A look at Chelsea’s Champions league opponents Fenerbahce.
Rod Liddle on Gretna’s implosion and with a wonderful
description ….”the artificial club kept afloat by a man’s ludicrous,
market-distorting largesse, trampling over those whose existence is down to
hard-core support”……that applies to more than Gretna.
Tony Cascarino on how to take penalty kicks. It seems to me
that we are seeing more gutsy penalties – scooped down the middle or just
waiting for the keeper to blink. How many of you have taken a penalty in a shoot out, how did you approach it and did you score? Or any goalkeepers with secrets?
I read this article a few weeks ago and now seems an
appropriate time to post the link. Israeli researcher Ofer H. Azar compares the action bias of goalkeepers on
penalties with business decisions.
Two decades after Wimbledon pulled off one of the greatest
surprises in the FA Cup Final two related teams are off to Wembley.
It’s only mid-March but East Fife became the UK’s first championship
winning side of the 07/08 season. Anyone else ever been to Methil? There has been a lot of chatter about lower flight teams winning the FA Cup. East Fife is the answer to the trivia question - which is only second tier team in Scotland the win the SFA Cup?
The Sunday Times takes a trip back to the Chelsea–Leeds FA
Cup Final of 1970.
This BBC article explains how next year’s European places will be divvied out in England. Gretna hanging onbut the end seems to be near.
The chance to focus on the Scottish game doesn’t come around too often but hard on the heels of Rangers making it to the last eight of the UEFA comes the first major final of the season. Rangers has a chance to lift a cup for the first time in three years while in the case of Dundee United it has been closer to fourteen seasons since they had something to celebrate.
The Ibrox turnaround engineered by Walter Smith since his return to the club last January has been incredible. Inheriting a team from French Coach Paul LeGuen that had lost six of twenty-three league games and been knocked out of the Scottish Cup at the first hurdle, Smith went about restoring some much needed confidence and lost only two leagues (the last two and Celtic had already secured the title) the rest of the season.
A place in this season’s Champions League last sixteen proved to be too much but after dropping to the UEFA Cup Rangers have beaten both Panathinaikos and Werder Bremen and await their fate when the draw is made tomorrow (Friday).
Rangers also lead the SPL by three points and have a game in hand over Celtic. However, of the eleven league games still to play Rangers and Celtic have to face each other three times. Both clubs are still alive in the Scottish Cup and have been kept apart in the semi-final round. But first Rangers must see off Partick Thistle in next Wednesday’s rearranged quarter final match.
Rangers may retain an interest in four competitions but Walter Smith is well aware that the Rangers faithful are unforgiving if success is not delivered in regular doses and Sunday provides an opportunity to make it one down and three to go.
It is somewhat ironic that Rangers opponents are Dundee United – the first team Smith faced on his return (a 5-0 win) and a team where he got his coaching start under the legendary Jim McLean. Smith was on United’s coaching staff when they won their first major trophy in 1980 beating Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in the League Cup Final.
It was the first visible crack in the Old Firm’s domination of Scottish football and by season’s end Aberdeen had won the first of three league titles under Fergie and over the next six seasons Aberdeen and United became known as the “New Firm”.
The next eleven seasons would see United make it to nine domestic finals, the UEFA Cup final, as well as winning the Scottish League and coming within a whisker of a place in the 1984 European Cup Final.
But making it to the final of a competition is one thing, winning is something else and over the ten finals United won only two – the aforementioned League Cup win in 1980 and they repeated the year after.
After McLean’s “retirement” from the dugout after 22-years United went through a cavalcade of managers with a Scottish Cup win over Rangers in 1994 the only highlight. After a televised run-in with a BBC reporter in 2000 the McLean-era began to grind to a conclusion although it would take another couple of years before he sold his shareholding to local businessman and United fanatic Eddie Thompson.
Thompson soon showed himself to be a match for McLean in firing managers as he axed five managers in his first six seasons as owner. It has only been since the arrival of Craig Levein in late 2006 that a level of stability and success has returned to Tannadice.
Levein has United third in the league at the moment and they played Celtic to a scoreless draw at Parkhead on Wednesday night.
There is a real sense of optimism around the club that United can at again be a force in Scottish football although the halcyon days enjoyed under McLean are unlikely to return.
But even though some level of success may be in the future for United this might be the last chance that their owner Eddie Thompson will have to see his beloved side lift a Cup. For the man who put his money where his mouth was to the tune of many millions of pounds is battling what looks to be an unwinnable battle with cancer.
Thompson has already put his financial affairs in order with members of his family being appointed to various positions within the club and Levein was appointed to a position on the board of directors a few weeks ago.
United will be taking close to 17,000 to Sunday’s final at Hampden and many will be wearing special tangerine t-shirts to show support for Thompson with proceeds going to fund cancer research.
North American connection - When I first saw Dundee United play in the early sixties they played in various combinations of black and white. So where did their present distinctive tangerine kit come from?
The year after the 1966 World Cup the United Soccer Association (a forerunner to the North American Soccer League) decided to import twelve teams to play during the summer in North America.
Each team played under the moniker of their adopted North American city and Dundee United became the Dallas Tornado.
The Tornado colours were tangerine and the idea to change kit was planted back then. The switch was made in 1969 with the first British showing against Everton in pre-season friendly.(check half way down to see a United as Dallas team photo).
United’s centre half Doug Smith – a player who many considered one of the best players never to be capped by Scotland – made the Second All Star team along with some other memorable names.
I really do not know what to make of this. On a weekend when I don’t write a preview the blog gets two hundred plus postings!!! I don’t ever remember hitting a number as high as that even during the World Cup. Am I really needed? Thanks for all the contributions over the last three days – fantastic stuff.
The Gretna fairytale has turned into something much darker as reality set in.
Before step-overs in English football there were comb-overs and Ralph Coates had one of the most famous.
Spurs had some of their legendary players in attendance at the Carling Cup Final. But one legend was tragically struck down in his prime. As a youngster John White’s death was a “Kennedy moment” for me only months after the original “Kennedy moment.”
A piece on Sky’s Jeff Stelling who we see from time to time in North America.
Monday Topic This goes back to the sending off of Marco Materazzi on Tuesday for Inter against Liverpool after receiving two yellow cards. There seems to be a general consensus that by the rules the referee was probably correct but that the eventual punishment seemed harsh.
The “two soft yellow cards and you are off” predicament has been bothering me for a while. On one level tugging on a shirt or holding a player back is cheating and robbing the fans of excitement and entertainment. Same thing goes for time wasting. On another level does the punishment really fit the crime?
And then I found myself reading the latest copy of Champions. The final article is an interview with 1970 World Cup winner Tostao. One of the questions that he was asked was whether he saw the need for drastic rule changes in the game.
He suggested three areas. The first was am electronic chip in the ball to indicate whether or not the ball crossed the line. The second was that it should be forbidden to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper – not just with the feet.
The third suggestion I thought was the most interesting. He said, “I would limit the number of fouls by a player and by a team with a light punishment – perhaps forcing the offending player to be substituted.”
Perhaps that is an option in the case of “two soft yellow cards and you are off” predicament. Why not have the offending player substituted? He’s out of the game and the coach loses a possible substitution – but the team still has 11 men on the field.
If all the substitutions have been made then the team is forced to play with one less player. What do you think or do you have some other creative options?
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.
Gunner 44 - 1. Race between Man U and Chelsea will come down to the wire. Arsenal might play the biggest part in deciding who gets to lift that title with that game just before Chelsea faces Man U.
2. Race for Player of the Year will come down to what Drogba and C. Ronaldo do in these last games. Right now Ronaldo has the upper hand.
3. Arsenal better wake up or they will be competing for 4th with The Coldspurs again, who will finish 5 above Bolton.
4. Relegation battle might also come down to the last games also. Charlton have a chance of surviving but I don's see West Ham surviving.
What do you think of these 4 issues?
Bobby –1. It is going to come down to more than Chelsea beating or losing to Arsenal. Although the gap is currently six points United have a much better goal difference which is the equivalent of an extra point. For the Arsenal game to mean something then United has to drop points somewhere.
2. Ronaldo gets my vote at the moment.
3. Arsenal cannot afford to be complacent but I cannot see them finishing lower than fourth. They have Bolton and Spurs coming up on April 14 and 21.
4. I agree, it looks as if West Ham have dug to deep a hole. All they can do is to focus on getting some points and hope somehow that the other results go their way.
Foxcube - I find the BBC (Lineker)/FA row fascinating. Would you add some comments? Plus what do you think of the new deal?
Bobby – 1. As someone wrote – only the FA can take a good story (a record TV deal) and turn it into a bad story. I think the BBC is trying to save face while the FA should have just said nothing. As for the new deal it only applies to the UK so in the short term it won’t affect us on this side of the pond.
oldcoach - Is it just me or do others view England's quest for a second WC as the greatest, longest running soap opera in sports? I know that Scotland must be enjoying it. Fergie defended McClaren but then added he wished they were playing Scotland next. From an objective point of view, do you think McClaren has what it takes? If not, would you run off McClaren now and give it to Venables for the Estonia game?
Should Man U be concerned about Rooney's form?
Bobby – Scotland has nothing to enjoy unfortunately. Not qualifying for the knock out stage of the World Cup in 8 attempts is an atrocious record. The FA will not get rid of McClaren because it would call into question their collective judgment to an even greater degree than it is at the moment. I thought at the time McClaren was a bad choice and that opinion remains. If the FA wanted to appoint Venables they could have done it on a couple of occasions since he resigned in 1996 but his past is still a factor. If United and Rooney were struggling then I think it would be a worry but as it is they are still getting good results and Rooney is bound to come good.
AlexMorph - Who is 1. your pick, 2. who you think will win PFA young player of the year. At first I might have thought Ces was a shoe in, except for a couple things. First, I thought it was a 21- award when infect it's 23-. Second, in yesterday's game it was said that Cesc has 0 goals in 56 goal attempts, a rather poor return for an offensive midfielder. His contribution in assists and overall play is not to be denied, but his competition is greater than it seems.......Martins, Rooney, Doyle, even Kalou for what little he plays, all having pretty big impacts on their teams this year.
Bobby – You have not included Ronaldo as an option. If he doesn’t win the Player of the Year he could still win the Young Player of the Year Award. If he doesn’t win the big one then he will get the Young Player, if he does then Fabregas will likely win.
Henry 14 – Q1 Do you know how many goals Baptista score from open play from his 38 in 50 appearances, l would want to believe 95% were set plays? Q2 - Now that Tevez seems to have settled in the Prem do you change your mind to see one of the big four going for him Q3 - l am a big Lampard fan, l feel for the past three season he has been the outstanding midfielder in the Prem bar none, and still feel this season as no exception how would you solve the Gerrard Lampard conundrum
Q4 - l saw that you are showing UEFA cup why don't you do the same with CL
Q5 - As an Arsenal fan l am worried about Tottenham's form and since we have to go to the lane do you see them nicking fourth place
Bobby – Q1, I can’t say for sure but I don’t remember seeing an inordinate number of his goals for Sevilla coming from free kicks or penalties. Q2 – No. Q3 – If the feeling is that they can’t play together then one of them just has to be dropped. It is pointless simply hoping that they will gel. If you go back to the days of Alf Ramsey then you can find numerous examples of players who were regarded as better players being overlooked in favour of lesser players because the coach believed that it was more important for a player to fit into the team. If it was me I would be playing Gerrard and leaving Lampard on the bench. Q4 – ESPN hold the English language rights in North America. Q5 – I don’t think Arsenal will finish lower than 4th and 3rd is still a very real possibility.
Foxcube - Regarding the booing fans, I don't think there is anything wrong with booing itself since I believe fans are bigger than clubs and teams and players so they are entitled to their actions. Have the England fans not suffered enough?
Bobby – McIlvanney’s piece was not about fans booing it was about obscene behaviour.
RINGO - Do you think the rise of Gretna FC, from the English northern league to the SPL (almost), is the greatest footballing fairytale?
Bobby – It is a great story but you also have to place it into a context. It is doubtful if Gretna would have achieved what they have so far if it was not for the largesse of multi-millionaire philanthropist Brooks Mileson – the "Roman Abramovich of the Borders". Wigan is also a great story but would they have done it without Dave Whelan and his investment? That's why I think Wimbledon takes pride of place. Their run to the FA Cup Final and win over Liverpool should really be made into a movie but I am not sure who would play the part of Vinnie Jones!
atleti_female - I wonder why the English media don't rate Totti. Any ideas anyone?
Bobby – Although Serie A was shown for a number of years in the UK it only attracted a niche viewership. I think it is simply a case that many of his UK critics have never taken the time to watch him. I have mates back home that have hardly see hm play.
Gongatore - How silly is it that people are calling for Wenger's head? Why would he leave Arsenal? IMHO he has done a fantastic job (this year, they have slipped, it happens to the best sides) and arguably one of the architects of why the EPL has become an exciting league.
How do you rate Mexes? Panucci? Taddei?
Bobby – Mexes - the French Rio Ferdinand. Panucci - the Italian Philip Neville. I should probably add that Mexes obviously has a lot of talent but he seems short on application. I can’t really explain my opinion of Panucci.
I like watching Taddei. He has been a great acquisition for Roma over the last couple of seasons.
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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