Neophyte -  Question for all the Arsenal supporters and for Bobby, why did Arsenal not keep Baptista? Do they think Adebayor is better than the "Beast"?

Bobby – Arsenal didn’t keep Baptista because apart from a couple of Carling Cup performances he didn’t play very well. Adebayor is quicker than Baptista, better in the air and is younger. Baptista is more versatile than Adebayor though.

Milanfan - Just wondering what you thought about Milan’s lack of acquisitions this summer. It’s strange that they are so complacent when they were pretty mediocre in Serie A last season, that is compared to the two seasons ago, last season they went down hill and I think that they will continue to decline a bit with their aging team. They have a great starting 11 but whole bench of players that don't really add anything.

Galliani came out and stated he will acquire one of 6 superstar players. Its seems that the names pretty much won't leave their clubs. Which one do you see coming or which one do you think would be the best addition to the Milan squad? Will they go down hill with the squad they have versus other teams in Serie A and Europe getting stronger?

Bobby – Is this the same Milan that won the Champions League last season as they went downhill? I’ll wait to see who they sign before dropping in my two cents worth. There is still a long way to go before the transfer window closes.

henry14 - q1. Martin O’Neill is highly rated and has an open cheque book from Lerner, what do you think will happen if Villa do not improve, because last year they were boos when they were awful and what do you make of a coach with that money signing Harewood?
Q2 One pundit said that people are over hyping Man United signings, and he said so far the only signing that could improve them immediately is Hargreaves, Nana and Anderson will take two more years to be anywhere near very good Prem players. What is your take to such a quote?
Q3 Drogba has had two or so years saying, he wants to quit Chelsea and he wants them to match his ambition, and it pops up here and then do you see Drogba at Chelsea in the next two years given his desire to play in another league?
Q4 What do you make of Wigan signing of Sibierski and Bramble etc, should Wigan fans fear?
Q5 Who is the best Prem player ever or rather since its inception?
q6 Alan Curbishley came out to take a swipe at Fergie that he claimed Tevez had won West Ham relegation battle was that tongue in cheek and what do you make of the comments?
q7 In one word will Tevez be a United player come August 31

Bobby – A1 – A loaded question and one that is largely unanswerable. What is the definition of not improve? Does that mean the same league position as last season? Does it anticipate a full squad all season or injury ravaged? I have a question back to you – what do you make of a coach who would sign Chris Sutton when he was virtually a laughing stock at Chelsea? O'Neill's strength is getting the best out of players and he likes big strong forwards. Harewood fits the mold.
A2 – It sounds like a fairly good assessment to me.
A3 – If he has been saying for two years then why is he still at Chelsea? Actions speak louder than words and I really think you have to be careful reading things into “interviews”. As for Chelsea matching his ambition I can only think he must have his eye on the position of All-Gallatic Emperor. Who in their right mind would claim that Chelsea is a team without ambition- give me a break.
A4 – Relegation.
A5 – Best in terms of what? Influence, scoring, defending, entertainment, success. Best is not an objective term.
A6 – Managers say a lot of things when microphones are stuffed in front of them. In the bigger picture what they say almost always means very little.
A7 – Maybe.

Henry14 - What is your opinion on Sven’s signing, l do not like the man very much but he has brought cheap and quality players.

Bobby – I wouldn’t underestimate Sven at the club level given his record in other leagues but I am not expecting Manchester City to be an entertaining side this season. Bianchi is a high risk signing.

Icemonkey - What's your take on Senderos and Walcott? I would be more than willing to give Walcott a chance, but I think that Senderos must Goooooooooooooo. Maybe we could loan him to an Italian side where he would get regular playing time, maybe that would help him. If not, he should have no future with a top-four club in any league.

Bobby – Two young players that we have yet to see the best of. I would be surprised if Wenger loaned Senderos out. If he thinks he has a future at Arsenal then he will keep him and work with him daily. If not, he will let him go.

Gunner 44 - 1. Race between Man U and Chelsea will come down to the wire. Arsenal might play the biggest part in deciding who gets to lift that title with that game just before Chelsea faces Man U.

2. Race for Player of the Year will come down to what Drogba and C. Ronaldo do in these last games. Right now Ronaldo has the upper hand.

3. Arsenal better wake up or they will be competing for 4th with The Coldspurs again, who will finish 5 above Bolton.

4. Relegation battle might also come down to the last games also. Charlton have a chance of surviving but I don's see West Ham surviving.

What do you think of these 4 issues?

Bobby –1. It is going to come down to more than Chelsea beating or losing to Arsenal. Although the gap is currently six points United have a much better goal difference which is the equivalent of an extra point. For the Arsenal game to mean something then United has to drop points somewhere.

2. Ronaldo gets my vote at the moment.

3. Arsenal cannot afford to be complacent but I cannot see them finishing lower than fourth. They have Bolton and Spurs coming up on April 14 and 21.

4. I agree, it looks as if West Ham have dug to deep a hole. All they can do is to focus on getting some points and hope somehow that the other results go their way.

Foxcube - I find the BBC (Lineker)/FA row fascinating. Would you add some comments? Plus what do you think of the new deal?

Bobby – 1. As someone wrote – only the FA can take a good story (a record TV deal) and turn it into a bad story. I think the BBC is trying to save face while the FA should have just said nothing. As for the new deal it only applies to the UK so in the short term it won’t affect us on this side of the pond.

oldcoach - Is it just me or do others view England's quest for a second WC as the greatest, longest running soap opera in sports? I know that Scotland must be enjoying it. Fergie defended McClaren but then added he wished they were playing Scotland next. From an objective point of view, do you think McClaren has what it takes? If not, would you run off McClaren now and give it to Venables for the Estonia game?

Should Man U be concerned about Rooney's form?

Bobby – Scotland has nothing to enjoy unfortunately. Not qualifying for the knock out stage of the World Cup in 8 attempts is an atrocious record. The FA will not get rid of McClaren because it would call into question their collective judgment to an even greater degree than it is at the moment. I thought at the time McClaren was a bad choice and that opinion remains. If the FA wanted to appoint Venables they could have done it on a couple of occasions since he resigned in 1996 but his past is still a factor. If United and Rooney were struggling then I think it would be a worry but as it is they are still getting good results and Rooney is bound to come good.

AlexMorph - Who is 1. your pick, 2. who you think will win PFA young player of the year. At first I might have thought Ces was a shoe in, except for a couple things. First, I thought it was a 21- award when infect it's 23-. Second, in yesterday's game it was said that Cesc has 0 goals in 56 goal attempts, a rather poor return for an offensive midfielder. His contribution in assists and overall play is not to be denied, but his competition is greater than it seems.......Martins, Rooney, Doyle, even Kalou for what little he plays, all having pretty big impacts on their teams this year.

Bobby – You have not included Ronaldo as an option. If he doesn’t win the Player of the Year he could still win the Young Player of the Year Award. If he doesn’t win the big one then he will get the Young Player, if he does then Fabregas will likely win. 

Henry 14 – Q1 Do you know how many goals Baptista score from open play from his 38 in 50 appearances, l would want to believe 95% were set plays?
Q2 - Now that Tevez seems to have settled in the Prem do you change your mind to see one of the big four going for him
Q3 - l am a big Lampard fan, l feel for the past three season he has been the outstanding midfielder in the Prem bar none, and still feel this season as no exception how would you solve the Gerrard Lampard conundrum

Q4 - l saw that you are showing UEFA cup why don't you do the same with CL

Q5 - As an Arsenal fan l am worried about Tottenham's form and since we have to go to the lane do you see them nicking fourth place

Bobby – Q1, I can’t say for sure but I don’t remember seeing an inordinate number of his goals for Sevilla coming from free kicks or penalties.
Q2 – No.
Q3 – If the feeling is that they can’t play together then one of them just has to be dropped. It is pointless simply hoping that they will gel. If you go back to the days of Alf Ramsey then you can find numerous examples of players who were regarded as better players being overlooked in favour of lesser players because the coach believed that it was more important for a player to fit into the team.  If it was me I would be playing Gerrard and leaving Lampard on the bench.
Q4 – ESPN hold the English language rights in North America.
Q5 – I don’t think Arsenal will finish lower than 4th and 3rd is still a very real possibility.

Foxcube - Regarding the booing fans, I don't think there is anything wrong with booing itself since I believe fans are bigger than clubs and teams and players so they are entitled to their actions. Have the England fans not suffered enough?

Bobby – McIlvanney’s piece was not about fans booing it was about obscene behaviour. 

RINGO - Do you think the rise of Gretna FC, from the English northern league to the SPL (almost), is the greatest footballing fairytale?

Bobby – It is a great story but you also have to place it into a context. It is doubtful if Gretna would have achieved what they have so far if it was not for the largesse of multi-millionaire philanthropist Brooks Mileson – the "Roman Abramovich of the Borders". Wigan is also a great story but would they have done it without Dave Whelan and his investment? That's why I think Wimbledon takes pride of place. Their run to the FA Cup Final and win over Liverpool should really be made into a movie but I am not sure who would play the part of Vinnie Jones!

atleti_female - I wonder why the English media don't rate Totti. Any ideas anyone?

Bobby – Although Serie A was shown for a number of years in the UK it only attracted a niche viewership. I think it is simply a case that many of his UK critics have never taken the time to watch him.  I have mates back home that have hardly see hm play.

Gongatore - How silly is it that people are calling for Wenger's head? Why would he leave Arsenal? IMHO he has done a fantastic job (this year, they have slipped, it happens to the best sides) and arguably one of the architects of why the EPL has become an exciting league.

How do you rate Mexes? Panucci? Taddei?

Bobby – Mexes - the French Rio Ferdinand. Panucci - the Italian Philip Neville. I should probably add that Mexes obviously has a lot of talent but he seems short on application. I can’t really explain my opinion of Panucci.

I like watching Taddei. He has been a great acquisition for Roma over the last couple of seasons.

Henry14 - Q1 if you were Wenger would you buy Baptista for $20m for what he has done this season?

Q2 -  What do you make of Southgate playing a week side because personally l never fancy them at Old Trafford and they are not safe from Charlton

Q3 - l see Bendtner going ahead of Adebayor in the ranks because he is by far a better player than Adebayor. He has been likened to Ibrahimovic but my question to you is Ibrahimovic probably the best player in Serie A.

Q 4 - What do you think about Alessandro Rossina of Torino?

Bobby – Q1 – I would not. Even though I believe players need time to settle down I don't think Baptista hasn’t shown enough to be worth that kind of money.

Q2 – I think Southgate did the right thing. Charlton will not catch them and even if they did three clubs will still finish below Boro. They have been playing well and they have to play West Ham, Watford, Villa, Wigan and Fulham out of the 8 games left. They only have to get two more wins and they will be safe. There are a lot of potential six pointers between teams in the bottom half and they will take points off each other.

Q3 – How many goals to you think Adebayor would have scored in the Championship this season? More than Bendtner I would wager. Adebayor has proven himself in the Premiership; something that Bendtner has yet to do. I wouldn’t consider Ibrahimovic the best player in Serie A until he manages to play consistently well two seasons in a row.

Q4 – In the Torino games I have watched this season (only a couple) he has not stood out.

Verbal97 - Rafa Benitez thinks that the larger teams should be able to have a reserve team play competitvely in the Championship so that the younger players can get first team experience (like they do in Spain). Do you think this is a good idea? Do you think there is any chance that this will ever be implemented?

Bobby – It would require a major shift of opinion in England and I don’t think it has a hope in hell of happening. You can look to the continent but it is not a fair comparison. No other second flight league on the continent attracts the size of crowds that we see in the Championship. Such a move would complete devalue the Championship – which of course might be what the Premiership is interested in doing!

Venti_Vidi_Vici - I find the refereeing in England to be very inconsistent. As this particular incident clearly illustrates, if a defender makes a sliding tackle in the penalty area, he absolutely has to get the ball. If he misses, which Woodgate and Carvalho both did yesterday, it’s going to be a penalty whether there is much contact or not, because the striker is going to go down – it is just how football is played. I don’t understand why neither was booked for taking down a player who was through on goal.
I make a distinction between diving and accentuating. Ronaldo basically accentuated minor contact; in other words, took advantage of a mistimed amateurish tackle by Woodgate. I don’t blame Ronaldo; he did what any other striker should do in that situation. In both cases IMO penalties were correctly awarded.

Buffytvs - Why is it that suddenly every penalty call is labeled 'controversial'? Woodgate fouled Ronaldo in the area -- penalty. Tevez was brought down in the area -- penalty. Boateng handled in the area -- penalty. What the *&%$ is controversial about any of these decisions? I've seen far more clear penalties NOT called this season than soft ones given (although no-one seems to be calling the call against Vidic on Saturday 'controversial', I still don't know what he's supposed to have done).

MasMaz - I love Ronaldo, but he starts and stops in his run-up taking penalties and more takers are doing it, unfair for keepers and they should crack down on this, and they will when some minnow does it against one of the big four.

Venti_Vidi_Vici - The rule of the law with regards to taking a penalty is once the ref blows the whistle, and the player starts his run to the ball, he may not stop. Some try to stutter step or slow down, to try and get the goal to commit one way. I've only ever seen a ref order a retake once, but I really did think the Ronaldo penalty should've been retaken because he did stop and start.

Gongatore - I find all this nonsense about "the rule of law" quite amusing. Keepers aren't supposed to do jumping jacks on the goal line whilst awaiting a PK yet a lot of them do including PC yesterday. CR does what many PK takers do. Enough with the rule of law rubbish. What I believe this is ultimately all about is what several posters already stated, a hatred of CR and perhaps even Manu and just sour grapes. And for all you whinging England fans Wayne Rooney alone is responsible for his red card in WC 2006.

In the end, hate is such a powerful and useless word and emotion. Reserve it for really evil things in life or people that truly deserve it not athletes of any creed or color. Let's stick to respectful debate with humor and reason.

Bobby – As you can see a ton of comments on penalty kicks this week. I agree with Buffytvs – anytime a penalty is given  it seems to become a controversial decision. Both penalties on Monday were dead certs as was the one given against Boateng a week past Saturday. I thought the only element of controversy was the fact that Ricardo Carvalho was not sent off.

As for the stutter step – it is completely legal from what I understand. I cannot see anything in the rules that outlaws it - or stopping for that matter. Goalkeepers are entitled to do anything on and along their goal line as long as they are facing the kicker – so mooning is definitely illegal.

As a final note on Ronaldo - Rooney situation. As Jeremy pointed out on Monday who was the first player over to confront Morrison after he whacked Ronaldo on Monday? It was Wayne Rooney.

Henry14 - You get the feeling that the new date for Chelsea and Man Utd on May 9 there is a high chance that Chelsea will start with a guard of honour against Man. U. because if the gape is still six points and the goal difference then United can afford to play a second string. Chelsea will need to go to the Emirates on a Saturday and if they do not win united are already popping the champagne. Do you think this is a physiological blow for Chelsea since Mourinho is always saying it’s a pity they do not play now?

Bobby – A potentially killer blow I would say. Chelsea wants to get at United ASAP in the hope that they can beat them, reduce the gap to three (really four because of goal difference) and hope that United folds.

Henry14 - What do you make of David Navarro 7 month ban from all football? l feel it a ridiculous ban, because there is no parity. You look at the Betis and Seville fight and it was not given such a harsh ban, Kolo 's fight , the Schalke guy who punched Schneider, do you think that UEFA and FIFA run some weird dictatorship on the way they had bans because it is unnecessary.

Bobby – Navarro is lucky that he will be allowed to play before 2009. I can’t see how the Navarro incident can be compared to the others. He was a substitute who didn’t even play. Of course that doesn’t mean that UEFA and FIFA are not some weird dictatorship!

realmadridccfan - Q1. Out of all the big European teams in Euro 2008 qualifying that are in trouble (Italy, Spain, England, Portugal), which do you think will be under the gun to get results as well as which do you see gaining/losing the most in this round of qualifiers?

Q2. While I like Inter Milan's incredible form in the Italian Serie A, as they will likely win the title, when they eventually win the title, how legitimate of a title win will this be for Inter? Would you but a big asterisk beside this one considering the match fixing scandal from last season affected this season's play?

Q3. What do you think needs to be done to fix the constant "crises" at Real Madrid? Is it time that Real Madrid stopped the idea of buying a "galaticos" per season and focused on their youth academy to build their team?

Bobby – Q1 – All are under great pressure. It would say Spain is in the worst position. I still see Italy qualifying as well as England and Portugal.
Q2 – Inter’s forthcoming scudetto will be well earned. Even after accounting for points deducted they will finish comfortably ahead of anyone else.
Q3 – The era of buying "galaticos" was gone the moment that Capello took over. The plan this season was to shore up the side with signings such as Cannavaro, Emerson and Van Nistelrooy – the short term plan. The longer term plan you can see with the likes of Gago and Higuain. The mess that Perez created is not going to fixed in a season or perhaps even two.

Gongatore - Do you think it's time that FIFA really starts to assess the amount of matches clubs play as I believe the sport is suffering (primarily in Europe) as a result of too many competitions? Or will FIFA just run to the bank and disregard the integrity of the game?

Bobby – I think you have to consider that it has been Sepp Blatter and FIFA that have been pushing for 16 team leagues – although on the other hand they have also “created” the FIFA Club World Cup. If the ruling bodies and the clubs were serious about reducing the number of games then I think it could be easily done. Sixteen team leagues, a straight knock out format for the Champions League/UEFA Cup along with smaller European and World Cup qualifying groups could knock 12-15 games a season off the schedule for top teams. Unfortunately both sides (FIFA/UEFA on one side – the clubs on the other) have insatiable appetites for cash and they expect the other side to reduce the games under their control. Bottom line is don’t expect changes anytime soon. 

djnima - Was wondering if you have any lesser known young talent that you see making an impact next season. Are there any South American or European young players you see making a big impact on FSC?

Also, though there has been speculation that Henry would leave Arsenal soon, you have stated that you don't see Henry leaving anytime soon. With the amount of money Arsenal are shelling out for his contract, when do you see him finally leaving Arsenal?

Bobby – I’m looking forward to the Under-20 World Championship in Canada this summer. The last edition gave us our first good look at Lionel Messi and it has over the years provided a stage for some great players to emerge. As far as the EPL is concerned there is a player called Giles Barnes at Derby County (they have a great chance to move up from the Championship) who has been garnering rave reviews. I have seen very little of him but I have heard from a mate in the UK that he is going to be a star.

If Henry is to leave Arsenal it will be with a year left on his existing deal which is up I believe in 2010.

Only1cab - What are Corinthians comments on this business (Tezez and Mascherano)? I haven't read or heard anything, so I guess they could have been gagged by MSI.

Bobby – It was widely reported that the Corinthians’ President was in England and was actively “shopping” the players to English clubs. One of the clubs was reported to be Manchester United. Given that MSI held the players’ registrations at that stage, it is not clear what authority the President actually had. He was quoted as saying that he regretted “leasing” Corinthians to MSI. The original deal involved MSI paying off club debts, committing to a substantial transfer kitty and covering operating expenses. In return, MSI was to have a free hand in running Corinthians for a period – 10 years I believe. The deal came to a very premature end as the club rapidly descended into chaos. 

Porscheman - Can you expand a little more on why you thought Arsenal got the better of the Cole / Gallas deal last week?

Bobby – I will try to quantify my “logic”. The money is largely irrelevant to Chelsea so I discounted the $10M that Arsenal collected. Cole will replace Wayne Bridge – Bridge is a very good player but Cole is better. It improves Chelsea but if Bridge is a 7 – then Cole is an 8. However, Chelsea loses Gallas and he is at least an 8 – Carvalho gets more playing time and he is a 7. Chelsea is in a breakeven position. (Carvalho is not likely to improve – there again, he has a good few years before the decline sets in.) Cole leaves Arsenal (-8) and is – I assume - replaced by Clichy when he is fit. Clichy would rate a 5.5 but with a big upside if he gets more playing time. Gallas (8) comes in for Senderos (5). Net difference Arsenal +0.5.

It obviously comes down to how you rate the individual players but I would give Arsenal a slight edge and it gives Clichy more playing time. However, this is based on Gallas hanging around and committing to Arsenal beyond year. I doubt Arsenal would have signed him if that was not the case but you never know. One additional thought – Wenger might take the opportunity to play Gallas and Senderos together from time to time and it would allow him to take advantage of Toure’s versatility. Just do not mention left back to Gallas though.

Dmanufan07 - I was trying to imagine why United would want Hargreaves instead of Mascherano and I came up with a few ideas.
1) Mascherano is not a box-to-box player. When you are in Man Utd's position you can afford to pick and choose which players you want to fit you system, if you don’t, you become Real Madrid. Hargreaves does make an extraordinary amount of runs into the opponent’s box.
2) Ferguson has an ideal of midfielders being able to cover the entire field. Even Carrick, who is a deep lying player does push up the field and get involved in the action.
3) Mascherano strikes me as an A-B passer not someone who can creatively pick apart a packed in Bolton defense in February. Hargreaves' runs make him more of an offensive danger than Mascherano.
The whole Hargreaves thing does not make a lot of sense for the money being talked about, but that is what I came up strictly for on field reasons.

Bobby – Hmmm. With due respect to your analysis, I must have been watching a different Owen Hargreaves over the last five seasons. The Owen Hargreaves I have seen is liable to be arrested for loitering when he makes it into the opposition’s penalty area. Five goals (a couple from free kicks?) in what is coming up on 200 games certainly does not make him the reincarnation of Bryan Robson or Roy Keane. Hargreaves runs are generally across the park rather than up and down. When he moves forward, it is generally to take set pieces. Hargreaves was brought in to the England squad to be the holding midfielder, not as a penalty box-to-penalty box player. In the words of Eric Cantona, he is a water carrier, and although I should add that every team needs one, not at $35M. 

Realmadridcffan - My question centers around the UEFA Cup. Do you think that the UEFA Cup has lost its luster in recent years and if so, what do you think should be done to help re-establish the pedigree of the UEFA Cup?

Bobby – Absolutely. Too many teams and with third place sides from the Champions League it is a tournament that gets no respect and deservedly so. I always liked the Cup Winners-Cup and I would like to see it return. It would reduce the numbers in the UEFA Cup and its niche could be the only straight knockout tournament – no groups just home and home and then a single game final. However, it has as much chance of happening as Seep Blatter deciding to retire after two terms as he promised!

Henry14 - l just also wanted to hear your take on the Chelsea Gallas row. Although l am an Arsenal supporter l feel the way Chelsea have gone about their business is very childish and l feel that it is a shame, Cole's money issues are well documented but there is not even a single day you have seen it on the website, after all Wenger thanked him and l feel that it is very unprofessional. I do not know who should thank who for winning titles. There is an article on their website where they are responding to Thuram and Domenech and l believe that is short if having a good workmanship. What do you think about Chelsea's attitude?

Bobby – I do not understand why Chelsea decided to bring up the Gallas issue particularly as the Makelele / Domenech argument was going on. Of course, maybe they decided to start another controversy to take attention away from the original!

The rationale seems to be that they wanted the fans to know what Gallas had threatened to do. It begs the question why did they not tell the fans at the time, given that some of the incidents in question related to last season? I do not know who had the brainwave of issuing the statement but it seems to me that it just adds another unneeded distraction. I would have thought taking the high road in this case would have been a more sensible decision.

Venti vidi vici - What on earth is going on in Portugal? All I know is that Gil Vicente have been denied their 1st division status due to their fielding of an ineligible player last season. Now they are taking their case to civil court, and FIFA is threatening to throw all Portuguese teams out of international competitions unless the FA can resolve the matter internally by next week. Is this just a case of a club trying to hold their FA at ransom, or could this be a real mess?

Bobby – The Portuguese authorities have until the middle of next week to sort out this mess. At the centre of the dispute is the “right” of a club to take their case to civil court. FIFA regulations do not allow a club to take such action but unfortunately, the FIFA rule does not trump “natural justice” as practiced in most democratic countries. It is something we will likely see more of and suspending national associations every time it happens does not seem to be a viable long-term solution. Perhaps an answer for EU countries anyway, is to have sport and particularly football acknowledged as having special qualities. It was proposed at the turn of the century but was never passed into law. If it happened there might be the possibility of having the Court of Sport Arbitration acknowledged as the ultimate legal authority for football in the EU. That would take away the civil courts option.

Riocharlie - I have always thought that "tapping up" were one of the more silly, among many, British expressions, Bobby, what is the history to this term?

Bobby – I have no idea.

Alan V - What is your feeling on the Makelele retirement issue? I understand that the French team has the right to call him up under FIFA regulations. Under normal circumstances, I could live with that. But after so many years of putting in his time for the national team, you would think that Domenech (or his bosses) would just say, "Thanks for the Memories, Claude, bon chance" and let him retire to West London. France (Domenech) must be desperate after Germany to be so crass. Do you think that FIFA may take this up and set standards to allow a player to retire from international competition without fear of their club being penalized?

Bobby – I think Domenech has been very unreasonable in dealing with Claude Makelele. I do not think that when FIFA passed the regulation they thought it would be used to force a player to appear for his country after he had “retired” from international soccer. The ramifications of this could be extensive. What would happen in a situation when a player falls out with an international coach and refuses to play while the coach is in charge? Could the coach continue to name the player knowing that he won’t turn-up but because he is no-show the player would then be suspended for club games? I think the intent of the regulation was to stop managers applying pressure and “forcing” players to call off because of “injury”. I agree with you, FIFA should act and exclude players who have submitted some type of retirement notice to their international federation.

Venti vidi vici - I am very interested in the circumstances surrounding the transfer of Andy Webster from Hearts to Wigan. I am sure you will agree that this could have ramifications on the same scale as the Bosman transfer. As I understand it, for a player to be able to invoke the regulation he must a)notify his club 15 days before the end of the season; b) transfer to a club in another country; c) have been at their club 5 years and served 3 years on current contract [conflicting reports on that aspect]. I was reading about Milan’s long-term transfer plans, and club officials are very concerned because Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Nesta could invoke this rule at the end of this season, despite having longer contracts. I am sure many other clubs have similar concerns. Do you see this as having a major impact on the way contracts will be structured, and will EU regulations eventually erode player contracts and the transfer system, as we know them today?

Buffytvs - So... based on the Webster move, when could Hargreaves move to Man U for nothing? We really need to know more about this loophole, since as someone said already, it could change the whole transfer market as we know it (not necessarily a bad thing, IMHO).

Bobby – It has been difficult to track down the specifics of the now infamous article 17. I read it but have to admit that I did not find it very clear. Venti – my information was that notice could be given within 15 days of the end of the season, so it might actually be either side of the last game. I was not aware of the provision of at least five years with the same club. The three years of the current contract is in cases when the contract is of a duration longer than three years. The transfer to a club in another country is also correct to the best of my knowledge. It does sound slightly similar to a situation in the late 80’s and 90’s in Scotland (and England I believe) before the Bosman ruling. Pre-Bosman, Scottish clubs signing out of contract players from other Scottish teams had still to pay the former club compensation. However, if the players moved to the continent (France was a favourite destination) then no compensation was payable. Under the regulation invoked by Webster (he has a smart agent or lawyer) the compensation payable to Hearts is equal to one years salary – in this case around $400,000 was the figure I saw quoted. With a contact longer than three years, Hargreaves could give notice to Bayern Munich within 15 days of the final Bayern Munich game at the conclusion of the 2008/09 season. He would then be free to move to a non-German club. The compensation payable to Bayern Munich would be equivalent to his salary for the upcoming season. The ramifications are extensive. Up to the Webster-regulation the magic date to either get a player to commit to a new deal or to sell him, was two years before his contract was set to expire. It was widely felt that anything less than two years and the advantage moved to the player and the possible transfer fee began to erode. Normally a player signing a four-year contract would expect a club to approach him with an extension offer at the halfway point. Now it would appear that to protect themselves, clubs need to look at offering contract extensions when three years remain on a contract. It seems bizarre that one year into a four-year contract a club will have to consider offering a contract extension. Something that would be repeated on an annual basis.

Article 17 was put in place by FIFA in 2005 to placate the EU as the Commission felt that long-term contracts were to restrictive. A rather obvious ramification is that this will only encourage more players to move to foreign leagues. The joint UEFA/EU sport study delivered in May recommended that domestic leagues contain more homegrown players. Left hand not in tune with the right hand perhaps?

Tremelo 3 – I am kind of surprised about Torres signing the new deal. He always seems to be linked to the big name teams. And after a good World Cup, I would have thought he would have moved this summer. Maybe this is just a way that Atletico can make $ off him when they sell? It seems only a matter of time before he moves. And with all the players they have added it seems like they have a good squad this year. But will they disappoint again like always?

Bobby – I think Fernando Torres is out to break Benni McCarthy’s record of “most rumoured transfers”. Without the extension, Atletico faced losing Torres for next to nothing. This should give them some comfort although the Webster-regulation might change that. Atletico does seem to have made some good moves – on paper the defense looks to be very good – but…. Aguirre may turn out to be the most important signing. 

Djnima - How do you think Baptista will do at Arsenal? Wenger wanted him last year. Do you think he will score a lot of goals this season? How about Mascherano? Are they players that will put the ball into the net? Or simply act as stop gaps?

Bobby – I think most folks expect Wenger to play Baptista up front with Henry and it should give Arsenal more of a physical presence in attack. He was originally a defensive midfield player before Sevilla converted to him so he might pop up in another position. If Baptista can score the dozen or so goals that Arsenal normally got out of Robert Pires each season he will be doing well. Mascherano is not a goal scorer – his value is as a holding midfield player who can pass the ball well. In terms of stop gaps – well after the discussion above it would seem that we are a step closer to the time when all signings should be considered stop gaps!

NYCDA - (1) Chelsea vs. Gallas
Who do you think actually won the battle here? The saga takes me back to the Adrian Mutu affair. When it came down to the end, Mutu was on his way out in addition to the penalty he incurred due to his recreational drug use. It seems that Mourinho's "don't cross swords with me" stance has taken somewhat of a dent. Or was this simply a nice distraction to Chelsea's never-ending campaign to get Ashley Cole (recalling the FA investigation into the tapping up of Cole last year)? Is Mourinho really the winner in all of this or has his invincible mantle suffered a tear?
(2) Zidane vs. Materrazzi
Who is the real villain in this matter after we learned this week what Materazzi really said. The press noted in the days following July 9, 2006, that Materazzi had provoked Zidane, but after reading the context in which Materazzi told Zidane "I'd rather have your sister," is it really provocation or an extension of trash talking?
(3) West Ham United
The talk around this club has focused on the signings of Tevez and Mascherano. But the real question I want to ask is whether West Ham United are priming themselves to be the newest Chelsea in the Premiership? Is this merely a stepping stone in a huge takeover bid that transforms another London club into champions? And if so, has the EPL entered into an era when championships can now be bought through outside money pumped into signings on the level of "fantasy football?"

Bobby – Chelsea and Gallas is covered elsewhere. My thoughts on Materazzi /Zidane have not changed since the World Cup Final. Zidane lost it for whatever reason and it was ridiculous that Materazzi was suspended. As for a West Ham takeover, I do not buy into the view that all you need is a buyer with almost unimaginable wealth to come along buy a team and that they will automatically turn into “champions”. Even if this were the case, surely it would fail as soon as another unimaginably wealthy owner came along to match the first owner in spending power. You would have two owners throwing money around and they both cannot win the Premiership. If all it took was money, then Inter Milan would have been dominating football for the last twenty years. Money talks but it also, in some cases, stutters.

Neophyte - Barcelona to run an academy like relationship with Arsenal of Argentina. "We won't have to take the kids out of the family..." to try them out and watch their progress. This seems to be a logical approach for the super clubs and quite a compliment to the Argentina League. Do you think that this is the future as far as academy/dev. programs go. Will this style of youth development create a bigger gap between the have and have-nots in European soccer?

Bobby – It is not a new idea. Ajax has had a relationship with a club in Cape Town for a number of years. I cannot see how something designed to make sure the best young talent is moved overseas can be considered as a compliment to the Argentine League.  Barcelona is not being benevolent here, they are only doing it so they can stay onside of FIFA regulations and to avoid charges of “trafficking” in young players. Mind you, it has not stopped them up to now.

Baggio - What do you think about Donadoni as Italy's coach? I looked at the starting line up and saw problems right away! I would have not played Barzagli in the France game. I would have played Oddo, Canavarro and Zambrotta as the back three. Pirlo and De Rossi as defensive midfielders. Perrotta as a left wing midfielder and Gatusso on the right. Casano playing behind Inzaghi and Gilardino. As a coach you always need to play to your teams strengths and the available players indicate an attacking style of play. Oddo had a good game last time so Donadoni should have rewarded him with a starting spot -this would also establish some competition in the starting positions. Zambrotta has already been playing in Spain, so he should have been in the left back position over Grosso. As for the rest of the players, they are just experienced players. It was obvious that France was coming out to win the game, so Donadoni should have taken the game a bit more seriously...

Bobby – Donadoni did very well during his time at Livorno – after two games it is a bit early to pass judgment on his spell as the Italian coach. If Donadoni had sat in the dugout with clown feet and a big red nose I might agree with you that had not taken the game with France seriously.

Not surprisingly the pace of transfer and loan moves has accelerated in the last forty-eight hours. If the story is confirmed by the Hammers then pride of place has to go to West Ham who looked to have pulled off the biggest double move since Ossie Ardilles and Ricardo Villa moved to Spurs after the 1978 World Cup. It is being reported that Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano are to move to Upton Park on a season long loan with an option to make permanent. No one saw this one coming - an absolute stunner.

Some other moves that have been confirmed.

Ricardo Oliveira from Real Betis to Milan with Johann Vogel moving in the opposite direction.

Juan Pablo Sorin to Hamburg from Villarreal.

Andy Cole joins English club number 8 as he leaves Manchester City for Portsmouth. Harry Rednapp seems intent on building football's version of Dad's Army at Fratton Park.

Jonathon Woodgate on loan to Boro from Real Madrid.

Steed Malbranque - Fulham to Spurs with Wayne Routledge on loan to Fulham for a season.

Tommy Smith from Derby County and returns to Watford.

Nacho Novo to Coventry, from Rangers

Rangers have signed Sasa Papac from Austria Vienna

Aberdeen has let Stevie Crawford move back to Dunfermline.  

Dwight Yorke to Sunderland from Sydney FC.

Some deals rumoured to still be in the works at 9:30EST

Chelsea and something big - yes bigger than Robert Huth to Boro from Chelsea.

Jose Antonio Reyes and Julio Baptista swithching clubs (Arsenal / Real Madrid)

Kevin Kilbane - Everton to Wigan

Graham Kavanaugh - Wigan to Roy Keane's Sunderland

Damarcus Beasley from PSV to Manchester City (consider this one as unsubstantiated)

James Milner to Aston Villa from Newcastle

Patrick Kluivert to PSV from Valencia.

Florent Sinama Pongolle on loan to Recreativo de Huelva from Liverpool.

Highly speculative.

Ronaldo from Real Madrid to Inter Milan with Adriano going in the opposite direction.

Ivan Helguera and Roberto Ayala a swap between Real Madrid and Valencia.