Germany (twice as West Germany) has won the European Championship in each of the decades since the seventies – 1972, 1980 and 1996. This is a last chance to keep the streak going.
How they qualified Germany was the first country to secure qualification through group play but finished as runners-up in Group D to the Czech Republic after drawing two and losing one of their last four games.
The Germans finished two points behind the Czech Republic but ten points ahead of the Republic of Ireland. Lucas Podolski scored nine times (five in one game against San Marino Nil).
In all Germany had twelve different scorers (plus an own goal) contributing to their total of thirty-five goals – the most by any country in the qualifying round.
The Coach The switch from World Cup boss Jurgen Klinsmann to Joachim Loew has been seamless – an improvement even. Given that the improvement came about from a willingness to experiment and to offer youth a chance means that Germany’s performances since Klinsmann moved on can be categorized under the heading of extremely impressive.
But with the improvement comes increased expectations and most German fans expect another European Championship this summer. A far cry from 2006 when the World Cup was being dreaded rather than anticipated.
Key Players Michael Ballack’s late season return to form is encouraging for Germany as an in-form and revitalized Ballack is pivotal to German hopes. The German defence looked wobbly in the early going of the 06 World Cup but matured into a solid unit.
Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen) and Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid) will be likely be depended upon at the centre of the defence although doubts linger as to the Spanish based players fitness. Bayern full backs Philipp Lahm and Marcell Jansen enter the tournament as German’s first choice full backs.
David Odonkor will probably play the role of speedy substitute once again while Mario Gomez, Miroslav Klose and Kevin Kuranyi will rotate through the two striking positions.
Great Euro Memory With three European Championships and another twice as runner-up there are no shortage of memorable moments for German fans. However, the 3-0 destruction of the Soviet Union in 1972 can be considered special given that it ushered in a period of dominance for German football.
Runners-up to England at the 1966 World Cup and a beaten semi finalist to Italy four years later the 1972 tournament was a break through win. A Gunter Netzer inspired performance destroyed England in the first leg quarter final at Wembley and Gerd Mueller scored doubles in the semi final win over Belgium and again in the final against the Soviets.
A World Cup win followed in 1974 and West Germany became the first country to hold the two trophies at once. At the club level Bayern Munich completed a hat trick of European Cup wins in 1974, 1975 and 1976 while Borussia Moenchengladbach won the 1975 UEFA Cup.
Synopsis What do you do if you are 3-0 up against Germany? Make sure you score another goal that way you will at least get a draw. Such is the never say die spirit of Germany a country never to be discounted in a big tournament.
Germany looks to have more fire power than they did two summers ago and have received a favourable draw – but don’t they always. And you know that if penalty kicks are needed that there are few teams that will fancy their chances against the Germans.
Coming Up in World Cup Qualifying Liechtenstein, Azerbaijan, Wales, Finland and Russia in Group 4.
Amazingly this will be Poland’s first appearance in the finals.
How they qualified Poland seemed to be suffering a severe World Cup hangover as they started with a home loss to Finland, a draw away to Serbia before a second half goal away to Kazakhstan gave them their first three points.
They then set off on a run of six straight wins before a three game stumble brought a loss and two draws. Nonetheless they recovered to win Group A and finishing a point ahead of Portugal and four ahead of third place Serbia and Finland.
Ebi Smolarek was Poland’s top scorer in qualifying with nine goals including a ten minute hat trick away to Kazakhstan after a power failure.
The Coach Leo Beenhakker broke an 85 year-old tradition of Polish born coaches when he took over from Pawel Janas after the last World Cup. For the sixty-six year-old Dutchman it is another stop on a road that has seen him manage more than twenty teams since taking his first coaching join in 1967 with Go-Ahead Eagles.
At the international level Beenhakker has coached the Netherlands and Trinidad and Tobago at 1990 and 2006 World Cups.
Key Players Ebi Smolarek spent time with Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund before moving to Racing Santander in Spain last summer. However, Smolarek can be a temperamental character who has been known to lose the plot from time to time.
Celtic’s Artur Boruc is currently the starting goalkeeper while Beenhakker is able to leave Jerzy Dudek out of the squad all together. Premiership-based keepers Lukasz Fabianski and Tomasz Kuszczak are in the Polish squad.
Great Euro Memory Polish fans will be hoping that the best is yet to come.
Synopsis A lack of consistency and quality has hurt Poland in the past and it may strike again. The final group game against Croatia may require a Polish win if they hope to move on to the last eight.
Coming Up in World Cup Qualifying The Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia and San Marino will provide the opposition in Group 3.
An early posting this week as I am off to Baltimore to participate in the FSC show live on Thursday evening from the NSCAA annual convention. Steve McClaren and Gerard Houllier will in attendance although I am not sure when they are scheduled to arrive. I will be back on a plane early Friday in order to get back to do the Friday show.
Because of this the weekend preview normally posted on Thursday evening will be sketchy at best this week.
Djnima - What are your thoughts on the Brazilian trio of Ronaldo, Pato and Kaka? It was a joy to see Pato's tears when his contribution brought Milan their first home win. Can you see Milan going on a run and making fourth in Serie A? Do you see Rafa getting the axe in the summer or before? I think he should be given the remainder of the season. Terminating him sooner would be a mistake. Could you see Mourinho popping up in the Prem next season? Maybe United or Liverpool?
Bobby – I would not be getting too carried away with the Brazilian trio at this time. Kaka is the only one at this point that can be relied upon as a consistent threat. The chances of Ronaldo playing from now until season’s end has to be considered remote while Pato has not played thirty professional games.
Every team in Italy on the top teams in Europe are going through the game against Napoli looking for Pato’s strengths and weaknesses and his habits good and bad. One thing is guaranteed and that is that Pato good sides will not grant him the freedom that Napoli did. He obviously has a ton of natural talent but I think the expectations being placed on plus the reaction to Napoli win have been ridiculous.
Fourth place is a realistic aim for Milan even though they are currently 12th. After 15 games they have the same number of points as last year and they finished with 61 points. However, it might take a couple more points this time. The 4th place finishers in Serie A since 2002 have finished with 61 points, 67, 66, 62, 54 and 61 (2002-2004 were 34 game seasons so I have pro-rated the points). Udinese are currently tracking at a rate that would give them 68 points.
Milan plays Udinese this weekend so that is an important match for both clubs. A concern for Milan might be the number of games they might be facing because of the three games in hand in Serie A.
In terms of your Rafa and Mourinho questions the answers can be yes, no or a mix. There are far too many twists, turns and downright weirdness in the game to pontificate on the future based on what is in place today. It’s fine saying that terminating would be a mistake but would you say the same thing if they get knocked out of the FA Cup, loss their next three league games and get stuffed by Inter Milan? Mourinho will resurface in the Premiership but who knows when. Circumstances will dictate that.
MasMaz - Wenger should sign Beckham on loan. He sure could have used him on Saturday. The game was calling for some good balls into the box with Ade, Bendtner, Gallas and Eduardo. Some of those corners were atrocious by Fabregas. Becks doesn't play any less defense than Walcott anyway.
Bobby – Even if Wenger was interested it’s more than a case of the Galaxy not allowing it. As I understand it FIFA regulations don’t allow players to flit between federations on loan deals. There are proscribed periods which would mean if he did go out on loan he would miss part of Galaxy season. Over the years Beckham has always shown great positional sense and has defended well – he’s never been a great tackler but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t defend.
CIAO - I'm interested to know what you think of Klinsmann's move to Bayern. It appears he as already attracted Borowski to make the move in the summer on a free transfer. I'm curious to see how the Kahn and Sepp Maier, the goal keeping Coach who Jurgen fired while coaching the NT because he publicly backed Kahn over Lehmann. Do you think Kahn will retire this summer or move to another club? Also are there are players you would like to see move to Bayern? And are there any other players you see that need to move on?
With all in mind, is Kevin Keegan the best choice for Newcastle right now? As some of the media reports they could appoint Alan as his assistant so he gains experience. Whoever gets the job will need a lot of patience from the owner and fans.
Bobby – Bayern would not have signed Klinsmann without discussing these kinds of issues so no matter what course of action he takes it should come as no surprise to the club executive. I would be surprised if Kahn moves to another club in order to delay his retirement.
The question of picking players I would like to see moving to Bayern seems to be predicated on me caring who Bayern Munich signs – which I don’t. Bayern started their housecleaning last summer – two seasons to late – so I am sure that there are some who still have to be shipped out. I have only seen Bayern play sporadically this season so I’m probably not a reliable source for who should be punted.
Keegan might be the romantics choice but times have changed and I don't think he would be able to replaicate the great performances of the 90s. Whta's more with Kevin Keegan it always seems to end in tears. If Alan Shearer wants to be a manager then he should go out and work at it and learn the trade.
Craigy_f – 1. Do you own any replica shirts - if so which ones? 2. Who, if anyone, did you swap your shirt with? 3. Your take on Pato's debut, Ronaldo's (and Ronaldo's Hair) return and Arsenal's task in the CL. 4. Seems like the SFA is whittling things down, has your former view changed? 5. Scudamore refutes Blatter - who do you tend to side with. 6. Boys and their toys - some that stand out are Gibson and Walker, Briatore, Ashley, Abramovic. There is a new breed of owner who seems to have 'done it all on Championship Manager' and now wants to do it for real. Do you have any opinions thoughts concerning that? 7. No Couch at The Riverside (apart from the possibility of him acting as a security guard) why do you think he didn't even travel with the team?
Bobby –1. There might be some more tucked away in storage in the basement but the only one that I see regularly is one I was sent from Scotland when Tayport played Linlithgow Rose in the Scottish Junior Cup Final a few years ago. 2. I once offered to exchange shirts with a member of the Canadian national senior team but was turned down. I should probably add it was the women’s team and we were an over 35 (I think) men’s team that was asked to play them as part of a training camp that they held locally. 3. Good but excessive exuberance. 4. Sentiment seems to be moving towards Mark McGhee. In all honesty I don’t think I would have a problem with McGhee, Davies or Burley. Burns leaves me cold and Souness worries me. 5. It reminds me of the remark attributed to Fergie – You have Posh ####e and Wenger in a room, you have a gun and one bullet. What do you do? Fergie – ask for another bullet.
Both are spinning frantically with the truth of it somewhere in the middle. Blatter wants to turn the clock back not because it will improve the game but because he fears the power of the clubs and the possibility that it might affect the cash cow that it is the World Cup.
Meanwhile Scudamore conveniently forgets that one of the major reasons put forward in support of the formation of the Premiership was how it would help the national team by – amongst other things – cutting the top flight to sixteen teams.
The truth is that a pittance of what the Premiership genertes is making is making its way to the grassroots. What is more there appears to be a wealth of evidence that the Premiership has alienated an entire generation of fans who can no longer afford to attend Premiership games. The Premiership is a boomers league or pretty dam close.
6. If you’re goals is the pursuit of wealth and status (as a league) then you should not be surprised when big (and often ruthless money) is attracted as well. Without a proper process to vet owners then you get what you deserve.
As fans we can enjoy the spectacle each week but Premiership teams have in many cases become playthings as you correctly point out . Or worse, vehicles for financial speculation. If the Arabs (I was surprised Dundee United have that kind of money!) do buy Liverpool and Hicks and Gillett make off with a substantial profit then it will only lead to more speculative investment. We also see it trickling down to Championship team who are available for relatively little money.
7. I think Crouch’s situation – whatever the reason – has been overshadowed by the draw followed by the Klinsmann revelation.
Bonmot -- Any recent news on Americans moving to the Premiership this month?
Bobby – I doubt anything that you have no read elsewhere. Johnson still talking to Fulham and a move for Benny Feilhaber from Derby to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Redfan2000 - If you were gaffer against Villa which Liverpool 11 would you play?
Bobby – Call me a traditionalist but I would go for the best eleven. One thing about playing against Villa you know what to expect.
You need to shut down the supply to Young and match Carew physically. Agbonlahor’s pace is a concern and giveaway as few set pieces as possible. I looks to me that Villa’s primary weakness is at full back especially if they can be coaxed forward and leaving space behind them. But I think the same is true for Liverpool.
Finnan and Riise especially give the ball away far too cheaply and their crossing as been generally poor this season. Either way the game might be won or lost (or drawn) in the wide positions.
Henry14 – Q 1 Last week you dogged my question on the somewhat rascist statements that they pour at foreigners as if they are illegal immigrants. In any line of work other than football you are reprimanded or fired for such comments. Q 2 What your view on Walcott, and do you think Wenger is satisfied with his progress? Q 3 Who do you think will win the African Cup of Nations? Q 4 - If you had a club with a managerial vacancy, who would you have, Klinsmann or Benitez?
Bobby – Q 1 - First of all I think – I hope – you meant dodged rather than dogged. Dogged is what Stan Collymore got up to wasn't it? And I am not going to answer your question because it wasn’t a question it was a statement with a question mark on the end of it.
Q2 – Walcott is 18 - give the kid a break. At times he plays as if his body is out of sync with his brain but that will sort itself out with experience. He has fantastic pace and is able to turn defenders. Give him time and he will be a very good player. You really need to ask Wenger but the fact that he plays him or has him coming into games regularly of the bench is probably an indication that he has confidence in him.
Q 3 – I don’t know about picking a winner but I will be watching South Africa with interest.
Q 4 – Depends on the club, the country, the financial situation, the expectations, the history, the culture. Otherwise you are running the risk of fitting a square peg in a round hole. Appointing a manager in football is the same as in any other business. If you don’t understand your needs and the environment then you are more likely to make an expensive mistake.
Ringo - I never did understand that whole Clydebank/Airdrie situation a few years ago. Could you explain what happened, how could one team go bust buy another team and replace them? And any idea what happened to the Clydebank supporters?
Bobby – You’re testing my memory on this one. I think you have to go to the mid 60s. There was some sort of agreement between East Stirlingshire (a team in the Scottish League at that time) and Clydebank who were a Junior club with ambition.
It did not work out but shortly after Clydebank were elected to the Scottish League (2nd division at that time). It may have been to replace Third Lanark. Airdrieonians (great name) were also part of the Scottish League and had been for a very longtime.
I think the Steadman brothers were the movers and shakers behind Clydebank and by the mid 70s they had a Clydebank team (Davie Cooper prominent) good enough to gain promotion to the first incarnation of the Scottish Premier League which was formed in 1974 (?).
Fast forward to the early part of this decade and Airdrie went bankrupt only to be reformed under the name Airdrie United. But they had no place to play as they lost their place in the league when they declared bankruptcy.
They applied for a place under their new name but were refused. At the same time Clydebank were experiencing financial and attendance problems. The owners of Airdrie United stepped forward offered to buy Clydebank and had it approved by the SFL.
They then applied to rename the team Airdrie United and move the team to Airdrie. From what I understand a reconstituted Clydebank is now back in the Junior ranks.
As for the Clydebank supporter – I think he is still around.
Looking ahead to the first Old Firm clash of the season next weekend.
As henry14 pointed out in a posting Arsenal will have the services of Adebayor as Togo have missed out on a spot in the finals of the African Cup of Nations. The article runs down how some clubs might be impacted.
The source of the “Klinsmann to Tottenham” seems to have come from this Matt Dickinson article in the Times on October 8. Everyone else has been playing catch up.
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.
An extract from Sir Bobby Charlton’s latest autobiography. I still have one he wrote in 1964 called "My Soccer Life" so it will be interesting to contrast it with the book that is about to be published.
This piece is for the old timers. The last chapter of the 1964 book Charlton picked his best British eleven. The side he picked in the old 2-3-5 was - Bert Trautmann; Jimmy Armfield, Ray Wilson; Danny Blanchflower, Neil Franklin, Duncan Edwards; Stanley Matthews, Wilf Mannion, Tommy Taylor, Denis Law and Tom Finney.
Gongatore - Even though the US-DEN match was meaningless and if you saw it, what would you take away from the match?
Bobby – First off I didn’t see the game as it wasn’t broadcast in Canada so I can’t really comment on the display. Having said that and even though it was probably more like a “B” international (or the Danish League vs. MLS) the result was important in that it took some pressure off Bob Bradley. After the Jurgen Klinsmann situation, a loss would have reactivated the debate about the coaching position-not withstanding that he remains an “interim” appointment. If the team can put together a run of good results, then it will be extremely difficult not to make Bradley's appointment permanent.
Twinkletoes - What's your take on stadium sharing? I couldn't care less if Pool is bought by #### or Gillett, but it seems to me that sharing grounds w/Everton might make financial sense and little else. I think it's important for a team to have a true home atmosphere, identity, and advantage over visiting teams. I can't quite picture Gerrard celebrating in front of blue and red seats of the Coca-Cola Greater Merseyside Sports Complex West Stand, but maybe it's just me.
Bobby –This is a subject in which both sides of the argument can bring forward strong evidence to support their case. The traditionalists, as you point out, look to issues such as atmosphere and identity while the financial realists factor in capital costs, operating costs etc. I stand to be corrected on this but it seems to me that apart from Italy not many other teams in the world actually share stadiums - yes I know it happens in Los Angeles as well. That may have something to do with the fact that in Italy stadiums are mostly built through government funded projects and considered a community asset. The San Siro situation is the one that is usually used to support the stadium sharing idea but I have read on a number of occasions over the years that Inter and the Milan are not necesarily happy with the arrangement.
When a stadium is shared then other revenue streams are compromised so although capital costs may be less, revenues may also decline.
However, you also have to consider that my opinion is probably flavoured by the fact that I grew up in a city where a ball could be punted from the ground of one professional team into the other the grounds were so close. I can also remember a number of players that regularly attempted the feat allbeit by accident!
Toffeenose - Please try to give a mention to the 100 anniversary of the birth of William Ralph (Dixie) Dean 1/22/2007. The greatest goalscorer in the history of the game 60 league goals in 1927/8.
Bobby – I'm sorry but I didn't get chance to fit a mention of this into the show on Monday, but to make up for it here is an excellent article by Robert Galvin on the great Dixie Dean.
Venti_vidi_vici - How surprised are you to see Oba Martins' exceptional performance for Newcastle so far this season? He was incredible as Inter's super-sub the past couple of seasons, but now seems to have adapted very well in his new role for a new club in a new league.
Bobby – I am surprised at Martins’ performances for Newcastle. When he was with Inter he struggled with consistency and I think that was why we saw them coming on as an effective substitute so often - 20 minutes was fine, 90 minutes seen too much. But perhaps there is a simple explanation for his performance. This from Glenn Roeder his Newcastle manager - "She has been staying with him and this has given him a lift. I don't how long she is staying, but if she is the reason why he perked up in the second half against West Ham on Saturday then I hope it is for a long time." The lady in question - his mum - Martins' not Roeder's.
atleti_female - Apparently Atletico Madrid are close to signing two new defenders: Kanga Akalé, an Ivory Coast defender who currently plays for Auxerre and Fabiano Eller, a Brazilian defender from Inter (Bra). Hopefully, this means the end of Perea and Seitaridis.
Bobby - I haven’t seen much of Atletico but going into this season they looked to have built a solid back four with the arrival of Seitaridis and Pernia. The statistics seem to indicate that the defense has played well – 13 goals against in 19 games and they have only conceded more than a single goal once. But obviously you are not happy with Seitaridis and Perea.
As for the latest recruits Eller looks to be a very solid player. When I was researching information for the FIFA Club World Cup he constantly came up as an outstanding player. He spent some time playing in Turkey but never settled down.
As for Akale I believe he is a midfield player rather than a defender – or should I say that at least he was a midfielder at the World Cup this summer.
Djnima - The commentator for the Arsenal Man U match was commenting how Giggs was playing a bit inside and Rooney was allowed to roam on the left to get a bit more space. Isn't this how Wenger plays Henry and do you think it could work with Rooney?
Do you think Mourinho could possibly go to Real next season? And with the talent in the squad do you think he would bring Madrid in the instant success he had with Chelsea?
Bobby – Henry starts in the centre and drifts out to the left when it suits him. That isn't how Fergie played Rooney on Sunday - Rooney was very much the left sided midfield player. Rooney's strength is as a support striker that can drift deeper while Henry is very much a mobile front line striker. If you are looking for a comparison Saha when he drifts out to the left would probably be a better comparison or option.
One of the raps on Capello is that he has Real Madrid playing boring football - why they expect Mourinho to suddenly arrive and play entertaining football just because he moves to Real Madrid is beyond me. Capello and Mourinho are cut from a similar cloth.
Real Madrid has short and long term problems. The short term solution was to try and shore up the team with experienced and normally dependable players - RVN, Emerson etc. Even though they are not playing exilirating football Real is still well ahead of last seasons performance. The next stage is bringing in younger players - like Gago and Higuain - and that has started.
You have to consider that when Mourinho arrived he inherited a good Chelsea side plus he was able to cherry pick players from Porto plus he had money to spend on others such as Drogba. I am not so sure it would be the same if or when he moves to Real.
As for the future I have to agree that Mourinho looks to be an act that wears out relatively quickly and he is not going to hang around one club like Fergie or Wenger.
J3sUsD - What do you think of Mexico's appointment of Hugo Sanchez as its head coach and how do you think his team will perform against Bob Bradley’s U.S. Side.
Bobby –By his constant criticism of LaVolpe Sanchez has created a stick for his own back and faces incredible pressure when his Mexico side finally takes to the field early next month. (As I mentioned earlier, the fact that Bob Bradley has a win under his belt already will help his position, Sanchez needs the same thing.) Perhaps Mexico's situation with a foreign coach being replaced by a native son was very similar to the situation faced by Scotland after they decided to get rid of Berti Vogts and to replace him with Walter Smith. Although you would have to say that LaVolpe was a lot more successful with Mexico than Vogts was with Scotland!!
Bubbles07 - Ok I know I may be beating a horse to death... but here's what I am wondering... I think that Beckham moving to LA will be good for MLS, but can he help to fill a gap or to improve the LA Galaxy themselves? Or is he more o####ood idea, than a good addition?
Bobby – As long as he remains injury free Beckham will be an outstanding addition to the L.A. Galaxy. The challenge for the Galaxy is to make sure that they have the players to take advantage of a Beckham's skill and ability.
Henry14 - To be honest l feel the gunners can not win the premiership title but l feel that this will give the young team unbelievable belief in themselves. How do you rate them for next season?
I have to say the standard of football in La Liga this season is the poorest l have seen all of my lifetime. There is a lot of diving, bad officiating and football quality is low.
Bobby – I have never considered Arsenal as a realistic Premiership title contender this season and so with 14 games left and a 12 point deficit I don't see any reason to change my mind. Next season - that is a different matter. They are definitely beginning to gel and I see no reason at the moment why they can't challenge for the title next season. Of course it doesn't mean that they can't still pick up a trophy of two this season if they can hold their form.
As for Spain you can look at it from two different perspectives - things are so tight at the top of La Liga that it shows that it is an extremely competitive league. Or the league is mediocre so a number of clubs can win it.
Given that Spanish clubs won the Champions League and the UEFA cup last season I wouldn't be writing league off quite yet! Perhaps we should wait to see how the Champions League unfolds when it gets going again in a few weeks. Real Madrid – Bayern Munich, Liverpool – Barcelona, and Valencia-Inter Milan - all interesting and challenging matches.
Finally, Speakers’ Corner was created to provide an opportunity for FSR viewers and FSC readers to ask questions or to make comments on anything to do with the game no matter where it is played.
Richard Winton describes Steven Pressley's exit from Tynecastle.The latest rumours have Pressley heading south - Southampton perhaps?
Brian Cooney attempts to solve one of the great mysteries of Scottish football. Why did such a rare talent as George Connolly, walkout on Celtic in the 70s?
Amy Lawrence comments on the situation at Milan. Milan looked poor and quite stale against Torino on Sunday.
After giving Friday's announcement by U.S.S.F. President Sunil Gulati of Bob Bradley's appointment more thought, I am more convinced than before that this has been badly mishandled.
Gulati had the chance to simply announce that Bob Bradley would be taking over responsibility for the USA Olympic team. Further, negotiations with Jurgen Klinsmann had broken down after being at an advanced stage and that in the meantime, until a permanent coach was appointed, Bob Bradley will also be in charge of the full national team. Nothing more.
Unfortunately, when Gulati started to talk about Bradley being a potential candidate to stay on long-term, he started to dig himself a very big hole. What possible criteria, could you apply to Bradley's performance over the next six months - over three years before the next World Cup - that could possibly tell you more than is known now?
Finally, some comments on the Chelsea - Arsenal game.
1. Chelsea did hit the woodwork three times, and had one shot cleared off the line.
2. I thought Gilberto Silva and Michael Essien were absolutely outstanding. Just like at Old Trafford a few weeks ago, Essien turned the game for Chelsea.
3. Are Shevchenko's critics the same people who wrote off Drogba and Essien?
4. If referee Alan Wiley yellow carded Jens Lehmann for this push on Didier Drogba, then booked Drogba for retaliation, why did the referee not award Chelsea a penalty?
Mr. Red Devil - What do you think of those yellow kits that Liverpool wore yesterday while getting soundly beaten by Man Utd? Those have to be worse than Bolton's away kit.
Bobby – I am not a particular fan of the yellow Liverpool kits but they are still better than the Bolton away set. I was surprised to find out on Friday that certain members of the FSWR office actually like the Bolton kit and I was taken to task for my comments.
Bmax 14 - It seems to be common where good teams cannot duplicate good league form in the CL or vice-versa. Is this an accurate statement, and if so, has it been this way for a long time?
Bobby – I wrote a column on this just before the Champions League Final in May. As you can see it has never been particularly easy to compete at the top level in Europe and domestically. The article focused on any differences between the old European Cup format and the relatively new Champions League version.
Excerpt - “There is also a long tradition of teams doing well in Europe but not doing the business in domestic competition. If we assume the European Cup format to have run for 36 seasons and the Champions League for 14 seasons it is difficult to make a case that there has been much difference in the number of “surprises” or an increase in the number of poor home performers. Over 50 competitions the European Champion has also won their domestic league 19 times in the same season. The break down is14 times under the EC format and 5 times under CL. A percentage comparison 38% to 36% is a miniscule difference. At the other end of the spectrum the three worst domestic performances by a European Champion all came under the EC format. Aston Villa finished 11th in the English First Division when they won the European Cup in 1982; Bayern Munich 10th in the Bundesliga in 1975; and Juventus 6th in 1985”.
MeanSucka - On Barca: you've highlighted, as well as others, that the loss of Eto'o is bigger than realized and it is more than clear after losses to Chelsea and Real Madrid. What I want to know is whether Saviola can look for more time and why Lilian Thuram was in the starting lineup? Also - Would Gudjohnsson be more appropriate as a striker/midfielder to bring on when the team is ahead? He seems very allergic to taking scoring chances when they present themselves.
Bobby – Rijkaard has never been a big fan of Saviola – either that or he has been trying to hide it by loaning him out the last two seasons – but I think he will have to use him. He is far closer to the Eto’o style of play than Eidur Gudjohnsen. Gudjohnsen is a very gifted player but he is at his best playing behind the striker and he doesn’t have the kind of pace of finishing touch that Barcelona has become used to. He is a bit like Hernan Crespo (not the quickest player) so he is forced to play right on the shoulder of the last defender in an attempt to get any advantage possible. Unfortunately – unlike Crespo – he is not the most clinical of finishers.
Wickedzoot - I was su####ious when I saw David James on your list again. I thought it was a typo (obviously didn't read last week). But wow this guy's the real deal. That was one fine article he wrote. Too bad he got so hard done against Chelsea. I thought he was brilliant. Does he have a chance to regain his England spot or is that bridge well and truly burned?
TheIdiot - I noticed you’re putting David James in the list of top GKs in the Prem - on current form, I must agree. Do you think he deserves an England recall? Or with his long record of gaffes, does he need to show a longer run of continued mistake-free keeping?
Bobby – McClaren will stick by Robinson unless he goes down injured. If that happens and James maintains his current form then James will get another chance. The media will forget how they hammered James over the years – many of the times justifiably so – and will call for his recall on a wave of nostalgia induced emotion.
USAenglandfan - 3 questions, two somewhat off topic: (1) Do you see Daniel Carvalho breaking into the first team in Brazil within the next year or two? (2) What players' jerseys/kits do you own, if any? (3) What is your favorite ever kit, aesthetically?
Bobby – (1) I cannot say I have seen too much of Carvalho but from what I have seen he is an impressive young player. Dunga sent a very clear message when he picked his first squad that he is ready to look at younger players and that they do not have to necessarily be playing in one of the top leagues. I could see Carvalho moving to Italy or Spain for a very large fee in the next 18 months. (2) I started collecting jerseys from Mexican teams while on holiday so I have 4 or 5 in the cupboard. I also have a jersey from Tayport the last team I played for in Scotland. It was a “special” when they made it to the Scottish Junior Cup final a couple of years ago. The first jersey I have received was a v-necked Dundee top in the early 60’s (same style as the Man Utd one this season) followed by the crew neck a couple of years later. I got a Chelsea top after Charlie Cooke moved from Dundee to Chelsea in the mid sixties. Since then I can remember an assortment of Scotland, QPR (Guinness), and Liverpool tops. (3) Real Madrid – all white from the 50’s.
Gongatore - In your mind, who do you think is the best choice for USMNT gaffer?
Bobby – I still think Klinsmann would be a great choice.
AlexMorph - Of the 30 short listed names for the Ballon D'Or, who would be your pick for the overall year?
Bobby – I think it is Thierry Henry’s year. He made it to the Champions League and World Cup Final and scored goals domestically. Samuel Eto’o is definitely worthy of consideration as is Fabio Cannavaro (who should have won the Golden Shoe).
Neophyte - the term "gaffer" what are its origins and when should one use it and when should you avoid it. Do you call the manager "gaffer" to his face or is it a term you should only use when out of his presence etc...?
Bobby – The term “gaffer” comes from the factory floor and building site. It is the term for a front-line supervisor – the proper title would be “foreman”. There is nothing derogatory about the term unless you place a commonly used adjective beginning in “f” before it.
bigdavedisaster - Here’s a great old video about the Old Firm. Gives a little bit of insight into where the rivalry comes from and into football in Glasgow. What a difference 30 or so years makes and doesn’t make. If you have time to watch it I’d love to know what you were up to then and what kind of a hair style you had. A snap shot of 1974
Bobby – That video brought back some bad memories!! In 1974 I was in College in Dundee and probably enjoying myself far too much. I was playing for a local team called Barnhill – with many of the mates I grew up with – so we trained, played, drank and did almost everything together. I also played in a Sunday morning league for the Dundee Press Club – they allowed me to play centre forward!!! – and sometimes on Sunday afternoon in another league. Training was Tuesday and Thursday while on Wednesdays I played for the College team. No one thought about rotation or rest back then – the pitches from October to March were mud heaps or skating rinks and we all loved it. As for hair it was long and a headband was mandatory when playing – although they were just plain white in those days unlike Ronaldinho’s current effort that makes him look like a big girl’s blouse!
MeanSucka - How about the reports of Becks being out in January or Rijkaard trying to sell Deco to get Lampard?
Bobby – Having said for the last two years that Beckham will play out his career in MLS I think a compromise will be reached and he will eventually sign for another year for Real - that way both parties will save face. It is interesting that Beckham quotes and stories seem to have escalated in the last couple of weeks – a sure sign that he is trying to put pressure on Real Madrid. As for selling Deco to get Lampard – I don’t put a lot of credence in that one.
Mr. Red Devil - BigDave, I watched that Rangers-Celtic video. Very interesting. Bobby, do you know of any good books that offer a neutral point of view on the history of Celtic & Rangers?
Bobby – I haven’t read the book myself but there was a book a few years back by Bill Murray that looked at both clubs - at what seperates them and what unites them (something many people forget - there is a reason they are called the Old Firm after all). Murray wrote a book about the global reach and history that I read and enjoyed, so I think his Old Firm book might be worth picking up.
Henry14 - l have been reading stories of huge losses in fans at club in the epl even f the price of tickets at some places like Blackburn is as low as 15 pounds, the only teams that have had an increase in fans to their ground are United and Arsenal, inevitably two clubs that play attacking and beautiful football, do you feel it is too big a task for clubs to try attacking football, l know you might need young quicker players and technically good but l feel it will affect the spending of these clubs in the long run like for instance Liverpool spend $60m during the summer hoping to cover it with gate earning , with the exception of Chelsea what do you see will be the solution if the stadiums are to be full again.
Bobby – “Falling attendance” has been a recurring story at the start of the last few Premiership seasons. Go back to the fall of 2004 and 2005 and you will find the same stories. I don’t agree that United and Arsenal have increased attendance because of the quality of their football this season – even though it has been attractive. The bottom line is that they have bigger stadiums and are reaping the reward of being popular, entertaining and most importantly successful over the last decade or so. There was a pent-up demand going into this season and we increased capacity you are seeing the results in an increase in the attendance for both clubs.
Finally thank you to all that take time to read the blog and to participate.
Channel 4 has a collection of quotes from the Italian squad.
Michael Walker on how Germany wants to keep Jurgen Klinsmann all to themselves.
Jon Brodkin on the best defender on view at this World Cup – Fabio Cannavaro.
Stuart James on the player who will be playing in the World Cup Final for Italy but who could have played for England.
According to Jason Burt Jamaica is willing to pay Sven Goran Eriksson over $5M a year to coach the national team. E mail to Jamaica – just flush the money down the toilet and get it over and done with. Burt also claims that Jurgen Klinsmann has turned down a USSF approach.
Gabriele Marcotti looks at some of the truths and myths of this World Cup.
Simon Kuper on Jurgen Klinsmann’s training methods.
Sepp Blatter continues his quest to be in the newspapers more often than the weather forecast - this time he wants to change the yellow card system. Of course another idea might be to actually reserve yellow cards for fouls of some substance.
When will India field a decent international team? Sanjay Rajan interviews the much traveled English coach Bob Houghton the new national team coach.
James Lawton looks at the end of Zinedine Zidane’s career and how some other greats brought the curtain down.
An article produced by Der Speigel earlier in the tournament on changes to the German squad’s attitude under Jurgen Klinsmann.
Der Speigel issued a World Cup special magazine that I picked up a few weeks ago. This article on their website was part of the special and looks at the German coach and I thinks it gives great insight into what Klinsmann took on. Written by Dirk Kurbjuweit, The Reviled Reformer is an appropriate title.
