liverpoolfc73 - I know you don’t generally do this, but I am testing a very interesting hypothesis and would greatly appreciate your valued and informed view on Liverpool's priorities for the next year. Would you please mind reading my blog and posting your views, especially in terms of priorities for 2008-09. I would truly appreciate your valued opinion.

Bobby – I think I answered your question where I could on the last blog. There are players listed that I have never seen and probably never will see so I don’t think it fair or helpful to comment on them.  Is your hypothesis something to do with how many people recognize obscure Liverpool reserve players and is a way to get LGB into another scrap?

Craigy_f – 1. Do you like the third placed Champion's League teams from the group stage hopping over to the UEFA Cup?
2. Who is the best player you've ever seen play (live and in the flesh).
3. Villa or Everton - who finishes fifth? Stoke or West Brom - whose kit do you like best?
4. Goals, gaffes and stunning tackles - see any worth mentioning at the weekend.
5. Philly in 2010 (wasn't there something about a Spaced Oddesy?) An opinion on the MLS' latest recruit.
6. Is Roy Keane British?
7. Who is your top foreigner ever to play in the British leagues?
8. Do you know the prize money (minimum) that Stoke and West Brom can expect to make next year?
9. Do you know what parachute payment Derby et al will get for being relegated?
10. Do you like billionaires in charge of football clubs?
11. Will you be more interested in the UEFA CUP Final or the Champions League Final?
12. How is your heading ability now?

Bobby – 1. Not particularly but it’s not as if it comes as a surprise anymore.

2. That can be answered two ways. The players who has gone on to be considered the best or the best performance I’ve seen be an individual. I’ll answer the second one. Given the quality of the opposition and the occasion I would go for Charlie Cooke for Scotland against England at Hampden in a 1-1 draw on frosty rock hard surface in February (?) 1968.

3. Everton holds a big advantage. Stoke.

4. The Julio Cruz free kick was a corker. I didn’t think it was a very good weekend all together.

5. They seem to be an enthusiastic bunch so that’s good. And they worked hard to get into the league.

6. The conventional pick seems to be Cantona but I preferred watching Dennis Bergkamp and Gianfranco Zola. If you want a real off the wall pick in Scotland it would be Orjan Persson a Swedish winger who played for Dundee United in the sixties as part of the Scandinavian invasion pre-Abba.   He later signed for Rangers when they were frantically trying to loosen Celtic’s stranglehold on Scottish football. I think Persson went on to play in a World Cup.

7. You ask Keane and see what reaction you get.

8. That is a difficult question to answer because it varies based on TV revenues, ticket prices, merchandise expectations, their final points total and a few other things. There are a lot of numbers thrown around with assumptions being made that are not necessarily reliable or are one sided. It’s fine to talk of the increase revenue that will be generated but players will almost certainly have to be paid more so the extra money does not all flow to the bottom line. However, there is no doubt that the money is significant. Conservative estimates seem to put the gross revenue increase at between £30m and £35m through TV and place money with another £12m in parachute payments for two seasons.

9. The old formula for parachute payments was little under £7m and to date I have not been able to ascertain if Derby and, whoever the other two are, fall under the old or new parachute scale.

10. As it presently stands I have nothing against billionaires being in charge of football clubs per se as long as they are semi-sensible and putting their own money up.
 
11. Both.

12. Still has bad as ever! They used to say that Denis Law defied gravity by being able to hang in the air – I defy gravity by jumping and losing height.

Djnima19 - Any chance you will be doing another daily show covering the Euros? I remember during the WC I really starting following you after that show with you and Max during the WC. Really enjoyed that. Hope u can make that happen...

Bobby – Sorry no daily show during the Euros for me.

RonW - What's the deal with Parry faxing a trade proposition for Barry outside the transfer window? Any ideas why now? Instead of waiting until Villa's season was over.
When was the Russian off season? I know Zenit were the champs when they played Everton. I wasn't overly impressed with Zenit in that game shown on FSC and was surprised they beat Bayern Munich. Less fatigued maybe?

Bobby – There is nothing stopping deals being done outside of the transfer window. However, the player cannot be registered until the window opens. Why now? – probably a wee body-swerve to take attention away from the squabbling and Champions League exit.

The Russian 2007 season finished November 11 and 2008 started March 14. We talked about the differing seasons for Eastern European and Scandinavian clubs a couple of weeks ago on the FSR. It is normally considered an advantage when UEFA Cup and Champions League qualifying starts in July/August (mid-season form) and a disadvantage in spring when European competitions reopens as their seasons have just started.


Roseboy64 - Lehmann gone. Flamini having a medical in Milan. Gilberto and Hleb look to be going. Hmmm.....What do you think Bobby?

Bobby – Lehmann and Gilberto going is not a surprise. Flamini – I think we really have to wait and see how he pans out over the next couple of seasons. He was terrific this season after giving no real indication that he had it in him –before this season he looked set to be the 2000s version of Gilles Grimandi. One season wonder – or a quality defensive midfield player? As for Hleb - I really enjoy watching him but he can be frustrating. If he goes he will be missed by Arsenal.

Liverpoolfc73 - With all due respect, Wenger has done an amazing job at the Emirates. I can see the logic of him wanting to maintain some discipline through the wage structure by insuring there is no disparity. However not when it cost's the team valuable players. I am fairly sure that the wage structure of Arsenal was hugely different during the time the invincibles were unbeaten for 49 games. The likes of Henry, Vieira, Pires etc were not on the same pay-structure as the rest of the team - If Wenger could manage it then, why can’t he manage it now.

Bobby – It comes down to how highly you rate Flamini. He has been a revelation this season particularly when you consider that last season at this time most Arsenal fans would have been happy to see him go. However, he isn’t in the category of Pires, Henry, Vieira vintage 2004 by any means.

If he is probably in the middle of the Arsenal pack (in terms of his importance to the team) and offered $110K a week then that would probably be right. But he can’t be given $170,000 a week without the scale being tilted and the rest of the players wanting more. The wage-structure is likely the same – the difference in opinion was where Wenger ranked Flamini in the pecking order as opposed to where Flamini either thought he should be or what Milan were willing to pay him.

Maybe it is just me but there seems to be a a lot of fallout from Flamini's move - how did Arsenal supporters feel when Overmars and Petit were sold to Barcelona?

ReggaeGunner - Any CM out there that you can think of that would really be a good fit with Cesc?

Bobby – Mascherano, Cambiasso for starters.  

Henry14 - What’s your take on Makoun, l heard he is good but when l saw him at the African tournament he was BLEEP and had to be replaced by Song, l clearly do not want Wenger to replace Flamini with thus guy because l am afraid of another Djemba Djemba.

Bobby – I would be surprised if it is Makoun. Every agent who has a client that is defensive midfield player will be claiming Arsenal is looking at him.

Jahmikes - All this talk about Arsenal interested in Martins is good but I’m thinking of another African striker Ghana and Udinese Gyan...He is quick and has an eye for goal what do you think?
Do you think Grant will remain Chelsea's coach? What are your views on Rooney this season?
Is Ballack this year’s most improved player?

Bobby – I'm not aware of a lot of talk about Obafemi Martins – there is a rumour amongst 100s of others - and so far there has been nothing more than that. If Wenger wanted Martins he has had ample chance in the past so I don’t see why he would suddenly be interested.

Gyan – he’s struggled at times to get a start for Udinese and his goal scoring record is spotted at best. Nine starts, four more as a substitute and three goals in Serie A this season - if that is an example of having an eye for a goal then he should use his speed and go and get his sight checked.

Grant – no. Rooney – has played well but he has yet to show that he is a natural goal scorer and I don’t think he ever will. Ballack – surely  you mean this month’s most improved player?

Thierry_Henry - Stoke will join WBA in the EPL this season. I’ve never seen them playing. Do you know anything about them? Do you think they will break Derby County's records? I think can see them picking up only 6 points against Tottenham Hotspurs the entire season.

Bobby – Stoke are a big strong physical team that play basic football with a number of players who are just not Premiership calibre. They are better equipped than Derby but will struggle to survive next season without a substantial investment in new players over the summer.

Leche010 - Whatever happened to the rumor that Arsenal was going to sign Vonlanthen? The kid should be at a bigger club than he is, but missing the last WC due to injury didn't help. Look out for him in EURO this summer, if he has a good tournament, I wouldn't be surprised to see him at a big club next fall.

Bobby – Probably what happens to 99.999% of rumours…..they die because they are not based in fact.  Going from PSV out on loan and then on to Red Bull Salzburg and scoring very few goals along the way is a very unusual route to the Emirates.

Zuco2 - Is Lehmann retiring from football or is he just leaving Arsenal?? A few months ago, he said he would play for Germany at EURO 2008.

Bobby – The two things are not incompatible. He has not made up his mind yet about 2008/09 but wants to play in this summer’s Euro 2008 for Germany either way.

Henry 14 - This is going to be a long summer for Arsenal fans. Hleb might leave and no matter who comes in it is pretty safe to say we will not challenge. This board has been shortchanging fans for some time and lying in the process. Gilberto will leave, RVP and Rosicky injured the future does not look good at all. Imagine if Fergie buys a striker and a good defender, Chelsea will buy so as Liverpool what chance do we have, all the BLEEP that Hill-Wood wanted to give Wenger 100m quid is a hoax, trying to get Usmanov out. For the first time we really need Usmanov, dare l say.

Bobby – Glazers lose £58M, Liverpool is in a mess and your answer for Arsenal is to do he same thing. Usmanov will not put money in, he would borrow money to buy the club then borrow more so players can be bought and then surprise, surprise ……. the club will need to pay it back to the banks. Something the the present directors are currently able to do if they want to put the club into more debt.

RonW - Did Dalglish play in the Premier League? I know he managed Blackburn to an EPL title and played in the 1st Division.

Bobby – Paul Dalglish did but Dad Kenny never played in the Premiership.


DVXPrime - 1) In 1998 Chicago Fire stunned MLS and won the league in their inaugural season. Last year, Toronto FC drew a legion of fans, and rewarded said fans by going months without scoring. If you could advise the GMs/team presidents of the Seattle and Philadelphia expansion clubs, what would you say?

2) Speaking of very bad teams, I checked out attendance records for Derby County. Unless I counted wrong, they averaged 33,000 in attendance at home. Pretty surprising for a team that was one good afternoon vs. Newcastle from going winless in the EPL. Any thoughts on how the Rams kept bodies in the seats this year?

3) What are your best sources for all the articles you post?

Bobby – 1. Have a solid and realistic plan based on experience, wisdom and knowledge and execute to it.

2. Loyal fans who probably knew from the beginning that this was a one season chance to see Premiership football.

 3. I don’t consider there to be one best source. I just try to get through seven or eight sites a day (sometimes more) to try and keep up and cherrypick.

Neophyte - Utd's financial situation is more than concerning. It is one I have been silently trying to follow...they have made it somewhat difficult to find correlating figures. The releasing of numbers at the last minute etc...makes it seem like a company in trouble. It reminds me of the US auto industry in many ways (and many ways not so similar :) ) I wonder if you were to look at the top flight clubs throughout Europe, how many would be operating in the red? I can also see a dangerous group think mentality taking place..."We can operate in the red if we have enough credit or deferment, as long as we are competitive. Then, when our brand has reached its height, and our deferment is still in place we can look for a buyer."

Next question: Who has more to play for, Wigan or Bolton? (I ask that one with a big sheepish grin on my face).

 Bobby – I think you have to differentiate between operating in the red (annual operating losses) and being in deep debt to the banks because they have lent money to pay the previous owners ridiculous amounts of money.

As I have said a number of times the Glazer model is high wire act without a safety net. They paid (borrowed) top dollar to buy United on the basis that they could grow revenue in ways that the previous owners could not.

Their business model is largely based on United having continuing success and fielding star players. The down side is that they compete in a market in which the money that mega-stars can demand icontinues to increase. The jury is still out on whether or not the Glazers can find a way to keep United successful, grow revenues and pay the staggering interest costs each year. This one has a ways to go yet.

Gers4Lyfe - Rangers seem to be up against it. Fatigue, injuries and a packed fixture list. They are also fighting an inability to score goals in their current 4-5-1 formation. While the club is close to history it is flirting with unprecedented disappointment. 4 titles could end up to be one heaven forbid.

It seemed the first match with Fiorentina Smith's Catenaccio was much more effective in creating turnovers. Do you think Zenit on its current high could experience difficulty against this formation?
Has Advocaat and Zenit faced this formation in UEFA Cup competition? As for the league it is an uphill climb but still within grasp. Do you see a 4-4-2 switch with Novo and Boyd up front a possibility?

Is Queen of South that well coached?

Bobby – A well coached, organized side that puts players behind the ball are always going to be difficult to score against so if Smith plays the same system then it will challenge Zenit. It is not an unusual system so I can’t see how the Russian side would have never come up against it. The problem for Rangers – and the gamble – is what happens if Zenit grab a lead.

Boyd’s been available most of the season but Smith is reluctant to play unless Rangers have to chase a game. It seems that the only team Smith regularly plays Kris Boyd against is Dundee United! 

Queen of the South have a handful of experienced players and they also have Gordon Chisholm as their coach and he took Dundee United to the Scottish Cup Final a few seasons ago. QOS are a full time club so they should be in good nick as far as fitness is concerned although they have a long lay-off between their last First Division games (April 26) and the Scottish Cup Final (May 24). QOS had a decent showing in the First Division this season and based on other performances from other First Division sides this season they should give a good account of themselves against Rangers.

On a related point I think they should be giving serious consideration once more to going to a 16-team SPL league. It would get the league games to a more reasonable 30 from 38 and allow for a winter break if needed.

Leche010 - What do you think United are to do with Louis Saha? He doesn't play that often, partly do to him being as injury prone as he is, but even when he's not injured he wasn't playing that much. He managed to play all 90 minutes only 3 times this past season. In all honesty, and yes, I am saying this hindsight, I think SAF made the wrong decision to keep him and sell Giuseppe Rossi to Villarreal, but that's the way it goes.

Now on top of that he wants to bring in Benzema from Lyon, which is a move I'm not going to rule out until the transfer window officially closes, but if he is to bring Benzema in, or any other new striker for that matter, surely Saha will be shown the door, no?

Bobby – Keep on paying him I expect because I can’t see anyone jumping to pay money for him. My understanding he has a contract – and therefore a pay cheque – until 2010 so it would need United to settle up with him if they wanted rid of him.
United still have a first option on Rossi should Villarreal choose to sell him.

And how do we know that Ferguson wants to sign Benzema?  Because Fergie “hinted” in February just before United was to play Lyon? Hmmmm.

 Dundee's run to the European Cup semi final in 1963 was fairytale stuff.

Dundee won the league the previous year on the final day of the season. I saw every home league game that season (I was young!) and was taken to Perth to see the last game of the season against St. Johnstone. Dundee needed to win to guarantee themselves the title – if not Rangers could overtake them – and St. Johnstone needed a win to avoid relegation. Dundee won 3-1, took the league title for the first and only time in their history while St Johnstone and a young centre forward called Alex Ferguson (yes the same one) were relegated.

The following year West German Champions Cologne (a pre-tournament favourite) were drawn in the first round and Dundee thrashed them 8-1 in the first leg. The Cologne keeper had to leave the game with an injury at half time but even so Dundee were already 5-0 up. In the return league – surprise, surprise – the Dundee goalie Bert Slater was kicked in the head and left the game in the first half injured. He eventually returned to play in the goal in the second half although Cologne won 4-0.

Next up was Sporting Lisbon and the first league was won by the Portuguese champions 1-0. Dundee won the second league 4-1. In the quarter finals Dundee was drawn against Anderlecht who had become only the second team in European Cup history to beat Real Madrid over two legs. The first league was in Brussels and Dundee won 4-1 – I think Alan Gilzean may have scored a hat trick. The second leg was foregone conclusion and Dundee won 2-1. The other teams in the draw for the semi final were reigning champions Benfica (61 and 62), AC Milan and Feyenoord who were as big a surprise as Dundee at the time.

The first leg was in the San Siro and was evenly balanced at half time with the score 1-1. The roof fell in the second half and Milan won 5-1. Dundee won the return league 1-0. Milan went on to win their first European Cup when they beat Benfica 2-1 at Wembley. It was an odd final in that it was played on a Wednesday afternoon.

Jose Altafini, Rivera, Maldini (Paolo’s Dad), Trapattoni were all part of that Milan team. The next year the Dundee team began to break up with Ian Ure moving to Arsenal, Gordon Smith retiring and Alan Gilzean signing for Spurs. Gilzean’s replacement was Charlie Cooke who was fantastic for the year or so he was at Dens and then Tommy Docherty signed him for Chelsea.

Noted Scottish football historian Bob Crampsey is on record as considering the early 60's Dundee side as the finest footballing side Scotland has ever produced, superior even to the Celtic side that did win the European Cup in 1967.

Five years later Dundee also made it to the semi final round of the UEFA Cup (called the Fairs Cities Cup at that time) and lost to a great Leeds side 2-1 on aggregate.

I would be amiss not to include Dundee United’s European Cup adventure in 1984 when they also reached the semi final and were even closer to reaching the final. They drew Roma – a team with the likes of Falcao, Cerezo and World Cup winner Bruno Conti. United won the first leg 2-0 before losing the second leg 3-0. I was in Canada by that time and communication was difficult. I remember having to call Dundee in order to get the scores. Roma also hosted the final that year but lost on penalties to Liverpool.

I can’t think of a smaller city in Europe that has provided two different European Cup/Champions League semi finalists – but I stand to be corrected if anyone else can come up an example.

After knocking out Premiership side Charlton in the third round of the FA Cup, Nottingham Forest now faces an even bigger task when they face Chelsea this Sunday. Forest currently sits third in League One, but only on goal difference. Scunthorpe leads the division with 52 points but second place Bristol City and Forest both have a game in hand.  Since overcoming Charlton 2-0 in the third round Forest has beaten Yeovil (1-0) and played to a scoreless draw with Swansea.

Given the current gulf that exists between the two sides the BBC had Sports Psychologist James Hamilton assesses how Forest should approach the match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Despite their current “poor” form in the Premiership, Chelsea is the bookies favourite to take the FA Cup for the first time under manager Josie Mourinho. Chelsea is running around 3/1, with Manchester United at 4/1 and Arsenal at 5/1.

 Under Mourinho Chelsea has lost to Newcastle in the 5th round (a 1-0 loss from an early Patrick Kluivert header) two seasons ago, and then went out to Liverpool in last year's semi final 2-1 at Old Trafford.

If you fancy a flutter on Nottingham Forest then the current odds of 300/1 make Forest one of the rank outsiders – 28th of 32 teams. (Bristol Rovers who have to travel to championship leaders Derby County are currently 1000/1).

Chelsea Football Club was formed 1905 and they didn't have to wait long until their first appearance in FA Cup final.  However, it took significantly longer before they lifted the trophy.  Here is a rundown of Chelsea's seven appearances in the final of football’s oldest competition.   

Chelsea's appearance in the final of 1915 was a major surprise for although they were to finish second bottom of the league Chelsea beat Everton in the semi-final.  Everton went on to become league champions that year. The First World War had been under way for eight months and a new venue for the final had to be found.

Crystal Palace in London had been home to the final for nearly 20 years but had been appropriated on account of the war effort.

The final was moved to Old Trafford in Manchester, a relatively new stadium at that time and Chelsea provided London with only its second finalist in the history of the tournament.  As coincidence would have it their 1915 opponents was Sheffield United who had lost to Tottenham after a replay in 1901.

This time Sheffield United took the trophy with a 3-0 win in a game that became known as “the Khaki final” due to the number of serviceman making up the crowd. It would be five years before another FA Cup would be held, but it would be a lot longer before Chelsea made another appearance in the final.

In 1967 London provided both finalists for the first time in the form of Chelsea and Tottenham. By this time Chelsea had developed a reputation as a strong cup team having made it to their third straight semi final. However, on the two previous occasions they had lost in the last four with both games being played at Villa Park in Birmingham. This time they made it to the final beating Leeds United 1-0.  The only goal of the game came from the head of Tony Hateley a recent signing from Liverpool. 

But there was no Wembley joy for the Chelsea fans again. Goals from former St Mirren winger Jimmy Robertson and utility player Frank Saul gave Spurs a two goal lead before Terry Venables pulled one back with only a few minutes left. However, three years Chelsea would be back at Wembley.  

The final of 1970 is regarded as an epic encounter for a number of reasons. The replay was needed for the first time since 1912, the Wembley pitch for the first game was dire leading to the replay being moved to Old Trafford, and both sides kicked lumps out of each other for over 200 minutes.

Wembley had bizarrely hosted the Horse of the Year Show only a few days before the final and the pitch was in disgraceful state by the time the two teams took to the "field". Leeds United twice led through goals from Jack Charlton and Mick Jones only to be pegged back by goals from Peter Housman and Ian Hutchison for Chelsea. Sadly both Chelsea scorers were to die relatively young – Houseman in a car crash seven years later and Hutchinson to a condition brought on by alcoholism in 2002.

The replay did not take place until eighteen days later and is clearly remembered by everyone who watched the televised midweek game. Mick Jones scored again for Leeds and the lead held up until 10 minutes left in normal time. Then a Peter Osgood flying header from a Charlie Cooke cross took the game to extra time. But as extra time ticked away another replay was looking to be the most likely outcome.

There was though to be a trick in the tail of this one. With only minutes left in extra time David Webb moved up from his centre back position to deflect home a Hutchinson long throw. During 210 minutes of action Chelsea led for only five minutes but still took their first FA Cup. Osgood had scored in every round of the cup (from the third on) and he remains the last player to accomplish such a feat.

AstonishinglyIn the replay not one player was booked. A couple of decades later David Elleray was asked to review the video tape of the replay and to apply contemporary standards of officiating. According the Elleray only eight players would have remained on the field at the end if modern standards had applied!! 

The 1970 competition also provided a bit of an oddity in that the FA decided that there would be a third place play off between the losing semi finalists Watford and Manchester United. The third place play off continued for another four seasons before being quietly buried before anyone took any real interest in it.

It would be another 24 years before Chelsea appeared again in a final.  However, their appearance in 1994 against Manchester United was to be the first in a run of four appearances in nine seasons - two of them successful. Chelsea squandered a number of chances in the first half, and four goals including two penalties from Eric Cantona in the final half hour of the match finally did Chelsea in. The win marked United’s first domestic league and cup double.

Anyone arriving late for the final three years later in 1997 would have missed the quickest goal ever recorded in FA Cup final history.  Roberto Di Matteo scored after only 43 seconds as Chelsea, led by Coach Ruud Gullit, beat Middlesbrough 2-0 who had been relegated from the Premiership only six days earlier.

Another three years on, and another FA Cup win for Chelsea in 2000.  Again the hero was Roberto Di Matteo who scored the only goal in the last final played at the old Wembley - and of course we have yet to see the new Wembley.

Although it had taken until 1967 for two London clubs to face each other in a FA Cup final a number of similar encounters followed soon after. West Ham vs. Fulham (1975), West Ham vs. Arsenal (1980), Tottenham vs. Queens Park Rangers (1982) ensued so when Arsenal and Chelsea faced each other in the 2002 final it was no longer considered a rarity.

The 2002 final at Millenium Stadium was evenly balanced until two goals in the last 20 minutes by Ray Parlour and Freddie Ljunberg gave Arsenal the trophy and their third domestic double.

The full fourth round draw can be found here and this is a link to the latest news from the official FA Cup website. The fourth round winners pocket around $120,000 in prize money and a place in the 5th round draw.

Past Featured Games
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
Third Round                        Nottingham Forest                    2-0     Charlton   

 The Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest game can be seen live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports World Canada at 9:00 EST. on Sunday and you can check here for other FA Cup games that can be seen this weekend on FSC and FSWC.

  

Latruth - Ask Jeremy about meeting Charlie Cooke at the convention. I introduced them and I'm sure Charlie would gladly be interviewed for the show (particularly by a countryman). He is a regular viewer.

Bobby - It is funny that you should mention that. Just before the broadcast of “Centre Circle”, I took a quick wander around the trade show hoping that I might bump into Charlie. I only had about 15 minutes and the trade show was so large that I doubt I covered even one quarter of the booths.  Not that he would have recognized me anyway. 

After all, I was just one of a bunch of kids who used to play football on the street outside his house when he lived in Dundee.  Two of my best friends while at primary school (elementary in North America) lived close to him-one next door and one across the road.  His home became a natural magnet for any budding player who harboured the typical dream that somehow he would be discovered.  I remember that when Charlie received a cap for Scotland (under-23 against Wales, I think) he gave his Scotland top to my friend of course who brought it to school to show everyone. 

Charlie was signed from Aberdeen to replace Alan Gilzean when Gilzean moved to the Spurs. He didn't stay at Dundee too long-under two years, I think-and moved to Chelsea.  He was an incredible player - the type of player who could destroy any defense in the world and still have the opposition's supporters applaud him.

After he had left Dundee I remember going to Hampden Park in 1968 to see Scotland versus England. The game finished 1-1 though Scotland was the better team -or more to the point Charlie dominated the game with an magical performance that few could have replicated.

I managed to get a copy of his recent autobiography from the UK but have not had a chance to read it yet as I passed it onto my father first.

Hopefully, I can make it to Baltimore next year for the 2008 NSCAA Convention and get to meet him and have him sign the book.

Henry14 - l will have to disagree with you about the Beckham, issue, people forget that Madrid wanted him to stay and he refused, so l feel Capello had to start to prepare for life without Beckham, and l feel that as much as Wenger did with Cole before the move to Chelsea l feel Capello should do the same way, due to the commitment reasons.

Venti_Vidi_ Vici – How can you say Capello's reaction appears petty? First of all it wasn't Capello's sole decision, but that of the technical committee, and I'm sure the decision was made carefully. Beckham announced this deal publicly before even informing Real Madrid, who had already tabled a two year extension offer. I think Capello and Mijatovic have displayed considerable restraint given the circumstances. How do you think Sir Alex or Jose would've reacted?

Bobby - It seems that Real Madrid wanted Beckham to stay so much that it took them over a year to offer a contract and then we find out from President Calderon that Real Madrid did not want him anyway - “our technical staff were right not to extend his contract.”

We also have to consider that Real Madrid leaked the story to the press before Beckham signed for LA that three players were dispensable-Beckham, Ronaldo and Cassano. From my perspective Real Madrid has nothing to complain about. Essentially the technical committee is blaming Real Madrid's recent performances on three players who have hardly spent any time on the park this season. You are right it is not petty - it is much worse it is downright dishonest.

In a ruthless business everyone has to take care of themselves - something that Real Madrid has never hesitated to do. Real Madrid's self preening is nauseating at times. And to cap it off this is the same Fabio Capello who signed a contract with Milan while he was with Real Madrid in the 90s.

Numerous other coaches have had to deal with the same situation-players agreeing to move to other clubs after the conclusion of the season-and have managed the situation quite nicely. But of course Real Madrid is different.

As for how Sir Alex or Jose would react I expect that they would look at what was best for team performance and not get involved with rubbish about insulting the institution.

The last word to Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard - "you always have to look to the interests of the team – everyone wants to win things, and if a player has a contract he can still keep on working."

AlexMorph - Given that Arsenal and Man U turn over their youth talents quickly--bringing in new ones, selling others, developing a bunch--are there any players who it surprises you do not get shipped off?

Bobby - Not particularly. On the other side of the equation I was surprised when Arsenal sold Matthew Upson a couple years ago. 

Atleti female – It’s a bit surprising to me that Villa hasn’t been involved in any major transfers so far. Someone told me that O'Neill was known for his last-minute transfers at Celtic, which unnerved many supporters. Is anyone familiar with Celtic to confirm this?

Bobby - Your information is correct, Martin O'Neill has always been a bit of a last-minute Charlie as far as the transfer market is concerned.

Djnima - A question regarding Ronaldo (el gordo) to Milan. It's clear they need goals but do you think he still has some phenom left in him?

Bobby - I think Ronaldo can still score goals.  Perhaps the question really is does he want to anymore.

Finally, as for predictions, it is not really my thing. Let's face it, you have a one in three chance of being right.

I try to keep predictions to a minimum and generally only when I think there could be a real surprise or when I am lost for anything else to say!!

In Canada the Saturday EPL matches are broadcast on Sportsnet and they do weekly predictions. It is riveting stuff…… Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal to win - how unusual!!!

 

Given that I have never read a book by Ashley Cole, David Beckham or Frank Lampard, I can safely say that I have never read a soccer book that I didn't like. With the holidays approaching and the possibility of some free time being available here is a list of the books that I've acquired over last twelve months.

Any of you have other books that you might want to recommend?

“Foul”, By Andrew Jennings, published by HarperCollins.

“The Italian Job”, by Gianluca Vialli and Gabriele Marcotti, published by Random House.

“Behind the Curtain:Football in Eastern Europe”, by Jonathan Wilson, published by McArthur & Co.

“The Bonnie Prince-My Football Life”, by Charlie Cooke and Mark Knight, published by Mainstream Publishing Company.

"Best and Edwards,” by Gordon Burns, published by Faber and Faber Ltd.

"The Best of Charlie Buchan's Football Monthly,” edited by Simon Inglis, published by English Heritage.

"Forza Italia", by Paddy Agnew, published by Random House.

"’78 How a nation lost the World Cup," by Graham McColl, published by Headline Book Publishing.

"Morbo-the story of Spanish football," by Phil Ball, published by W.S.C. Books Ltd.

"The Leaguers -the making of professional football in England, 1900 – 1939," by Matthew Taylor, published by Liverpool University Press.

"Once in a Lifetime-the extraordinary story of the New York Cosmos," by Gavin Newsham, published by Atlantic books.

"tor!-the story of German football," by Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger, published by W. S.C. Books Ltd.

"The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup," edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey, published by HarperCollins books.

"The Lost Babes-Manchester United and the forgotten victims of Munich," by Jeff Connor, published by HarperSport.

"Sir Alf," by Leo McKinstry, published by HarperSport.

"Football and Fascism-the national game under Mussolini," by Simon Martin, published by Berg Publishers.

"Jackie Milburn-a man of two halves," by Jack Milburn, published by Mainstream Sport.

"Colin Bell-reluctant hero," by Colin Bell with Ian Cheeseman, published by Mainstream Publishing.

"My Father and other Working-Class Football Heroes," by Gary Imlach, published by Yellow Jersey Press.

"Garrincha,” by Ruy Castro, published by Yellow Jersey Press.

"Highbury - The Story of Arsenal in N. 5", by Jon Spurling, published by Orion Books.

Mr. Red Devil - What do you think of those yellow kits that Liverpool wore yesterday while getting soundly beaten by Man Utd? Those have to be worse than Bolton's away kit.

Bobby – I am not a particular fan of the yellow Liverpool kits but they are still better than the Bolton away set. I was surprised to find out on Friday that certain members of the FSWR office actually like the Bolton kit and I was taken to task for my comments.

Bmax 14 - It seems to be common where good teams cannot duplicate good league form in the CL or vice-versa. Is this an accurate statement, and if so, has it been this way for a long time?

Bobby – I wrote a column on this just before the Champions League Final in May. As you can see it has never been particularly easy to compete at the top level in Europe and domestically. The article focused on any differences between the old European Cup format and the relatively new Champions League version.

Excerpt - “There is also a long tradition of teams doing well in Europe but not doing the business in domestic competition. If we assume the European Cup format to have run for 36 seasons and the Champions League for 14 seasons it is difficult to make a case that there has been much difference in the number of “surprises” or an increase in the number of poor home performers. Over 50 competitions the European Champion has also won their domestic league 19 times in the same season. The break down is14 times under the EC format and 5 times under CL. A percentage comparison 38% to 36% is a miniscule difference. At the other end of the spectrum the three worst domestic performances by a European Champion all came under the EC format. Aston Villa finished 11th in the English First Division when they won the European Cup in 1982; Bayern Munich 10th in the Bundesliga in 1975; and Juventus 6th in 1985”.

MeanBLEEPa - On Barca: you've highlighted, as well as others, that the loss of Eto'o is bigger than realized and it is more than clear after losses to Chelsea and Real Madrid. What I want to know is whether Saviola can look for more time and why Lilian Thuram was in the starting lineup? Also - Would Gudjohnsson be more appropriate as a striker/midfielder to bring on when the team is ahead? He seems very allergic to taking scoring chances when they present themselves.

Bobby – Rijkaard has never been a big fan of Saviola – either that or he has been trying to hide it by loaning him out the last two seasons – but I think he will have to use him. He is far closer to the Eto’o style of play than Eidur Gudjohnsen. Gudjohnsen is a very gifted player but he is at his best playing behind the striker and he doesn’t have the kind of pace of finishing touch that Barcelona has become used to. He is a bit like Hernan Crespo (not the quickest player) so he is forced to play right on the shoulder of the last defender in an attempt to get any advantage possible. Unfortunately – unlike Crespo – he is not the most clinical of finishers.

Wickedzoot - I was suBLEEPious when I saw David James on your list again. I thought it was a typo (obviously didn't read last week). But wow this guy's the real deal. That was one fine article he wrote. Too bad he got so hard done against Chelsea. I thought he was brilliant. Does he have a chance to regain his England spot or is that bridge well and truly burned?

TheIdiot - I noticed you’re putting David James in the list of top GKs in the Prem - on current form, I must agree. Do you think he deserves an England recall? Or with his long record of gaffes, does he need to show a longer run of continued mistake-free keeping?

Bobby – McClaren will stick by Robinson unless he goes down injured. If that happens and James maintains his current form then James will get another chance. The media will forget how they hammered James over the years – many of the times justifiably so – and will call for his recall on a wave of nostalgia induced emotion. 

USAenglandfan - 3 questions, two somewhat off topic:
(1) Do you see Daniel Carvalho breaking into the first team in Brazil within the next year or two? (2) What players' jerseys/kits do you own, if any? (3) What is your favorite ever kit, aesthetically?

Bobby – (1) I cannot say I have seen too much of Carvalho but from what I have seen he is an impressive young player. Dunga sent a very clear message when he picked his first squad that he is ready to look at younger players and that they do not have to necessarily be playing in one of the top leagues. I could see Carvalho moving to Italy or Spain for a very large fee in the next 18 months. (2) I started collecting jerseys from Mexican teams while on holiday so I have 4 or 5 in the cupboard. I also have a jersey from Tayport the last team I played for in Scotland. It was a “special” when they made it to the Scottish Junior Cup final a couple of years ago. The first jersey I have received was a v-necked Dundee top in the early 60’s (same style as the Man Utd one this season) followed by the crew neck a couple of years later. I got a Chelsea top after Charlie Cooke moved from Dundee to Chelsea in the mid sixties. Since then I can remember an assortment of Scotland, QPR (Guinness), and Liverpool tops. (3) Real Madrid – all white from the 50’s.

Gongatore - In your mind, who do you think is the best choice for USMNT gaffer?

Bobby – I still think Klinsmann would be a great choice.

AlexMorph - Of the 30 short listed names for the Ballon D'Or, who would be your pick for the overall year?

Bobby – I think it is Thierry Henry’s year. He made it to the Champions League and World Cup Final and scored goals domestically. Samuel Eto’o is definitely worthy of consideration as is Fabio Cannavaro (who should have won the Golden Shoe). 

Neophyte - the term "gaffer" what are its origins and when should one use it and when should you avoid it. Do you call the manager "gaffer" to his face or is it a term you should only use when out of his presence etc...?

Bobby – The term “gaffer” comes from the factory floor and building site. It is the term for a front-line supervisor – the proper title would be “foreman”. There is nothing derogatory about the term unless you place a commonly used adjective beginning in “f” before it. 

bigdavedisaster - Here’s a great old video about the Old Firm. Gives a little bit of insight into where the rivalry comes from and into football in Glasgow. What a difference 30 or so years makes and doesn’t make. If you have time to watch it I’d love to know what you were up to then and what kind of a hair style you had. A snap shot of 1974

Bobby – That video brought back some bad memories!! In 1974 I was in College in Dundee and probably enjoying myself far too much. I was playing for a local team called Barnhill – with many of the mates I grew up with – so we trained, played, drank and did almost everything together. I also played in a Sunday morning league for the Dundee Press Club – they allowed me to play centre forward!!! – and sometimes on Sunday afternoon in another league. Training was Tuesday and Thursday while on Wednesdays I played for the College team. No one thought about rotation or rest back then – the pitches from October to March were mud heaps or skating rinks and we all loved it.
As for hair it was long and a headband was mandatory when playing – although they were just plain white in those days unlike Ronaldinho’s current effort that makes him look like a big girl’s blouse!

MeanBLEEPa - How about the reports of Becks being out in January or Rijkaard trying to sell Deco to get Lampard?

Bobby – Having said for the last two years that Beckham will play out his career in MLS I think a compromise will be reached and he will eventually sign for another year for Real - that way both parties will save face. It is interesting that Beckham quotes and stories seem to have escalated in the last couple of weeks – a sure sign that he is trying to put pressure on Real Madrid. As for selling Deco to get Lampard – I don’t put a lot of credence in that one.

Mr. Red Devil - BigDave, I watched that Rangers-Celtic video. Very interesting.
Bobby, do you know of any good books that offer a neutral point of view on the history of Celtic & Rangers?

Bobby – I haven’t read the book myself but there was a book a few years back by Bill Murray that looked at both clubs - at what seperates them and what unites them (something many people forget - there is a reason they are called the Old Firm after all). Murray wrote a book about the global reach and history that I read and enjoyed, so I think his Old Firm book might be worth picking up.

Henry14 - l have been reading stories of huge losses in fans at club in the epl even f the price of tickets at some places like Blackburn is as low as 15 pounds, the only teams that have had an increase in fans to their ground are United and Arsenal, inevitably two clubs that play attacking and beautiful football, do you feel it is too big a task for clubs to try attacking football, l know you might need young quicker players and technically good but l feel it will affect the spending of these clubs in the long run like for instance Liverpool spend $60m during the summer hoping to cover it with gate earning , with the exception of Chelsea what do you see will be the solution if the stadiums are to be full again.

Bobby – “Falling attendance” has been a recurring story at the start of the last few Premiership seasons. Go back to the fall of 2004 and 2005 and you will find the same stories. I don’t agree that United and Arsenal have increased attendance because of the quality of their football this season – even though it has been attractive. The bottom line is that they have bigger stadiums and are reaping the reward of being popular, entertaining and most importantly successful over the last decade or so. There was a pent-up demand going into this season and we increased capacity you are seeing the results in an increase in the attendance for both clubs.

Finally thank you to all that take time to read the blog and to participate.