ZUCO2 - Do you agree with me that the title race in the Serie A is officially open?

Bobby – Serie A is like Liga this season – it seems that every time the leader has built a substantial lead they seem to find away to drop points and to cast new doubts on the eventual winner ……again.

Inter will finish with way less points than last season (97 points) as they have already dropped 22 points while Roma are heading for a big improvement (last season 75 points and they already have 64 points with 8 games left). They look like they are both heading for a points total in the mid-80s.

Flashman - Nice of you, Bobby, to acknowledge Colin Jose. He is just a great, great guy. I got to knock around with him a bit years ago. An amazing knowledge of the game, not just the Canadian side of it.

Bobby – Mr. Jose was kind enough to contact me a couple of years ago. It was a real thrill for me because I remember when he wrote for World Soccer years ago when I was growing up and the magazine seemed very exotic. These were the days when the world was a much bigger place and World Soccer was the only reliable source of information from around the globe.

MasMaz – And even though Masch did nothing that I can see to deserve to be sent off, where was captain fantastic? Shouldn't he be there telling him to shut-up and pull him away, by force………..

I am deeply disappointed in Bobby's response to this issue. I expected low brow commentary from the clowns on FFF, but Bobby, say it aint so. Masch's behavior is only relevant if the standard response to it is to be sent off. At this time it is not, and Liverpool at Old Crapford in March is not the time to create the standard.

A journalist's job is to be critical when necessary. Bennett made a decision that taints a season. Another foreigner was singled out and made an example of, while worse English offenders are let off.

Steve Nicol put it best on FFF. Bennett didn't even warn him. Sure his behavior was erratic and insupportable, but he should have pulled Gerrard aside and said keep him quiet or he is out.

I agree that this type of behavior needs to stop. That is the beauty of this injustice from the corrupt FA. They can point to Macherano and say he is to blame, that no one but he is at fault. BS. Another year handed to United.

You don't make these type of statements in the final stretch of the season. This was selective enforcement and a travesty. Who will say that an Englishman would have seen red? I have seen Terry, Gerrard, ACole, Barton, Bowyer etc, do worse for years.

Bobby – This is a bouncing ball.

“Even though Masch did nothing that I can see to deserve to be sent off,” – “where was captain fantastic? Shouldn't he be there telling him to shut-up and pull him away, by force,” – “Bennett didn't even warn him” - “sure his behavior was erratic and insupportable, he should have pulled Gerrard aside and said keep him quiet or he is out,”- “I agree that this type of behavior needs to stop.”

So we have a player Mascherano that did nothing but was sent off even though his captain should have told him to shut up and pull him away …if he was doing nothing why would Gerrard have to tell him to shut up and pull him away?

Bennett didn’t warn him? What’s a yellow card an indication of? Most sane people realize that it is a clear indication that you are one indiscretion away from being sent off.

But of course Mascherano was doing nothing according to you. But then we find out that Mascherano’s “behavior was erratic and insupportable” – that's all very well except you spent the rest of your post claiming he was hard done by.

And to cap it all off you agree that “this type of behavior needs to stop” – would that be the bad behavior or the not doing anything behavior?

Arsewatcher - Cool Canadian Soccer History site, Bobby. I liked the hockey connection part. I remember playing against Peter Zezel in U-16....dude was a great centre-back.

Bobby – There have been a number of very good hockey players that played were also decent soccer players.

Bonmot - Might you have some information on how Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya are doing in Austria?

Bobby – From this account it seems that Nate Jaqua has made a good start in Austria. If you are looking to stay current on his progress then the Yanks Abroad website is excellent. The last piece I read on  Joseph Ngwenya was that he has been having trouble settling down and there is speculation that he may return to MLS.


Sleeper000 - Croatia are to play Scotland on Wednesday. This is Scotland's first international match with a new coach. However, the stadium will probably be half full. Do you think this is due to lack of interest in international friendlies or perhaps that Scotland are not playing a more popular opponent like France or Germany? I for one never take friendlies seriously, other than taking a look at some talented up and coming players. What is your take on the fixture?

Bobby – I’m surprised that they have sold half the tickets. There is so much soccer at this time of year that I don’t think friendly internationals mean enough to really catch many people’s interest. If it was England it might be different but I don’t think the opposition is really the issue. I’m sure it will be a useful exercise for George Burley but that is about it.

TNGooner - I'm convinced Arsenal's slump has to do with Adebayor's hair. Since he took the braids out and went for the mini-afro, he's only scored once and Arsenal has only won once (against Milan)...Ade needs to bring the braids back and get the Gunners back on track!

Bobby – I have a similar theory but it relates to players who decide to go blonde. I cannot think of a player who has played better after having a run-in with a bottle of peroxide. The Romanians started it when they all went blonde at the 1998 World Cup and it did not do them any good.

Thewobegonboy - I subscribe to FSC, Setanta, and that other footy channel that broadcasts La Liga. Are there any other options for watching European soccer in North America? I know you don't control FSC programming, but you often talk about watching games that weren't broadcast to the masses and I was wondering what mechanism allowed you to view those fixtures. Satellite? Online streaming? Secret handshake with the cable guy?

Bobby – It probably has more to do with what is available in Canada rather than anything untoward. We sometimes get different games from the ones offered in the USA and we also get games on stations called the Score, TLN and TV5. During MLS season there is also HDNet, TFC games on multiple Canadian broadcasters and depending on where you reside you may be lucky enough to get additional MLS games – in Winnipeg I watch the NER on a station out of Boston.


Vang60 - As a part time viewer of the Premier League, I think that the sending off of Mascherano was ABSOLUTELY influenced by Sir Alex BLEEP SON and MANURE since the referees in the league have NEVER had a spine against MANURE ARSENAL OR CHELSEA players dissent in the past and find it easy to implement any new policy against Liverpool. Disgraceful. The Premier League has just lost me as a fan. BLEEP YOU ALL.

Bobby – Lost another half a BLEEP fan.


Gregz - Can Arsenal's poor run of form be attributed to a lack of steel in defence? The first choice back line are individually very good defenders, however, especially in central defence we really lack height and strength. We really miss a player like Sol Campbell don't we? Also, how much is Arsene's insistence to not add to his squad harming Arsenal choices of winning trophies?

Bobby – You nailed it and it isn't just lately. I think it is a case that lately it has cost them points. Tony Adams was the rock for so many years and then it was Sol Campbell. I think it is why Wenger perseveres with Senderos. Overall he is a poorer defender than Gallas or Toure he is better in the air. I just don’t think you can win the Premiership without a centre half that is dominant in the air.

Regarding Wenger’s reluctance to add to his squad there is another angle to it I think. Because Arsenal is slumping the knee-jerk reaction is he should have signed players with the automatic implication that such signings would have meant a guarantee of silverware. There are more than enough examples of god team signing players and they have had the opposite effect. It’s interesting that there are a number of Arsenal fans criticizing Wenger but are quick to point out the bad signing other teams have made. Signing players does not come with a guarantee of success.

MasMaz - You pointed out that Drogba and Anelka were offside... and then you said so what. What is going on over there? Red Devil mania is sweeping through Canada like the plague.
Can you imagine the outcry if Man Utd lost a game on a call like that?

Bobby – Drogba was marginally offside coming back from a ball that was knocked forward 40 yards and was still well outside the penalty area. The Arsenal central defenders didn’t win the ball and then they didn’t clear it.

If you prefer to focus on a marginal offside call rather than accepting that Arsenal lost because they were unable to defend against the most basic of attacks – a thump up the park and down the middle – then good for you. Others might think you are missing the point.

DVXPrime - Here's an interesting question about the surnames (not the "nicknames or mascots) of the UK-based teams. Poring through FourFourTwo magazine's annual preview issue, I found four common surnames: Rovers (Blackburn, Bristol), Wanderers (Bolton, Wolverhampton), Albion (West Bromwich, Brighton and Hove), and of course, United (Manchester...need i say more?). Oh, and Rangers (Queens Park, Glasgow). By any chance can you provide some insight or history on why some teams chose those surnames? Thanks.

Bobby – I think some others have done a pretty good job of answering this one. Names are a bit like uniforms ..easily copied.

Ursusarctos - Verbal's comments were not phrased as a question, but accounting for some rhetorical excess-- which I also indulged in in my previous reply to RINGO-- the two paragraphs sum up my views fairly well also. How would you characterize these views-- is there some justice in LFC feeling hard done by (even accepting the stupidity of Masch's actions) in light of ALL the circumstances verbal mentions? The Masch episode appears inconsistent with precedent (Terry et al) -- do you agree or not, and should precedent even matter?

Bobby – Mascherano was not sent off for dissent he was given a second yellow card for dissent which meant he was off. A more accurate description might have been a second yellow card for crass stupidity.

Do you not think it was obvious after the Cole incident on Wednesday that there were going to be ramifications is there was to be close to a repeat of the incident? Anyone who watches the Premiership on even a semi-regular basis knows what Bennett is like. Players know the officials they can intimidate and the ones that are card happy.

What came over Mascherano goodness only knows. You talk precedent and others who may have got away with it but timing is everything and Mascherano's decision to chirp and get involved in something that had nothing to do with him cost his team a chance at a comeback.

Neophyte - As far as Mascherano goes, he was the only one who had any passion for LFC. Too bad he went out of his way to get that red. You can put any excuse you want on it but it was aggressive, excessive and plain stupid. It wasn't why they lost. They simply didn't match United's tenacity (foul for foul) or desire. They looked flat...then gave into blaming the official.

Bobby – That wasn’t passion that was stupidity. Passion is not running around chirping at a referee and leaving your team with only ten men. Passion is about applying yourself to winning the game. What Mascherano did was the opposite.

Chad876 - I think refs treat ManU players differently than they do other teams if you think its a lie how many penalties have been awarded to United and each time Ronaldo is touch the refs blow.

Bobby – If you are going to make a statement like that you need to back it up. And from the stats I’ve read you are way off the mark. So Chad let’s have your facts?

It has become a summer ritual - the departure of another member of the Arsenal side that went undefeated while winning the Premiership title in 2004.  Since the summer of that year Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Robert Pires, Lauren, Edu, Ray Parlour, Sylvain Wiltord and Patrick Vieira have all left for new pastures while Dennis Bergkamp chose the end of the 2006 season as the time to retire. And now, the man who over the last eight seasons has been the brightest of all the Arsenal stars, has also left the club.

With Thierry Henry leaving Arsenal to join Barcelona only four players (Lehmann, Toure, Gilberto Silva and Ljungberg) remain from the accepted starting eleven from thirty-six months ago. Reaction from Arsenal fans to the latest departure will be interesting to say the least with initial indications being a clear polarization of views.

One group seeing Henry’s departure for $33M as being a piece of good business for a soon-to-be 30-year-old with a sciatic nerve problem that is likely to be a constant problem; the other group viewing it as the loss of another iconic player without an adequate replacement on the horizon.

Views on the subject are perhaps dependant on three key questions.
1. Should Wenger have tied harder to keep the 2004 team together and if so would Arsenal have collected more trophies by doing so?

Looking back on it the signs were there that rather than being the team to beat, the Arsenal team of 2004 was in fact at its peak and was heading down rather than going onto to dominate the Premiership and Europe. Roman Abramovich had already bought Chelsea and with Claudio Ranieri in charge Chelsea knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League at the quarter final stage in 2004. Manchester United put Arsenal out of the FA Cup around the same time.

Wenger did in fact maintain the core team (Edu, Wiltord and Parlour had only started 37 games in total the previous season all left Highbury after the 2004 season) for the 2005 season. The FA Cup was won and Arsenal finished second to Chelsea in the Premiership. But, was at that point that Arsene Wenger decided his team needed to be rebuilt. All the evidence points to the fact that just one season after going a complete league season unbeaten Arsenal was in decline.

2. How do the replacements stack-up against the 2004 squad in the short and long-term?

Although Cesc Fabregas was on the Arsenal squad the year before Patrick Vieira’s move to Juventus it is fair to consider Fabregas as the Frenchman’s replacement. The same would be true for Clichy and Ashley Cole. The others would be Van Persie, Adebayor, Hleb, Rosicky, Gallas and Eboue.

In the short term only Emmanuel Eboue has slipped seamlessly into the Arsenal first eleven while replacing Lauren. Clichy is almost a clone of Cole and in another season or two he may match the now-Chelsea full back.

Van Persie has shown hints that he has what it takes to become one of the world’s best strikers but last season he started less than half the Premiership games last season through injury. 

Adebayor is no Dennis Bergkamp and was never intended to be. In fact Wenger wisely chose not to look for a direct replacement for the iconic-Dutchman and instead opted for a different look up front. Adebayor has proven extremely effective at providing Arsenal with a long-ball option but it is doubtful that Togo striker will be ever be a consistent starter at a top class club.

The jury is still very much out on Alexander Hleb although Rosicky made a promising start to his Arsenal career last season. In defence William Gallas was another who missed a good chunk of last season through injury. Even then a good number of his games at the start of the season were at left back.

When he played in his favoured position at centre back the Arsenal defence often looked less than convincing when high ball were played into the box. Gallas maybe one of the world’s best defenders but the partnership with Toure may not be the best answer for Arsenal.

Finally back to Fabregas. An incredible talent that Wenger has decided to rebuild is midfield and team around. But he is still very much a work-in-progress. (Fabregas could have been playing at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup this summer). At this stage in his development Fabregas can’t carry the kind of load that Vieira could but in the long term the youngster could become one of the world’s great players.

3. Does Wenger dip into transfer kitty to replace Henry and if so who does he sign?

Wenger has no option but to sign a new striker or probably two. With Van Persie and Adebayor the only front line strikers Arsenal is badly exposed at this point. The young Mexican striker Carlos Vela is only 19 and it is unlikely that he will arrive at the Emirates until sometime next year – probably the summer. So who will Wenger go after?

If you were to create an identikit of Henry’s replacement it might look something like this. Under 26 years-old with his best days ahead, international experience, comfortable on the ball, good in the air and with the potential of 20-30 goals per season. A player like that is going to cost a few bucks but with $33m from the sale of Henry plus whatever other money is in the kitty already, Arsenal should be able to afford the asking price.

First off who does this exclude? Michael Owen for starters, as well as Miroslav Klose and Nicolas Anelka – although I admit that the return on Anelka might be intriguing it may also be a bit masochistic as far as the Arsenal brass is concerned. David Trezeguet also fails the identity parade.  

Adriano might be available but who knows where his head is at. David Villa of Valencia apparently wants to stay in Spain although with Barcelona now top heavy in strikers the Nou Camp appears to be out. Ryan Babel (Ajax) is a name that has been linked with Arsenal in the past although he has yet to show that he is capable of scoring goals at a rate that Arsenal would expect.

The one player that seems to tick all the boxes is Atletico Madrid’s Fernando Torres. To land Torres Arsenal may have to outbid Liverpool but they may have a potential ace up their sleeve. Arsenal still own Jose Antonio Reyes and he might be dangled in front of Atletico in order to seal the deal.

A question from atleti_female " are there any similarities between Leeds' relegation slump and Nottingham Forest's relegation in 05/06"?

atleti – A good question. I would say that when Forest were relegated in 1993 it was looked upon as the end of a typical cycle albeit a cycle that had, in the case of Forest, been more successful than anyone could have imagined. You have to take into consideration that between 1963 and 1993 only Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal had spent the entire time in the top flight. The likes of Manchester United, Spurs, Chelsea and Leeds had all been relegated during that period. Forest bounced back only to be relegated again in 1997 and it was after that they dug themselves into a deep financial hole.

Forest spent a lot of money on some very bad players especially when David Platt  was in charge. There was a spell with Paul Hart as manager when they looked as if they were going to rebound and at one point they made it to the Championship play offs only to lose in the semi final. Good young players were sold – Jermaine Jenas and Michael Dawson come to mind - and lacking resources their play deteriorated and then they dropped to the old third division.

The Leeds problem was a lot more complex although money – or the owing of it – has been the overwhelming issue. Leeds “business model” was based on spending – or borrowing through various means - gobs of money on players (normally young players who would improve) in order to establish the club as a major force in England and Europe and to then reap the massive financial rewards. The assumption was that if things turned for the worse then the players could be sold and the money spent – or the money borrowed to buy the players – could be recouped.

It all started to go wrong the season they reached the Champions League semi final only to lose to Valencia. They overreached and failed to finish in the top four in the Premiership that same season and so missed a CL spot for the next season. Although the Bosman ruling had come down in 1996 the full ramifications took a number of years to filter through the system and it was around 2001 that clubs began to fully understand that the ruling meant a major change in the way that they needed to do business. Instead of paying large fees to a club they could wait for a contract to end and then get the player without a transfer fee – e.g. Sol Campbell to Arsenal from Spurs. The other possibility was to pick up a player for a mere pittance of a transfer fee if they were in the last 12 months of their deal.

Essentially Leeds was operating on a model that considered players as assets that at least held their value and hopefully increased in value. The reality was that with the exception of a few of the very best players, fees paid for players became sunk costs and in most cases players were actually depreciating assets. Interestingly the only case I can think of when the Leeds model actually paid off was in the case of Rio Ferdinand who they made a significant profit on after buying him from West Ham and selling to Manchester United.

Leeds situation also included the infamous Bowyer/Woodgate alleged assault on an Asian student that went to court. Then Manager David O’Leary wrote a book that included significant comment on the case and a lot of Leeds fans and observers believe that O’Leary’s decision to sell his opinion undermined morale in the dressing room and so began a death spiral. As clubs realized that Leeds were desperate to raise cash the more they hedged knowing that the longer they waited the lower the fee became.

Even with new ownership Leeds has been unable to break free of the debt monster. While maintaining some of the highest – if not the highest – ticket prices outside of the Premiership the debts that remain have essentially crippled the club. Last season Leeds came close to regaining a Premiership position but it proved to be a false dawn. Now life in League One beckons.

Arsenal has just announced that Sol Campbell will be leaving the club.