verbal97 - Is there any chance that Platini's plan to limit the number of Champions League places to the big leagues comes to fruition?  I think it's one of those ideas that sounds nice in theory and when campaigning, but is not practical because if implemented perhaps the talk of a Super League gets more traction.

realmadridcffan - Now that Platini is the President of UEFA and he has said on record that he wants to limit the amount of UEFA Champions League spots from 4 to three for the big countries (Spain, England, Italy) and spread them around to the smaller countries, what do you think this will do if it does go through, de-value the UEFA Champions League at it's current format of 32 teams? Also do you see any ramifications for the UEFA Cup because of this (i.e.: possible format change)

Bobby – This is definitely the question of the week after Platini’s election. Just like any other politician who has just been elected Platini’s political capital is at its maximum. Unfortunately for him the TV deal does not come up for renewal until after the 2009 Champions League.  This almost certainly means that there will be no tampering with the Champions League until a new TV contract is agreed. In the meantime the big clubs in Europe will muster their forces in an effort to make sure that Platini's plan is not implemented. And remember he is only one man with one vote in an executive of 15. In the end, it will probably finish up with some sort of compromise and already there are a number of ideas floating around.  One suggestion I have here heard is that the top three countries will keep their four spots but only one team will be guaranteed a spot in the group stage.  This would leave the other 3 teams to go through the various qualifying rounds.

Another suggestion is that the group stage be expanded to include more teams.  This could be done by increasing the number of groups or by increasing the number of teams in eight groups. Either way it is difficult to see how either option could work without teams having to play more games or without the present knockout rounds being dismantled. As for talk of a European Super League I don't think the big clubs are really interested.  What they really want is a competition limited to the likes of England, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands.

The UEFA Cup - the competition is already a dog's breakfast and needs a complete revamp. Platini, at one point, did talk about reactivating the European Cup Winners Cup which I think is a good idea if it was restricted to only one club from each country and operated on a straight knockout basis.

Gunner 44 - My question to you is can't Wenger call up one of those players on loan (Stokes, Larsson etc.) instead of buying a new player if injuries become too many?

Bobby – It would depend on the deal that was made.  Some loan deals include the rate of recall at any point, while others are for a set period of time. However, Wenger would have difficulty recalling Anthony Stokes as the Irishman was sold to Sunderland.

Bigdavedisaster – I’ve been in a bit of an argument with a few friends. Who do you think are the 5 biggest clubs currently outside of the premiership? Big as in history and large fan support as in clubs that probably should be in the EPL.

Bobby – What a great question and probably not as easy to figure out as it sounds. I think you would to have separate history over the last 40-50 years from the early stages of the English league.  Here are my 5 pics; Sunderland, Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Wolves, and West Brom. Birmingham supporters will be after me but they lost out because they have never won the League or FA Cup. Derby County also came very close to making the top five. I am waiting to see your and your mate’s picks.   

Djnima - After Rooney scored his goal against Arsenal and his double against Pompey (I love it when he chips the keeper especially calamity James) commentators said that he had "broken his scoring duck"

I understand that it means he ended his goal drought but I was wondering if there is any significance to the word 'duck' and if there is a story behind it.

Also, how's your fantasy team doing? Do you think it would be a good idea to incorporate the fantasy league more into FSR?

Bobby – “Duck” is a cricket expression and is used when a batsman is “out” before scoring a run. When the batsmen scored his first run is sometimes said that he is off his “duck”. When a batsman is out to the first ball he faces it is referred to in some cricket playing countries as a “royal duck”. As far as Fantasy Football is concerned as of tonight (Tuesday) I am just over 5,000 points and in 300th place – safely above the relegation zone so far. The idea of incorporating a FF feature into FSR has been talked about and it is something you might see next season.

gregz - Recently coach Bora Milutinovic was named as national coach of Jamaica. I know a little about him and his accomplishments of taking 5 different teams to the World Cup, but what else can you tell me about him as a coach and how do you rate him Bobby?

Bobby – Bora has managed 5 countries at the World Cup but I think he may have only seen one of them (Costa Rica) through the qualifying stages. He seems to have fallen a bit out of favour since the 2002 World Cup and although he was linked with the Serbia national team job after last summer’s World Cup nothing came of it. His critics would point to his relatively poor record as a club coach while his supporters will quickly point out that he's taken for countries to the second round at four World Cups - no mean feat.  No matter how he does with Jamaica, there will probably be a country out there willing to hire him given his record. As a sidebar if Carlos Alberto Parreira manages to stick around with South Africa for the next three years he will also have managed five different countries at the World Cup.

 Napier22 - I enjoy your analyses on FSR. You obviously have a good eye for the game and pick up lots of things I don't see. I was just wondering if you have ever done any coaching?

Bobby – Thank you. I coached for a number of years. I got certified a few years after arriving in Canada and followed the usual route taken by most parents - coaching my stepson’s teams while still playing. I then moved on to player/coach for a local senior team and as the legs began to give in that became reduced to coach. Work then intervened and I haven’t coached a team for the last seven years. However, I should add that after attending the NSCAA convention in Indianapolis a couple of weeks ago I sent in a membership application and registration fee.

blissStreet - I think you'd have to agree that the brown kit Tottenham wore this past weekend is even uglier than Bolton's purple one.

Bobby – I have to admit that Spurs strip out did the Bolton one. You certainly don’t come across too many brown strips and you can see why. Maybe someone can confirm or not – didn’t Coventry have some sort of brown uniform about 20 years ago?

Gunner44 - What do you think will happen to Barca now that they don't have Messi or Eto'o? Will they struggle or will it not affect them? I think Ronaldinho will now have to prove why he is in deed the best in the world coz his team desperately needs him. Also what do you think of Totti's performance so far and do think he can win something for Roma this season?

Bobby – Barcelona cannot afford more injuries their strikers and you are right Ronaldinho needs to step up. Taking a player like Eto’o cannot do anything but hurt Barcelona – the question over the next few months is whether or not they can pick up the slack. Messi missed a lot of last season anyway so I do not think he will be as big a loss.

henry14 – What  do you make of Freddy Adu, l personally feel that he does not make the Man Utd grade because he did not set the less physical less faster US league on fire, do you feel he can make the grade.

Bobby – Freddy is just another young player with potential but with a lot of work and a long road ahead of him.

riocharlie - I've seen most of the Liverpool games this year and I was surprised to see Hyypia in the game. I thought Benitez would have preferred the younger more athletic Agger.

I wonder if Gerrard isn’t suffering a bit from all of matches he’s played in the past 2 yrs. He hasn’t looked good for awhile, and after the hour mark he went from the right to the center and was still missing in action.

Bobby – Hyypia certainly looked bad against Arsenal and I think you will see more of Agger in coming weeks. His style is very much like Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson and Gary Gillespie from Liverpool gone-by. He doesn’t look overly physical but he seems to read the game well and he can pass the ball.
Good point on the number of games that Gerrard has played. It might also have accounted for Frank Lampard’s poor run at the start of the season.

neophyte - I do have a couple of thoughts--pass it through the truth meter and let me know what you think: I have noticed that when my (the team I coach)central midfielder (who can score and pushes like the Stevie G of old) doesn't feel confident with the back 3-4 he plays deeper and more defensively. This affects the whole team since he is the playmaker, similar to what Liverpool is doing. 2nd--If Gerrard could take a break from international duties and just rest a bit I think he would be better off. How could you do this and still play all the political games and stop the rumors etc.

Bobby – The international scene closes down until February so he wil get a rest from that. However, the holiday fixture list is just around the corner and that always takes a toll.

AlexMorph - If Liverpool doesn’t make the champs league do you see Gerrard moving on? What about Benitez? Where might they go?

Seems like Gerrard would be just what Madrid are lacking right now, or (dare I say?) Man U as a replacement for Scholes. Inter are always turning over managers, and Ancelotti must be in the pits at Milan, so maybe Benitez would go to one of those?

Bobby – No to Gerrard moving on and the same for Benitez. The Premiership performances might be poor but remember Liverpool has cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League. Capello has settled on his midfield – he will be quite happy with what he has – unless he wants to play Gerrard in Beckham’s old position but that is another discussion!!!
As for Gerrard to Manchester – don’t hold your breathe. I’ve followed the English league for a long time and the only player I can remember moving between these two clubs was a player called Phil Chisnall in the mid-sixties – yes I was young at the time. He went from United to Liverpool.   I remember being upset because I had just collected his card but then he went and got transfered.

Riocharlie – What’s the over/under on the number of injuries and withdrawals for Beckham to get a shot at his 100 caps?

Bobby – McClaren will take out a “help wanted” ad before he calls Becks.

henry14 - If you were Arsene Wenger how would you fit in Senderos and Djourou into the team when you have Gallas and Toure who are some of the most injury free players around, how would you cater for their improvement.

Bobby – You play them in the Carling Cup, the early rounds of the FA Cup and find opportunities in the Premiership when players might need a rest or are carrying a knock.

realmadridccfan - 1. What do you think of the new "designated player" rule by MLS? do you think it will be a good thing for MLS or do you think that it will begin the same fate as the NASL, for which they signed big name stars and within a few years folded up shop?

2. What about the new MLS-Mexican "Champions League"? Will this prove that MLS can compete with one of the top leagues in the world (or at least in the Americas?)

3. After two months of Spain's La Liga, who do you think have been the biggest surprise and disappointment are? My biggest surprise has got to be Sevilla at number two and are continuing on last year's fine form that won them the UEFA Cup. My biggest disappointment has to be Villarreal. The form that got them a UEFA Champions League spot in the 2004/05 season has disappeared.

Bobby – 1. As long as it does not become a free for all - which is what the NASL was - then I think the change will be good for MLS.
2. For a young league - and most of the MLS critics seem to ignore the fact – an opportunity to play against foreign opposition in a competitive format can only be good. However, I will be surprised if an MSL team wins the first couple of competitions. 3. Have to agree with you on Sevilla and Villarreal although Real Zaragoza (good) would run Sevilla close.

meansucka - You have to love the FA Cup with all these small clubs playing and the strange occurrences that ensue. From the coin throwing incidents to the 20 soccer balls kicked onto the pitch to the 35K pound loss accrued from playing at an empty Fratton Park. All unfortunate, to be sure. What is the strangest small club cup incident you've seen?

The MLS and USL seem to operate within both the US and Canada in contrast to football leagues in other countries. What are the implications from a governing body point of view and do you think it a wise idea overall with Vancouver and Toronto FC playing with the American teams? I know there's sometimes a debate over Celtic jumping ship and joining the Premiership.

Bobby – FA Cup and small club cup incident – nothing comes instantly to mind. The things that have stuck with me are the shocks such as Hereford knocking out Newcastle.

The Toronto playing in a US league is not as issue. There are numerous other examples around the world – Monaco in France, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham in the English league, Berwick Rangers in Scotland. The issue of Celtic and Rangers jumping to the English league is how many Premiership clubs are going to be willing to vote themselves into the Coca Cola Championship at a cost of $50M – not many I would think.

djnima - 1. What do you think about Rooney's form lately? Didn't look that sharp against Blackburn even though he had 2 gifts.

2. What did you think about the RVN show this weekend? NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT AND IT KILLS ME! Real are only 1 game behind Barca and with the many players missing up front Real look like they have a good chance of ending the years drought. I don't know how far they can challenge into the champs league but I would love to see the New Real clash with an EPL or Italian Giant. Those are the kind of matches we live for. Thoughts???

Bobby – Rooney is an outstanding player who scored a hat trick the week before and he looked ok to me. I picked Real Madrid to win La Liga although the Champions League might be a better fit. I still think Capello will find a way to win something this season.

verbal97 - I'm surprised that nobody has brought up Mike Newell's comments. I think he's a good manager, based on overachieving (up until a month ago) with a team that should be no more than a team fighting relegation. I thought he would probably be offered a job in the premiership this upcoming summer if not sooner.

Now, he's almost definitely going to be fired, although the REAL veiled reason is his lashing at the team's directors. When (rather than if) fired, what will become of Mike Newell?

Bobby – He would have been ok if he had just sasid the assistant referee was ####.

travelcoach - Question about the fox soccer top 25 ... top 35 clubs.

I know this list is old and came out before the Revs loss this weekend and the, the ... well, whatever it was that Liverpool pulled ... but do you really see the Revs and Houston as being better teams than half the Prem?

My Manchester City seems unable to score this season; I'd love to see them play the Revolution in a friendly. But, to put either of these MLS teams above Bolton seems ... not right.

Bobby – Everyone who picks their top 25 has their own criteria. Personally, I have never picked an MLS team and don’t foresee me doing so for a few seasons yet.

koppite - This is a very frustrating Liverpool team. LFC needs a 25 - 30 goal a season striker. Bellamy, Crouch, and Kuyt will get maybe 15 each. The Reds lose the ball too easily and are too fond of passing backwards. A ball winner like Ronnie Whelan (who can also score) is badly needed. The Reds were successful when Rushie and King Kenny were ####ing in 40-50 goals a year and the midfielders McDermott, Souness, Whelan were each getting into double figures. Reina makes mistakes but so did every Liverpool keeper. Just the mistakes are amplified by lack of goals at the other end. Finally, Rafa has to understand that football is a team game, not a squad game. Gallas' goal was a prime example of a team not accustomed to playing together.

Bobby – Koppite, sorry to point this out but if Sheffield United had a 25-30 a season goal scorer they would doing alright as well. Benitez hasn’t been given the resources to go and spend $40M plus to land someone of that caliber.

Bigdavedisaster - With the transfer window approaching do you see any big players moving and are US players able to be signed by EPL sides now? I have also been having a fight with friend about which is the bigger collapse Forest or Leeds and is there any other comparable to them?

Is England boss the toughest managerial position in football from a pressure stand point?

Bobby – No European Cup winner has fallen as far as Nottingham Forest so I would say that Forest’s collapse is the greater although Leeds was more intense. Ferencvaros - one of Hungary’s most renowned clubs - was runners up to Leeds in the 1968 Fairs Cities Cup (now the UEFA Cup) and to Dynamo Kiev in the Cup Winners Cup in 1975 and is currently on the point of bankruptcy and may disappear.

Former East German clubs have not fared well. FC Magdeburg beat Milan to win the Cup Winners Cup in 1974 and are now in a German regional league.
Carl Zeiss Jena were Cup Winners Cup runners up in 1981 to Dinamo Tbilisi – now in a German regional league.
Lokomotive Leipzig (another runner up in the CWC this time to Ajax in 1987) went bankrupt and was dissolved a few years ago. The team was reformed as an amateur outfit and had to start at around the 10th tier in Germany. “When Saturday Comes” had an article on them about a year ago and at that time they were regarded as the team that had fallen the furthest after reaching a European final.

As for the toughest managerial position in football – I would go for the Italian national team job.