Germaine Greer says that Football counts as culture just as much as opera does.
And what's more we have more divas.
CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying second leg results.
A former director of Norwegian club Lyn has been found guilty of fraud in dealings with John Obi Mikel.
Michael Henderson provides a dissenting opinion on the “old pros” excuses for dissent.
Alan Pardew admits that his transfer moves have backfired.
For this weekend preview it was a toss-up between the Old Firm derby and the Merseyside derby and the coin landed on an edge.
Rangers vs. Celtic
This will be the 286th Old Firm league derby. Rangers have 111 wins, Celtic 92 wins and there have been 82 draws.
This season Rangers currently lead Celtic by three points with a game less played and five games remaining until the league splits. Even so, these two have to play each other another three times before the season wraps up and it has been five months since they last faced off – an eternity in Glasgow.
Rangers supporters have been chomping at the bit wanting an opportunity to extend a run that has seen their team win 1-0, 2-0 and 3-0 since the return of Walter Smith in January 2007. For Celtic fans it is the polar opposite.
When you add a draw in December 2006 it adds up to the worst run for Celtic in SPL Old Firm games since 1995-97 when they went ten games without a win – losing six and drawing four.
The draw in December 2006 brought an end to a Celtic streak that had brought three wins and a draw with Rangers being held scoreless in all four games.
During that run Alex McLeish stepped aside as Rangers manager, and his replacement fared no better. Not long after McLeish’s demise, Paul Le Guen became the shortest serving manager in Rangers history and the only one to not complete a full season.
And so having been the instrument that led to two managerial terminations at Ibrox, Cetic’s Gordon Strachan now finds himself a potential victim of the same syndrome – being second in a league of two teams.
Strange when you consider that Strachan is still within striking distance of becoming the first Celtic boss since Jock Stein to win three consecutive league titles but a fact nonetheless.
Four pieces of silverware in his first two seasons in charge means nothing in a city where “what have you done lately” means when did you last beat the other lot and if you did, you had better beat them again….and again.
What is more with defeats in the Champions League and the Scottish Cup there is nothing for Celtic to fall back on except the SPL.
The phenomena of Old Firm managers going head-to-head with only one left standing is not new. Jock Stein brought an end to Scot Symon’s thirteen year stint at Ibrox in 1967. Symon’s years in charge had brought Rangers fifteen trophies and they had twice made it to the final of European Cup Winners Cup Final.
Even the great Jock Stein was pushed aside in 1978 after Jock Wallace’s Rangers gained the upper hand although Wallace unexpectedly bolted for Leicester around the same time. Graeme Souness saw off former Lisbon Lions Billy McNeill and Davie Hay between 1986 and 1991 while his successor Walter Smith was the principal reason for the demise of Liam Brady, Lou Macari and Tommy Burns.
Smith came a cropper as Wim Jansen spent his one season at Parkhead breaking Rangers run of nine consecutive league titles. #### Advocaat enjoyed initial success at the expense of Josef Venglos, John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish until Martin O’Neill came along to push the Dutchman over the edge in 2001.
Liverpool vs. Everton
After last weekend’s controversy at Old Trafford perhaps the most important starter will be referee Howard Webb. (In his 30 games in charge this season Webb has sent off only one player and issued 100 yellow cards).
With seven games left Liverpool leads Everton by two points and are hoping to complete a league double over Everton. The comparable match last season finished scoreless as have two others in the last five seasons and Everton have not won at Anfield in their last seven visits.
You have to go back to the last century to find the Toffees last win. It came in 1999 when an early goal from Kevin Campbell decided the game.
Tim Cahill (3), Andy Johnson (2) and Lee Carsley from the present Everton squad have scored against Liverpool but Cahill will miss the game – and possibly the rest of the season after reinjuring a foot.
Everton’s leading scorer is Yakubu Aiyegbeni and he is only one goal short of becoming the first Everton player since Peter Beardsley in 91/92 to score 20 goals. However, Yakubu has failed to find the mark against Liverpool in any of his appearances against them.
On the other side Steven Gerrard, Harry Kewell and Dirk Kuyt have all scored two in the derby games while Peter Crouch has a single. After scoring twice from the penalty spot back in October Dirk Kuyt is trying to become the first Liverpool player since Emile Heskey in 2000-01 to score in both meetings in a season.
A draw or win for Everton would mean the battle for fourth would continue unabated. A victory for Liverpool would open a sizeable five point gap with only six games remaining.
Both sides have to play Arsenal and Birmingham away from home.
Liverpool must also visit Craven Cottage to play Fulham, and finish the season away to Spurs. There are also home games against Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City.
Everton have four home matches against Derby County, Chelsea, Aston Villa and on the final day of the 2008 season Newcastle United.
Some statistics and tidbits gleamed from the Liverpool FC website, Evertonresults.com and various other places. You can find more by clicking on the links.
This will be the 178th Merseyside league derby - Liverpool 66 wins, Everton 56 wins, 55 draws.
League results at Anfield have brought Liverpool 37 wins, Everton 23 wins, and 28 draws.
The last 'derby' hat-trick for Liverpool saw Ian Rush score four in a 5-0 win at Goodison in November 1982, while for the Blues Dixie Dean hit three at Anfield in September 1931 in a 3-1 win.
Should Fernando Torres score he will equal the club record of scoring in six successive top-flight home games. It has been achieved by Fred Pagnam (1919), Roger Hunt (1964), Ian Rush (1983) and Michael Owen (1999).
14 red cards have been issued in the last 17 derbies with seven being brandished in the last six games. (21 have been sent off in the history of the fixture).
Yakubu now has 13 League goals for Everton this season, better than anybody since Andrei Kanchelskis got 16 in 1995/96 and he has 19 in all competitions, last achieved by Tony Cottee in 1993/94.
Yakubu has been substituted in 15 of his 20 starts in the Premier League this season
Eighteen of Torres’ goals have come at Anfield – only two away at Derby and Boro.
Tom Jordan, son of Joe, helped Havant & Waterlooville to a glamour FA Cup match-up with Liverpool. I wonder if he has his father’s teeth - possibly in a jar.
John Inverdale on the controversy over how to mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich disaster. Perhaps some Manchester City supporters don’t realize that the crash also took the life of a once great City player as well. After a spectacular career for both Manchester City and England Frank Swift retired at the end of the 1950 season. He became a journalist working for the News of the World and covered the fateful game in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Seven times a non-league club has knocked off a top flight opponent.
The wit of Gordon Strachan........ and he could play at bit - this from early in his career. The game was at Arbroath's ground called ####field. It is perched on what is really the North Sea and the ball is always only a Titus Bramble sliced clearance and a gust of wind away from heading to Norway. One of the coldest places you could ever watch a game - but because it is so close to the water games are rarely postponed.
With Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all facing Premiership opposition this weekend what chance that we will lose one of the current top three in the league?
Both Arsenal and Newcastle have enjoyed FA Cup success in the past especially when they have played each other along the way. With the exception of their very first FA Cup meeting in the 1901/02 season Newcastle and Arsenal have either met in the final or the winner of an earlier round match-up has gone onto the final.
Here is the rundown. 1901/02 Newcastle put Arsenal out in first round but were knocked out in the last 8 to the eventual winners Sheffield United.
1905/06 Newcastle beat Arsenal 2-0 in the semi final but lost 1-0 to Everton in the final.
1931/32 Newcastle beat Arsenal 2-1 in the final.
1935/36 Arsenal beat Newcastle 3-0 on the way to the final and won the Cup beating beat Sheffield United 1-0.
1951/52 Newcastle beat Arsenal 1-0 in the final (one of three Newcastle wins in the early 50s).
1997/98 Arsenal beat Newcastle in the final and completed their second domestic double.
2001/02 Arsenal knocked Newcastle out after a replay and went on to win the Cup and Premiership for their third domestic double.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are another two Cup giants. United have been to the final eighteen times and have won the trophy eleven times while Spurs can look to eight wins out of nine trips with a 1987 loss to Coventry City the only blemish.
You would think that with twenty-seven final appearance between them that at some point they would have contested a final. But that has never happened and it certainly won’t this season. The nearest they ever came was in 1962 when Spurs beat United in the semi-final. Other than that their meetings have been limited to the early rounds.
Robbie Keane last week notched his 100th goal in all competitions for Spurs but there is one team he has yet to score against in English football. Will this be the weekend that he breaks his duck against Manchester United?
There is a gulf between Wigan and Chelsea in the Premiership and there is a similar gulf in the FA Cup. While Chelsea have not been eliminated before the 5th round since 1998 this is only the second time in the last two decades that Wigan have made it this far.
Tamerlin - How does the financing of the Champions League and UEFA Cup work? I've heard that the CL pays each club for everything (hotel, travel, etc.), whereas UEFA Cup requires the clubs to pay. Therefore a club needs to get to the Semi-finals in the UEFA Cup to actually make any money.
- Where do you place the ref's call that ejected Shanon Boxx among the worst World Cup calls? The Brazilian fouled her!
Bobby – UEFA controls both competitions and generally owns the media (TV etc) and sponsorship rights. I say generally because my understanding is that the clubs are able to sell the rights to qualifying round games in the Champions League but all rights revert to UEFA once the group stage starts.
The home team gets to keep their gate money but I have no idea who pays for hotel, travel etc. I would be surprised if UEFA paid for hotel, travel etc as it would be easily abused. The prize money is allocated based on qualification for the group stage, points collected in the group stage plus how far the club progresses in the knock out rounds. The prize money is a combination of money from a general rights pool (sponsorship and TV) and money allocated based on the TV money generated domestically and paid out based on how all clubs from that country do. That’s why we get situations where Champions League runner up (or even beaten semi finalist) can be awarded more prize money than the actual winner.
There are also payments made to teams that are knocked out in the three rounds of qualifying. Here is a UEFA article that outlines the process with pay out amounts for 2006/07 for both competitions.
I stand to be corrected but I believe UEFA only sells TV rights from the last eight of the UEFA Cup on and before that the home club owns the rights. Sponsorship is limited compared to the Champions League. Clubs also keep the home gate so I think the stories of having to reach the semis to make money are far-fetched – after all if that was the case why would teams bother competing?
I didn’t watch the WWC so I can’t comment on the referee’s decision.
Yohann - Are you confident about Chelsea (in Champions League)? I feel like the Blues will have trouble finding the net, especially if Drogba isn't on fire like last year... They tied Rosenborg and are in a group that includes Schalke and Valencia, a team that has an extra motivation against Chelsea.
Bobby – I stand by my prediction. There are six games and a home draw against Rosenborg is not the end of the world. Schalke is average at best. Valencia are a good team with solid European credentials.
Ringo - Either Duncan Castles is now part of the inner workings at the Bridge, or he`s auditioning for a job with the Sun.
Bobby – I was a bit cautious on some stuff he wrote earlier as I was thinking the same as you. But based on the stuff he has generated lately and after listening to him on the GU podcast I would say that someone (or a couple of people) are feeding him a lot of inside stuff. Or someone who has now left was feeding him information!
MDMcAuley - Maybe you've been asked this before; but as the wise seer of all things Scottish and most things soccer, do you think Celtic and Rangers would consistently compete and stay clear of relegation if they were in the English Premier League? If so, roughly where would you put them in the table? Is there any serious interest in their managements in joining the EPL for financial reasons?
Bobby – Without a doubt over an extended period they would compete and would both be strong teams. Celtic and Rangers enjoy massive global support and with the money generated from playing in the Premiership they would both comfortably be in top ten after they settled in. The most difficult period would be the first year. Both clubs would jump at the chance to join the Premiership but it will not happen. Not because of UEFA or FIFA but because they would be taking the place of two English teams and you don’t find turkeys voting for Christmas too often.
Just a general comment about a UK side. Anyone who suggests such a possibility has no idea of history, culture and pride. There are more important things than winning. As for the Republic of Ireland taking part as well – a history lesson is badly needed.
Henry14 - q1 What do you make of the Flamster's impact at Arsenal, what have you made of him? l have to say l am changing my opinion q2 You predicted Chelsea as the champs at the end of the season are you ready to throw the towel that they will not retain? q3 Do you see Kaka staying at Milan if they keep not taking anything serious other than with a Champions League athem (sic)? q4 Spurs or Man City who is your pick now for fifth?
Bobby–1. Flamini has played very well and looks to have come of age. 2. No. I don't normally change predictions. 3. I must have missed the press release that said Milan was only taking the Champions League seriously. 4. I picked City to finish 12th and Spurs 5th. Two seasons ago after 7 games City had 11 points and Stuart Pearce was the saviour. They finished 15th. Two seasons on they have two more points and this time SGE is the saviour. The problem with a team having an unexpected good or bad start to the season is that we tend to project the trend as upwards and onwards.
However, there is not a lot of evidence to support that view and over time things average out. Yes, City have recruited some players who have made an initial impact but the rest of the Premiership isn’t sitting around in awe. They are looking at City matches and they are looking at ways to blunt their strengths and to take advantage of their weaknesses.
Craigyf - How long has it been since the top two in Scotland were both managed by Scots?
Bobby – Not very long given that both Smith and Strachan are Scots and with the exception of a brief French interlude it was McLeish and Strachan.
Craigyf - Marcotti on Super Pippo! – Really Gabrielle, how many games of Pippo have you actually watched? Saying that Pippo doesn’t fit in with Milan is akin to saying that Antipasti doesn’t fit in with an Italian meal. The article is basically tosh; Marcotti really doesn’t know what he is talking about. He scores goals for a living and does it with immense passion, obviously a dullard such as Marcotti doesn’t get football. Interesting choice of articles this week, some good and some are just awful, how do you pick them?
Bobby – Did you read the article? How anyone could interpret the article as anything but complimentary to Inzaghi beats me. The articles are chosen based on what I think readers might find interesting, or perhaps a contrary view that is worth considering. Based on your interpretation of Marcotti’s article on Inzaghi I can’t even attempt to guess which ones you think are good and which are awful.
popculturejon - This is a bit off topic Bobby, but stay with me. Would it be possible for a company like Nike to buy a small EPL club (Like Derby for example) before a WC (so 2009). Then sign a lot of American players and an American coach to try to get a squad together that plays every week and trains as a unit over a season? Granted, not all players would have to come from this project team, but it would give the US an advantage as far as team chemistry and EPL experience.
Bobby – Well Spons46 makes a very good and valid point – there are work permit restrictions to overcome. But beyond that you may (or may not) be surprised that such a notion has actually been put into practice a couple of times.
In the late 70s (?), Dynamo Kiev became the defacto Soviet Union national team. The experiment was abandoned after a couple of seasons. The same could be said for a large number of eastern-bloc countries before the Berlin wall came down. The sports ministries often used their power to allocate large numbers of national caliber team players to one or maybe two club teams. The great Hungarian national team of the 50s had a significant number of players from Honved.
However, the most relevant example is much closer to home. A Team America was fielded in the NASL around 1982 or 83 with the same logic as you sugested. I believe they played as Washington (maybe a NASL fan can confirm) and it was a disaster. Canada was ready to undertake the same experiment in Montreal but baulked after the USA plan bombed.
Ulsterson - Last night you talked about Kasper Schmeichel’s youth and experience affecting his performance on crosses and I think you mentioned his height (at 6'0", a good 4 inches shorter than his old man) on Friday. I agree, and there is, in my view, another issue of his game where his stature is also detrimental. This one more directly related to his father. The young Dane mimics a distinctive technique his father was famous for called the "starfish". Just as it sounds, the arms and legs splay out like an open jumping jack to try to make as big a target as possible. Peter used the maneuver if the ball was off the ground and he was too close to the anticipated shot to react, jumping before he had any real idea where the ball would go. It was quite successful for Sr., in part, because of his massive size, but because it required the size of Peter’s XXXL frame and of the risk involved in leaving the feet before the shot I don’t think it is often taught. From what I have seen, Kasper seems to rely on the "starfish" more than he should (it almost seems to be his default save, even when he is too far away from the shot for it to be prudent or even when the ball is on the ground) and his smaller stature leaves too much room for balls to get by. Watch the goals scored on him by Fulham and tell me what you think.
Bobby – Good point. If I remember correctly Schmeichel senior borrowed the move from playing in goal at handball or at least watching the sport. Before I heard that I was in Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics and took in a handball game one day. I was surprised to see (what I thought to be) the goalkeepers pulling off Peter Schmeichel style saves! I guess I got it the wrong way round.
An incredible number of postings this week - thanks as always - particularly for keeping the tone civil. For the other semi final I will post a couple of stories and open it up for your thoughts pre and post game.
Meanwhile here are responses to some of this week's questions.
Realmadridccfan - 1. How do you interpret the Canadian Soccer Association's handling of trying to find a head coach for the Men's national team?
2. Do you think that Sunderland would not be going up to the Premiership for next season if Roy Keane was not the Manager? Would he be your Manager of the year in England if you had to pick a Manager of the year?
3. What is your assessment of the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup final? I thought it was quite an exciting tie.
Bobby – 1. I have a couple of questions i have asked the CSA to answer and one i receive the answers I will post a response to your question.
2) I cannot say categorically but I can safely say that Niall Quinn made the right move when - as the Chairman of the club - he fired himself as manager. My pick for Manager of the Year in England would Geraint Williams of Colchester. He replaced Phil Parkinson who skipped to Hull City in the summer – then got fired – and given the resources that Williams has at his disposal Colchester’s record this season is amazing.
3) I didn’t enjoy the second leg as much as the first. The teams looked to be more nervous than in the first game. It was still a good game to watch and some well taken penalties.
Wickedzoot - So what's the deal with Big Sam? MeanSucka - What are you hearing about Big Sam? Is he headed to City or to Newcastle? Or will he replace McClaren?
Bobby – At the moment we have to take what has been said at face value and accept that he is leaving for his own reasons. A manager taking a break is becoming more common especially in situations where their team may have topped out. Gordon Strachan leaving Southampton and Alan Curbishley quitting Charlton are two examples that spring to mind. You can understand where they are coming from. Better to quit while you are ahead and with your reputation in tact rather than waiting around for the rot to set in. I cannot see Sam Allardyce ever getting the England job.
MeanSucka - I only hope Spain's race ends with such a flurry. It would be nice for Becks to bring a La Liga title with him to the HDC. How do you like his chances?
Who do you think would win in a match between Gretna and Toronto FC?
Bobby – It has not been the type of football that Real Madrid fans expect but they are still in the hunt for La Liga. The match with Sevilla this weekend will decide which of the two main challengers has the best shot of stopping Barcelona. I still believe Barcelona holds a significant each given the schedule they face but they have been quite unimpressive the last few weeks – particularly away from home.
Gretna would not lose at the moment unless it went to penalty kicks. In the long run Toronto FC will produce a better side than Gretna.
Spike24 - Your question about dogs and great games reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask. When Americans say they don't like soccer because there isn't enough scoring, soccer fans basically look down their noses on the brute and chastise him for not appreciating other elements. Then, when a 0-0 draw occurs, those same soccer fans bemoan how boring the game was. You rarely hear people complaining about a boring 3-2 match, even if the quality of play is somewhat poor or equal to that of the 0-0 draw. So, if the soccer fans look down on Americans for focusing on goals too much, how come those same hardcore soccer fans then privately complain about a lack of goals amongst themselves?
Bobby – I think you will find that the majority of fans can differentiate between an enjoyable game that finishes 0-0 and a bad game that finishes 0-0. I would suggest that what upsets them is when a game that finishes 0-0 is automatically written off as a bad game by non-soccer loving sports fans when that is not necessarily the case.
RINGO - This week’s trivia. Who are the only EPL team that have had one name and one home? And who are the only team that where admitted to The Football League without ever having played a game?
Bobby – Chelsea and I don’t know.
digity - What do you think about Man U's Park Ji Sung? In my opinion he is a very under rated player, and I’m very disappointed that he has had such a difficult season with injuries. I think he brings a lot to the team whenever he plays - he might not be as good on the ball as some of his team mates but his exceptional movement and his willingness to support the team makes him stand out. I'll be really looking forward to seeing him play next season.
Bobby – A good player who relies heavily on his conditioning.
Shoot-all-divers - When you think about the relative success Man U have had this season (regardless of how many trophies they may or may not lift), does it make you wonder if Sir Alex held on to Roy Keane a bit too long?
They won the treble in 1999 only after being forced to rebuild after losing Eric Cantona -- around whom the world supposedly revolved. We were similarly told that Keano was the heart and soul of the squad, without whom Man U would never progress past other elite clubs. Funny how Man U doesn’t seem to miss old Roy that much (at all?) and in fact seem to be prospering in his absence.
Being a DC United fan has sharpened my awareness to the issue of heroes overstaying their usefulness. We had to dump a local legend (Marco Etchevery) to win our 4th MLS title a few years ago. Now it's the same deal with Jamie Moreno. We adore the guy, but I wonder if he's holding us back.
Your thoughts?
Bobby – Eric Cantona retired in 1997 and the treble was won two seasons later. However, I don’t remember Fergie rebuilding the team after Cantona retired. Sheringham may have been signed but who else? Same goes for Keane – a rebuilt team – I wouldn’t say so. Teams mature and change constantly and as such the point you make is mute. You could easily argue that if Rooney and Ronaldo had been showing their current form 16 months ago that United would have been in contention for another treble last season with Keane in the side. Players and managers are part of a continuum – it is like claiming that Bill Shankly held Liverpool back and the proof is that Liverpool only won the European Cup after he quit.
Some might claim that United held on to Denis law to long but they were relegated the year after they let him go. Does that prove that they should have held on to him?
MasMaz - I don't know about your commitments but you should do the report on Wednesdays also, especially during Champs league weeks.
Bobby – It is a nice thought but I have other things I have to do during the week and so a regular Wednesday spot isn’t really possible.
RINGO - I notice an English team won the Scottish Third Division this year!
Bobby – The Spirit of Jock Wallace lives on!
Ulsterson - I saw that FA classic game the other night on FSC: Scotland vs. England in '79. Heart-breaker for the Tartan Army but fun to watch Dalglish, Souness, Keegan, Brooking, and the rest. I haven't seen such a rough game since I watched my Shore Road Hatchet Men (also known as The Shore Road Brazilians/Crusaders!!) in the Irish league. It was brutal at times. The ref called for an indirect kick in the box (a call option mentioned by Bobby last night...) for dangerous play/high leg, when penalty would be the call today. The old matches make it easy to see how today's rules have been adjusted to improve goal production by protecting players, which is a wise idea, but seeing how it was then, arouses contempt for the theatrics and log-rolling seen now, whenever a player is brushed with so much as the wind (and before this starts Man U bashing: they all almost to a man feign agony, foul or not)
On the lighter side, the drunken Scot who ran onto the field in the first half did look a bit like our favorite pundit. The quick little #### avoided the peelers for a bit too!! Nothing you want to come clean about Bobby???
Bobby – Sorry to disappoint but I had just moved to Canada and wasn't at the game. However, Scotland’s loss to England that day (3-1 I believe) happened to be the same day that I met my first wife. In retrospect invading Wembley would have been a better option!
Digity - Please enlighten us on the art of the assist...it is one area I feel is constantly overshadowed by the goal itself. Course, nothing's greater than a great goal, but sometimes watching that sublime inch perfect long ball or inspired through pass can make my knees weak. Scholes lob for Rooney's first against AC Milan was one of those - just mind-bogglingly (?) awesome.
Bobby – Over the last few seasons we have seen assists being recorded by more results services. I agree that it is well overdue and provides those of us who follow statistics closely with another bellweather.
Neophyte - I think you may have touched on this before...Is Van der Sar looking rather shaky of late. My confidence in him has faltered a bit. With the defense in front of him being ravaged with injury, I am not so sure of a stellar performance against the goal hungry group of Milan. Tim Howard was ushered out of Manchester and made the goat for their loss in Europe. Will Van der Sar meet the same fate as Tim if he has a less than brilliant game? At this point would you rather have Howard or VdS between the posts if you're SAF? I believe Howard has out played VdS this year...your thoughts?
Bobby – I have suggested on a few occasions that VdS’s weakness is long shots. I don’t have the stats to prove it but my observation goes back to his Juve days. However, I don’t think you can transfer Howard’s performance with Everton with how he would play with Manchester United. Tim Howard has still to prove that the can play at highest level season and season out.
Henry14 - Q1 l am a fan of Adebayor and feel he is still young because Eto’o was not a 20 goal man at 23 but do you see 25 goals in him? Q2 - Do you feel Gerrard deserves a place in the PFA team ahead of Gilberto or Essien? Q3 - Would Madrid sack Capello if he won the title?
Rwonfootball - What happens to Fabio Capello if Real Madrid does win the title?
Bobby – 1. I can’t see Adebayor notching 25 goals a season but 15 to 20 is definitely a possibility. Even without 25 goals Adebayor gives Arsenal a different look when he plays and on that account alone he his worth his place in the squad. 2. If you are trying to pick a balanced team then it is not a choice of Gerrard or Gilberto as they play very different roles. If you are picking the four most exciting midfield players then Gerrard would get the nod over Gilberto. Either way I could not leave Essien out. 3. Capello is gone no mater what?
Venti_vidi_vici - What did you think of the first semi final, and what are you forward to in the second semi final and what do you expect to see?
Bobby – There was some very nervous football being played today. I would hope the play is better tomorrow but with the same tension in the air. I commented on the FSR last night that Fergie might decide to go at Milan given that the United back four might be problematic. I picked a Liverpool – Milan final and will stick with it but I also accept, that just like the game today, the difference between the teams is miniscule.
The British Sports Book awards are due to be announced tomorrow (Tuesday) at a luncheon in London. Some of the football books that have been nominated are:
Best autobiography Tommy Docherty: The Doc, My Story — Hallowed Be Thy Game. Gordon Strachan: My Life in Football Paul McGrath: Back from the Brink (Century)
Best biography Sir Alf by Leo McKinstry
In the best football book category are the following: The Perfect 10 by Richard Williams Foul! by Andrew Jennings Sir Alf by Leo McKinstry Behind The Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football by Jonathan Wilson The England Managers: The Impossible Job by Brian Scovell Floodlit Dreams: How to Save a Football Club by Ian Ridley
Having read and enjoyed Sir Alf, Foul!, and Behind The Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football it would be hard for me to pick a winner. If I was pushed I would go for Sir Alf by Leo McKinstry.
Porto vs. Chelsea - A good draw for Chelsea, but perhaps a little more difficult than many of the pundits will have you believe. Jose Mourinho and Porto boss Jesualdo Ferreira are no strangers to each other. Ferreira has a reputation as a shrewd and cunning tactician who gets the most out of his players.
Premiership buffs may turn up their noses when they see Helder Postiga leading the Porto line but under Ferreira Postiga has recaptured the scoring touch that made him one of the most sought-after youngsters in Europe.
Porto made a poor start to group play but three successive wins and a draw turned it around. A 2-0 away win in Moscow against CSKA was pivotal. Goals from Argentine midfielder “Lucho” Gonzalez and former Barcelona winger Ricardo Quaresma did the trick that day and both players are enjoying good seasons. Brazilian striker Adriano Vieira has just returned from injury and he should be back to match-fitness by February.
Celtic vs. AC Milan - These two teams have met four times before in European competition and Celtic has yet to record a victory. In 1969 Celtic returned to Parkhead after achieving a scoreless draw at the San Siro. But Prati took advantage of a McNeill error early on in the first half of the return leg and Milan went on to beat reigning champions Manchester United in the semi-final and then to beat Ajax 4-1 in the final at the Bernabeu.
Two seasons ago the teams met again with Celtic losing 3-1 at the San Siro. Two goals in the last two minutes by Inzaghi and Pirlo flattered Milan. The return leg finished in a scoreless draw. Milan fans will have noted that their team again made it to the final that season.
Celtic fans need no reminding of their atrocious away record in the Champions League - one draw and 11 defeats. In his four Champions League away games in charge of Celtic, Gordon Strachan has seen his side concede 14 goals.
However, Celtic's record at Parkhead is quite imposing. Including qualifying games, Celtic has only lost one of the last 19 home games with four draws.
PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal - Arsenal is unbeaten against PSV in their four meetings in the last four years. Although they lost two games - their last two - PSV cruised through as runners up in group C to Liverpool. PSV was unlucky to lose to Milan at the semi-final stage two seasons ago and last season they lost in the round of 16 to Lyon 5-0 on aggregate.
PSV supporters are used to a continual turnover of players but they also saw for their manager Guus Hiddink leave this past summer. However, his replacement Ronald Koeman is an extremely experienced manager when it comes to European competition and he also lifted the European Cup as a player.
The PSV squad is a veritable United Nations with thirteen countries represented in the first-team pool. Gomes (Brazil) provides the Dutch side with consistent goalkeeping while the back four normally comprises of a Dutchman (Jan Kromkamp), a Portuguese (Manuel da Costa), the Brazilian (Alex) and a Mexican (Carlos Salcido). Csaba Feher (Hungary), Tommy Simons (Belgium) and Phillip Cocu are often joined in the midfield by Australian Jason Culina or Edison Mendez (Ecuador). In attack Jefferson Farfan (Peru) and Arouna Kone (Ivory Coast) round things off.
Lille vs. Manchester United - Although Lille beat and drew with Manchester United in the group stage last season neither team qualified for the last 16. In fact the goal Lille scored against Manchester United was their only marker in the Champions League last season.
This season they scored 8 goals, only lost one game and qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League for the very first time. However, they did need to beat Milan in the San Siro in the last game of group play in order to qualify. Goals appear to be coming more freely this season for Lille but much of their strength still resides in defense and particularly midfield. Cameroon international Jean Makoun is an all action figure in midfield and is complemented by the young French attacking midfielder Mathieu Bodmer. Both have been rumoured to be Premiership targets in the past.
Roma vs. Lyon - This is new territory for Roma given that they have never qualified for the knockout stage of the last 16 of the Champions League. Although there are signs that some younger players are successfully breaking into the Roma squad and contributing, it will still come down to the likes of Totti, Chivu, Pizarro, Mancini and De Rossi to do the heavy lifting.
Lyon's ambitions extend beyond the last 16 and by that I do not mean the quarter- final stage at which they have departed the competition in the last three seasons. Domination of the French league is one thing, but it is the Champions League where Lyon needs to succeed. The French champions should have Brazilian striker Fred back in time when the tournament resumes in February and that should provide Lyon with a major boost.
Barcelona vs. Liverpool - Not surprisingly this game is being held heralded as the tie of the round. This match up is intriguing on many levels - the Champions League winners from the past two seasons; Rafa Benitez facing a club that he has triumphed over before; the number of Spanish players plying their trade at Anfield; and two teams with worldwide support and fabled histories.
I suspect that this is not the match up Barcelona would have preferred but there again I doubt Liverpool are overly impressed either. Benitez has been heavily criticized for his rotation policy at Liverpool. With the team now running into form the pay off for Liverpool may not necessarily come in the Premiership but in the Champions League.
Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich - These two sides are certainly no strangers to each other having faced each other 16 times in the last 30 years in European competition. And it is Bayern Munich who holds the upper hand with nine wins and two draws over that time.
Neither side was ever in any danger of not qualifying for the knockout stage. Real Madrid finished as runners up to Lyon while Bayern Munich won group B, seven points ahead of third placed Spartak Moscow. Bayern Munich has only failed to make the group stage once in the previous five seasons but have not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage.
It is a far cry from the turn of the century when they reached the semi-final in three successive years, and finished runners up once (to Manchester United) and won the trophy when he beat Valencia two years later. It was of course Real Madrid who knocked them out at the semi-final stage, and Madrid went on to lift their eighth champion European Champions trophy by beating the unfortunate Valencia.
This game might have stirred the blood a few years back, but it is likely to be a dour 180 minutes…. or maybe even more.
Inter Milan vs. Valencia - Valencia must be hoping that the injury hoodoo that they have suffered through during the early part of the season will be long gone by the time February rolls around. During the summer, Valencia was aggressive in the transfer market signing Ferdinando Morientes from Liverpool, Asier Del Horno from Chelsea, Empoli striker Francesco Tavano, speedy winger Joaquin from Real Betis as well as reclaiming David Silva who had been on loan at Celta Vigo.
While the signings encouraged Valencia fans that the team could mount a legitimate challenge to Barcelona in Spain, injuries to a number of key players have taken a toll domestically. However, it did not seem to affect their European form as they finished top of group B three points ahead of Roma and seven points ahead of third place, Shakhtar Donetsk.
With three wins in their first three games Valencia was very much in the driving seat right from the start. A draw away to Donetsk in the fourth game of qualifying was a minor bump in the road and by the time Valencia traveled to Rome qualification was secure and Roma’s 1-0 was largely inconsequential.
Inter's route to the last 16 was very different and after two games the Italian side looked to be odds-on favourite to become a high-profile casualty at the group stage.
Losses to Sporting Lisbon and Bayern Munich (without scoring a goal in either game) placed Inter firmly behind the 8-ball. But the Milan side roared back with three successive wins, and by the time they traveled to Munich progress to the last 16 had been secured.
The ties are to be played on 20/21 February and 6/7 March with the final in Athens in May.
The Money Prize money to be paid out to the 32 group teams-$363 million. Pool money from TV to be shared-$355 million. Estimated prize money for the eventual winner-$29 million. Total sponsorship and TV revenue generated by the Champions League-$986 million.
Ruud van Nistelrooy looks set to start the new season at the Bernabeu and not Old Trafford. Manchester United and Real Madrid have agreed a fee and a medical seems to be the only thing between the Dutchman and a move to La Liga.
RVN becomes the latest in a long line of either clubs or players that Sir Alex Ferguson has fallen out with. And to think he once accused Dennis Wise as being able to cause a fight in an empty house.
His playing days in Scotland were marked by recurring friction - St. Johnstone, Dunfermline, Rangers and Falkirk.
His second managerial appointment - at St. Mirren - finished with him being fired and then suing for unfair dismissal through an Industrial Tribunal.
Players who have eventually fallen foul of Fergie include Gordon Strachan, Paul Ince, Paul McGrath, Jim Leighton, Jaap Stam, Roy Keane, David Beckham to name a few. RVN was added to that list in the spring.
For United the question is who replaces the Dutchman? Rooney, Solksjaer (fitness question), and Saha are not going to be enough. Fernando Torres looks set to stay with Athletico Madrid for the forseeable future. It seems unlikely that another Premiership side will sell United a striker even if one was considered good enough and there doesn't at the moment.
Klose at Werder Bremen is an option. Ronaldo's name crops up on the rumour mill but it is hard to understand why United would take such a risk and if they were it surely would have been part of a swop deal. The lack of top class goal scorers was reinforced at the recent World Cup Finals.
As for Real Madrid they have another forward which seems to be a clear indication that Fabio Capello is far from happy with the choice he inherated. So out of Raul, Robinho, Baptista, Ronaldo, and Cassano who will be forced out?
Gordon Strachan wonders if, for some of the French stars, this World Cup is a tournament too many.
An interesting article by Michael J. Agovino in the New York Times. He looks at how fans around the world react to losses at World Cup time
Want to know who the only bearded World Cup winner is? The always enjoyable Knowledge section in the Guardian - a must for all trivia buffs – is focusing on the World Cup.
Ecuador go 2-0 ahead after absorbing Polish pressure - allbeit ineffective pressure. Gordon Strachan's favourite Ecuadorian striker Agustin Delgado has the simplest of tap ins. It looks like Poland will trip over the starting blocks once more at a World Cup.
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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