League rights even though it is English money.
Flashman - Nice move by your network to get the Canada-US U-23 game on this week. The way Toronto FC look to be deliberately not improving their roster, I'm convinced they're looking to tank deliberately and get a high draft pick. One of whom could be playing for Canada in that game. Should be interesting to see what's he's like.
Now, can we expect any changes in Champions League telecasts here in Canada now that Sky has snagged the bulk of future broadcast rights? We've got certain games now for free on basic cable with TSN. Though they act like they can barely stand showing them, with the total lack of support for soccer shown on that network. Will this new deal mean that FOXSWC will be taking games away from them, showing other games concurrent with those that might remain on TSN or will nothing change?
Flashman - What do you make of Amaudo Guevara, like? New York soccer journalist Ives Galarcep is reporting tonight that Mo Johnson is on the verge of re-connecting with the Honduran midfielder he coached in New York by signing him for Toronto FC. Guevara ticked off Toronto fans last year by refusing to come to the team with a deal for him already worked out. Now we're supposed to get over it and welcome this talented but flaky guy back in. Should we? Can we? Will we? And if he does join TFC, what can we expect from him on and off the field.
Bobby – I think there is a general concern that Toronto has done little so far to improve their roster. Based on the moves to date they have gone backwards since the end of last season. It seems to me that the fans gave them unbelievable backing during the first year and expected little but good effort in return from the first year team.
A year on and they expect a lot more. These fans do not strike me as the gullible Maple Leaf types who are willing to sit back and accept any rubbish put their way while MLSE milks fans dry. Without a good start I can see the vociferous support turning ugly.
In terms of Guevara nothing has been announced yet. If he signs for Toronto then you can expect to see a Riquelme-type player (I said type) who the team has to be built around and to get the most out of him all the plays have to go through him. Guevara fell out with Preki in no time at all last season and I have a great deal of admiration for the Chivas coach so I have my doubts that Mo and John Carver will have more success with him.
The Sky deal is for the UK only. Although Fox Soccer Channel in the US and Sky are both News Corp. companies it is my understanding that they operate completely independently. Fox Sports World Canada is owned by Can West Global and has deal with that is limited to the provision of certain games.
ESPN is the current North American rights holder for Champions League and I believe they have at least two seasons left but I stand to be corrected on that. ESPN owns 32% of TSN and TSN and Setanta sub license Champions League games from ESPN.
RonW - When Inverness Caley was promoted to the SPL I think there was talk of them playing home games in Aberdeen. Where are they playing now? One of the best sports headlines ever was about ten years ago when Caley were in the lower leagues (maybe even non-league) and they beat Celtic ... "Super Caley Went Ballistic Celtic Were Atrocious"
Bobby – Inverness Caley Thistle did opt to play their home games at Pittodrie during their first season in the SPL but finished up being able to move back to their own stadium around the half way point in the season after renovations were completed in super quick time. That was in early 2005 and they have played out of their own stadium since. The Sun’s headline was an all-time great when ITC beat Celtic in 2000. I think at that time ITC was in the first division.
22justin -We all know you are a closet Serie A lover, just admit it. Serie A is the TRUE BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD. YOU KNOW IT AND I KNOW IT.
Bobby – A closet has nothing to do with it. I've watched Serie A for years. Best is subjective so I will let you argue that one out with others.
RINGO – Have to agree with Bobby, that 1970 cup final was the best one I remember, the '75 Fulham/West Ham game is right up there also, not for the game itself but because it was the first time I went to Wembley. Sad to say that the first three goalscorers for Chelsea have all since died, and in the order they scored, Ian Hutchinson died in 2002, if I where David Webb I might be slightly concerned.
That final could have become the first time no-one won the cup. If David Webb had not 'cheeked' in the winner at Old Trafford the second replay was to have been played at Highfield Road, Coventry three days later ,and if that had ended in a draw both teams would have held the cup for six months each. The England world cup squad where leaving for the Mexico WC five days later ,leaving no more time for another game.
Bobby – There was also the story that might be of interest to those that think the game nowadays is a bit rough. A few years ago a newspaper (or the Beeb) asked then Premiership referee David Elleray to review the 1970 Cup Final from a disciplinary point of view and to judge the game against then current standards.
By the end of the first game at Wembley which finished 2-2 Elleray said that both sides would have finished with eight men each with the first sending red card coming in the 13th minute. What’s more Chelsea would have got 13 yellow cards and Leeds seven.
Henry14 - Last week somebody asked you if Arsenal should sell RVP and rightfully said no now l do think Rosicky who will be 28 needs to go and we can built our left hand side on a younger and not so much injury prone guy and Vela will be a good player + a new winger l feel should he be sold.
Bobby – What makes Rosicky injury prone? One season? Rosicky has played in two-thirds of Arsenal’s Premiership games since he joined the club which puts him ahead of the Freddie Ljungberg and I don’t remember a clamour for Freddie to be sold because he was “injury prone.” Rosicky’s scoring record is very close to the Swede’s so it seems like a fair comparison.
Why you would get rid of a player who is in his prime years and suggest that he should be replaced by another youngster - it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Or is it a case that what you haven’t seen is better than what you have?
Sleeper000- The English FA denied FIFA's request to increase Martin Taylor' punishment due to their belief that it was only a single isolated incident and they did not want to set a "horrible" precedent by extending Taylor's suspension. Question, what could FIFA do to enforce their request other than placing sanctions on the English FA which let's face it, will never happen? I am not trying to argue what should be done, I am simply curious as to what is the extent of FIFA's power in this scenario.
Bobby – FIFA has no real interest in extending Taylor’s punishment. It is pure posturing and Blatter playing to the masses knowing that he would be guaranteed media coverage if he raised the subject.
Does anyone really belief that FIFA has any interest in questioning the suspensions dished out every week because once they cross that line that is what it leads to. There are worse challenges than Taylor’s every week in leagues around the world and the precedent of FIFA issuing or mandating additional suspensions over and above those assessed by the national associations would grind the system to a standstill.
It’s also a quick way to finish up in court and FIFA has a very poor court record! The press release can be found here but I read nothing of a “horrible” precedent.
Finally, regarding the Arsenal goal that was disallowed for offside. It was not discussed on Monday’s show. However, a player cannot be played “onside” by a deflection off an opponent. To be played onside in such a situation the opponent must be judged by the referee to have full control of the ball. Otherwise the referee’s decision is based upon the position of the attacking player when the ball is last played by a teammate.
Redfan2000 -What's your take on the midfield for England? You lauded Jenas in the weekend blog, so how about explaining your thinking regards the competition with, Barry, Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick, Hargreaves et al, all vying for a CM slot? Could Jenas run the right wing??
What do you think of Downing as an attacking winger and his defensive qualities going the other way?
Re the Inter debate, do you think they are truly a great side or just very consistent, unlike those around them and elsewhere? Never mind Rafa's position, do you think Grant will start next season as Manager at Chelsea? Who do you think RA would/could replace him with??
Bobby – I think you can see a significant improvement in Jenas since Ramos took over. He is more composed, chooses his moments to go forward and is much more disciplined. He has a very good turn of pace – something that Ramos likes – and I am betting that Capello does as well.
There is a feeling that Capello will opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation and so in the long run Jenas probably has two bites at the cherry. If he continues to improve under Ramos then Capello may be willing to slot him into one of two defensive midfield positions.
The conventional wisdom has Hargreaves as having a lock on one of the positions but I am not so sure. Hargreaves is an aggressive defender playing in front of the United back four and offers virtually nothing in terms of building an attack or controlling the tempo oBLEEPame.
That is where Barry has a big edge and I think Jenas will eventually be slotted into the second position beside him. In front of them maybe Bentley-Gerrard-Cole. Downing is a natural left footer but overall Joe Cole is a far better player and a better option.
Bentley is a more natural wide player than Jenas and I think Jenas’ more valuable in the middle of the park. For Inter to be regarded as a great side they are going to have to win the Champions League rather than just winning their domestic championship a few times in a row.
Re: Avram Grant, I’m still surprised he was hired to begin with. As for a replacement who knows. It is more a product of who is available at the time rather than who is the best candidate. Naming replacements is a hypothetical exercise means nothing.
CIAO - I'm curious, do you have any comparative data on injury statistics of the leagues (i.e. Serie A, PL, Bundesliga and La Liga). To me, it seems obvious that such career ending injuries seem to occur more in the PL vs. the other top leagues.
Henry14 - What should Eduardo have done yesterday? Should he have not gone for the ball because he thinks (as many others may do) there's a real danger my leg will be broken here. The ridiculous assertion that Eduardo was too fast and therefore that means that’s ok is beyond belief.
To avoid serious injury yesterday someone had to decide differently. Taylor could have decided to not go flying in or Eduardo could have pulled out going for the ball. You have a choice. Which one do you want to influence to make a different decision? For me it is clear. A greater ban in the event of causing a serious injury would make the tackler and the club thinks twice and we would not have had the injury we had.
What’s your take on the way tackling and aggressiveness on less technically play is taken in England?
Gregz - What did U make of the Eduardo injury. (I missed the show).
Bobby – I will try to deal with all the Eduardo/Taylor questions in one response so there may not be a direct match to each specific question. First off on a historical basis the game is far cleaner than it was in the 60s, 70s and early 80s.
That comment is made in the context of all leagues, not just in England. You name me a decent soccer playing nation from that era and I guarantee that we can find thugs from each and every one of them. The same goes for today. Just because one style is more physical than another does not make it more or less illegal.
I would suggest that the real dirty players are the ones that you don’t see rather than the ones you do.
Anyone trying to make this a nationality argument is disingenuous at best.
I am not aware of comparative stats on career ending injuries in the PL vs. Other leagues but I doubt that it would statistically significant if it was. It may seem that way because we hear more about the PL than others.
I don’t have anything to back up this assertion but I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of career ending injuries are not caused by fouls but from normal play and physical contact.
So is someone going to suggest that anyone causing an injury with a fair tackle should be suspended as well – according to some comments that would apparently stop bad injuries.
The most intelligent comments about the incident have come from Eduardo – the victim.
I wonder how many of you saw the incident and immediately thought it was brutal tackle?
Taylor flying into the tackle – pure hyperbole. Taylor was slow, he was late and he caught Eduardo. A fraction of a second either way and Eduardo rolls off the tackle or Taylor brings him down, a free kick is given and Eduardo plays on as players do countless times each game.
With a game played at the pace of the modern game it is impossible not to have some mistimed tackles and unfortunately bad injuries are going to happen now and again. Bad injuries have happened for years and they will happen for years to come and you are not going to find that they are restricted to one league, one nationality or even bad tackles.
As for a player going into a game worrying about a broken leg - he should not playing the game.
Gregz -Do U see Wenger parting ways with Van Persie because of his constant injury problems. What do you make of Carlos Vela? Better as a winger or striker?
Bobby – I guess your definition of constant injury problems are a bit different than mine. He’s been at Arsenal four seasons and the first year he was almost exclusively on the bench.
He injured himself scoring against Manchester United last season and then he’s been injured this season – is that constant?
Maybe someone can explain to me the upside of releasing a player who has yet to hit his prime and has the potential to be one Europe’s best goal scorers? My latest view of Vela was at the Under-20s last summer and he was not very impressive. On last summer’s showing he is nowhere close to being ready to step up.
Frenchking2012 - What do you think of Walcott? Could he do a Ljungberg after Pires (Arsenal best player in the 2001-2002 season) was injured by Dabizas. I remember Freddie scoring 6 or 7 goals in 8 or 9 games and he was the one whose run and later shot gifted Wiltord with an open goal at Old Trafford.
Walcott score 2 great goals Saturday and for once was dribbling rather well. I think he needs to step up because the Bendtner - Ade duo doesn’t work, and we won’t have RVP back for the Milan game (maybe as a late sub if we are down 1-0 in the 75th minute).
Bobby – Not a hope. Ljungberg was an experienced club and international in 2001/02, Walcott is still a young boy. The expectations of how quickly Walcott will mature are way over the top.
Flashman - When it comes to assessing ar5ena1 games, you dig in like you were Cronkite covering a moonshot. Very thorough. So why no coverage of William Gallas snapping a head valve and kicking the advertising boards and stomping off and throwing hisself down at midfield and having a right old sulk? The UK media have ripped him soundly and clamoured for the club to get rid of him. Why no coverage?
That said, you could have drawn attention to Spurs' Pascal Chimbonda chewing up clock time with his selfishly slow walk-off after being subbed at Wembley.
Bobby – If you can persuade our producers to give us a three hour show then I am hopeful that we could fit everything in. As it is I get told to wrap it up when I am going over and so I have to do what I am told. Sometimes bits get in and sometimes they don’t.
As for the media clamouring for Arsenal to get rid of Gallas - clamouring? Really?
Alberta_Man_United_Fan - What is it with the officiating in the Prem lately? Missed offside calls, ref's missing incidents were one player puts his hands on the face of an opponent who responds, only to get turfed?
I am amazed at the appearance of bias from some game officials in the calls that are and are not made! Kicking at a players heal when I played resulted in a card, not a lecture! (Arsenal-ManU).Then this past weekend Man City had a player sent off for doing that same thing.
As a youth coach and official I tell all the kids, if it is in the rule book it will be enforced! The best way to stay out of the book is to play a clean game. Professional referees do none of us minor coaches any favors by selectively enforcing the rule book.
Immediately after the Arsenal-Man United game I witnessed three such kicking incidences in the games that I officiated in. When did the standards drop for officials?
Bobby – I can’t disagree with you on the incidents that you bring up. However, I would not limit the comments to the Premiership.
Zuco2 - What do you think about Reading football club? Last season, they had a perfect year finishing in the top 10 and narrowly missing a UEFA cup spot. This season, they are winless in 11 games. They are in the relegation zone and they have one of the worst goal difference records in the Prem. What is wrong with them??????? Have any idea???
Bobby – At the risk of stating the obvious they can’t score goals and have let in far too many – a recipe for relegation trouble normally. Second seasons in a higher division are traditionally difficult.
It is interesting that last season a number of fans pointed out that Wigan had made too many changes to the team that had done very well during its first season in the Premiership and hence their problems.
Steve Coppell made few changes and that has not worked out either. Lita, Doyle, Long and Kitson have to start scoring goals and scoring early in games as well. The two goals in the last seven games have both been last minute consolation goals and they have yet score a goal in the first fifteen minutes of a Premiership game this season.
On the bright side they do not have a particularly difficult run in over the final eleven matches and frankly if they can’t get enough points from a softish schedule then they deserve to go down.
A bit of an abbreviated report seeing that it is the fourth posting of the day. A terrific game - tight and hard-fought - and one that could have gone either way. Moralez' goal right on half time was the difference but Mexico had chances particularly in the first half. Vela struck a shot that deflected through Romero's legs to safety and then he rattled the post.
I thought that Di Maria had a great 75 minutes for Argentina before he was substituted - a great little reverse pass played Moralez in for his goal. For Mexico, Villaluz was in my opinion their best player.
After the weekends play their is no doubt in my mind that three or perhaps all four of the best four teams in the competition were in the second half of the quarter final draw.
Group C (Toronto, Edmonton & Montreal) Portugal, New Zealand, Gambia and Mexico
Portugal is one of the few nations that can boast of winning a world football title and what is more they have done it twice. Back in 1989 Portugal won the World under-20s and then retained the title two years later. However, it has been eight years since they last made it to the tournament that all Portuguese consider to be very special.
Former Porto Coach Jose Couceiro is in charge of a squad that on paper looks to be strong but that disappointed in qualifying. To make it to the final round in Europe Portugal had Macedonia to thank for drawing against both Israel and Croatia.
Grouped with Spain, Scotland and Turkey, Portugal drew all three games but still finished third ahead of Turkey. They had to battle back from two goals down to share the points with Scotland but led 3-1 and 4-3 to Turkey before sharing the spoils.
Under normal circumstance a draw against Spain would have been an excellent result but with Scotland beating Turkey 3-2 it was not enough to move into the semi finals. The consolation was that third place was good enough to book a trip to Canada.
Bruno Gama (Braga) was Portugal’s best player last summer’s and looks set to be the man to watch once again. Defender Antunes (Pacos Ferreira) also comes with high expectations.
Mexico has already shown that they can play with the best. The win at the under-17 World Cup in Peru two years ago was a long awaited break-through for a country that has historically produced talented but psychologically brittle sides.
Coach Jesus Ramirez was in charge of the world champion squad. A top four finish this time might be enough to encourage the Mexican FA to appoint him to replace Hugo Sanchez who has made an unimpressive start with the senior squad.
Barcelona recognized the new wave of talent emerging from Mexico and has acquired a significant contingent of young Mexican players.
Giovanni Dos Santos, Jorge Hernandez and Efraín Juárez Valdez are all part of the Barcelona set up.
Giovanni Dos Santos’ father was a Brazilian striker called Zizinho who played for America and Leon. The youngster moved to Spain to join Barcelona at the age of twelve after being spotted playing in an international youth tournament. Since then awareness of his prodigious talent has grown exponentially to the point that everyone will tell you that he is a fantastic talent but few have actually seen him play. Over the next few weeks we will. According to the Barcelona coaching staff Dos Santos is primarily a goal scorer but with the other facets of his game gaining quickly.
Jorge Hernandez is known for his range of passing and is currently on loan with Atlas. Efraín Juárez Valdez (on loan to Barbate) has “impressive ball control, awareness, passing and versatility.”
Carlos Vela has already been featured in a previous blog. Cesar Villaluz (Cruz Azul) was part of the attacking troika along with Dos Santos and Vela and should play a key role again.
Patricio Araujo (Chivas Guadalajara) captained the Mexico side in 2005 and will lead to team once more. A defender, Araujo is considered the heir apparent to Mexican central defender Rafael Marquez.
Gambia will be making its debut at this level after proving to be the surprise team in African qualifying when winning the bronze medal. In the group stage they finished top ahead of the hosts Congo, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso but fell 3-1 to Nigeria in the semi final. Ousmane Jallow and Abdoulie Mansaly were pivotal in African qualifying but Gambia will again be missing Momodou Ceasay. Ceasay has been troubled by injury and despite an operation in Switzerland the highly regarded striker will not be in Canada.
New Zealand qualified through the Oceania federation now bereft of the dominant Australians since they moved to the Asian Federation. Even then the Kiwis made heavy work of qualifying and relied heavily on Chris James (Fulham). The New Zealand team will no doubt enjoy the experience but it would be a monumental achievement if they make it to the last sixteen.
Predicted finish – 1. Mexico, 2. Portugal, 3. Gambia and 4. New Zealand.
Pablo has written to tell us that this is the latest speculation regarding Chile’s starting line-up (3-5-2) for their first game against Canada.
Christopher Toselli in goal; Nicolas larrondo, Mauricio Isla and Christian Suarez; Dagoberto Currimilla, Gary Medel, Arturo Vidal, Carlos Carmona and Gerardo Cortes; Mathias Vidangossy and Nicolas Medina.
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.
On Friday we looked at the results from Under-17 World Cup held in Peru two years ago in the hope that it might provide some clues as to who and what to watch for as the Under-20 World Cup kicks off in Canada on June 30.
Here is a rundown of the stars from the 2005 tournament as picked and described by World Soccer (in quotes) at the time with an update on where they are now.
Carlos Vela (Mexico) Striker 5 goals, Golden Shoe Winner “Tournament top scorer (edit. Golden Shoe winner with 5 goals). Consistently too quick for his marker and finished well, both in the air and with his left foot.”
Where is he now? Vela was transferred to Arsenal from Chivas Guadalajara in 2005. He was subsequently loaned to Celta Vigo but they opted not to keep him for the 2006/07 season and instead he moved to Salamanca of the Spanish Second division. Often played on the left side of midfield Vela still found the net for Salamanca on a regular base. He may return to Celta Vigo (just relegated from La Liga) next season before finally making a move to Arsenal sometime in 2008.
“Ramon (Brazil) Midfield 4 goals Tall, strong attacking midfielder. Needs to improve his discipline but has huge promise.”
Where is he now? At the time of the 2005 Under-17 tournament Ramon was with Atletico Mineiro. He then moved to Corinthians before joining fellow Brazilians Jo, Wagner Love and Daniel Carvalho at CSKA Moscow. Ramon is not in the Brazilian squad of 21.
“Celso Borges (Costa Rica) Midfield 1 goal Playmaker who caught the eye with defence-splitting passes and raking shots.”
Where is he now? Son of former Costa Rica and now Panama Coach Alexandre Guimaraes, Borges is still with Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica and continues to improve and mature. Borges will be a key member of the Costa Rica team in Canada.
“Choe Myong BLEEP (North Korea) Midfield 3 goals The “Korean Ronaldo” soon proved to be something different – a midfielder who can pass, shoot, and cross with power and subtlety.”
Where is he now? Choe Myong BLEEP is one of the few - perhaps only - North Korean players playing outside of his country. He now plays for FC Krylya Sovetov Samara in the Russian Premier League. He was injured during most of Asian qualifying and contributed little. Despite reports that he had recovered his fitness he does not appear to be on the North Korean squad for the tournament.
“Ofori Sarkodie (USA) Defender 1 goal A contender for defender of the tournament. Cool, neat and classy in everything he did.”
Where is he now? The 2005 NSCAA/adidas National Youth Player of the Year, currently plays with the University of Indiana although he has trained with the Columbus Crew. Sarkdorie captained the under-17 tea and is in the USA pool for the Under-20 tournament and is likely to make the starting eleven.
“Ceesay Momodou (Gambia) Striker 2 goals Giant striker who terrified defenders with swift turns and strong surges. Needs to work on his left foot, but is certainly one to watch.”
Where is he now? Nicknamed Zico, Momodou missed the African qualifying competition in Congo earlier this year after undergoing surgery in Switzerland late in 2006. Reports indicate that the surgery was needed to clear up an injury that the player had been carrying since 2005. Momodou does not appear on the Gambian under-20 squad list.
So out of the six stars on the Under-17 tournament picked by World Soccer two years ago it looks as if only 50% will be playing at the Under-20s in Canada. A confirmation if it was needed that the gap between promising youngster and emerging star can be a huge one.
On the other side of the equation Anderson (Brazil) was the winner of the Golden Ball at Peru 2005 and was eligible for Canada 2007. However, Anderson has been called up to the senior squad for the Copa America and recently completed a multi million dollar move from Porto to Manchester United.
It is also interesting to see how many players who were young enough to play in 2005 at the under-20s in Holland, but still qualified for Canada 2007 and actually made it.
The winners Argentina could have had both Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero appear in Holland and Canada but we will have to make do with the latter. Runners-up Nigeria had seven players (Daddy Bazuaye, John Obi Mikel, Promise Isaac, Solomon Okoronkwo, Dele Adeleye, Kola Anubi, John Owoeri) who could have played in both tournaments but amazingly none of them have been named to the Nigerian squad.
As chance would have it Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel was in the news last week. He was suspended by the Nigerian FA from all Nigerian national teams after failing to accept a call up to the senior national team.
Canada is the complete opposite to Nigeria. When they traveled to Holland two summer’s ago six players (Jaime Peters, Will Johnson, Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault, David Edgar, Andrea Lombardo and Asmir Begovic) were hoping to repeat and all have.
The USA has also made full use of the players who picked up invaluable experience in Holland. Nathan Sturgis and Freddy Adu (now Real Salt Lake teammates) as well as Danny Szetela of the Columbus Crew are on the squad.
South Korea have two returnees (Jong Jin Park and Young Rok Shin) while Panama’s Celso Polo made it but Ivan Rodriguez did not. Carlos Carmona was the youngster in the Chile team in 2005 and now brings experience to the team. However, Japan’s Takayuki Morimoto was unable to make it two appearances at the Under-20 World Cup.
Warm-up Games Some warm-up games have been played over the weekend. New Zealand lost 3-0 to Costa Rica (Borges 2, Solorzano) while the USA beat Chile 2-1. Adu and Rogers scored for the US while Alexis Sanchez got Chile’s goal from the penalty spot.
South Korea scored the only goal of the game to beat the Czech Republic.
Suspensions According to a FIFA media release the following players are not eligible to play in their team's respective first match due to a suspension carried over from previous competition:
Zambia 5 NYAMBE Henry is not eligible to play Match #6: Jordan - Zambia (01.07.2007). Panama 6 CASTANEDA Francisco is not eligible to play Match #3: Korea DPR - Panama (30.06.2007). Argentina 8 SANCHEZ Matias is not eligible to play Match #4: Argentina - Czech Rep. (30.06.2007). CHI 11 GRONDONA Jaime is not eligible to play Match #5: Canada - Chile (01.07.2007). CHI 10 ARENAS Juan is not eligible to play Match #5: Canada - Chile (01.07.2007). CHI 17 MARTINEZ Hans is not eligible to play Match #5: Canada - Chile (01.07.2007). CHI 7 SANCHEZ Alexis is not eligible to play Match #5: Canada - Chile (01.07.2007).
However, I received an e mail from Chile fan Pablo Oliva who tells me that the Chilean FA is still hopeful of having the suspensions for Grondona and Martinez set aside. We will keep you updated on this as this week progresses.
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a blog and you have information on the tournament you can post your link under comments.
LosAngelesChelseaFan - I can see why seeding wouldn't work. For logistics reasons alone the draw has to be made before the replays are resolved. I can remember when second replays occurred just days before the next round.
Bobby – And as someone else pointed out there is a form of seeding that goes on given that the Championship and Premiership teams don’t enter the competition until the 3rd round. It should also be remembered that the Manchester United – Liverpool final of 1996 and the Arsenal – United final in 2005 were awful matches to watch.
Bigdavedisaster - Do you think we will begin to see lower level teams like a Leeds being bought by foreign investors? It seems almost a better investment to buy a team for 25 mil as opposed to 100 mil and use the 75 you saved to bring the club up.
Bobby – I don’t think “foreign” investors are sophisticated enough to understand that the bargains may lie with teams like Leeds and Sunderland. When I say foreign I am referring to buyers who have not been involved in the game previously or don’t come from a football culture.
But you notice that with Mandaric’s move to Leicester (new stadium, decent base of support) and to an extent Bates’ purchase of Leeds that some people are searching for bargains. The problem with Leeds is that they have nearly really escaped the financial mess that Risdale and his living the dream era got them into to.
When you consider that the bottom club next season in the Premiership is going to pocket close to $60M there is a definite incentive to do what you are suggesting.
Henry14-Q1. l have had my reservation on Walcott, because l feel that for all his pace and glorified talent l feel that he is very poor technically. when l look at the type of player he will compete with next season like Carlos Vela and Bendtner who have decent pace but are right up there technically l do not see him making the grade. How do you rate him regarding that he is called the biggest thing since Wayne Rooney?
Q2 Do you think Bellamy and Pennant really have a future at Liverpool given that they have both been linked with booze this week?
Q3.What is your opinion on negative support for football in the UK like the glorification of having 10 men behind the ball. l have seen that a draw is glorified. l was just looking at how pundits glorify such performances do you feel it is these kinds of performances that cause the gulf between big and small clubs increase. Do you think negative tactics are good for the game?
Q4. How do you rate managers and what do you think are the components required to be the best coach in the world? Who do you rate as the best?
Bobby – A1 - Consider the following - Walcott is 17; Arsene Wenger thought highly enough of him to pay Southampton a lot of money; Wenger is giving him a decent amount of time; Wenger has a “fairly good” nose for talent. Based on that I don’t see how you could write him off. I have seen very little of Carlos Vela so I not sure I can comment intelligently except to point out that his playing in the Spanish Second Division not the Premiership.
Bendtner is two years older and also playing at a level below the Premiership. When Walcott played in the Championship he had a strike rate of something like 5 goals in 12 games and Harry Rednapp was playing him through the middle. So with all that said I think when you compare Walcott to Vela and Bendtner you are not comparing like to like so it is an unfair comparison.
I’m not sure who has said he is the next biggest thing to Wayne Rooney – labels like that are hung on lots of players – but I don’t see how that impacts how good Walcott is or will be. When you use that label you are pre-judging a player based on whether or not he is as good as Wayne Rooney as opposed posing the question to is he a good player which is different matter.
Walcott’s style reminds me of Marc Overmars so it will be interesting if Wenger continues to play him wide or moves him to a more central position.
A2 – If every player in England who was linked with booze and misbehavior was dumped there would be even fewer English players in the Premiership than there is now. At the end of the day players can get away with a significant level of repeated bad behavior as long as they are doing the job on the park.
Only occasionally do you see managers move players because of discipline problems – far more players are moved because of poor performances. People remember that Ferguson and Wenger moved McGrath and Merson but they sometimes forget that they held on to Robson and Adams.
A3 – I don’t think draws are glorified (in the UK) but when a team with less skill and talent finds a way to get a point or three of a better team I think they deserve credit for it – no matter how it achieved. The alternative is to go and attack with abandon and get stuffed – that is not going to keep the team’s fans very happy. The job of a coach is to provide his team with the best possible chance to win the game. You have a much better chance of winning the game if the game is scoreless or you are only down by a goal than if you 3-0 down after 20 minutes because you started four up front at Old Trafford. The manager’s obligation to his team and its fans – he is not obliged to send out a sacrificial lamb that provides highlight reel goals for the opposition.
A4 – Rating a manager – 1. Player development 2. Winning trophies 3. Success in the transfer market 4. The team being greater than the sum of the pieces 5. Tactically astute and flexible. 6. Lucky.
For the last few years I have considered Capello to be one of the best if not the best but Real Madrid looks to have proved to be too much for even him.
Luiz Felipe Scolari would certainly be close to the top. Lippi and Ferguson are there as well.
Blueblades - Having witnessed Ronaldo score two goals and provide an assist for Milan in their thrilling 4-3 victory over Siena at the weekend I couldn’t help but wonder why Real Madrid were so eager to sell him, especially considering their lack oBLEEPoal threat in recent games.
Do you think that Ronaldo's sale could result in Real finishing 3rd or 4th rather than 1st or even 2nd since the rest of the challenging teams all seem to have consistent goal scorers?
Also which sale of a player in recent years do you think proved most detrimental to the success of the selling side's post sale success?
Bobby – I think it might be one of those situations that Ronaldo will make a big difference to Milan but if he had stayed at Real Madrid he wouldn’t have.
As for a player that moved on – good question. I might go for Fernando Hierro when he left Real Madrid. He may have been nearing the end of his career but he represented something that was very different than the Galacaticos syndrome that was fully embraced post-Fernando.
atleti_female - I've been thinking about going to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada this summer. The thought of seeing some of the sport's upcoming stars would definitely make it worth the trek up from NYC. I imagine that U-20 version will be less crowded than the regular World Cup-- is this a correct assumption? (Mind you, I don't see this as a negative, but as a possibility of getting good seats in the games.)
Also, at this stage of the competition, are there any youngsters that have caught your eye-- or, that have been talked about by other analysts?
Bobby - I think that the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Canada this summer is going to be a terrific tournament. The last announced ticket sales for the six host cities was around 300,000, but many of the sales so far have been cut-price deals to youth players and the soccer fraternity. The 24 team tournament will be held in Ottawa, Toronto, Montréal, (east) and Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria (west) in July. The final will be in Toronto.
The draw for the tournament will be made in Toronto, on March 3 and is being televised live in Canada, on CBC television (the rights holder in Canada). The teams to watch - no great insight here - will be Brazil, Argentina, and Spain. As for other teams to look out for I would pick Mexico (they won the under 17 World Cup two years ago), and the Czech Republic (they have produced some very good age-group teams in the last decade). Nigeria has done well at age-group level as well and they are joined by three other African countries Congo, Gambia and Zambia who would be regarded as more unknowns, but potentially very entertaining and exciting.
I don't see the European teams being particularly strong given that they have a “competing” format for the under 21’s. Germany, France, Italy, none of these countries have qualified which I think will be a shock to some people who might be interested in buying tickets but do not necessarily follow the game closely.
The USA should be competitive as it normally is at this level and Canada should definitely make it into the last 16 with a top eight spot a realistic expectation. It is difficult to say who the players are to watch out for because there is no guarantee that they will be “available”.
He can only hope that the likes of Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Carlos Vela (Mexico and Arsenal) Giovanni Dos Santos (Mexico and Barcelona) make appearances. There is also a kid Bojan Krkic (still only 16) who may make the Spanish squad - another Barcelona player.
Just as an aside, North Korea and South Korea have both qualified and will be separated at the group stage. But what are the odds that North Korea will be drawn together with the USA?
Henry14 – I have to say l do not see Mascherano taking Sissoko's place he will be used as a squad player and the size of his contract appears to me to be more of Benitez accepting that he has taken a gamble. l have to make a brief comment on Tottenham. Martin Jol spend $82m in the transfer window on Zokora, Berbatov, Ghaly, Mido, Ekkoto, and Malbranque and it teams like this that make me appreciate Mourinho, because clearly they are underperforming. Martin Jol seems not to know his first choice midfield paring.
Managers are usually fined when they bad mouth referees do you know what happens to referees when they make bad calls like the Ronaldo and Yakubu tumbles, because l just feel the referees are inconsistent, the next minute they follow the book the other they are trying to use their head, like the Viduka case. And lastly what did you make of the La Liga round this week; in my opinion l just feel La Liga is not cutting it this year.
Bobby - A fully fit and fully functioning Javier Mascherano is a far better player than Mohamed Sisokko, in my opinion. Did Martin Jol spend the money or was it Damien Comolli (Arsenal’s former European scout) the Spurs Sporting Director?
I can't question Berbatov's performances this year, as I think he's been outstanding. I would agree that Spurs have not got their midfield figured out and they still lack balance and need somebody who is naturally left footed. Lennon and Malbranque played far too wide against Manchester United and left Huddleston and Zokora exposed. It didn't help either that the Spurs defense played very deep. The defense really misses Ledley King.
As for referees making bad calls - we can expect the perfect referee about the same time that the perfect player is created. Referees are held accountable for their performances probably to a greater extent than players are. It is interesting that you are criticizing the referee for the Ronaldo incident, but make no mention of Ronaldo's contribution. How can you criticize referees when some players go out with the full intention of cheating?
As for the comment about La Liga - I do not understand what you mean by “not cutting it”. There are 5 or 6 teams in contention for the league title, apart from the bottom two it looks like its going be a real fight for the last relegation spot and they have three teams in the last 16 of the champions league. What in your opinion would constitute cutting it?
Djnima - My first question for you is about Real Madrid. What do you think is their problem this year? They have the talent, they have a good coach. Do they just need time to gel together and hit form?
Also, would you see Wenger cashing in on Henry? I'm sure he could command a huge chunk of change. Isn't that was Wenger likes to do . . . (buy low sell high)
And my final question is about Scolari this week coming out and recommending that Ronaldo leave united for Barca. Do you consider that an irresponsible comment for a national coach to make about the player's current club? It is sure to sour relations between the national team and the club team.
Bobby – I think that Real Madrid is still suffering from the chaos of previous years and the culture shock of being managed by Fabio Capello. Capello is not an adventurous coach, and that's clearly seen by the lack of goals from Real Madrid. Not only is a team losing, but they are losing ugly! The problem is if they get rid of Capello who do they replace him with and if they do the chaos just continues.
Arsene Wenger is not going to be selling Thierry Henry in the near future.
Sometimes in newspapers we see the answer, but we never see the question. I am guessing that that's the case with Scolari.
Gunner44 - I'm also going to ask about Ronaldo on whether you think he should leave Man U? I don't see why he should move because he is been amazing this season and the Man U team has kind of revolved around him this season and he is having a fantastic season. The only reason that he might want to leave is because of social and environmental reasons like the weather just like Reyes did. It's really going to be a big loss for the EPL because as much as I hate Ronaldo, I do think he has been the most entertaining player this season.
Bobby – The Premiership cannot afford to lose players like Ronaldo even though gravity often gets the better of him. To substantiate the television rights fees, not just in England, but around the world the premiership has to be seen as the league that stars come to, rather than the league that they leave.
Foxcube – Man Utd this season have suffered very few injuries whereas other teams such as Arsenal, Newcastle had a team in the medic room at certain points. Could you shed some light on this issue? Another question regards Lippi's interview a short while ago about his possible move the Chelsea. Do you still think Mourinho is on the way despite their recent "revival"? Thanks!
Bobby – There have been seasons when Manchester United has had injuries piling up as well. Teams do need a bit of luck; it isn't just down to having the best players. Injuries tend to come and go in cycles but Newcastle seem to be in a perpetual state of injury crisis. There was some discussion about the quality of their training field a while back but I have no idea whether that was rectified or not. When you consider the amount of money that the top teams spend on players and pay them, you would think that they would be making sure that they train only on the best surfaces. Making sure that players cool down properly and prepare themselves properly is also key.
ulsterson - Do you see any validity to the idea that different skills or talents can be learned in different leagues? The EPL certainly has a different style of play than those on the continent and in South America. Some players have a very difficult time adjusting to the pace and physical nature and some English born players have difficulty outside of the EPL (Just recently read about forwards from the EPL having to be told not to track back as much in Spain or Italy) How do the different leagues around the world affect players development and do you feel the EPL style has in some way hindered the success of the English national team? Thank you and thanks from all of us for all the time you put in on this blog.
Bobby – I think you have to except that different skills and talents can be taught and learned by players in different leagues. The different leagues around the world still have their own characteristics and still represent each country's culture. Glenn Hoddle and John Collins are two players who've often commented on the difference it made to their game when they went to France to play. Sometimes it's not just the on field performance either, but things like lifestyle. Much has been made of the influence of Arsene Wenger and foreign players on home-grown player’s diets.
The EPL style does “hurt” English national team because at the international level ball possession becomes even more critical. In the premiership the ball is given away with more abandon and the emphasis is placed on winning it back.
Only1cab - I know that signing a player can be an arduous process but when there is so much money involved it seems a bit unprofessional signing players five minutes before the window closes. I mean they've had a whole month. Also Tottenham are in trouble with the FA for showing the replay of Ronaldo's (alleged) dive over and over again on their big screens at half time on Sunday. I believe it was a bit irresponsible of them after the events in Italy.
Bobby – Panic buying is never a positive thing although I think you have to separate the last moment decision to try and sign a player, versus pursuing a player over a long period of time but running into roadblocks and tough negotiators. I really don't know what Tottenham did in respect to the video replays, but if they did continually replay the Ronaldo “incident” at half-time then it shows a lack of common sense in my opinion. Replaying the incident on a video board isn't going to fix anything.
On the subject of video replay - sort of - Matt Dickinson had an article in The Times about how it was a bad weekend in England for video replay enthusiasts.
Verbal97 - I'm a little confused about what's going on in Italy in terms of repercussions. This should be the straw that breaks the camel's back and if it happened in England, the UEFA and FIFA powers that be would be going nuts. A small set of English fans (ok, Liverpool fans) inadvertently caused the deaths of 39* (mostly) Juventus supporters by rushing them and causing a wall to fall down in response to the Italians throwing stuff at them. The resulting punishment was that ALL English teams were banned from Europe for 5 years and Liverpool banned an extra year. In 04/05, Roma fans threw things at the referee during a Champions' League game. Resulting punishment was 3 games in front of an empty stadium. That same season, Inter fans threw flares onto the field during the CL quarterfinal against Milan, even striking a player (Dida). The resulting punishment was 3 games in front of an empty stadium. It seems that the punishment now that a policeman has died should be extreme and severe, but from the conflicting reports I've been reading, it doesn't seem that it will be likely. So, I really have two questions. First, what, in reality, is going on? And second, why is there a double standard depending on what country these things happen in (or am I mis-perceiving this)?
Post-script I stand corrected on the numbers (I've edited my comment to reflect this)...However, it seems to me that Italy is descending down a slippery slope and it needs to be stopped, using things like Heysel as a history lesson as to what can happen down the line. That said, I stand by my double standard comment, in that if something like this happened in England today, a swift, severe punishment from UEFA would likely follow, even though the English game has been cleaned up considerably whereas Italy now is a complete disaster and not likely going to get severe penalties.
Bobby – I don't think the Italian situation at the moment comes close to what was happening in England, and in Europe in the 70s and 80s. During that time, it was week after week, year after year, it was never ending. I don't agree that if there was a similar incident in England, that UEFA would issue a severe punishment. Domestically, it doesn't fall within their jurisdiction. UEFA get involved when European club or international competition is involved.
As a postscript - my memory might be failing me on this one - but my recollection was that the FA together with the British government of the time withdrew English teams from European competition immediately after the Heysel disaster. The suspensions from the UEFA only came after. I think that is an indication of how bad the situation actually was.
You also have to consider that it was not until after the Hillsborough disaster - not caused by fans but by incompetent policing – and to some extent the Bradford fire that there was a real commitment to fixing things. The issuing of the Taylor Report was critical, and only after the report were English football grounds brought up to a modern standard.
