An early posting this week as I am off to Baltimore to participate in the FSC show live on Thursday evening from the NSCAA annual convention. Steve McClaren and Gerard Houllier will in attendance although I am not sure when they are scheduled to arrive. I will be back on a plane early Friday in order to get back to do the Friday show.
Because of this the weekend preview normally posted on Thursday evening will be sketchy at best this week.
Djnima - What are your thoughts on the Brazilian trio of Ronaldo, Pato and Kaka? It was a joy to see Pato's tears when his contribution brought Milan their first home win. Can you see Milan going on a run and making fourth in Serie A? Do you see Rafa getting the axe in the summer or before? I think he should be given the remainder of the season. Terminating him sooner would be a mistake. Could you see Mourinho popping up in the Prem next season? Maybe United or Liverpool?
Bobby – I would not be getting too carried away with the Brazilian trio at this time. Kaka is the only one at this point that can be relied upon as a consistent threat. The chances of Ronaldo playing from now until season’s end has to be considered remote while Pato has not played thirty professional games.
Every team in Italy on the top teams in Europe are going through the game against Napoli looking for Pato’s strengths and weaknesses and his habits good and bad. One thing is guaranteed and that is that Pato good sides will not grant him the freedom that Napoli did. He obviously has a ton of natural talent but I think the expectations being placed on plus the reaction to Napoli win have been ridiculous.
Fourth place is a realistic aim for Milan even though they are currently 12th. After 15 games they have the same number of points as last year and they finished with 61 points. However, it might take a couple more points this time. The 4th place finishers in Serie A since 2002 have finished with 61 points, 67, 66, 62, 54 and 61 (2002-2004 were 34 game seasons so I have pro-rated the points). Udinese are currently tracking at a rate that would give them 68 points.
Milan plays Udinese this weekend so that is an important match for both clubs. A concern for Milan might be the number of games they might be facing because of the three games in hand in Serie A.
In terms of your Rafa and Mourinho questions the answers can be yes, no or a mix. There are far too many twists, turns and downright weirdness in the game to pontificate on the future based on what is in place today. It’s fine saying that terminating would be a mistake but would you say the same thing if they get knocked out of the FA Cup, loss their next three league games and get stuffed by Inter Milan? Mourinho will resurface in the Premiership but who knows when. Circumstances will dictate that.
MasMaz - Wenger should sign Beckham on loan. He sure could have used him on Saturday. The game was calling for some good balls into the box with Ade, Bendtner, Gallas and Eduardo. Some of those corners were atrocious by Fabregas. Becks doesn't play any less defense than Walcott anyway.
Bobby – Even if Wenger was interested it’s more than a case of the Galaxy not allowing it. As I understand it FIFA regulations don’t allow players to flit between federations on loan deals. There are proscribed periods which would mean if he did go out on loan he would miss part of Galaxy season. Over the years Beckham has always shown great positional sense and has defended well – he’s never been a great tackler but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t defend.
CIAO - I'm interested to know what you think of Klinsmann's move to Bayern. It appears he as already attracted Borowski to make the move in the summer on a free transfer. I'm curious to see how the Kahn and Sepp Maier, the goal keeping Coach who Jurgen fired while coaching the NT because he publicly backed Kahn over Lehmann. Do you think Kahn will retire this summer or move to another club? Also are there are players you would like to see move to Bayern? And are there any other players you see that need to move on?
With all in mind, is Kevin Keegan the best choice for Newcastle right now? As some of the media reports they could appoint Alan as his assistant so he gains experience. Whoever gets the job will need a lot of patience from the owner and fans.
Bobby – Bayern would not have signed Klinsmann without discussing these kinds of issues so no matter what course of action he takes it should come as no surprise to the club executive. I would be surprised if Kahn moves to another club in order to delay his retirement.
The question of picking players I would like to see moving to Bayern seems to be predicated on me caring who Bayern Munich signs – which I don’t. Bayern started their housecleaning last summer – two seasons to late – so I am sure that there are some who still have to be shipped out. I have only seen Bayern play sporadically this season so I’m probably not a reliable source for who should be punted.
Keegan might be the romantics choice but times have changed and I don't think he would be able to replaicate the great performances of the 90s. Whta's more with Kevin Keegan it always seems to end in tears. If Alan Shearer wants to be a manager then he should go out and work at it and learn the trade.
Craigy_f – 1. Do you own any replica shirts - if so which ones? 2. Who, if anyone, did you swap your shirt with? 3. Your take on Pato's debut, Ronaldo's (and Ronaldo's Hair) return and Arsenal's task in the CL. 4. Seems like the SFA is whittling things down, has your former view changed? 5. Scudamore refutes Blatter - who do you tend to side with. 6. Boys and their toys - some that stand out are Gibson and Walker, Briatore, Ashley, Abramovic. There is a new breed of owner who seems to have 'done it all on Championship Manager' and now wants to do it for real. Do you have any opinions thoughts concerning that? 7. No Couch at The Riverside (apart from the possibility of him acting as a security guard) why do you think he didn't even travel with the team?
Bobby –1. There might be some more tucked away in storage in the basement but the only one that I see regularly is one I was sent from Scotland when Tayport played Linlithgow Rose in the Scottish Junior Cup Final a few years ago. 2. I once offered to exchange shirts with a member of the Canadian national senior team but was turned down. I should probably add it was the women’s team and we were an over 35 (I think) men’s team that was asked to play them as part of a training camp that they held locally. 3. Good but excessive exuberance. 4. Sentiment seems to be moving towards Mark McGhee. In all honesty I don’t think I would have a problem with McGhee, Davies or Burley. Burns leaves me cold and Souness worries me. 5. It reminds me of the remark attributed to Fergie – You have Posh ####e and Wenger in a room, you have a gun and one bullet. What do you do? Fergie – ask for another bullet.
Both are spinning frantically with the truth of it somewhere in the middle. Blatter wants to turn the clock back not because it will improve the game but because he fears the power of the clubs and the possibility that it might affect the cash cow that it is the World Cup.
Meanwhile Scudamore conveniently forgets that one of the major reasons put forward in support of the formation of the Premiership was how it would help the national team by – amongst other things – cutting the top flight to sixteen teams.
The truth is that a pittance of what the Premiership genertes is making is making its way to the grassroots. What is more there appears to be a wealth of evidence that the Premiership has alienated an entire generation of fans who can no longer afford to attend Premiership games. The Premiership is a boomers league or pretty dam close.
6. If you’re goals is the pursuit of wealth and status (as a league) then you should not be surprised when big (and often ruthless money) is attracted as well. Without a proper process to vet owners then you get what you deserve.
As fans we can enjoy the spectacle each week but Premiership teams have in many cases become playthings as you correctly point out . Or worse, vehicles for financial speculation. If the Arabs (I was surprised Dundee United have that kind of money!) do buy Liverpool and Hicks and Gillett make off with a substantial profit then it will only lead to more speculative investment. We also see it trickling down to Championship team who are available for relatively little money.
7. I think Crouch’s situation – whatever the reason – has been overshadowed by the draw followed by the Klinsmann revelation.
Bonmot -- Any recent news on Americans moving to the Premiership this month?
Bobby – I doubt anything that you have no read elsewhere. Johnson still talking to Fulham and a move for Benny Feilhaber from Derby to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Redfan2000 - If you were gaffer against Villa which Liverpool 11 would you play?
Bobby – Call me a traditionalist but I would go for the best eleven. One thing about playing against Villa you know what to expect.
You need to shut down the supply to Young and match Carew physically. Agbonlahor’s pace is a concern and giveaway as few set pieces as possible. I looks to me that Villa’s primary weakness is at full back especially if they can be coaxed forward and leaving space behind them. But I think the same is true for Liverpool.
Finnan and Riise especially give the ball away far too cheaply and their crossing as been generally poor this season. Either way the game might be won or lost (or drawn) in the wide positions.
Henry14 – Q 1 Last week you dogged my question on the somewhat rascist statements that they pour at foreigners as if they are illegal immigrants. In any line of work other than football you are reprimanded or fired for such comments. Q 2 What your view on Walcott, and do you think Wenger is satisfied with his progress? Q 3 Who do you think will win the African Cup of Nations? Q 4 - If you had a club with a managerial vacancy, who would you have, Klinsmann or Benitez?
Bobby – Q 1 - First of all I think – I hope – you meant dodged rather than dogged. Dogged is what Stan Collymore got up to wasn't it? And I am not going to answer your question because it wasn’t a question it was a statement with a question mark on the end of it.
Q2 – Walcott is 18 - give the kid a break. At times he plays as if his body is out of sync with his brain but that will sort itself out with experience. He has fantastic pace and is able to turn defenders. Give him time and he will be a very good player. You really need to ask Wenger but the fact that he plays him or has him coming into games regularly of the bench is probably an indication that he has confidence in him.
Q 3 – I don’t know about picking a winner but I will be watching South Africa with interest.
Q 4 – Depends on the club, the country, the financial situation, the expectations, the history, the culture. Otherwise you are running the risk of fitting a square peg in a round hole. Appointing a manager in football is the same as in any other business. If you don’t understand your needs and the environment then you are more likely to make an expensive mistake.
Ringo - I never did understand that whole Clydebank/Airdrie situation a few years ago. Could you explain what happened, how could one team go bust buy another team and replace them? And any idea what happened to the Clydebank supporters?
Bobby – You’re testing my memory on this one. I think you have to go to the mid 60s. There was some sort of agreement between East Stirlingshire (a team in the Scottish League at that time) and Clydebank who were a Junior club with ambition.
It did not work out but shortly after Clydebank were elected to the Scottish League (2nd division at that time). It may have been to replace Third Lanark. Airdrieonians (great name) were also part of the Scottish League and had been for a very longtime.
I think the Steadman brothers were the movers and shakers behind Clydebank and by the mid 70s they had a Clydebank team (Davie Cooper prominent) good enough to gain promotion to the first incarnation of the Scottish Premier League which was formed in 1974 (?).
Fast forward to the early part of this decade and Airdrie went bankrupt only to be reformed under the name Airdrie United. But they had no place to play as they lost their place in the league when they declared bankruptcy.
They applied for a place under their new name but were refused. At the same time Clydebank were experiencing financial and attendance problems. The owners of Airdrie United stepped forward offered to buy Clydebank and had it approved by the SFL.
They then applied to rename the team Airdrie United and move the team to Airdrie. From what I understand a reconstituted Clydebank is now back in the Junior ranks.
As for the Clydebank supporter – I think he is still around.
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 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.
After a week of international drama it is back to domestic action – well at least until the draw for the qualifying rounds of the 2010 World Cup takes place on Sunday. Seeding has been worked out but requires ratification on Saturday.
The World Cup draw calls for a blog special come Sunday so the weekend preview will be abbreviated. And to be honest it is just as well because there appears to be precious few games that have anything close to a “don’t miss’’ attached to them.
The bottom three teams in the Premiership will have a tough time ensuring that the hole that they are in doesn’t get any deeper. Derby are at home to Chelsea who are unbeaten in their last six games and have only conceded one goal in the process. Derby on the other hand have let in 30 more goals than that in 13 games and have only scored five goals. Projected over an entire season Derby would not even hit the 20 point mark.
Bolton with three draws in their last three Premiership games would be positively giddy if they found a way to extend the run to four against Manchester United. However, the form book and history both indicate anything but a United win to be an unlikely outcome.
Bolton have only led in two of their 13 games at half time while United have only trailed in a match for a total of 83 minutes out of the 1,170 Premiership minutes they have played this season. Bolton have never beaten United at home in the Premiership (3 draws and 5 losses) while they have conceded 40 goals to United in sixteen Premiership games.
That’s seven more than Chelsea have scored against Bolton and with a game more played. Cap it all off with the fact that Bolton have conceded more first half goals (13) than any other team in Premiership then the signs are that if Bolton are not careful the game could be over almost before it has started.
It looks as if Arsenal will be missing Cesc Fabregas through suspension as well as Flamini and Hleb who both picked up injuries on international duty. The appointment of Steve Bruce as Wigan manager is on again and the deal could be closed before the weekend.
Wigan’s two and a bit seasons in the Premiership has still to produce a win over Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal. This season the problem is magnified with a single draw against West Ham United the only point gained against a top ten team.
The most promising Premiership match of the weekend appears to be set for Tyneside where Newcastle faces Liverpool. Anytime these two go head-to-head there is bound to be mention of the two classic games in 1996 and 1997. Both matches finished in 4-3 wins for Liverpool. Both games saw leads seesaw back and forward in both cases Liverpool scored a winner in the dying seconds.
Newcastle holds an edge in Premiership games at St. James’ against Liverpool (6 wins, 4 losses and 4 draws) and with 13 points from 6 home games only Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal & Aston Villa have better home records this season.
This will be the first time this season that Newcastle have faced one of the “big four”. Newcastle also have a make-up game at home to Arsenal on December 5. Next week brings Blackburn so the Magpies are in for a testing time over the next few weeks.
Liverpool have only scored 7 goals in 6 away games but with 4 wins and 2 draws they have gained more away points (14) than any other side. What’s more they have kept the opposition off the score sheet four times in the six games.
Quick free kicks – Birmingham have five wins and three draws against Portsmouth on their last eight visits to St. Andrews…….the last meeting was a 5-0 thrashing but Birmingham were still relegated at season’s end while Portsmouth escaped the drop.
Blackburn and Aston Villa will be traveling with some confidence to play Fulham and Middlesbrough respectively. Blackburn have won four times in six Premiership visits to Craven Cottage while Villa have left the Riverside with seven wins and two draws in 12 games.
Everton and Sunderland may have played each other 144 times in league action over the past 117 years but they are as evenly split as they were in 1890. Back then both teams won their respective home matches 1-0 and since then they have traded wins with a few draws thrown in for good measure. Sixty-one wins each and twenty-two draws although Everton fans will claim cup matches as a tie breaker. In that case Everton “dominates” with two more wins.
There was a comment on the previous blog from travel coach.
“I've seen Bobby has no love for the England team -- though I do and support Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland whenever they play -- but I feel the need to rant about our abysmal performance--beginning with the $25 we had to pay to watch the game (so I missed it live)!”
Normally I let this sort of remark go but being in a particularly foul mood this morning I don’t think I will let this one pass. First of all any Scottish (Welsh or Irish) view of English football is ambiguous. Being the small neighbor there is the reality of living in the shadow of a larger, more powerful and richer neighbor. Travel coach you may support (I notice that you don’t love) Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but you are an exception if you actually take an interest in the game in these countries.
It is rarely the case in reverse. If you are a football fan in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland it is almost impossible not to have a lively and long standing interest in English football. For years our best players have played in the English league to the point that up until fifteen years ago it was almost inconceivable that a good English club side might not contain key players from the other three UK countries.
The performance of the English national team has always been given more prominence particularly around World Cup and European Championship time. However, much of that coverage is insular, myopic and in many cases xenophobic.
The problem comes when someone dares to criticize the English team. Many English fans are ill-equipped to come to a carefully considered opinion of their side and so criticism is often met with open hostility and an attempt to belittle. (It is usually the case that the people most openly hostile to comments are the ones that are the most critical when things do actually implode. Where is the "England must have an English manager" crowd now?)
The issue is not whether I love the English team or not. The issue is whether I am providing a fair and rationale assessment of the English team and performance. Based on my comments prior to the last World Cup and views on the hiring of Steve McClaren I am happy to allow others to come to their own conclusions.
Part 2
Passion - England (and often Scotland's) answer to any football problem. Could someone please explain to me why so many British fans seem to believe that passion is some sort of differentiator between British sides and foreign teams?
How does that square with the foreign (particularly Latin) stereotype of being hot tempered and dare I say overly "passionate"? Isn't the constant use of the word "passion" just another way of saying technically inferior and the only way that it can be covered up is running around more and trying harder? It may work in the short term but it has a limited shelf life.
Doesn't it strike everyone as a bit odd that while British fans worship at the altar of passion that it is other countries - who apparently are not so passionate - produce teams that win the WC and European championships?
The commitment to passion leads to the an over emphasis being placed of players that may be poor but try hard to the exclusion of players that are skilled but are seen as a liability because they don't show passion.
The media in the UK doesn't help either. With a few exceptions it continues to be distrusting of anything foreign and coaching to name only two.
How many times have you heard a commentator make a remark about a foreign signing - "they will soon find out that there are no easy games in the Premiership." What rubbish. First of all the idea that the Premiership is the only competitive league in the world is nonsense. Second it perpetuates the myth that somehow the rest of world lacks a competitive spirit.
And it is not only the English media. I heard one on the weekend when watching the Scotland – Italy match. The Scottish colour commentator (who was an embarrassement throughout) commented to the effect that Luca Toni was starting for Italy even though he was not a regular for Bayern Munich. His evidence – Toni was on the bench against Bolton. Insular and uninformed.
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.
I’ll start off with a couple of questions that made it on to other blogs but were never answered.
Nnogomes21 - I was wondering if you know/ have any idea's why Portugal's S.L. Benfica is struggling so far in the Liga Portuguesa and in the UEFA champions league, they have a lot of great players like...Nuno Gomes [C], Rui Costa, Silva ####, Fabio Coentrao, Oscar Cardozo... they have more but, they have a lot of great players, is it their chemistry that’s hurting them or is it a technical problem.. Explain please.
Bobby – I haven’t seen Benfica play this season so I may not be the best source of information. However, there are unbeaten in the league although the problem is that they’ve drawn four of their seven games. Probably the biggest disappointment has been the two defeats in the Champions League – away to Milan and at home to Shakhtar.
The goals have not been flowing freely – only 10 in 9 games and they’ve been shut out four times. Gomes is in his thirties and Rui Costa is well into his 30’s so there may be an issue - although I have read that he is playing well. In terms of player turnover fom last season Fabrizio Miccoli has returned to Italy and he seemed to have been a very important player from Benfica over the last two seasons.
The thing that stands out for me is the managerial turnover – nine in the last seven years. Jose Antonio Camacho is back for his second spell at the club after stepping in again this summer. Benfica needs to beat Celtic tomorrow in order to get back into contention in the Champions League. That might be easier done than trying to catch Porto.
Benfica is already 8 points behind Porto (100% record) after seven games and it is only a 30-game season in Portugal. Benfica plays third place Maritimo this weekend. In the meantime here is an article from Ben Lyttleton on the Wednesday’s Champions League game.
Jaredlampard - I'm a huge Celtic fan. 1. I really want to know on what you think of their poor performances away from home and if they really are one of Europe's top clubs. Two years ago, I drove 195 miles to a game to see them get thrashed 4-0 by D.C. United. This year, I went to two of their games which were against the MLS all-star team which they lost 2-0 and a game against Chicago which they drew 1-1. 2. I also want to know based on these results if you think that American clubs could perform well against Europe's best or it's just that the Uefa clubs are just in pre-season from.
Bobby – You have to define what constitutes a top club in Europe. If it is based on fan support, then Celtic are one of Europe’s top clubs. Based on performances in Europe over the last thirty years and the answer is no. I would not read too much in pre-season results in terms of the relative strength of European sides version the MLS. Here is an article by Andrew Smith on Celtic’s away performances.
There was also a very good article in the October/November issue of Champions magazine that dealt with home advantage – it had Celtic top in terms of home performances over the last three or four seasons.
Dasayev - I've been puzzled by the team selections and tactics of Sven Goran Eriksson and Mini-Sven, Steve McLaren. In terms of selection, they both seem desperate to curry the favor of "star" players and are reluctant to withdraw them whether they are in-form or not. So...we get the Gerrard/Lampard combination when it clearly doesn't work and the strange devotion to Paul Robinson when the likes of Robert Green and David James are clearly in better form. Wouldn't everyone be better served if Gerrard, Lampard, Barry, Bentley, etc. were fighting for these spots? Pushing each other to greater heights?
Of course, it would be benefit club and country for these places--and all others--to be up for grabs, so to speak. If you are doing the business for your club then you'll see time on the pitch. If England would have a stable pool of 30 or so players, all of whom were in contention and knew that their form would be a key to squad selection it would also give the team stability as you wouldn't have people constantly coming and going.
England has so many potential performers that I would think keeping an England "B" squad would be a great way for the manager to see players under pressure. For example, I can only think Lescott would have benefitted from such an experience while the more accomplished left-backs Shorey and Bridge deputized for Ashley Cole.
Bobby – An interesting theory but I would wager that the most successful countries have been the ones that have kept the most stable sides. It’s difficult enough to get players used to playing with each other let alone magnifying the problem by constantly changing based on club form. You often hear international managers talk of the need to generate a club spirit at the international level.
Although it is a different generation England’s most successful manager Sir Alf Ramsey was exceptional loyal to his players and was known on occasion to field a player in an international game who was struggling to get a game for his club.
As for having a stable pool of 30 international players to choose from – is that not an oxymoron? There just isn’t 30 English players capable of playing at the highest international level and if there was how could the team by stable?
Craigy_f – Q1. Do you have any impressions of Warner you’d share Bobby? Q2. Will FSC be showing any ACN games? Q3. Will Yallop stay or go? Q4. Which games tickle your fancy in the play offs? Q5. Who is a team you think would slip up or be surprised in this weeks, UEFA Champions League or UEFA Cup?
Bobby – 1. I met Warner in 1999 during the Pan American Games in Winnipeg and he was pleasant enough. However, his track record shows him to be anything but. 2. I have no idea – that’s a question for the FSC programmers. 3. I would bet on him leaving. 4. In the first round Houston vs. Dallas because of the rivalry. 5. Slavia Prague – I think Arsenal may score 7.
LParker - How long do you think it's going to take for Mourinho to surface at AC Milan? They looked awful this weekend against Empoli, haven't won a home fixture, and are now in the bottom half of the table. It's like they're moving in slow motion. If they lose or draw to Shakhtar on Wednesday, will Ancelotti be sent packing? Also, what does AC need in January (player/position wise) to find resurgence in Serie A and the Champions League?
Bobby – After 7 games last season they had twelve points – this season 10. Without the points deduction last season they would have finished on 69 points. Take Kaka (and Gattuso) out of the team and it is a very different side.
Even so I don’t think you will see Milan making too many moves in January – their hoping Ronaldo is back soon, and Pato will be available in the New Year. There has been a discussion on the blog about the importance of domestic league vs. Champions League. Milan may just think the scudetto is a route to the Champions League. As for Ancelotti I have predicted his demise for the last three seasons so I’m probably not a good judge in this case.
Henry14 - q1 What is the deal with Gerrard clear the air, do you mean he cannot be subbed, if Fergie or Wenger sub a Rooney or Ronaldo or Cesc there will not be any clear the air talks what’s your take? q2 l think Wenger is probably more ruthless than Fergie but less confrontational do you agree? q3 How do you rate Keane' signing this season, the likes of Halford, Cole.
Bobby – Q1. I think I answered that question both on the blog and on Monday’s FSR. Benitez made a gutsy call and a correct call.
Q2 I would try telling that to Beckham, Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Ince, Kancheskis to name only a few.
Q3 – Keane has made some signings that I think will work out very well – Kenwyne Jones may not be everyone’s idea of a silky striker but he will cause defenses a lot of trouble in years to come. Craig Gordon will repay his transfer fee many times over. I only saw Halford play once for Reading this season and I think once this season so I can’t really comment.
Cole was signed for cover and to contribute as a late substitute. You have to take into consideration that Keane made around 10 signings last season and they were more geared to getting them out of the Championship. Now he is finding out who can play in the Premiership.
Bayareasoccerfan - It seems like West Ham and Sunderland have spent comparable sums of money to Man City, but have been less successful. Do you think it is because British managers make poor signings? I do not see a playmaker (like Elano) in these sides. Are they trying to build a high-tempo English long ball squad which does not require a playmaker?
Bobby – If success is judged after 10 games then you are correct. But there are another 28 games to go. I’m not sure that the comparison is necessarily a fair one. You have to consider the number of players signed and to an extent their age.
According the numbers (they are imprecise as transfer fees tend to be nowadays) Keane has spent around 37m pounds, Sven 29M pounds and Curbishley 23M – all net numbers. Keane has signed 12 players at an average net cost of 3M pounds and the players are almost all exclusively young and with room to improve. Sven has signed five players (he has some on loan or on a Bosman) at an average cost of a little under 6M pounds.
Curbishley seems to average around $3M with a greater emphasis on “proven” players. I would not go along with the argument that because a manager is British that he makes bad signings anymore than I would offer up Gerard Houllier as proof of the opposite.
Yohann - What do you think is the source of England's problems on the international stage? England hasn't won anything even when Eriksson was there. It’s the whole program that should be analyzed. But I do think McClaren should be sacked... especially because he tried to make the players fit in a mold, instead of shaping the formation to suit the type of players he had.
Some players are overrated... like (I know you guys won’t like it..haha) Lampard and Joe Cole, Gary Neville, Ashley Cole. Some players are injury prone like M. Owen, O.Hargreaves, Lennon and J.Terry. Some players are underrated and should get a bigger share of playing time... Carragher, Sidwell and even Pennant come to mind.
Bobby – I have tried to find a way to answer your question but I can’t. You mention McClaren fitting players into a mold – what mold was that? When McClaren moved to a 3-5-2 from a 4-4-2 it failed so where was the mold in that case.
Just because players are “overrated” it doesn’t mean that “underrated” players are better. Sidwell is an effective journeyman and Pennant is generally a very poor crosser of the ball. I just can’t see myself dropping Joe Cole in favour of either of them. Maybe you can give us your England starting line-up and the formation and then we might have something more meaty to discuss.
Chinaski - Berbatov looks ecstatic, anyone think he'll ask to move in January? If so where?
Bobby – A lot can happen between now and January.
Gregz - Do you see Wenger letting Gilberto move on in the January transfer window, especially with Flamini playing so well and Diarra and Denilson bidding for a spot?
Bobby – I would be very surprised if he did. For a start there is no benefit to letting him go. He can play at centre back at a push and I think you will find him getting more game time once the next round of WC qualifiers are passed in November. Flamini is laying well but it is a long season. Diarra is largely untested at the top level at that position and Denilson is more of a cover for Fabregas than as a defensive midfielder.
MasMaz - Is there any mention of intent in the rule book when the last defender prevents a goal scoring opportunity? I believe there is an intent clause for handballs, but is there one for honest but mistaken defending so that only a yellow and a penalty is given?
If there isn't there should be, I just can't see how Hibbert tried to intentionally prevent a goal scoring opportunity, I still don't think it was a foul. Anyone could stop running any time to create contact with the defender.
Bobby – As others have pointed out there is no mention of intent. The wording on hand ball is “handles the ball deliberately”. In terms of yellow or red card the wording is “denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.”
I know there has been discussion on goalkeepers getting yellows as opposed to red cards. It would suggest that the difference is based on the referee’s judgment of “moving towards” the goal. I would add that I don’t think moving towards the goal is necessarily meant to be limited to a straight line to the goal. As for the theory of a player stopping running to create contact – that would then be obstruction on the attacking player. I think it would be a bit obvious.
Henry 14 - l thought your defense of Gerrard was ridiculous, every time we talk of poor officiating there are people who feel it is a good or a bad decision and one of them will be correct. If players go and tell referees and then seen to change their mind then we have a problem. We are not saying Hibbert should not be sent off but the precedence of a player going to the ref and then appears to change his mind is wrong.
Bobby – I have come to the conclusion that you watch and hear a completely different show than I appear on every Monday and Friday. How the hell do you come up with “defense of Gerrard?” You and I do not know what was in the referee’s mind nor what Gerrard said – the bottom line is that Clattenburg got the call right. It seems that you would prefer he got it wrong.
Victoriakevin - I emailed this to the MLS: What is the point of the season, it ends and nobody wins anything and then some of the teams play on in "the playoffs"?? Why have a season? Why not just play the playoffs? I don't get this. What do you think about the farce of the MLS season?
Bobby – As others have pointed out it is a North American thing. But given your thoughts, are you intending to e mail the Football League and the Dutch League as well? Most people in England love the play offs and hockey seems to have a good following in Canada with a format that involves 80 meaningless games before the play offs. What’s your solution?
LetsGoBuffalo - In today's football, do you think European clubs would rather win the Champions League or the home league? Or do you think its a club-by-club basis?
Bobby – Obviously club by club. It would be hard to convince me that winning a 7th straight Ligue Une title would mean more to Lyon than winning the Champions League. Question though – how many teams rest players before a league game by putting out a weaker side in the Champions league? It does happen but the opposite is more often the case is it not?
Finally, thank you to everyone who visits the blog and especially to those who participate.
An excerpt from a massive – and massively expensive – Arsenal book soon to be published.
How long will Steve Staunton remain in charge of the Republic of Ireland?
Last week just before an old-timers game one of my team mates posed the question - when is a volley actually a volley? His point was that commentators have taken to calling just about every shot a volley when clearly it is not. (Another mate jumped in on the subject of penalty kicks and how he is fed up hearing about the dot, going to the spot etc. when commentators only have to save the words penalty kick!) As chance would have it the Times ran an article about the volley subject two days later.
That got me thinking about my pet-peeves – it didn’t take much. I have a top four:
1. References to “footy” – it’s football, soccer or if you are, Italian, Calcio. The only two groups that are entitled to call it footy are kids under the age of 5 or Rugby playing public school boys who don’t know any better.
2. References to “mid” as in I play mid– what the hell is mid – midshipman, midriff! Apparently it’s a reference to midfield. Try saying midfield it doesn’t take that much longer.
3. Man Yoo – cringe!!! It is Manchester United or United – there is no such team as Man Yoo unless you are talking about the University of Manchester.
4. Right or left defense – no such position. An obvious indication that the person you are talking to or reading hasn't a clue.
Now that I have that off my chest are there any that drive you up the wall?
A new feature - Down Video Lane. Seeing that the Champions League proper gets going this week a European theme seems apprpriate. Here are the four goals scored by Ferenc Puskas in Real Madrid's 7-3 1960 European Cup Final win against Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park, Glasgow in front of 130,000 odd fans.
After saying on the Friday show that I thought it inconceivable that Manchester United could lose to City in the Manchester derby the inconceivable happened. I feel obliged to impose a one show suspension on myself and so I will not be appearing on the FSR on Monday night. Well actually the truth is that I have long standing commitment on Monday night.
At least my second prediction of a certain Liverpool and Chelsea draw came true. But even then the Chelsea penalty award was as soft as I have seen for a longtime. But a soft penalty was enough to satisfy Jose Mourinho who also wants to invent new rules. His comment about no advantage rule in the penalty area (not that it was applicable in this case anyway) is not only wrong but will last until a referee opts not to play advantage after a foul in the penalty area and calls back a Chelsea goal!!
I noticed that there were a few questions that got posted late or cropped up in the comments section. If you would like them answered please repost and I will get to them this week. finally a Serie A preview will be up this week and I'l throw up a predicted La Liga finish later this week.
And to some articles.
Paul Wilson on the problem’s caused by having the most popular league in the world and trying to field a successful national side.
Gabriele Marcotti on Mourinho vs. Benitez. Needless to say the relationship will not have improved after Sunday's game.
A piece of Arsenal history. Whe I read the headline I thought it was a piece on Alex James as his first senior club was Raith Rovers. But this is someone that predates James and there is a Canadian connection.
Simon Kuper’s article starts with the following – “A friend of mine once tried to do business with a revered institution of English football. "I can do business with stupid people," he said afterwards, "and I can do business with crooks. But I can't do business with stupid people who think they are crooks."”
David Beckham will make he return to the England squad for the friendly against Brazil this Friday (on FSC at 3 p.m. ET) as a Real Madrid player. However, most of the speculation regarding his international future has centred on his next stop - the Los Angeles Galaxy.
During the interview Lalas expressed reservations (not surprisingly) about releasing Beckham for friendly matches. But the bottom line to the issue is that Lalas and the LA Galaxy have no say in the matter as long as the FA restricts call ups to dates reserved on the FIFA international calendar.
The calendar details dates reserved for competitive fixtures as well as friendlies although strangely it does fail to block time for next summer’s European Championship.
So how many friendly internationals can the Galaxy expect to lose Beckham for? As it turns out the answer is not many. The only remaining date in 2007 reserved on the FIFA chart for international friendlies is August 22. That means that if McClaren decides to keep Beckham around for the fall qualifiers – assuming of course that McClaren is still around – then the Galaxy will be missing his services for the ESPN nationally televised derby game on August 23 against Chivas.
Looking further into the future dates are reserved for friendlies on February 6 and March 26 in 2008. The February date is unlikely to conflict with Galaxy commitments although March 26 might be a problem should LA qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League – albeit an unlikely prospect at this time.
So once you get past the headlines you find out that there is very little substance to the rash of headlines relating to the release or non-release of Beckham for friendly internationals.
As it turns out David will not even have to miss the 2008 Oscars scheduled for February 24.
The clamber by English fans and media to have David Beckham dropped after last summer’s World Cup has now been matched by the outpouring of support for his recall. Steve McClaren has now succumbed to both and in the process showed himself to have the integrity, sincerity and expediency of a third-rate sleazy politician.
Beckham made a convenient scapegoat for England’s poor performances in Germany and even at age 32 he did not deserve to be dropped by McClaren when he took over. Beckham rarely hurt England during the tournament while having a hand in the majority of goals that they scored.
However, upon his appointment as England manager, McClaren needed to distance himself from England’s disappointing showing at the World Cup and from his former boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. Eriksson and Beckham had become so closely associated in the public’s mind that the sacrificing of Beckham at the altar of short-sightedness was too much of a temptation for a man who seems to select a squad with both eyes on the next-day’s headlines.
In making the initial decision McClaren opted to satisfy the baying masses rather considering the long term implications of his decision. Now, he has not only made one wrong decision he has made two.
Is this England squad so devoid of quality that it needs David Beckham to beat the might of Estonia? Estonia, a country that has never come close to qualifying for a major tournament and so far in Euro qualification has played five, lost five, scored none and conceded ten. McClaren seems to think so as why else would he recall the Real Madrid star? What a message of encouragement and faith to the rest of the England squad.
But the implications of Beckham’s recall go far beyond the England team given that he will join the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS in a couple of months. Outwardly you can expect Galaxy and MLS brass to brag that this as an affirmation of their decision to bring Beckham to North America as it shows he is still a player of international class. But beyond the upcoming games against Brazil and Estonia, Beckham’s recall has the potential to cause havoc with the club's and the league’s plans.
When the decision was made to sign Beckham earlier this year it was surely predicated on the fact that his international career was ended and that his body and soul would be dedicated to MLS.
But given McClaren’s about-face it is difficult to see how he could possibly dump Beckham again before Euro 2008 qualifying is complete at the end of this year. That means that Beckham will miss games against Colorado Rapids, Chivas, Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls – all while being paid by the Galaxy.
It would also mean that should the LA Galaxy reach the MLS Championship game scheduled for November 18 in Washington Beckham’s availability would in doubt given FIFA regulations for international call-ups. England is scheduled to play their final and possibly crucial qualifying game against Croatia at Wembley three days later.
And if that is not enough to make MLS and Galaxy officials hyper-ventilate then how about the prospect of Beckham missing a month in the summer of 2008 at the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland?
