Manchester City

It seemed pretty straightforward at the time. A day after the transfer window closed write a column on some of the bigger moves and some that didn’t come to pass. Then yesterday came and we were hit with the equivalent of a category five hurricane. 

Who could have possibly thought on Sunday evening that within 24 hours Manchester City would be turned into a financial powerhouse and that the new owners (Abu Dhabi United Group) would mark their arrival by signing Robinho?

After all, a week ago the general consensus was that City was in financial and organizational disarray and that the best route for manager Mark Hughes was the door marked exit. Now, he has a board of directors talking instant success, and all funded by a budget that even Roman Abramovich might hesitate to sanction. (Some may argue that the best route for Hughes remains the same.)

The remarkable events of yesterday has left writers, bloggers and fans stunned and grasping to try and understand the full implications of the audacious takeover for the Premiership, as well as European and World football. It has also not stopped many resorting to received wisdom cloaked as insightful comment.  

Most would argue under more sober circumstances that joining the dots between unlimited funds, success and world domination is a tad simplistic but it hasn’t stopped some jumping on board the hyperbole bandwagon as it heads to the north-west of England.
Lots of cash + best players in world = World Domination.

If that is the case then examples should readily come to mind. Chelsea under Abramovich – not even domestic domination let alone global. Real Madrid and the Galacticos era – yeah that worked. Check out how much Inter Milan spent trying achieve success during the 90s – in terms of major trophies it was ####-all squared. Barcelona have spent many fortunes over the years and have won the European Cup just twice in over half a century.

That is not to say that the availability of money doesn’t matter. Money has always being part of the game and identifying and buying the right talent at the right price has always been a key skill set of any successful manager. In terms of British managers from Herbert Chapman and the Bank of England Arsenal side of the 30s to Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly, Jock Stein and Brian Clough, all were astute buyers of talent.

For Manchester City the requirement to buy at the right price appears to no longer apply but building a team is much more than just signing “world class” players. Quite simply I would refer to a basic definition -  “a team is a group of people with complementary skills committed to a common purpose and a set of goals.”

It is not a group of high priced mercenaries unwilling to sacrifice self for the common guide. Separating players with character from the imposters takes skill, experience and insight – it takes smarts.

Until Manchester City show that they have the smarts I would suggest that a Global Domination Tour 2010 (or 2015 for that matter) might be premature.


Transfers

For the last three months we have been inundated with news of transfers that were sure to be consummated, deals that only needed a signature and daring multi-million dollar raids being planned in bunkers deep below Premiership grounds.

With a lot of last minute wheeling and dealing we are told that a new Premiership spending record of around $1B has been set during the just completed transfer-window. But what of the transfers that  didn’t come to pass?


Here is a list of my top 25 non-transfers.

1.    Samuel Eto’o – Barcelona to assorted clubs. My biggest surprise when you consider that Barcelona was happy to see the back of the former African Player of the Year.  A clear indication that the top clubs believe Eto’o to be more trouble than he is worth.

2.    Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United to Hartlepool United. Forgiven but not forgotten and with cash from the Robinho in-hand we are sure to hear more in ten months time.
 
3.    Gareth Barry – Aston Villa to Liverpool. Wasn’t about the money? Right.

4.    Andrei Arshavin – Zenit St. Petersburg to Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur. You have to feel that Arshavin’s magical European Championship semi-final appearance against Spain cost him dear. Magical? He disappeared.

5.    Emmanuel Adebayor – Arsenal to Barcelona or Milan. So much press but just a reincarnation of numerous Patrick Vieira summers on a smaller scale.

6.    Xabi Alonso – Liverpool to Arsenal, Aston Villa, Juventus. Poor Rafa Benitez. Has to make do with one of the best passers of the ball in the Premiership – with both feet.

7.    David Villa – Valencia to Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid. Real Madrid was going to be his destination if it was to move but Valencia decided to continue their flirt with insolvency. Here’s betting that he will have to be sold at a much lower price than Valencia might have demanded coming off the Euros.

8.    David Silva – Valencia to Liverpool, Manchester United. Similar scenario to his teammate Villa. 

9.    Frank Lampard – Chelsea to Inter. Frank demanded a five-year deal and Chelsea with a back bone of jello gave it to him.

10.    Kaka – Milan to Chelsea. Good headlines but little chance that it was actually going to happen.

11.    Gennaro Gattuso – Milan to Bayern Munich. The German club seemed genuinely interested at the start of the summer but it faded quickly. The January transfer window might find Gattuso moving but not to Bayern Munich.

12.    Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – Ajax to assorted clubs. Every year Huntelaar is rumoured to be  a target for the big clubs of Europe. And every year nothing happens. I think the message is loud and clear.

13.    Adrian Mutu – Fiorentina to Roma. Mutu opted to keep faith with the side that resurrected his playing career but with a hefty invoice arriving soon from Chelsea Mutu might have to find funds quickly.

14.    Roque Santa Cruz - Blackburn Rovers to Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United. Another player showing some loyalty to a club that offered an opportunity when many would not.

15.    Thierry Henry – Barcelona to Seattle Sounders, New York Red Bulls, Manchester United. The most unbelievable rumours of the summer.

16.    Diego Forlan – Atletico Madrid to Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur. Forlan may have struck gold in Spain but he will never live down his spell at Manchester United. It would take a gutsy Premiership team to offer Forlan a second chance.

17.    Joao Moutinho – Sporting Lisbon to Everton. An on-going frustration for Everton but I can’t help but feel that Moutinho would not have filled Everton’s needs.

18.    Javier Saviola – Real Madrid to Newcastle. A summer has gone by and Saviola did not change clubs.

19.    Ruben de la Red – Real Madrid to Arsenal. Real Madrid is not so deep in great midfield players that they can afford to let de la Red slip away.

20.    Gokhan Inler – Udinese to Arsenal. Inler enjoyed an excellent European Championship for Switzerland and just signed a long-term deal with Udinese of Serie A.

21.    Branislav Ivanovic – Chelsea to Milan. Signed with a great deal of fanfare last January Ivanovic is on course to challenge Winston Bogarde as  Chelsea’s worst signings of all-time. He has been described as a versatile defender who is able to play any position on the bench if given a chance.

22.    Vagner Love – CSKA Moscow to Everton. This one enjoyed some prominence for a week or so in the form of  a loan deal or a transfer.

23.    Karim Benzema – Lyon to assorted clubs. The young man has showed a great deal of common sense by realizing that he is going to become a better player playing each game for Lyon rather than being rotated at another club. His time will come and it will be big money. (I wonder if he supported Manchester City as a boy?)

24.    Sergio Aguero – Atletico Madrid to assorted clubs. Sit back and wait for the English media to discover a player that by the time the World Cup comes around in 2010 will be regarded as one of the top five talents in the world.

25.    Luis Figo – Inter to UAE, MLS. Remember that back in January Figo was reported to have signed a contract to play in the Middle East? On Saturday there was Figo at 35 starting for Inter.



Newcastle
Whether Kevin Keegan has been fired or has resigned or will be taking training tomorrow doesn’t really matter. Newcastle continues to operate in a shambolic manner with owner Mike Ashley showing he would have trouble finding the ground if he fell out a tree – beer or no beer.

Ashley is another example of the misplaced faith that fans put in businessmen that have a “passion” for their club. It is the “passion” that causes the problem. Better to look for an owner who has a solid long-term plan rather than one who has a desire to kow-tow to the supporters.

I said in the pre-season preview that Ashley had “bit off more than he could chew” and “despite stories of how much money Keegan was to be given to bring new players to St. James’ there has been little indication these past months”.

Less than a month in and Ashley has admitted that he did not undertake any due diligence when buying the club and has been shocked at how much transfer money was owed in deferred payments. (Must have glass doors at St. James’).

Furthermore, it has become clear over the last week that the Newcastle board is willing to sanction the sale of players no matter what the manager thinks.

Czech Republic 2-3 Turkey

Czech coach Karel Bruckner recalled Jan Koller the lead the attack and it quickly paid off. A weakness in the centre of the Turkish defence was evident in their first two group games and in the early going Koller exploited it.

The Czech settled into a early rhythm as they looked to find Koller at every opportunity and to feed off his knock downs and flicks. However, the Czech tactics came with a price tag and it was the big striker who was footing the bill (I could have said writing the cheque!) as he took a battering from the Turkish back four.

Just as Turkey seemed to be finding their game with some tidy possession football the Czechs took a well-deserved lead. Galloping down the right side on the overlap Grygera whipped in a cross just behind Koller. The striker managed to reposition himself and the resulting header flew into the roof of the net.

The Czechs rode the goal to half time with Turkey showing little response to going a goal down. However, it was a very different Turkish side that came out for the second half and pressed the Czechs at every opportunity. Even when the Czechs went to up against the run of play it only served to reinvigorate a Turkey side that just would not give up.

The second Czech goal came after a quick free kick was fed out to Sionko who crossed invitingly to the far post. Plasil arrived at a rate of knots to complete a very smart move. Excellent goal.

But even at 2-0 there were the seeds of defeat in the Czechs play. Where in the first half the team pressed forward and allowed the likes Sionko, Matejovsky and Polak to support and feed off Koller, in the second half the Czechs lost that shape and large gaps started forming between midfield, Koller and the support strikers.

Koller’s legs were the first to go but he would not be the last. Incredibly, Bruckner stubbornly stuck with the first half goal scorer rather than looking to the likes of the mobile Baros or Sverkos the scorer of the winner against Switzerland. As the Czechs failed to hold possession up front the pressure mounted on the midfield and the defence as Turkey continued to swarm the Czechs at will.

With quarter of an hour left Arda Turan stepped up to give Turkey hope as he reduced the deficit  to one but still Bruckner stuck with Koller. Kadlec and Vlcek came on for Plasil and Sionko but neither moved threatened to turn the tide. Almost every Czech player was being outworked, out tackled and out fought by a younger and much fitter Turkish team.

However, with three minutes to go it looked as if the Czech Republic would hang on. Little did we realize that we still had the most astonishing finish since Spain scored twice in injury time to beat Yugoslavia 4-3 at Euro 2000 in store.

First Cech dropped a routine cross at the feet of Nihat who gratefully slipped the ball into an empty net.

Then just two minutes later the Turkish captain caught Jankulovski a step behind the other defenders, sprung the offside trap and thumped a shot over the oncoming Cech, off the underside of the bar and into the net.

Turkey led 3-2 but there was more still in store. A stramash in the Turkish box ended with the ball rolling wide of an empty goal but after it had gone out of play Demirel took a pop at Koller and deservedly got sent off. After having used all their substitutes, Turkey finished the match with ten men and with Tuncay Sanli in goal.

The Czechs leave the tournament after the coach who put them in a position to move on, in turn became the coach whose decision to stick with Jan Koller killed their chances.

Portugal 0-2 Switzerland

Switzerland finish bottom of Group A but leave the tournament with a win.

Comment of the Day
“But the pluses(for Portugal) are not merely Deco back on top form controlling midfield alongside Joao Moutinho, but also Cristiano Ronaldo, a player capable of turning games even if he is not playing especially well.

It feels like a Life of Brian “What did the Romans ever do for us?” comment, but aside from creating two goals and scoring one, Ronaldo did little against the Czechs. They almost succeeded in isolating him, but almost with Ronaldo is not enough.” – Jonathan Wilson in the Financial Times.


Other goings on
It is a World Cup qualifying weekend in Africa, Asia, South America and CONCACAF. There were a few shocks in Africa yesterday with Angola, Egypt, Ghana and Morocco all losing while Cameroon and the Ivory Coast both drew.

However, this is only the half way point in a preliminary qualifying stage so it might be a bit premature to think realistically that some of these countries are going to miss out on the first World Cup Finals in Africa.

The prelim stage has 12 groups with the winners and 8 best runners up moving onto a final; group stage of four teams in five groups. Winners will then join the host nation South Africa in 2010. World Cup qualifying in Africa also doubles up for the African Cup of Nations Finals and that is why South Africa is involved.

An update of the current group standings in Africa can be found by following the link.


One country that will not be in South Africa in two years time is 2002 qualifiers China. Consecutive losses to Qatar and yesterday to Iraq put paid to Chinese hopes. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, North and South Korea, Bahrain and Uzbekistan are all guaranteed a place in the final stage of Asia qualifying.

The remaining two places will be decided next weekend with Iraq up against Qatar in Group 1 and UAE or Syria in Group 5.

An update of the current group standings in Asia can be found by following the link.


Two games in South American qualifying were played yesterday and both finished in 1-1 draws – Uruguay at home to Venezuela and Peru at home to Colombia. The other games scheduled for today are Paraguay vs. Brazil; Argentina vs. Ecuador; Bolivia vs. Chile.

Yesterday’s draw puts Venezuela into fifth place in the group (a place above Uruguay) and they have a solid chance of maintaining that position after today’s games.

Paraguay could give Brazil are real run for their money I fancy.

An update of the current group standings in CONMEBOL can be found by following the link.


And last but definitely not least we have CONCACAF qualifying. Canada hopes to start a journey that will conclude with their first appearance at the World Cup finals since 1986 while the USA want to make it six consecutive appearances at the finals.

This preliminary round generally keeps the traditionally more powerful nations apart and matches then with non-traditional soccer powers in a home and away series. The chances of a real shock or two are not high but from time to time the bigger countries only squeak past the “minnows”.

Costa Rica made it to Germany in 2006 but they had to rely on the away goals rule to get past Cuba at this stage four years ago. And after yesterday’s result against Grenada they may have a tough time again.

Costa Rica was down 2-0 after less than thirty minutes before finally drawing 2-2 in St Georges. So a warning to Canada (vs. St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and to the USA (vs. Barbados) who both play today.

Honduras is already through to the next stage after drawing 2-2 with Puerto Rico yesterday after winning the first leg 4-0.

A CONCACAF schedule and scores to date can be found by following the link.

The Fink Tank lists the best Premiership players based on statistical anlaysis.

The Times transfer talk. Everton linked with American Frankie Simek. Remember if 5% of these deals are done it will be a miracle. 

A look at the Premiership wage bill.

Bill Edgar with more statistics.

A post-season review of Bundesliga strikers.

Matt Scott says that a report suggests that “New riches may lift Premiership also-rans to the fore.” It seems to me that if this is true the one thing that the mid-table clubs then need is proven managerial talent.

A powerful profile of Sinisa Mihajlovic by Jonathan Wilson.

And now to the matches. The European qualifiers dominate although if the truth be told there are very few games that capture your attention.
 
Here are the best of them and you catch-up on the group standings by following the link. 

In Group A Belgium must beat Portugal to maintain any realistic chance of finishing second. Goal scoring is a problem for the Belgians and they are also missing Bayern Munich defender Daniel Van Buyten through injury. Portugal will be missing Simão while Cristiano Ronaldo is suspended. Portugal currently leads Belgium by four points.

Finland against Serbia in Helsinki is a real six pointer with both countries tied on 11 points after six games and with only a single loss each. What is more they have both slipped on banana skins in the not too distant past. Serbia lost to Kazakhstan 2-1 in March while Finland’ lost away to Azerbaijan 1-0. Giant Serb striker Nikola Žigic  is suspended for this one.

Ukraine and France are tied at the top of Group B (Scotland has the same number of points but a game more played) and are two ahead of fourth place Italy. Both countries will be missing important players for the match in Paris. Olexandr Kucher, Andriy Shevchenko, Artem Milevskiy and Sergi Rebrov are all absent for Ukraine while Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Willy Sagnol and Louis Saha are all crocked and unavailable to France. Scotland does not play until Wednesday while Italy travels to Lithuania looking to improve on the draw between the teams the first go round.

Bosnia-Herzegovina needs to find a way to stop a Turkey side that has only dropped two points in the first five games and leads Group C. Bosnia-Herzegovina is six points behind the Turks and five behind second place Greece and started poorly in the early qualification games. A 2-1 win in Oslo against Norway provided fresh hope but a loss will leave them hoping for a minor miracle in order to finish second. Two Premiership players are in Turkey’s squad – Emre (Newcastle) and Colin Kazim-Richards (Sheffield United). 
 
UEFA.com wins the prize for the headline of the week - “San Marino short in attack.” Here is a quick synopsis of San Marino’s campaign so far. They have an outstanding chance to break their own record for the worst European Championship qualifying campaign. All five matches to date have been lost with an average margin of defeat of a little under 6 goals. This is even worse than their 2000 qualification campaign that saw no points and an average loss by 5.4 goals. Attack would seem to be a secondary problem. Oh yes I forgot. They play Germany this weekend on FSC – the last time Germany won 13-0. If only the San Marino forwards had done better!!

Ryan Giggs plays his final game (#64 and this one against the Czech Republic) for Wales in an international career that has been largely about fighting lost causes. During his time a play-off loss to Russia in the Euro 2004 was about as near as Wales has come to qualifying for either the Euros or the World Cup. Freddy Eastwood (Southend) has been called up to the Welsh squad. He qualifies through the Grandpa rule.

In Group E both Croatia and Israel should pick up full points against Estonia and Macedonia respectively. The big match in this section will be on Wednesday and will be in Zagreb when Russia plays Croatia. While Beckham’s return hogs the headlines the Croatia - Russia game might have a bigger impact on England’s chances.

Denmark versus Sweden looks to be one of the few standout matches. Northern Ireland sits atop Group F but are idle this weekend and on Wednesday of next week. Denmark has a game in hand on Sweden and Spain and has played two games less than NI. A Danish win – and a Spain win against Latvia – could create a logjam at the top of this group. Denmark have called up Morten 'Duncan' Rasmussen who gets his nickname from a similar style to the former Everton striker. Something to look forward to!!

Group leaders the Netherlands sit out this Saturday and Wednesday. Hristo Stoitchkov’s interim replacement Stanimir Stoilov has omitted Juventus striker Valeri Bozhinov from the Bulgarian squad for the away and home games against Belarus. Bulgaria dropped what could become tow crucial points when they drew at home to Albania in March 0-0. Belarus took only a single point from their first three games but have since beaten Slovenia and Luxembourg in the last two. Another win could add Belarus to what originally looked to be a three-way race.

In MLS Toronto faces Colorado Rapids without three Canadian players who have already reported to the national team for the Gold Cup. They are still without Carl Robinson (Wales vs. Czech Republic) although young centre-back Andrew Boyens is available after missing last weekend’s draw with the Columbus Crew. Boyen was on international duty with New Zealand against Robinson and Wales. 

Goalkeeper Greg Sutton appears to be the largest hole to fill with replacement Srdjan Djekanovic having only very limited experience. The Rapids are on a hot streak with two wins and two draws in the last four matches although they have only averaged a goal a game.

LA Galaxy plays DC United and is another team that will be missing Canadian players - Kevin Harmse and Ante Jazic. However they can still call on American Landon Donovan who doesn’t have to report to the USA camp until Monday. The Beckham headlines seem to be blurring the fact that this is a LA team that just isn’t getting results.

Six games have brought only one win, five points and four have come from two games against Chivas. Coach Frank Yallop will also be without defender Chris Albright may miss most of the rest of the season after suffering a severe hamstring injury. Midfielder Kyle Martino is suspended after a red card last week and LA may have trouble putting together a full bench! DC has won their last three games and has taken ten points from their last four games.

The game of the weekend in MLS is Kansas City Wizards hosting New York Red Bulls. Defensively the RED Bulls have been a solid unit – or a series of solid units. They have only conceded four goals in 8 games (5 shut outs), even though the back four has been a bit of a revolving door with multiple changes common. It is a marked improvement on last season that saw 15 goals against over the first eight games.  Kansas City is a point behind the Revolution and Red Bulls in the Eastern Standings and has played the same number of games as Red Bulls, and one less than New England.

 

Henry14 - Q1 What do you make of Kroenke guy's increase in stake, what do think are his intentions?
Q2 l saw Milan and they are really catching form at the right moment do you see them having a shout out red hot united because l feel Inzaghi and Gilardino are not good enough for Milan. Do you feel that the second leg being at Milan can be a disadvantage for United?
Q3 What do you make the kissing and hugs of Roman and Jose?
Q4 l do not feel the premier league is the best league because they are four teams that really and this season two that are in the title hunt were as in Germany and Spain the race is interesting which do you think is the best league and what does it take for the premiership to have a four way race?

Bobby – 1. To state the blindingly obvious Stan Kroenke's intention is to make money. The question is how will he go about it? He could be looking to take the club over himself and his present stake gives him a foothold. Second option is that he thinks someone will come along to buy the club and he will be able to turn a profit on his present stake – the JP McManus/John Magnier Manchester United strategy. The third possibility is that he foresees a battle for control coming from multiple sources and he might want to position himself as a potential “kingmaker”.
Q2 – Two seasons ago I picked United to beat Milan because I didn’t think that Milan could control Giggs and Ronaldo – they did it with ease and went through to the final. Milan have got better as the competition has progressed and I thought they looked very comfortable in beating Bayern Munich in the second leg. As for Inzaghi and Gilardino not being good enough for Milan – it doesn’t really matter one way or another at the moment as these are the boys that Ancelotti will have to go with. I wouldn’t bet against either or both scoring against United. At this stage I am not sure that home or away second really makes any difference although given a preference I would take the first leg at home.
Q3 – I choose not to read any of the Abramovich/Mourinho soap opera stories.
Q4 – I have never understood the argument/discussion about what constitutes the “best-league” without spending an eternity over the definition of best. If the point is what league is the strongest then based on performances over the last four or five years the answer is Spain. It might marginally help the marketing guys to say that their league is the best but the bottom line is that if spectators and TV viewers don’t find the league exciting or engaging they won’t watch it. Soccer is a game that can be enjoyed at every level so I am constantly amazed at the number of so called fans that tell you that they hate such-and-such a league because it is ####. You don’t need two teams with great technical ability to provide an entertaining spectacle – that is part of the beauty of the game. 

RINGO - How many non-league teams have won the FA Cup?

Bobby – As Venti_vidi_vici answered – Tottenham. It was actually part of the FA Cup preview article a few weeks back before Chelsea played Spurs in the quarter final. One piece of trivia to add to Spurs 1901 Cup win. Spurs started the tradition of hanging club colour ribbons to the trophy.

RINGO - I was just listening to the Thursday podcast of World Soccer Daily and they played another Mourinho parody, could you please post the address like last time?

Bobby – There seems to be a few of them out there. Check out the link.  

Spike24 - There's a little controversy brewing among Reading supporters over whether we should be trying to secure a place in European competition this year or not. Some are disappointed that it seems we've given up on it, while others thing trying to get there would be too much too soon. Which way do you think Reading should be going? Knowing of course that Coppell is too smart to pull an Ipswich even if we were to qualify.

Bobby – I don’t any team is going to give up on a chance to play in Europe even though it might be considered “too early”. Reading have made great progress this season but the real test will be year two as so many teams have found out. It looks like Sidwell will be moving on and that will leave a big hole to fill. I sense that a couple of defenders might also be on the summer shopping list.

Gongatore - Can you chat a bit about what makes a player like Keano be able to lead a side like Sunderland to success so quickly? Does being coached by Sir Alex for all those years and his influence have much sway here?
Also how much has Sheva contributed to making Drogba a better player this year?

Bobby – Given his record as a player then I can imagine (and has earned) that he has garnered instant respect from the players. After losing their first four games he also came into a situation where the players were looking for leadership and bought into his ideas. If you look at the number of times Sunderland have come back to win or turned a draw into a win this year then I think that is a strong indication of the confidence and drive that he has instilled in the players. He has also made some very good moves in the transfer market. Character players have been brought in while others have been moved on – I think something like 14 players have moved in or out since Keane arrived.

You have to remember that Keane’s first professional coach in England was Brian Clough so he has played under tow of the very best who have ever managed in England.

The Sheva/Drogba question has come up before and I do think that Shevchenko’s presence has helped Drogba although Drogba has been awesome this season.

henry14 - What do you think about the new Arsenal kit for 2007 which has petitions for rejection.

Bobby – I don’t think very much of it but there again kits have never been a big thing for me.

Venti_vidi_vici - I have a great deal of respect for the job Martin Jol has done at Spurs given his relative inexperience, especially the record performance last year when they pushed Arsenal all the way in the battle for fourth place. Is his job in jeopardy, especially if he misses out on Europe in a season where the goal was fourth place?

Do you think there is any possibility that the FA Cup final will be moved back a week, particularly if the same two teams are in the UCL final? Unfortunately having the FA Cup final a few days before the UCL final could force one or both of the managers to keep key players out of the Wembley showdown. Furthermore England doesn’t play a qualifier on 2-June, then visit Estonia on 6-June.

Bobby – If Tottenham had not turned their domestic season around then I think Jol would have already been gone. I would be surprised if he was fired now. Spurs have been very entertaining over the last few months and I think the fans – although disappointed with the overall results – would be disappointed if he was let go. There again the North London derby does go this Saturday.

There is no way that the FA Cup final will be moved nor do I see either manager resting players. 

Verbal97 - Where do you think Michael Owen will be getting treatment next year - Newcastle or is there a chance he'll go to Old Toilet. If he goes to Man U, he might as well burn down Anfield.

Bobby – If Manchester United were going to sign Michael Owen surely they would have done that before he moved to St James’ Park rather than waiting till after he has missed almost a full year due to injury. That rumour is one of the most bizarre of the season.

Gunner44 - My question to you is do you think Giggs deserves to be nominated or should Vidic be the one nominated or even Essien?

Also who would you pick if you starting a team next season C. Ronaldo or Kaka if given the choice at the end of this season? Explain why?

Bobby – It is always more difficult for a defender to get the nod over an attacking player. Giggs – and Scholes – have both turned back the years this season so I find it difficult to say that they do not deserve the nominations. Essien has been terrific this season and I would agree that he is very unlucky not to be considered. I would say the same of Ricardo Carvalho.
My choice would Cristiano Ronaldo over Kaka as I think he is a bit more versatile and a bit more willing to impose himself on a game. However, if I was a manager I would not be complaining if Kaka arrived at my door one day asking for a game.

Carneade - Have you ever heard of this "Unofficial Football World Championships" ?

Bobby – We talked about this on the Fox Soccer Report during the last Euro qualifying week of games. We mentioned that Scotland was in a position to become the “World Champions” if they beat Georgia but in turn Italy had the opportunity to hold both crown simultaneously if they then beat Scotland. And that is how it turned out.

djnima19 - Last week I heard Steve Cohen and Nick Geber (your fellow pundits at FSC) call for Italian clubs as well as the national team to be banned from all UEFA matches for a couple of years due to the violence from ultras, lax match fixing, and corruption. He noted that Juve are well back on their way to Serie a, and that one of the execs at Juve who resigned now sits on the Italian FA. Do you believe something that harsh is justified and if enforced, would it improve Serie A in the long run? He mentioned the England ban and how it improved the league.

Bobby – Last things first. After the Heysel disaster in 1985 the FA – under pressure from the UK government – withdrew English teams from European competition. UEFA banned English clubs – not the national team – from European competition after the FA withdrawal. Linking the ban on English clubs to how the league improved is not something that history supports. It is widely acknowledged that the turning point in the English game was the Taylor Report into the Hillsborough Disaster which had nothing to do with hooliganism. The Taylor Report recommended the upgrading of stadia including all-seater facilities for the top leagues in England and Scotland and that recommendation was pivotal in turning the game around in England. The Premier League, Sky TV etc are other critical elements but the Taylor Report was the first important step.

In fact the Taylor Report played a critical role in killing off a Thatcher government proposal that would have required all fans attending games in England to carry identity cards. This was the governments answer to combating hooliganism.

Suggesting that Italian football would be cleaned up if the national team and clubs were banned from European competition because it helped clean up the English game is faulty logic at best.

Finally if you cast your mind back to Euro 2000 which country was it that would have likely got tossed from the competition because of hooliganism but, as it was, they failed to qualify from the group stage – England was it not.

Henry 14 - What do you make of the claim that the Prem is becoming an old firm with United and Chelsea dominating an Liverpool to a certain extent, but there is a feeling that Arsenal are surely the club that could easily lose their top 4 status which to some extent l painfully agree with.

Bobby – The game has always had era’s of dominating teams and this one is no different. Check out how many league titles Liverpool won in the 70’s and 80’s.

MasMaz - Would like you to drop your objectivity, which you never do, and comment on Roy Keane. I believe you are a closet Man U supporter. What is your opinion of him? As a player and as a man.
-And do you think Henry will be back next year?

Bobby – MasMaz join the line up behind the others who think I am a Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs, and Celtic fan! Keane was a fantastic player – one of the best I have ever seen – and he looks as if he could become a fascinating manager – as someone said he seems to have reinvented himself. However, I read his book and I thought it full of self-justification. Yes – Henry will be back next season even if he has to play full back.

Verbal97 - Beasley has just scored against Arsenal, which makes it 4 goals in 18 apps, not bad for a winger on Man City. He was easily the player of the match, though it was a dire match, against Liverpool. Why wouldn't Pearce, who made some cryptic comments yesterday, not want to make his loan deal permanent? He's got more goals than in 10 starts/18 apps than Corradi (a striker) does in 23 starts/28 apps, even on goals with Vassell (another striker) who has started 27 times/31 apps, and just 2 fewer than leading striker Samaras, who's started 19 times/38 apps.

Bobby – We don’t know what sort of money PSV is looking at plus we don’t really know how Beasley has applied himself since moving to City. Beasley has the pace and ability but something went wrong after a great start in Holland. However, I would hope that he does stick around and City signs him permanently.

Over the next few weeks I will be looking to develop a weekend preview piece. A few games will be highlighted and there is of course the opportuntity  for readers to provide comments as they see fit.

Manchester United vs. Bolton and Chelsea vs. Sheffield United.........obviously United and Chelsea start as favourites. Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to battle it out for the Player of the Year Award.

At the over end the table Manchester City faces Middlesbrough. Based on their past record things don't look good for Stuart Pearce and City. City have lost 5 straight Premiership games have not won in 7 visits to Middlesbrough with 5 losses and 2 draws.  In the Premiership City have only beaten Boro once in 15 games. These games are generally low scoring with only 4 goals in their last 4 games.

Watford are the latest team to try and tame the Tottenham Hotspur scoring machine and in particular Dimitar Berbetov. Watford with a win and two draws in their last four have equaled their best run of the season. Spurs appear to have given up stopping goals going in and have reverted to scoring more than the opposition - an interesting idea. The last time Spurs earned a shut out in the Premiership was back at the end of October against Watford in a scoreless draw.

In the Championship the race for promotion continues to be tighter than a Scotsman. At the bottom of the table it is the same thing. Luton have dropped into the relegation zone and Mike Newell was fired this week. Two teams trying to save thenmselves from slipping into League One clash this weekend when Southend United plays Leeds United. Oh how the once mighty have fallen.

Schalke 04 v VfB Stuttgart (Bundesliga), Lazio v Empoli (Serie A), Recreativo Huelva v Barcelona (La Liga), and Porto vs. Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) appear to be the pick of games on the continent.

 

 

 

Jonathan Wilson on the failure of Russian clubs to prosper in the Champions league after CSKA Moscow’s 2005 UEFA Cup victory.

This goes to show that we are stuck with penalty kicks as a way to decide games – God’s will.

The Knowledge in the Guardian has a list of the fastest recorded shots.

Ian Hawkey takes a look at the Real Madrid – Bayern Munich Champions League clash through the eyes of Franz Beckenbauer. 

Michael Grant writes about the decline on Leeds United.

Rob Hughes – scouting for talent.

Gary Lineker on Cristiano Ronaldo.

British players’ behaviour abroad by Tony Cascarino.

And finally the draw for the quarter finals of the FA Cup…..

Middlesbrough or West Brom vs. Manchester United or Reading.
Arsenal or Blackburn vs. Manchester City
Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Plymouth vs. Watford

Plymouth lost to Watford in the semi final in 1984 and narrowly missed out on becoming the only Third Division side to make it to the Final.

GunnersFan1   - Re: Jack Warner. I feel this is an absolute disgrace that a top FIFA official would do this. I think this hurts FIFA and CONCACAF so many ways. Jack Warner needs to go and I don't care if he's fired or resigns but FIFA needs to deal with him immediately. What do you think should happen? And your thoughts about this travesty? Will this hurt Blatter/CONCACAF?

Bobby – What should happen and what will happen are probably two different things. The Botswana official was taken care off during the World Cup within a matter of hours but look for Warner to escape again. He’s a Blatter ally – and is supported by the Canadian Soccer Association as well as the USSF I believe – so he probably knows where other bodies are buried so Sepp will find a way to get him off the hook.

Tremelo3 - I think Peter Crouch fits perfectly into England's system of play. Pretty much all of the goals he has scored for England have been created by someone else from the midfield or the wings. Crouch puts himself in the right position to get the goals. The whole name of the game is scoring goals, no matter how it is done and I think Crouch will continue to score goals for England as long as their midfield stays strong.My question is do you think that his performance for England lately is actually raising expectations of him? Some people just seem to think it is a fluke.

kirbym - First time I saw Crouch, I said something like "This guy's no Jan Koller." Then, "Don't dwell on his awkwardness, look at the results." So far my main complaint is the number of "soft" goals he has scored, against poor competition or poor marking. Yet lately he's had a couple in traffic that showed deft footwork, and that bicycle kick...a new record for "radius"? Too early to render judgment, but for now, the man is living a charmed life. Mothers, get your tall gangly sons off the basketball court and onto a football pitch!

Bobby – I am not convinced that Peter Crouch is a world class striker and don’t believe the rubbish that he will go on to beat Bobby Charlton’s English record. His English statistics just don’t fit with his club statistics. I have seen plenty of players who have done well at club level only to dry up when they move into the national team. But I cannot recall of someone achieving the opposite like Crouch. His Premiership record of less than a goal every three matches does not come close to that of players commonly regarded as top level strikers.  I think he compares with the likes of Duncan Ferguson and John Hartson – big, awkward and a handful  for defenders but never likely to come close to an average o####oal every second game or so.  He is riding the crest at the moment for England but he will never come close to that kind of form in the Premiership. For those who are ready to point out that he disrupts defenses and creates chances for his teammates – well the statistics don’t show that either. His assist rate in the Premiership is around 1 every 4 games and none of the Premiership sides he has played for seem to have had a blip in scoring when he has been playing.

USAenglandfan - I have a question for you guys about Man U's game against Tottenham. I thought Man U stunk up the field for the most part, largely due to Louis Saha. What is with this guy?? I was convinced he was going to light the Prem on fire this season after the first 3 games, then against Spurs he reminds everyone why he should never be considered Ruud's replacement. He is twice the athlete that Ruud is and a trickier dribbler, but wow what a hot and cold player. 1 on 1 with Robinson, and he fluffs it like a down pillow. Beautiful chance to cross to Ronaldo, and he shoots it into planetary orbit... Does this team need a new striker to win anything this year? Also, is there any chance Jermaine Defoe will ever be able to couple his tremendous athletic ability and killer ball control with consistent finishing? I love this guy, but it absolutely kills me to see him proving Martin Jol right to leave him on the bench.

Bobby – Many strikers are hot and cold and Saha is a prime example. I guess SAF believes his movement makes up for his inconsistency. A player like Saha might struggle from time to time to score but he has excellent movement so others are still liable to get chances on account of his work off the ball. As for Jermaine Defoe it looks like he may have topped out at Spurs and he might need to find a new home.

LosAngelesChelseaFan - As I understand it, tomorrow, the FA/FPL will decide whether Chelsea have a case to answer against Bates claim that Chelsea illegally got their hands on some young Leeds players. Sounds like it’s pretty muddied, by Bates press meeting slurs, and the result will no doubt depend on internal FA politics etc. As many will know, Chelsea are sitting on a 3 point suspended penalty. If Chelsea are eventually found guilty (probably with additional point deductions), is there a precedent for when the penalty would be applied (i.e. this season or next)? Do you think that the FA will bury the whole thing?

Bobby – I think you are getting a bit ahead of yourself on this one.  First is there a case, then is Chelsea guilty and to what degree are they guilty? As for applying a 3 point penalty – that would be up to the FA to decide either way.

djmima - I was watching the Villa vs. West Ham match and I must say I was pleased with the performance put in by Stilian Petrov. He was totally robbed off what would have been a cheeky finish. How much success do you think Villa will have this season? In particular, how well do you think Petrov will do?

Bobby – The biggest problem for Martin O’Neill is trying to manage everyone's expectations given the start that Villa has made. They are simply unrecognizable from last season. I think Petrov will do very well in the Premiership – he is coming into his peak years and is very experienced. He will cause problems for Premiership defenses and the midfielders who are supposed to pick up his runs.

LosAngelesChelseaFan - I just heard you commenting on Lampard's poor play on FSWR. Here's what I've noticed and I'd be interested on your thoughts.Watching Frank Lampard this year something jumps out for me about his ball striking. Last season he hit through the ball fluently, with great confidence. This year he seems to be steering the ball most of the time. This works well for one-touch play and long ball delivery which looks as good as ever. It doesn't work for shooting, where the power of his shots seems reduced and telegraphed. I saw this twice on Saturday. Does this make any sense to you? Is this something deliberate in his coaching?

Bobby – Could it simply be that he is tired and that is having an impact on his play and technique? I am absolutely amazed at the number of games he has played over the last three or four seasons.

davard - I figured I'd throw you a slight curve here, expand the consciousness and scope of the discussion. A bit more philosophical, perhaps metaphysical, definitely mathematical aspect of futbol analysis. My question to you is this: What is the average score of a soccer game?If you went and totaled EVERY game EVER played, in home and away sides, and divided by the # of games, what would the overall average score be? Sure, International championships and Cup finals are neutral siters, so factor your own formula to include or exclude those games, as they do not constitute the majority of competition.
My guess is Home Team 1.9, Visiting Team 1.8. The sheer magnitude of games must eventually balance out both sides. Surely they are almost equal, but I would give advantage to All Time Home Team by .1 .I obviously don't expect exact figures, but an educated guess would intrigue me.

Bobby  - My initial reaction is that you have underestimated the net difference in goals between the home and away sides. My second thought was that I hope you enjoy adding all the goals up and I look forward to hearing the answer sometime next decade.

henry14 - As the week nearly comes up to the most important game in any Barclays English season, Man U vs. Arsenal , do you think who ever wins will take pride from this reguard s to arsenal's position and will it live to the hype given that the two teams are at different ends of the spectrum. One last thing bobby comment on Arsene Wenger's French policy in the midst of Ashley Cole accusing him of giving to much power to the French guys. Bobby the sun says Cesc is going to earn $85000 a week, and as much as l hate Ashley l think Wenger has a certain favoritism, they paid him $110000 a week when he was the best left back in the world, and can you imagine what Cesc will be earning in two let alone five years time, l think Wenger treats other players better than others. I think if you read the sun you will see that Cashely was saying some sensible things, also about team spirit. What your thoughts

Bobby – Is it still the most important game of the English season? It was when it was down to just these two but I am not so sure you can say the same thing now.
I think Ashley Cole's main interest is selling his book so I would not put too much credence on his remarks.  

buffytvs - my understanding is that the rules on penalty kicks require the kicker to take an uninterrupted run at the ball, yet we see stutter steps, stops and starts, etc. routinely (Figo used to be one of the worst). If I'm right, why don't you ever see a ref call it? They're making the goalies stay on the line now, why not make the kicker do it properly too?

Bobby – The rule about an uninterrupted run was changed a few years ago.

realmadridcffan Two quick questions. - 1. Out of the 32 teams in the UEFA Champions League, which of the teams will be the most disappointing and not make it to the knockout stage? 2. What do you think of the rumour about the 2007 Copa America expanding to 16 teams. The rumor that I have read was that if it does come to pass, it could be the usual ten South American teams; Plus the top 4 teams from the CONCACAF world cup qualifying (U.S.A, Mexico, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago) and possibly Portugal and Spain, thus making it 16 teams.

Bobby – Question number 1, I can’t see any of the big dogs missing out. Mourinho says any one of ten teams could win the competition and he’s spot-on. Question 2 – I wrote a piece in 2002 for “When Saturday Comes” advocating a true Copa America with full qualification rounds involving CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. However the “rumour” just seems to be a rehash of the present system of invited guest teams but with four more countries involved.

AlexMorph - About a week ago I was looking at some old stuff and Denilson's name came up. After a short search I couldn't find anywhere that he was playing--until today when the FS gossip column claims 'Arry could be in for him. I also remember back in 1998 all these magazines were including him in their 'world best 11' seemingly out of nowhere. Do you know what his shortcomings were, why his time in the spotlight was so brief, and in your opinion does he still have something to offer?

Bobby - I must admit I have not seen too much of him but what I have seen he plays with his head down and his first instinct is to dribble. However, he was once the most expensive player in the world so he might be worth a gamble by Portsmouth. I think he was on-loan at Bordeaux last season from Real Betis but I am not certain of that.