Not surprisingly Monday’s furour about the Luzhniki Stadium pitch appears to have died away as we now hear that it is going to be just fine. From the equivalent of a neglected public park pitch to no problem in 48 hours – a miracle indeed.

Perhaps the field condition was more a product of a journalist or two who found themselves in Moscow on Monday with nothing to write about until the teams arrived later in the day.

Now comfortable in the knowledge that billions of dollars of talent will not disappear down a sink hole in Moscow I can now safely turn my attention to the game this afternoon.

The problem is that with less than five hours to kick off and I am no closer to deciding who I think is the going to be the 2008 Champions of Europe. I have had a sneaking su####ion about Chelsea since the draw for the last sixteen was made but on the other hand I treat Manchester United in a final as I do the Old Firm – never bet against them.

So in an attempt to come to a decision of Chelsea or Manchester United here are the advantages that each side brings with them to the battle.

Chelsea
1. Didier Drogba – even more so than Ronaldo, Drogba has an unerring ability to lay low for most of a match but to still step up and decide the outcome. His strength and pace makes it impossible to ignore him.

2. Michael Ballack – Player of the Year in England if it was based on the last eight weeks. His positional play has been excellent and when not arguing with Drogba over free kicks the timing of his runs into the penalty box are reminiscent of former United great Bryan Robson.

3. Frank Lampard – criticized for the apparent high number of deflected goals he should be praised for adhering to old adage that if you don’t shoot you don’t score. What’s more when Lampard gets within 30 yards of goal watch how many defenders try to shut him down – no wonder he gets goals from deflections as well as creating gaps for the other Chelsea players to take advantage of.

4. Aerial power – Ballack, Carvalho, Drogba, Terry are all excellent in the air and every set piece for Chelsea will present and real and present danger to United.

5. No other English team has enjoyed a better record against Manchester United than Chelsea and that holds true even before the arrival of Roman Abramovich’s interest free loan.

Manchester United
1. Ronaldo – if United can get him the ball early in the game and he can settle into a rhythm then he can be the match-winner. Cole has played well against him in the past so it will be interesting to see which wing Fergie starts him on.

2. Rio Ferdinand – simply the best defender in England over the last season.

3. Patrice Evra – With a license to get forward that Chelsea appears to be unwilling to give to their full backs the Frenchman can exploit the spaces that the normally narrow Chelsea formation provides.

4. Edwin van der Saar – the Dutchman’s kicking skills have been identified as a weakness by many but it is his ability to find players with quick long throws that might be more pivotal.

5. Mobility – The constant movement used by United means that an opposition defense cannot drop concentration for a moment.

Line Ups
Michael Essien at right back appears to be the way that Chelsea will go with Malouda or Kalou a tactical decision and Cole or Bridge a fitness decision.

The speculation on the United line up is whether or not Ferguson buttresses his midfield with Owen Hargreaves. Bringing Hargreaves in would in my opinion be a clear signal that Ferguson would be happy to accept a saw-off in midfield and rely on his wide players and Rooney to win it for him.

A more aggressive strategy - and gamble - would be to start Tevez and Rooney in attack with Tevez being asked to hassle and upset Makelele as he sits just in front of the Chelsea back four. The downside of starting Tevez is that it takes away an option to change the game by way of the substitutes bench.

Decision – still unknown!

It’s not so much Arsene Wenger’s thoughts in this piece but the website information that will be available next summer.

Former mentor Boris Berezovsky is suing Roman Abramovich.

UEFA is moving to implement a specialist youth coaching badge.

Jonathan Wilson on Guus Hiddink and Russia’s national team.

Looking ahead to the first Old Firm clash of the season next weekend.

As henry14 pointed out in a posting Arsenal will have the services of Adebayor as Togo have missed out on a spot in the finals of the African Cup of Nations. The article runs down how some clubs might be impacted.

The source of the “Klinsmann to Tottenham” seems to have come from this Matt Dickinson article in the Times on October 8. Everyone else has been playing catch up.

Nick Townsend on the recent turnover of managers in the Championship.

Simon Kuper writing about racism in soccer.

Tony O'Donoghue thinks that Ireland’s performance in drawing with Germany has saved Steve Staunton’s job.

Reports of Mourinho's departure from Stamford Bridge are now extensive with the debate now centering on whether he resigned or was fired. Here are the latest articles from a couple British newspapers with their take on the shock development - the Times and the Guardian. The Daily Telegraph and the Independent currently are without a story although the Telegraph contains a link to ESPN Soccernet.

With Ballack in the mix, Lampard's role become less clear and subsequently the English midfielder became less effective. Prior to his move to Stamford Bridge Ballack has been the fulcrum of the midfield at Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and with the German national side. Two players trying to play the same role did not work as England has experienced when Steven Gerrard and Lampard were teamed together.

While the problem of Ballack and Lampard in the midfield became more obvious as the season progressed the issue of Shevchenko's role was more apparent, in fact almost from the start. In order to play Shevchenko, Mourinho had two options - the first was to opt for the former Milan man over Drogba. Although Drogba struggled at times in his first Premiership season in 2005, it was clear to all by season two that the Ivory Coast striker was a game-winner and not someone who needed to play second-fiddle to anyone.

That left Mourinho with the option of moving to a 4-4-2 formation which he fielded for most of last season. It was a system that rarely flattered Chelsea and left them generally looking disjointed and lacking the balance and pace that was on show during Mourinho's first two seasons in charge.

What's more Chelsea seemed to lose the mental edge and application that had been such an important part of their game when the won back-to-back titles. As the fear receded in other sides Chelsea was forced more frequently to come from behind to salvage a draw or to pull off a win - a position they had rarely found themselves in before.

With rumours rife of the owner and the manager not speaking the club appeared to grow more dysfunctional as last season progressed. The move to bring in Avram Grant looked to be the straw that was to break the manager’s back but a peace deal was brokered that appeared from the outside to have everyone comfortably playing in their own sandbox. However, reports that owner Abramovich was on a mission to sign Ronaldinho just before the August 31 transfer deadline, was perhaps a clue that the fix was only a band-aid solution and the cracks quickly reemerged.  

Over the last two or three weeks the issues have compounded – an unsatisfactory explanation as to why Michael Ballack was left of the Champions League roster; the Shevchenko dilemma escalated as the Ukrainian striker put in good performance against Italy something not seen in a Chelsea uniform; a loss to Aston Villa and a draw with Blackburn in the Premiership; an embarrassing tie at home in front of a small crowd to Norwegian team Rosenborg; and then perhaps the final sign that Mourinho had cracked – his egg story at a press conference this week.

So what now for Mourinho? It’s not good news for incumbent managers. Knowing that Mourinho is again on the market provides any trigger happy Chairman with a ready replacement should any of the big clubs stumble in the next few weeks.

As for a replacement two names will be prominent. Fabio Capello is available and if Chelsea is looking for a proven and tested winner then Capello fits the bill to a tee. The other is Guus Hiddink, currently in charge of Russia’s national team. Abramovich is rumoured to have brokered the deal that placed Hiddink in charge and so there does appear to be a prior relationship.

That potential move does however come with complications beyond Hiddink dumping Russia and it comes in the form of Frank Arnesen, the current Sporting Director at Stamford Bridge (another chief!). Arnesen and Hiddink worked together at PSV Eindhoven a few years back until PSV management opted to dump the Dane in a power struggle that Hiddink won.

Therealrico - Do you think maybe Rossi will leave for Italy? He has already made it apparent that he wants to play for Italy over the US, and maybe his style is more at home in Italy. What do you think?

Bobby – Given his goal scoring record since he arrived at Parma I can see him being in demand if he becomes available. But I cannot see SAF allowing him to leave without giving an extended run in the United team at the start of next season.

 

 

BlueBlades - Redondo ex RM and ACM, and Paulo Sousa ex Juventus. These were two excellent players who just seemed to vanish, where are they now, are they still playing or retired?

Bobby – Both excellent players and now retired. The fact that Passarella wouldn’t have him in the Argentina squad in 1998 because of the length of his hair robbed us of seeing him at his peak. It was around the same time that he went to Old Trafford with Real Madrid and was magnificent in the Champions League. I’m certain Sousa has also retired. I know that he had some injury problems but I can’t say for certain whether or not that resulted in his retirement or if he just thought it was time to pack it in. Sousa was part of Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Borussia Dortmund side that won the Champions League a decade ago.

 

 

Shaunmc - Scott Carson the Goalkeeper for Charlton, (on loan from Liverpool) came from a team called Cleator Moor Celtic. Do you have any info on this club?

Bobby – A quick internet search threw up Cleator Moor Celtic website. I have to admit that before you mentioned the team it is one that had flown under my radar. Before Liverpool Carson was with Leeds United and was part of the Peter Risdale “everything must go” sale.

 

 

RINGO  - OK, Back by popular demand...my mate Verbal, anyway! Name the 2nd oldest knock-out cup competition.the oldest international competition, and the worlds oldest football club.The answers will be provided by Bobby on the next blog...if he knows them!

Bobby – OK - I'll bite! I would agree with verbal97’s answer to 1) Scottish FA Cup and 2) Copa America. The oldest surviving team is I believe Notts. County. It’s good being the first team but it must have made for a lot of squad pick up games until another team came along.

 

 

Henry14 - Do you feel United are favoured by referees? l think so because it is scandalous how they have escaped with penalties yet you see the ones they get. l understand that they are bound to get more because they attack more most of the time but some the penalties were as soft as it gets.

Bobby – All big teams get calls that smaller teams don’t get – it is not that they are consciously favoured by referees - it is human nature. It is easy to be critical of the referee for the decision on Saturday to wave off the O’Shea foul on Lee but we are benefiting from a perfect camera angle – something that the referee didn’t have, and not something I think he could be faulted for. When you look at the incident from the camera behind the Boro goal there is no way that you could say for sure that O’Shea played the man first.

 

 

Gunner44 - Why are they forming a U.K. team for the Olympics? Can't every country just rep. itself?
RINGO - There will NEVER be a combined GB team, other than for the 2012 Olympics. And you will not find anyone from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales who wants one, right, Bobby?

Bobby – At the Olympics there is only a UK team. The Commonwealth Games is different – each of the four countries competes as separate teams – as does the likes of the Isle of Man and Guernsey!!
In 2012 it may be a combined soccer team in name but I would be very surprised if Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales players participated. I think the whole idea of a combined team is a crock and despite what FIFA might say I don’t trust them not to use it as a future precedent.
I have never understood the line that is trotted out about how every young athlete wants to compete at the Olympic Games. I never did and nobody I grew up with did either. We all wanted to play against England at Hampden or play in the Scottish Cup Final. The Olympic soccer tournament is a pretty worthless tournament – some good football is played but…- and just another competition on the calendar that is not needed. The 2012 Olympics will come right after Euro 2012 and I know which one I will be watching. On a political note, the issue of a combined team might be a mute point. Scotland has an election coming up next week and the SNP (the Scottish Independence party) looks set to win which could set up a referendum on full sovereignty in a couple of years.

 

 

spons46 - As we reach the end of this season, what would your EPL starting XI be. I hope it isn't as red devil heavy as the "Team of the year".
Gunner44 - I have always wondered why the hell does the team of the year have to be dominated by players of the team that is likely to win the title. I thought the team of the year is composed of players who have been the best at their positions, kind of like it is in the C.L. and W.C. team of the year?

Bobby – That is something I will get ready for an end of season blog. I promise mine will be current and not something I picked just after the New Year.

 

 

Neophyte -  I enjoyed the article by Brooking. It has been a source of debate at our local club as to the best approach in coaching the youngsters---position and passing (argued by a man from Winchester, England) or individual footskills and 1v1, 2v2, by the senior trainer--a former professional footballer and futsal player from Sao Paulo, Brazil. You sacrifice winning at the early ages as they develop their footskills. However we are seeing the Brazilian's determination pay off in the U-12 group. The problem is you lose a lot of would-be players due to the losses and the amount of practice it takes to develop quality footskills. Question: As the American game continues to develop do you see it taking on a more South American look or a European-English look? It seems that the Yanks overseas lean towards the Anglo-countries rather than the Latin ones. But MLS seems to have an easier time getting the Latin players to come over. Your views?

Bobby – I can see the MLS taking the South American route. The climate is in favour of that style rather than the hard non-stop running style of Northern Europe. In terms of development I think the knowledgeable consensus is that teaching kids formations and tactics and any age before 12 is a waste of time. However, I see the development of passing skills as apart of overall skill development and not something that is an either or. Overall we seem to have our kids playing far too many games and not practicing enough – both organized practices and pick up games they organize themselves.

 

 

foxcube - If you were an Arsenal fan, would you stand against the possible takeover by Stan? He is not rich yet he is said to have powerful financial clout and can inject funds into transfers albeit a larger debt. Is this the number one positive for a takeover? Do you think ManU have benefited and Liverpool will benefit from their American owners? How strong do think these three big clubs would be against possible decline in income from economic downturns and awful performances on the pitch? Will the Americans invest in the clubs out of their pockets like Abramovich?

Bobby – Abramovich is an exception and no other takeover can be compared to his buyout of Chelsea. As for the other purchasers, they all see an opportunity to make money. In terms of Liverpool you have two individuals with deep pockets who are in a position to make a new stadium a realty which the old board could not do. That has to be chalked up as positive for Liverpool in that they will have an asset that generates additional revenue.
It is essentially the same move that Arsenal made in building Ashburton Grove – except they were able to engineer a deal based on their financial situation at that time. In other words the financial institutions considered Arsenal to be a better financial risk than Liverpool.
To have someone like Kroenke come in and buy the club might provide some short term transfer funds but the more likely scenario is that he will simply put up as little money on the table as possible and then have the club assume the debt he has incurred in buying the club.
This is how the Glazers bought Manchester United. A commonly held view is businessmen – such as the Glazers – buy the club with their own money. They don’t - they buy the club with supporter’s money. The club carries the debt and it is paid off over a period of time as the club generates profits – profits generated by supporters.  

 

Chinaski - Considering that Everton still have to play Man U and Chelsea do you believe that they can hold onto a UEFA Cup spot?

Bobby – I think they can. Reading and Spurs have easier schedules but Bolton and Portsmouth both tough runs coming up. The Everton - Portsmouth game looks to be a crucial one. 

 

Foxcube - Milan looked flat today aside from Kaka and Gattuso to some extent. Most disappointing had to be Pirlo. (goalkeeper aside.) They were not on the same energy level. Age? Form? They wanted to keep possession but simply couldn't. What do you think of the second leg?

Bobby – I thought the turning point was when Gattuso went off injured. Gattuso’s “mini-me” Brocchi just isn’t at the same level. Gilardino was a passenger and not capable of holding the ball up when he got it. If Gattuso is fit then I think Milan can get a one-goal win. However, once again you have to admire Manchester United’s spirit. As far as both sides were considered it wasn’t exactly a defensive masterpiece today. Dida – or is it Geeda!! - looked awful on the first and third United goals while Carrick lost Kaka on the first goal. Then Evra and Heinze decided to recreate the Willie Miller-Hansen circa 1978 World Cup Scotland vs. Russia for Kaka’s second.    

 

 

 

Henry14 - Q1 What do you make of Kroenke guy's increase in stake, what do think are his intentions?
Q2 l saw Milan and they are really catching form at the right moment do you see them having a shout out red hot united because l feel Inzaghi and Gilardino are not good enough for Milan. Do you feel that the second leg being at Milan can be a disadvantage for United?
Q3 What do you make the kissing and hugs of Roman and Jose?
Q4 l do not feel the premier league is the best league because they are four teams that really and this season two that are in the title hunt were as in Germany and Spain the race is interesting which do you think is the best league and what does it take for the premiership to have a four way race?

Bobby – 1. To state the blindingly obvious Stan Kroenke's intention is to make money. The question is how will he go about it? He could be looking to take the club over himself and his present stake gives him a foothold. Second option is that he thinks someone will come along to buy the club and he will be able to turn a profit on his present stake – the JP McManus/John Magnier Manchester United strategy. The third possibility is that he foresees a battle for control coming from multiple sources and he might want to position himself as a potential “kingmaker”.
Q2 – Two seasons ago I picked United to beat Milan because I didn’t think that Milan could control Giggs and Ronaldo – they did it with ease and went through to the final. Milan have got better as the competition has progressed and I thought they looked very comfortable in beating Bayern Munich in the second leg. As for Inzaghi and Gilardino not being good enough for Milan – it doesn’t really matter one way or another at the moment as these are the boys that Ancelotti will have to go with. I wouldn’t bet against either or both scoring against United. At this stage I am not sure that home or away second really makes any difference although given a preference I would take the first leg at home.
Q3 – I choose not to read any of the Abramovich/Mourinho soap opera stories.
Q4 – I have never understood the argument/discussion about what constitutes the “best-league” without spending an eternity over the definition of best. If the point is what league is the strongest then based on performances over the last four or five years the answer is Spain. It might marginally help the marketing guys to say that their league is the best but the bottom line is that if spectators and TV viewers don’t find the league exciting or engaging they won’t watch it. Soccer is a game that can be enjoyed at every level so I am constantly amazed at the number of so called fans that tell you that they hate such-and-such a league because it is ####. You don’t need two teams with great technical ability to provide an entertaining spectacle – that is part of the beauty of the game. 

RINGO - How many non-league teams have won the FA Cup?

Bobby – As Venti_vidi_vici answered – Tottenham. It was actually part of the FA Cup preview article a few weeks back before Chelsea played Spurs in the quarter final. One piece of trivia to add to Spurs 1901 Cup win. Spurs started the tradition of hanging club colour ribbons to the trophy.

RINGO - I was just listening to the Thursday podcast of World Soccer Daily and they played another Mourinho parody, could you please post the address like last time?

Bobby – There seems to be a few of them out there. Check out the link.  

Spike24 - There's a little controversy brewing among Reading supporters over whether we should be trying to secure a place in European competition this year or not. Some are disappointed that it seems we've given up on it, while others thing trying to get there would be too much too soon. Which way do you think Reading should be going? Knowing of course that Coppell is too smart to pull an Ipswich even if we were to qualify.

Bobby – I don’t any team is going to give up on a chance to play in Europe even though it might be considered “too early”. Reading have made great progress this season but the real test will be year two as so many teams have found out. It looks like Sidwell will be moving on and that will leave a big hole to fill. I sense that a couple of defenders might also be on the summer shopping list.

Gongatore - Can you chat a bit about what makes a player like Keano be able to lead a side like Sunderland to success so quickly? Does being coached by Sir Alex for all those years and his influence have much sway here?
Also how much has Sheva contributed to making Drogba a better player this year?

Bobby – Given his record as a player then I can imagine (and has earned) that he has garnered instant respect from the players. After losing their first four games he also came into a situation where the players were looking for leadership and bought into his ideas. If you look at the number of times Sunderland have come back to win or turned a draw into a win this year then I think that is a strong indication of the confidence and drive that he has instilled in the players. He has also made some very good moves in the transfer market. Character players have been brought in while others have been moved on – I think something like 14 players have moved in or out since Keane arrived.

You have to remember that Keane’s first professional coach in England was Brian Clough so he has played under tow of the very best who have ever managed in England.

The Sheva/Drogba question has come up before and I do think that Shevchenko’s presence has helped Drogba although Drogba has been awesome this season.

henry14 - What do you think about the new Arsenal kit for 2007 which has petitions for rejection.

Bobby – I don’t think very much of it but there again kits have never been a big thing for me.

Venti_vidi_vici - I have a great deal of respect for the job Martin Jol has done at Spurs given his relative inexperience, especially the record performance last year when they pushed Arsenal all the way in the battle for fourth place. Is his job in jeopardy, especially if he misses out on Europe in a season where the goal was fourth place?

Do you think there is any possibility that the FA Cup final will be moved back a week, particularly if the same two teams are in the UCL final? Unfortunately having the FA Cup final a few days before the UCL final could force one or both of the managers to keep key players out of the Wembley showdown. Furthermore England doesn’t play a qualifier on 2-June, then visit Estonia on 6-June.

Bobby – If Tottenham had not turned their domestic season around then I think Jol would have already been gone. I would be surprised if he was fired now. Spurs have been very entertaining over the last few months and I think the fans – although disappointed with the overall results – would be disappointed if he was let go. There again the North London derby does go this Saturday.

There is no way that the FA Cup final will be moved nor do I see either manager resting players. 

Verbal97 - Where do you think Michael Owen will be getting treatment next year - Newcastle or is there a chance he'll go to Old Toilet. If he goes to Man U, he might as well burn down Anfield.

Bobby – If Manchester United were going to sign Michael Owen surely they would have done that before he moved to St James’ Park rather than waiting till after he has missed almost a full year due to injury. That rumour is one of the most bizarre of the season.

Gunner44 - My question to you is do you think Giggs deserves to be nominated or should Vidic be the one nominated or even Essien?

Also who would you pick if you starting a team next season C. Ronaldo or Kaka if given the choice at the end of this season? Explain why?

Bobby – It is always more difficult for a defender to get the nod over an attacking player. Giggs – and Scholes – have both turned back the years this season so I find it difficult to say that they do not deserve the nominations. Essien has been terrific this season and I would agree that he is very unlucky not to be considered. I would say the same of Ricardo Carvalho.
My choice would Cristiano Ronaldo over Kaka as I think he is a bit more versatile and a bit more willing to impose himself on a game. However, if I was a manager I would not be complaining if Kaka arrived at my door one day asking for a game.

Carneade - Have you ever heard of this "Unofficial Football World Championships" ?

Bobby – We talked about this on the Fox Soccer Report during the last Euro qualifying week of games. We mentioned that Scotland was in a position to become the “World Champions” if they beat Georgia but in turn Italy had the opportunity to hold both crown simultaneously if they then beat Scotland. And that is how it turned out.

djnima19 - Last week I heard Steve Cohen and Nick Geber (your fellow pundits at FSC) call for Italian clubs as well as the national team to be banned from all UEFA matches for a couple of years due to the violence from ultras, lax match fixing, and corruption. He noted that Juve are well back on their way to Serie a, and that one of the execs at Juve who resigned now sits on the Italian FA. Do you believe something that harsh is justified and if enforced, would it improve Serie A in the long run? He mentioned the England ban and how it improved the league.

Bobby – Last things first. After the Heysel disaster in 1985 the FA – under pressure from the UK government – withdrew English teams from European competition. UEFA banned English clubs – not the national team – from European competition after the FA withdrawal. Linking the ban on English clubs to how the league improved is not something that history supports. It is widely acknowledged that the turning point in the English game was the Taylor Report into the Hillsborough Disaster which had nothing to do with hooliganism. The Taylor Report recommended the upgrading of stadia including all-seater facilities for the top leagues in England and Scotland and that recommendation was pivotal in turning the game around in England. The Premier League, Sky TV etc are other critical elements but the Taylor Report was the first important step.

In fact the Taylor Report played a critical role in killing off a Thatcher government proposal that would have required all fans attending games in England to carry identity cards. This was the governments answer to combating hooliganism.

Suggesting that Italian football would be cleaned up if the national team and clubs were banned from European competition because it helped clean up the English game is faulty logic at best.

Finally if you cast your mind back to Euro 2000 which country was it that would have likely got tossed from the competition because of hooliganism but, as it was, they failed to qualify from the group stage – England was it not.

Henry 14 - What do you make of the claim that the Prem is becoming an old firm with United and Chelsea dominating an Liverpool to a certain extent, but there is a feeling that Arsenal are surely the club that could easily lose their top 4 status which to some extent l painfully agree with.

Bobby – The game has always had era’s of dominating teams and this one is no different. Check out how many league titles Liverpool won in the 70’s and 80’s.

MasMaz - Would like you to drop your objectivity, which you never do, and comment on Roy Keane. I believe you are a closet Man U supporter. What is your opinion of him? As a player and as a man.
-And do you think Henry will be back next year?

Bobby – MasMaz join the line up behind the others who think I am a Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs, and Celtic fan! Keane was a fantastic player – one of the best I have ever seen – and he looks as if he could become a fascinating manager – as someone said he seems to have reinvented himself. However, I read his book and I thought it full of self-justification. Yes – Henry will be back next season even if he has to play full back.

Verbal97 - Beasley has just scored against Arsenal, which makes it 4 goals in 18 apps, not bad for a winger on Man City. He was easily the player of the match, though it was a dire match, against Liverpool. Why wouldn't Pearce, who made some cryptic comments yesterday, not want to make his loan deal permanent? He's got more goals than in 10 starts/18 apps than Corradi (a striker) does in 23 starts/28 apps, even on goals with Vassell (another striker) who has started 27 times/31 apps, and just 2 fewer than leading striker Samaras, who's started 19 times/38 apps.

Bobby – We don’t know what sort of money PSV is looking at plus we don’t really know how Beasley has applied himself since moving to City. Beasley has the pace and ability but something went wrong after a great start in Holland. However, I would hope that he does stick around and City signs him permanently.

No doubt this piece is flying around the globe courtesy of the internet.

Jose and Roman "discuss" Chelsea's problems.

It has only been five days since David Beckham signed the contract with the LA Galaxy but in that time millions of words have already been spoken and written about the deal.  I felt that columns by Gary Lineker and Ian Plenderleith were both reasoned, informative and sober comments on the move.

Columns such as these were very much in the minority as "journalists" all round the world set new  "standards" while opting to reinforce stereotype views of the game in North America. The worst example was from a US based writer who wrote that if Beckham wants to watch the Premiership the only option he will have is a pub in Santa Monica!!

Perhaps there is a chance that at some point the soccer implications of Beckham's move will take precedent, although I doubt it.  Even so it will be interesting to see who else the Galaxy after and who will be expected to finish the opportunities that Beckham creates from set pieces and raking passes.

It is looking increasingly likely that Beckham will arrive in time for the start of MLS season rather than midway through - although this morning the MLS Commisioner issued a statement "clarifying" certain statements attributed to him over the last day or so.

Fabio Capello’s reaction to Beckham signing appears petty to the extreme and may in the short term proved to be ill-advised.  After all, managers are unable to choose when injury crisises hit and it would certainly be egg on Capello's face if he suddenly needed to turn to Beckham for help in the next couple of months.

Capello is under fire at the Bernabéu although the win over Real Zaragoza will have eased the pressure. With Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich acting more and more like a couple heading to the divorce court, speculation is rapidly growing that Mourinho will be packing up his ego and heading to Madrid.

The situations at Chelsea and Real Madrid brought to mind a wonderful description that Phil Ball wrote in his book “Morbo - The story of Spanish football.” Given Chelsea's stated intention to become the biggest club in the world it also contains words of warning for the Stanford Bridge club.

He wrote, “Nevertheless, there have been periods in Real Madrid's history when such ruthlessness has tended to exacerbate the internal problems of a club whose vaulting ambition has always ensured a state of “crisis” is never too far away.”

Amy Lawrence takes a look at Jose Mourinho’s battle with Abramovich, while Peter Jenson speculates on a move to the Bernabeu

Finally Jonathan Northcroft wrote an extremely interesting piece on the players who have not made the grade at Arsenal and Manchester United but who are considered by other clubs as extremely valuable properties.

 

Henry14 - My question concerns Wenger's treatment to Henry. If you look dropping players and so forth has always been his way of showing players the door, and l am afraid, that Henry is about to be shown the door, he did it with Vieira. I can see that in the summer. l do not see ourselves doing without Thierry's goals l do not think rvp and ade can give the team 20 to 30 goals together during the month. What do you make of the whole fiasco?

Bobby – Well I think that if getting rid of Thierry Henry was part of a dastardly plan by Arsene Wenger then he would have transferred him to Barcelona rather than signing him to along term contract. Wenger has never operated that way – I don’t remember him dropping Petit, Overmars or Vieira in order to engineer a move. As I said last night I think this is a case of a mountain being made out of a mole hill. Henry has played a ton of games this year, he has a number of injury problems, he’s not playing like he can – a period of rest seems to be a sensible way of approaching it.

Gunner 44 - My question to you is what do you think of Sepp's plan of making the season from Feb to Nov? Also what do you think of AS Roma can they win that scudetto? Also with Liverpool drawing Arsenal in the 1st round of the FA do you think they should put a seeding system kind of like in the C.L. to avoid big teams from meeting in the first rounds, because I really don't want to see another Man U vs. Milwall type of final I'd rather see Arsenal Vs. Man U final or even last years final. I have nothing wrong against small teams I just think when it comes to the finals big teams will very rarely slip. You just need to look at the last 5 years and see who has been winning the FA cup, Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool and I think Chelsea.

Bobby – Sepp’s plan is just plain dopey – although I would not be surprised if he came out with this latest nugget as a means to cover his tracks on Jack Warner and ticket gate. Roma’s problem is the depth of their squad and they also have a place in the Champions League last 16 now. Seeding system in the FA Cup – never ever ever.
The Man Utd – Millwall final was a better game than the United – Arsenal abomination the year after – it was stinker. To turn your argument on you if the final outcome is what you would expect why tamper with the process.

djnima – 1. Who do you think will get the automatic start up front for Arsenal in the coming weeks? RVP seems to be the clear choice, but Adebayor has scored some big goals (openers vs. Tottenham & United). Who do you foresee having the bigger month?

2. Liverpool now finds themselves on the brink of breaking the top 4. Do you think Rafa will finally stop his rotating ways and simply start consistently with Kuyt and Bellamy? They seem to make a great partnership. Who do you believe will have a better season at Liverpool now that Kuyt seems to be the guaranteed the start up front?

Bobby – Wenger may well revert back to 2 up front. He could also use Baptista as a striker as well. I cannot see Rafa changing his rotation system.

LosAngelesChelseaFan - Werder Bremen seem to have put a "For Sale" sign on Closer. Liverpool seems to suit his style but Real Madrid will be interested presumably.

Where do you think his style would fit in best and who do you think will bid?

Bobby – I would not think that Real Madrid would be interested given that they are well stocked with forwards at this time. If Newcastle has the money I am sure they would be interested, maybe Aston Villa? Outside of the Premiership you have to think that Milan need to make a move to solve their goal scoring problems.

Henry 14 - l am an actuarial science student and somehow did a research of the premier of UAE, you know what from the investments l have studied, they will be big transformations in the hierarchy at Liverpool, because his family is the only thing that gets power, of his assets in an autocratic manner, in all his investment, he has been a man who has made more money by ruthless business means of profit at all cost, something that does not go well in the football fraternity. l saw article from Liverpool fan expecting the guy to, to splash money to buy the club, splash money for the stadium and give Rafa millions like Mourinho that will not happen this is a business investment that can be forfeit if profits are minimal and if they are huge loss. They guy is not a soccer fan at all, so he wont own Liverpool like Roman, but it will become, part of a holding company, having said that l feel if they do not rush into conclusion and take time with ploughing cash to minimize losses, they can be a huge success in 5 to 10 years something l doubt Liverpool fans want to hear. What is your view on foreign ownership in the Prem?

Bobby – I think what us poor people often cannot fathom is that the money we are talking about here is relatively small potatoes to the mega-rich. What we don’t know or see is the larger picture and the larger plan. When Abramovich bought Chelsea he not only got a Premiership club but a profile that he was unable to garner while buying up a large chunk of the former Soviet Union. That profile provides a means to do other business that was not available to him before. People like Abramovich or Sheik Mo don’t invest money in businesses and allow them to fail or be satisfied with a 10% return. The first success criteria for a football club is winning - not making money. They know football clubs do not operate at a profit so the key is using the football club as a tool that produces pay-offs in other areas. It is a loss leader.

Alex Morph - What merits an indirect free kick in the penalty area?

Bobby – 1. Obstruction - rarely given these days.

2. and dangerous play.

3. the goalie holding on to the ball to long.

neophyte - I didn't know Don Williams was still alive! Just a couple of off the wall comments: Where is the Reading firepower up front? Is Convey really that important because they have looked horrid up front?

Bobby – Ted, Tennessee and Hank are deceased but not Don!
I’m sure that they are missing Convey’s left foot but you have to consider the schedule that Reading as had the last few weeks. Has any side had a tougher run than Manchester United, West Ham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Liverpool?
They face Spurs on Sunday and then it looks a bit brighter – Charlton, Fulham, Bolton, Newcastle, Watford, and Blackburn. They will need to pick up points because the holiday schedule is on the tough side – Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham.

AlexMorph - Who is your pick among the current crop of England 'wingers'; Joe Cole, Lennon, SWP, Downing, et al. To my mind Cole is really the most creative (besides being the most complete player), and after him I would take Lennon. SWP and Downing never seem to show any guile in taking on a defender, and Phillips always needs about 10 feet of space or he'll lose control.

Bobby - Actually, I think you can make a case that Cole is more effective in a central role. Until Mourinho got a hold of him, I thought Cole was just going to turn out to be another unfulfilled talent. Lennon on his game is tremendous. If he can make as much progress this season as he did last season then he will be some player come May 2007. Some players are quick – certainly Lennon is – but Lennon is sharp as well. That is maybe your issue with SWP – he seems to need more space to work in. Downing is blessed with a great left foot which is a wonderful advantage. I would say that the next 12 months or so are critical for Downing and it will decide whether he goes on to become an international class player or just a very good club player.

venti_vidi_vici - Why is Mourinho starting Hilario now that Cudicini has been declared fit? Is Hilario really the better option, or is JM repaying a debt to Hilario, or is this part of a larger scheme? I believe it is part of a scheme to get to Buffon in January. Benching Cudicini will naturally force him to seek a transfer, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind joining Juventus. The bianco-neri have shown a great interest in Mascherano, whose contract is basically owned by Abramovich. I think it’s safe to say that the whole Abramovich/MSI connection is hardly a secret anymore! I think Juventus would accept the Cudicini and Mascherano trade for Buffon with the right amount of cash, which is obviously not an issue! Juventus will need the transfer money next year, and may even get an option for Cech when he’s healthy. Or it could be that Cudicini is actually not quite fit yet, and Mourinho is just being cautious !!!!

Bobby – A couple of questions in there. Cudicini has been in a tough position since Cech arrived – how do you hope to stay match fit when you rarely see action? Having said that Cudicini is prone to costly gaffs and perhaps his best days were during the Vialli/Ranieri eras.
I don’t know about the Abramovich/MSI connection though. It seems to me that since the double Argentine move to Upton Park there has been more to indicate that Abramovich and MSI are not one and the same. The more I think about this I can’t come up with a credible reason why a man who could buy all the players he ever wanted would want to mess around with a share of what is in effect for him, a small scale operation.   

Henry14 - 1.as I was watching the Arsenal game I was frustrated as you can imagine with the lack of determination, l think Wenger will clearly take a swipe at his players if he has never did. West Ham deserved to win; they were hungry and the gunners let talk of beautiful football get to their head. l feel that Wenger 's outburst was as a result of the frustration of losing points while he lied that he was impressed by the team's performance and I bet that if he had been hit by a ball from a player he would have been on his throat. If you would have asked Wenger how many point he would get in his past three games including the Hammers he would have said 7 to 9 and that why I feel he snapped, what do you think caused him to lose his cool

2. My question is if Ashley Cole is the best left back in world football then the standard of left backs in world football is low, Il have seen him since he has been to Chelsea and has not got his best form. l think this is because Chelsea are more defensive minded than attacking and his defensive awols are now being exposed than ever b4, he was toasted in the Barca game by Messi and Lennon made him look average, and to be honest Chelsea’s weakness are wingback. Do you think it is Chelsea’s weakness and what do you make of Cole’s poor form since joining Chelsea in comparison to a Gallas?

3.  What do you make of Cole’s allegations towards Graham Poll, I did not feel he had a bad game and do you thing if a Neil Warnock, or Adie Bothroyd had complained about ref treatment would the ref chief go to speak to him or it is just one of those moves that only happen to the big boys as the case with Mourinho and if so what causes the bias?

Bobby –1. Frustration. 2 – It could be that Ashley Cole is showing the effects of the long drawn out move from Arsenal to Chelsea as well as his run-in with the FA plus he just got married etc. He is not playing well but few good players in the prime of their careers suddenly become bad players. At Arsenal he had a system that he was comfortable in and he had an understanding with Pires and Henry. Now he has to learn how Jose Mourinho wants him to play. Perhaps one of Cole’s strengths with Arsenal was he often forced the wide midfield player to mark him. At Chelsea that doesn’t seem to be happening too much at the moment. I don’t think you can write him off in his first three months and make comparisons to Gallas. Chelsea fans would rightfully point out that even if Gallas is playing better Chelsea still lead Arsenal and I am willing to bet that Ashley Cole is still playing years after William Gallas has retired. 3. It sounds as if Poll actually said what Cole claims, then the referee assessor and the assistant referees would have heard it as they are all connected. We will know sooner rather than later. If it turns out that Poll didn’t then Ashley Cole will be the starting left-back for the Pinocchio X1.

4Everton - Is Kanu injured? Just wondering why he hasn't playing as much.

Bobby – He was on the bench on Saturday but didn’t get on. He has started 8 games and came off the bench once this season. That means apart from Saturday there has only been one other Premiership game where he hasn’t made an appearance.

davard - How was "The Don?"

Bobby – It was great stuff. Unfortunately this tour is billed as a farewell one.

bigdavedisaster - I thought your comments on Mondays show about Robbie Keane were spot on. He has become a fan favorite at Spurs because of his tenacity and great work rate and he seems to take a leadership role when he starts games. I criticized him earlier in the year but he seems to be back in his form of last year the more that Jol plays him I hope it translates to Ireland. He and Berbatov seem to play well together and I think Jol should stick with them. I like Defoe but he does not see the field well and though he has great pace and quickness I think that he rarely creates chances for other players and needs the ball at his feet a lot to create his own chances. Mido and Defoe are sloppy with the ball whereas Keane and Berbatov tend to be a settling presence allowing other players to get forward and create scoring opportunities. Do you think Jol will stay with the Bulgarian and Irishman and does that mean that Defoe might be dealt in January?

Bobby – I think the Bulgar-Irish duo looks to be the most promising but Martin Jol is another manager that rotates so I am not so sure that you will see anything resembling a settled partnership.

verbal97 - Thanks for not adding to the ridiculous hyperbole that is crowning Ferguson the greatest manager in the history of the world. Although, I personally think Paisley is better than Busby as he had to take over for a legend in Shankly and was even more successful.

Bobby – Not doubt Bob Paisley was more successful than Shanks but rather like Busby, without Shankly would Paisley have had the foundation to build on? It really comes down to what you place a higher value on – trophies or the instilling of a culture of good football and high expectations which in turn leads to winning trophies. In doing research for the Busby piece I discovered that Bob Paisley arrived at Anfield just before WWII and that Busby, who was club captain at the time, apparently took the young Paisley under his wing.

neophyte - I noticed that many of you have Buffon listed as the #1 keeper, as well as FIFA. My son even tells me he is one of the best keepers in his FIFA video game. Maybe VVV can help out here since I haven't seen Buffon a lot but I didn't see much in the way of "the best keeper" in the WC. His backline was incredible and I don't remember him getting tested. I have seen Dida-impressive, and a couple of other keepers in La Liga that were impressive. Why doesn't Van Der Saar get more love? He looked great in the WC (as well as Ricardo-Portugal) and plays in a league that scores more than any other. I am sure I'm missing something but what is going on with the Buffon man-crush everyone is feeling? VVV-educate me. Bobby-help me see the light.

Bobby – I would pick Buffon as the best in the world. A few years back I was a bit surprised when Juventus sold van der Sar to Fulham and spent a fortune on Buffon. I thought van der Sar was a bit of a scapegoat for a blunder that essentially handed Roma the scudetto a few years back. He made a hash of a Nakata shot after Juventus was 2-0 up and the game finished in a 2-2 draw. Shortly after that he was gone.
But over the years Buffon has been very consistent – even as a teenager with Parma – and he very rarely makes a mistake. He seems to do everything that a keeper needs to do very well.