Real Madrid has secured another Spanish Championship, Bayern has done the same with the Bundesliga while Inter remains within touching distance of a third consecutive scudetto.
Elsewhere Ligue Une could take an interesting turn this weekend as leaders Lyon are at home to France’s surprise package AS Nancy.
Nancy leaped over Marseilles last weekend and currently occupies the third and final Champions League spot. To grab the final spot Nancy needs to match Marseille's results over the next two games – this weekend at Lyon and after that at home to Rennes.
If it is goals that you are looking for then AS Nancy is not going to be your cup of tea. They have recorded seventeen clean sheets in 36 starts, conceded a miserly twenty-six goals while scoring a parsimonious forty-two goals.
Lyon have recorded a win, a loss and 3 draws in last 5 matches and are dormie two over second place Bordeaux. However, they can take some comfort from their weekend opponents away record this season – only two wins, ten draws and six losses so far.
Lyon finishes with a match against 15th place Auxerre while Laurent Blanc’s Bordeaux faces two bottom half sides in Sochaux and Lens.
The EPL goes into Sunday’s final games with the title, the remaining UEFA Cup spot and two tickets (complete with parachute payments) to the Championship still to be decided. Although Manchester United appears to have the tougher task they also know that they only have to match Chelsea’s result in order to secure back-to-back Premiership titles for the first time since 2001.
Since taking over at the JJB, Steve Bruce has brought some defensive organization and grit to Wigan. With clean sheets in seven of their last eleven games and thirty-two points from Bruce’s 23 games in charge Wigan are enjoying their best run of results since their early splash when they joined the Premiership back in the 2005/06 season.
On the down side Wigan are facing a United side that has a 100% record in five Premiership matches between the the two while scoring 16 goals to Wigan’s three. Strangely all three goals for Wigan have come from defenders. Toss in for good measure that Steve Bruce’s record against Manchester United is nine matches without a win then the league leaders will go into the game with enough good omens to satisfy the most superstitious of fans.
Chelsea are faced with a situation of doing their absolute best but finding out late Sunday afternoon that even that may not be good enough to capture a third Premiership title in four seasons. Theoretically Bolton are still not safe from the spectre of relegation but it requires not only wins for Fulham or Reading but also a huge winning margin combined with Bolton being taken to the Stamford Bridge cleaners.
It is testament to how badly Reading are playing that even a trip to woeful Derby calls into question Reading’s ability to score a goal let alone get three points. Steve Coppell’s side are on the longest current streak in the Premier League without a goal of 6 matches or 551 minutes and need to better Fulham’s result and at least match Birmingham’s if they are to line up in the Premiership in August.
Derby also has a goal (really two goals) going into this game. Derby needs to score two more in order to overtake the Premiership low of 21 in a season set by Sunderland scored five years ago.
Fulham visits FA Cup Finalists Portsmouth with 3 wins in their last four games and last weekend they finally put together back to back wins this season. Fulham are winless at Pompey (2 losses and 2 draws) but appear to have convinced most fans that they can get the win that they need to stay up.
Birmingham is in the most precarious position – the bottom version of Chelsea. They could put in a season-best performance at home to Blackburn but still not beat the drop if other results conspire against them.
Of the nine Premiership matches between these two only one has been decided by more than one goal. Birmingham’s home record (a single home loss since Christmas) has proved to be their flotation device although by the same token the defense has failed to record a clean sheet since the Boxing Day win over Boro.
If Fulham and Reading should both lose then Birmingham could survive with a draw but playing for such an outcome would be a huge gamble.
Foolishmoose - I have a tough one for you. Since the majority of my TV time is spent watching FSC, Setanta, GOL and ESPN Soccer programming, and with to my knowledge only ESPN carrying HD, but the minimum amount of soccer programming, my question is, do you have any inside info on when FSC may go HD?
Bobby – Sorry, I do not have a clue what is planned. What’s more I am not looking forward to that day. My imperfections will show up!!!
JayAlves – It’s going to be an interesting transfer season. Kudos to Spurs for firing the first shot and setting the tone as the season isn't even over and teams are going to have to line up their targets quicker or be left in the cold.
Bobby – I find it interesting that the move was made before the European Championships. A good summer tournament would have boosted the price considerably you would have thought.
RonW - Next year I believe they're increasing the number of substitutes who can suit up in the EPL... what effect do you think it will have on the games(if any, besides being better for the big spending/squad teams)?
Bobby – As long as the number that can be used sticks at three I really can’t see how will make much of an impact. Coaches who have been tempted not to name a goalkeeper will no longer have an excuse. Maybe the Premiership missed an opportunity to encourage a little bit more youth development by insisting that at least two of the seven named substitutes be under-21.
Gregz - 1. Bobby, what do you think of Fernando Gago? In recent weeks he has been putting on some remarkable performances for Real Madrid 2. Lots have been said about Hatem Ben Arfa maybe going to Arsenal. If it were to happen do U think he would make it? I'm thinking he is a bit light weight and every summer Arsenal's midfield players get smaller.
Bobby – 1. I have not watched Real Madrid the last two weekends so I can’t really comment on Gago’s recent performances. From what I have seen of him previously I would have said his performances have been underwhelming.
2. How many times has Arsenal been linked with a player they have actually signed? Eduardo, Adebayor, Rosicky, Hleb, Sango? I don’t remember of any of these being on the radar screen prior to signing so I would not put too much reliance on reports of Arsenal’s supposed transfer targets until a deal is actually done.
As for being light weight – he’s played as a striker (and on the left side) so he can’t be that soft can he? As for summer transfer targets I’ll throw out the name of Luis Suarez as someone one of the big clubs might move for this summer.
Thierry_Henry - I don't know if you watched Liverpool v. Birmingham on the weekend. But the 2nd Birmingham goal should never have counted. Jahidi was in between the wall and the goal keeper wanting to make it difficult for the keeper to view where the ball is headed. In that case I think he was interfering with play, even if the free kick went right in. Therefore he was offside. What's your take on it?
Bobby – I did watch the game and the referee’s decision was correct. First of all you have to consider the meaning of “interfering” and the regulations provide a clear definition. In terms of interfering with play a player is judged as such if he plays or touches the ball “passed or touched by a team-mate”. As Jahidi did not receive the ball then he cannot have been interfering with play.
Then it is a case of whether or not he was interfering with an opponent. “Interfering with an opponent means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent.”
Larsson hit the ball from well outside the penalty box. Reina’s view of Larsson was never hindered or obstructed – you can see that clearly from the camera view from behind the net. The Birmingham player didn’t make a gesture or movement. The goal was rightfully given.
Jahmikes - 1. I think Arsenal's main weak spot is defense and have my opinions, can you give an analysis of our starting defenders and the bench ones, mine is we have a good starting 4 but on the bench we look awful sparse from Traore who was underutilized.
2. Do you think the recall of Vela will become Wenger's answer to his wing problems? I see him and Walcott becoming our version of Nani and Ronaldo.
3. I felt that Torres should have received player of the year due to the many external and internal challenges he faced in his season. Ronaldo's ability is without question but being in a stable team made it much easier for him to shine, wouldn’t you agree?
4. What’s your verdict for tomorrow? I think Ferguson is playing a risky game. He used similar tactics against Roma in the semi's and was able to go through because Roma had no real strike force up front to capitalize on their attacks, Barcelona is a team built to score goals, and if Ferguson plays an open game they will score, if he plays defense it will be a stale mate with Barca going through.
Bobby – 1. Biggest problem is dealing with crosses and high balls down the middle. I don’t see much wrong at full back except perhaps trying to cut down on the balls getting into the box. I don’t see the problem as a lack of depth if your central two are not dominant enough. Fix the first problem before you consider depth.
2. What wing problem and with the exception of Marc Overmars when has Arsène Wenger ever played wingers? Arsenal looks to get width from full backs not wingers. Pinning your hopes on a 19 year-old who has not kicked a ball in English football sounds desperate to me. There is nothing to indicate that Wenger is suddenly going to dump his system to incorporate two rampaging teenage wingers. (I’m not even convinced that Vela and Walcott are going to be wingers in the long-term.)
3. No I wouldn’t agree. The award is supposed to go the best player not the best player in an on-going transatlantic soap opera.
4. I have looked into the crystal ball and I can see United winning 1-0 with Paul Scholes scoring a scorching goal around the 14th minute after Zambrotta makes a hash of a pass. As for Barcelona being built to score goals – this version must have been built on a Monday after a boozy weekend.
LGB -1. Which team (in any top league) has been the most disappointing this season? 2. Do you believe Mourinho will end up in Barca, Madrid or Milan (blue or red)? 3. What do you make of Ballack and Drogba's on-the-field spat? Not much has been made of it because of United's antics and, of course, Chelsea won but is this kind of competitive edge what you need in a game like this, especially at such a crucial time? 4. What do you make of seedings in tournaments such as World Cup, Euro Championships and Euro Cup? Worth it or worthless? 5. How many goals do you see Liverpool needing to score at the Bridge for them to progress? How many for Barca at OT? 6. Final question: Why in the world is the PFA player of the year award handed out before the season is over?
Bobby –1. Barcelona.
2. Yes……or some other team.
3. I thought it was very funny. It was playground stuff.
4. It makes sense to me for a number of reasons. There are also different sort of seedings – there is rankings and also the system that makes sure you don’t draw three CONCACAF teams in the same World Cup Final group.
5. Two for Liverpool. And one for Barcelona!!!!
6. I don’t know and neither do I know why the voting takes place around February.
Jahmikes - How many goals has Arsenal conceded from set plays? And what’s their rank in this statistic?
Bobby – Arsenal 11 of 31. I don’t know how they rank but here are the others from the top six. Aston Villa 14/47; Chelsea 11/25; Everton 12/31; Liverpool 18/27; Manchester United 6/21.
ReggaeGunner - Who's been the best RB for the 07/08 season throughout Europe? I've seen quite a lot of matches still trying to come to a final conclusion.
Bobby – How about Maicon?
Redfan4ever – 1. As the season draws to a close and we all reflect on what has been, I was a wondering what for you have been the best, say top three, highlights of season from the various leagues (not cups) you watch around the world? 2. Norman Hunter was related to Ron Harris and Tommy Smith in some weird way was he not?
Bobby – 1. I will go with these three. Chelsea and Spurs sharing 8 goals in the Premiership. Fiorentina’s 3-2 win over Juventus. Villarreal’s 4-3 away win against Atletico Madrid.
2. Chiseled from the same piece of granite.
Redfan4ever – 1. If Chelsea fork out 55 million for Kaka, who would you see them using as a holding midfielder? 2. Also, do you think they would be able keep Lampard and Ballack happy if Kaka arrives? 3. Do you think Drogba is on the way out this summer especially after his temperamental attitude with Ballack over a free kick and his general demeanor against the Mancs last weekend? I do not think he is happy at all.
Bobby – 1. The same one they were going to use anyway – Mikel.
2. Neither appears to have been particularly happy since Ballack arrived so adding Kaka to mix will not improve the situation.
3. Drogba has been unhappy since Mourinho left so I would not read too much into the Drogba/Ballack tantrums as being some sort of turning point.
LGB - I like the offside rule that is going on right now. If we go back to the other way then we'll get goals like Roy Keane's getting ruled out in the 99 FA Cup semifinal.
Keep the rule the same as it is now. I like the fact that goalies can be "distracted". They are protected way too much as it is.
Bobby - You make a good point. Confusing a keeper is not the same as distracting him.
AlbertaGooner – Who was your team of the season?
Bobby – I’ll wait for the post season to list mine I think.
thewobengonboy - Recently Martin Samuel asked the punters to put forward selection recommendations for Fabio Capello. I was slightly surprised that no one went to bat for Tom Huddlestone. I have seen performances where, on his day, he looks like a poor man's Andrea Pirlo with his range of passing, and seems worthy of a look in an England squad where Beckham is clearly past his best. How do you rate him? Additionally, has Juande Ramos done him any favors by trying him out in defense?
Bobby – He has a great touch and is a very good passer of the ball. His lack of pace and mobility is a problem and that would be a bigger problem at the international level. Huddlestone played a good number of games at Derby in central defense before he moved to Spurs and it might well become his accepted position.
Thierry_Henry - 1 - Given the British malaise of not finishing project in timely manner, i.e.: Wembley stadium, London airport terminal death row, sorry, Heathrow... are you surprised on how smooth the construction of the Emirates stadium went?
2 - Do you think Tottenham Hotspurs will avoid relegation next season?
Bobby – 1. Amazed. Just wait for the Daddy of them all – the 2012 Summer Olympics. It will make the costs overruns for Montreal 1976 look like petty cash. 2. Yes – along with Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton, Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United…….
Roseboy64 - Eriksson to be sacked.....What are your opinions?
Bobby – Thirteen points up on last season’s position with two games left - difficult to justify him being fired. Only explanation is Sven becoming another victim of an egomaniac owner.
No doubt Sven will walk away with another big cheque and he does have his new TV career to fall back on this time. However, I think he does have to work on his camera presence – he seems a bit “wooden” – almost puppet-like - at times.
Ringo - Will Hamilton be allowed to play home games at home next season? I see their ground holds 5,400 will that be enough to keep the SPL happy?
Bobby – They have a Field turf artificial surface at the moment and it is being replaced this summer with under soil heating and a proper grass surface. I don’t know what the situation is with the capacity but my understanding is that the SPL has signed off on Hamilton’s plans.
MasMaz - When do we get your team of the season?
Bobby – At the end of the season and probably with a twist.
Thierry_Henry - Is Rijkaard done? He did not show any desire to win today. Starting Henry on the bench was fatal from what I believe. What's your take?
Bobby – His time was up well before today. He has come to the end of the normal life-cycle of a manager.
Zuco2 -Looking at the recent "achievement" of Zenit in the UEFA cup, does it mean that the Russian League is perhaps a stronger league then we might think?
Bobby – It depends on who “we” are. When CSKA Moscow was on route to their UEFA Cup win of 2005 I suggested that Russian clubs would soon be making their mark in Champions League.
To date that hasn’t happened so from my perspective the Russian teams have been disappointing over the last three seasons in Europe. There is money behind the teams and they have brought in some excellent talent. At the moment they are punching below their weight.
The North American disease strikes again. The hockey play-offs are on and the great North American tradition of rioting when you win gets underway. Surely this must lead to a European ban for all NHL clubs? If you ask me this is why hockey/baseball/basketball/gridiron football will never catch on in the rest of the world. If you can’t even get your reason for wanton destruction right, how can you ever expect normal thugs and hooligans to relate?
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are a smidgen away from securing their respective league titles. Lyon are being made to work a bit harder to win their seventh consecutive French title although with four games to go and a four point lead on Bordeaux harder it might be but it looks like pretty inevitable anyway.
It’s possible for Inter to win another scudetto if they win (home to Cagliari) and Roma shockingly lose at home to struggling Torino. Not probable, and even so I’m sure Inter fans would rather wait until the Milan derby to sow another title up. That opportunity comes next weekend.
Which brings us to the Premiership and a match that will see Manchester win another Premiership title (I know Chelsea would still be able to catch United on goal difference but a goal difference of at least 20 makes the task and impossibility) or make the race interesting for at least one more week.
The fact that both teams hold a slight edge in their respective Champions League semi finals and this could be the first of two meeting over the next few weeks only adds more flavour to the pot.
No matter the outcome of this game Manchester United will finish the season atop of the mini league that also includes Saturday’s opponents, Arsenal and Chelsea. Going into the game United have 13 points, Chelsea 7, Arsenal 6 and Liverpool with four draws and no wins. Chelsea also enjoy a very good record over Manchester United in the Premiership and have taken more points off of them than any other side.
The defensive records of both teams this season have been outstanding (United 19 against and Chelsea 24 against) and when you add in the fact that the goals for either team have not been coming as freely in the last few weeks an avalanche of goals seems unlikely.
The Everton vs. Aston Villa match holds a lot of promise with Villa three points a flagging fifth place Everton. Only Manchester United have scored more goals in the Premiership this season than Villa (who would have picked that?) and they have recovered from a truly terrible march to score 15 goals in the last three matches – albeit against three of the cellar dwellers.
Birmingham were Villa’s victims last Sunday and find themselves in the last relegation spot. Birmingham desperately need at least a point this weekend against Liverpool and hope that Spurs do them a favour against Bolton and Reading come a cropper at Wigan. That would leave the Brummies ahead of the other two on goal difference and a run-in that has them face Fulham and Blackburn Rovers.
As chance would have it Birmingham are a bit of a bogey side for Liverpool with the Reds only winning twice in 9 Premiership games. A few years back a Championship Birmingham took Liverpool to penalty kicks before losing in the Carling Cup Final of 2001.
In Italy Fiorentina needs to see off sixth place Sampdoria to maintain at least a four point gap on fifth place Milan and to essentially kill off any reasonable hope that Samp might have of securing the fourth and final Champions League spot. Fiorentina have won their last six at home are playing a side that has a on the face of it a relatively poor away record this season. However, three of Sampdoria’s away wins have come in their last four games and only a surprising 1-0 loss against Reggina a couple of weeks ago brought a solid run to an end.
If Fiorentina can win this one then they will be very much in the driving seat with their remaining fixtures against Cagliari, Parma and Torino. On the other hand Sampdoria need the win to cut into Fiorentina’s lead but then have games against Roma, Palermo and Juventus in prospect.
Finally MLS has the first Los Angeles derby of the season and who is betting that this one will finish with eleven-a-side?
It will be interesting to see what sort of coverage and viewing figures the FA Cup semi-finals get when they go head-to-head with the Premiership this weekend. Portsmouth and Cardiff start as favourites but that is hardly an enviable position given the number of upsets in this season’s competition.
Portsmouth will probably bide their time looking for West Brom to push forward. Certainly there is no doubt about the Albion’s ability to score in the Championship (78 so far) but their defence does leak with 51 goals against in 40 games.
If you are a Barnsley supporter it must really be a case of nearly the best of times and nearly the worst of times – Barnsley have such a long history they have seen better and also worst. Even so their fantastic Cup wins over Liverpool and Chelsea have not earned them any easy points as they try to avoid the drop to League One.
One win in nine league games means that goal difference is the only thing keeping the Yorkshire team from the relegation zone. Cardiff harbours no such threat from relegation and have been able to maintain some decent league form during their Cup run to the point that they still retain a faint hope of securing a promotion play-off spot.
Prediction – West Brom vs. Cardiff in the Final.
The bookending of the Premiership match between Arsenal and Liverpool by the quarter final of the Champions League takes a bit of the sheen of this weekend’s game. Will the managers choose to rest some players or will it be a case of the same again. Wenger says he has not given up on the title and so if that is true then we should see little change. After creating a five point gap with Everton Liverpool will not want to risk that number shrinking.
With Boro and Manchester City having little to play for – City may look to have an outside chance of a UEFA Cup spot but not based on recent form – Manchester United and Chelsea will be hoping to increase the gap on Arsenal and Liverpool.
At the relegation end of the table Wigan vs. Birmingham, Fulham vs. Sunderland are six pointers while Newcastle (a much happier Newcastle) would like to keep Reading below them and Villa needs to stop a run of three straight losses (and shut outs) against Bolton.
Sevilla versus Villarreal has the makings of a top class game as does Mallorca against Real Madrid. Villarreal are the form team at the moment although there is a train of thought that when Villarreal gets into a position to really challenge for some silverware that is when it starts to go all wobbly for them.
Mallorca have only one loss in their last their last twelve although seven finished as draws. What’s more David Guiza is cracking goals in at the moment for Mallorca and they have been known to give Real Madrid problems – Real came a cropper in the Copa del Rey this season.
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.
A great
article on two footballing generations of the McGeady family and a wee bit
more.
A loss to
Inter forty years ago still rankles Liverpool.
Here is a look at the last sixteen of the Champions League and who might make up the last eight.
Schalke vs. Porto Porto may have lost a couple of games in Portugal over the last two months but they should have enough to qualify against a Schalke side that made it through from a group that turned out to be very poor. Pick Porto.
Roma vs. Real Madrid I’m picking this one as my surprise of the round. Real has racked up good results this season without being consistently impressive. Roma has a poor record against Real Madrid but they have enough talent to beat the Spanish Champions. Out on a limb on this one. Pick Roma
Olympiacos vs. Chelsea If the Greek side is to have a chance at all then they need to win the first leg. Although two or their three wins in the group stage were away from home the first win (at Werder Bremen) was Olympiacos’ first in 32 attempts. The side is strong on experience but may not be strong enough defensively to win over two legs. Pick Chelsea
Liverpool vs. Inter With a FA Cup defeat and a poor league showing hanging over them this is Liverpool’s last chance for silverware this season. The Champions League and the former European Cup has more meaning to Liverpool than most other clubs but they are facing a side that it out to prove that they can be considered amongst Europe’s best. In three of the last four times Inter has made it to the knock out stage they have lost on away goals. Inter was my choice back in August to take Europe's premier title but it was a choice that was made with little conviction. Pick Inter Celtic vs. Barcelona Barcelona is the only side to win in European competition at Parkhead in the last seventeen matches. By the same token Celtic’s away form in Europe continues to be atrocious. A Celtic win in the first leg is very much a possibility but a visit to the Nou Camp will prove to be too much. Pick Barcelona (They will be happy that Dundee United did not qualify)
Lyon vs. Manchester United A side with the likes of Karim Benzema in it should not be written off but Lyon’s best chance of European glory may have come and gone. United’s movement in midfield and attack will be more than the French Champion’s defense will be able to cope with. Pick Manchester United
Fenerbahce vs. Sevilla Sevilla is finally beginning to generate some real momentum in La Liga after the traumatic experience of the collapse and death of full back Antonio Puerta in September. This is a side that has the benefit of two successful UEFA Cup runs, an outstanding striker pairing of Luis Fabiano and Freddie Kanoute, wide players with real pace and dash (Navas and Capel) as well as quality in almost every other area. Fenerbahce will prove to be a stiff test but Sevilla might be the team that surprises us all this season in the Champions League. Pick Sevilla
Arsenal vs. Milan Arsenal’s youth vs. Milan’s experience – that is how articles in newspapers and on the web are bill-boarding this one although I am not sure that is a totally fair reflection. I’ve flipped back and forward between the teams on this one since the draw was made and would not be surprised if Arsenal win's it. However….. Pick Milan
Here is a link to Jeremy's blog that describes his trip to Barcelona.
Thierry_Henry - From your point of view, do you think Setanta Sport which charges $15/m in Canada will have any success? I think the Premier League might be squeezing its loyal subscribers out. I don't think there are many people in Canada who are soccer crazy enough to pay that kind of money.
If it was hockey, yes. but soccer... I doubt. It's only the die hard or professional analysts like you who will pay for it. I had a few friends from Africa who used to wake up every morning to watch the EPL, but now they don't really bother...btw 300,000 subscribers in china on pay tv. wow. that is not even enough. how much do they pay per month? $15?
Bobby – It is interesting question especially given the news this week that Setantamay be sold. First of all I have been surprised how many people that I come across who I would have expected to subscribe to Setanta but have not.
Their reasons are diverse but price is an obvious issue and a lot are quite happy with a couple of game each weekend on Sportsnet and The Score. The market for seven or eight games a weekend is very limited. I don’t know the Setanta subscription numbers in Canada but I would be very surprised if it was in excess of 30,000.
Admittedly at $15 a month that is a fair chunk of revenue but that is not what the company would pocket. It is probably more like $8 or $9 a month after paying money to the cable and satellite delivery systems. The bad news for fans is that I would reckon that $15 a month is the thin edge of the wedge.
Whoever buys Setanta (and they will certainly be sold) will be faced with actually having to make a profit. The only way to do that is either cut costs, increase prices or increase audience. Guess which is the easiest?
Setanta has been happy to rack up losses while acquiring programming assets and offering discounted subscription fees particularly in the UK. The company line is that Setanta will break even this year or next but there are some legitimate doubts that this might actually happen.
The larger problem is that Setanta has forced programming costs up in the markets where they compete and have in turn fueled the expectation that these markets will generate ever higher rights fees.
If they are not sold and turned profitable in a year or so, a loss making Setanta will be back at the table and having to pay even more for the Premiership.
From the weekly viewing figures I have seen Setanta Canada has not served to increase the viewing figures for the Premiership in Canada.
Last season audiences of 90,000 plus were very normal for Sportsnet Saturday morning games. Just two weekends ago the audience for the Saturday and Sunday games did not exceed 65,000. Sportsnet garnered 104,000 for that horrible Everton-Reading game on Saturday which was a very decent number but Chelsea vs. Liverpool only attracted 77,000.
The news last week that the Score was cutting back on their soccer coverage that had only been beefed up in August to support their one game each week is probably another sign that the Premiership although popular is still a niche market. .
Ringo - Do you know of any viewing figures for FSC/FSWC?
Bobby – Neither channel subscribe to ratings and so I don’t know if there are any reliable numbers out there. I’m guessing that FSWC is probably around 750,000 subscribers in Canada while I believe that FSC in the US is around 30m.
However, there is always going to be a large discrepancy between subscribers and regular viewership.
Craigy_f - Did you watch the Udinese V Juventus game? Did it live up to your billing? Did any other game surpass it?
Bobby – I did not watch it . It wasn’t televised in Canada. I watched Inter-Catania, Roma-Reggina and a good portion of Milan-Siena. None of them very inspiring.
Redfan2000 - What's your opinion on Inter Milan? Can Rafa's redmen overcome the blue of Milan do you think? Who is your favourite for this year's Champions League and UEFA Cups?
If you were Rafa where would you strengthen?
Bobby – I picked Inter to win the CL at the start of the season but it was not a choice made with any great confidence. I think the glass jaw might come into it. Certainly Liverpool can beat Inter but if I had to pick this one I would stick with Inter.
Out of the last 32 I don’t think I could name 20 of the teams left in the UEFA Cup without checking uefa.com. I will have a look when it gets down to the last 8.
As for strengthening Liverpool? Definitely on the flanks – both fullbacks and two wide players. I know a lot of fans want Babel through the middle and it is probably his best spot. His crossing is not good enough. Harry Kewell – I think it is time to cut bait. Jermaine Pennant – not good enough. Yossi Benayoun – gets a pass mark but looks more comfortable coming infield rather than staying wide.
As for the centre of midfield I would say the question (as long as Rafa is around) has changed from who plays with Gerrard to who plays with Mascherano. I thought that Mascherano on Sunday against Chelsea was the only player worth watching.
Neophyte -Did you see the Barcelona v. Sevilla match? La Liga still captures my respect. I love the style and pace I see there. Did you happen to see Capel? I believe he is only 19 yrs. old. He looked incredible. I have seen quite a youth movement in Spain more so than any other league (except maybe Holland). Am I correct or are there just as many U-20's in the Premiership that I'm just not aware of?
Bobby – I did see that game. Capel played well for Spain at the under-20s last summer and I am pretty confident in saying that he played at Emirates against Arsenal earlier this season in the Champions League. T
here are not too many under-20 players in the Premiership. If you take a look at the England under-21 and under-19 squads you will see very few names that are recognizable.
Djnima - Do you think Schuster deserves the credit for Real Madrid's success?
Bobby – Did I miss something? I didn’t realize that Real Madrid had won a trophy this season under Bernd Schuster. I didn’t realize that success for Real Madrid was now defined by leading the league, getting to the knock out round of the Champions League and getting knock out of the Copa del Rey.
A bit too early for assigning credit I think.
Davard - Last week you posted an interesting article by a journalist regarding playing into his late 30's in a recreational capacity, and the subsequent physical toll.
Since I have seen you post about still playing the game today, I am curious what your experience has been relating to your overall fitness and football abilities, and overall knowledge/instincts as you transitioned from 20's, to 30's, 40's and onward.
Being in my 30's, and still loving playing the game, just curious to see what I have to look forward to. :)
Bobby – I guess I would sum it up with “I wish I knew then what I know now.” I was taught that running – and particularly up and down sand dunes during pre season – got you fit and maintained it.
Looking back on it that sort of training may have worked when you were 17-22 but at a certain point it makes you very one paced – especially if you did not have a lot of quickness to begin with.
I have learned over the last couple of seasons how important the core of your body is and how it contributes to fitness and balance. Working with weights has made a ton of difference to me as well as working on flexibility - although I still have Scottish hamstrings!!
There was point around four years ago that I would pull a hamstring bending over to tie a shoe lace. Fifty year old+ hamstrings are always going to be problematic but I have experienced a significant improvement since changing my fitness approach.
Overall I think I am in better physical shape than I was a decade ago and it comes down to having a better understanding of what helps you stay in shape and what doesn’t really work. There is no way I can turn up in April without preparing for it and expect not to get injured.
Back in the more serious playing days I could take October to December off but I came to the conclusion that I could not take any months off and I have to keep at it throughout the year. Over time your body will deteriorate but you definitely have a choice about how quickly it will happen. The good news is that you never stop learning and experience helps.
Craigy-F1. Would you attend a Premier League game in the US or Canada?
2. Do you always watch football with the same mindset?
3. Anyone in football you would refuse to interview?
4. Are you a left footer or a right footer?
5. What's the most trouble you've gone through to see a game?
Bobby –1. I doubt it very much. A choice between Birmingham and Wigan and DC United and Toronto FC – I would give my money to MLS.
2. I’m not sure what you mean by mindset. I watch a game hoping that I will be entertained and in some cases astonished at the ability of some players. However, my expectations do change depending on who is playing.
3. Never really thought about it.
4. Where I come from that is a religious question but I am assuming that is not what you mean. Right footed…very right footed although I have always been comfortable playing on the left side.
5. Three memories. Trying to find a game that was on during a cold snap in Scotland. Each game we decided to go to got postponed with two of them while we were on the road or actually outside the park.
The fifth choice was a junior game that we finally got to with half an hour played.
Second memory – having to go to bed very early on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights in order to be allowed to go with my Dad to see Dundee in the European Cup on Wednesdays. For a seven year old that is tough bargain especially because no one at school believed me about getting to go the matches.
The last one involved an incredible amount of weaseling, trading and logistics in order to get to Athens, Georgia to see the 1996 Olympic Final between Nigeria and Argentina. I was working at the Olympics in Atlanta and needed to rearrange a work schedule, get a ticket and arrange a ride to and from Athens.
The only way to get to Athens was with someone who wanted to see the Gymnastics final (?) and had to be in Athens at something like 8:00 a.m. in the morning. He game was not until 3:45 p.m.
It all worked out in the end but there are people who still think I was crazy for passing up on the Mens 4X100 metre final the same day.
But Nigeria won 3-2, the game was a classic and it turned out to be a fantastic day.
Oranjespur 1- What I'm getting at is no team seriously wanting to contend for titles and cups can afford to accommodate a CB that can only play once every 3 games. I'm sure you could give examples but I just don't understand why Tottenham took so long on this issue to find a solid (um er Woodgates health record solid? hmmm) replacement for King.
2- What do you make of Hoddle's Academy setting base in Spain? It seems to me that the FA should try something similar and base it in England. I think Hoddle is on to something here and although the EPL may not see direct benefits from it but the Championship and SPL could.
3- What do you make of Sir Alex finding time to flyout right after the game to South Africa this weekend especially after all the noise he was making about EPL not respecting the 50th anniversary of the crash?
Bobby –1. I guess they thought they had got a temp replacement when they signed Rocha and then again when Kaboul last summer.
2. The FA has had trouble getting an academy for great young players going so I would not hold out hope that they could plan two. I’m guessing that the idea of going to Spain is mostly due to a better climate for outdoor practice.
3. Astounded that something like that would be planned mid season. Another sign that money now trumps game preparation at Old Trafford perhaps?
Henry14 -Q1 Was the impact of the African Cup of nations as adverse as pundits anticipated in terms of points lost or gained during the period in the Prem?
Q 2 What do you think caused Man Utd to lose 5 points during last two games?
Q 3 What is your reaction to the theory that Ronaldo has a Henry disease, that is bottles in big pressure fixtures?
Q 4 What have you seen as a football expert to be Adebayor's improvement this season?
Bobby –1. I am sure that fans of specific teams will be able to points lost because of players that took part in the tournament but I am not sure that many others will be much attention to them.
2. Facing teams that were motivated, brave, well prepared and organized. The statistics would also show that United without Rooney this season are susceptible – missing for all four United league losses I believe.
3. I never bought into the Henry conventional wisdom. However, if Ronaldo hopes to be recognized as the best in the world then he is going to have to turn in performances that make the difference between winning major trophies and finishing second. Kaka has done it, now Ronaldo has to match it.
4. Not an expert, just a guy with a good memory and a few opinions. He looks like a player who enjoys pressure and the limelight without being overbearing or a diva. He is very willing to use his physique to a far greater extent than before and Wenger has shown great confidence in him.
Jeremy St Louis off on assignment to Barcelona and will hopefully be blogging while in Spain. He left this blog before he left.
And finally a group called the Canadian Soccer Federation has recently issued a plan that proposes to significantly change the way the game operates in Canada. After years of the Canadian Soccer Association issuing documents and promises but with little or nothing in the way of delivering on their good intentions the CSF overs up an alternative vision for a professionally run organization.
As well as an outline of their vision for the game the CSF has also gained access to a document prepared by Deloitte & Touche in 2005 that laid out an alternative form of governance for the CSA. The CSA never released this document to the soccer public. You can find and read the document at CSF website.
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 BLEEPed 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 BLEEP (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 BLEEP. 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 BLEEP …….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.
It is midnight in Baltimore and I have a ridiculously early flight tomorrow morning. The weekend preview is truncated for that reason.
There are a number of questions that have been posted that I cannot answer given time constraints. I try to keep up and contribute during the week but the bottom line is that the only questions that I can guarantee you an answer to are the ones posted on Speakers' Corner on Monday.
Ian Plenderleith on the debate over whether or US players should or should not head overseas.
A man who went on to make his mark in international sport remembers Tommy Taylor who lost his life in the Munich air disaster.
Saturday will mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Garrincha. Here is some you tube video of him.
The Newcastle vs. Bolton game has taken on a great more relevance with the eturn of wee Kev. Liverpool and Aston Villa could be a pivotal clash for these teams.
In Spain the Madrid derby takes pride of place. An Atletico win or even a draw will provide a boost as the second half of the season gets underway while it would also provide an opportunity for Barcelona to close the present seven-point gap.
The top Italian game is Udinse hosting Milan. The 5-2 win over Napoli has invigerated Milan fans and with Udinese one of theams positioned to push for a top four place the stage is set for an excellent match.
