Henry14 - I wanted to ask a couple of questions because we had a heated exchange with my friends
q1 Do Arsenal need a striker? My argument was that as much as l like Ade you do not get the feeling that he will do it again and l think Wenger is with me when he said he over achieved. Walcott and Bendtner are not consistent and l agree with you he is more of a winger than striker and rvp is always crocked q2 Wenger is said to buy a defender assuming that he is a shoe in who would get rid of Gallas or Toure? l would take Toure any day.
Bobby – Q1 – Arsenal do not need another striker, certainly not when you consider that Achilles heel this season was the defence and their overall depth. I know there has been a heated discussion going about Adebayor and frankly I would be shocked (and stunned) if he turned out to be a one-season wonder. As long as he keeps up the work rate he will score goals. Q 2 – You don’t get rid of either of them. How many times in a season does a manager get a chance to pick a first choice eleven? Very rarely. Arsenal needs to depth and talking of getting rid of Toure or Gallas does not make sense to me.
Quest5227 - Manchester United need a day-to-day right-back for the future. Whom do you think they should try to get, and whom do you think they will get? (They may not get their first choice.) Thanks.
Bobby – I am not a fan of Owen Hargreaves playing in midfield for United and he may be the answer at right back post-Gary Neville.
Ringo - Read a piece in the Guardian over the weekend comparing Avram Grant to Tony Barton, what do you think?
Bobby – I was thinking the same thing myself a few weeks ago. The only trouble was I could remember Ron Saunders but not who replaced him. Sort of sums it up doesn’t it.
Verbal97 - I'm NOT looking forward to Bobby posting the predictions.
Bobby – I looked up your predictions and no wonder you are not looking forward to it!!!
“There is a lot of underestimating Liverpool going on and thus a lot of impossible predictions. There is NO way that Liverpool finish any worse than 3rd (i.e., worse than they've finished the past 2 seasons). To predict them 5th (or even 4th) is about the same as predicting Wigan to win the league IMO.”
“I don't understand how anyone (yes, including Bobby) can have Liverpool any lower than 3rd. What about their signings, etc, make any of you believe they'll actually regress this season? And while other teams MAY have improved, I don't see any other team, including Arsenal, that can jump up the table past them.”
And there is more where these came from once the Whoops stops whoopsing.
DVXPrime - 1) Does Rafa Benitez keep his job? Shut out of the (domestic and European) cups and Year #18 without a League title...hmmm...
2) In your opinion, which clubs have done the best with a 4-5-1 (or similar) formation, and which clubs should try something else?
3) Why doesn't Canada rate a spot in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup? Not too badmouth Toronto FC, but MLS has plenty of representatives, Canada has a pro soccer league (if I'm wrong I stand corrected in advance), and MLS has had enough heartbreak in the CCC without being (poorly) represented by a second-year club.
Bobby – 1. Does Rafa get fired? – No way. Does he leave? I still think there is more of a chance of him leaving than staying.
2. I don’t think that is a question that can be answered. All the Premiership teams that I have seen this season have opted to play that way at some point.
3. Canada will have a representative in the “new” Champions League starting in 2008/09. Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and Montreal Impact are playing a round-robin over the next few months to decide a Canadian representative. (Canada does not have a national soccer league. It has a league named the Canadian Soccer League but the teams are all located in the east. It is not a true national league by any means.)
Gongatore -Wow outstanding piece but you are a bit remiss. Where's the post mortem on La Liga and Serie A?
Bobby – Wind up or not I will post the original predictions at the end of the respective seasons…soon.
Aldoray - Clubs in Spain are run and owned much differently than in England. U don’t often here of takeover bids in Spain, just about the president being changed, retiring or losing an election. What are the main differences between club ownership in Spain and England and what can the English structure learn from the Spanish structure of ownership so as to avoid quagmires like that which is going on at Liverpool.
Also Barcelona do not get money for a shirt sponsor (for many years there has been no advertising on their kit, I think they are the only major club like this (UNICEF is free). Why is it that they are able to be financially as strong as other clubs without a shirt sponsor- does this have to do with the previous statement in regards to the structure of the club being different to that of other countries?
Bobby – There is such a fundamental difference between the ownership structures that are commonly found in England versus Spain that goes back to the genesis of the game in each country.
England quickly moved to an entrepreneurial model although there was also a strong philanthropic emphasis as well. Local business men would invest in the club and receive the prestige of ownership.
Up until twenty odd years ago the directors/owners of clubs in the English League were banned from receiving anything put a small dividend and other payments from the club. However, someone realized that by instituting a creative governance and ownership structure you could suck money out of club by way of a holding company.
This was one of the elements that set of numerous clubs being floated on the stock exchange – few with any long term success. Nonetheless with the advent of Sky TV money top teams became a target for hot money leading to the present situation. There is a book or two on how the English game has reached the point it has. David Conn’s book “The Beautiful Game” is a great read while also being very disturbing.
Spanish clubs generally run on a model whereby memberships are sold and renewed every year – hence the elections and Presidential changes. There is a tendency I think, to exaggerate the benefits of the Spanish model.
It hasn’t stopped numerous Presidents of numerous Spanish clubs piling up enormous debt levels and short changing players. You also have to consider that Barcelona and Real Madrid sell their own TV rights, not as a collective organization such as you get with the Premiership.
Gregz-What do U think of Diaby potentially replacing Flamini as Arsenal's holding midfielder? U think he would be up to the task?
Bobby – I think that there is a very good chance that he will be given the chance. I’m not convinced that he is up to it. However, think back to this time last season and I don’t think you would find anyone who thought Flamini could do the job either.
Wiegs9 - With another EPL season complete, I'm wondering if you have seen anything which gives you any indication the top four finishers in the EPL will consist of something different than the Big Four in the foreseeable future. It seems regardless of the challenges the Big Four face (e.g., additional matches, lengthy injury lists, financing a new stadium, substantial debt, etc.), they are able retain all the Champions League spots, and will continue to do so.
Since Spurs' food poisoning incident, I don't get much indication any other EPL side is able to challenge for a CL spot since the difference from 4th to 5th has been 8 and 11 points the last two seasons.
Bobby – It always difficult to see change coming and to be perfectly honest I don’t see anything changing. However, it will because it always has and always will. Success is relatively fleeting even though it doesn’t seem that way sometimes.
Bevo2284 - 1. What has happened to Jose Antonio Reyes? I know he didn’t fit in at Arsenal or Real Madrid but what exactly are his shortcomings and what are your thoughts on him as a player?
2. I know last week there was a lot of Arsenal talk about the Flamini move. If you were Wenger who would be your top three targets in players and positions?
3. What are your thoughts on Sulley Muntari being a replacement for Flamini?
4. There have been rumours (as always) of Hatem Ben Arfa already having agreed to a deal with Arsenal. I think it’s a great move and could potentially be a great replacement for Hleb who looks set to join Inter. What is your opinion of this?
Bobby – 1. Atleti might be a better source on how Reyes is doing although by all accounts it does not seem like he has done very much. During his time in the Premiership I thought he was far too ponderous on the ball. His inclination when he got the ball was to stop, put his foot on it and allow the opposition to get players behind the ball.
2. Centre half, midfield player, goalkeeper. Who would that be – depends on too many different things.
3. Don’t think so.
4. I haven’t seen enough of him to comment although a young wide player (who can sometimes play up front) doesn’t seem to be the answer to Arsenal’s main problem which is keeping goals out.
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.
England – Not surprisingly Gary Neville returns and Owen Hargreaves moves back to a holding role in midfield and Michael Carrick, unluckily, has to make way and is on the bench.
Neville should provide England with better options down the right side and the only issue is how sharp he will be after missing three games. Ashley Cole has played his way back to match fitness and look for him to link up with Joe Cole on the left. Is this the game where Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard both play well at the same time and will Lampard get a goal or even two.
For England it’s important that Rooney gets support and is not left isolated.
Portugal suspension and injury problems have been in midfield and the back four is not a surprise. Carvalho as played well and Meira has looked decent as well. Miguel has been outstanding at right back and the match-up against the Cole boys will be worth watching. It looks like big Phil is going to anchor the midfield with Petit and Tiago.
The interesting part of the selection is Maniche and where he will play. It seems that there are three options, (a) ask him to play in a midfield bank of three with Tiago and Petit with Figo and Ronaldo tucking in to support Pauleta, (b) Maniche taking over the Deco role with Figo and Ronaldo wide or (c) Figo in the Deco role with Maniche a bit wider on the right than normal and Ronaldo on the left. Option A is the most interesting as it would change the shape that Portugal has normally played under Scolari.
I guess we will find out in a few minutes.
As for a prediction – if Costinha and Deco were playing it would be extremely difficult to pick between the two teams. But there are not Playing so I am going for England 2-1.
I am the soccer analyst for the Fox Soccer Report and appear twice a week - every Monday and Friday at 10:00 EST. I have also been a regular contributor to the Fox Soccer Channel website since the summer of 2004. Over the last twenty years I have contributed to various radio and television programs throughout North America as well writing about the game for newspapers, magazines and websites.
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