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.

The Glazers are said to be looking at another refinancing of the Manchester United’s debt.

UEFA has created a shortlist of stadiums that are bidding to host the 2010 and 2011 Champions League and UEFA Cup.

Tony Cascarino on players who have played for Sir Alex Ferguson and gone on to management. 

Wednesday marked the 150th anniversary of the founding in Sheffield of the world’s first football team. Three years later another team was formed and likely 30 seconds later there was the first disagreement over a referee’s decision.

The new Canadian Soccer Association President hopes to turn the situation around in few months. He may hope that but his first public statement makes it sound like the CSA has another leader who believes that rearranging the deck chairs will save the ship. A few years is a more realistic estimate and that is only with a charismatic leader who can speak to a grander vision. The new President apparently has a medical background; next step a priest?

 

Two contrasting performances in Europe in midweek provide the backdrop to Arsenal’s visit to Anfield. No matter how poor the opposition may or may not have been on Tuesday, the bottom line was that Arsenal put on a classic display of speed and precision passing that is rarely seen.

Theo Walcott has attracted a lot of attention on account of his display against Slavia Prague (and as substitute last week versus Bolton) and Cesc Fabregas has been rightfully singled out for the start he has made to the season. But Alexandre Hleb also deserves mention. Wenger initially played him on the right side of midfield but from time to time he has been used in what might be considered the “Bergkamp” role – playing just behind the striker.  On song he is a marvelous player to watch.

Arsenal’s record at Anfield in the Premiership has been poor with Liverpool picking up 9 wins and 3 draws in 15 matches. Both teams are unbeaten in the Premiership this season but Liverpool’s four draws against Arsenal’s one has them trailing the league leaders by six points after nine games.

A home loss would not be the end of Liverpool’s title hopes but it would certainly heap more pressure on the shoulders of Rafa Benitez - the bookies cut the odds on him being fired from 33-1 to 14-1 on the back of the loss to Besiktas this week. The fact that Liverpool needs the win and Arsenal are bound to hit a back game sooner or later makes me think that the gap between the two will be down to three points after this one is finished.

Manchester City leaves the friendly confines of the City of Manchester Stadium and travels south to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. City currently sits third in the Premiership with 18 of 22 points coming at home. A 100% home record contrasts starkly with four points from four away games. On top of that recent history is heavily in Chelsea’s favour.

City has only scored once in the last ten Premiership meetings (an Anelka penalty winner was only defeat suffered by Chelsea in the 2004/05 season) while on the last five league visits to Stamford Bridge City have lost four games and conceded 11 goals.

But, there again, City have not had too many players of the quality of Elano available to them over that time. Much has been made of Chelsea’s mini-revival under Avram Grant and if it is to continue then Elano will have to be controlled. The Brazilian has been involved in 9 of City’s 15 goals this season.

Short Corners – Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last four league visits to Old Trafford – 3 draws and a win. Last week’s win for Portsmouth over Wigan meant four straight Premiership wins – a first for Pompey. Martin Jol was in charge at WHL for a week short of 3 years. His Premiership record in that time was 113 games, 47 wins, 30 draws and 36 losses with estimated net spending of around $70M. Newcastle visits Reading hoping that the home team’s defense is still in a giving mood.  Newcastle are currently sitting 8th but in nine games the only team they have played that is currently above them is Manchester City. Can someone please explain to me why Bolton has hired Gary Megson? If you’re drowning surely the last thing you need is a concrete block.

MLS play-offs started on Thursday night and continue this weekend. The New England Revolution faces the New York Red Bulls with neither team having finished the season in  grand style. Between the two teams they  combined for only three wins in their last 12 matches. Both teams have struggled away from home this season with the Revolution without a win since August 19 while the Red Bulls only won three away games and they all came before mid-July.

Conversely both teams have relied on solid home records with the Red Bulls averaging 2 points a game with New England just a shade below that mark. In terms of goals NYRBs look to Angel and Altidore.  They finished the regular season as the leagues top scoring duo with 28 goals between them (19 and 9). However, Taylor Twellman (15 goals) and Pat Noonan (7 goals) of New England are no slouches. If New England has a concern then it might be down to a scoring drought from the supporting cast. Andy Dorman’s last goal was in mid-July (the only goal of the game against Red Bulls) while Sharlie Joseph and Adam Cristman are not far behind having gone 13 and 11 games without a goal.

In Italy the game of the weekend is Milan at home against Roma. Both teams won in midweek in the Champions League and will be looking to build on that success. Roma have three draws and a loss in their last five Serie A matches and trail league leaders Inter by five points.

It’s doubtful that the schedulers could have come up with a more difficult fixture list for Roma if they had tried. Roma started with Juventus on the second last weekend of September and since then have played Fiorentina, Inter, Parma and Napoli. After Milan the Rome derby against Lazio beckons on October 31.

But for any neutral fan it has been a treat. Over the five games there have been 24 goals with scoring split evenly 12 for Roma and 12 for the opposition. Roma started the season with three clean sheets but are now in the position that only three teams in Serie A have conceded more goals.

Milan have had their own struggles with only two wins in eight games and a general malaise in their league performances. Last season they could look to an eight points deduction that left them adrift but there is no such excuse this season.The results between these two sides have gone back and forward over the last few seasons. But, with the exception of one match, the encounters have been close with eight of the last nine Serie A games being decided by no more than a goal. 

 

 

 

Sepp Blatter thinks that this is the best ever World Cup – but there again he would.

Meanwhile a number of columnists, commentators, and bloggers have already taken this World Cup to the garbage dump. Maybe it is premature either way given that we are only at the quarter final stage.

My first vivid memories of a World Cup was 1966 and here is how I would rate the past editions (best to worst):

1974 - Memories - The Dutch and Cruyff.

Outstanding games - Brazil vs. Scotland, Poland vs. Argentina, Netherlands vs. Argentina, West Germany vs. Sweden, West Germany vs. Netherlands.

1986 - Memories – Maradona, Peter Beardsley.

Outstanding games - Denmark vs. Uruguay, Denmark vs. Spain, England vs. Poland, Denmark vs. Spain, Argentina vs. England, Brazil vs. France, Argentina vs. W. Germany

1970 -  Memories – Brazil, Bobby Moore, Uwe Seeler, the first British TV panel of experts on ITV.

Outstanding games - England vs. Brazil, W. Germany vs. England, W. Germany vs. Italy, Brazil vs. Peru.

1982 – Memories – Northern Ireland, the French midfield, Paulo Rossi, Falcao.

 Outstanding games – England vs. France, Northern Ireland vs. Spain, Brazil vs. Scotland, Italy vs. Brazil, W. Germany vs. France.

1966 - Memories – North Koreans, Eusebio, Beckenbauer and Geoff Hurst.

Outstanding games W. Germany vs. Switzerland, Portugal vs. Hungary, Portugal vs. Brazil, North Korea vs. Italy, Portugal vs. North Korea, England vs. West Germany

2002 – Memories – South Korean fans, Oliver Kahn, and Ronaldo.

Outstanding games – France vs. Senegal, Senegal vs. Uruguay, Costa Rica vs. Brazil, Argentina vs. England, USA vs. Mexico, South Korea vs. Italy, England vs. Brazil.

1994 - Memories – Romario and George Haghi.

Outstanding games - USA vs. Colombia, Spain vs. South Korea, Nigeria vs. Bulgaria, Bulgaria vs. W. Germany.

 1998 – Memories – Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desaily, Dennis Bergkamp.

Outstanding games – Nigeria vs. Denmark, Argentina vs, England, Netherlands vs. Argentina, Brazil vs. Netherlands, France vs. Brazil.

1978 - Memories - Ossie Ardilles, Mario Kempes and Leopoldo Luque.

Outstanding games - Italy vs. France, Italy vs. Argentina, Sweden vs. Brazil, Netherlands vs. Scotland, Netherlands vs. Italy.

1990 – Cameroon and Group F (F for frigging awful, 7 goals in 6 games).

Outstanding games – W. Germany vs. Netherlands, Republic of Ireland vs. Romania, England vs. Cameroon.