Redfan2000 -What's your take on the midfield for England? You lauded Jenas in the weekend blog, so how about explaining your thinking regards the competition with, Barry, Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick, Hargreaves et al, all vying for a CM slot? Could Jenas run the right wing??
What do you think of Downing as an attacking winger and his defensive qualities going the other way?
Re the Inter debate, do you think they are truly a great side or just very consistent, unlike those around them and elsewhere? Never mind Rafa's position, do you think Grant will start next season as Manager at Chelsea? Who do you think RA would/could replace him with??
Bobby – I think you can see a significant improvement in Jenas since Ramos took over. He is more composed, chooses his moments to go forward and is much more disciplined. He has a very good turn of pace – something that Ramos likes – and I am betting that Capello does as well.
There is a feeling that Capello will opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation and so in the long run Jenas probably has two bites at the cherry. If he continues to improve under Ramos then Capello may be willing to slot him into one of two defensive midfield positions.
The conventional wisdom has Hargreaves as having a lock on one of the positions but I am not so sure. Hargreaves is an aggressive defender playing in front of the United back four and offers virtually nothing in terms of building an attack or controlling the tempo o####ame.
That is where Barry has a big edge and I think Jenas will eventually be slotted into the second position beside him. In front of them maybe Bentley-Gerrard-Cole. Downing is a natural left footer but overall Joe Cole is a far better player and a better option.
Bentley is a more natural wide player than Jenas and I think Jenas’ more valuable in the middle of the park. For Inter to be regarded as a great side they are going to have to win the Champions League rather than just winning their domestic championship a few times in a row.
Re: Avram Grant, I’m still surprised he was hired to begin with. As for a replacement who knows. It is more a product of who is available at the time rather than who is the best candidate. Naming replacements is a hypothetical exercise means nothing.
CIAO - I'm curious, do you have any comparative data on injury statistics of the leagues (i.e. Serie A, PL, Bundesliga and La Liga). To me, it seems obvious that such career ending injuries seem to occur more in the PL vs. the other top leagues.
Henry14 - What should Eduardo have done yesterday? Should he have not gone for the ball because he thinks (as many others may do) there's a real danger my leg will be broken here. The ridiculous assertion that Eduardo was too fast and therefore that means that’s ok is beyond belief.
To avoid serious injury yesterday someone had to decide differently. Taylor could have decided to not go flying in or Eduardo could have pulled out going for the ball. You have a choice. Which one do you want to influence to make a different decision? For me it is clear. A greater ban in the event of causing a serious injury would make the tackler and the club thinks twice and we would not have had the injury we had.
What’s your take on the way tackling and aggressiveness on less technically play is taken in England?
Gregz - What did U make of the Eduardo injury. (I missed the show).
Bobby – I will try to deal with all the Eduardo/Taylor questions in one response so there may not be a direct match to each specific question. First off on a historical basis the game is far cleaner than it was in the 60s, 70s and early 80s.
That comment is made in the context of all leagues, not just in England. You name me a decent soccer playing nation from that era and I guarantee that we can find thugs from each and every one of them. The same goes for today. Just because one style is more physical than another does not make it more or less illegal.
I would suggest that the real dirty players are the ones that you don’t see rather than the ones you do.
Anyone trying to make this a nationality argument is disingenuous at best.
I am not aware of comparative stats on career ending injuries in the PL vs. Other leagues but I doubt that it would statistically significant if it was. It may seem that way because we hear more about the PL than others.
I don’t have anything to back up this assertion but I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of career ending injuries are not caused by fouls but from normal play and physical contact.
So is someone going to suggest that anyone causing an injury with a fair tackle should be suspended as well – according to some comments that would apparently stop bad injuries.
The most intelligent comments about the incident have come from Eduardo – the victim.
I wonder how many of you saw the incident and immediately thought it was brutal tackle?
Taylor flying into the tackle – pure hyperbole. Taylor was slow, he was late and he caught Eduardo. A fraction of a second either way and Eduardo rolls off the tackle or Taylor brings him down, a free kick is given and Eduardo plays on as players do countless times each game.
With a game played at the pace of the modern game it is impossible not to have some mistimed tackles and unfortunately bad injuries are going to happen now and again. Bad injuries have happened for years and they will happen for years to come and you are not going to find that they are restricted to one league, one nationality or even bad tackles.
As for a player going into a game worrying about a broken leg - he should not playing the game.
Gregz -Do U see Wenger parting ways with Van Persie because of his constant injury problems. What do you make of Carlos Vela? Better as a winger or striker?
Bobby – I guess your definition of constant injury problems are a bit different than mine. He’s been at Arsenal four seasons and the first year he was almost exclusively on the bench.
He injured himself scoring against Manchester United last season and then he’s been injured this season – is that constant?
Maybe someone can explain to me the upside of releasing a player who has yet to hit his prime and has the potential to be one Europe’s best goal scorers? My latest view of Vela was at the Under-20s last summer and he was not very impressive. On last summer’s showing he is nowhere close to being ready to step up.
Frenchking2012 - What do you think of Walcott? Could he do a Ljungberg after Pires (Arsenal best player in the 2001-2002 season) was injured by Dabizas. I remember Freddie scoring 6 or 7 goals in 8 or 9 games and he was the one whose run and later shot gifted Wiltord with an open goal at Old Trafford.
Walcott score 2 great goals Saturday and for once was dribbling rather well. I think he needs to step up because the Bendtner - Ade duo doesn’t work, and we won’t have RVP back for the Milan game (maybe as a late sub if we are down 1-0 in the 75th minute).
Bobby – Not a hope. Ljungberg was an experienced club and international in 2001/02, Walcott is still a young boy. The expectations of how quickly Walcott will mature are way over the top.
Flashman - When it comes to assessing ar5ena1 games, you dig in like you were Cronkite covering a moonshot. Very thorough. So why no coverage of William Gallas snapping a head valve and kicking the advertising boards and stomping off and throwing hisself down at midfield and having a right old sulk? The UK media have ripped him soundly and clamoured for the club to get rid of him. Why no coverage?
That said, you could have drawn attention to Spurs' Pascal Chimbonda chewing up clock time with his selfishly slow walk-off after being subbed at Wembley.
Bobby – If you can persuade our producers to give us a three hour show then I am hopeful that we could fit everything in. As it is I get told to wrap it up when I am going over and so I have to do what I am told. Sometimes bits get in and sometimes they don’t.
As for the media clamouring for Arsenal to get rid of Gallas - clamouring? Really?
Alberta_Man_United_Fan - What is it with the officiating in the Prem lately? Missed offside calls, ref's missing incidents were one player puts his hands on the face of an opponent who responds, only to get turfed?
I am amazed at the appearance of bias from some game officials in the calls that are and are not made! Kicking at a players heal when I played resulted in a card, not a lecture! (Arsenal-ManU).Then this past weekend Man City had a player sent off for doing that same thing.
As a youth coach and official I tell all the kids, if it is in the rule book it will be enforced! The best way to stay out of the book is to play a clean game. Professional referees do none of us minor coaches any favors by selectively enforcing the rule book.
Immediately after the Arsenal-Man United game I witnessed three such kicking incidences in the games that I officiated in. When did the standards drop for officials?
Bobby – I can’t disagree with you on the incidents that you bring up. However, I would not limit the comments to the Premiership.
Zuco2 - What do you think about Reading football club? Last season, they had a perfect year finishing in the top 10 and narrowly missing a UEFA cup spot. This season, they are winless in 11 games. They are in the relegation zone and they have one of the worst goal difference records in the Prem. What is wrong with them??????? Have any idea???
Bobby – At the risk of stating the obvious they can’t score goals and have let in far too many – a recipe for relegation trouble normally. Second seasons in a higher division are traditionally difficult.
It is interesting that last season a number of fans pointed out that Wigan had made too many changes to the team that had done very well during its first season in the Premiership and hence their problems.
Steve Coppell made few changes and that has not worked out either. Lita, Doyle, Long and Kitson have to start scoring goals and scoring early in games as well. The two goals in the last seven games have both been last minute consolation goals and they have yet score a goal in the first fifteen minutes of a Premiership game this season.
On the bright side they do not have a particularly difficult run in over the final eleven matches and frankly if they can’t get enough points from a softish schedule then they deserve to go down.
I’ll start off with a couple of questions that made it on to other blogs but were never answered.
Nnogomes21 - I was wondering if you know/ have any idea's why Portugal's S.L. Benfica is struggling so far in the Liga Portuguesa and in the UEFA champions league, they have a lot of great players like...Nuno Gomes [C], Rui Costa, Silva ####, Fabio Coentrao, Oscar Cardozo... they have more but, they have a lot of great players, is it their chemistry that’s hurting them or is it a technical problem.. Explain please.
Bobby – I haven’t seen Benfica play this season so I may not be the best source of information. However, there are unbeaten in the league although the problem is that they’ve drawn four of their seven games. Probably the biggest disappointment has been the two defeats in the Champions League – away to Milan and at home to Shakhtar.
The goals have not been flowing freely – only 10 in 9 games and they’ve been shut out four times. Gomes is in his thirties and Rui Costa is well into his 30’s so there may be an issue - although I have read that he is playing well. In terms of player turnover fom last season Fabrizio Miccoli has returned to Italy and he seemed to have been a very important player from Benfica over the last two seasons.
The thing that stands out for me is the managerial turnover – nine in the last seven years. Jose Antonio Camacho is back for his second spell at the club after stepping in again this summer. Benfica needs to beat Celtic tomorrow in order to get back into contention in the Champions League. That might be easier done than trying to catch Porto.
Benfica is already 8 points behind Porto (100% record) after seven games and it is only a 30-game season in Portugal. Benfica plays third place Maritimo this weekend. In the meantime here is an article from Ben Lyttleton on the Wednesday’s Champions League game.
Jaredlampard - I'm a huge Celtic fan. 1. I really want to know on what you think of their poor performances away from home and if they really are one of Europe's top clubs. Two years ago, I drove 195 miles to a game to see them get thrashed 4-0 by D.C. United. This year, I went to two of their games which were against the MLS all-star team which they lost 2-0 and a game against Chicago which they drew 1-1. 2. I also want to know based on these results if you think that American clubs could perform well against Europe's best or it's just that the Uefa clubs are just in pre-season from.
Bobby – You have to define what constitutes a top club in Europe. If it is based on fan support, then Celtic are one of Europe’s top clubs. Based on performances in Europe over the last thirty years and the answer is no. I would not read too much in pre-season results in terms of the relative strength of European sides version the MLS. Here is an article by Andrew Smith on Celtic’s away performances.
There was also a very good article in the October/November issue of Champions magazine that dealt with home advantage – it had Celtic top in terms of home performances over the last three or four seasons.
Dasayev - I've been puzzled by the team selections and tactics of Sven Goran Eriksson and Mini-Sven, Steve McLaren. In terms of selection, they both seem desperate to curry the favor of "star" players and are reluctant to withdraw them whether they are in-form or not. So...we get the Gerrard/Lampard combination when it clearly doesn't work and the strange devotion to Paul Robinson when the likes of Robert Green and David James are clearly in better form. Wouldn't everyone be better served if Gerrard, Lampard, Barry, Bentley, etc. were fighting for these spots? Pushing each other to greater heights?
Of course, it would be benefit club and country for these places--and all others--to be up for grabs, so to speak. If you are doing the business for your club then you'll see time on the pitch. If England would have a stable pool of 30 or so players, all of whom were in contention and knew that their form would be a key to squad selection it would also give the team stability as you wouldn't have people constantly coming and going.
England has so many potential performers that I would think keeping an England "B" squad would be a great way for the manager to see players under pressure. For example, I can only think Lescott would have benefitted from such an experience while the more accomplished left-backs Shorey and Bridge deputized for Ashley Cole.
Bobby – An interesting theory but I would wager that the most successful countries have been the ones that have kept the most stable sides. It’s difficult enough to get players used to playing with each other let alone magnifying the problem by constantly changing based on club form. You often hear international managers talk of the need to generate a club spirit at the international level.
Although it is a different generation England’s most successful manager Sir Alf Ramsey was exceptional loyal to his players and was known on occasion to field a player in an international game who was struggling to get a game for his club.
As for having a stable pool of 30 international players to choose from – is that not an oxymoron? There just isn’t 30 English players capable of playing at the highest international level and if there was how could the team by stable?
Craigy_f – Q1. Do you have any impressions of Warner you’d share Bobby? Q2. Will FSC be showing any ACN games? Q3. Will Yallop stay or go? Q4. Which games tickle your fancy in the play offs? Q5. Who is a team you think would slip up or be surprised in this weeks, UEFA Champions League or UEFA Cup?
Bobby – 1. I met Warner in 1999 during the Pan American Games in Winnipeg and he was pleasant enough. However, his track record shows him to be anything but. 2. I have no idea – that’s a question for the FSC programmers. 3. I would bet on him leaving. 4. In the first round Houston vs. Dallas because of the rivalry. 5. Slavia Prague – I think Arsenal may score 7.
LParker - How long do you think it's going to take for Mourinho to surface at AC Milan? They looked awful this weekend against Empoli, haven't won a home fixture, and are now in the bottom half of the table. It's like they're moving in slow motion. If they lose or draw to Shakhtar on Wednesday, will Ancelotti be sent packing? Also, what does AC need in January (player/position wise) to find resurgence in Serie A and the Champions League?
Bobby – After 7 games last season they had twelve points – this season 10. Without the points deduction last season they would have finished on 69 points. Take Kaka (and Gattuso) out of the team and it is a very different side.
Even so I don’t think you will see Milan making too many moves in January – their hoping Ronaldo is back soon, and Pato will be available in the New Year. There has been a discussion on the blog about the importance of domestic league vs. Champions League. Milan may just think the scudetto is a route to the Champions League. As for Ancelotti I have predicted his demise for the last three seasons so I’m probably not a good judge in this case.
Henry14 - q1 What is the deal with Gerrard clear the air, do you mean he cannot be subbed, if Fergie or Wenger sub a Rooney or Ronaldo or Cesc there will not be any clear the air talks what’s your take? q2 l think Wenger is probably more ruthless than Fergie but less confrontational do you agree? q3 How do you rate Keane' signing this season, the likes of Halford, Cole.
Bobby – Q1. I think I answered that question both on the blog and on Monday’s FSR. Benitez made a gutsy call and a correct call.
Q2 I would try telling that to Beckham, Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Ince, Kancheskis to name only a few.
Q3 – Keane has made some signings that I think will work out very well – Kenwyne Jones may not be everyone’s idea of a silky striker but he will cause defenses a lot of trouble in years to come. Craig Gordon will repay his transfer fee many times over. I only saw Halford play once for Reading this season and I think once this season so I can’t really comment.
Cole was signed for cover and to contribute as a late substitute. You have to take into consideration that Keane made around 10 signings last season and they were more geared to getting them out of the Championship. Now he is finding out who can play in the Premiership.
Bayareasoccerfan - It seems like West Ham and Sunderland have spent comparable sums of money to Man City, but have been less successful. Do you think it is because British managers make poor signings? I do not see a playmaker (like Elano) in these sides. Are they trying to build a high-tempo English long ball squad which does not require a playmaker?
Bobby – If success is judged after 10 games then you are correct. But there are another 28 games to go. I’m not sure that the comparison is necessarily a fair one. You have to consider the number of players signed and to an extent their age.
According the numbers (they are imprecise as transfer fees tend to be nowadays) Keane has spent around 37m pounds, Sven 29M pounds and Curbishley 23M – all net numbers. Keane has signed 12 players at an average net cost of 3M pounds and the players are almost all exclusively young and with room to improve. Sven has signed five players (he has some on loan or on a Bosman) at an average cost of a little under 6M pounds.
Curbishley seems to average around $3M with a greater emphasis on “proven” players. I would not go along with the argument that because a manager is British that he makes bad signings anymore than I would offer up Gerard Houllier as proof of the opposite.
Yohann - What do you think is the source of England's problems on the international stage? England hasn't won anything even when Eriksson was there. It’s the whole program that should be analyzed. But I do think McClaren should be sacked... especially because he tried to make the players fit in a mold, instead of shaping the formation to suit the type of players he had.
Some players are overrated... like (I know you guys won’t like it..haha) Lampard and Joe Cole, Gary Neville, Ashley Cole. Some players are injury prone like M. Owen, O.Hargreaves, Lennon and J.Terry. Some players are underrated and should get a bigger share of playing time... Carragher, Sidwell and even Pennant come to mind.
Bobby – I have tried to find a way to answer your question but I can’t. You mention McClaren fitting players into a mold – what mold was that? When McClaren moved to a 3-5-2 from a 4-4-2 it failed so where was the mold in that case.
Just because players are “overrated” it doesn’t mean that “underrated” players are better. Sidwell is an effective journeyman and Pennant is generally a very poor crosser of the ball. I just can’t see myself dropping Joe Cole in favour of either of them. Maybe you can give us your England starting line-up and the formation and then we might have something more meaty to discuss.
Chinaski - Berbatov looks ecstatic, anyone think he'll ask to move in January? If so where?
Bobby – A lot can happen between now and January.
Gregz - Do you see Wenger letting Gilberto move on in the January transfer window, especially with Flamini playing so well and Diarra and Denilson bidding for a spot?
Bobby – I would be very surprised if he did. For a start there is no benefit to letting him go. He can play at centre back at a push and I think you will find him getting more game time once the next round of WC qualifiers are passed in November. Flamini is laying well but it is a long season. Diarra is largely untested at the top level at that position and Denilson is more of a cover for Fabregas than as a defensive midfielder.
MasMaz - Is there any mention of intent in the rule book when the last defender prevents a goal scoring opportunity? I believe there is an intent clause for handballs, but is there one for honest but mistaken defending so that only a yellow and a penalty is given?
If there isn't there should be, I just can't see how Hibbert tried to intentionally prevent a goal scoring opportunity, I still don't think it was a foul. Anyone could stop running any time to create contact with the defender.
Bobby – As others have pointed out there is no mention of intent. The wording on hand ball is “handles the ball deliberately”. In terms of yellow or red card the wording is “denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.”
I know there has been discussion on goalkeepers getting yellows as opposed to red cards. It would suggest that the difference is based on the referee’s judgment of “moving towards” the goal. I would add that I don’t think moving towards the goal is necessarily meant to be limited to a straight line to the goal. As for the theory of a player stopping running to create contact – that would then be obstruction on the attacking player. I think it would be a bit obvious.
Henry 14 - l thought your defense of Gerrard was ridiculous, every time we talk of poor officiating there are people who feel it is a good or a bad decision and one of them will be correct. If players go and tell referees and then seen to change their mind then we have a problem. We are not saying Hibbert should not be sent off but the precedence of a player going to the ref and then appears to change his mind is wrong.
Bobby – I have come to the conclusion that you watch and hear a completely different show than I appear on every Monday and Friday. How the hell do you come up with “defense of Gerrard?” You and I do not know what was in the referee’s mind nor what Gerrard said – the bottom line is that Clattenburg got the call right. It seems that you would prefer he got it wrong.
Victoriakevin - I emailed this to the MLS: What is the point of the season, it ends and nobody wins anything and then some of the teams play on in "the playoffs"?? Why have a season? Why not just play the playoffs? I don't get this. What do you think about the farce of the MLS season?
Bobby – As others have pointed out it is a North American thing. But given your thoughts, are you intending to e mail the Football League and the Dutch League as well? Most people in England love the play offs and hockey seems to have a good following in Canada with a format that involves 80 meaningless games before the play offs. What’s your solution?
LetsGoBuffalo - In today's football, do you think European clubs would rather win the Champions League or the home league? Or do you think its a club-by-club basis?
Bobby – Obviously club by club. It would be hard to convince me that winning a 7th straight Ligue Une title would mean more to Lyon than winning the Champions League. Question though – how many teams rest players before a league game by putting out a weaker side in the Champions league? It does happen but the opposite is more often the case is it not?
Finally, thank you to everyone who visits the blog and especially to those who participate.
Reports of Mourinho's departure from Stamford Bridge are now extensive with the debate now centering on whether he resigned or was fired. Here are the latest articles from a couple British newspapers with their take on the shock development - the Times and the Guardian. The Daily Telegraph and the Independent currently are without a story although the Telegraph contains a link to ESPN Soccernet.
With Ballack in the mix, Lampard's role become less clear and subsequently the English midfielder became less effective. Prior to his move to Stamford Bridge Ballack has been the fulcrum of the midfield at Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and with the German national side. Two players trying to play the same role did not work as England has experienced when Steven Gerrard and Lampard were teamed together.
While the problem of Ballack and Lampard in the midfield became more obvious as the season progressed the issue of Shevchenko's role was more apparent, in fact almost from the start. In order to play Shevchenko, Mourinho had two options - the first was to opt for the former Milan man over Drogba. Although Drogba struggled at times in his first Premiership season in 2005, it was clear to all by season two that the Ivory Coast striker was a game-winner and not someone who needed to play second-fiddle to anyone.
That left Mourinho with the option of moving to a 4-4-2 formation which he fielded for most of last season. It was a system that rarely flattered Chelsea and left them generally looking disjointed and lacking the balance and pace that was on show during Mourinho's first two seasons in charge.
What's more Chelsea seemed to lose the mental edge and application that had been such an important part of their game when the won back-to-back titles. As the fear receded in other sides Chelsea was forced more frequently to come from behind to salvage a draw or to pull off a win - a position they had rarely found themselves in before.
With rumours rife of the owner and the manager not speaking the club appeared to grow more dysfunctional as last season progressed. The move to bring in Avram Grant looked to be the straw that was to break the manager’s back but a peace deal was brokered that appeared from the outside to have everyone comfortably playing in their own sandbox. However, reports that owner Abramovich was on a mission to sign Ronaldinho just before the August 31 transfer deadline, was perhaps a clue that the fix was only a band-aid solution and the cracks quickly reemerged.
Over the last two or three weeks the issues have compounded – an unsatisfactory explanation as to why Michael Ballack was left of the Champions League roster; the Shevchenko dilemma escalated as the Ukrainian striker put in good performance against Italy something not seen in a Chelsea uniform; a loss to Aston Villa and a draw with Blackburn in the Premiership; an embarrassing tie at home in front of a small crowd to Norwegian team Rosenborg; and then perhaps the final sign that Mourinho had cracked – his egg story at a press conference this week.
So what now for Mourinho? It’s not good news for incumbent managers. Knowing that Mourinho is again on the market provides any trigger happy Chairman with a ready replacement should any of the big clubs stumble in the next few weeks.
As for a replacement two names will be prominent. Fabio Capello is available and if Chelsea is looking for a proven and tested winner then Capello fits the bill to a tee. The other is Guus Hiddink, currently in charge of Russia’s national team. Abramovich is rumoured to have brokered the deal that placed Hiddink in charge and so there does appear to be a prior relationship.
That potential move does however come with complications beyond Hiddink dumping Russia and it comes in the form of Frank Arnesen, the current Sporting Director at Stamford Bridge (another chief!). Arnesen and Hiddink worked together at PSV Eindhoven a few years back until PSV management opted to dump the Dane in a power struggle that Hiddink won.
LosAngelesChelseaFan - Your thoughts on Denis Law?
Meanwhile, what's your take on our premiership champions pick? I can't begin to figure why JM played 3 holding midfielders against Villa and left Joe Cole on the bench. It was hardly the all out attack we saw at Reading. No-one looked sharp. Maybe it's not surprising when the manager looks so bored/resigned. I'd rather have "bad, angry Mourinho" back. I get the feeling that Abramovich actually didn't have money to spend right now and has asked Mourinho to make do with "adequate" for a while. Do you detect something missing at Chelsea in all of this?
Bobby – Denis Law was simply one of the most explosive and exciting players you could ever hope to see. He was brave and lightning quick and fantastic in the air. He also inspired a generation of young footballers to stretch the sleeves of their jerseys so they could grab on to them with their fingers! I still find myself doing it if I am out running or playing in long sleeves. Chelsea midfield was absolutely pedestrian and cried out for Joe Cole. The game has passed Makelele me thinks.
Leche010 - Is it just me, or is the Premiership just filled, from top to bottom, with more quality than it ever has before?I mean even the bottom club (and all but sure to remain there) Derby has Kenny Miller as a striker.
Bobby – Having Kenny Miller as your striker in the Premiership is more a sign of weakness than strength I am afraid. Miller has his strengths but putting the ball in the back of the net regularly is not one of them. However, I think a number of sides have made good acquisitions – Everton, Portsmouth, Manchester City, Liverpool as examples.
Henry14 - 1 Do you think Diarra's addition can help Arsenal with the bullies up north and maybe there is a chance for a real title challenge? 2 th14 is looking doggy for Barca for the past or so games l have seen him do you see him being a great player as he was or he will be another Sheva or Ballack? 3 Do you still think Arsenal will be under Hill Wood come start of next season?
Bobby –1. From what I have seen of Diarra he can’t be described as the second coming of Patrick Vieira – not so far anyway. He certainly is not going to be the difference between a league challenge and no league challenge. 2. Thierry Henry has looked fine to me. 3. I think the question is really will they be under the same regime at the start of next season? If so my answer is yes.
Foxcube - Re: Robson article. I feel it's unfair to match Pires/Ljunberg with Rosicky/Hleb head to head, toe to toe. This is because Arsenal has changed their way of playing since the 2005 and new players were bought for this new style. Bobby would you please give some analysis of their change?
Bobby – What new style? Bergkamp’s gone and can’t be replaced but the wide players are still being asked to do what they were two or three years ago as far as I can see.
Foxcube - Do you see the foreign investments will go on forever? Will the top teams break FA's restrictions and getting their TV deals individually?
Bobby – No tree grows to the sky. The question is how much upside is left in terms of increased revenues. That comes back to TV and internet deals and I’m guessing that there is a big upside left. Unfortunately most of the clubs have shown that can spend the money as quickly as it is given to them so the foreign investments will continue until someone realizes that soccer in Europe has never been a moneymaker. In fact the only people to have made money the last few years are the folks who have sold out to foreign buyers. What does that tell you? Remember apart from Abramovich most of the deals are being done with other people’s money not the names that hit the newspapers. Relatively little of their money is at risk.
The fallacy is that “new owners” bring new transfer money. Normally they increase the club’s debt load to pay for new transfers. Further to the TV deals I don’t believe that there are FA restrictions – it is a Premiership rule.
Foxcube - Re: players' sudden death. Nobody mentioned their insurance situation. Any insights?
Bobby – No different than any other worker dropping dead or being injured at work. If fault can be shown then the employer faces the possibility of legal and civil action. Otherwise you will probably find that depending on the professional players association in each country that the club and/or player carry some form of death benefit.
Craigyf - Your comments on the US MNT squad? Any USA v Brazil predictions? So far only two teams remain on maximum points in Serie A, does that surprise you. What has stood out in Serie A so far? Any thoughts on who might be favourites for the MLS Cup yet?
Bobby – A couple of minor surprise in Bradley’s selections but nothing stunning. Far too early to read anything into Serie A results – check in again around week 10. MLS Cup – I’ve been very impressed with DC United the last few weeks. However, MLS teams are very prone to streaks and there is still 2 plus months of the season left. You have to factor in New England given Steve Nicol’s record in the play offs. Houston still has time to find there feet again and Chivas as flown under the radar. Chivas’ record at home is outstanding.
Ringo - Now that we’re a month into the EPL season, would you like to take a mulligan on any of your picks?
Bobby – I’ll stick. It is a long season – lots of drama to come.
CIAO - What do you make of the final day transfers? Or lack there of in the case of Riquelme, Adriano and Ballack? Maybe Inter and Chelsea should just swap the 2 players. Inter has much better luck with German players than Brazilian strikers.
Bobby – As I said on the show - the transfer deadline had Super Bowl hype and Super Bowl excitement.
Bigdavedisaster - Why the need for the lack of a better word "lies" in the handling of Graversen and Miller transfers by Gordon? Is he simply covering incase the transfers don’t go through and then don’t the players already know that he was willing to let them go?
Whenever I read something on George Best I’m always reminded of my Uncle talking about what a shame it was that he never played in a World Cup for a United Ireland team (if they could have made it?) so that the world might see him on its biggest stage.
Bobby – The manager’s job is to do his up most to win games and that comes before being honest with the press. In the case of George Best my understanding is that he was asked to join the 1982 Northern Ireland squad for the World Cup in Spain but he said no. Can anyone else confirm that story?
Atleti – Would this proposal by Platini affect Spain in the same way that it affects England (in terms of handing a Champions League spot to the Copa del Rey winner)?
Bobby - My understanding is that it would impact on the countries that receive four spots every year.
Curtains – Bert Trautmann wasn't British. He was a German POW before he started playing soccer in England.
Bobby – I think you have to appreciate that Charlton “wrote” the first autobiography in 1964 when they were only a handful of non-British players who had ever played in England. When he said it was his British XI I’m sure he meant it to cover players who had played in Britain rather than actually being British. Trautmann was never capped by West Germany but he did play for and captained the English Football league in a League international. These types of internationals were fairly popular for a time. The teams were based on the league you played in rather than your nationality. I think Denis Law may have played for the Italian League while he was with Torino.
Gaza - Would be nice to hear a comment from you on a subject of Chelsea performance. I think they look really boring, playing this sort of midfield soccer. And what I do not understand is why Shevchenko and Joe Cole are not involved at all. They both showed pretty good form in their international games.
Bobby – I did not watch Chelsea on the weekend as I was flying to Toronto for the MLS game so it would not be fair of me to comment. Having said that I guess my question back to you is what’s the difference between Chelsea’s performances this season so far and their performances over the last three seasons under Mourinho? I didn’t think Cole looked to be anything special against Germany and I didn’t catch Shevchenko against Uzbekistan.
wyofc - If they terminate Yallop (or if he quits) and they do the un-thinkable and hire Klinsmann - what else does the Galaxy need to do to start winning? Also, do you think the next coach will keep Landon or let him go? Is there any chance of them making the playoffs?
Bobby – I think in the case of the Galaxy they need a complete makeover. The bottom line is that they are a very poor team and David Beckham alone is not going to turn them around. I cannot see them making the play offs given their schedule and player pool – rather than battling for a play off spot it is probably a case of avoiding finishing in last place this season. As for Landon Donovan’s future my gut tells me that LA will try to keep him around but if they could use him as trade-bait to strengthen the side overall it might prove to be too tempting to resist.
Therealrico - What is your opinion of Chris Coleman being the Nats head coach? And do you think there is a snowball's chance that would ever happen?
Bobby – It is an intriguing suggestion but I would have to say that it is a real outside chance. Coleman is very much schooled in the UK style and has no experience in international competition as a manager.
MasMaz - Please enlighten me, how can the linesman signal that Schmeichel has come off his line and the referee choose to ignore him?
Bobby – Rightly or wrongly the referee is ultimately the sole judge of decisions and can choose to accept or reject an assistant referee’s call.
Craigyf - What did you watch at the weekend and what results surprised you. You were there; in Toronto; on TV DC United looked formidable and comfortable. How good would you rate them after seeing them in the flesh?
Bobby – I recorded the early game (Liverpool and Sunderland) on DVD and watched it on the plane. The TFC vs. DC United game obviously and then on Sunday large chunks of the Juventus and Inter games. Finished off with United and Spurs and all the highlights on Sunday and Monday when I got back home. I had watched DC United the week before against the Crew and thought that they looked very good in the second half. They’re a team looks very confident in their ability to hold possession by passing the ball – they really hit their rhythm in the 2nd half against Toronto. To beat them you would have to press them very hard for 90 minutes and not allow them to settle - otherwise they will pick you apart.
Craigyf - So how would Platini's plan affect the UEFA CUP? Currently don't you go into the UEFA Cup if you win either of the two English Cups?
Bobby – The UEFA Cup needs a major makeover anyway. They would probably change the criteria so that if a team that finished in the top 3 also won the FA Cup then the FA Cup runner up would qualify for the lesser trophy and the 4th place Premiership team would get a CL spot.
Eponymous - Would like to Bobby to weigh on this - I think UEFA/FIFA needs to make some kind of decision as to the consistency of 3rd party ownership across leagues in Europe (and elswhere).
Bobby – The third-part ownership thing is a real can of worms. Despite what we have heard over the last year or so regarding the Tevez situation third-party ownership is not illegal in England. What does constitute a problem is when a third-party owner retains the right the make a decision regarding the player – for example Player X won’t play this weekend because the third party owner says he is injured and has the contractual right to withdraw the player. However, I would agree that the present situation is a mess and needs FIFA to rule. The problem is that is some areas of the world third party owners provide a real service by helping players get overseas contracts by actively promoting the player to foreign clubs – something that local clubs may be unable to do. Finally I think when you strip away the third party issue with Fernandes you find that it is no different than what has been going on for years – players changing their mind. It’s how Roy Keane finished up at Old Trafford rather than Ewood Park.
Bigdavedisaster – What’s your British 11 all time?
Bobby – Here goes. Criteria post 60’s and 4-3-3 formation. Gordon Banks; Alex Hamilton, John Charles, Bobby Moore, Danny McGrain; George Best, Bobby Charlton, Dave MacKay; Jimmy Johnstone, Denis Law, Jimmy Greaves. Substitutes – Pat Jennings, Paul Madeley (he really could play any position), Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Bryan Robson.
CIAO - I just read that Solskjaer retired due to his long running injury troubles. Have you heard the same? How did you rate him? Even though I dislike United, somehow I became a fan of Ole Gunner.Also do you think SAF will be back in the market for a striker? If so, I would imagine Gudjohnsen would be the perfect replacement -what do you think? I bet SAF is kicking himself for letting Rossi go.
Bobby – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was one of the best pure goal scorers in the last decade or so. However, beyond that I think he will be remembered by United fans for his loyalty. This is a player that had many chances to move away and get regular first team football but opted to stay and fight for his place and to sit on the bench waiting for his chance if need be. The problem that United has it that there is literally only hours left to do a deal and their doesn’t seem to be much on the horizon – there again he may pull a rabbit out of the hat once more although I would surprised if it was Gudjohnsen. He’s more a supporter striker and United need someone who plays up top.
CIAO - What do you make of the following reports: 1. Chelsea are bidding for Ronaldinho 2. Inter are considering loaning out Adriano 3. Inter are considering bidding for Deco I personally think Chelsea might be better off as is. If they do make the bid then I imagine they would need to sell off Ballack. I don't really think Inter will make a bid for Deco, if they had plans to do so they would have already done so... right?
Bobby – Adriano on loan makes sense. As for the Ronaldinho story – a bit late to start making a move I would say. Deco – same thing.
Henry14 - 1.What do you know and can you pass a judgment on what’s going on between Portsmouth and Nugent. 2. Red Rom wants Ronnie do you see it happening by Friday although l do not have an idea why they would wait until the last minute? 3. Who is the better player Martins and Owen as we see them and going into the future if they both stay fit?
Bobby –1. Sometimes a player just doesn’t fit in to a new club and it’s often better to move him on. 2. A move for Ronaldinho makes no sense to me either. And I thought Mourinho was supposed to calling the shots again. 3. A fully fit Michael Owen is a much better player and scorer than Obafemi Martins.
neophyte - I didn't know Don Williams was still alive! Just a couple of off the wall comments: Where is the Reading firepower up front? Is Convey really that important because they have looked horrid up front?
Bobby – Ted, Tennessee and Hank are deceased but not Don! I’m sure that they are missing Convey’s left foot but you have to consider the schedule that Reading as had the last few weeks. Has any side had a tougher run than Manchester United, West Ham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Liverpool? They face Spurs on Sunday and then it looks a bit brighter – Charlton, Fulham, Bolton, Newcastle, Watford, and Blackburn. They will need to pick up points because the holiday schedule is on the tough side – Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham.
AlexMorph - Who is your pick among the current crop of England 'wingers'; Joe Cole, Lennon, SWP, Downing, et al. To my mind Cole is really the most creative (besides being the most complete player), and after him I would take Lennon. SWP and Downing never seem to show any guile in taking on a defender, and Phillips always needs about 10 feet of space or he'll lose control.
Bobby - Actually, I think you can make a case that Cole is more effective in a central role. Until Mourinho got a hold of him, I thought Cole was just going to turn out to be another unfulfilled talent. Lennon on his game is tremendous. If he can make as much progress this season as he did last season then he will be some player come May 2007. Some players are quick – certainly Lennon is – but Lennon is sharp as well. That is maybe your issue with SWP – he seems to need more space to work in. Downing is blessed with a great left foot which is a wonderful advantage. I would say that the next 12 months or so are critical for Downing and it will decide whether he goes on to become an international class player or just a very good club player.
venti_vidi_vici - Why is Mourinho starting Hilario now that Cudicini has been declared fit? Is Hilario really the better option, or is JM repaying a debt to Hilario, or is this part of a larger scheme? I believe it is part of a scheme to get to Buffon in January. Benching Cudicini will naturally force him to seek a transfer, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind joining Juventus. The bianco-neri have shown a great interest in Mascherano, whose contract is basically owned by Abramovich. I think it’s safe to say that the whole Abramovich/MSI connection is hardly a secret anymore! I think Juventus would accept the Cudicini and Mascherano trade for Buffon with the right amount of cash, which is obviously not an issue! Juventus will need the transfer money next year, and may even get an option for Cech when he’s healthy. Or it could be that Cudicini is actually not quite fit yet, and Mourinho is just being cautious !!!!
Bobby – A couple of questions in there. Cudicini has been in a tough position since Cech arrived – how do you hope to stay match fit when you rarely see action? Having said that Cudicini is prone to costly gaffs and perhaps his best days were during the Vialli/Ranieri eras. I don’t know about the Abramovich/MSI connection though. It seems to me that since the double Argentine move to Upton Park there has been more to indicate that Abramovich and MSI are not one and the same. The more I think about this I can’t come up with a credible reason why a man who could buy all the players he ever wanted would want to mess around with a share of what is in effect for him, a small scale operation.
Henry14 - 1.as I was watching the Arsenal game I was frustrated as you can imagine with the lack of determination, l think Wenger will clearly take a swipe at his players if he has never did. West Ham deserved to win; they were hungry and the gunners let talk of beautiful football get to their head. l feel that Wenger 's outburst was as a result of the frustration of losing points while he lied that he was impressed by the team's performance and I bet that if he had been hit by a ball from a player he would have been on his throat. If you would have asked Wenger how many point he would get in his past three games including the Hammers he would have said 7 to 9 and that why I feel he snapped, what do you think caused him to lose his cool
2. My question is if Ashley Cole is the best left back in world football then the standard of left backs in world football is low, Il have seen him since he has been to Chelsea and has not got his best form. l think this is because Chelsea are more defensive minded than attacking and his defensive awols are now being exposed than ever b4, he was toasted in the Barca game by Messi and Lennon made him look average, and to be honest Chelsea’s weakness are wingback. Do you think it is Chelsea’s weakness and what do you make of Cole’s poor form since joining Chelsea in comparison to a Gallas?
3. What do you make of Cole’s allegations towards Graham Poll, I did not feel he had a bad game and do you thing if a Neil Warnock, or Adie Bothroyd had complained about ref treatment would the ref chief go to speak to him or it is just one of those moves that only happen to the big boys as the case with Mourinho and if so what causes the bias?
Bobby –1. Frustration. 2 – It could be that Ashley Cole is showing the effects of the long drawn out move from Arsenal to Chelsea as well as his run-in with the FA plus he just got married etc. He is not playing well but few good players in the prime of their careers suddenly become bad players. At Arsenal he had a system that he was comfortable in and he had an understanding with Pires and Henry. Now he has to learn how Jose Mourinho wants him to play. Perhaps one of Cole’s strengths with Arsenal was he often forced the wide midfield player to mark him. At Chelsea that doesn’t seem to be happening too much at the moment. I don’t think you can write him off in his first three months and make comparisons to Gallas. Chelsea fans would rightfully point out that even if Gallas is playing better Chelsea still lead Arsenal and I am willing to bet that Ashley Cole is still playing years after William Gallas has retired. 3. It sounds as if Poll actually said what Cole claims, then the referee assessor and the assistant referees would have heard it as they are all connected. We will know sooner rather than later. If it turns out that Poll didn’t then Ashley Cole will be the starting left-back for the Pinocchio X1.
4Everton- Is Kanu injured? Just wondering why he hasn't playing as much.
Bobby – He was on the bench on Saturday but didn’t get on. He has started 8 games and came off the bench once this season. That means apart from Saturday there has only been one other Premiership game where he hasn’t made an appearance.
davard - How was "The Don?"
Bobby – It was great stuff. Unfortunately this tour is billed as a farewell one.
bigdavedisaster - I thought your comments on Mondays show about Robbie Keane were spot on. He has become a fan favorite at Spurs because of his tenacity and great work rate and he seems to take a leadership role when he starts games. I criticized him earlier in the year but he seems to be back in his form of last year the more that Jol plays him I hope it translates to Ireland. He and Berbatov seem to play well together and I think Jol should stick with them. I like Defoe but he does not see the field well and though he has great pace and quickness I think that he rarely creates chances for other players and needs the ball at his feet a lot to create his own chances. Mido and Defoe are sloppy with the ball whereas Keane and Berbatov tend to be a settling presence allowing other players to get forward and create scoring opportunities. Do you think Jol will stay with the Bulgarian and Irishman and does that mean that Defoe might be dealt in January?
Bobby – I think the Bulgar-Irish duo looks to be the most promising but Martin Jol is another manager that rotates so I am not so sure that you will see anything resembling a settled partnership.
verbal97 - Thanks for not adding to the ridiculous hyperbole that is crowning Ferguson the greatest manager in the history of the world. Although, I personally think Paisley is better than Busby as he had to take over for a legend in Shankly and was even more successful.
Bobby – Not doubt Bob Paisley was more successful than Shanks but rather like Busby, without Shankly would Paisley have had the foundation to build on? It really comes down to what you place a higher value on – trophies or the instilling of a culture of good football and high expectations which in turn leads to winning trophies. In doing research for the Busby piece I discovered that Bob Paisley arrived at Anfield just before WWII and that Busby, who was club captain at the time, apparently took the young Paisley under his wing.
neophyte - I noticed that many of you have Buffon listed as the #1 keeper, as well as FIFA. My son even tells me he is one of the best keepers in his FIFA video game. Maybe VVV can help out here since I haven't seen Buffon a lot but I didn't see much in the way of "the best keeper" in the WC. His backline was incredible and I don't remember him getting tested. I have seen Dida-impressive, and a couple of other keepers in La Liga that were impressive. Why doesn't Van Der Saar get more love? He looked great in the WC (as well as Ricardo-Portugal) and plays in a league that scores more than any other. I am sure I'm missing something but what is going on with the Buffon man-crush everyone is feeling? VVV-educate me. Bobby-help me see the light.
Bobby – I would pick Buffon as the best in the world. A few years back I was a bit surprised when Juventus sold van der Sar to Fulham and spent a fortune on Buffon. I thought van der Sar was a bit of a scapegoat for a blunder that essentially handed Roma the scudetto a few years back. He made a hash of a Nakata shot after Juventus was 2-0 up and the game finished in a 2-2 draw. Shortly after that he was gone. But over the years Buffon has been very consistent – even as a teenager with Parma – and he very rarely makes a mistake. He seems to do everything that a keeper needs to do very well.
henry14 - When l was looking in the group that England is in l have come to terms that Israel can spoil the party and England might be seen scrambling for dear life and now that they are allowed to play in Tel-Aviv, l see them going all the way. They have not lost in 13 internationals and last year they pushed France to the nail. If Croatia can defeat England l see them in hot trouble as they are in a very tricky group and this might be one hell of an upset. Mind you Liverpool were push to a greater extend by a good Maccabi Haifa side so they are a strong side in my opinion. How do you rate the Israelis?
djinima - Bobby, my question for you . . . and this may seem like a dumb one. . . but why is Israel in UEFA? When did they become a part of the body?
Bobby – Initially I discounted Israel, particularly given that they were banned from playing at home. That has now been rescinded. I thought Croatia and Russia would battle it out for second place with England qualifying as group winners. But now I can see how Israel could make it through to the finals. The biggest obstacle that they face is actually winning games and this is a situation where an unbeaten record is actually an impediment. They may be unbeaten in their last 13 qualifying games but seven have been drawn and they have only six wins. In fact if they had traded wins with France or the Republic of Ireland during WC 2006 qualifying instead of drawing, they would have made it to Germany.
Making yourself difficult to beat is one thing, but going out and winning games is something very much different. So although Israel has to receive a lot of respect for coming back seven times during the current unbeaten streak to gain points, they have yet to show that they can beat any of the big countries of Europe.
As for Israel’s place in UEFA - it is politics. Israel has jumped around a number of Federations – including being part of Oceania at one time! Wikipedia has a good rundown of the checkered history.
In the short term it makes it more difficult for Israel to qualify through UEFA but the upside is the standard of Israeli play is going to continue to rise given that the top club teams can also participate in the Uefa Champions League and Cup.
realmadridcffan - Even though it is very early, who do you think has been the biggest surprise and disappointment so far. For my biggest surprise, I would have to say Scotland. Never would I have thought they would win three in a row this early. My biggest disappointment is got to be Spain. They have played brutal thus far. The rate they are playing, they might not even make it to Euro 2008.
Bobby – I think if anyone had said that Scotland would be sitting with a 100% record after three games the barman would have cut them off. But it is early days and the situation could turnaround very quickly – a loss in Kiev against Ukraine, Georgia comes to Hampden in March and defends stubbornly then a trip to Italy and another loss is very possible. Nine points from 3 games in fantastic, but it could easily become ten points from 6 games and third place then becomes a more realistic goal.
I would agree that Spain has to be the biggest disappointment. The only silver lining to their dark cloud is that both their losses have been away from home. But with two losses already they do have their work cut out.
If you look at the UEFA 2006 World Cup qualifying groups, three required the countries to play 12 games (the same as six of the seven Euro qualifying groups), and the other five required 10 games each. Out of the eight WCQ group winners no country lost more than one game and five of them were unbeaten. Poland and Sweden went through as best runners-up after dropping six points each and both finished a massive 9 points ahead of the third place countries. The other countries that went into the WCQ play-offs dropped anywhere between 9 and 12 points.
You can then guess that to make it through Euro 2008 qualifying, countries should be aiming for between 24 and 27 points with it likely closer to 24. That means a country might be able to drop 12 points in 12 games and still make it through as one of the top two finishers. By dropping six points in their first three games Spain can now only afford two more losses or three draws (or a any combination) if they hope to stand a chance of progressing. That makes life very difficult and I think it shows how important a good start is to ultimate success.
AlexMorph - This is a question that has been in my mind for a long time, and I've discussed it with many to no certain conclusion. Why is it that England cannot control the ball AND attack simultaneously? If they go ahead against weak opposition then they do quite fine to shut them down and pass the ball back and forth, but eventually it will break down and the other team will spring on a quick break. England seemingly have no collective conscience as do teams like Argentina, Brazil, Arsenal, Barcelona, Lyon. Even with some of their more creative players (Joe Cole for example) the attack is more of a one-off flare and not a succession of intricate moves and innate understanding. Lyon is still a fluid team despite Houllier, so why can't England be one now that Eriksson is gone?
kirbym - AlexMorph makes a good point. Even England's victories are so often one-offs, saved by a miracle free kick, an own goal, etc., while the pundits say "They haven't quite gotten started yet," etc. They struggle rather than flow. It goes together with a lucklessness that goes back decades, showing up most often against Latin/Mediterranean teams and in penalty shootouts. Tinkering with lineups and formations doesn't go deep enough--it's something fundamental in their approach that's missing. The spirit is always there: They "go down fighting" but they do go down, unable to string together a real attack when needed. I'll also be interested in hearing Bobby's thoughts on this.
CIAO - I too think England has a great pool of players (minus the keepers) to select from. However, I can see two issues: 1. Most British players remain in England and are not exposed to European football or at the international level; and 2. the game is different in the EPL than in any other league and it takes the national team players some adapting for the international level...
I think the Lampard-Gerrard combo has been tested and it failed. Lampard and Gerrard can't seem to catch the same level they perform with their clubs on the national team -so isn't it time to look at other alternatives? Such as implementing either Lennon or SWP to the right wing. I think the national coach needs to consider that SWP should still be in consideration for a spot given that at Chelsea he is fighting for a spot to play with likes of Lampard, Ballack, Makelele, Robben and the list goes on... Hargreaves and/or Parker as the holding midfielders. How about pushing Ashley Cole up to left wing midfield while Joe Cole is out injured... Which leaves a spot behind two strikers for either Lampard or Gerrard -a little friendly competition never hurt anyone. It's time to go back to basics...
To debate this topic properly would take a very long time. For what it is worth I think it is mainly down to technique. I remember a long time ago reading that after some initial success Nick Faldo completely rebuilt his swing because he believed his technique that had brought some success would not stand up to the pressure that he would face if he wanted to be the best in the world. He needed to work on a honing his technique to the stage that when he was under intense pressure his swing would not break down and essentially muscle memory would take over. (I read a not dissimilar piece that suggested that the reason Greg Norman failed so often in the majors was that although he had incredible natural talent his technique was flawed and under pressure this flaw was magnified.)
The point I am trying to make is that British players generally are less technically gifted than players from what we consider to be the top continental countries. They generally fail to perfect things like first touch.
The value British fans place on effort over skill compounds the problem. When was the last time you heard an English fan complain that his club just didn’t have enough good players? It doesn’t happen very often. Normally it is put down to lack of effort and the players just not wanting it enough. I don’t think you can be successful in football without effort and organization but at the top level it is not going to be enough on a regular basis if your players are devoid of some basic skills.
The best book I have read lately on the subject is “The Italian Job” by Gianluca Vialli and Gabrielle Marcotti. The book looks at how the game has developed in Italy and England and looks at the some of the reasons why things are the way that they are. It also challenges some of the conventional wisdom and stereotypes that are trotted out on a regular basis. It includes some great insight from the likes of Mourinho, Ferguson, Capello, Lippi and Wenger.
Venti_vidi_vici - I feel that in group format, the object is to do better than your main rivals. Croatia and Russia are England’s main rivals in the group, and they cannot afford to slip up against either; all three teams expect to qualify. If they must have a no-show, better to do it last Saturday, and then come up with a positive result against Croatia. Basically Wednesday’s match is a good old fashioned 6 pointer.
Also, if Scotland is now seriously thinking about qualifying, their match in Kiev is another 6 pointer, because down the stretch it’ll be a four-way battle for two spots (and they know that there is not room for both of them in the top two). Just like in the domestic leagues, teams have to get results against their main challengers, and equally important, shoot par against the rest.
Although it is so difficult to gain any sort of momentum in these group matches (because of the drawn out schedule), can Scotland carry their high into Kiev and come away with something on Wednesday?
Bobby – Well we will find out in a few hours. The six pointer comment is spot on and it reinforces how important it is to get full points off the lower teams. If you can get full points and your qualifying rivals stumble it places pressure on your rival in the head-to-head encounters forcing them more often than not to push for a win. Perhaps the simple formula is Max points at home + max points versus minnows = Euro 2008 Finals – easily stated but not so easy to achieve!
bigdavedisaster - I am a young man but to me that is the worst loss in the history off modern Irish football. Why is the FAI still backing Staunton? My only hope is that the 3 goal loss to Cyprus....Cyprus!! is rock bottom and we can only move forward from here. I have always thought that Ireland has been able to rise to the challenge when playing the great teams of the world and tends to play down to other "lesser" competition but this is something completely different. It’s an embarrassment plain and simple and I don’t think Staunton is the man to right this ship.
Bobby – I was surprised when the FAI hired Staunton given his lack of managerial experience. It would have made more sense to have Sir Bobby Robson in charge with Staunton as the heir apparent. However, with Sir Bobby’s illness it would have made little difference. You look at the line-up and there were some very good players starting for Ireland so that isn’t an excuse. The game against the Czech Republic today is a must win. Otherwise Ireland will be sitting with 8 or 9 points dropped with only three games gone and they will never catch Germany, the Czech Republic or perhaps even Slovakia.
I think Staunton is done even if Ireland beats the Czechs. It was a boneheaded move by the FAI.
ascoli - You put it well when you point out that England has yet to learn from its lessons. It is a good team with good players, but they all need to just relax and keep perspective. Congratulations on Scotland's big win. I would have loved to have seen that game. Were the ball boys as much a factor as the French Coach claimed?
Bobby – As I watched the game I was concerned that the ball boys were returning the balls too quickly. I read an interesting piece that said that Craig Brown a former Scotland manager had mentioned to Wattie Smith that the “ball boys” at the France – Italy game in Paris in September were considerably older than the ones you would normally see. The point was that France wanted to play a high-tempo game and wanted the ball back in play quickly hence the more mature ball retrievers. If the story is true then Domenech might have a point – even it is one that makes him sound a bit silly. The French had their chances and they didn’t take them. I don’t see how that could be the fault of the ball-boys.
henry14 - I personally feel that all the other 19 teams in the Prem lack creative midfielders in the mould of the Deco, Pirlo type that Arsenal have in abundance, l think everyone saw the how Arsenal were full of ideas and United lacked them at all, and by the way l feel Gerrard is not at all creative he is an impact midfielder. Bobby what do you make of my creativity theory.Is it true that everytime Arsenal won at Old Trafford during Wenger's time they went on to win the title?
Bobby – Do you not think that having too many creative midfield problems can be a problem? A team is about balance and having all the creative talent in the world doesn’t make a difference if you can’t win the ball and score goals. I don’t think that just because Gerrard covers a lot of ground and tackles well that you can’t describe him as creative. He scores goals, he inspires and he sets up goals – that sounds like a pretty creative package to me.
Yes – Arsenal’s three title wins under Wenger have happened in the same season as winning in the Premiership at Old Trafford. On second thoughts (!!! I have been corrected) the 03/04 season was a 0-0 draw.
bmax14 - A fantastic and necessary result for the Gunners. This was a great game to watch with a bit of everything. I was convinced that Man U was beatable as their perfect start didn't appear to be so "perfect" with the results coming against the likes of Fulham and Watford. Arsenal really threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the league with this victory. When you look at their schedule for the next 4-5 weeks there are some very winnable games and they could be in the top 2-3 by late October. Well done Gunners!
Bobby – Arsenal should take advantage of a fairly straight forward schedule in the next few weeks but how many fans expected then to take two points from a start that included Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Manchester City? Arsenal has a young side and with a young team you will find inconsistency now and again.
neophyte – (1). Arsenal’s 4-5-1 is not a new formation but seems to have taken the place of the beloved 4-4-2. I like it since you see more attacks from various angles and not just balls crossed from the wings in a traditional 4-4-2. (2). Baptista for Reyes. Who is going to get the better deal Real or Arsenal? Is Baptista really that big o####uy or is the TV camera playing tricks? He looks HUGE! When Rosicky and Baptista start clicking...look out.
Bobby – Wenger has been a resolute 4-4-2 manager until last season’s run in the Champions League. I think you will find that he will mix the two formations using 4-5-1 when up against strong opposition. The extra man in the midfield gives Fabregas a bit of help with the extra load. When Vieira was in his prime that wasn’t an issue but Cesc is a very different player. However, week in and week out as long as injuries do not interfere Wenger will go back to 4-4-2. In terms of Reyes and Baptista it may turn out that it is a good move for both clubs and the players. I am still not sure where Wenger will play Baptista – he is known as “the Beast” for a reason.
only1cab - As an Arsenal fan I'm obviously very happy and agree with your opinion about Rosicky, in my opinion he’s like Hleb with a brain. I watched the Chelsea game and was amazed to see how much space they gave up on the flanks. Kuyt could have phoned his mum back in Holland and ask her where he should shoot on one of Liverpool’s attacks. When J Cole and Robben are fully fit do you think they will revert to their old system and if so who would you drop? I think Essien (even though he’s been their best player so far) as I could never see them dropping Lampard and they've recently signed Ballack.
Bobby – That has been the question since Ballack was signed. Given the injury situation it has still to be answered. I suspect that Essien would be the player that is most likely to find himself on the bench if everyone was available and fit.
travel_coach - I was only able to watch the first half of the United loss -- my daughter's U12 team had a game -- but it was a very good first half, very enjoyable. Ronaldo had several chances and the way things looked, I expected Lehman to get a second yellow for being an angry person. I'm not an Arsenal fan at all, but before the game it was clear that United was overdue for a loss and Arsenal was due for a win. Why was Thierry Henry absent?
Bobby – Henry was hurt.
simba9 -Do you think that Didier Drogba has finally come into his own, despite all the criticism he endured in his first two seasons at Chelsea? There's an interesting story on the Chelsea website about his numbers. By and large not too shabby!
Bobby – His goal against Liverpool was spectacular. However, he does tend to be a bit hit or miss so I think he needs to keep up his form for a full season before he convinces everyone. He might also be benefiting from Shevchenko attracting the attention of defenders.
henry14 - l feel Mourinho should play bridge in place of Cole bcoz l thought he was the best left back in the Prem over the 5 rounds
Bobby – Ashley Cole is a much better left back than Wayne Bridge.
buffytvs - As a United fan, I have to be disappointed in the second half effort. And also in the rather odd substitutions -- I thought Fletcher and O'Shea would go. That said, I thought a draw would have been a fair result, but perhaps I'm biased. Best player on the pitch? Rosicky. And Batista was very impressive in the short time he had.
This is the second match on the trot SAF has played Rooney up front with Saha in support, and the second time Rooney has been mostly ineffective. That's how Eriksson wasted him too, and I'm surprised to see it at Old Trafford.
Bobby – I would have to disagree. Ericksson played Rooney as a lone striker against Portugal. Rooney’s best performances have always come when playing just behind a main striker – the role that Fergie asked him to play on Sunday.
ancanada - Man U midfield appeared to be overrun by the Gunners midfield in the second half Sunday, and I cannot remember a shot that Lehmann had to save in the second half until Solksjaer which produced a great save. I cannot understand why Carrick was on the bench; Bobby is it possible he is still carrying an injury as this appears to be the only valid reason. Do you think the number of games the international players’ couple with the travels of some to various parts of Europe and the recent world cup is affecting performance.
Bobby – I think SAF was thinking that if he could hold the Arsenal midfield 5 with his 4 that Rooney or Saha to get a goal. However, I still don’t understand why you would spend that kind of money on a player and then not stat them against one of your toughest rivals. Wenger seems to think that some players are suffering from World Cup hangovers and I am sure that other managers would concur. But there again that is one of the reasons that clubs carry large squads.
Reggae_Boy_23 - I don't know if there's anymore for me to add to the whole Arsenal situation. Everyone seems to have pretty muched summed up the game pretty well. But my question is in regards to the 4-5-1 formation. Don't you think Arsenal have too many attacking options up front to just use 1 forward. Yeah there is better possession in the midfield, but Arsenal does not really have a problem with possession so far this season its scoring goals and I think they lack attacking options with just one striker especially with the midfielders not showing any good form in front of goal so far. Also Henry never seems quite comfortable when he's left up front alone. I can remember a number of occasions both with France and Arsenal when he has been pleading with his coaches to give him some support what do you think? One other thing B
