The Times feature on Fulham’s away form. St. James’ Park is about the only ground Fulham doesn’t mind traveling to. They have a split record of 2 wins, draws and losses in the Premiership and their two wins and one of the draws have come on their last three visits. Conversely Newcastle’s last win in the Premiership came over three months ago and it needed a late penalty kick to give Newcastle a 1-0 win over who else but Fulham.
Premiership This weekend’s Premiership fixture list has ten matches all of which have the potential to substantially change the race for the title, the scramble for Champions League/UEFA Cup spots, or the battle to avoid the dreaded drop.
There are numerous possibilities and of course one of which is that nothing very much will change. Even so it’s interesting to take a look at the various views of how things will work out with eight rounds of play to go.
The conventional wisdom in the media and on the chatboards seems to be that with a three point lead and a substantially better goal difference the league title is for Manchester United to lose. Arsenal’s four consecutive draws has put a dagger through the heart of their title aspirations while Chelsea could yet to slip in to win the Championship for the third time in four seasons.
Liverpool are the form team (and the team to fear in the Champions League) and will lock up the fourth Champions League spot. That will leave Everton with fifth and what may be the last remaining UEFA Cup place for next season. Aston Villa, Portsmouth (still have a very real interest in the FA Cup), Manchester City and Blackburn will be left on the outside looking in.
BBC pundit Alan Hansen seems to support the conventional view as far as the top four are concerned. Hansen states “if United beat Liverpool and Arsenal lose at Chelsea, Wenger can wave the title bye-bye in my opinion”. Early on in the article he says, “…..while Arsenal go to Stamford Bridge to play a Chelsea side who cannot yet be discounted when it comes to the title.”
When you consider that going into this weekend Arsenal trails United by three points and in turn leads Chelsea by two points then should United and Chelsea win then the gap between first and second will become five points with Arsenal a further point behind. However, that single point would seem to be enough for Hansen to dismiss Arsenal’s chances (whle five points is not too much for Chelsea to make up) even though Manchester United have to still play the Gunners and have to travel to Stamford Bridge.
At the other end of the Premiership Wigan’s current run of form finds them on 31 points along with Boro. Although both teams still fall within the group still under threat of relegation these two teams haven’t featured in too many relegation picks lately. The subject of Newcastle is polarizing with fans and pundits clearly falling quickly into the “stay-up” or “relegated” camps – no indecision on that one.
Depending on how you feel about Newcastle they either join the group of Reading, Birmingham, Sunderland, Bolton and Fulham that are trying to avoid the two other relegations spots or not. Bolton’s chances of safety are often dismissed based on a supposedly tougher schedule while in North America Fulham seem to a lot of peoples pick for a “miracle” run to seventeenth spot or even higher. Perhaps a case of heart dominating the brain.
So if that is a recap of the conventional wisdom what are the UK bookies saying? As bookies odd are set based on money bet it should align closely with punters current opinion. At the wrong end of the league the bookies are no longer taking bets on Derby’s fate while not giving Fulham (2/5) much of a chance of survival and they reckon Bolton (5/6) are going to join them.
If either of these two teams does turn their “fate” around then Sunderland are the next pick to go down (2/1), with Reading and Birmingham (7/2) coming next. Jeremy St. Louis could make some money by choosing Newcastle at 4/1. Wigan (8/1) and Boro at 12/1 are definite outsiders.
At the other end the bookies are saying that the finish will be Manchester United 1/3, Arsenal 4/1, Chelsea 5/1 and Liverpool 120/1 with a United, Arsenal and Chelsea the favoured 1-2-3 finish. Before the midweek draw with Tottenham Chelsea were the bookies favourite to finish as runners-up.
Around Europe There are some great games around the rest of Europe as well. In Italy the two stand out games are Fiorentina vs. Lazio and the derby that isn’t a derby, Inter against Juventus. Spain has Sevilla against Atletico Madrid and if the game is half as interesting as their first match-up this season (a 4-3 win for Atletico) then it should be worth catching.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid probably can’t believe that after dropping nine points in their last five matches that they still lead second place Barcelona by seven points. For all the ups-and-downs we have seen in La Liga this season the fact is that since Real left the Nou Camp with a 1-0 win two days before Christmas the top three teams (Real Madrid, Barcelona and Villarreal) have all collected twenty-one points from a possible thirty-nine. This weekend Valencia provides the opposition for Real and will be buoyed after beating Barcelona in Thursday’s Copa del Rey semi-final.
The Bundesliga has a top versus third match-up with Bayern Munich facing a surging Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern remains unbeaten at home although their points total is reflective of five draws in eleven home games. On the other hand Leverkusen have not won at Bayern in 19 years, and have only won twice in twenty-eight visits.
I will be on World Soccer Daily at around 1:15 p.m. EST tomorrow (Friday).
A great
article on two footballing generations of the McGeady family and a wee bit
more.
A loss to
Inter forty years ago still rankles Liverpool.
Here is a look at the last sixteen of the Champions League and who might make up the last eight.
Schalke vs. Porto Porto may have lost a couple of games in Portugal over the last two months but they should have enough to qualify against a Schalke side that made it through from a group that turned out to be very poor. Pick Porto.
Roma vs. Real Madrid I’m picking this one as my surprise of the round. Real has racked up good results this season without being consistently impressive. Roma has a poor record against Real Madrid but they have enough talent to beat the Spanish Champions. Out on a limb on this one. Pick Roma
Olympiacos vs. Chelsea If the Greek side is to have a chance at all then they need to win the first leg. Although two or their three wins in the group stage were away from home the first win (at Werder Bremen) was Olympiacos’ first in 32 attempts. The side is strong on experience but may not be strong enough defensively to win over two legs. Pick Chelsea
Liverpool vs. Inter With a FA Cup defeat and a poor league showing hanging over them this is Liverpool’s last chance for silverware this season. The Champions League and the former European Cup has more meaning to Liverpool than most other clubs but they are facing a side that it out to prove that they can be considered amongst Europe’s best. In three of the last four times Inter has made it to the knock out stage they have lost on away goals. Inter was my choice back in August to take Europe's premier title but it was a choice that was made with little conviction. Pick Inter Celtic vs. Barcelona Barcelona is the only side to win in European competition at Parkhead in the last seventeen matches. By the same token Celtic’s away form in Europe continues to be atrocious. A Celtic win in the first leg is very much a possibility but a visit to the Nou Camp will prove to be too much. Pick Barcelona (They will be happy that Dundee United did not qualify)
Lyon vs. Manchester United A side with the likes of Karim Benzema in it should not be written off but Lyon’s best chance of European glory may have come and gone. United’s movement in midfield and attack will be more than the French Champion’s defense will be able to cope with. Pick Manchester United
Fenerbahce vs. Sevilla Sevilla is finally beginning to generate some real momentum in La Liga after the traumatic experience of the collapse and death of full back Antonio Puerta in September. This is a side that has the benefit of two successful UEFA Cup runs, an outstanding striker pairing of Luis Fabiano and Freddie Kanoute, wide players with real pace and dash (Navas and Capel) as well as quality in almost every other area. Fenerbahce will prove to be a stiff test but Sevilla might be the team that surprises us all this season in the Champions League. Pick Sevilla
Arsenal vs. Milan Arsenal’s youth vs. Milan’s experience – that is how articles in newspapers and on the web are bill-boarding this one although I am not sure that is a totally fair reflection. I’ve flipped back and forward between the teams on this one since the draw was made and would not be surprised if Arsenal win's it. However….. Pick Milan
Here is a link to Jeremy's blog that describes his trip to Barcelona.
Gongatore - If warranted is there a side in Europe that you could see Altidore going to in the next transfer window? How do you rate Cruz and Zlatan at Inter?
Bobby – Moving clubs is an individual decision but from my point of view I think the rush to have Jozy Altidore move to Europe is ill-advised. He’s better off in MLS where he can play regularly for the next season or two. If he really makes an impact then when he moves he will be on his terms.
Cruz has scored goals throughout his career and continues to do so – a reliable goal scorer but well short of being one of the best. Zlatan on his day can be one of the world’s best players. It depends on whether or not it is his day!
Albertagooner - I'm trying to figure out how Patrick Barclay has managed to spot Arsenal's aerial weakness. Neither of United's goals involved a high ball hoofed into the box. In any event, both Gallas and Toure have a wonderful spring. I'd rather have them than taller defenders who have difficult marking strikers, such as Jamie Carragher or John Terry.
Bobby – I think Barclay is identifying a more traditional weakness rather than one that showed up on Saturday. The problem use to show up when Sol Campbell was missing and there is still a doubt in my mind about how well Arsenal deal with crosses.
It seems to me one of the things that they have improved on this year is not allowing so many crosses to reach the penalty box. I don’t have the stats to prove that and it could just be a case of Arsenal retaining more possession. I never considered Jamie Carragher to have had any trouble marking strikers. The only issue with Terry is that sometimes he can be caught out by a quick forward one-on-one but his anticipation and the way he plays the angles makes it a rare occurrence.
gabemar - Would you rate the chances of the three teams (Villarreal, Fiorentina and Man. City), who seem to be challenging the status quo on the three big leagues, at contending for at least CL spot until the end of the season? Also the last few weeks you have not been wearing your glasses at FSR. Are you wearing contacts or did you have lasik surgery? How do you like not wearing them?
Bobby – Villarreal and Fiorentina, Champions League spots yes. Manchester City – the jury is still out. Apart from a very poor start last season Villarreal has been a consistent performer in Liga for a few seasons now and it would not be a surprise to see them finish in the top four.
Fiorentina has an outstanding manger in Cesare Prandelli did a great job with Parma and it was unfortunate that he could not stick with Roma when he was appointed. Fiorentina’s Sporting Director Pantaleo Corvino has a great reputation and the two of them seem to putting together a very good team – even though they regularly lose players. Mutu is playing great again and Pazzini could become a very good player. There are lots of others as well.
City has a habit of starting well and fading and it might turn out to be different under SGE. However, it was interesting to note that Eriksson commented last week that he felt that other clubs might be preparing better when facing City. I think what he really meant was other teams were looking for ways to shut down Elano. Against Sunderland yesterday City collected three points but it was brutal performance by both sides.
I had laser surgery a few weeks ago and it has been great. No problems and I have my distance sight back again. Still need readers for close work in poor light but that was expected.
Flashman - How much longer can AC Milan resist the urge to pull the trigger and bring in a new manager? Huh? And how much longer can AC Milan resist the urge to make that new manager the former manager at Chelski? Yeah, the Portuguese bloke, Mourinho. That's the one.
And how long will we have to endure the myth that this year's edition of the Arsene Wenger Slight of Hand Show is the New Invincibles? Coz it ain't. It simply has to be said, because no one elsewhere has bothered to note this, that Arsenal, thus far, have played one of the softest league schedules imaginable. They've been outside of London proper only once in league play this year and coughed up an away draw to nasty Bla-hack-ahack-aburn Rovers.
Bobby – Ancelotti’s now served six years at the San Siro and his time has to be up soon. One way of coaxing the last possible piece of talent out of an older squad is to change the manager.
In terms of Arsenal’s schedule so far you are right but it is a bit of a red herring. London teams are all going to be in a similar position given that if you include Reading there are six London teams. That means that this season Arsenal will play nearly 2/3rds of their games in the London area. The counter to your argument has been put forward by a number of London clubs. The suggestion is that because of the high number of derby games London clubs actually have a tougher time of it.
Arsenal’s schedule is out of sync but that is down to the Champions League third round qualifying game that bumped an early season trip to Newcastle. As for being an easy schedule there are always going to be easy and more difficult runs. But if you compare to Tottenham’s schedule you will find that both clubs have played Sunderland, Derby, Manchester United, Fulham, Bolton, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. Spurs have faced five away games to Arsenal’s three. Of the remaining games Spurs have played Villa, Newcastle, Boro and Everton. Arsenal have played Manchester City, Portsmouth, and West Ham. Overall – probably about even.
PS – you missed Arsenal’s visit to Anfield of two weeks ago.
CIAO - When players and managers move to other clubs for large sums of money, you always hear them say "it wasn't about the money." The move usually is to a club that has a greater opportunity to win trophies.
That said, Ramos' move to Spurs puzzles me. He essentially built a good side that has been winning trophies. He quits too move to the Spurs. A club that placed 5th in the EPL for the past two seasons and has not won trophies. Does not play in the CL and potentially may not even qualify to play the CL next season...
It just doesn't add up. Do you by chance see some other reason (other than large sums of money) that would make Ramos' move an attractive one?
Bobby – Well the first thing I would point out is that Ramos did not build that Sevilla team – he has only been there for a little more than two seasons. He certainly turned them into trophy winners but the foundation was put in place for him – he took them over the top.
Sporting Director Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo appears to have played a more important role in turning Sevilla into a top club than Ramos. I don’t think Ramos tried to hide the fact that the money was too good to turn down.
Aldoray - What do you think about Peter Crouch as a player and his situation at Liverpool. I believe he is seriously being overlooked too often and he might be hitting the exit door at Anfield very soon along with Kewell.
Bobby – Here we go again. As I said on Monday night’s FSR a lot of people seem to think that because he is awkward to play against that it makes him a great player. When you hear Steven Gerrard suggest that Crouch has a great chance to break Jimmy Greaves England scoring record then you have to shake your head in disbelief.
The “Crouch is Great” lobby seems to base their views on his scoring record to minutes played as opposed to games appeared in. The argument goes something like this. He has an impact when he comes on and scores lots of goals so he should be on more often or earlier or even from the beginning. So let’s see if the statistics actually back up the view that Crouch is an underappreciated talent by Rafa Benitez and others.
I would suggest that the best statistics to use are from the Premiership. Reason – it gives a comparison to other strikers plus it shows the longer term effectiveness of a player against sides that are better prepared to play against the player having scouted strengths, weaknesses etc. more thoroughly.
Over the last two seasons and a bit Peter Crouch has appeared in 70 Premiership games for Liverpool – he has started in 47 and come on as a substitute in 23. He has scored 15 Premiership goals. Only four of these goals have been clutch goals – goals that either turned a potential draw into a win or a loss into a draw.
His average scoring rate is one goal every 4.66 appearances. That rate doesn’t get him in the top 100 Premiership scorers. Comparison examples - Henri Camara 3.41, James Beattie 3.99, Jan-Aage Fjortoff 3.36, Marian Pahars 3.07, Dion Dublin 2.81.
But, the Crouch lobby would argue, that goals per appearance are not a reliable indicator because although Crouch may appear many of his appearances are relatively short and have to be adjusted for. So in the interest of fairness I went back over the minutes actually played and converted into the equivalent of full ninety minute games.
This substantially improves Crouch’s average – it translates to a goal every 2.81 games, equal to Dion Dublin’s but Dublin’s average has not been adjusted to minutes played. I must have missed the “Dublin for England” lobby a few years ago.
So how does Crouch’s record stack up against some of his contemporaries? I looked at two younger players over the last two and a bit seasons – Robin van Persie and Bobby Zamora. Based on goals per minutes played RVP clocks in at an average o####oal every 2.08 Premiership games - Bobby Zamora a goal every 2.64 Premiership games. Both substantially better than Crouch.
The next point that is normally argued is that Crouch is good in the air. Given that he is five inches short of seven foot tall he should be. Well what do the statistics show? Four of his 15 Premiership goals at Liverpool have come from headers (midfielder Tim Cahill in two and a bit seasons has scored from five headers for Everton).
An interesting stat that sticks out is how few games Crouch actually completes – only 19 full Premiership games in 47 starts. And it is not just a case of being substituted in the last five minutes. His average stint in a Premiership game for Liverpool (based on him starting) when substituted, is just a few seconds short of 65 minutes.
It’s also something that shows up in his England appearances. Add it all up and a reasonable conclusion is that Crouch finds it difficult to play ninety minutes hence the reason that Benitez starts him on bench so often. Rather than playing him against fresh players it would make more sense to have him come on late when defences are tired. And guess what - he looks impressive.
But the “Crouch is Great” group then jump to Crouch’s goals in the Champions League and for England. On the basis of goals scored his numbers are impressive…….but. His goals for England have come against Estonia, Macedonia, Andorra, Greece, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Hungary and Uruguay - clutch goals two. In addition he has only completed nine games although he has collected 22 caps.
In Champions League last season he scored all seven goals against group opponents (although PSV were also opponents in the first knock out phase). It strongly suggests that again Crouch’s value is in his awkwardness to play against and uniqueness. Teams facing him for the first time have difficulty dealing with him but over time they solve the problem.
So if you are looking for a striker who is tall but not necessarily good in the air, isn’t up to playing ninety minutes, and has trouble scoring clutch goals then I guess Peter Crouch is your man.
As for heading out of the door – could happen but he will not be joining a team better than Liverpool that is going to give him any more playing time.
Syncrew - 1 Now that Avram Grant has had 10 or so matches in charge ,what do you see as the big difference between Jose's and Avram's Chelsea ? 2 Since it’s up on the blog I may as well ask who you think is the most underrated and overrated striker in Europe? 3 How do you rate Alex? He seems to be doing well in place of Terry and is keeping Ben-Haim out of the team. (Ignore that foul against Schalke.)
Bobby – 1. It’s quieter around Stamford Bridge and Sir Alex Ferguson is aiming shots exclusively at the Emirates again.
2. You will have to define underrated and overrated. As I’ve pointed out before just because a player is considered “overrated” it doesn’t mean that he is not better than an “underrated” player. If I had to sign one striker in the world it would be a fit Samuel Eto’o.
3. Alex - Good player although I’m not sure keeping Ben-Haim out of the team should be the measure of him. I think his potential is well beyond a competent journeyman such as Ben-Haim.
Gunner44 - Is it Healthy for the game that 3 or is 4 managers have already lost their jobs and it's only been 2 1/2 months in the league. Is it the managers that are to blame or the Board? I read somewhere that someone said if Spurs don't improve the whole board should be fired.
Don't managers deserve more time to prove themselves? Very few managers have the ability to turn a team into a winning side in their first season. Like Jol should have been given at least till Jan before they left them go. He had been in top 5 for 2 straight seasons and almost took Arsenal out of top 4. Taking ManUre, Chelski, Liverfools and Arse out of top 4 won't be an easy thing to do and Jol came very close to doing it.
Bobby – It is a merry-go-round and I think the managers are wise to it. Sign a three year deal for a lot of money – if you get fired you get a huge pay out. What astonishes me are the choices that some owners make – Sammy Lee and Chris Hutchings stand out. The cost of relegation is huge (even after parachute payments) and if the club’s finances are stretched with longer term player contracts involving Premiership wages even if the side is relegated then the a financial meltdown is possible.
Djnima -1. What do you think is the reason of Lampard's turnaround in form? 2. Have you heard anything of McLaren's visit to LA? A little bird told me that he may become the manager of the Galaxy after England doesn’t qualify. Becks has been recalled. Do you think he will make 100 caps?
Bobby – 1. The form of all players comes and goes and isn’t necessarily based on scoring goals. Lampard has spent the games prior to the one against Leicester in the Carling Cup shooting from almost anyplace. Just because they have started going in doesn’t mean that his form has necessarily turned around.
2. McClaren’s visit to LA appears to be pointless and beyond the ridiculous rumour that he is shopping himself to LA Galaxy I have not heard a reasonable explanation. If McClaren was looking to move then surely he would not be as stupid as this.
At least when SGE met with Abramovich he at least tried to keep it undercover. Has Becks been recalled? You are ahead of me on that one. How about another explanation – McClaren came over in person to tell Beckham that he has not been recalled?
Wiegs9 – I have a silly question that maybe somebody can answer. What are the large, reddish #### lapel pins that you, Jeremy and Mitch were wearing last night and the ones that the Sky Sports presenters (and some Premiership managers) are wearing? Unfortunately, I must have missed the show where this was mentioned. Thanks!
Bobby – They are red poppies that are worn in Commonwealth countries in honour of the people who gave their lives during the wars. Remembrance Day is November 11 and the poppy is worn as a symbol and a mark of respect. The poppy flower was chosen as they grow in Flanders where some of the most brutal battles of WW1 were fought.
JayAlves - "Fergie support for Blatter stance on imports Sir Alex Ferguson believes clubs should be seen to have 'a proportion of home-based players' - and feels rivals Arsenal would 'protest the loudest' at such a rule.”
Bobby – It is a sure sign that Ferguson is more concerned about Arsenal than the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool. I understand the full article quotes him as saying that all that would need to happen is for the Premiership clubs to agree to such a proposal. He is wrong.
Unless UEFA/FIFA are given full autonomy over soccer in Europe (and it is clear that will not happen) it would need the European Union to repeal the commitment to the free movement of labour within member countries (as it applies to soccer player) or at the very least agree to the exception under the terms of the "Lisbon Treaty" of a few weeeks ago which regards sport as special. It cannot be done unilaterally just because a few rich owners decide that they would like to.
Although I’m sure that the United owners would be happy to see the value of their investment erode as worldwide television money would shrink and the price of “home-grown” players rocket.
In a perverted way United are to blame for this. Before Matt Busby took over the manager’s job at United teams never groomed young players as a way to build a team. They signed local players who played at lower levels or proven professional players from other clubs.
It was United’s then chairman James Gibson and Busby who came up with the idea of signing the best young players and developing them. The initial focus was on Manchester youngsters but as the pool dried up United cast a much wider net to cover the rest of England as well as Scotland, Wales and both parts of Ireland.
That is why the Busby Babes came from so many different parts of the British Isles. Other clubs would complain about United poaching “their” local products. Arsenal is using the same philosophy except now scouting is done on a global basis.
MasMaz -I agree and disagree with your numbers on people watching Football worldwide. They are not anywhere as high as they claim but they are higher than you say. Especially for the WC final and the Champs league final. Did you ever see that movie about the child buddhist monk and his buddies trying to catch the '02 final?
Impossible to verify but I would guess that 200 million people watched the '02 final in Europe and South America between the 2 continents alone, adding the rest of the world I would say at least 300 million, maybe even 400.
Bobby – Television viewership of sporting events in 2006 - articles including numbers.
The USSF makes an interesting selection to lead the under-17 program.
And before we move on I think the comments from the UK’s minister of sport Gerry Sutcliffe are worth addressing. Sutcliffe picked on John Terry’s reported salary, as well as losses run up by Chelsea. He might have done his case more good if he had got his numbers right but even so picking on an individual is out of line and so are his general comments.
Sutcliffe’s comment included "people in the street cannot understand salaries like that.” That might be the case but the same people in the street aren’t likely to understand the kind of money made by entertainers and movie stars or any other highly paid individual.
It’s called the free market and John Terry and other players are entitled to be compared to other stars because that is what they are. They provide millions of people with enjoyment (and stuff to write and comment on!!) every week and any nostalgic longing for the good old days before money ruined the game is beyond nostalgia and is in fact delusional.
Over a century ago the first player was paid to play the game and from that point on it was about money. Before the abolition of the maximum wage in England the money flowed from the spectators to the owners with a relatively small portion finding a way to the players.
At least now players are paid commensurate with the revenue they generate – they are the product, they are who we pay to see. And let us not forget that “we,” as the fans, are complicit in the whole scheme. If we didn’t pay to see a game – either live on the box - or buy merchandise, there would be no money to pay the salaries.
The weekend game previews will be considerable shorter as I will be spending much of Thursday and Friday on airplanes. But here is something to chew over with over a quarter of the Premiership season already in the books.
One of things that I look at regularly is how a team is doing compared to previous years and, more often than not, the season before. The simple approach is to look at the number of games played; the points gained and compare the number to the same point in the season before.
Using that criteria and applying it to the top five finishers from last season the gainers so far are Arsenal (+8) and Liverpool (+6) while Manchester United (-2), Chelsea (-4) and Tottenham Hotspur (-8) have all lost ground. If you are attempting to project these numbers to a league finish in May you have to consider the final league points from 2006/07.
Manchester United 89
Chelsea 83
Liverpool 68
Arsenal 68
Spurs 60
In order to catch Manchester United this season Chelsea would have to gain or United would have to lose 6 points this season. For Liverpool and Arsenal the magic number was 21 points and for Tottenham 29 points.
If you assume from here on the teams would generate the same record this season as they did last season then the league table for the five teams would look like this.
Manchester United 87
Chelsea 79
Arsenal 76
Liverpool 74
Spurs 52
Chelsea’s magic number has grown from 6 points to 8, while Arsenal’s gap is now 14 where it was 21 points at the start of the season. Liverpool’s gap has also closed considerably dropping from 21 to 13 points. In the case of Spurs the gap is now an unachievable 35 points up from 29 points.
However, there is perhaps a more interesting way to compare season to season records. And that is to contrast the records last season to this one against the same opposition.
Because of relegation and promotion you have to make an assumption about the teams that dropped a division and those that came up. For the purposes of this example Sunderland = Sheffield United, Birmingham City = Charlton Athletic and Derby County = Watford.
When you consider this scenario only Spurs are actually doing worse than last season having dropped 2 points over last season. Manchester United and Chelsea are exactly even, Liverpool have picked up 2 points and Arsenal leads the pack having gained 6 points on last season.
Projected to seasons end and assuming no change to last season’s head2head records for the remaining games the positions come out looking like this.
Manchester United 89
Chelsea 83
Arsenal 74
Liverpool 71
Spurs 58
What this ishows is that despite Liverpool and Arsenal making early gains it is still a long road to catch United and Chelsea – even though it doesn’t appear that way when looking at the present table.
Of course you have to consider that given United and Chelsea’s records last season there is more down side than up. However, one area available to Manchester United are the two games against Arsenal – they lost both last season. And of course on Saturday they meet for the first time this season.
Others games that stand out this weekend include Blackburn at home to Liverpool. Don’t expect many goals in this one – we’ve only seen five in Liverpool’s last five visits to Ewood Park. In MLS to second leg of the first round of play offs continue with all three games evenly balanced. We can expect more goals than in the first leg - as we saw on Thursday evening between the Fire and DC United.
Italy has the Italian derby with Juventus against Inter. In Spain Sevilla “welcomes” Liga champions Real Madrid while Atletico Madrid versus Villarreal looks to be an intriguing match.
Ulsterson -I know you have been an ardent critic of the Glazers financial model used in the purchase United. As a United fan but not much of an economist I have tried, with marginal success, to follow your analysis and critique. I understand the concept of "bad debt" you have been warning against but I still don't see the upside, financially, for the Glazers if they don't keep the team competitive.
You have, since not long after or perhaps even before the takeover, come just short of predicting financial ruin leading to on field failure as resources for talent dwindle. As obviously smart business men, I cannot see the Glazers allowing the Team/product to suffer because of their financial scheme. Further, the purchases of late would indicate they do realize the necessity for success on the pitch for there to be success at the bank.
There is no question that their involvement in United is not based on a love of the team or even the sport itself and the debt situation does look dire on paper but could you please further explain any possible hustle we should be leery of? If you could, a "for example" of a possible scenario, in which they could make money at the expense of the team’s quality. Or, is it just a very risky gamble?
Bobby – You are right the Glazers have to keep the team competitive because the issue for them (at the moment) is a revenue shortfall rather than an expense problem. They bought the team believing that they could generate more and new revenue streams. The increase in revenue would then be used to pay down the large debt load.
The problem is where does the revenue come from and is it realistic to think it can be amount to the $100m or so in annual payments needed to pay the interest on the debt? Generally the revenue sources available to United fall into the following categories; ticket sales and hospitality, television and prize revenue domestic, television and prize revenue Europe, merchandising and sponsorship.
If you look back to when the Glazers borrowed to take the club over (it is more accurate description than bought the club) it would be fair to say that none of these revenue sources have dwindled and most have in fact increased. Prices and capacity have increased at Old Trafford; TV and prize money for the EPL up; Champions League is still producing; there was word that they got more for the AIG logo on the jersey than from the previous sponsor.
But even then they renegotiated the debt and reduced the interest payment at a cost of a longer term repayment schedule. Think in terms of your mortgage – it’s the kind of thing you do when you find that the monthly budget can’t be stretched far enough.
So the plan/hope is that the team can continue to be successful (and tap into an ever increasing pool of Premiership and CL money) but that is a risky assumption on two levels and in terms of continued succeess one that Leeds made. (Although in the case of Leeds they had nothing else to fall back on. Leeds also got caught with assets/players bought at inflated prices whose value then plummeted as the impact of the Bosman ruling took affect.)
Ticket prices will continue to be a place that the Glazers will feel they can generate much more money – Carling Cup this season as a prime example – because the stadium is playing to capacity. Demand high – a chance to raise prices.
The tricky part kicks in when the revenue increases don’t meet the money needed to pay the interest on the debt. It is at that point that the temptation might be to cut costs and pray that the product isn’t impacted. To date there has been money spent on players but it seems doubtful that it has been anything close to the numbers that have been widely reported. The deals for Anderson and Nani seem to have been done with relatively low initial payments with more to follow if certain targets are hit. The Hargreaves transfer involved more money up front but the same concept.
The other risk is Ferguson and who takes over from him. The Glazer deal is structured around a timeline that far exceeds the number of years that Fergie has left. He may think he can go on forever but he is 66 at the end of December and the day will come. The likelihood of a seamless succession appears to me to be a hope rather than the certainty that the Glazers need.
When you add up the finances, the risks inherent in what appears to be the Glazers assumptions, as well as the general uncertainty and risk that is involved in any deal, it seems to me that for this to work it needs an incredible amount of luck.
There again, they could always sell the Tampa Bay Rowdies or United for that matter. There would be no shortage of buyers for either team. If United was to be sold then the fans should be looking for a philanthropist not a businessman.
RINGO - Dundee, six points behind Hamilton (who the hell are Hamilton anyway?), and you don`t like to brag on your hometown, so here`s your chance.
Bobby – A bad loss to Hamilton a couple of weeks ago and a draw with Partick Thistle on Saturday only increased the gap at the top. Keep your eye on Hamilton Academical. They have a very aggressive youth policy under manager Billy Reid and it is beginning to pay off. You will see the bigger clubs starting to pick off some of their players next summer.
Hamilton plays Dundee United in the quarter-final of the CIS Cup on Wednesday and it will be a very interesting game. Craig Levein seems to have United cooking.
Dasayev -Interesting that on more than one occasion Jol pointed to the absence of Ledley King as a reason for Spurs' poor defense. Is there any truth in that? What is Tottenham's record with and without King over the past few seasons? How many goals do they concede per game with and without him? They also recently lost Davids, who seemed to set the tone for them when he played.
Bobby – The statistics show that Ledley King is very important to Spurs. I looked at Premiership records over the last two seasons with King in the side and without King.
In 2005/06 King played 26 matches and Spurs averaged 1.00 goal against per game. That happened to be the same as they averaged over the entire 38 game schedule. However, the points per game with King in the team were 1.846 per game and only 1.416 without him – the season average was 1.71. That means with Ledley King in the side Spurs were 30% more successful.
Last season the goals against with King in the team for 21 games were 1.29 goals against per game and points gained were 1.81. Without Ledley it was 1.59 goals per game and an average of 1.29 points gained per game. Averaged over the full schedule Spurs conceded on average 1.42 goals per game and gained 1.58 points per game.
The difference a fit King made last season – an incredible 39.8%.
Source - premiersoccerstats.com
Davids was a peripheral player for Spurs – even two seasons ago. Last season he started six games and Spurs lost 3, drew 1 and won 2. The season before he started 28 games and played in 8 or Spurs’ 9 losses. Average points with Davids starting were1.57. Average when he did not start 2.1.
Craigy f – 1. What criteria do you use to choose a game of the week? 2. Do you think Ramos can turn Spurs around between now and January? 3. What result(S) surprised you this weekend? 4. Can you give your opinion on Benitez's personnel and tactics against Arsenal on Sunday? 5. What was your goal of the weekend? 6. What was your miss of the weekend?
Bobby – 1. Whatever appeals to me.
2. It depends what you mean by turnaround. If you mean get Spurs out of the bottom three then the answer is yes. The next four games are very winnable before they hit Manchester City, Portsmouth and Arsenal. If you mean can they make a run at 5th (I think the pre-season proponents of Spurs finishing 4th would concede that such a scenario is unlikely) then they have to start averaging over 2 points a game. That is a tall order.
3. I thought Milan would bounce back against Roma and I was surprised at how Valencia rolled over against Sevilla.
4. I covered that off on the Monday show and also in the response section of the weekend preview blog.
5. Sevilla’s third by Fabiano against Valencia.
6. Solano’s second fluffed header when Cole’s shot rebounded off the Portsmouth crossbar.
JayAlves - Why does the EPL only allow 5 on the subs bench? and is it the only league to allow 5? Sure makes it annoying in FM to have such a short bench especially since one is a keeper.
Bobby – Ah interesting. I wasn’t aware that there were premier-type leagues than allowed more than five substitutes on the bench. Sorry to be ancient but I remember the days of no substitutes. The first breakthrough was a player had to be injured and you only had one sub available. If the keeper went down injured it was just part of the game.
CIAO - Was Jol really quoted saying that the defensive problems were due to King being injured? If so, I'm glad they fired him because knowing King is injury prone he could have brought in a suitable back up. The new appointment seems very promising, but I think it will be a hard year for Spurs. They will be lucky if they place 5th. I think they will be in 6th or 7th place on the last day of PL.
Bobby – See previous response that I think clearly shows that Jol had a point. You are being hard on a man who it certainly appears did not control who was signed and who was not signed.
Weah11 - How do you pick the articles you put up on the blog?
Bobby – A combination of factors. Articles that I think are good reads; pieces that are maybe counterintuitive; articles that might be a bit unusual; and James Lawton columns to upset Craigy f. I try to avoid player interviews as a general rule.
Sleeper000 - I was curious as to what you think about the current Eduardo situation at Arsenal. The guy is incredibly gifted yet lately, he is not getting any playing time whatsoever. It seems to me like he has been relegated to fifth choice striker.
To be honest I was always nervous about Eduardo moving to Arsenal and this is not due to lack of skill. On the contrary, I think Eduardo is the most gifted forward on the Arsenal squad. However, I could never stop thinking about what happened to Croatian megastar #### when he moved to Arsenal. Whenever #### started, he would score goals, and then one day Wenger decided to start Henry and ####'s career was over.
Do you think something similar is happening to Eduardo? Now that Walcott and Bendtner are doing well, is this pretty much it for Eduardo? What happened to "It is Eduardo's time to shine"? Could he really be struggling that much with getting accustomed to his life in England, that he does not even merit a spot on the bench? I personally highly doubt that. What are your thoughts?
Bobby – As others have pointed out Wenger generally does not rush new players into the side. There are also many examples of his patience paying off.
I don’t think comparing this situation to ####’s is necessarily a fair comparison. I stand to be corrected but my recollection is that ####’s best years were behind him by the time he came to Highbury. Otherwise Real Madrid would not have let him go so easily.
He had a great World Cup in 1998 but it was a bit of an anomaly compared to his club form. There is nothing in his record post-Arsenal to indicate that letting him leave was a mistake. In retrospect replacing a 31-year-old #### with a 22-year-old Thierry Henry paid off don’t you think?
Craigy f - Correct me if I'm wrong but can't a player still play for one country after playing for another country at u20 or u21 level. Freddy Adu can still play for Ghana at full international even though he's played for USA U20 MNT.
Bobby – You are right about the first point but not on the second I think. Adu has been capped at the full international level for the USA has he not - back a few years ago against Canada I believe.
Sleeper000 - You mentioned yesterday that you would start Taylor for Portsmouth. Who would you drop then? Certainly not Kranjcar who is doing so well for the team. Anybody who would drop Kranjcar is obviously not too familiar with his talent. I'd hesitate to drop Hreidarsson either since he compliments Niko so well. Your thoughts?
Bobby – I don’t recall saying that I would start Taylor. I noted he was being kept on the bench and had only started three Premiership games this season. He was Portsmouth’s second top scorer last season with 8 goals as he was the season before with 6. Given his talent and in particular his left foot I said he could be an in-demand player come the winter transfer window. Maybe a Portsmouth fan can fill any other details.
Scotland may be sitting top of their group in Euro qualifying but there is an anthem problem.
Paul Wilson asks the question that if Manchester United fans have to buy tickets to Carling Cup games then shouldn’t United field a top class team. Buried in the piece Wilson also takes to task people who quote Bill Shankly’s “matter of life and death” comment. Wilson’s right – the vast majority of people quote Shankly as if he was serious which he clearly was not.
My favourite Shankly quote was from the late Emlyn Hughes. Hughes told a story that Shanks loved training and joined in all the time. One day Shankly turned round to Hughes and says to him "When I die I want to be the fittest man to ever die."
An interesting and informative website created by a regular blog visitor www.billsportsmaps.com Something obviously close to his heart. Check it out.
I received an e mail last week taking me to task. Apparently I have yet to publish my Champions league picks. So here goes – Group A, Liverpool and Porto; Group B, Valencia and Chelsea; Group C, Real Madrid and Werder Bremen (would not be surprised if Lazio qualified); Group D, Milan and Benfica; Group E Barcelona and Rangers (bring on the “are you on crack McMahon” e mails); Group F, Manchester United and Roma; Group G, Inter Milan and PSV; Group H, Arsenal and Sevilla.
Just a reminder that if you have questions you would like my take on, then the best idea is to post them on Monday’s Speakers’ Corner Blog. If they are posted any other time then there is a very good chance that I will miss them. I try my best to keep up but sometimes questions slip through the cracks.
And finally Winnipeg Thistle lost their Winnipeg Old Timers crown after losing 2-1 to Portuguese in the final on Sunday. A lack of polish in front of goal cost us dearly. It was a great game and I am glad to say that I am at the stage in life that I prefer to play in a good game and lose, than play in a bad one and win. To all the players and officials that make it possible for old guys like me to continue to kick a ball and love it a massive THANK YOU.
Henry14 - I do not know if its your company policy Bobby that you are not supposed to say that MLS is poor, because if you read nick ' article you would have thought MLS is like the Prem. l do not see Becks in the near future, because in my opinion the MLS is more of a league that is based on passion and euphoria rather than quality. The defending and general play is generally appalling; the league is just not good enough as fantasy manager with Juan Pablo Angel will testify.
Bobby – In the twenty years I have been involved in the media end of things no one has told to say or not say anything so if there is such a policy it hasn’t been brought to my attention. As far as only watching “quality” football then you must be a connoisseur compared to me. I can enjoy watching the game played at all levels.
Venti_vidi_vici - What is your take on the goings on at Stamford Bridge? What will Chelsea look like in three months time, will they sign anybody important, who will leave? Reportedly during a strategic meeting last week to discuss summer transfer targets etc., Abramovich apparently drastically cut spending, removed himself from day-to-day operations of the club, Lampard and Terry still don't have a new contract, and Mourinho wasn't even in the meeting. I guess just like a spoiled kid, his new expensive toy isn't as much fun anymore, and is amazingly making a mess of a very fine football club.
Bobby – Chelsea is a bit of a freak show at the moment. With all the speculation and rumour mongering I would not be surprised to find out that Elvis has been spotted at Stamford Bridge. Let’s just wait and see.
djnima - I just have one question and one question only this week. Who do you think deserves to win La Liga this year? and please don't say whoever has the most points and head to head records. Also, when is Rupert Murdoch going to give you your own show?
Bobby – It is probably one of these seasons when no team deserves it because Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla have all suffered through some pretty poor results. I picked Real Madrid at the start of the season and I will stick with that pick. As for a show – between the two shows a week and the blog I am busy enough as it is. But I will be asking for blog ideas, preference etc in the next few days.
Venti_vidi_vici - Where does Milan rank in terms of all time great football clubs? Over the past half century they have been incredibly successful - are they possibly the greatest ever? What is the key to their success over the past twenty years? Berlusconi? In the past twenty years they have reached eight UCL finals, next best is a Serie B team with four, and their five titles are two better than anyone. Their players always seem to love the club, they've always had a lot of Italian players in the team, and they seem to get the best out of their players, and make their players into champions?
Bobby –One of all time great teams – absolutely. The greatest ever? An argument as fruitless as trying choosing the greatest ever heavyweight. Weren’t Milan in Serie B a while back as well?
MeanSucka – I saw someone on Sky Sports (Alan Mullery, a former England player from the 60's) talking about Beckham not getting the proper training to stay on England's team past this week's call-up. In the process he called MLS a Mickey Mouse league and said it's only slightly better than the Conference - a sentiment echoed in the Lovejoy column. That's a little harsh, I thought. What do you think - how does MLS compare to England's divisions?
I would like to think that MLS is on the level of the Championship or at least League One, especially considering results of some of our players overseas and our team internationally.
And speaking of MLS, I tend to think sometimes that it is not as good defensively as it should be. I continue to see flat footed defenders giving goal scorers ample opportunities to finish. Do you think defense is a problem in this league?
Bobby – Your average former-player-now-pundit in Britain doesn’t know the difference between his arse and a hole in the road when it comes to anything outside of English football. The major short coming of the MLS is the lack of depth and that will take some time to rectify. There are some very good North American based players in the MLS (proven by the number that have moved overseas) but there are a number who would struggle to get a game in League Two. But there again you could look at Jay Demerit who was playing A League and started regularly in the Premiership so there are examples of it working both ways.
It is interesting that when Capello arrived at Real Madrid he was appalled at the shape the team was in physically which would seem to indicate that Beckham wasn’t getting the kind of training in Spain either. No doubt Mullery believes that only good English coaches can get English players fit.
Given the choice between watching a league with good defenders and bad forwards and bad defenders and good forwards which would you prefer?
Atleti female - I've heard a lot of good things about an Arsenal player called Francisco Merida Perez (aka 'Fran Merida). Some are dubbing him Arsenal's new wonderkid. What have you read about him? Do you think he is in the same level of ability as other wonderkids, such as Jonathan dos Santos and Bojan Krkic?
Bobby – Until you mentioned him I had heard nothing about him. I am a bit leery of wunderkids – is it just me or are there more of them around? – so I prefer to just wait and see. The Champions magazine this month had a piece that linked players with past stars i.e. the new Pele, the new Maradona etc.
Meansucka - What do you make of this FIFA ruling that games may no longer be played at altitude above 8200 feet? I read that one of the Brazilian club teams were upset that they had to play in Bolivia with freezing rain at altitude. But to me - it seems home field advantage is the reason you play a home and away leg to begin with and if they eliminate altitude, why not also look at air quality, temperature, or other factors? Why has this become a problem now?
Bobby – To answer in reverse I think it has become an issue as more clubs and countries have been or have been threatening to take games to higher elevations in order to get an even greater advantage. While FIFA claim it is far medical reasons it is more likely down to lobbying by Brazil and Argentina. Having said that I could see how playing at some of these elevations could be dangerous. However, you do make a good point about air quality. In Mexico City it is the combination of altitude and air quality that makes it so challenging.
Carneade - What would you change in soccer to improve the game? I'm not talking so much about the rules of the game itself (even though I do think that the goal size and the pitch width should be increased), I'm referring to max number of players in rosters, domestic and international schedules, number of games per year, national teams, refs and instant replay etc.
Bobby – I think FIFA’s desire to have leagues maxxed at 16 teams is a good one. How you ensure that the clubs don’t fill the vacant dates with other stuff is another issue. I would also find a way to curtail the World Cup and European Championship qualifying schedules – it would be an easy fix. I would also like to see the Gold Cup and Copa America consolidated into a true Cup of the Americas.
Henry14 - Can anyone tell me why Carragher is seen as a great defender, because for me he is highly overrated. He plays for an extremely defensive minded team and he is not usually exposed, l do not think he is as good as Gallas, Toure, Rio, Vidic, Carvalho, Terry, so why do pundits rave about this guy?
Bobby – Because he is a great central defender. He reads the game well, makes few mistakes and is a great tackler. Apart from that I can understand why you wouldn’t rate him.
Henry 14 - Have you ever considered having a Bobby McMahon weekly podcast, because surely you have a lot of friends who are journalist or football experts and talk about football thoughts. The two hours you have a week do not exhaust all burning soccer issues, because you are one of the best and rationale football pundits l have met rather than a lot of so called Liverpool biased pundits we have all over the world.
Bobby – Thank you for the kind words. Hold that suggestion as I will be asking for some input in the next days in terms of the blog.
CIAO - Do you think Buffon will leave Juventus? Also have you heard whether or not Inter are ready to split with Julio Cesar and Toldo? If so, and Buffon doesn't transfer who would they get -Amelia?
Bobby – It is strange that after spending a season in Serie B that Buffon would leave but I have heard that there is a strong possibility that he will move. I have not heard anything on the Toldo / Cesar front but you would expect that neither of them is particularly happy with the situation. Your suggestion of Amelia moving from Livorno to Juventus is an interesting one and one that would make a lot of sense. He is young for a goalkeeper and if he stays at Livorno then Champions League football is a pipe-dream. Probably a good time for a move and I would expect him to stay in Italy rather than moving to another country.
Wigan’s Dave Whelan claims that six clubs are ready to sue the Premiership over the West Ham ruling.
Bojan Krkic – remember the name says Jonathan Wilson.
Alyson Rudd on Steve Heighway’s reasons for quitting his post as head of Liverpool’s Youth Academy.
James Lawton on Wednesday’s Champions League game.
And now to the weekend action coming up.
Without any doubt the match of the weekend takes place at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid and Sevilla will slug it out with the winner designated as the main challenger to Barcelona with five games left.
Real were successful in appealing David Beckham’s yellow card for time wasting last week. He can now continue his attempt to leave the Bernabeu with at least one medal to show for his four year stay. The last two matches Beckham has set up defender Sergio Ramos for two goals and the big defender will be looking for more of the same when he faces his old club.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy is also enjoying a productive streak and has rattled in seven goals in the last eight league games. Sevilla’s Freddie Kanoute leads all scorers in Spain with 20 goals, two ahead of the Dutchman. Madrid has only beaten Sevilla once in their last five meetings although Sevilla’s away record of 5-5-6 is hardly intimidating.
In a week when Manchester United and Chelsea’s dreams of a treble (yes, Chelsea can still win three trophies but one would be the Carling Cup) have been shattered Sevilla are now the one club in Europe that retains the hope of completing a treble.
Based on league positions Barcelona’s trip to San Sebastian to play second from bottom Real Sociedad looks a certain away win. However, the side that came within a whisker of winning La Liga in 2003 has recently shown signs of life. With six games left Sociedad are three points from safety but Celta Vigo, Levante and Athletic Bilbao can all be caught. The Basque side has picked up nearly half of their 27 points over the last seven games and they have won their last three home games.
Sociedad may be the lowest scorers in La Liga with only 23 goals but they give relatively few away at the back – only thirty-eight in 32 games. Eleven of their seventeen losses have come by one goal and the other six by two. In other words this is a team which has yet to be blown out and is equipped to push the league leaders particularly when you consider Barcelona’s relatively poor away form.
Bottom of the table Gimnastic can improve their chances of staying up when they play fellow strugglers Levante.
Manchester United has a chance to banish the Champions League (and the City) blues when they visit City of Manchester Stadium to play Manchester City. City is a side that is redefining the word futile as it relates to goal scoring. It is now seven games since City has scored at home and that already exceeds the old record of five games set by Everton eight seasons ago. If City misfires again they will also set a new record for the lowest number of goals scored by a home team in the English top flight. Sunderland and Woolwich Arsenal jointly hold the record of 11 goals and to date City has scored ten.
In all likelihood Chelsea will need to beat Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday if they want to take maintain any hope of retaining their Premiership title. For Arsenal and Arsene Wenger a win would mean a first over a Jose Mourinho led Chelsea side but it might also mean that Manchester United will arrive for Wednesday’s match at Stamford Bridge as Premiership champions.
At the other end of the table and with the order of desperation in brackets – the higher the number the least desperate the club’s position – it is Wigan (6) vs. Middlesbrough (3), Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United (5), West Ham (2) vs. Bolton, Fulham (4) vs. Liverpool and on Monday Charlton (1) vs. Tottenham. Although at the start of the season I picked Fulham, Charlton and Watford to go down I can see the Cottagers surviving at the expense of West Ham. Given the ridiculous decision to fine West Ham rather than docking points such an outcome would only be delayed justice.
While the battle rages to maintain a Premiership position, the final three Premiership play off spots will be decided on Sunday. Birmingham and Sunderland are both automatically promoted and will sort out who will go up as Championship Champions while Derby County will finish third. After that five clubs are fighting for the other three spots. The teams in contention with position, opposition, points and goal difference in brackets are: West Brom (4, Barnsley, 73, 19) Wolves (5, Leicester, 73, 0) Southampton (6, Southend, 72, 21) Stoke (7, QPR, 72, 21) and Preston (8, Birmingham, 71, 10).
Up in Scotland Rangers plays Celtic is a largely meaningless affair but try telling that to Old Firm fans! Kris Boyd will attempt to break his scoring duck against Celtic. Boyd may be a predator when he faces other sides, but up against Celtic his scoring powers evaporate.
MLS Champions Houston Dynamo are still looking to get their new season in gear and have only scored one goal in four games so far. They travel to Denver to play the Rapids who have only lost one in four games and have former Manchester United and City player Terry Cooke in fine form with three assists in four games. Panamanian striker Roberto Brown has two game winning goals and a red card in his three games so far – never a dull moment for him.
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 s
