Mickey Thomas – a former FA Cup hero who went to jail for making big money.

A look out club signings by nationality.

Robert Philip manages to name check Mary Queen of Scots, Scotty from Star Trek, ####es, Bill Shankly and Sean Connery before getting to the point of his football article. You really just need to read his introduction.

 Another idea of how to generate stadium revenue. Sounds a bit bizarre but....

A Soccer America interview with USA national team boss Bob Bradley.

 The Independent lists the best players in the UK outside of the Premiership.

The Financial Times and Guardian articles on Manchester United record revenue and profits are the best I have read in terms of giving good information about the interest payments.

From the top to the near bottom - the reverse of Sir Alex Ferguson's journey. The Times with a positive story about East Stirlingshire - the team that offerred Ferguson his first job in hairdressing nearly thirty four years ago. 

With Newcastle United pulling the plug on another manager it is worth looking at the performance of the not-so-magnificent seven (although in relation to Keegan and Robson that remark should be tempered) during the Premiership years. Newcastle was not a charter member of the Premiership but after missing out on the first season Keegan secured promotion in his first full season.

Here are the managers, the position the club was in when they “left”, games in charge, average points gained and the approximate net outlay in transfer fees – it is a lot.

The list is in chronological order:

o Kevin Keegan – 4th, 143 games, 1.85 points, $80M

o Kenny Dalglish – 13th*, 56 games, 1.34 points, $27M

o Ruud Gullit – 19th, 41 games, 1.65 points, $13.6M

o Sir Bobby Robson – 17th, 188 games, 1.60 points, $58M

o Graeme Souness – 16th, 56 games, 1.16 points, $66M

o Glen Roeder – 13th, 52 games, 1.42 points, $19M

o Sam Allardyce – 11th, 21 games, 1.24 points, $28M

(Dalglish carries an asterisk as he was fired only two games into a season and 13th was the previous season’s finishing position.)

From Gullit on the managers are getting fired with the team sitting in ever higher positions. Maybe it is all part of some cunning plan to literally fire Newcastle to the top?

Looking back the failure to use the relatively successful spell under Bobby Robson to groom a successor was a faux pas of immense proportions. Who in their right mind would operate with one of their most important employees past the age 70 and with no succession plan in place?

As for Allardyce I don’t think any fair minded person would accept that half a season is enough time to turn a team that has failed to win a major domestic trophy in over half a century around.

A significant number of Newcastle fans are apparently upset at the type of football Allardyce had the team playing. But again if you are trying to change a culture of mediocrity then there is going to be protracted spell of rubbish dished up – that should not be a surprise. And in terms of a new manager it is likely to be more of the same.

I often wonder if a new manger might not get better results and reduce short term expectations if instead of asking for the cheque book he told players that they had half a season to prove themselves.

Immediately moving to sign new players and dumping the ones signed by the predecessor just leads to a belief that improvement will be immediate. Then if the new signings fail to impress – as they did in the Allardyce/Newcastle situation – the pressure mounts and the revolving door starts to rotate once more.

As for a successor, the names are beginning to appear in the press and on websites. Harry Rednapp, Mark Hughes, Steve McClaren (surely not!!) are all getting some play in the media. The odds are a Keegan return have also been slashed.

But as Simon Barnes said in The Times last weekend will a new manager be given a fair crack while Alan Shearer continues in the role of the best manager never to have managed Newcastle?

It would seem that Mike Ashley has done the easy bit in firing Big Sam, the hard bit is convincing someone of quality to pick up the poisoned chalice.

Quick free kicks

A number of teams are looking to cure some sporadic bouts of Premiership travel sickness this weekend. Spurs travels to Stamford Bridge in what could be a preview of the Carling Cup Final. But travelling to Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, Anfield and wherever Arsenal were playing at the time, has not brought much joy to Spurs. In sixty-three Premiership trips to these grounds Spurs have won just twice - a win at Arsenal and a win at Liverpool.

Manchester City are the visitors to Goodison but they have only one once in ten Premiership visits to Goodison – and that was way back in October 1992.

Middlesbrough may not have scored against Liverpool in their last four Premiership encounters but Liverpool are without a win at the Riverside in their last five visits - two losses and three draws for the Reds. Despite Boro’s spotted form over the last couple of years the Riverside is still a place where bigger teams often come a cropper. United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all lost at the Riverside in the last two and a bit seasons

Oh and let us not forget that no matter who has been in charge of Newcastle a trip to Old Trafford as never ended in three points for the Magpies – it has however often finished with a loss (nine times) and sometimes a draw - five of them.

This weekend offers Reading, Wigan, and Fulham another opportunity to pick up three points away from home for the first time. This time against Aston Villa, Derby County and West Ham respectively. Also without an away win are Bolton, Sunderland, and Derby County but they will have to wait for another day.

Tim Vickery reviews 2007 from a South American perspective.

The Times lists the biggest FA Cup 3rd round shocks.

A bizarre story from Romania.

Graham Spiers suggests that the best way to honour Phil O’Donnell would have been to play rather than postponing games.

Glenn Moore looks back to an FA Cup Final played almost 51 years ago between Aston Villa and Manchester United and in particular an infamous incident.

The BBC has some FA Cup statistics.

Don’t mention anything about the romance of the FA Cup to Huddersfield Town manager Andy Ritchie.

An opportunity for our Liverpool fans to point out why Scott Murray is wrong.

For those looking to get right into the African Cup of Nations the All Soccer Africa website has a Nations Cup fantasy league feature. The site also has country-by-country previews and squad lists and it looks to be going all out to cover the 2008 edition. 

It’s the third round of the FA Cup this weekend and this is where the big teams get involved. Here is a rundown of a few Championship vs. Premiership games followed by predictions. I don’t do weekly league predictions but I thought it might be interesting to follow the Cup from the third round on. If you want to give it a go then post your predictions (eventual winners only count no draws) and keep score – it’s on the honour system right through to the final in May.

Ipswich Town v Portsmouth
These two met in the third round two years ago and Portsmouth won 1-0. This time we have a side with a fantastic home record (Ipswich) against Portsmouth who have won eight of twelve Premiership away games this season. Former Southampton midfielder Jim Magilton has Ipswich unbeaten at home in the Championship with eleven wins from thirteen matches and scoring 33 goals and only conceding 7. Contrast that with an away record on no wins, four draws and nine losses and you can see why it is a case of “no place like home” for Ipswich.  It is not often you come across a team that simultaneously hold s the best home record and worst away record in a league. Ipswich currently sits 6th in the fizzy-pop Championship and beat league leaders West Brom 2-0 on Wednesday. Former Canadian captain Jason De Vos scored.

Bristol City v Middlesbrough
Former Yeovil and Latvia manager (how is that for an exotic career) Gary Johnson has Bristol City third in the Championship and with only one loss in their last nine league games. This tie brings together two teams that needed penalty kicks to separate them last season in the 4th round – Boro eventually winning. Neither club has ever won the FA Cup but both have been runners up – Bristol City 99 years ago and Boro in 1997. Boro will be without Woodgate who is suspended and Robert Huth (remember him?) might get the call. Huth missed the first four months of this season before finally returning from injury at the start of last month.

Stoke City v Newcastle United
With only one point out of a possible 12 over the holiday period and Joey Barton seemingly intent on starring in Mean Machine 2 things are bleaker than ever for Sam Allardyce and Newcastle supporters. A push for a European spot would require a monumental effort especially given Newcastle’s January schedule. They have Manchester City h, Manchester United h and a, Arsenal a, Aston Villa a, and the other two games are against Bolton and Middlesbrough at St. James’ Park.

Despite pronouncements from owner Mike Ashley that he is not currently looking for a new boss it is clear that it all could change very quickly. But the FA Cup does offer an escape route and a run deep into the competition might be enough to salvage this season. However, Newcastle have not been given an easy task in the third round. They face a Stoke City side that is currently in fourth place in the Championship as well as knowing a thing or two about managerial turnover.

Regarded as the second oldest football club in the world Stoke in their first 103 years had 16 managers. In the last 30 years they have gone through 24 and have averaged a manager a year since 1991. Tony Pulis returned for his second stint in charge in 2006 and engineered a solid late run of results that saw Stoke finish just outside the promotion play-off spots. 

Pulis carries a reputation as a no nonsense boss and has a few Premiership players in his squad. Former Southampton striker Ricardo Fuller is Stoke’s leading scorer with 11 and former Sunderland player Liam Lawrence has 8 goals so far. Steve Simonsen was once an expensive teenage signing from Tranmere for Everton but he now keeps goal for Stoke. Dominic Matteo (former Leeds and Liverpool) and Salif Diao (Liverpool) are other recognizable names.  Stoke rarely blow teams away and vice versa so Newcastle are going to be in for a tough time of it.   

Chelsea v Queens Park Rangers
This is the seventh successive time that FA Cup holders Chelsea have been drawn at home in the FA Cup. Their opponents this time might as well be called “Mini-Chelsea”. With Chelsea backed by Abramovich’s billions, Queens Park Rangers have the financial clout of the world’s 5th richest man (Lakshi Mittal owns 20% of the club) as well as Formula One’s Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone. Former Napoli and Siena manager Luigi De Canio was appointed QPR boss in late October after John Gregory was sacked and has been given money to spend – and potentially there is lots more of it.

From his initial dealings the focus appears to be to generally upgrade the team rather blowing money on Premiership calibre players right from the off. One loss in the last seven league games has helped move QPR out of the relegation zone and it looks as if the ownership group is opting to build for long term success rather than risking a flame-out. It has been six seasons since QPR reached the 4th round and they are unlikely to improve on that this season. But there is every chance we are going to hear a lot more about the team in years to come.

FA Cup 3rd Round - predicted winners in bold
Saturday - Aston Villa v Man Utd; Barnsley v Blackpool; Blackburn v Coventry; Bolton v Sheff Utd; Brighton v Mansfield; Bristol City v Middlesbrough; Charlton v West Brom; Chasetown v Cardiff; Chelsea v QPR; Colchester v Peterborough; Everton v Oldham; Huddersfield v Birmingham; Ipswich v Portsmouth; Norwich v Bury;
Plymouth v Hull; Preston v Scunthorpe; Southampton v Leicester; Southend v Dagenham & Redbridge; Sunderland v Wigan; Swansea v Havant & Waterlooville; Swindon v Barnet; Tottenham v Reading; Tranmere v Hereford; Walsall v Millwall; Watford v Crystal Palace; West Ham v Man City; Wolverhampton v Cambridge Utd.
Sunday - Burnley v Arsenal; Derby v Sheff Wed; Fulham v Bristol Rovers; Luton v Liverpool; Stoke v Newcastle.

It must be difficult to convince supporters of the three Premiership teams located in the north-east of England that it is the season of good cheer. As it currently stands Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Sunderland have played six games over the holiday period and have the sum total of one point to show for it. Even then it required a late equalizer from Mark Viduka to earn the single point against foot-of-the-table Derby County.

A stirring performance against Arsenal in the first week of December seemed to have set Newcastle on the right path as they followed the draw up with wins against Birmingham and Fulham. But the scrambled draw with Derby and an anemic loss to Wigan had Sam Allardyce publically questioning his players.

Full points from these very-winnable four games would have earned Newcastle more breathing space and moved them into a top eight position. As it is, they sit just below mid-table with 26 points with the definite possibility that come the beginning of March that they will not have too many more.

Starting on Saturday with a trip to Stamford Bridge Newcastle will play eight Premiership games with six of them against top half opposition (Manchester City h,  Manchester United h and a, Arsenal a, Aston Villa a), and the other two against Bolton and Middlesbrough at St. James’ Park. There is also a tricky FA Cup third round match in two weeks time away to Stoke City who are currently in the top four of the Championship.

With the team again taking two steps forward and three back Allardyce’s position is again the subject of speculation. You get the feeling that if Big Sam is going to survive then Newcastle has to pull off some big results and pick up a few points over the next two months.  But there again if you are going to be labeled unpredictable then there has to be good times as well as bad – will this weekend be one of the good times?

Only two weeks after losing their unbeaten home record to Manchester United, Liverpool faces the other Manchester side this Sunday. City’s form over the first eight home games this season was nothing short of spectacular with eight wins, thirteen goals scored and only three conceded. The streak extended to nine with a win over Bolton although it took three second half goals to overturn a 2-1 half time lead for Bolton.

Three days later Spurs came to City of Manchester Stadium and pulled off a 2-0 Carling Cup win while playing for almost an hour with ten-men and Blackburn became the first team to leave with a point in the Premiership when they drew on Thursday.

All the signs seem to be pointing to City’s home streak running short on steam. Liverpool needs to keep winning in order to maintain their title aspirations while if City are to remain in the six more home points are crucial. All things point to a cracking good game.

Everton and Arsenal is another good game in prospect. Out of the top four clubs Arsenal drew the toughest holiday schedule. So far the Gunners have mimicked results from last season with a win over Tottenham and a draw at Portsmouth.

They will be hoping that results against Everton (Saturday) and West Ham (Tuesday) are not replicated as they lost both games last season by the same score - 1-0. Goodison has not being a profitable venue for Arsenal with Everton winning three and drawing one of their last five meetings. 

No doubt the Everton coaching staff will have taken notice of Portsmouth’s display on Wednesday in holding Arsenal off the score sheet for the first time this season in the Premiership.

The centre-back partnership of Campbell and Distan were outstanding and the Portsmouth midfield gave Arsenal very little time and space to operate. Everton seem to have similar types of players and with Yakubu and Cahill carrying a scoring threat it could be another tough ninety minutes for Arsenal.

Quick free kicks
Manchester United toyed with Sunderland in midweek cutting their defence to ribbons. Roy Keane has to find an experienced centre back to plug the Sunderland defence – and not one from the Championship.

Scoring streaks - Marcus Bent has scored 7 goals in his last 13 Prem appearances - that was over three months. It took him 90 games and over three years to score his previous seven Premiership goals.

Pity Blackburn’s Roque Santa Cruz.  He’s scored seven goals in his last four games but during that spell Rovers have lost three games and tied the other.

MeanSucka - I know I may be late on this one - what do you think of Michael Owen saying that the England need to rethink psychological preparation for matches: "When fear takes over, you start to do things wrong and take the easy option which in our case is lumping the ball forward to the front men. I’m not absolving myself from blame… What must be addressed as much as anything is our psychological preparations."

Do you suspect that McClaren was playing a DVD of Shrek to motivate the team?

Bobby – As late as a Robbie Savage challenge.  I think Owen has a point. The way England plays at times it does look like they are racked with fear. But fear can be generated from a number of sources and having a manager who was indecisive and seemed more concerned about his image would not have helped.

CIAO - Here is to MILAN!!! I hope they prove Marcotti wrong! Haven't writers yet learned not to write off Italians?

Bobby – I guess it stings more when it as an Italian writer writing off Milan.

CIAO - Can you please give us your early predictions for the EURO 2008?

Bobby – It is far too early to start looking at a crystal ball. I’ll keep my thoughts until next summer.

Getz76 - Is Sam Allardyce in trouble? I am completely indifferent on the topic and to me it looks like they are performing much like they were last season; was he expected to get to European competition in the first season?

Bobby – Yes. Newcastle fans are so frustrated after years of false dawns and a revolving manager’s door that they do probably have unrealistic expectations. However, having unrealistic expectations is one thing but I think you nailed it with your comment “to me it looks like they are performing much like they were last season.” With the money that has been spent – again – and to see a team that is no better must be soul-destroying.

CIAO - So I just search the World Cup in Wikipedia. 1930 was the first WC. Won by Uruguay, runner up was Argentina. Third place it listed as USA and 4th Yugoslavia. Is this correct? Was the US really 3rd?

Bobby – It was a thirteen tournament with one group of four and three groups of three. The USA was drawn in pool IV along with Paraguay and Belgium. The USA beat both 3-0. They lost 6-1 to Argentina in the semi final although they were only losing 1-0 at the half and conceded three goals in the last nine minutes of the match. I can’t find any record of a third place game so it they finished third it might have been due to a better goal average than Yugoslavia who had also lost 6-1 to Uruguay in the other semi.

European representation was limited to France, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Belgium – even at that they only decided to travel less than two months before the tournament. However, it would be unfair to make too much out of the few European teams that travelled given that Argentina and Uruguay had also contested the Olympic Final in ’28. Uruguay won both finals. The European teams that were missed the most were probably Austria, Scotland and England. 

According to “The Story of the World Cup” by Brian Glanville (a book that every fan of international football would enjoy) the USA was actually seeded top in their pool. To quote Glanville – “At this time there was still professional football of a sort in the States, the rump of the attempt by such as Bethlehem Steel to put sports on its feet in the 1920s. The American team managed by Jack McColl of Brooklyn Wanderers, was made up largely of British and Scots pros: Alec Wood, James Gallacher, Andrew Auld, James Brown and Bart McGhee from Scotland, George Moorhouse from England. They were powerfully-built men whom the French players nicknamed the “shot-putters”.”

Gregz- Q1. Jamaica rehired Rene Simoes to try to recapture the '98 glory? Won't it be harder for him this time around?
Q2. Which country from the CONCACAF region do you see having a good chance of qualifying for WC 2010 other than Mexico and the United States of course.

Bobby – Q1. I think it will be harder this time around. Greater expectations, CONCACAF is probably stronger than 10 years ago and they have a tough qualifying group.

Q2 Based on past performances you would have to give Costa Rica a nod as one of the countries with an excellent chance. On paper Honduras as a good squad but they have a habit of folding under pressure. Canada is in with a shout but they need to win at home and hope that a few of their more creative and attacking players stay healthy.

Milan4Ever - Is it just me or are there a lot more own goals being scored in football these days? Could it be because of the increased pace of the game or the extra pressure on defenders? or maybe even both..?

Bobby – Good question and the answer is yes and no. I went back to the last two seasons and compared the average goals scored in six of Europe’s domestic leagues with the average so far this season.

Here are the statistics by country and season (2008, 2007 and 2006).

England      (2.66, 2.45, 2.48)
Italy              (2.52, 2.55, 2.61)
Spain          (2.68, 2.48, 2.46)
France        (2.24, 2.25, 2.13)
Germany    (2.76, 2.74, 2.81)
Holland      (3.19, 2.99, 2.98)

In some cases there are more goals being scored but in others less. There is nothing to indicate that any systemic type change leading to more goals is underway. What you might be seeing is more blow outs than normal. For example the Portsmouth/Reading and Everton/Sunderland games have increased the goal average by 0.10 based on these two results alone.

Pgaijar - Fantastic hearing about the development of football in India, earlier this year in January I was in India, and was surprised by the amount of cricket Indians watched. They took days off to watch a test match, and hopefully in the years to come India will embrace footy just as much as cricket. But one thing troubles me Bobby do you think corruption which has disrupted much of the development in India will cause problems?

Bobby – It doesn’t seem to have affected FIFA so India should be ok.

Indahaeri - There is an interesting story in Inter-Milan that is under the surface. It looks to me that there is lack of cooperation between Ibrahimovic and the new attackers that Inter signed this year.

As I watched the second half of Inter and Fiorentina this past weekend, I saw terse statements exchanged by Ibrahimovic and Suazo. I also see that Ibrahimovic seems to intentionally play better with Cruz than either with new big signings - Suazo or the Argentinian. I saw several times in that game when Ibrahimovic delayed passes to Suazo or slowed down leaving Suazo to hold the ball longer than supporting him (when Suazo had the ball).

Bobby – Ibrahimovic has always been a prickly character. I have trouble believing that a player intentionally plays better (or worse) depending on who he is playing with. Who is the big Argentine signing?

Craigy_f - Favour if you could; I have a point to prove - check out my Liverpool v Bolton game summary and give some indication of (in your opinion) of it's veracity and bias. You can just laugh at the second one!

Bobby – Let’s just say that you can’t be accused of seeing things through red-tinted glasses.

Wiegs9 – I was wondering if there are certain experience, successes or personality traits which might suggest someone would be good int'l manager for a bigger nation like Scotland, England or Ireland? I ask b/c it seems like success at a club doesn't necessarily equate to int'l success, though I wondered if you had seen any trends. Thanks!

Bobby – I don’t think there is necessarily an identikit that can be constructed as there will always be exceptions. But successful international managers tend to be older (check past winners of the World Cup and Euros) and have enjoyed some success at the club level.

 The other international manager niche is coaches who graduate through the national system (working with age group teams) and work their way into a job after building trust along the way with players, the media, and the national associations. Media savvy is critical, as is the ability to get on with club managers.

Ulsterson – I didn't get to watch the game yesterday (Work) so I was hoping someone could tell me why Evra was subbed in the 47th?

Bobby – It was reported as illness.

Henry14 - Q1 Don't you feel that Jose is a risk , okay the media wants him to be paid $12m and won't it be a risk that he is given a job and Barca, then and scoop him when the fa is sending money on his blue print of facilities and before World Cup.

Q2 Tottenham could be in bottom half by February, if you look at their fixture list what do you make of that fact.

Q3 Liverpool are playing well do you see them challenging for the title given they still have to go to Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd. and they lost all those games

Bobby – 1. Find me a manager who is a sure thing.

2. As so could three quaters of the Premiership.

3. I said at the beginning of the season that I could see a four-horse race and I stick by that.

Henry14 - Milan are a poor side.

Bobby – Perhaps but remember the same or similar was said last season around this time and they finished up as the Champions of Europe.

Phils92001 - The point that I want to make is that of Newcastle. I think that If Big Sam cannot find the goal from Owen, he needs to drop him to the bench and play the one that give the club 17 goals last season.

I think Martins is being robbed the opportunity of not have the chance to play. The club might regret if Martin leaves and that he has lost confidence in the coach because he is playing limited minutes as he used to play last season. If I am correct, whenever Martins and Emre play, there is a different form of attack than what they have now for the pass two game and that Martin scores which is something different than what Owen pose now.

Owen is playing like he is afraid to going into tackles. Whether it is due to his past injury or he is trying to rediscover his form, it might be too late for Big Sam. please give your thoughts on these comments.

Bobby – I think you are looking at this from only one side. If you took the route your suggesting then Allardyce would play Martins and keep Owen on the bench. By doing that Allardyce has no chance that Owen will ever get back to match fitness.

A match fit Owen is a goal machine and as such is a better option than Martins. I’m certain that Owens Premiership record to minutes played at Newcastle is superior to Martins.

There is no doubt that Martins can be an explosive player but he is also very inconsistent and there are times he could not hit a barn door if it was three yards in front of him. There is a reason that Inter generally used him as a substitute.

Djnima – 1. You were right about McLaren not getting the Galaxy job, but do you think he was there to apply for the job? Do you think there was an interview? 2. How would you rate England and Scotland's chances of qualifying for the Euros? 3. Do you think Real Madrid have a chance of making the Champions league Final this season?

Bobby – No and no – a figment of someone's over stimulated imagination. I cannot imagine anyone being that stupid especially when the English press is watching every move.
2. Not all that good on either count. At least Scotland can affect their fate; England needs to hope and pray. However, if Russia stumbles against Israel I cannot see England passing up a second opportunity. 3. Based on their form so far I would be very surprised if they made it to the last four.

Ringo - Did you hear the rumours a couple of weeks back that if/when England and Scotland fail to qualify ,they might play each other in a pair of games at Wembley and Hampden instead?

Bobby – I know that Scotland, N. Ireland and Wales have been lobbying for a return of the Home Internationals but I have not heard about the possibility of an England / Scotland series.

Getz76 - Quick Arsenal question; who's their keeper after the January transfer window? I hear rumors of Green coming from WHU and I would love to believe it, as I think he has as much to do with WHU staying up last season as Tevez. Any other candidates. I know Wenger tends to grab players from Parts Unknown most of the time, but I do not think he will gamble as much on a keeper.

Bobby – If Arsene Wenger signs a keeper it is unlikely to be one presently playing in the UK. In the majority of cases he would have the option to sign one of them before this and obviously he passed on it. He went the English route with Richard Wright and it did not work out. I would suggest that Wenger would consider signing a UK keeper a bigger risk than signing one from your “Parts Unknown”. If Lehmann shut his mouth and was on his best behavior like he was during the season before the 2006 World Cup then he would be starting for Arsenal in goal. At the moment every time he opens his mouth it is to change feet – Wenger cannot recall him as long as he is spouting off.

CIAO - Marcotti's article this week is a bit strange. He really must not have anything to write about and is picking on Martin O'Neil. Isn't a bit early to call O'Neil's time at Villa disappointing? There are no signs that his position is in jeopardy. If the owner had more expectations, we would have seen highly rated players make their way to the club during the summer.

Bobby – O’Neill’s first season may not have been as good as others before him but I would say Villa has a more solid foundation on which to build than they have had for a long time.

They have a very good group of youngsters and if Carson signs permanently then they should have a solid keeper for seasons to come – I have never been a fan of Sorensen. A good shot blocker but brutal of crosses.

Although Marcotti is correct in terms of a consistent goal scoring threat. Agbonlahor will get goals but they need another to partner him. Carew has the tools to be a great striker………except for the part that scores goals.

Apad03 - 1. I read the post on Gullit but what I want to know that really wasn’t in the article is what type of football can we expect to see from his team? Does he have an attacking type of style or what? I am not familiar with his managerial style so I am curious to see what type of football he is going to instill on his new team.

2.  What is the best duo, in your opinion, up front for Liverpool?  I think they should be playing Voronin and Torres up front. Voronin has some sweet passing skills and I think that with Torres' speed and touch they would make the best partnership up front for Liverpool. I don’t remember seeing them play together yet but I know you'll correct me if I am wrong.

Bobby –1. In terms of Gullit and his arrival at the Galaxy you will soon see countless articles that talk of “Total Football.” Don’t believe a word of it. The concept of Total Football evolved through the work of a number of coaches until it became personified in the Ajax side of the early 70s and Dutch national team at the 1974 World Cup.

The concept requires incredibly skilled players both technically and tactically as well as exceptional speed and fitness. The essence of it is that the ten players (and some would point out that the goalkeeper is expected to do more tactically aware also) are expected to be able to play in any of the outfield positions through constant movement and changing of positions which creates space when attacking and takes it away when defending.

It also requires the team to play a high pressure pressing game a part that Milan perfected under Arrigo Sacchi – with Gullit, Rijkaard and Van Basten in the side. Gullit will not have players talented enough at the Galaxy to play “Total Football”.

However, you can expect Gullit to emphasize speed and width – maybe a standard 4-3-3 formation with two wide players up front. Passing and possession will be paramount. It should be entertaining although I would not be surprised if the start of next season is a struggle as the team copes with the change.

I think someone like Landon Donovan could really benefit from the new regime.

2. If Kuyt can recover any sort of form then the best pairing for me would be Torres and Kuyt. 

Let’sGoBuffalo - Any chance we will see a ban on Italian Calcio, like the one UEFA bestowed upon England in the late 80's, early 90's?With all the corruption(inside the game) and violence from the fans it’s no wonder something like this happened.

Bobby – As long as the issue is domestic trouble in Italy there is no chance that UEFA or FIFA would step in. It would create a dangerous precedent that would have far reaching impact on other leagues should anything remotely similar happen. Just to cover old ground – The FA withdrew English teams from European competition after pressure was applied by Margaret Thatcher’s government. The UEFA ban came after that decision was made.

CIAO - Have you heard of Marat Izmailov? Supposedly City, Inter and Sampdoria are all in the race to sign him...

Bobby – I have heard of him but do not know very much about him. I believe he is playing in Portugal on loan from his Russian club side.

Craigy_f –1. What’s your take on the upcoming Scotland Italy game? 2. Do you see Hughes as a successor to Ferguson? 3. How would you rate Martin O’Neill’s tenure at Villa?

Bobby –1. I am not optimistic – I’ve just seen this movie too many times. I hope I am wrong but I see Italy getting the result that they need.

2. I could see Mark Hughes doing a good job at Old Trafford but what I can’t see is a set of circumstances that would position him to take over. Manchester United would not appoint him straight from Blackburn so I think he has to move to a bigger club either in England or abroad but I can’t see where the opportunity might come from.

3. See one of the previous responses.

Chelseabon - Recent news is the Seattle Sounders will be an MLS team in 2009, and it will follow a "club member/owner" style scheme which Barcelona uses where the fans get to vote managers out. Though it appears to work for Barca, I don't feel that this is the best idea for a brand new MLS side. What are your thoughts on this ownership style coming to the US?

Bobby – I was not aware that Barcelona can vote the manager out. They elect the President as they do at Real Madrid and other clubs but I can’t remember a situation where the members voted for a manager’s dismissal.

From what I have been able to discern to compare the Seattle idea with Barcelona’s model is like comparing Paris Hilton’s “work” with drunken elephants to Mother Teresa.

Barcelona is owned by the members – full stop. Seattle has owners who are putting substantial monies up and they are considering granting fans an opportunity to buy a “membership”. From the pieces I have read the Seattle model is little more than an enhanced supporters club and although it might be well intentioned it iappears to be no more than a gimmick.

Henry14 – q1. Can you explain big Sam's lack of tactical nous, why he plays Smith as a defensive midfield, Martins is there to goal scorer but he is on the bench, here is a guy who scored 17 goals last season, more than Viduka and Owen.
q 2 How does Barton escape punishment for a horror tackle when Dunn misses games for two not malicious tackles?
q 3 Will Mac stay as England boss given a wide call for him to be not sacked?
q 4 Are reds genuine title contenders?

Bobby –1. Martins may have scored 17 goals but Viduka scored more - 19. Owen was injured for most of the season so it is hardly a fair comparison. Never been convinced that Martins is a reliable starter saw it with Inter. Over the careers of Owen and Viduka their individual strike rates are far better than Martins.

2. I think the FA chickened out on this one.

3. You must be hearing voices “a wide call for him not to be sacked”?

4. Yes but they need to go on an extended winning streak and stop drawing games against teams that they should be beating. The mid-December meeting with Manchester United is crucial – a loss might leave them nine points behind with nearly half the season gone.

The latest Euro 2008 betting odds.

Recently retired FIFA Vice President David Will gives his view on the world governing body. I remember when Will was the chairman of Brechin City - at that time Brechin were usually battling out with East Stirlingshire as the worst team in Scotland. Even then when I played against Brechin in a mid-season friendly - our ground was one of the few playable in the area - we lost 5-2. There was a noticeable gulf between a very good amateur team and a poor professional team.  

Rangers fans are frustrated at the lack of transfer activity. However, DaMarcus Beasley is noted as a possible Ibrox target.

Graham Hunter believes that Fabio Capello’s fitness regime has given Real Madrid the edge in the chase for La Liga title.

Jonathan Northcroft on Sam Allardyce’s first efforts to turn Newcastle around.

Hugh McIlvanney on the resurrection of David Beckham and England’s Euro 2008 hopes.

Patrick Barclay on England’s fall home and home series with Russia.

Simon Turnbull with a look at the man who won the FA Cup for Sunderland in 1974, Ian Porterfield.  Porterfield is currently in charge of Armenia and is battling cancer. He spent time at Chelsea as well as ####mp;T.

Nick Harris with a very un-English view of MLS albeit with some factual errors.

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions on the blog last week. Please do not hesitate to post links to your own blogs when you post something. 

An incredible number of postings this week - thanks as always - particularly for keeping the tone civil. For the other semi final I will post a couple of stories and open it up for your thoughts pre and post game.

Meanwhile here are responses to some of this week's questions.

Realmadridccfan - 1. How do you interpret the Canadian Soccer Association's handling of trying to find a head coach for the Men's national team?

2. Do you think that Sunderland would not be going up to the Premiership for next season if Roy Keane was not the Manager? Would he be your Manager of the year in England if you had to pick a Manager of the year?

3. What is your assessment of the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup final? I thought it was quite an exciting tie.

Bobby – 1. I have a couple of questions i have asked the CSA to answer and one i receive the answers I will post a response to your question.

2) I cannot say categorically but I can safely say that Niall Quinn made the right move when - as the Chairman of the club - he fired himself as manager. My pick for Manager of the Year in England would Geraint Williams of Colchester. He replaced Phil Parkinson who skipped to Hull City in the summer – then got fired – and given the resources that Williams has at his disposal Colchester’s record this season is amazing.

3) I didn’t enjoy the second leg as much as the first. The teams looked to be more nervous than in the first game. It was still a good game to watch and some well taken penalties.

Wickedzoot - So what's the deal with Big Sam?
MeanSucka - What are you hearing about Big Sam? Is he headed to City or to Newcastle? Or will he replace McClaren?

Bobby – At the moment we have to take what has been said at face value and accept that he is leaving for his own reasons. A manager taking a break is becoming more common especially in situations where their team may have topped out. Gordon Strachan leaving Southampton and Alan Curbishley quitting Charlton are two examples that spring to mind. You can understand where they are coming from. Better to quit while you are ahead and with your reputation in tact rather than waiting around for the rot to set in. I cannot see Sam Allardyce ever getting the England job.

MeanSucka - I only hope Spain's race ends with such a flurry. It would be nice for Becks to bring a La Liga title with him to the HDC. How do you like his chances?

Who do you think would win in a match between Gretna and Toronto FC?

Bobby – It has not been the type of football that Real Madrid fans expect but they are still in the hunt for La Liga. The match with Sevilla this weekend will decide which of the two main challengers has the best shot of stopping Barcelona. I still believe Barcelona holds a significant each given the schedule they face but they have been quite unimpressive the last few weeks – particularly away from home.

Gretna would not lose at the moment unless it went to penalty kicks. In the long run Toronto FC will produce a better side than Gretna. 

Spike24 - Your question about dogs and great games reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask. When Americans say they don't like soccer because there isn't enough scoring, soccer fans basically look down their noses on the brute and chastise him for not appreciating other elements. Then, when a 0-0 draw occurs, those same soccer fans bemoan how boring the game was. You rarely hear people complaining about a boring 3-2 match, even if the quality of play is somewhat poor or equal to that of the 0-0 draw. So, if the soccer fans look down on Americans for focusing on goals too much, how come those same hardcore soccer fans then privately complain about a lack of goals amongst themselves?

Bobby – I think you will find that the majority of fans can differentiate between an enjoyable game that finishes 0-0 and a bad game that finishes 0-0. I would suggest that what upsets them is when a game that finishes 0-0 is automatically written off as a bad game by non-soccer loving sports fans when that is not necessarily the case.

RINGO - This week’s trivia. Who are the only EPL team that have had one name and one home? And who are the only team that where admitted to The Football League without ever having played a game?

Bobby – Chelsea and I don’t know.

digity - What do you think about Man U's Park Ji Sung? In my opinion he is a very under rated player, and I’m very disappointed that he has had such a difficult season with injuries. I think he brings a lot to the team whenever he plays - he might not be as good on the ball as some of his team mates but his exceptional movement and his willingness to support the team makes him stand out. I'll be really looking forward to seeing him play next season.

Bobby – A good player who relies heavily on his conditioning.

Shoot-all-divers - When you think about the relative success Man U have had this season (regardless of how many trophies they may or may not lift), does it make you wonder if Sir Alex held on to Roy Keane a bit too long?

They won the treble in 1999 only after being forced to rebuild after losing Eric Cantona -- around whom the world supposedly revolved. We were similarly told that Keano was the heart and soul of the squad, without whom Man U would never progress past other elite clubs. Funny how Man U doesn’t seem to miss old Roy that much (at all?) and in fact seem to be prospering in his absence.

Being a DC United fan has sharpened my awareness to the issue of heroes overstaying their usefulness. We had to dump a local legend (Marco Etchevery) to win our 4th MLS title a few years ago. Now it's the same deal with Jamie Moreno. We adore the guy, but I wonder if he's holding us back.

Your thoughts?

Bobby – Eric Cantona retired in 1997 and the treble was won two seasons later. However, I don’t remember Fergie rebuilding the team after Cantona retired. Sheringham may have been signed but who else? Same goes for Keane – a rebuilt team – I wouldn’t say so. Teams mature and change constantly and as such the point you make is mute. You could easily argue that if Rooney and Ronaldo had been showing their current form 16 months ago that United would have been in contention for another treble last season with Keane in the side. Players and managers are part of a continuum – it is like claiming that Bill Shankly held Liverpool back and the proof is that Liverpool only won the European Cup after he quit.

Some might claim that United held on to Denis law to long but they were relegated the year after they let him go. Does that prove that they should have held on to him?

MasMaz - I don't know about your commitments but you should do the report on Wednesdays also, especially during Champs league weeks.

Bobby – It is a nice thought but I have other things I have to do during the week and so a regular Wednesday spot isn’t really possible.

RINGO - I notice an English team won the Scottish Third Division this year!

Bobby – The Spirit of Jock Wallace lives on!

Ulsterson - I saw that FA classic game the other night on FSC: Scotland vs. England in '79. Heart-breaker for the Tartan Army but fun to watch Dalglish, Souness, Keegan, Brooking, and the rest. I haven't seen such a rough game since I watched my Shore Road Hatchet Men (also known as The Shore Road Brazilians/Crusaders!!) in the Irish league. It was brutal at times. The ref called for an indirect kick in the box (a call option mentioned by Bobby last night...) for dangerous play/high leg, when penalty would be the call today. The old matches make it easy to see how today's rules have been adjusted to improve goal production by protecting players, which is a wise idea, but seeing how it was then, arouses contempt for the theatrics and log-rolling seen now, whenever a player is brushed with so much as the wind (and before this starts Man U bashing: they all almost to a man feign agony, foul or not)

On the lighter side, the drunken Scot who ran onto the field in the first half did look a bit like our favorite pundit. The quick little #### avoided the peelers for a bit too!! Nothing you want to come clean about Bobby???

Bobby – Sorry to disappoint but I had just moved to Canada and wasn't at the game. However, Scotland’s loss to England that day (3-1 I believe) happened to be the same day that I met my first wife. In retrospect invading Wembley would have been a better option!

Digity - Please enlighten us on the art of the assist...it is one area I feel is constantly overshadowed by the goal itself. Course, nothing's greater than a great goal, but sometimes watching that sublime inch perfect long ball or inspired through pass can make my knees weak. Scholes lob for Rooney's first against AC Milan was one of those - just mind-bogglingly (?) awesome.

Bobby – Over the last few seasons we have seen assists being recorded by more results services. I agree that it is well overdue and provides those of us who follow statistics closely with another bellweather.

Neophyte - I think you may have touched on this before...Is Van der Sar looking rather shaky of late. My confidence in him has faltered a bit. With the defense in front of him being ravaged with injury, I am not so sure of a stellar performance against the goal hungry group of Milan. Tim Howard was ushered out of Manchester and made the goat for their loss in Europe. Will Van der Sar meet the same fate as Tim if he has a less than brilliant game? At this point would you rather have Howard or VdS between the posts if you're SAF? I believe Howard has out played VdS this year...your thoughts?

Bobby – I have suggested on a few occasions that VdS’s weakness is long shots. I don’t have the stats to prove it but my observation goes back to his Juve days. However, I don’t think you can transfer Howard’s performance with Everton with how he would play with Manchester United. Tim Howard has still to prove that the can play at highest level season and season out.

Henry14 - Q1 l am a fan of Adebayor and feel he is still young because Eto’o was not a 20 goal man at 23 but do you see 25 goals in him?
Q2 - Do you feel Gerrard deserves a place in the PFA team ahead of Gilberto or Essien?
Q3 - Would Madrid sack Capello if he won the title?

Rwonfootball - What happens to Fabio Capello if Real Madrid does win the title?

Bobby – 1. I can’t see Adebayor notching 25 goals a season but 15 to 20 is definitely a possibility. Even without 25 goals Adebayor gives Arsenal a different look when he plays and on that account alone he his worth his place in the squad. 2. If you are trying to pick a balanced team then it is not a choice of Gerrard or Gilberto as they play very different roles. If you are picking the four most exciting midfield players then Gerrard would get the nod over Gilberto. Either way I could not leave Essien out. 3. Capello is gone no mater what?

Venti_vidi_vici - What did you think of the first semi final, and what are you forward to in the second semi final and what do you expect to see?

Bobby – There was some very nervous football being played today. I would hope the play is better tomorrow but with the same tension in the air. I commented on the FSR last night that Fergie might decide to go at Milan given that the United back four might be problematic. I picked a Liverpool – Milan final and will stick with it but I also accept, that just like the game today, the difference between the teams is miniscule. 

We will start off with a few articles that caught my eye over the weekend.

Paul Kelso on the mechanics of the Burns recommendations.

Kevin McCarra on acceptance of the Burns Report by the FA.

John Carlin reckons that David Beckham’s time at Real Madrid is drawing to an end despite talk of a new contract.

Meanwhile Roddy Forsyth believes that Beckham could be Parkhead bound.

Gabriele Marcotti tells us why the reduction in the suspensions of three Italian teams was “inevitable”. His point about this being only the tip of an iceberg is well taken. Governance – FIFA, the Federations, the Associations, the Clubs – is going to be one of the most contentious issues of the next ten years and the relationship of international sport – not just football – and domestic legal systems is going to provide a lot of lawyers with a lot of work.

The Milan derby was an incredible game of football. Inter played Milan off the park in the first half and by the time Materazzi put Inter 4-1 ahead it looked as if Inter was on easy street. However, the Matrix and controversy are closely acquainted and his second yellow card for excessive celebration meant Inter was reduced to 10 men. Milan then piled forward and came ever so close to pulling level.

Before the FSWR on Friday we started messing around with unlikely book or DVD titles and the authors, or other improbable associations.
Some examples might be:
“The Jack Warner School for Ethics and Transparency in Football.”
Landon Donovan – “How to Land a Job in Europe and Prosper.”
“The Kieron Dyer Book of Fitness”
Filippo Inzaghe “Balancing in the Penalty Box – I Can Show You How.”
“The North, South, East and West Beach Diet” by Ronaldo.
Sam and Craig Allardyce – “Family Business – the Secret of Our Success.’

Can you come up with any others?

Australia is struggling to create clear cut chances - in fact they are not creating any chances.

Not so quick. Chance for the Aussies as big Kennedy is fouled right on the edge of the penalty box. Viduka strikes it well with his right foot but the keeper saves well. I thought Kewell's left foot might have been a better option.

The Japanese defense is outnumbering the Aussies when they get close to the box.

Hiddink plays his last sub with Wilksire off and another strilker - Aloisi - on. Japan might catch Australia on the break.

Aloisi receives a welcome-to-the-game yellow card within two minutes - silly boy. Japan is getting the ball into wide positions when they break but the chances are being wasted.

Australia is pumping balls into the Japanese penalty box but the crosses are very poor.

Seven minutes and another free kick for Australia. Aliosi hits it ever so well but the keeper makes a great save.

Sam Allardyce would be proud. A long throw in drops to my boy Tim Cahill who slides it home. A massively important goal. Can Australia become the first team to come from a goal back to take a point?

They've just done better than that - Cahill does it again. He is such a cracking wee player!!!

The Japanese are stunned, shell-shocked and anything else you can think of.

And there is more - Aloisi runs through the Japanses defense to score and to cap the most sensational 10 minutes of this World Cup.

Just minutes ago the Aussie fans in the crowd looked like they had just been told that all the breweries had burned down and now they are set to drink K-town dry.

Man of the match - Everton's Tim Cahill.