The Times feature on Fulham’s away form. St. James’ Park is about the only ground Fulham doesn’t mind traveling to. They have a split record of 2 wins, draws and losses in the Premiership and their two wins and one of the draws have come on their last three visits. Conversely Newcastle’s last win in the Premiership came over three months ago and it needed a late penalty kick to give Newcastle a 1-0 win over who else but Fulham.
Premiership This weekend’s Premiership fixture list has ten matches all of which have the potential to substantially change the race for the title, the scramble for Champions League/UEFA Cup spots, or the battle to avoid the dreaded drop.
There are numerous possibilities and of course one of which is that nothing very much will change. Even so it’s interesting to take a look at the various views of how things will work out with eight rounds of play to go.
The conventional wisdom in the media and on the chatboards seems to be that with a three point lead and a substantially better goal difference the league title is for Manchester United to lose. Arsenal’s four consecutive draws has put a dagger through the heart of their title aspirations while Chelsea could yet to slip in to win the Championship for the third time in four seasons.
Liverpool are the form team (and the team to fear in the Champions League) and will lock up the fourth Champions League spot. That will leave Everton with fifth and what may be the last remaining UEFA Cup place for next season. Aston Villa, Portsmouth (still have a very real interest in the FA Cup), Manchester City and Blackburn will be left on the outside looking in.
BBC pundit Alan Hansen seems to support the conventional view as far as the top four are concerned. Hansen states “if United beat Liverpool and Arsenal lose at Chelsea, Wenger can wave the title bye-bye in my opinion”. Early on in the article he says, “…..while Arsenal go to Stamford Bridge to play a Chelsea side who cannot yet be discounted when it comes to the title.”
When you consider that going into this weekend Arsenal trails United by three points and in turn leads Chelsea by two points then should United and Chelsea win then the gap between first and second will become five points with Arsenal a further point behind. However, that single point would seem to be enough for Hansen to dismiss Arsenal’s chances (whle five points is not too much for Chelsea to make up) even though Manchester United have to still play the Gunners and have to travel to Stamford Bridge.
At the other end of the Premiership Wigan’s current run of form finds them on 31 points along with Boro. Although both teams still fall within the group still under threat of relegation these two teams haven’t featured in too many relegation picks lately. The subject of Newcastle is polarizing with fans and pundits clearly falling quickly into the “stay-up” or “relegated” camps – no indecision on that one.
Depending on how you feel about Newcastle they either join the group of Reading, Birmingham, Sunderland, Bolton and Fulham that are trying to avoid the two other relegations spots or not. Bolton’s chances of safety are often dismissed based on a supposedly tougher schedule while in North America Fulham seem to a lot of peoples pick for a “miracle” run to seventeenth spot or even higher. Perhaps a case of heart dominating the brain.
So if that is a recap of the conventional wisdom what are the UK bookies saying? As bookies odd are set based on money bet it should align closely with punters current opinion. At the wrong end of the league the bookies are no longer taking bets on Derby’s fate while not giving Fulham (2/5) much of a chance of survival and they reckon Bolton (5/6) are going to join them.
If either of these two teams does turn their “fate” around then Sunderland are the next pick to go down (2/1), with Reading and Birmingham (7/2) coming next. Jeremy St. Louis could make some money by choosing Newcastle at 4/1. Wigan (8/1) and Boro at 12/1 are definite outsiders.
At the other end the bookies are saying that the finish will be Manchester United 1/3, Arsenal 4/1, Chelsea 5/1 and Liverpool 120/1 with a United, Arsenal and Chelsea the favoured 1-2-3 finish. Before the midweek draw with Tottenham Chelsea were the bookies favourite to finish as runners-up.
Around Europe There are some great games around the rest of Europe as well. In Italy the two stand out games are Fiorentina vs. Lazio and the derby that isn’t a derby, Inter against Juventus. Spain has Sevilla against Atletico Madrid and if the game is half as interesting as their first match-up this season (a 4-3 win for Atletico) then it should be worth catching.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid probably can’t believe that after dropping nine points in their last five matches that they still lead second place Barcelona by seven points. For all the ups-and-downs we have seen in La Liga this season the fact is that since Real left the Nou Camp with a 1-0 win two days before Christmas the top three teams (Real Madrid, Barcelona and Villarreal) have all collected twenty-one points from a possible thirty-nine. This weekend Valencia provides the opposition for Real and will be buoyed after beating Barcelona in Thursday’s Copa del Rey semi-final.
The Bundesliga has a top versus third match-up with Bayern Munich facing a surging Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern remains unbeaten at home although their points total is reflective of five draws in eleven home games. On the other hand Leverkusen have not won at Bayern in 19 years, and have only won twice in twenty-eight visits.
I will be on World Soccer Daily at around 1:15 p.m. EST tomorrow (Friday).
Craigy_f – 1. Who do you rate more highly Best or Ronaldo? 2. What are your first football memories? 3. What moments made you laugh at the weekend – football related of course? 4. Casano’s first of Trezeguet’s second – which was more enjoyable? 5. How do you think that FSC gets it’s team sheets for Serie A games?
Bobby – 1. George Best. 2, Being taken to an amateur international at Dens Park between Scotland and Ireland. First professional game was I think Dundee United vs. Aberdeen. 3. Nothing. 4. Cassano. 5. They get team sheets?
Leche010 - Who do you see surviving and not this season? Obviously Derby are going down, but it's not like that was a surprise from the start. Fulham appear to be joining them, but have brought in quite a few new names, and could easily make a push to get out... I consider them in the relegation fight, as opposed to condemned.
After that there are Boro, Reading, Bolton, Birmingham, Wigan, and Sunderland all within 2 points of each other, fighting not to be bottom of that pack. Simply which of the 7 clubs do you think have what it takes to survive, and which clubs don't?
Bobby – I picked Derby, Wigan and Fulham to go down this season and as normal I will stick with these picks until it is mathematically impossible that it won’t happen. I can see Derby’s fate being sealed with at least five games to go in the season.
Boro will continue to pick up points only to get sucked back down but will stay up; Reading is too strong at home and will survive; Bolton – they scored goals before Anelka and will find enough goals to win a couple of important matches; Birmingham have enough zip about them to finish above the bottom three as long as they hold their nerve. Sunderland – Keane will batter them if they don’t – I don’t think he will allow them to go down.
Apad03-I just read the news that the Concacaf is starting up a champions league for this region. What do you think? I am thrilled to see this happen. I have suggested this for a few years now and I think it will be great to see MLS teams flying to Honduras or the Caribbean for these games. Great experience and I think some lively football.
Bobby – A step in the right direction but it is going to take a few seasons to establish the competition in the hearts and minds.
Craigy_ f - PROMOTION TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Any of the current top ten in the Championship you'd love or hate to see in the Premier League next year? They are:- 1 - West Brom, 2 - Bristol City, 3 – Watford, 4 – Stoke, 5 – Charlton, 6 – Palace, 7 – Burnley, 8 – Ipswich, 9 – Cardiff, 10 - Wolves
Bobby – Nothing stands out for me really and they all have the potential to drop back down fairly quickly. Take the clubs you list and the seven clubs listed as possible relegation candidates from a question above and you have parity and an extremely competitive league.
Henry 14 - q1 Do you know how Ericksson might feel now that the bucket load of money from Thaksin seems to not have come as he thought and he really has not spend as he might have thought and do you see them challenging the course for European places if he does not strengthen?
q2 Do you think we will see the full potential of Rooney at Man Utd as long as Ronaldo is there because two years ago he was sort of going to be the alfamale now it seems he is in the shadow of Ronaldo?
q3 With Eduardo coming into his own and playing well by the game, assuming that Adebayor is a shoe in, how do you view the future of RVP because he direct rival striker are at an age that if you know if they become shoe in the team he will be frustrated because they are both 24 years.
Bobby – Q 1. I have no idea what was said to Sven when he signed on but he certainly got a bucket full of money in the summer. The new signings settled in quickly and City benefited from Sven’s organizational skills. However, the momentum has stalled and the rest of the Premiership has done its homework. He needs a regular goal scorer if they hope to compete for a European place.
Q 2 - I don’t see how a player would not achieve his full potential by playing with excellent players. I can’t agree that players can only become great players if there is no one else on the team that might challenge them. I would have thought it the other way around.
Q3 – You are assuming that there is such a thing as a first choice eleven and that all the first choicers are fit and raring to go. It just doesn’t work like that anymore and hasn’t for a long time.
LGB - Would you say that Ronaldo is already a greater player for United than Cantona was?
Bobby – No. Cantona’s influence on United goes well beyond his performances on the park and so I don’t think he ranks behind Ronaldo. The problem with the “who is better” debate is that in almost all cases it favours the current player. Only in retrospect can you really judge whether or not players should be considered as truly great or just one of the best of their generation. And like managers it may not necessarily come down to trophies won.
Farleft - I was wondering if you had any insight into the decision making of which officials get to officiate certain matches? Do officials also get promoted and or relegated at the end of the season based on their performance throughout the season? I am not trying to slag off officials or anything like that, I am just curious.
Bobby – Here is an article that explains the FA’s move a number of years ago to professional referees and another that includes an interview with Keith Hackett. The answer to your promotion/relegation is yes and in some cases referees have been “demoted” for a period of time during the season.
I wrote an article in the fall of 2006 on professional referees and their preparation and the constant feedback and evaluation they receive. Different leagues will deal with referee assignments in different ways but I am confident in stating that any league or association worth its salt is continually evaluating and working with their officials.
Neophyte - Real Madrid continue to show what a great job Capello performed while manager there. Do you think he deserves the credit of bringing back the club to preeminence in La Liga or did the rebuild start before he got? When I watch them play (Real Madrid) they look so strong...solid all the way across. Do you see a fatal flaw that may haunt them later in the season? How about Villarreal? Just out gunned in the final minutes. Got to admire the fight they showed.
One more question....Did you see Riquelme during the Boca/River match-up this weekend? He is still impressive (especially on those free kicks). Do you know why he hasn't been linked to more teams in Europe? I thought I heard Newcastle was interested (who wouldn't they be interested in?). Riquelme seems like such a talent that other teams would have picked him up already.
Bobby – Capello deserves credit because he was the one that took on the galaticos culture and won…even though he lost if you know what I am getting at. I am not convinced that Real Madrid are as strong as their record indicates.
Castillas is still relied upon to bale the team out on more occasions than seems fair and I think their midfield is going to come up short in Champions League play. Villarreal certainly went for it on Sunday – perhaps too much so. It would have been more interesting if Pires had been playing.
I did catch the second half of the Super Classico and the first half highlights. Riquleme was impressive but I don’t think you will see him leave Argentina for Europe again. He is a special talent but he needs a coach who is willing to build a team around him.
At Barcelona that didn’t happen and that is why it did not work out. At Villarreal – initially anyway – they were willing to do that. To answer your question of “who wouldn’t be interested”? – the answer is the overwhelming majority of good teams would not be interested. They are not too many teams willing to gamble success or failure on a single player and that is pretty close to the straight choice with Riquelme. A wonderful talent but with limitations.
AlanV - Different subject. I just finished reading the article about the pilot program to have only the team captain be allowed to discuss decisions with the Ref. As a parent whose son plays at the club level, we already have a similar program here in So. California, at least as far as the parent and player accountability go.
My son has to sign a code of conduct each year where he promises to maintain a level of decorum and civility. He's a ref (U14 and lower) and has noticed a difference for the better in the comments of both players and the sidelines. I think it's a great idea and hope it works. I can agree to a players initial reaction when he disagrees, that's human nature. But there's no call for half the team to be discussing the situation with the ref, especially knowing he won't change his mind. What's your take? Will it work at the pro level or will that be impossible to enforce.
Bobby – It will work if the leagues are willing to stick with it. However, too often we have seen these initiatives taper off after a few weeks. It is really about setting standards and sticking to it. Unfortunately it is easy to say but difficult to stick to.
Henry 14 - My question is that Owen is given an excuse when he does not score that he needs service and other strikers are not given such a ride. The poacher is a dying breed hence reference to Ruud's assist rate
Bobby – You make a good point. I have read a number of articles over the last few seasons that allude to the same point that pure strikers are now a luxury and that they need to deliver more. Having said that it really doesn’t matter if a striker is a pure poacher or a more rounded player they still nned service or some kind to get goals.
LGB - If there is anyone who believes that LFC's most profitable year was a pre-tax profit of £9.46m than I have a bridge that I'd like to sell you...
Ursusarctos provided a top class explanation but I will chime in with my two cents worth.
It is not what they (businessmen) are losing, it is their take on how much more revenue potential there is. Generally successful entrepreneurs do not make money by buying successful businesses, they make money buying companies that they consider to be undervalued and that have potential to generate significantly more revenue or have a poor cost structure.
In the case of football clubs in England the Glazers, Hicks and Gillett see that additional revenue coming from fans. To cut to the chase they purchase the club with little of their own money at stake and then through increased revenue from the fans they pay off the loans incurred in the purchase. End result - they own the club and the fans pay the purchase price and more. The problem is that it is a gamble and should certain assumptions not work out then you see the potential of a financial meltdown ala Leeds.
“What I'm trying to say is that the numbers are #### (just like with United) and these clubs even with the construction of new stadia and the like are still making money hand over fist.”
I can understand that this stuff is not easy to understand but that doesn’t make it ####. Your example of United reminds me of the guy that jumps from the 40th floor of a building and as he passed the 20th floor people heard him say “so far so good.”
The Glazer deal may work out but that doesn’t preclude the fact that it is highly leveraged and comes with significant risk – as does the Liverpool deal. Try telling Leeds fans that it was #### …….they went into Administration for fun right!
The Leeds example is only used as an example of a meltdown …Leeds problems were not caused by a buy-out but they were caused by making some key assumptions that proved to be wrong.
Gongatore - If warranted is there a side in Europe that you could see Altidore going to in the next transfer window? How do you rate Cruz and Zlatan at Inter?
Bobby – Moving clubs is an individual decision but from my point of view I think the rush to have Jozy Altidore move to Europe is ill-advised. He’s better off in MLS where he can play regularly for the next season or two. If he really makes an impact then when he moves he will be on his terms.
Cruz has scored goals throughout his career and continues to do so – a reliable goal scorer but well short of being one of the best. Zlatan on his day can be one of the world’s best players. It depends on whether or not it is his day!
Albertagooner - I'm trying to figure out how Patrick Barclay has managed to spot Arsenal's aerial weakness. Neither of United's goals involved a high ball hoofed into the box. In any event, both Gallas and Toure have a wonderful spring. I'd rather have them than taller defenders who have difficult marking strikers, such as Jamie Carragher or John Terry.
Bobby – I think Barclay is identifying a more traditional weakness rather than one that showed up on Saturday. The problem use to show up when Sol Campbell was missing and there is still a doubt in my mind about how well Arsenal deal with crosses.
It seems to me one of the things that they have improved on this year is not allowing so many crosses to reach the penalty box. I don’t have the stats to prove that and it could just be a case of Arsenal retaining more possession. I never considered Jamie Carragher to have had any trouble marking strikers. The only issue with Terry is that sometimes he can be caught out by a quick forward one-on-one but his anticipation and the way he plays the angles makes it a rare occurrence.
gabemar - Would you rate the chances of the three teams (Villarreal, Fiorentina and Man. City), who seem to be challenging the status quo on the three big leagues, at contending for at least CL spot until the end of the season? Also the last few weeks you have not been wearing your glasses at FSR. Are you wearing contacts or did you have lasik surgery? How do you like not wearing them?
Bobby – Villarreal and Fiorentina, Champions League spots yes. Manchester City – the jury is still out. Apart from a very poor start last season Villarreal has been a consistent performer in Liga for a few seasons now and it would not be a surprise to see them finish in the top four.
Fiorentina has an outstanding manger in Cesare Prandelli did a great job with Parma and it was unfortunate that he could not stick with Roma when he was appointed. Fiorentina’s Sporting Director Pantaleo Corvino has a great reputation and the two of them seem to putting together a very good team – even though they regularly lose players. Mutu is playing great again and Pazzini could become a very good player. There are lots of others as well.
City has a habit of starting well and fading and it might turn out to be different under SGE. However, it was interesting to note that Eriksson commented last week that he felt that other clubs might be preparing better when facing City. I think what he really meant was other teams were looking for ways to shut down Elano. Against Sunderland yesterday City collected three points but it was brutal performance by both sides.
I had laser surgery a few weeks ago and it has been great. No problems and I have my distance sight back again. Still need readers for close work in poor light but that was expected.
Flashman - How much longer can AC Milan resist the urge to pull the trigger and bring in a new manager? Huh? And how much longer can AC Milan resist the urge to make that new manager the former manager at Chelski? Yeah, the Portuguese bloke, Mourinho. That's the one.
And how long will we have to endure the myth that this year's edition of the Arsene Wenger Slight of Hand Show is the New Invincibles? Coz it ain't. It simply has to be said, because no one elsewhere has bothered to note this, that Arsenal, thus far, have played one of the softest league schedules imaginable. They've been outside of London proper only once in league play this year and coughed up an away draw to nasty Bla-hack-ahack-aburn Rovers.
Bobby – Ancelotti’s now served six years at the San Siro and his time has to be up soon. One way of coaxing the last possible piece of talent out of an older squad is to change the manager.
In terms of Arsenal’s schedule so far you are right but it is a bit of a red herring. London teams are all going to be in a similar position given that if you include Reading there are six London teams. That means that this season Arsenal will play nearly 2/3rds of their games in the London area. The counter to your argument has been put forward by a number of London clubs. The suggestion is that because of the high number of derby games London clubs actually have a tougher time of it.
Arsenal’s schedule is out of sync but that is down to the Champions League third round qualifying game that bumped an early season trip to Newcastle. As for being an easy schedule there are always going to be easy and more difficult runs. But if you compare to Tottenham’s schedule you will find that both clubs have played Sunderland, Derby, Manchester United, Fulham, Bolton, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. Spurs have faced five away games to Arsenal’s three. Of the remaining games Spurs have played Villa, Newcastle, Boro and Everton. Arsenal have played Manchester City, Portsmouth, and West Ham. Overall – probably about even.
PS – you missed Arsenal’s visit to Anfield of two weeks ago.
CIAO - When players and managers move to other clubs for large sums of money, you always hear them say "it wasn't about the money." The move usually is to a club that has a greater opportunity to win trophies.
That said, Ramos' move to Spurs puzzles me. He essentially built a good side that has been winning trophies. He quits too move to the Spurs. A club that placed 5th in the EPL for the past two seasons and has not won trophies. Does not play in the CL and potentially may not even qualify to play the CL next season...
It just doesn't add up. Do you by chance see some other reason (other than large sums of money) that would make Ramos' move an attractive one?
Bobby – Well the first thing I would point out is that Ramos did not build that Sevilla team – he has only been there for a little more than two seasons. He certainly turned them into trophy winners but the foundation was put in place for him – he took them over the top.
Sporting Director Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo appears to have played a more important role in turning Sevilla into a top club than Ramos. I don’t think Ramos tried to hide the fact that the money was too good to turn down.
Aldoray - What do you think about Peter Crouch as a player and his situation at Liverpool. I believe he is seriously being overlooked too often and he might be hitting the exit door at Anfield very soon along with Kewell.
Bobby – Here we go again. As I said on Monday night’s FSR a lot of people seem to think that because he is awkward to play against that it makes him a great player. When you hear Steven Gerrard suggest that Crouch has a great chance to break Jimmy Greaves England scoring record then you have to shake your head in disbelief.
The “Crouch is Great” lobby seems to base their views on his scoring record to minutes played as opposed to games appeared in. The argument goes something like this. He has an impact when he comes on and scores lots of goals so he should be on more often or earlier or even from the beginning. So let’s see if the statistics actually back up the view that Crouch is an underappreciated talent by Rafa Benitez and others.
I would suggest that the best statistics to use are from the Premiership. Reason – it gives a comparison to other strikers plus it shows the longer term effectiveness of a player against sides that are better prepared to play against the player having scouted strengths, weaknesses etc. more thoroughly.
Over the last two seasons and a bit Peter Crouch has appeared in 70 Premiership games for Liverpool – he has started in 47 and come on as a substitute in 23. He has scored 15 Premiership goals. Only four of these goals have been clutch goals – goals that either turned a potential draw into a win or a loss into a draw.
His average scoring rate is one goal every 4.66 appearances. That rate doesn’t get him in the top 100 Premiership scorers. Comparison examples - Henri Camara 3.41, James Beattie 3.99, Jan-Aage Fjortoff 3.36, Marian Pahars 3.07, Dion Dublin 2.81.
But, the Crouch lobby would argue, that goals per appearance are not a reliable indicator because although Crouch may appear many of his appearances are relatively short and have to be adjusted for. So in the interest of fairness I went back over the minutes actually played and converted into the equivalent of full ninety minute games.
This substantially improves Crouch’s average – it translates to a goal every 2.81 games, equal to Dion Dublin’s but Dublin’s average has not been adjusted to minutes played. I must have missed the “Dublin for England” lobby a few years ago.
So how does Crouch’s record stack up against some of his contemporaries? I looked at two younger players over the last two and a bit seasons – Robin van Persie and Bobby Zamora. Based on goals per minutes played RVP clocks in at an average o####oal every 2.08 Premiership games - Bobby Zamora a goal every 2.64 Premiership games. Both substantially better than Crouch.
The next point that is normally argued is that Crouch is good in the air. Given that he is five inches short of seven foot tall he should be. Well what do the statistics show? Four of his 15 Premiership goals at Liverpool have come from headers (midfielder Tim Cahill in two and a bit seasons has scored from five headers for Everton).
An interesting stat that sticks out is how few games Crouch actually completes – only 19 full Premiership games in 47 starts. And it is not just a case of being substituted in the last five minutes. His average stint in a Premiership game for Liverpool (based on him starting) when substituted, is just a few seconds short of 65 minutes.
It’s also something that shows up in his England appearances. Add it all up and a reasonable conclusion is that Crouch finds it difficult to play ninety minutes hence the reason that Benitez starts him on bench so often. Rather than playing him against fresh players it would make more sense to have him come on late when defences are tired. And guess what - he looks impressive.
But the “Crouch is Great” group then jump to Crouch’s goals in the Champions League and for England. On the basis of goals scored his numbers are impressive…….but. His goals for England have come against Estonia, Macedonia, Andorra, Greece, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Hungary and Uruguay - clutch goals two. In addition he has only completed nine games although he has collected 22 caps.
In Champions League last season he scored all seven goals against group opponents (although PSV were also opponents in the first knock out phase). It strongly suggests that again Crouch’s value is in his awkwardness to play against and uniqueness. Teams facing him for the first time have difficulty dealing with him but over time they solve the problem.
So if you are looking for a striker who is tall but not necessarily good in the air, isn’t up to playing ninety minutes, and has trouble scoring clutch goals then I guess Peter Crouch is your man.
As for heading out of the door – could happen but he will not be joining a team better than Liverpool that is going to give him any more playing time.
Syncrew - 1 Now that Avram Grant has had 10 or so matches in charge ,what do you see as the big difference between Jose's and Avram's Chelsea ? 2 Since it’s up on the blog I may as well ask who you think is the most underrated and overrated striker in Europe? 3 How do you rate Alex? He seems to be doing well in place of Terry and is keeping Ben-Haim out of the team. (Ignore that foul against Schalke.)
Bobby – 1. It’s quieter around Stamford Bridge and Sir Alex Ferguson is aiming shots exclusively at the Emirates again.
2. You will have to define underrated and overrated. As I’ve pointed out before just because a player is considered “overrated” it doesn’t mean that he is not better than an “underrated” player. If I had to sign one striker in the world it would be a fit Samuel Eto’o.
3. Alex - Good player although I’m not sure keeping Ben-Haim out of the team should be the measure of him. I think his potential is well beyond a competent journeyman such as Ben-Haim.
Gunner44 - Is it Healthy for the game that 3 or is 4 managers have already lost their jobs and it's only been 2 1/2 months in the league. Is it the managers that are to blame or the Board? I read somewhere that someone said if Spurs don't improve the whole board should be fired.
Don't managers deserve more time to prove themselves? Very few managers have the ability to turn a team into a winning side in their first season. Like Jol should have been given at least till Jan before they left them go. He had been in top 5 for 2 straight seasons and almost took Arsenal out of top 4. Taking ManUre, Chelski, Liverfools and Arse out of top 4 won't be an easy thing to do and Jol came very close to doing it.
Bobby – It is a merry-go-round and I think the managers are wise to it. Sign a three year deal for a lot of money – if you get fired you get a huge pay out. What astonishes me are the choices that some owners make – Sammy Lee and Chris Hutchings stand out. The cost of relegation is huge (even after parachute payments) and if the club’s finances are stretched with longer term player contracts involving Premiership wages even if the side is relegated then the a financial meltdown is possible.
Djnima -1. What do you think is the reason of Lampard's turnaround in form? 2. Have you heard anything of McLaren's visit to LA? A little bird told me that he may become the manager of the Galaxy after England doesn’t qualify. Becks has been recalled. Do you think he will make 100 caps?
Bobby – 1. The form of all players comes and goes and isn’t necessarily based on scoring goals. Lampard has spent the games prior to the one against Leicester in the Carling Cup shooting from almost anyplace. Just because they have started going in doesn’t mean that his form has necessarily turned around.
2. McClaren’s visit to LA appears to be pointless and beyond the ridiculous rumour that he is shopping himself to LA Galaxy I have not heard a reasonable explanation. If McClaren was looking to move then surely he would not be as stupid as this.
At least when SGE met with Abramovich he at least tried to keep it undercover. Has Becks been recalled? You are ahead of me on that one. How about another explanation – McClaren came over in person to tell Beckham that he has not been recalled?
Wiegs9 – I have a silly question that maybe somebody can answer. What are the large, reddish #### lapel pins that you, Jeremy and Mitch were wearing last night and the ones that the Sky Sports presenters (and some Premiership managers) are wearing? Unfortunately, I must have missed the show where this was mentioned. Thanks!
Bobby – They are red poppies that are worn in Commonwealth countries in honour of the people who gave their lives during the wars. Remembrance Day is November 11 and the poppy is worn as a symbol and a mark of respect. The poppy flower was chosen as they grow in Flanders where some of the most brutal battles of WW1 were fought.
JayAlves - "Fergie support for Blatter stance on imports Sir Alex Ferguson believes clubs should be seen to have 'a proportion of home-based players' - and feels rivals Arsenal would 'protest the loudest' at such a rule.”
Bobby – It is a sure sign that Ferguson is more concerned about Arsenal than the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool. I understand the full article quotes him as saying that all that would need to happen is for the Premiership clubs to agree to such a proposal. He is wrong.
Unless UEFA/FIFA are given full autonomy over soccer in Europe (and it is clear that will not happen) it would need the European Union to repeal the commitment to the free movement of labour within member countries (as it applies to soccer player) or at the very least agree to the exception under the terms of the "Lisbon Treaty" of a few weeeks ago which regards sport as special. It cannot be done unilaterally just because a few rich owners decide that they would like to.
Although I’m sure that the United owners would be happy to see the value of their investment erode as worldwide television money would shrink and the price of “home-grown” players rocket.
In a perverted way United are to blame for this. Before Matt Busby took over the manager’s job at United teams never groomed young players as a way to build a team. They signed local players who played at lower levels or proven professional players from other clubs.
It was United’s then chairman James Gibson and Busby who came up with the idea of signing the best young players and developing them. The initial focus was on Manchester youngsters but as the pool dried up United cast a much wider net to cover the rest of England as well as Scotland, Wales and both parts of Ireland.
That is why the Busby Babes came from so many different parts of the British Isles. Other clubs would complain about United poaching “their” local products. Arsenal is using the same philosophy except now scouting is done on a global basis.
MasMaz -I agree and disagree with your numbers on people watching Football worldwide. They are not anywhere as high as they claim but they are higher than you say. Especially for the WC final and the Champs league final. Did you ever see that movie about the child buddhist monk and his buddies trying to catch the '02 final?
Impossible to verify but I would guess that 200 million people watched the '02 final in Europe and South America between the 2 continents alone, adding the rest of the world I would say at least 300 million, maybe even 400.
Bobby – Television viewership of sporting events in 2006 - articles including numbers.
Ulsterson -I know you have been an ardent critic of the Glazers financial model used in the purchase United. As a United fan but not much of an economist I have tried, with marginal success, to follow your analysis and critique. I understand the concept of "bad debt" you have been warning against but I still don't see the upside, financially, for the Glazers if they don't keep the team competitive.
You have, since not long after or perhaps even before the takeover, come just short of predicting financial ruin leading to on field failure as resources for talent dwindle. As obviously smart business men, I cannot see the Glazers allowing the Team/product to suffer because of their financial scheme. Further, the purchases of late would indicate they do realize the necessity for success on the pitch for there to be success at the bank.
There is no question that their involvement in United is not based on a love of the team or even the sport itself and the debt situation does look dire on paper but could you please further explain any possible hustle we should be leery of? If you could, a "for example" of a possible scenario, in which they could make money at the expense of the team’s quality. Or, is it just a very risky gamble?
Bobby – You are right the Glazers have to keep the team competitive because the issue for them (at the moment) is a revenue shortfall rather than an expense problem. They bought the team believing that they could generate more and new revenue streams. The increase in revenue would then be used to pay down the large debt load.
The problem is where does the revenue come from and is it realistic to think it can be amount to the $100m or so in annual payments needed to pay the interest on the debt? Generally the revenue sources available to United fall into the following categories; ticket sales and hospitality, television and prize revenue domestic, television and prize revenue Europe, merchandising and sponsorship.
If you look back to when the Glazers borrowed to take the club over (it is more accurate description than bought the club) it would be fair to say that none of these revenue sources have dwindled and most have in fact increased. Prices and capacity have increased at Old Trafford; TV and prize money for the EPL up; Champions League is still producing; there was word that they got more for the AIG logo on the jersey than from the previous sponsor.
But even then they renegotiated the debt and reduced the interest payment at a cost of a longer term repayment schedule. Think in terms of your mortgage – it’s the kind of thing you do when you find that the monthly budget can’t be stretched far enough.
So the plan/hope is that the team can continue to be successful (and tap into an ever increasing pool of Premiership and CL money) but that is a risky assumption on two levels and in terms of continued succeess one that Leeds made. (Although in the case of Leeds they had nothing else to fall back on. Leeds also got caught with assets/players bought at inflated prices whose value then plummeted as the impact of the Bosman ruling took affect.)
Ticket prices will continue to be a place that the Glazers will feel they can generate much more money – Carling Cup this season as a prime example – because the stadium is playing to capacity. Demand high – a chance to raise prices.
The tricky part kicks in when the revenue increases don’t meet the money needed to pay the interest on the debt. It is at that point that the temptation might be to cut costs and pray that the product isn’t impacted. To date there has been money spent on players but it seems doubtful that it has been anything close to the numbers that have been widely reported. The deals for Anderson and Nani seem to have been done with relatively low initial payments with more to follow if certain targets are hit. The Hargreaves transfer involved more money up front but the same concept.
The other risk is Ferguson and who takes over from him. The Glazer deal is structured around a timeline that far exceeds the number of years that Fergie has left. He may think he can go on forever but he is 66 at the end of December and the day will come. The likelihood of a seamless succession appears to me to be a hope rather than the certainty that the Glazers need.
When you add up the finances, the risks inherent in what appears to be the Glazers assumptions, as well as the general uncertainty and risk that is involved in any deal, it seems to me that for this to work it needs an incredible amount of luck.
There again, they could always sell the Tampa Bay Rowdies or United for that matter. There would be no shortage of buyers for either team. If United was to be sold then the fans should be looking for a philanthropist not a businessman.
RINGO - Dundee, six points behind Hamilton (who the hell are Hamilton anyway?), and you don`t like to brag on your hometown, so here`s your chance.
Bobby – A bad loss to Hamilton a couple of weeks ago and a draw with Partick Thistle on Saturday only increased the gap at the top. Keep your eye on Hamilton Academical. They have a very aggressive youth policy under manager Billy Reid and it is beginning to pay off. You will see the bigger clubs starting to pick off some of their players next summer.
Hamilton plays Dundee United in the quarter-final of the CIS Cup on Wednesday and it will be a very interesting game. Craig Levein seems to have United cooking.
Dasayev -Interesting that on more than one occasion Jol pointed to the absence of Ledley King as a reason for Spurs' poor defense. Is there any truth in that? What is Tottenham's record with and without King over the past few seasons? How many goals do they concede per game with and without him? They also recently lost Davids, who seemed to set the tone for them when he played.
Bobby – The statistics show that Ledley King is very important to Spurs. I looked at Premiership records over the last two seasons with King in the side and without King.
In 2005/06 King played 26 matches and Spurs averaged 1.00 goal against per game. That happened to be the same as they averaged over the entire 38 game schedule. However, the points per game with King in the team were 1.846 per game and only 1.416 without him – the season average was 1.71. That means with Ledley King in the side Spurs were 30% more successful.
Last season the goals against with King in the team for 21 games were 1.29 goals against per game and points gained were 1.81. Without Ledley it was 1.59 goals per game and an average of 1.29 points gained per game. Averaged over the full schedule Spurs conceded on average 1.42 goals per game and gained 1.58 points per game.
The difference a fit King made last season – an incredible 39.8%.
Source - premiersoccerstats.com
Davids was a peripheral player for Spurs – even two seasons ago. Last season he started six games and Spurs lost 3, drew 1 and won 2. The season before he started 28 games and played in 8 or Spurs’ 9 losses. Average points with Davids starting were1.57. Average when he did not start 2.1.
Craigy f – 1. What criteria do you use to choose a game of the week? 2. Do you think Ramos can turn Spurs around between now and January? 3. What result(S) surprised you this weekend? 4. Can you give your opinion on Benitez's personnel and tactics against Arsenal on Sunday? 5. What was your goal of the weekend? 6. What was your miss of the weekend?
Bobby – 1. Whatever appeals to me.
2. It depends what you mean by turnaround. If you mean get Spurs out of the bottom three then the answer is yes. The next four games are very winnable before they hit Manchester City, Portsmouth and Arsenal. If you mean can they make a run at 5th (I think the pre-season proponents of Spurs finishing 4th would concede that such a scenario is unlikely) then they have to start averaging over 2 points a game. That is a tall order.
3. I thought Milan would bounce back against Roma and I was surprised at how Valencia rolled over against Sevilla.
4. I covered that off on the Monday show and also in the response section of the weekend preview blog.
5. Sevilla’s third by Fabiano against Valencia.
6. Solano’s second fluffed header when Cole’s shot rebounded off the Portsmouth crossbar.
JayAlves - Why does the EPL only allow 5 on the subs bench? and is it the only league to allow 5? Sure makes it annoying in FM to have such a short bench especially since one is a keeper.
Bobby – Ah interesting. I wasn’t aware that there were premier-type leagues than allowed more than five substitutes on the bench. Sorry to be ancient but I remember the days of no substitutes. The first breakthrough was a player had to be injured and you only had one sub available. If the keeper went down injured it was just part of the game.
CIAO - Was Jol really quoted saying that the defensive problems were due to King being injured? If so, I'm glad they fired him because knowing King is injury prone he could have brought in a suitable back up. The new appointment seems very promising, but I think it will be a hard year for Spurs. They will be lucky if they place 5th. I think they will be in 6th or 7th place on the last day of PL.
Bobby – See previous response that I think clearly shows that Jol had a point. You are being hard on a man who it certainly appears did not control who was signed and who was not signed.
Weah11 - How do you pick the articles you put up on the blog?
Bobby – A combination of factors. Articles that I think are good reads; pieces that are maybe counterintuitive; articles that might be a bit unusual; and James Lawton columns to upset Craigy f. I try to avoid player interviews as a general rule.
Sleeper000 - I was curious as to what you think about the current Eduardo situation at Arsenal. The guy is incredibly gifted yet lately, he is not getting any playing time whatsoever. It seems to me like he has been relegated to fifth choice striker.
To be honest I was always nervous about Eduardo moving to Arsenal and this is not due to lack of skill. On the contrary, I think Eduardo is the most gifted forward on the Arsenal squad. However, I could never stop thinking about what happened to Croatian megastar #### when he moved to Arsenal. Whenever #### started, he would score goals, and then one day Wenger decided to start Henry and ####'s career was over.
Do you think something similar is happening to Eduardo? Now that Walcott and Bendtner are doing well, is this pretty much it for Eduardo? What happened to "It is Eduardo's time to shine"? Could he really be struggling that much with getting accustomed to his life in England, that he does not even merit a spot on the bench? I personally highly doubt that. What are your thoughts?
Bobby – As others have pointed out Wenger generally does not rush new players into the side. There are also many examples of his patience paying off.
I don’t think comparing this situation to ####’s is necessarily a fair comparison. I stand to be corrected but my recollection is that ####’s best years were behind him by the time he came to Highbury. Otherwise Real Madrid would not have let him go so easily.
He had a great World Cup in 1998 but it was a bit of an anomaly compared to his club form. There is nothing in his record post-Arsenal to indicate that letting him leave was a mistake. In retrospect replacing a 31-year-old #### with a 22-year-old Thierry Henry paid off don’t you think?
Craigy f - Correct me if I'm wrong but can't a player still play for one country after playing for another country at u20 or u21 level. Freddy Adu can still play for Ghana at full international even though he's played for USA U20 MNT.
Bobby – You are right about the first point but not on the second I think. Adu has been capped at the full international level for the USA has he not - back a few years ago against Canada I believe.
Sleeper000 - You mentioned yesterday that you would start Taylor for Portsmouth. Who would you drop then? Certainly not Kranjcar who is doing so well for the team. Anybody who would drop Kranjcar is obviously not too familiar with his talent. I'd hesitate to drop Hreidarsson either since he compliments Niko so well. Your thoughts?
Bobby – I don’t recall saying that I would start Taylor. I noted he was being kept on the bench and had only started three Premiership games this season. He was Portsmouth’s second top scorer last season with 8 goals as he was the season before with 6. Given his talent and in particular his left foot I said he could be an in-demand player come the winter transfer window. Maybe a Portsmouth fan can fill any other details.
Jonathan Wilson on Victor Piturca the Romania national team coach.
The Canadian Soccer Association faces a massive law suit from the man that was to be their CEO ….or was it COO…or Executive Director. What the piece does not allude to it whether or not the CSA may have a case against the individual or individuals who may have exceeded the limits of their authority in offering Mr. Nykamp the position. A mess that will get worse before it gets better.
Mark your day-timer – November 25 is the draw for the rest of the World Cup qualifying groups.
After international action it is back to domestic competition and there are some cracking games in prospect. Scotland has the first Old Firm derby of the year with what has become normal – an early kick off time. Celtic is struggling with a number of their players – in particular full backs – on the hobble.
Gordon Strachan will likely have to play someone out of position at right back and at the moment former Hibs defender – and normally a centre back – Gary Caldwell appears to be favourite to fill the hole. Caldwell is just returning from injury and so Walter Smith might be looking to pick on Caldwell in the early going.
Celtic’s defense has not travelled well for some time and you have to go back to October 1 of last season (at Falkirk) to find the last time that Celtic maintained a clean sheet away from Parkhead in a SPL match. As far as goals are concerned the responsibility is likely to fall to Aussie Scott McDonald who has five SPL goals already as well as the winner against Milan. McDonald was signed from Motherwell in the summer after scoring 41 SPL goals in the previous three seasons.
Rangers US international DaMarcus Beasley picked up an ankle knock against Switzerland in midweek and is a doubtful starter. Rangers won the final two confrontations of last season 2-0 and 1-0 and with home advantage they are likely to be the bookies favourites.
Villarreal has beaten Barcelona four of the last five times that the Catalan side has visited El Madrigal on league business. They get a chance to extend that fine record this weekend but they can also expect to face a rampant Barcelona side. Barcelona are looking for a fifth consecutive win in La Liga and a seventh straight in all competitions. Lionel Messi has been on target in all the wins and he currently leads all scorers with six goals. Giuseppe Rossi with five goals in seven games has settled in beautifully at Villarreal but after picking up an injury while on duty with Italy’s under-21 side he will miss this one.
Even though Roma (one win in three) and Napoli (two losses) have suffered some setbacks in the last few weeks their match in Serie A is still one that stands out. Francesco Totti notched goals 156 and 157 in a 3-0 win at Parma two weeks ago. That puts him 14th in the Serie A all-time scorers list and just one behind the legendary Luigi Riva and Roberto Mancini.
Napoli’s record away to Roma is poor with only 8 wins in 60 visits but the rivalry is intense. So intense that the game will be restricted to season ticket holders only. Roberto Sosa of Napoli got himself involved in a bit of training field punch-up this week but it is unlikely to affect his starting spot on the bench. It is role that he has proved very effective in to date with three goals from four substitute appearances.
MLS regular season concludes this weekend with some things settled (Chivas, Houston, Dallas, DC United, NER and NYRB in the play offs; Toronto, RSL, the Crew out of the play offs) and much still to be decided (final positions at the top of the western conference with Chivas hosting Houston; the final two play-off positions).
At the time of writing David Beckham has been ruled fit to for the match against the Red Bulls but he has started the match on the bench – in other words he has been ruled fit to sit on the bench but not fit enough to start a game! It sounds as if the Galaxy has not learned a lesson from the first go round of his he fit to play or not. (At the time of posting it is 1-1 at half time).
Avoiding defeat against the Red Bulls will mean that the final game between the Galaxy and the Chicago Fire will help decide who will grab the last two play-off spots. Kansas City (away to Dallas) and Colorado (at home to rivals Rea Salt Lake) are also very much in contention and there are a good number of possible permutations. The best idea is to go the MLS website and I am sure that the possibilities will be laid out for all to see.
And finally to the Premiership. We started with a look at the Old Firm derby in Scotland and the first Merseyside derby of the season also goes this weekend. Liverpool lost this fixture last season 3-0 in a game that consisted of a catalogue of errors for them.
Andy Johnson grabbed a pair last season and Australian Tim Cahill chipped in with a single. The midfielder has yet to make an appearance this season for Everton and his 22 goals in 83 appearances have been missed. Cahill is back training after reinjuring his foot in the pre-season and could make the squad. However, if he is to appear it will almost certainly be off the bench.
Despite last season’s set back and the fact that Liverpool failed to score against Everton last season the red side of Merseyside has a very good record at Goodison having lost only three times on their last 12 Premiership visits. One “record” might last the day. Both clubs enter the game having collected the lowest number of yellow cards in the Premiership to date – Everton (8) and Liverpool (10). The last two Merseyside derbies have been relatively tame with only seven yellow cards handed out. In the four prior derbies there were 23 yellows and five cards.
Bolton arrives at Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal. Archie Knox has been handed temporary control after Sammy Lee left by mutual agreement (“mutual agreement?” you are fired –OK). Conventional wisdom has it that Bolton are a bogey side for Arsenal. However, Bolton have never been beaten Arsenal in a home Premier League fixture. Old boy Nicolas Anelka certainly enjoys scoring against Arsenal in the Premiership but his goals have not produced much in the way of wins.
Anelka – who is doubtful for the match – has scored six times in 8 appearances against Arsenal but only finished on the winning side once. Another game was drawn and the other six lost.
Manchester United and Aston Villa are both looking to extend impressive league streaks. Villa have won their last four home games in the Premiership while United have won six straight all without conceding a goal. But Manchester United is the last team Villa wants to face considering their record against them.
For starters Villa have lost 21 times to Manchester United in the Premier League and that is more than to any other club. United have won their last nine Premiership matches against Villa and they have kept the Midlands club off the score sheet on the last five occasions. It gets worse. In their last 11 Premiership visits to Villa Park United have won 8, drawn three, scored 15 and conceded only two.
Stop Press - The European Union has agreed on a treaty that includes an exemption for sport in relation to the general economic principles under which the EU operates. It does not go as far as Sepp Blatter wanted - "autonomy" - but it accepts the "specific nature of sport."
This is going to become very important in years to come and is a major blow to the G14 clubs. It leaves to door open for FIFA/UEFA to sit down with European bureaucrats and politicians and to suggest solutions to problems facing soccer in Europe without being limited to conformance with the economic rules of the EU.
In theory, it could even lead to salary caps - I stress in theory. The EU has not given up their power to ultimately regulate sport but there is an acknowledgement that sport is different than business and that solutions, rules and regulations that run counter to their general economic rules, might be applicable and helpful to sport.
FIFA/UEFA, after finally wakening up to the EU reality, has managed to catch G14 offside and the G14 has now been largely isolated. Up to now the EU rulings have generally been favourable to the big clubs; that is now going to change.
Except some G14 bluster but this might be their swansong. In will take a few years for this to fully play out but in years to come we will be refering to the treaty in the same may that we refer to the Bosman ruling.
Scotland may be sitting top of their group in Euro qualifying but there is an anthem problem.
Paul Wilson asks the question that if Manchester United fans have to buy tickets to Carling Cup games then shouldn’t United field a top class team. Buried in the piece Wilson also takes to task people who quote Bill Shankly’s “matter of life and death” comment. Wilson’s right – the vast majority of people quote Shankly as if he was serious which he clearly was not.
My favourite Shankly quote was from the late Emlyn Hughes. Hughes told a story that Shanks loved training and joined in all the time. One day Shankly turned round to Hughes and says to him "When I die I want to be the fittest man to ever die."
An interesting and informative website created by a regular blog visitor www.billsportsmaps.com Something obviously close to his heart. Check it out.
I received an e mail last week taking me to task. Apparently I have yet to publish my Champions league picks. So here goes – Group A, Liverpool and Porto; Group B, Valencia and Chelsea; Group C, Real Madrid and Werder Bremen (would not be surprised if Lazio qualified); Group D, Milan and Benfica; Group E Barcelona and Rangers (bring on the “are you on crack McMahon” e mails); Group F, Manchester United and Roma; Group G, Inter Milan and PSV; Group H, Arsenal and Sevilla.
Just a reminder that if you have questions you would like my take on, then the best idea is to post them on Monday’s Speakers’ Corner Blog. If they are posted any other time then there is a very good chance that I will miss them. I try my best to keep up but sometimes questions slip through the cracks.
And finally Winnipeg Thistle lost their Winnipeg Old Timers crown after losing 2-1 to Portuguese in the final on Sunday. A lack of polish in front of goal cost us dearly. It was a great game and I am glad to say that I am at the stage in life that I prefer to play in a good game and lose, than play in a bad one and win. To all the players and officials that make it possible for old guys like me to continue to kick a ball and love it a massive THANK YOU.
Gunner44 - Luis Aragonés the Spanish coach should be fired. With the disposal of players he has Spain should be killing teams like Iceland. What do you think of Aragonés as the Spanish Coach?
Bobby – On one hand I am astounded that he is still holding the job - on the other hand Spain has only lost only lost 4 games out of 39 with 25 wins and 10 draws.
SynCrew - What do you think of Bernd and his Madrid team? Do you think he has the right mix of players and the managerial knowledge to guide Madrid to winning La Liga? Secondly how do you see Martin Jol (if he stays) keeping all 4 of his strikers happy? I think he should keep 3-rotate them and use a 5 man midfield in case of injury - your thoughts?
Bobby – It is well known that Real Madrid fans want to not only win but to win with style. Hence, the demise of the almost perpetually successful Fabio Capello. However, there is nothing in Bernd Schuster’s managerial background to indicate that he is anything different than Capello. (Schuster is rumoured to have applied to have managed Dundee at the turn of the century but didn’t get an interview!) His record as a coach is spotted at best – Levante was relegated with him in charge – and his appointment seems to be down to his Madrid roots and two seasons of over achievement at Getafe.
His teams have not be known for playing attractive football but the counter argument would be that he has not had the players or the resources at his disposal up until now. After picking Real to win La Liga last season my thought is that they will not repeat.
The premise of keeping four strikers happy is based on four strikers always being fit and available – something that often not the case. If you are suggesting using 2 up front with a 5 man midfield and three at the back then I don’t think that is a very good idea. If your suggestion is playing one up front and rotating the three, does not that mean that on average each of the strikers will appear 1 game in three? That would be less playing time than having four strikers competing for two spots – an average on 1 appearance every two games.
CIAO - 1. Turkey... What do you make of their chances to directly qualify after the mess they made in Malta? They currently have a game in hand, so they are not in that bad of a spot. However, they still need to play Greece, Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovina. So I think they lost their safety points now and they created a situation where they have to win every game. I think they have a very difficult time ahead, would you agree?
2. Italy. Currently in third place, but by the end of the week could be moving on up... Italy will play Ukraine which is always a tough game. But I have a feeling Inzaghi will come up big. Then they have to play Scotland. How do you see Italy's chances of making it to EURO 2008?
Bobby – Turkey’s performance has been beyond belief. They won their first four games (including a 4-1 away thumping of Greece) while scoring 12 and conceding 1. Then they have to come from behind to draw with Norway; blow a 2-1 lead and lose to a last second goal from Bosnia; then have to fight back twice to tie Malta. I’m not close enough to their situation to know what might have gone wrong but it might be a case that a surge of over confidence (thrashing Greece) has given way to rampant nerves and second guessing. The game on Wednesday (home against Hungary) is a chance to get things moving forward again and then it is Moldova away in a month’s time. Two wins in these two games would put them back in a strong position considering that Greece has Norway away on Wednesday and then Bosnia. Out of Turkey’s last three games Greece and Bosnia are both at home so all is not lost – yet!
Italy almost always seems to find a way to get through in qualifying tournaments – although they did fail in 84 after their 82 WC win. A point in Kiev tomorrow would not be that bad a result considering that they have slam dunk games against Georgia and Faroe Islands to come 9both home) and Ukraine and Scotland have to still play each other. I can see a scenario where a draw at Hampden in November would almost certainly put Italy through.
Gregz - I didn't get to hear what your predictions on La Liga. With the expectations so high, what do you think the top 10 will look like at the end of the season?
Bobby – I didn’t get a chance so here is my belated prediction for La Liga – last season's finish in brackets. 1. Barcelona (2); 2. Sevilla (3); 3. Real Madrid (Champions);4. Valencia (4); 5. Atletico Madrid (7);6. Villarreal (5);7. Real Zaragoza (6); 8. Real Mallorca (12);9. Espanyol (11);10. Deportivo La Coruna (13); 11. Valladolid (Promoted); 12. Real Santander (10); 13. Real Betis (16);14. Osasuna (14); 15. Athletic Bilbao (17); 16. Getafe (9); 17. Recreativo Huelva (8); 18.Murcia (Promoted);19. Levante (15); 20. Almeria (Promoted)
SDGooner - I didn’t catch the France and Italy game, although I wanted to. I was wondering if you had watched it and if so how did Lassana Diarra and Thierry Henry do? I heard from other forums that Diarra played a great game and that Thierry was the worst player on the pitch.
Bobby – I thought Diarra stuck to his job well – competent rather than spectacular. Italy seemed to focus on making sure Ribery was contained and so they did not go after Diarra. Henry was almost non-existent and it was a surprise that he stayed on the field for the full game.
WorkingtonRED - What do you think of the thought of owning your own Football Club. Now you can. www.myfootballclub.co.uk Can you imagine the Manager consulted by 50,000 Share Holders.
Bobby – There have been a couple of articles posted on the blog about this over the summer. An off-the-wall idea but ultimately not the way to properly run a football club.
Henry14 - What do you think about the additional game of suspension if you lose an appeal for unsportmanship? l think it’s crazy you should be able to appeal because it is a right but, it is not an expense and there are no detectives sent out of the FA, why should they add an additional game, isn't this what they are paid for?
Bobby – The extra suspension is invoked in the case of a frivolous appeal and it a bloody good idea. If that threat of an additional suspension was not there then the incentive – actually would be more than an incentive you be daft not to – is to appeal every suspension. In that case the system grinds to a standstill. Nobody is suggesting that there should not be a right of appeal – all that is happening is that players and clubs need to make sure that the appeal has some merit. You also have to consider the additional suspension sanction is rarely invoked.
Ohphuque - Get fsc to get you a proper chair on the set! There is no way that gumba St Louis should tower over you as he did on the report Monday night. If they don’t have another switch with St Louis so you are sitting better ;)
Bobby – I forgot to negotiate a chair clause into my multi-cent contract. I’ll make a note of it for next year.
Craigy f - Do you know why the Italians are wearing St George crosses on their football kit, Sampdoria have a badge on their home kit and Inter have an away kit that England would be happy to wear?
Bobby – St. George is the patron saint of a number of countries and cities. I’m guessing that it has something to do with the fact that the game was played in Milan.
Call my Agent - From an AP article today: "Hargreaves sat out Saturday's match and, although the injury is not serious, failed a fitness test Monday." What, exactly, makes up these fitness tests? Do they measure things and compare to objective standards (e.g. recovery time, strength, flex range, etc)? Or is it just a "how does the ol' knee feel today" sort of thing?
Bobby – Years ago it used to mean “can you run without the opposition knowing which part they should kick". It is a lot more sophisticated now and measurements would be made against benchmarks that would have been established when a player is considered fully fit. Having said that I’m sure that on a lot of occasions it is still left up to the player to let the coach know whether or not he feels up to it.
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.
