Henry14 - Q1 if you were Wenger would you buy Baptista for $20m for what he has done this season?

Q2 -  What do you make of Southgate playing a week side because personally l never fancy them at Old Trafford and they are not safe from Charlton

Q3 - l see Bendtner going ahead of Adebayor in the ranks because he is by far a better player than Adebayor. He has been likened to Ibrahimovic but my question to you is Ibrahimovic probably the best player in Serie A.

Q 4 - What do you think about Alessandro Rossina of Torino?

Bobby – Q1 – I would not. Even though I believe players need time to settle down I don't think Baptista hasn’t shown enough to be worth that kind of money.

Q2 – I think Southgate did the right thing. Charlton will not catch them and even if they did three clubs will still finish below Boro. They have been playing well and they have to play West Ham, Watford, Villa, Wigan and Fulham out of the 8 games left. They only have to get two more wins and they will be safe. There are a lot of potential six pointers between teams in the bottom half and they will take points off each other.

Q3 – How many goals to you think Adebayor would have scored in the Championship this season? More than Bendtner I would wager. Adebayor has proven himself in the Premiership; something that Bendtner has yet to do. I wouldn’t consider Ibrahimovic the best player in Serie A until he manages to play consistently well two seasons in a row.

Q4 – In the Torino games I have watched this season (only a couple) he has not stood out.

Verbal97 - Rafa Benitez thinks that the larger teams should be able to have a reserve team play competitvely in the Championship so that the younger players can get first team experience (like they do in Spain). Do you think this is a good idea? Do you think there is any chance that this will ever be implemented?

Bobby – It would require a major shift of opinion in England and I don’t think it has a hope in hell of happening. You can look to the continent but it is not a fair comparison. No other second flight league on the continent attracts the size of crowds that we see in the Championship. Such a move would complete devalue the Championship – which of course might be what the Premiership is interested in doing!

Venti_Vidi_Vici - I find the refereeing in England to be very inconsistent. As this particular incident clearly illustrates, if a defender makes a sliding tackle in the penalty area, he absolutely has to get the ball. If he misses, which Woodgate and Carvalho both did yesterday, it’s going to be a penalty whether there is much contact or not, because the striker is going to go down – it is just how football is played. I don’t understand why neither was booked for taking down a player who was through on goal.
I make a distinction between diving and accentuating. Ronaldo basically accentuated minor contact; in other words, took advantage of a mistimed amateurish tackle by Woodgate. I don’t blame Ronaldo; he did what any other striker should do in that situation. In both cases IMO penalties were correctly awarded.

Buffytvs - Why is it that suddenly every penalty call is labeled 'controversial'? Woodgate fouled Ronaldo in the area -- penalty. Tevez was brought down in the area -- penalty. Boateng handled in the area -- penalty. What the *&%$ is controversial about any of these decisions? I've seen far more clear penalties NOT called this season than soft ones given (although no-one seems to be calling the call against Vidic on Saturday 'controversial', I still don't know what he's supposed to have done).

MasMaz - I love Ronaldo, but he starts and stops in his run-up taking penalties and more takers are doing it, unfair for keepers and they should crack down on this, and they will when some minnow does it against one of the big four.

Venti_Vidi_Vici - The rule of the law with regards to taking a penalty is once the ref blows the whistle, and the player starts his run to the ball, he may not stop. Some try to stutter step or slow down, to try and get the goal to commit one way. I've only ever seen a ref order a retake once, but I really did think the Ronaldo penalty should've been retaken because he did stop and start.

Gongatore - I find all this nonsense about "the rule of law" quite amusing. Keepers aren't supposed to do jumping jacks on the goal line whilst awaiting a PK yet a lot of them do including PC yesterday. CR does what many PK takers do. Enough with the rule of law rubbish. What I believe this is ultimately all about is what several posters already stated, a hatred of CR and perhaps even Manu and just sour grapes. And for all you whinging England fans Wayne Rooney alone is responsible for his red card in WC 2006.

In the end, hate is such a powerful and useless word and emotion. Reserve it for really evil things in life or people that truly deserve it not athletes of any creed or color. Let's stick to respectful debate with humor and reason.

Bobby – As you can see a ton of comments on penalty kicks this week. I agree with Buffytvs – anytime a penalty is given  it seems to become a controversial decision. Both penalties on Monday were dead certs as was the one given against Boateng a week past Saturday. I thought the only element of controversy was the fact that Ricardo Carvalho was not sent off.

As for the stutter step – it is completely legal from what I understand. I cannot see anything in the rules that outlaws it - or stopping for that matter. Goalkeepers are entitled to do anything on and along their goal line as long as they are facing the kicker – so mooning is definitely illegal.

As a final note on Ronaldo - Rooney situation. As Jeremy pointed out on Monday who was the first player over to confront Morrison after he whacked Ronaldo on Monday? It was Wayne Rooney.

Henry14 - You get the feeling that the new date for Chelsea and Man Utd on May 9 there is a high chance that Chelsea will start with a guard of honour against Man. U. because if the gape is still six points and the goal difference then United can afford to play a second string. Chelsea will need to go to the Emirates on a Saturday and if they do not win united are already popping the champagne. Do you think this is a physiological blow for Chelsea since Mourinho is always saying it’s a pity they do not play now?

Bobby – A potentially killer blow I would say. Chelsea wants to get at United ASAP in the hope that they can beat them, reduce the gap to three (really four because of goal difference) and hope that United folds.

Henry14 - What do you make of David Navarro 7 month ban from all football? l feel it a ridiculous ban, because there is no parity. You look at the Betis and Seville fight and it was not given such a harsh ban, Kolo 's fight , the Schalke guy who punched Schneider, do you think that UEFA and FIFA run some weird dictatorship on the way they had bans because it is unnecessary.

Bobby – Navarro is lucky that he will be allowed to play before 2009. I can’t see how the Navarro incident can be compared to the others. He was a substitute who didn’t even play. Of course that doesn’t mean that UEFA and FIFA are not some weird dictatorship!

realmadridccfan - Q1. Out of all the big European teams in Euro 2008 qualifying that are in trouble (Italy, Spain, England, Portugal), which do you think will be under the gun to get results as well as which do you see gaining/losing the most in this round of qualifiers?

Q2. While I like Inter Milan's incredible form in the Italian Serie A, as they will likely win the title, when they eventually win the title, how legitimate of a title win will this be for Inter? Would you but a big asterisk beside this one considering the match fixing scandal from last season affected this season's play?

Q3. What do you think needs to be done to fix the constant "crises" at Real Madrid? Is it time that Real Madrid stopped the idea of buying a "galaticos" per season and focused on their youth academy to build their team?

Bobby – Q1 – All are under great pressure. It would say Spain is in the worst position. I still see Italy qualifying as well as England and Portugal.
Q2 – Inter’s forthcoming scudetto will be well earned. Even after accounting for points deducted they will finish comfortably ahead of anyone else.
Q3 – The era of buying "galaticos" was gone the moment that Capello took over. The plan this season was to shore up the side with signings such as Cannavaro, Emerson and Van Nistelrooy – the short term plan. The longer term plan you can see with the likes of Gago and Higuain. The mess that Perez created is not going to fixed in a season or perhaps even two.

Gongatore - Do you think it's time that FIFA really starts to assess the amount of matches clubs play as I believe the sport is suffering (primarily in Europe) as a result of too many competitions? Or will FIFA just run to the bank and disregard the integrity of the game?

Bobby – I think you have to consider that it has been Sepp Blatter and FIFA that have been pushing for 16 team leagues – although on the other hand they have also “created” the FIFA Club World Cup. If the ruling bodies and the clubs were serious about reducing the number of games then I think it could be easily done. Sixteen team leagues, a straight knock out format for the Champions League/UEFA Cup along with smaller European and World Cup qualifying groups could knock 12-15 games a season off the schedule for top teams. Unfortunately both sides (FIFA/UEFA on one side – the clubs on the other) have insatiable appetites for cash and they expect the other side to reduce the games under their control. Bottom line is don’t expect changes anytime soon. 

djnima - Was wondering if you have any lesser known young talent that you see making an impact next season. Are there any South American or European young players you see making a big impact on FSC?

Also, though there has been speculation that Henry would leave Arsenal soon, you have stated that you don't see Henry leaving anytime soon. With the amount of money Arsenal are shelling out for his contract, when do you see him finally leaving Arsenal?

Bobby – I’m looking forward to the Under-20 World Championship in Canada this summer. The last edition gave us our first good look at Lionel Messi and it has over the years provided a stage for some great players to emerge. As far as the EPL is concerned there is a player called Giles Barnes at Derby County (they have a great chance to move up from the Championship) who has been garnering rave reviews. I have seen very little of him but I have heard from a mate in the UK that he is going to be a star.

If Henry is to leave Arsenal it will be with a year left on his existing deal which is up I believe in 2010.

Here are a few stories that I read over the weekend that might spark some debate.

David Bond has a story in which he details CONCACAF’s President Jack Warner response to the growing ticket scandal. It seems to me that Warner’s reaction is a strong indication that he no longer feels protected and has been flushed out.

Jack Warner is now suing. In the words of the late great Mr. Roy Orbison it seems that we have a severe case of “Running Scared”. This is from the CONCACAF website. (Surprisingly I could not find a way to order tickets).

I stand to be corrected on this but if my memory does serve me correctly then the red herring in this move is the filing of the lawsuit in Switzerland. There was a simllar suit against Andrew Jennings after his expose of the Olympic movement and in particular the old Fascist Juan Antonio Samaranch. In Swiss law you can be found guilty of defamation if you look sideways at someone - ok an exagerration but you get my drift. However, Swiss court decisions are about as intimidating as their navy. If Warner was serious he would have filed someplace else. And I don't believe he has to file in Switzerland just because FIFA is based there.

The English press is working overtime ahead of a BBC Panorama broadcast into kickbacks and bungs in the English game. This article focuses on a payment made during Harry Rednapp’s time at Southampton.

Nick Harris has some more background on the player at the centre of the Southampton investigation.

Nick Szczepanik describes Portsmouth central defender Linvoy Primus’ journey from the bottom to the top. Primus is one of these players that you would mark down as making the absolute most of the talent he has been given. Any other players in the Premiership that you think might fit the bill?

Natasha Woods writes about Queen’s Park, a team that remains dedicated to playing for the enjoyment of the game without consideration of money.

 And finally a few random thoughts on the Manchester United and Arsenal game.

 Adebayor’s goal – and Ronaldo’s grotesque error – may have won the game for the Gunners, but Jens Lehmann’s save from Solksjaer just seconds later, certainly saved the full points for Arsenal.

 John Djourou and Kolo Toure were outstanding at the heart of the Arsenal defense.

 Wenger opted to play Adebayor as a lone striker – a role I thought he filled very well – and packed the midfield with five players. It freed Fabregas to push further forward and United never found a way to shut him down.

The 4-5-1formation allowed Arsenal to dominate possession for large parts of the game but I never sensed that SAF made any changes to counteract the extra Arsenal player in midfield. United seemed quite happy to allow Arsenal the ball perhaps believing that the Gunners would continue their poor performances in front of goal.

By the time Arsenal scored, it was too late to make any telling change. There just seemed to be too many United players who put in average-at-best performances. Despite his mistake, Ronaldo was the only United player to pose a consistent threat over the 90 minutes.

Why would you spend over $30M on Michael Carrick and leave him on the bench for a game that, if won, could have put a stake through the heart of your fiercest challenger over the last decade?

Tomas Rosicky is slowly but surely adapting to the Premiership and Arsenal’s style. He is going to be a Premiership star before the end of this season.

It must have warmed the hearts of Arsenal fans to see patista running at the united defense with power and conviction when he came on late in the game.

No goals but not a bad half of play. Germany has been the stronger side and although they have had a number of good set piece opportunities they have made very little of them.

Portugal survived some strong German pressure but started to create their own chances later in the half.

If goals are to come it looks to me as if Ronaldo and Klose are the players most likely to be involved.

A very evenly contested first half. England settled more quickly into the game but after 15 minutes Portugal started to establish their passing game. It looks as if Maniche is playing the Deco role for Portugal. England seems to be attacking with a bit more conviction while Portugal appears to be taking a more patient route.

Weak spots - Valente looks to be very suspect but the problem is that when Neville goes forward to attack and there is a turnover in possession Portugal plays it into the space and causes England problems.

Hargreaves is giving England a solid look but Gerrard and Lampard are still not forward far enough to support Rooney.

You have to wonder how long Figo can go in this one. He’s played a lot of football in the last three weeks. Pauleta has hardly kicked the ball while Ronaldo when he cuts inside on Neville is probably Portugal’s biggest threat.

“Blether” is a slang word that is used in parts of Scotland and people who “blether” are called “bletherers”. To “blether” means you talk for the sake of talking. Marcelo Balboa is without a doubt a bletherer.

“England is lucky to have a young man on the bench like Sol Campbell, of course he’s not so young anymore” was my favourite this half.

“These countries have past history” wasn’t bad either.

But it is disturbing when you have a former World Cup player who can’t tell the difference between a dive and embellishment. A push by Tiago on Cole was not a dive it was embellishment but still a foul.

The Miguel vs. Robben battle is a well-matched affair. I don’t think I have see a better right back than Miguel at this World Cup so far. It’s interesting how Portugal is defending Robben. It looks as if Miguel is being given free rein to nip in front of Robben when a pass is delivered with Carvalho tucking in behind in case it fails.

Gabriele Marcotti described Pauleta as possessing the mobility of Ayers Rock in an article yesterday – cruel but perhaps more than an element of truth.

The Dutch have gone with three at the back and four in midfield to match the Portuguese midfield.

What a cracking wee player Maniche is. He arrives late in the box and creates a little bit of room for himself then hit a rocket beyond EvdS.

It looks to me as if Big Phil is playing Deco on van Bronkhorst from time to time. I thought Gio was a very decent midfield player but I have never found him to be a convincing full back.

How many countries that can replace someone like Ronaldo with Simao?  What a great run from van Persie about 8 minutes from half time.

Costinha is fortunate to be still on the field – others referees would have cheerfully given him a second yellow card. Re-write this piece. He’s gone this time – he was red card waiting to happen.

A fantastic save by EvdS off Pauleta just on half time. That save kept Holland in with a shot in this game. The chance came from the left side of the Dutch defense again.

With Portugal down to 10 men this game is finely balanced.