With Serie A and Liga finally getting underway this weekend Europe is now firing on all cylinders. Good matches in prospect in every league you might wish to turn to.


Aston Villa v Liverpool

This is the sort of game that both teams need to win. Aston Villa to regain face after last week’s loss to Stoke and to show that they can worry the big four. Liverpool to solidify their impressive start in the Premiership from the perspective of a 100% record and to flush memories of their struggle in midweek against Liege in the Champions league.

History is certainly in favour of Liverpool. After winning five of the first six home matches against Liverpool in the Premiership, Villa is winless in the last ten having lost six of them. They have also been outscored 5 – 16. Ironically the only current member of the Villa squad to score against Liverpool at Villa Park is Rafa’s favourite left footed player Gareth Barry.

Villa’s last home win came on February 28, 1998 – over a decade ago – with a double (goals that is) from Stan Collymore with a young Michael Owen getting Liverpool’s lone marker.  


Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur

This is most one sided fixture in the history of the Premiership with Chelsea owning Spurs. In thirty-two games Chelsea have won 20, drawn 11 and lost only once. Considering that Chelsea is also unbeaten in their last 23 Premiership games and unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in 83 Premiership games things do not look good for a Spurs team that has once again started the season with two losses.

Last season game number three brought Derby and the false dawn of a 4-0 win. Optimists can point to Spurs Carling Cup win over Chelsea last March but since then Tottenham has only won three league games. This is a fixture with a history of some high scoring games – a 4-4 draw at WHL was a classic and we have also seen 4-3, 6-1, 3-2, 4-0, and 4-2 over the years. Another high scoring game is in prospect although it is unlikely to be one that will bring Spurs three points.


Fiorentina vs. Juventus

The Italian season normally starts off with the bigger clubs being kept apart as much as possible over the first few weeks. That is not the case here with the two teams that finished 3rd and 4th and who have both qualified for the group stage of the Champions League.

Fiorentina has made some excellent additions to their squad with Alberto Gilardino (Milan), Juan Vargas (Catania), Zauri (Lazio) and Sergio Almiron on loan from Juventus.

Juventus has also been busy with big money spent to bring in striker Amauri from Palermo. Defender Olaf Mellberg is another arrival on a “Bosman” from Aston Villa together with midfielder Christian Poulsen (Seville). Poulsen could be as important addition as Amauri.


Deportivo La Coruna vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid is going for a third straight title but a visit to Deportivo La Coruna is one place where the words success and Real Madrid ring very hollow. Real has not won there since 1991 and hasn’t earned a point since 2002. It will be a somewhat depleted Real Madrid squad with the Dutch trio of Wesley Sneijder (injured), Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rafael van der Vaart (both suspended) all missing.

Last season really was a story of two halves for La Coruna. Over their first nineteen games they took only 14 points; the second half of the season a very respectable 38 points and only lost once at home. The reason was simple – a defence that improved considerably going from 31 against to 16. We might find out how much of that improvement was down to Fabio Colocinni who has since moved on to Newcastle.


St Etienne vs. Lyon

A fiercely contested derby game in prospect (is there any other kind) although one that has been very one-sided for a long-time. It is fourteen years and sixteen games since St. Etienne tasted victory over rivals Lyon – a 3-0 win in April 1994.

St. Etienne came awfully close last season with Lyon needing a very late strike from Benzema to grab a share of the points. Lyon has made a good start to the season with seven points from three games and has yet to let a goal in. However, the attack has stuttered somewhat with four of their five goals coming from set-pieces.

For Saint-Etienne their start has been less than impressive. A 2-1 win over Sochaux has been bookended with 1-0 losses to Valenciennes and Le Mans, leaving them 15th in Ligue Une.


Celtic vs. Rangers

And taking of derby games we finish with one of the biggest of them all.  While Celtic and their supporters can look forward to epic European nights at Parkhead against Manchester United and Villarreal, Rangers are left on the outside looking with no place at the European Inn for them.

Celtic beat Rangers twice last April as part of their SPL run-in. Ultimately Celtic overtook a rapidly tiring Rangers to make it three SPL titles in a row. The two wins brought to an end a run of four straight Rangers wins and Celtic being held scoreless. 

However, Celtic has a solid record against Rangers at Parkhead with fourteen wins in their last nineteen meetings.

There will be a number of players making their Old Firm debut (possibly Maurice Edu) or first appearance at Parkhead (DaMarcus Beasley). But the most attention will be paid to the man who has not only crossed the great divide but re-crossed it as well. Kenny Miller is a man of many clubs but no other player has moved to Rangers (from Hibs) then to Celtic (via Wolves) and back to Rangers (through Derby County).

To say Miller’s arrival is controversial and divisive for the Rangers faithful is an understatement but it is not stopping Bet365 offering odds of 25-1 that Miller will score and kiss the badge in celebration.

Serie A kicks off this weekend and here is a quick preview of what might be in store with the dreaded prediction at the end.


Contenders?
When many expected Fiorentina to fold late last season they held their nerve and it paid off with a fourth place finish and a spot in this season’s Champions League. What is more is that of the contenders no other team has done better than Fiorentina at strengthening their squad. Although Ujfalusi will be missed (moved to Atletico Madrid) Cesare Prandelli can look to some excellent acquisitions.

A few years back when he in charge of Parma Prandelli helped Alberto Gilardino become one of Europe’s most sought after strikers. It’s fair to say that Gilardino never reached his potential at Milan but don’t be surprised if he starts scoring regularly once more. (it is also worth noting that Adrian Mutu played with Gilardino at Parma although the Italian only saw sporadic game time in 02/03.) Juan Vargas (Catania) and Zauri (Lazio) add to Fiorentina’s defensive options and Sergio Almiron from Juventus on loan could turn out to be a steal. If Almiron can rediscover his Empoli form then he will add to an already strong midfield.


With Jose Mourinho in charge it will never be quiet and predictable for Inter this season. However, any thoughts of a raft of summer signings have been dispelled with Mancini (Roma) and Muntari (Portsmouth) the only two high profile additions to an already extensive squad.  Adriano returns from a loan spell at Sao Paulo and he probably has one last chance to get his Inter career back on track before he is shipped out. Although there is much talk of Inter’s focus turning to the Champions League this season I’m not sure I believe it.


Juventus’ third place last season surprised a lot of fans but without the pressure of a European campaign Juventus proved to a consistent performer without ever threatening to take the title. An area that begs for improvement is the results away from home and in particular the number of goals conceded. The addition of Olaf Mellberg (defense) and Christian Poulsen (holding midfielder) should improve Juve at the back and Amauri (former Palermo) should contribute double figures in the goal scoring department. Some younger players have been shipped out which would seem to indicate that Juventus are battening down for a tough season on all fronts.  


For the first time in years Milan is not in the UEFA Champions League but is relegated instead to the UEFA Cup. Some may argue that in the absence of the Champions League Milan will be free to concentrate on Serie A. Veterans have gone (Cafu and Serginho) and Gianluca Zambrotta, Ronaldinho and Andryi Shevchenko have arrived at the San Siro along with some young whippersnappers (relatively speaking) such as Mathieu Flamini, Philippe Senderos and high scoring Marco Borriello. How Carlo Ancelotti goes about fitting all these pieces together into a cohesive unit will of particular interest over the first few weeks of the season.


Roma would just not give up last season and pushed Inter right to the final round of games before finally finishing three points behind in 2nd spot. The club has continued to improve under Luciano Spalletti but it difficult to see where any further improvement will come from. John-Arne Riise and Julio Baptista have been added to the squad although Mancini left for Inter. If Roma is to push for the title then it will need Aquilani and De Rossi to step up.  


UEFA Cup prospects?

Napoli at home was a very different prospect than Napoli away last season. Nearly 75% of their points came at home Milan, Fiorentina, Inter, Juventus, Udinese and Sampdoria all left pointless. Defensive problems cost them a lot of points away from home as the conceded 37 goals as opposed to 16 on home turf. No problems on the horizon for Napoli but not much of an improvement either.


Palermo fans are left to mourn the loss of Amauri to Juventus but the money they got did not burn a hole in anyone’s pocket. Palermo has been one of the busiest teams and when the season kicks off this weekend there will be more than a few new faces. Possibly the shrewdest piece of business has been the signing of goalkeeper Marco Amelia from Livorno. Defenders Bova (Genoa) and Carrozzieri (Atalanta) have been brought in while Liverani should add composure and touch to the midfield. Liverani’s presence should also help Antonio Nocerino who arrived as part of the Amauri deal.

Túlio de Melo has parleyed a good season with Le Mans into a Serie A although many suspect that the Brazilian’s performance at the start of last season was a flash-in-the-pan. With the number of new arrivals it make take some time for the new Palermo to bed down which will cause problems for Manager Stefano Colantuono. There again when you consider that Palermo Chairman Maurizio Zamparini hired-fired-rehired him in a ten month period last season Colantuono is probably renting rather than buying.


It turned out to be a good season for Sampdoria as they finished 6th and with 60 points. But it was not a season without highs and lows. Antonio Cassano’s arrival on loan (now permanent) gave Sampdoria a bona-fide match winner and a player that can frighten the daylights of any defence in the world when he is on song. This also got someone who can be his own worst enemy and capable of destroying his own side.

A strong home record was Samp’s foundation last season with only two losses and 18 goals conceded. Eighteen against might not be overly impressive but eight came in just two games – Milan 5-0 and Roma 3-0. If Sampdoria is to move up then they have to hold their home form while improving away from home – only Napoli with 12 losses had more than Sampdoria’s 10. It is hard to discern any significant improvement in the squad and a case could be made that the players leaving (Volpi and Zenoni to Bologna in particular) have not been adequately replaced.


Udinese finished in a very respectable seventh place at the end of last season. Manager Pasquale Marino was widely praised for playing a 4-3-3 formation although the attacking intent did not translate into the goals column – 48 goals was not a great return. Di Natale (17) and Quagliarella (12) carried the scoring load last but help is on the way. Finally two years after signing Alexis Sanchez it looks as if the Chilean will finally turn out for Udinese. However, there looks to be more down side season-to-season for Udinese than upside and they will do well to hold their position.



Safe Mid Table?

Atalanta is the consummate yo-yo team in Europe let alone Italy with 18 relegations and promotions in the last 50 years. That should be enough to caution anyone to pick them for a comfortable mid-table finish. Manager Gigi Del Neri (arguably a yo-yo manger over the last few seasons!) managed to rehabilitate his reputation to a great extent last season has he guided his charges to a 9th place finish. The same finish might be the best that can be expected.


Genoa finished in a very comfortable 10th place last season and if than can reach the same heights this season then they will be punching well above their weight. Marco Borriello scored 19 goals out of a total of 44 and he headed back to Milan this summer. Genoa’s next leading scorer notched 4 and there seems little indication that any of the summer arrivals can come close to filling the void. A plummet into trouble would not be a surprise.


Battling on the European front in the Champions League and domestically was too much for Lazio last season. After breaking into the top four the season before last Lazio slumped to 12th in Serie A last season. During this transfer window Lazio have added some quality players to their squad. After failing to get the necessary documentation twelve months ago it looks as if goalkeeper Juan Carrizo will finally start for the Rome side.

Midfielder Matuzalem left Serie A (Brescia) for Shakhtar Donetsk four summers ago and has now found his way back via a very acrimonious “transfer” involving Real Zaragoza. It’s not clear that the move to Zaragoza has ever been settled – to Shakhtar’s satisfaction anyway – but the Spanish club has agreed to loan the Brazilian to Lazio for the season. Mauro Zarate is another exciting capture and someone capable of adding some flair and goals to the Lazio attack. All-in-all a better season ahead but not enough to get back into a Champions League spot.  


Siena led the league in draws last season (17) and a fine run under manager Mario Beretta helped the club to a record 44 points and 13th place. Beretta resigned at the end of last season and has been replaced by Marco Giampaolo – a coach who seems to be always on the brink of either joining Cagliari or being fired by Cagliari. The summer transfer moves do not appear to have solved their goal scoring problems (only Maccarone with 13 goals was close to adequate) and so mid table is as good as it will get with the threat of a relegation battle a possibility.  


Relegation Battlers?

Bologna returns to Serie A after a three season absence.  They finished as runners up in Serie B last season but achieved an automatic promotion spot. Last season the goals came from Massimo Marazzina (23) but there is a question mark over his ability to contribute at a higher level. Bologna has spent some money in an attempt to maintain a Serie A lifestyle with Volpi and Zenoni (Sampdoria) and Marco Di Vaio some of the better known acquisitions. If the new additions can click then Bologna might enjoy a comfortable season but the priority is still survival.  

If the bookies were not prematurely paying out on Cagliari to be relegated last season I would be surprised. Then Davide Ballardini arrived and the Sardinians picked up 32 points (out of a season total 42) in the second half of the season and Cagliari avoided the drop. Most clubs with have showered Ballardini with riches; Cagliari let him walk away and replaced him with the much travelled Massimiliano Allegri.

As a player Allegri made 13 pit-stops in two decades and as a manager he is now on his fifth club in five seasons. Don’t expect Allegri to be around at season’s end given owner Massimo Cellino for blowing coaches out of the door. David Suazo saved the club two seasons ago, Ballardini pulled off the impossible last season – i


Two draws in last two matches of the 2007/08 season meant that Catania stayed up but for the second straight season it was a close run thing. Catania was winless away from home but how can you explain a home record that contributed 30 out of 37 points and conceded only 14 goals at home – only Juventus had a better defensive record. A large part of Catania’s problems was an anemic attack that scored only 33 goals – only relegated Empoli scored fewer. It is hard to see who of the summer signings are going to score goals so it looks as if will be another close run thing for Walter Zenga’s side.


Everyone’s favourite Flying Donkeys bounced back to Serie A at the first attempt.  Sergio Pellissier’s 22 goals were a major contributor to Chievo’s rapid return and he should get help from recent arrival Antonio Langella from Udinese. Langella had a productive season with Atalanta last season (8 goals) and signed for Udinese at the beginning of the summer. However, things did not work out and he moved again last week – this time to Chievo. There looks to be goals in this Chievo side and probably enough to keep them in Serie A.   


In 2004/05 when Zdenek Zeman was in charge of then newly promoted Lecce there was no more entertaining team to watch. Only then champions Juventus scored more goals (67 to 66) and no team let in more – an incredible 73 goals. Even so, Zeman took the team to a 12th place finish before resigning at the end of the season. Zeman later returned but it was too late to save the side from relegation and this will be their first appearance since demotion in 2006. 

Mario Beretta who produced miracles at Siena last season replaces the man that got the team promoted through a promotion play off, Giuseppe Papadopulo.  Simone Tiribocchi proved the cutting edge up front last season with 17 goals and he will be carrying much of the responsibility. Beretta, however, may be more important than any of the other Lecce summer signings.


Reggina was another club that avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth for the second straight year. The difference last season was that their performances got them into too deep trouble while twelve months before they had what was arguably their best ever season but laboured under the handicap of a points deduction.

Every vital sign moved into reverse gear last season as the goals scored melted away and the defence started to concede at a worrying rate. Only their three wins and a draw in the last four games against their relegation rivals was a source of encouragement. Off the summer acquisition Chilean Carlos Carmona is the most interesting but it is doubtful that the 21-year-old can fix all of Reggina’s problems.


For a side that appeared to have made all the right moves last summer the 2007/08 season was a bitter disappointment for Torino. However, if you want to look on the bright side there is hope behind last season’s statistics. For a start there were 16 draws that with a break here or there could have turned out very differently. There was also Torino’s home form. On the face of 5 wins, 7 draws and another 7 losses is no great shakes but all seven defeats came by a single goal. And although Torino’s goal output rose by 33% it still only generated a paltry 36 goals in 38 games. Rolando Bianchi arrives in the hope that he can find the form that brought him 18 goals alongside Nicolas Amoruso. Amoruso also moved from Reggina to Torino earlier this summer.  If these two can click once more then the long suffering Torino fans may finally get a season to enjoy – relatively speaking.


Prediction (in brackets 2007/08 finish and my prediction one year ago)
1.       Inter (1 – 1)
2.       Roma (2 - 4)
3.       Milan (5 – 2)
4.       Fiorentina (4 – 5)
5.      Juventus (3 – 3)
6.      Palermo (11 – 9)
7.      Sampdoria (6 – 8)
8.      Napoli (8 – 15)
9.      Udinese (7 – 7)
10.    Lazio (12 – 6)
11.    Torino (15-17)
12.    Atalanta (9 – 12)
13.    Bologna (Serie B)
14.    Chievo (Serie B)
15.    Siena (13 – 20)
16.    Lecce (Serie B)
17.    Catania (17 – 19)
18.    R- Genoa (10 – 16)
19.    R- Cagliari (14 – 18)
20.    R - Reggina (16 – 13)


The bigger misses (5 places or more) last season were the three relegated clubs (Empoli, Parma and Livorno), two of the promoted teams Napoli and Genoa, Lazio and the surprise team of last season Siena.

None of the promoted clubs were relegated last and I’m predicting the same this season – admittedly a bit of a long shot. It is worth noting that Empoli slumped from 10th the season previous and Livorno from 11th to relegation.

I don’t have the stats to prove it but Serie A seems to be prone to mid table melt-down - teams plummeting to relegation a season after prospering - to a far greater extent than other big leagues. I could have something to do with teams being pillaged after a good season but as I said I don’t have anything to back that one up.  

Chelsea’s undefeated domestic run of 100 games.


Jonathan Wilson takes a look at the state of Polish football and the stuttering plans for Euro 2012.

Was David Moores duped or blinded by the money?

Here we go again. The intent is good, using a major tournament as the platform is not such a good idea.


Raphael Honigstein on the consummate late developer Luca Toni.


Last weekend in Serie A six of the top seven teams faced each other. The top three (Inter, Roma and Juventus) all won. The next four teams (Fiorentina, Milan, Sampdoria and Udinese) all suffered losses and remain locked in a tight struggle for the last Champions League spot.

Fiorentina are four points ahead of Milan and Sampdoria and Udinese are a point further behind.
Down at the less glamorous end of the league seven teams are in a dog fight to avoid the three drop spots. Last weekend only Empoli (draw), Cagliari and Reggina (wins) did themselves any favours while the woes of Torino, Catania, Parma and Livorno continued.

With five games left until the end of the season this weekend has a schedule that has eight fixtures that are crucial to the title race, the last Champions league spot or relegation. Only Juventus with third place almost guaranteed away to Atalanta, and Siena (eight points above the last relegation spot) versus Genoa (comfortably in eighth) have a “who cares” look about them.

With two successive wins Inter appear to have regained some traction in a bid to win their third scudetto. This weekend Inter is in Turin to play Torino and both teams currently enjoy four point gaps – Inter on second place Roma and Torino on eighteenth place Reggina.  

Torino made Walter Novellino the thirteenth (particularly unlucky) coaching casualty of the Serie A season and followed the lead of a number of struggling clubs by bringing back a former coach. In this case Gianni De Biasi who quit the team sitting firmly at the foot of the Spanish Primera Liga Levante to rejoin Torino. Novellino stepped in to replace De Biasi last summer.

Turin’s other team has the second worst home record in Serie A but only two of the sixteen home games this season have been decided by more than a single goal and both times Torino won. A new coach, a home record that is perhaps not as bad as it may appear might add up to a tough assignment for Inter especially given that they will again be missing top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A knee problem has caused the big Swede to miss the last three matches and the next question whether or not he will be ready for the Milan derby in a fortnight.

Roma appears to have the easier game with slumping Livorno the opposition.  Livorno have only one win in their last 15 league games and one win against Roma in Rome in the same number of attempts. Livorno sunk to bottom spot after losing to Cagliari last weekend and although they still have time to escape with games against Milan, Atalanta, Torino and Empoli still to come they will have to start scoring goals more regularly. Seven goals in 15 games have taken them to the precipice.

Reggina pulled off a surprise 1-0 win over Sampdoria last Sunday courtesy o####oal from Franco Brienza. The January transfer window signing from Palermo has now scored seven times and if Reggina are to survive then the former Italy international is the most likely hero. However, considering that Reggina are one of three teams without an away win this season – and have only scored eight goals on the road - any away match is going to be problematic.

This weekend it is Milan at the San Siro and Reggina are likely to face a resurgent Inzaghi who has scored two doubles in Milan’s last two matches. No matter the outcome this weekend Reggina will maintain control of their own fate as they will face fellow strugglers Parma, Catania, Empoli and Cagliari in their final four games.

When coach Davide Ballardini took hold of the Cagliari reigns (the return of another former coach) the club had collected a miserable ten points in their first 17 games. In the next sixteen games another 22 points have been earned and last weekend Cagliari was able to jump two points above the last relegation spot by beating Livorno with a double from Acquafresca.

Another key game this weekend has the Sardinian side up against second from the bottom Empoli. Empoli (with another recalled manager Gigi Cagni) have shown signs of resuscitation with a win and a draw in the last two after a run that saw only a single point from a possible total of 21.

Despite sitting above Empoli, Cagliari are in more need of the win as they finish the season against Inter, Fiorentina, Udinese before a final round game against Reggina. Empoli have to play Genoa and Udinese then finish with Livorno and Reggina.

Further up the table Fiorentina will be hoping to continue a run of eight games that has seen them go W,L after losing to Inter. Palermo have won their last two games (another multi-manager team) but have lost ten times awy from home and only collected twelve points in 16 games. Even a moderately decent road record would have had the Sicilian team challenging for a Champions League position.

The winner of the Sampdoria vs. Udinese match will retain a credible interest in fourth spot while the loser can forget it and battle instead for a UEFA Cup spot. Sampdoria have only lost once at home this season although another six games have finished as draws. Last weekend’s single goal loss to Reggina was the first time Sampdoria have been shut out in fourteen matches while Udinese loss to Roma was their first set back in eight league games.

Another interesting weekend of football. The "Dream Final" will have to be an unbelievable match to beat out the Chelsea-Blackburn game. How many times do you think Morten Gamst Pedersen has replayed in his mind the header that went inches wide with 8 minutes left?

With the Everton-Charlton game on delay I was sorely tempted to check the score on the internet. Fortunately, I resisted the temptation and an amazing finish was the reward.

In Italy it was like old times with Inter coming back from two goals down to Palermo to draw. Parma have sufferred only one loss in their last 8 games although five other games have finished as draws. Although Ascoli pulled of####ood result against Lazio (2-2) it wil be awfully tough to make up the lost ground. Messina are in free fall so it may come down to Parma, Reggina or Chievo joining the other two.

Barcelona scraped through courtesy of a last minute own goal to extend their lead at the top of La Liga. The schedule favours Barcelona with only three (Atletico, Getafe and Espanyol) of the eight games against top half teams. Of the 31 points dropped by Barcelona this year only 8 have come against bottom half of the table teams and they have yet to lose to a team from #11 down.

Levante became the latest team to drop into the bottom three in Spain. Athletic Bilbao and Celta Vigo under new coach Hristo Stoichkov both won. There is a full schedule of games in Italy this week and a partial schedule in England.

Coming off a 3-0 loss to Sheffield United another loss to Chelsea would leave West Ham at least 5 points from safety and with a much poorer goal difference. Sheffield United faces Manchester United before another 6 point encounter on Saturday - this time against Charlton.

Here are a few articles that have caught my eye recently.

On Wednesday we will find out who will host the 2012 European Championships.

Gabriele Marcotti provides us with the 5 reasons why English clubs are dominating Europe.

David James asks where are all the ####_footballer_ever_com.html">#### football players?

Tom Humphries with an interview with the man who has Sunderland fans believing.

Steven Wells on the annual Softball vs. Soccer wars.

And the nominations for the PFA player and young player of the year are out.

Excerpts from the Ference Puskas biography published in 1999.

As an aside, many of the obituaries that ran after the great man’s death contained an error or two. A number referenced his part in winning five consecutive European Cups with Real Madrid when in fact he did not sign for Madrid until the 1958/59 season. He was suspended for almost two years by UEFA after failing to return to Hungary after the 1956 Uprising. The other often misreported item was the reference to Hungary as the first foreign team to beat England at home. Hungary was the first foreign team to beat England at Wembley but the Republic of Ireland beat England in 1949 in an international game held in Liverpool at Goodison Park.

It is true Scottish ball-boys are just too slow.

Alan Campbell on the debacle that is Heart of Midlothian and the de####able treatment of Captain Steven Pressley.

Gabriele Marcotti suggests a major revamp of domestic leagues outside of the present big 5.

David Bond says that a new owner for West Ham will be confirmed very soon.

Steven Morris writes about the smallest league in the world.

This is going to some week what with round 5 of the Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday followed by a weekend that includes top-of-the-table action in Italy and England. Palermo plays Inter Milan and Chelsea will go to Old Trafford next Sunday for the biggest game of the Premiership season so far. More on Manchester United and Chelsea later this week.

Henry14 - 1.What do you think of Parlemo, l saw them play during the past two weeks and l was impressed with their attacking flair and talent within their ranks, do you feel with high profile victories over Milan and Fiorentina they can push inter all the way?

2. As a Gunner l have to say this in the line of the poor draws at home and the boos directed to Henry do you feel one of Wenger's worst decisions in charge was to make Henry captain when you compare his level of commitment to a Terry or Gerrard do you feel he has enough to lead the young Gunners squad?

 

Bobby – Palermo has made a great start to the season but it is far too early to think about winning Serie A. Coach Francesco Guidolin made a surprising return in the summer and Palermo has made some good signings over the last year or so – even though they lost Luca Toni relatively cheaply. Mark Bresciano and Simplicio, David Di Michele, Giovanni Tedesco and Andrea Caracciolo are all good players. However, Corini is the player that has impressed me the most since Palermo was promoted. He’s 36 but is still a very important player. At the end of the season I can definitely see a top five spot, maybe top 3, but not a Scudetto.

 

If you were a player who would you want on your team Terry, Gerrard or Thierry Henry? From what I have seen this season commitment or any lack of it is hardly the problem at Arsenal. Are you suggesting that if they just try harder that they will score more goals from the chances that they create? Did they try harder against Reading – 4 goals – than they did against CSKA Moscow – shut out?

Bigdavedisaster - Other than from free kicks (which Naka does a fine job at already) and publicity what does Celtic gain from Beckham? I just don’t see how he fits into the side as it is today, so unless players are lost in transfers at the end of the year I see it as a bad move.

Bobby – Bigdave, I’m with you on this one. Strachan had to reduce the age of his squad and the cost and remain successful. So far it looks as if he is on the road to achieving all three. How signing Beckham would help achieve these three objectives beats me.

Neophyte - 1.Your top U-21 footballers - If you had to field a squad, who do you take and where do you put them? 2. Provided the squads maintain current form, is there a more important match than Man. Utd vs. Chelsea?

Bobby – In the World, in Europe, in England, in the USA, in Winnipeg? Picking an U-21 world team is not something I would attempt without a fair bit of research. Just checking on dates of birth takes a ridiculous amount of effort.

As for Manchester United vs. Chelsea – it is likely to be a more important game for United than Chelsea. Despite the win at Old Trafford last season Chelsea still have the upper hand since Mourinho arrived – same goes for Chelsea's record against Liverpool and Arsenal. On the grander scale the game will be hyped beyond believe but rarely does the outcome of a league race come down to a single game.

Gregz - What is this I hear of Basile thinking about recalling Veron to the Argentine national team. This would seem to be a desperate move on the part of Basile. Veron is 31 for crying out loud. Surely it must be obvious that recalling him is a short term measure. By the time the 2010 WC comes around he would be looking to retire wouldn't he? What do you guys think?

Bobby – If it is true it doesn’t seem to be a move for the future. However, all managers know that if they can get off to a winning start then it lifts the pressure they are under from fans and media and buys sometime to make the changes they think they need to make. That might be Basile’s thinking. Veron was never the same player after he moved from Italy. I thought the season at Parma in particular he was fterrific.

Henry14 - Is it me but the closest team Chelsea seem to resemble is Bolton, they are showing no skill but brushing and bumping into opposition, l thought that as they was so much talent on the horizon l would see a much open match but it was boring to be honest.

Bobby – I was disappointed in the Chelsea – Barcelona game as a footballing spectacle. It was a poor display by both teams. If they both keep this up we might see the equivalent of Portugal vs. Netherlands sometime soon.

 Gunnersfan1 - I just don't get Arsenal, they play very well and still can't score a goal or even win at home. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Bobby – Adebayor seems to be the most “ruthless” finisher in the squad and that doesn’t say very much. The Rosicky, Fabregas and van Persie misses were quite something – although Helguera howler against Steauamatched them. If the chances were not being created then there would definetly be more to worry about. Wenger has never found his “fox in the box”. However, I think someone is going to get a real clobbering sometime soon.

Djnima - Examining the schedule Liverpool faces after playing Arsenal (Boro, City, Pompey, Wigan, Fulham, Charlton, Watford) and their recent performance against the Villains, do you think Gerrard is finally hitting form and could go on a scoring tear? How about Rooney? Some of his goals were grave defensive errors. Do you think United will slip with all the goals they have been scoring?
Must have been a big snowstorm! Sad to not see you appearing on tonight's show . . . was looking forward to it!

Bobby – Liverpool needs to go on a run – first of all they need to get back into contention for a top 4 spot and then go from there. Things balance out so Gerrard’s goal against Bordeaux might be a sign of things to come in the Premiership.

Bolton made defensive mistakes against United that they rarely make. But as with Gerrard, things balance out and Rooney was due a goal or two or three – he took all his goals very well. As for United’s overall goal production – if the squad stays fit there is no reason why they shouldn’t keep scoring a lot of goals but perhaps not quite at the same rate. The best United has ever done was back in 1999/00 season when they avearged 2.55 goals per game – the poorest rate of return was 2004/05 with only 1.53 goals per game. At present their strike rate is 2.3 goals per game which – if they maintained – would be their second best performance ever in the Premiership. Over the last 14 and a bit seasons Manchester United has averaged 1.95 goals per game.

As for Monday night the snow storm was not the reason for missing the show. Sometimes life gets in the way of football and Monday was one of these nights. I had a long standing commitment that could not be moved. 

Thanks for the contriuitions this week - there were real crackers.

On a closing note I managed to catch “Once in a Lifetime” this week. I thought it was a great movie. The story telling was fantastic and the soundtrack hit all the right notes – so to speak – with Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work” providing a fitting end.