Craigy_f – 1. Your comment (on Friday) about the ‘top teams’ wanting the ties at this stage of the FA Cup to be ‘easy (pardon my paraphrasing) was spot on. When do you think this kind of thinking emerged?
2. So which two Serie A games did you watch, your thoughts.
3. I’ve seen stuff questioning whether the Tykes can actually claim to be ‘giant-killers” in the FA Cup sense – thoughts?
4. No matter the draw permutations, do you see a final involving two Premier League sides?
5. Do you see the same disdain in other leagues for the domestic cups that seems to exist in the Premier League?
6. When was the last time a midfielder scored 30 goals for a English top flight team?
7. As an analyst on a nationally broadcast TV show do you get invited to many games?
8 Is the number of Premier League clubs left in the FA Cup indicative of: Lack of skill gap in the Leagues, Lack of desire to win it amongst the Premier League teams, The Magic Of The FA Cup, A.N. Other.

Bobby –1. I think it has  come about perhaps as a distorted sense of entitlement based on the ever increasing amount of money that comes the way of Premiership teams.
2. Juventus vs. Roma and Genoa vs. Sampdoria. The derby was the most enjoyable for me. Even though it was scoreless until late in the game there were chances and every time Cassano got the ball you felt that something great might happen. He is a fantastic talent – pity that he is such a nutter.
3. Barnsley deserves the moniker after Saturday’s display.
4. If I had to bet on it yes. But I hope not. I would like to see WBA make it.
5. I think a lot of the other leagues are worse in terms of their domestic cup competitions. Many Coppa Italia matches are played in front of ridiculously small crowds and the two leg final in midweek hardly helps.
Copa del Rey is a bit better but from what I have seen weakened teams being fielded is common place and again scheduling on midweek days does not give it much prominence. Real Madrid hasn’t won the cup since 1993 and Barcelona since 1998 so that probably tells you something about the priority.
The Germans and the French seem to take their cup competitions a bit more seriously and it still has some importance in Scotland. I would suggest that the competition started to be devalued in England when the European Cup Winners Cup was scrapped, and shortly after Manchester United opted for a trip to Brazil.  

However as a footnote the FA website had the following piece up on Monday – “The weekend's eight FA Cup Fifth Round ties attracted 248,795 fans, producing an average of 31,099 per tie. This is the highest since 1981, when the average for the completed round was 32,053. In that year the clubs drawn at home were Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Peterborough, Southampton, Tottenham and Wolves”.

6. I can’t think of one - particularly if you are talking league goals. You would have to go back to years to the days of inside forwards who you could argue would be today’s midfielders. In that case it might by the late Dennis Violet for Manchester United in the late 50s when he scored 32 goals. If it goals in all competitions then Matthew Le Tissier would probably be the answer in the mid nineties.

7. No.

8. Fear of negatively impacting on their Premiership position and sometimes the luck of the draw with top flight teams going head-to-head.

LGB or EGB – 1. Do you think Rafa is gone at the end of this year?
2. If so, who’s an ideal replacement?
3. Also, whether it’s Rafa or a new gaffer, where does Liverpool need to strengthen?
4. Where you at all surprised at the result by Liverpool v Barnsley?
5. Have you seen a more under-achieving team than this? In any sport for that matter?


Bobby –1. It is pretty close to the Topic of the Week question so I will keep my powder dry.
2. You need to see who is available - to early to tell. 
3. Covered last week and I believe Redfan2000 reposted.
4. Yes.
5. Lots of them – your expectations are higher than mine.


Footiefan - Why didn't Gallas get punished? He clearly made contact with Nani. Doesn't send out a bad message that you can kick someone from behind and get away with it?

Bobby – JayAlves has provided a pretty good summary of the FA’s position on it. When I saw the incident I was sure he was going to get sent off.  

Craigy_f – Creative players for Inter - just Figo - you've got to be joking
Pele, Stankovic, Jiminez. Right about Ibrahimovic, likes to come deep and create.
Cesar is having a good season.

Bobby – Can you see Mancini fielding Pele and Jiminez in a Champions league match against Liverpool? Same comment is probably just as applicable to Cesar. As for Stankovic I haven’t seen much in the way of creativity out of him for at least the last two seasons. Very good player but very little in way of flair anymore.

RINGO - Ron Harris against Cristiano Ronaldo. Who comes out on top? A) On the pitch. B) In a back alley.

Bobby – On the pitch Chopper. In a back alley Ronaldo – because he can run quicker.


Henry14 - Q1 Where would you rate Ronaldo in terms of trophies and individual accomplishments in the list of all time greats?
Q2 Spurs v Chelsea who will win?
Q3 Is the Barnsley result the biggest Cup shock in this Millenium?
 
Bobby – Q1. Close to the top ten all time as a player – I don’t know how to rate a player in terms of trophies. He would be a shoe-in to the top ten if he had played more seasons during his prime years. By the time he hit 23 he had a lot of miles on him and a body that was breaking down.
Q2 – Tune in Friday and I might hazard a guess.
3. No – I think Shrewsbury knocking Everton out in 2003 was a bigger shock.


Gregz - What is your thoughts on the commentating of Ray Hudson? A bit of an acquired taste isn't he.

Bobby – An acquired taste is a good way of putting it.


Gunner44 - You got all of today’s prediction wrong except Roma/Madrid hope it's the same for the Arsenal-Milan game tmrw.

Bobby – That’s fine but the picks were over the two legs not the first leg. I may be wrong in all of them after two legs but at least give me a chance!


African_Footballer_of_the_Year - The proposed transfer of Daniel Cousin from Glasgow Rangers to Fulham that was agreed on January 22nd is still awaiting FIFA aproval. What gives? Is it really that complicated of a question that it takes nearly a month to make a ruling?

Bobby – I had read someplace that FIFA was awaiting documentation from Fulham and it only arrived at the end of last week. I don’t think they are going to make a decision without having all the right forms filled out.
 

Things look to be hotting up with Dempsey and Onyewu on the verge of joining Fulham.

There is a page within the FSC site for "completed" transfers although I would question the listing of Figo to Al Ittihad and I think that Tavano to Roma from Valencia is a loan deal.

Here's your chance to comment on deals as they are done. 

That was a much better second half. What a performance from Bastien Schweinsteiger - 2 cracking goals and the architect of Petit's own goal.

Did we see Schweinsteiger stepping up to be Germany's new main man. He turns 22 soom while Michael Ballack will soon be 30.

Nuno Gomes goal was also a cracker. Great work from Figo on the wing - what a terric cross.

France win and Portugal can have no complaints. France was the more composed side and looked as if they were the more likely side to score - even though it was mainly on the break.

My stand-outs for France was the back four. Sagnol and Abidal don't garner many headlines but I thought they were both outstanding tonight. They stuck to the Portuguese wingers and wouldn't allow them to get their crosses in. How many times do we see Simao, Ronaldo, and Figo check back when it looked as if their crosses were going to be blocked?

Makalele was also tremendous - he didn't allow Deco to operate in the areas where he could hurt France.

Portugal paid the price for not having someone who could hold the ball up when they did get it forward.

So we have a repeat of the Euro 2000 Final.

A very evenly contested first half. England settled more quickly into the game but after 15 minutes Portugal started to establish their passing game. It looks as if Maniche is playing the Deco role for Portugal. England seems to be attacking with a bit more conviction while Portugal appears to be taking a more patient route.

Weak spots - Valente looks to be very suspect but the problem is that when Neville goes forward to attack and there is a turnover in possession Portugal plays it into the space and causes England problems.

Hargreaves is giving England a solid look but Gerrard and Lampard are still not forward far enough to support Rooney.

You have to wonder how long Figo can go in this one. He’s played a lot of football in the last three weeks. Pauleta has hardly kicked the ball while Ronaldo when he cuts inside on Neville is probably Portugal’s biggest threat.

“Blether” is a slang word that is used in parts of Scotland and people who “blether” are called “bletherers”. To “blether” means you talk for the sake of talking. Marcelo Balboa is without a doubt a bletherer.

“England is lucky to have a young man on the bench like Sol Campbell, of course he’s not so young anymore” was my favourite this half.

“These countries have past history” wasn’t bad either.

But it is disturbing when you have a former World Cup player who can’t tell the difference between a dive and embellishment. A push by Tiago on Cole was not a dive it was embellishment but still a foul.

Boulahrouz is sent off and Figo has become the villain of the piece. He conned the referee there.

Referee Valentin Ivanov is becoming Valentin Sendemoff.

Figo lays the head on van Bommel although it was not a full blown Glasgow Kiss!

Nick Webster is up and blogging this one so I'm going to sit back and enjoy.

Nice set up by Figo on Pauleta's goal though!