Therealrico - Do you think maybe Rossi will leave for Italy? He has already made it apparent that he wants to play for Italy over the US, and maybe his style is more at home in Italy. What do you think?
Bobby – Given his goal scoring record since he arrived at Parma I can see him being in demand if he becomes available. But I cannot see SAF allowing him to leave without giving an extended run in the United team at the start of next season.
BlueBlades - Redondo ex RM and ACM, and Paulo Sousa ex Juventus. These were two excellent players who just seemed to vanish, where are they now, are they still playing or retired?
Bobby – Both excellent players and now retired. The fact that Passarella wouldn’t have him in the Argentina squad in 1998 because of the length of his hair robbed us of seeing him at his peak. It was around the same time that he went to Old Trafford with Real Madrid and was magnificent in the Champions League. I’m certain Sousa has also retired. I know that he had some injury problems but I can’t say for certain whether or not that resulted in his retirement or if he just thought it was time to pack it in. Sousa was part of Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Borussia Dortmund side that won the Champions League a decade ago.
Shaunmc - Scott Carson the Goalkeeper for Charlton, (on loan from Liverpool) came from a team called Cleator Moor Celtic. Do you have any info on this club?
Bobby – A quick internet search threw up Cleator Moor Celtic website. I have to admit that before you mentioned the team it is one that had flown under my radar. Before Liverpool Carson was with Leeds United and was part of the Peter Risdale “everything must go” sale.
RINGO - OK, Back by popular demand...my mate Verbal, anyway! Name the 2nd oldest knock-out cup competition.the oldest international competition, and the worlds oldest football club.The answers will be provided by Bobby on the next blog...if he knows them!
Bobby – OK - I'll bite! I would agree with verbal97’s answer to 1) Scottish FA Cup and 2) Copa America. The oldest surviving team is I believe Notts. County. It’s good being the first team but it must have made for a lot of squad pick up games until another team came along.
Henry14 - Do you feel United are favoured by referees? l think so because it is scandalous how they have escaped with penalties yet you see the ones they get. l understand that they are bound to get more because they attack more most of the time but some the penalties were as soft as it gets.
Bobby – All big teams get calls that smaller teams don’t get – it is not that they are consciously favoured by referees - it is human nature. It is easy to be critical of the referee for the decision on Saturday to wave off the O’Shea foul on Lee but we are benefiting from a perfect camera angle – something that the referee didn’t have, and not something I think he could be faulted for. When you look at the incident from the camera behind the Boro goal there is no way that you could say for sure that O’Shea played the man first.
Gunner44 - Why are they forming a U.K. team for the Olympics? Can't every country just rep. itself? RINGO - There will NEVER be a combined GB team, other than for the 2012 Olympics. And you will not find anyone from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales who wants one, right, Bobby?
Bobby – At the Olympics there is only a UK team. The Commonwealth Games is different – each of the four countries competes as separate teams – as does the likes of the Isle of Man and Guernsey!! In 2012 it may be a combined soccer team in name but I would be very surprised if Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales players participated. I think the whole idea of a combined team is a crock and despite what FIFA might say I don’t trust them not to use it as a future precedent. I have never understood the line that is trotted out about how every young athlete wants to compete at the Olympic Games. I never did and nobody I grew up with did either. We all wanted to play against England at Hampden or play in the Scottish Cup Final. The Olympic soccer tournament is a pretty worthless tournament – some good football is played but…- and just another competition on the calendar that is not needed. The 2012 Olympics will come right after Euro 2012 and I know which one I will be watching. On a political note, the issue of a combined team might be a mute point. Scotland has an election coming up next week and the SNP (the Scottish Independence party) looks set to win which could set up a referendum on full sovereignty in a couple of years.
spons46 - As we reach the end of this season, what would your EPL starting XI be. I hope it isn't as red devil heavy as the "Team of the year". Gunner44 - I have always wondered why the hell does the team of the year have to be dominated by players of the team that is likely to win the title. I thought the team of the year is composed of players who have been the best at their positions, kind of like it is in the C.L. and W.C. team of the year?
Bobby – That is something I will get ready for an end of season blog. I promise mine will be current and not something I picked just after the New Year.
Neophyte - I enjoyed the article by Brooking. It has been a source of debate at our local club as to the best approach in coaching the youngsters---position and passing (argued by a man from Winchester, England) or individual footskills and 1v1, 2v2, by the senior trainer--a former professional footballer and futsal player from Sao Paulo, Brazil. You sacrifice winning at the early ages as they develop their footskills. However we are seeing the Brazilian's determination pay off in the U-12 group. The problem is you lose a lot of would-be players due to the losses and the amount of practice it takes to develop quality footskills. Question: As the American game continues to develop do you see it taking on a more South American look or a European-English look? It seems that the Yanks overseas lean towards the Anglo-countries rather than the Latin ones. But MLS seems to have an easier time getting the Latin players to come over. Your views?
Bobby – I can see the MLS taking the South American route. The climate is in favour of that style rather than the hard non-stop running style of Northern Europe. In terms of development I think the knowledgeable consensus is that teaching kids formations and tactics and any age before 12 is a waste of time. However, I see the development of passing skills as apart of overall skill development and not something that is an either or. Overall we seem to have our kids playing far too many games and not practicing enough – both organized practices and pick up games they organize themselves.
foxcube - If you were an Arsenal fan, would you stand against the possible takeover by Stan? He is not rich yet he is said to have powerful financial clout and can inject funds into transfers albeit a larger debt. Is this the number one positive for a takeover? Do you think ManU have benefited and Liverpool will benefit from their American owners? How strong do think these three big clubs would be against possible decline in income from economic downturns and awful performances on the pitch? Will the Americans invest in the clubs out of their pockets like Abramovich?
Bobby – Abramovich is an exception and no other takeover can be compared to his buyout of Chelsea. As for the other purchasers, they all see an opportunity to make money. In terms of Liverpool you have two individuals with deep pockets who are in a position to make a new stadium a realty which the old board could not do. That has to be chalked up as positive for Liverpool in that they will have an asset that generates additional revenue. It is essentially the same move that Arsenal made in building Ashburton Grove – except they were able to engineer a deal based on their financial situation at that time. In other words the financial institutions considered Arsenal to be a better financial risk than Liverpool. To have someone like Kroenke come in and buy the club might provide some short term transfer funds but the more likely scenario is that he will simply put up as little money on the table as possible and then have the club assume the debt he has incurred in buying the club. This is how the Glazers bought Manchester United. A commonly held view is businessmen – such as the Glazers – buy the club with their own money. They don’t - they buy the club with supporter’s money. The club carries the debt and it is paid off over a period of time as the club generates profits – profits generated by supporters.
Chinaski - Considering that Everton still have to play Man U and Chelsea do you believe that they can hold onto a UEFA Cup spot?
Bobby – I think they can. Reading and Spurs have easier schedules but Bolton and Portsmouth both tough runs coming up. The Everton - Portsmouth game looks to be a crucial one.
Foxcube - Milan looked flat today aside from Kaka and Gattuso to some extent. Most disappointing had to be Pirlo. (goalkeeper aside.) They were not on the same energy level. Age? Form? They wanted to keep possession but simply couldn't. What do you think of the second leg?
Bobby – I thought the turning point was when Gattuso went off injured. Gattuso’s “mini-me” Brocchi just isn’t at the same level. Gilardino was a passenger and not capable of holding the ball up when he got it. If Gattuso is fit then I think Milan can get a one-goal win. However, once again you have to admire Manchester United’s spirit. As far as both sides were considered it wasn’t exactly a defensive masterpiece today. Dida – or is it Geeda!! - looked awful on the first and third United goals while Carrick lost Kaka on the first goal. Then Evra and Heinze decided to recreate the Willie Miller-Hansen circa 1978 World Cup Scotland vs. Russia for Kaka’s second.
Henry14 - Do you think Henry is finished, because he is not playing like he used to, what is your verdict on Henry, is he going down? Do Buffon and Henry receive anything, for being runners up to the Ballon D'Or - or they are just named, and what is your take on who deserves the award.
Bobby – Henry not playing like he used to still makes him a better player than 99.5% of the players in the Premiership. Finished – yes….. in around ten years time! I have no idea what second and third place receive – maybe a years subscription to France Football? Cannavaro should have won the Golden Ball at the World Cup. However, I don’t think he has been Europe’s outstanding player over the last 11 months
Neophyte - Heskey is an amazing player with a rocket of a leg. I don't know how long his contract is but he may not be playing at the JJB for long or they will have to shell out some serious cash for his services. Bobby -- are you surprised by Wigan? Would you buy Heskey? (provided he comes back from his calf injury)
Bobby – Wigan will continue to have their ups and downs. I picked them to finish 15th come season’s end and I still think that they will finish close to that spot. As for Emile Heskey – I will turn to Tommy Docherty for inspiration. Back when a million pounds was a million pounds he was asked about a player who was being hyped on a regular basis. The Doc’s quote went something like this “They tell me that 2 million wouldn’t buy him, and I am one of them”. Heskey was given all the physical tools but he has never known what to do with them. His managers have been relegated to talking up his strong defensive qualities – which is fine except he is supposed to be a striker. His career average has been a goal every four games and his record with Wigan is about the same.
As for a rocket of a leg, is that why he constantly falls over? Maybe if he had a pair of leg rockets he could balance better.
davard - How much does qualifying for the UEFA cup get anyone? (if anything) Obviously the knockout rounds are the more lucrative ones, but is the reward anywhere near as lucrative as the champs. league?
Bobby – It is difficult to make apple-to-apple comparisons because Champions League pay outs are largely dictated by market pay outs that are largely based on how much television revenue is generated in a teams home market and which rounds the teams from that market reach.
For UEFA Cup qualifiers the payment system is - the clubs get gate money and the right to sell some of the TV rights. Celtic estimated that their run to the 2003 final earned them about $18M but you have to consider that a lot of that would be gate money that many other teams would not be able to generate. Another comparison is that Celtic and Rangers have used in the past is that if they don’t qualify for the Champions League group stage then they need to reach the semi final of the UEFA Cup in order to compensate.
Overall though, the UEFA Cup is small potatoes compared to the Champions League.
Realmadridcffan1. With Canada hosting the FIFA World Under 20 soccer championships next year in Canada, what do you think will the CSA define as an acceptable performance for the Canadian Squad? 2. Who do you think will be Canada's next coach of the Men's National team? and what type of qualities should the next coach of the national team should have?3. Who do you think is the most overrated and underrated goalkeeper currently playing at a club level right now?
Bobby – 1. Canada has to qualify from the group stages (given that 16 of 24 make it that should not be difficult), an exit in the last 16 would be spun as a success by the CSA but it would not be, last 8 would be about right, anything after that a massive over achievement.
2. I have no idea and I don’t think that the CSA has much choice given the mickey-mouse reputation that they enjoy internationally. Even after the changes at the top I can’t see the CSA offering a competitive wage and so the choice will be between foreign “damaged-goods” or a North American who is willing to put up with inadequate funding and resources. The new CSA President can talk all he wants about making the national men’s team a priority but until he walks the talk I remain skeptical.
3. Given that club level in Europe covers 50 plus countries and who knows how many teams and goalkeepers I can’t answer that question.
Davard - I don't know if you saw that one but I'd love to know what you thought of your female countrymen getting booted out of the cup by a last gasp penalty.
Bobby – Didn’t watch it – don’t care.
Henry14 - l have seen linesmen come into the field to align proper positions of free kick and corners l have one thing that makes me wonder, why do they not stop the ball from going far from where the throw in is taken. Do you know why? What do you make of the Sun's claims about Sheva?
Bobby – Because their job requires them to be level with the last line of defense. When you see them come onto the field it is almost exclusively because the ball is in the corner. People read/look at the Sun for two reasons and they are both on page 3.
USAEnglandfan - The hot topic right now is Man Utd's depth up front. Personally I think it's pretty urgent in the midfield too. Fletcher/O'Shea are great cover guys but they don't have much else. Where do they need support more and can they possibly reinforce both areas in January? Also, I'm a huge fan of some of the crowd chants in the prem. BBC has a few great ones in their Quotes of the Week this week. Exactly how are they conceived? Are they made up on the spot? Do you recall any that you'd say are the funniest?
Bobby – I think in the aftermath of Sunday’s game for fans are looking at the relative depth of the two squads. As Alan Parry and David Pleat pointed out on Sunday, United didn’t have a player that they could bring on who could change the game. Solskjaer might have been that player if he had been fit. Alan Smith is never going to be a top drawer midfield player or cover for Saha. His best performances with Leeds tended to be in a support type role ala Wayne Rooney. I can’t see how United can battle on two fronts with their squad and how are they going to get the money to buy impact players?
There is usually a core of fans who take it on to conceive the chants and then others pick them up. Many are traditional and have been handed down while there is also a regular stream of new ones built around news or gossip. One of the primary differences I found between British and North American sport audiences was the humour or to be more accurate in terms of North America the lack of humour.
As for chants – “He’s short, he’s fat, he’s going to get the sack – Advocaat, Advocaat” by Celtic fans to Rangers boss #### Advocaat has stuck with me.
There are a number of legendary ones. After Leeds United keeper Gary Sprake literally threw the ball into his own net during a game at Anfield in the late 60’s the Kop sang “Careless Hands” which was a pop song of the time.
USAEnglandfan - There was recently a high-profile college football (American) game here (I think it involved Missouri), and in the dying minutes there was an iffy penalty call which allowed the trailing side to score a touchdown and win. The officials issued a statement recently saying, and I quote, "We blew it." Perhaps it is because video technology has all but eliminated incorrect calls in the sport, but American football refs seem to be respected more and much more in the periphery of the sport (where refs should be) than world football. Granted, the stop-and-go nature of American football lends itself much better to video technology, but when the mistakes are made, this type of statement issued by the officials at this college game is absolutely unheard of in world football. Do you think under-fire referees like Poll would do well to get off their high horse and own up to their mistakes or would it just damage their authority and future job prospects?
Bobby – Didn’t a referee issue an apology after incorrectly awarding a goal against Middlesbrough last season – against West Ham perhaps?
AlexMorph - Just how much longer do we have to suffer Sepp Blatter for? Can he run again for the presidency, and if so is there a realistic challenger to replace him (perhaps a donkey or Kermit the Frog?). Why is it that contenders for these big positions can never have a moderate stance on things. Platini, Johansson, and Blatter all make stupid comments.Plus, is there any chance that Beckenbauer might throw in his lot in the near future?
Bobby – Despite his promise to only run for two terms, old Sepp has decided that soccer cannot do without him and he will run again next year – without a credible challenger in sight. Beckenbauer is a notable absentee from the UEFA election and there is no way I could see him running against Blatter. My guess is that Beckenbauer is angling for 2011. His opponent in five years time might turn out to be Jack “get your tickets here” Warner.
Henry14 - l think we all know the sky sports ratings, do you know which player had the highest average in Premiership history for an entire season and by which value?
Bobby – Give up, who is it?
To bigdavedisaster – I hope your sister made the comment with her tongue firmly in her cheek.
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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