Chelsea v Manchester United

It is true that if Manchester United does lose on Sunday to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season’s Champions will trail their opponents by nine points with September not even over. By a similar token - but less repeated – a United win would leave them three points in arrears with a game in hand.

United also started last season’s campaign poorly.  A scoreless draw at home to Reading, another draw at Portsmouth and a humiliating derby day loss to Manchester City generated only two points from the first three games. At least this season they have doubled that total after three games.

Much of the build up to last week’s game against Liverpool centred on the debut of Dimitar Berbatov. Apart from a cut back to Tevez for the opening goal the Bulgarian was as effective as a banker trying to flog off sub-prime mortgages.

After the opening spell during which United settled more quickly Liverpool gradually took over the game the United midfield was found badly wanting. Carrick’s early injury did not help United’s cause but Scholes and Anderson were easily handled by Alonso and Mascherano to the point of domination. The fact that a fit Scholes was substituted with a full quarter of game remaining was highly unusual and Ferguson will have to make sure that control on Sunday is not ceded to the powerful Chelsea in the same way.

With Ronaldo available again after surgery and Vidic suspended Sir Alex looks to have a few key decisions to make as far as his line-up is concerned. Each decision has a domino effect.

1.    Who replaces Nemanja Vidic at the heart of the United defence? He could go for Jonny Evans who stepped into the position in midweek against Villarreal and played competently or Wes Brown could move from full back with Gary Neville the replacement. The final decision may rest on Ferguson’s take on whether or not Didier Drogba will start for Chelsea.

2.    Where will Rooney play? After stating during the summer that he had perhaps been unfair in not playing Wayne Rooney through the middle more often – a position Fergie believes brings out the best in the England striker – the United manger stuck him out on the right side of midfield against Liverpool. Let’s just say that it didn’t work.

3.    Will Ronaldo start? With Ronaldo available after injury it seems highly unlikely that Fergie will opt to keep his powder dry by entrusting the Portugal international’s rear to the bench. The mere presence of Ronaldo may put some doubt in the mind of Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari about the advisability of unleashing full back Ashley Cole down the United right. (It’s also worth noting that Cole has played Ronaldo better than most over the last five years.)

4.    Who will anchor the centre of the midfield? The battle in the middle of the field will be key and United will have to subdue Lampard and Deco (almost definitely) and Michael Ballack (most likely). Lampard has been excellent in the last two Chelsea games (inspired after the Croatia win?) while Deco’s ability to orchestrate the attack has given Chelsea an added edge this season. With Carrick out the primary choices come down to Scholes (playmaker), Hargreaves (bull-terrier), Anderson (patchy), Fletcher and O’Shea (journeymen). If the decision is to play three in the centre of midfield then Ryan Giggs also comes into the equation.

5.    Who starts up front and how many? If United goes with five across midfield then that leaves a lone striker with three players vying for the position and each with substantial credentials. Berbatov, Rooney and Tevez – a tough decision.

Stat Fact – After United started last season with 2 draws and a loss they went on a run of 8 straight wins; the first 6 without conceding a goal.


Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen

Bayern Munich has long dominated German football and this decade is no exception. Six Bundesliga titles and five Cup wins (all helping to complete domestic doubles) puts Bayern lengths ahead of any other German club.

This season two draws in the first two starts may have given the other Bundesliga teams some hope that the transition from Ottmar Hitzfeld to Jurgen Klinsmann was not going smoothly.

However, wins over Hertha Berlin (4-1) and Cologne (3-0) are likely a better indication of what is in store over the remainder of this season.  The fact that their best player last season Franck Ribery has yet to start a game this season only serves to reinforce the depth of the Bayern squad.

Werder Bremen have been the one team to consistently challenge Bayern’s supremacy but even then they only have a domestic double of 2004 to show for their efforts. The one thing Bremen have rarely been short of is goals. In four of the last five campaigns Bremen have finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorers with 75 goals or more each time.

The goals scorers may have changed – Ailton to Klasnic and Klose to Markus Rosenberg – but coach Thomas Schaaf’s commitment to scoring goals has remained.

Based on Werder’s capacity for conceding goals (games involving Werder Bremen more often than not generate the most goals each season)  it could be argued that more emphasis on the defensive side of the game might have brought more silverware.

Werder trail Bayern by three points and leaders Hamburg by five and so a loss would open a considerable gap when you consider the season will only be five games old. What is more travelling to play Bayern has not been a rich source of points over the years.

In forty-two Bundesliga visits Bremen have only won six times and drawn nine. Bremen are also coming off a disappointing match day one performance against Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta.

But if you are looking for a silver lining it would be that at least last season’s Bundesliga runners-up did not lose – something that has happened in the last four seasons. In that spell Bremen have lost 2-0 three times and 2-1 last season.

Stat Fact - Michael Rensing took over the full time position in the Bayern Munich goal after Oliver Kahn retired at the end of last season. Rensing would step in from time when Kahn was injured and before this season Rensing had started 23 Bundesliga games. Add another four games this season and Rensing has yet to finish on the losing side in the Bundesliga. 



Milan vs. Lazio

Only two teams can boast 100% records in Serie A after 180 minutes of play – Lazio and Atalanta. Likewise only two teams are without a single point – Milan and Cagliari. Milan dominated much of their first match against Bologna and could rightfully claim some injustice at the eventual 2-1 scoreline in favour of Bologna.

However, the same case could not be made last week in losing 2-0 to Genoa. Genoa were better in every department and thoroughly deserved the win. What was probably most disconcerting for Milan’s fans was how dreadfully slow and pedestrian Milan looked in everything they attempted.

The reliance on experience has been a common criticism of Milan over the last few seasons and each time they have bounced back. Can they do it one more time?

The young Argentine striker Mauro Zarate has fuelled Lazio’s race to the top and with three goals in two games he has made a great first impression on Italian football.

Stat Fact – Lazio have not beaten Milan in Serie since February 1998 – twenty-one games ago. Since that Lazio win in February 1998 Milan have won 11 and the other ten have been drawn.  

A first response to the news that Liverpool had signed Robbie Keane from Tottenham was what a good signing for the Reds. Regular viewers of the Fox Soccer Report will know that Keane is a long time favourite of mine. He is an exciting player that can create goals and score goals - many of them the memorable variety. What’s more he is a player that makes those around him better.

Teaming Keane with Torres in a Liverpool 4-4-2 seems logical but he does have the flexibility to play just behind the main striker on his own or in an attacking bank of three in a 4-2-3-1. (The contention that bringing Keane to Anfield somehow forces Gerrard to play wide right had me shaking my head - very different players playing normally in very different positions.)

Reaction number two was that Liverpool had agreed to pay Spurs a great deal of money to land Keane. The reported amount varies according to the source but it seems almost certain that it was north of $35M. Add on Keane’s wages and the total outlay will double over the next four years.
That is serious money even though transfer fees paid by English clubs are a product of the cash that oozes through the Premiership rather than a true reflection of the quality of players – call it the Premiership Premium.

Any assessment of a transfer is going to be purely subjective and perhaps the best we can do is to compare to other moves under the same market conditions. So when you read that Fulham is ready to pay close to $23M for Andy Johnson then Keane’s valuation may not be that far out of line.
Johnson (17 goals in 52 Premiership starts for Everton) is six months younger than Keane with three seasons of Premiership experience. Keane is going into his 11th Premiership season and has 105 Premiership goals (13 as a substitute) in 274 appearances (58 as a substitute).

In seven of the seasons the Irishman has hit double figures in England’s top flight. Consider also that Everton paid around $17M and are looking to pocket a 33% for a striker who has generally been a disappointment in his stint at Goodison.

However, there was something else that crossed my mind and ultimately it had me questioning an element that has for years, been factored in to how we judge transfers – the age of the player.

The thought was that Liverpool paid a lot of money for a player that is 28-years-old. Paying a transfer fee not that dissimilar last summer for 23-year-old Fernando Torres made sense - Liverpool could expect to get eight or nine years out of Torres. In the case of Keane however, four years and maybe just a little bit more.

And sure enough in the papers and on websites there were a number of pundits making the same point – at Keane’s age the sell-on fee -  should he move - would be next to nothing. For decades that has been the received wisdom – the age of the player impacts the transfer fee because you are buying an asset that becomes available for resale should the club so desire. The younger the player the higher the premium because the resale value will be higher than for a player the wrong side of 27 or 28.

But is this still true or are we failing to take into consideration that the football world is operating under very different rules than it was decades ago. Newcastle player George Eastham put a stake through the heart of the “retain and transfer system” in the early sixties although it took another 15 years before more liberal freedom-of-contract provisions kicked in.

Even then it took until the 1995 Bosman ruling to truly allow players to sell their skills to the highest bidder and to benefit exclusively once a contract had been fulfilled. Since then the “Webster ruling” has expanded player’s rights further by allowing players under contract to give notice and to buy out the remainder of the contract after serving a fixed period based upon age.

The bottom line is that if a 24-year-old signs a four year contract and a 28-year-old does the same thing then both players are free and clear at the conclusion of their deals. Serve out the contracted period and the club has no transfer coming to them whatsoever. Both are even free to buy-out their contracts before the end of the contracted period.

What it adds up to is that if any of the top clubs are factoring in a premium based on a perceived sell-on value they are kidding themselves. Eventually the clubs, the players and the agents are going to realize that the Transfer Emperor is stark naked and that players are operating costs not assets.

The fact that no one to date has aggressively exploited the leeway granted by rulings and changes to regulations over the last decade and a half is more an indication of how inherently conservative the football industry actually is.   



“Retain and Transfer”
A system finally found to be illegal in 1963 after George Eastham and the PFA took the owners to court. Under “retain and transfer” a club could retain a player’s registration as long as the club offered to maintain his wages at the previously contracted level. A player who disputed the wages on offer or who wanted a transfer had no option than to sign on as unemployed or pursue another career. The courts finally found the system to be a restraint of trade.

“Freedom of Contract”
In the late seventies players were finally allowed to leave a club at the end of their contract. But as long as the present club offered wages the same as the previous contract them the club was entitled to a transfer fee. If the clubs could not agree then a tribunal stepped in and set a transfer fee based on the market.

“Bosman ruling”
A Belgian player, Jean-Marc Bosman, was transferred listed at the conclusion of his contract and an excessive fee was asked by the club. Bosman took his case to the European Court of Justice and the court ruled in Bosman’s favour. The ruling granted players complete freedom of movement at the conclusion of their contract with the no transfer fee payable to the former club.

“Webster ruling”
Andy Webster of Hearts became the first player to use a then little known provision in FIFA transfer regulations that allowed players to give notice of termination after serving a set period of time with their contracted club. The notice comes with a damages provision payable by the player and can be exercised by a player under-28 after serving three years of a contract and for players 28 and over the time served is reduced to two years.

Craigy_f – 1. I can write off the Johnson goal as 'one of those things' Dunn not getting a second yellow rankles much more. Look forward to your opinion either in print or on the show tomorrow
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2. Premier League V Champions League - Is one harder than the other or are they two different beasts.

3.What brought a frown to your face and what brought a smile this weekend?

4. Are you a fan or an analyst first and foremost? And why?

5. The Fiorentina Milan game was pretty dire, what do you think accounted for this? The importance of the game (a real decider on 4th place). The closeness of the two teams in terms of skill etc...The two teams didn't actually play that well.

6. GIVE THEM HANDS! Two very similar situations and two vastly different results.
Carragher gets the benefit of the doubt when his hands block a Murphy shot in the area – Styles waves play on. Zaccardo blocks the ball with his hand - Bergzoni immediately and calmly points to the spot.
You can see why fans, managers and players get frustrated. The commentators always seem to talk about how you have no control over your arms in situations like these. Your take on this issue - which seems to have cropped up a fair bit recently - if you please.

7. And finally...
Five footballing people agree to be interviewed by you - who would you pick?

Bobby – 1. Sorry to disappoint but the only piece of the Everton and Blackburn game that I saw that was controversial was Khizanishvili pole-axing John son in the penalty box. Didn’t see the offside decision although certainly sounds as if the officials made a mistake.

2. Pointless exercise – purely subjective.

3. The weather – Drogba’s goal against Guinea.

4. I don’t think you could do the analyst thing for any length of time without being a fan – it would drive you around the bend. However, I think it is even more important to be a student of the game if you are trying to analyze it.

5. It needed a goal early on and probably from Fiorentina. As it was I think both teams were well prepared and cancelled each other out. A massive disappointment.

6. I was always taught that if you “wave your arms around” (i.e. away from your body) when trying to make a block then there was a very good chance that you were going to get called for hand ball.

Claiming that players have no control of their arms is almost always rubbish. You may as well claim they have no control over their legs. I say almost always because in a situation when a player is falling after a challenge or has slipped then arm movement becomes instinctive.

I was surprised that Styles did not award a penalty against Carragher.

7. Luis Cesar Menotti, Jim McLean, Guy Roux, Alfredo di Stefano and (I don’t know of fits the definition) Hugh McIlvanney.

Gregz - Q1.What do you make of Abou Diaby? At times doesn't he seem too selfish & hence out of place for Arsenal's team play.
Q2. Lionel Messi has become a bit predictable in his play. He most times dribbles too much instead of go for the quick pass or quick shot. What do you think?

Bobby –1. He is there primarily to give the team a bit more grit in midfield. I would not consider him a selfish player. When he dribbles there mostly seems to be a point to it rather than just holding on to the ball for the sake of it. He has a terrific shot and if needs to take a couple of players on to open up a shooting opportunity then it is probably a good decision.

2. If I was a defender facing Lionel Messi I would certainly want him to make the quick pass. That way I could escape with some self respect intact.

Players like Messi have been blessed with special skills and should be appreciated for what they have rather than trying to turn them into something they are not. I don’t want to tune in a year from now and find that Messi has been turned into a useful midfield player who just sits deep and hits nice passes.

Did you ever consider that someone might have said the same thing about Maradona? Instead of running through the England team in 1986 perhaps Maradona could have laid a nice first time ten yard pass back to Jose Luis Brown. Over twenty years on do you think we would be replaying that ten yard pass?

Ursusarctos –1. In Bill Edgar's latest quiz the answer to the question "Which two league clubs’ grounds in Britain are the closest together?" is Dundee and Dundee United. I've never been to Dundee, so I looked up a picture of the setting)- holy ....., they're just across the street from each other! Do you have any stories about what it is like for fans to be so close to the local rivals (and here I thought the width of Stanley Park was close proximity ...)?

2. I forgot to add that in the same quiz, Bill Edgar asks :"How many times has one club won the FA Cup and League Cup in the same season?" ...... and gives the answer "2. Arsenal in 1993, and Chelsea in 2007." Now, advancing middle age may be robbing me of essential cognitive functions (certainly yes, but beside the point ...!), but I would have added Liverpool in the year of the Cup Treble, 2001.
Can you tell me what twist to the question I am missing? Or did Bill Edgar mess up? Thanks!

Bobby –1. With a helpful gust of wind you could probably punt the ball from Dens to Tannadice and there are a number of wayward strikers from both sides who have tried over the year. It may have again since I left but I can only remember game being played on the same day.

I had to do a little bit of checking back on this one but I am pretty confident that Dundee and Dundee United were both drawn at home in the Scottish Cup in 1968. This was a few seasons before the advent of Sunday football so they decided to have one game kick off earlier than the other – I can’t remember which was which.

I was at Dens to see Dundee draw with Rangers 1-1 while Dundee United lost to Hearts by the odd goal in 11 – yes they lost 6-5. Hearts went on to the final that season but lost 3-1 to Dunfermline. Dunfermline knocked out the European Champions Celtic in the first round by a score of 2-0 at Parkhead.

Rangers beat Dundee in a replay 4-1 in extra time and I think Jim Easton the Dundee centre half who later moved to Vancouver scored an own goal in one of the two games.

Nobody would even give a seconds thought to playing both games on the same day nowadays.

2. I think Mr. Edgar may have got that one wrong. It even happens to the best.

Yrusodull - Please, a clear headed, unbiased account of the Spurs - Manu match a White Hart Lane. I don't want to appear to whine (as the majority of gooners do, when things don't go their way!!), but I was sure there were 93:+ mins. on the clock before the corner was given. Is it my imagination, or do Spurs consistently get the short end from the officials?? Please give me your take!

Bobby – The board that goes up it supposed to show the minimum amount of time to be added so I would not hang my hat on that one. There were four substitutions (one was a double) as well as five yellow cards in the second half including one to Cerny for time wasting. So I don’t think the added tome was out of line. Bottom line is Spurs had chances to win the game and they defended the corner kick very poorly.


Shmish - With regards to the Kuper article, not being much of a soccer player myself I've never quite understood the concept of "old" for players. I always thought that soccer was a bit of an endurance sport, in which case men in their 30's should be very comfortable.

Okay, so here's two comparisons. First, professional road racing. Erik Zabel is still a force in cycling and he will be 38 years old this year. He is primarily a sprinter with explosive speed. Lance Armstrong, 37 this year, would probably still be the premier racer if he didn't retire.

His schtick is everything but sprinting (which he probably wouldn't be bad at either). Secondly there is ice hockey. It is not uncommon for top players to be in their mid thirties. Hockey is mix of speed and power, and physical durability.

So why would we expect a 37 year old to be over the hill in soccer? Don't be me wrong, I'm 37 and a bit out of shape so I can relate to the article and the joy of playing for the sake of playing. But I also know that even at 37, a person should be able to be as competitive as they want.

I know that Bobby has alluded to Drogba's age a few times. I don't want to misquote Bobby but my general impression is that he thinks Drogba's age will start to have a detrimental effect on his play. While I won't argue that perhaps Drogba is at his peak, I also don't see why he couldn't play at almost the same level for another 5 years. The "best" in other sports do.

Bobby – Endurance is only part of it. Without quickness of thought and foot as well as technical ability having endurance is only going to allow you to run around and be an irritant for ninety minutes.

I don’t think your comparison with cycling and hockey stands up. I cannot speak on cycling per se (even though the lack of physical contact likely precludes any valid comparison) but can on hockey.

Over the years I played with a number of team mates who were very good hockey players and in a couple of cases they played professionally. The conditioning for soccer and hockey is very different.

It shows in the way hockey games are scheduled – often back to back or three games in four or five nights. That is just impossible in terms of soccer.

It is not about wanting or not wanting to be competitive it is about having the physical capability to play at the highest level where a fraction of space given or taken or split second decision making often separates winning and losing.

Although the lifespan of a player tends to decrease as we move from front to back there are exceptions as there is to any rule. Strikers generally have the shortest lifespan given that to be successful they generally need the full package of technical ability, endurance, quickness and strength –Super Pippo the exception!!!

It is not a case that I think age will have a detrimental effect on Drogba’s play – it almost certainly will, it is nature taking its course.

Take a look at how George Weah’s production quickly waned at the end of his career. He didn’t stop scoring goals – he just stopped scoring as frequently and against good teams. If Drogba is still producing at the same rate and at the same level in five years he will be abnormal. More likely whoever he is playing for will not be a very good team.

CIAO - Do you know whether or not Nick Webster gets "the beers in..." before he writes his articles?

Bobby – You will have to ask Nick. From experience it is not a good idea. Something written after a few beers is not nearly as funny the next morning.

Apad03 -1. What do you think of the outcome of the upcoming US V MEX game will be?

2. The US has something of a streak going against Mexico lately and many people say that the US is getting in Mexico’s head. They (Mexico) seem to dominate the possession and outplay the US but fail to score and end up losing in the end. Mexico is trying out many players that have not been on the team for the previous losses to the US, could that affect the outcome?

3. I read a blog post by Chang over at ESPN and he was talking about what a great season Bradley is having over there in Holland. Have you seen him play and how would you rate his progress?

I think he has really developed a lot this past year. Really earned his spot on the USMNT and has become a better two way player. Gets behind the ball well but also is very good at starting counter attacks and showing up in the box at opportune times. Chang was also writing that he would probably move on in the summer to a much bigger club, have you heard anything about that?

Bobby –1. One of three possible outcomes I would say. In the end it is a friendly international and friendlies are there to help the coaches. The only results that count are the ones that lead to a trophy.

2. It is rarely about possession it is how effective you are when you have the ball. If Mexico wins then I’m sure someone will claim it is down to new players. If not another excuse will be trotted out – there is never a shortage of excuses for losing a game.

3. I saw Bradley at the under-20s and thought he played very well. I have not seen him since. There are stories out there about Bradley moving to a Premiership club but there is no indication that at the moment these rumours are anything more than a product of someone having to write a story and needing a tidy ending. If 1% of transfer stories ever come to pass then I would be surprised.

Henry14 - Q1 Do you think the Ivory Coast potentially or still have probably the best African squad ever?
Q2 - Do you think rotation alone is the reason Liverpool are down in fifth or they just do not have Liverpool type players apart from the obvious 4 players?
Q3 Who is the mvp in the premiership not necessarily from the top 3, but the most pivotal guy to a team?
Q4 Can Fulham survive given that they are 3 points from safety?

Bobby –1. Nigeria in 1994 (World Cup) and 1996 (Olympics) was pretty good.

2. You are not allowed to mention the R-word it upsets L-fans. I noticed when the stock market slumped a couple of weeks that news commentators and economists were pointing out that that the R-word was being talked about. Personally I was a bit baffled as to how Rafa’s choices would impact the stock market but there you go.

3. How about Martin Laursen at Aston Villa?

4. There are 39 points still at stake and with a three point deficit I would have to say that yes Fulham can survive. Will they survive – I still don’t think so.

Mts2284 - 1. I was wondering what your thoughts were on Mohamed Sissoko and Lassana Diarra. I know both struggled this season for first team action with Liverpool and Arsenal considering both team’s depth at midfield.
Do you think Sissoko and Diarra will get more chances to play for Juventus and Portsmouth and become better and more seasoned players? I thought Diarra played rather well against Chelsea.

2. Also, who do you like in the FA Cup 5th Round match between Arsenal and Manchester United?

3. Who is your favorite for Champions League glory? And who do you like in the AC Milan Arsenal Group of 16?

Bobby –1. Sissoko started strongly but has not really delivered after that early surge. Ranieri may have had Sissoko at Valencia so he is likely going to play for a manager who has bought him with a specific purpose in mind. I think you will see both players get more playing time initially but as with any other player they will only consistently start over the long haul if they are delivering the right stuff.

2. I haven't really given up much thought so far.

3. I said at the beginning of the season I thought Inter Milan had a good shot. Oddly enough I could also see things lining up for Chelsea – maybe not to win it but maybe a spot in the final. Arsenal or Milan – I would give Milan the edge.

Redfan2000 - Questions and discussions abound on why Liverpool are underachieving or underperforming. As a qualified and well experienced ops manager I know well enough that the off field antics of Laurel and Hardy have destabilised the ship.

Such is the embarrassment in Hicks' camp that he has not been seen at Anfield since the Man Utd game I think. His only interview this year done with BBC or SKy but not with the club TV station and there have been no letters or articles to the club website, all to compound a communications disaster like none other in Premiership history.

Despite all the noise, which has become repetitive and boring, I was pondering a remark Bobby you made on Friday (I think) that many of the current squad are not of the calibre of a club of Liverpool's stature. Aside of the above mentioned mess and upsets, I have been wondering what else would take a team of CL winners and make it worse 3 years later?

Since the Champion's League win we have had a massive turnover in players.
We have lost: Baros, Hammann, Traore, Smicer, Warnock, Henchoz, Cisse, Fowler, Dudek, Garcia, Biscan, Pongolle, Cheyrou, Le Tellec to name but a few.

In we have bought the likes of: Alonso, Nunez, Josemi, Pellegrino, Morientes, Sissoko, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Torres, Benayoun, Pennant, Crouch, Babel, Veronin, Arbeloa, Aurelio, Skrtel, Agger, Reina etc etc. Some of these have now gone too.

I am bound to say that a little spoken factor has to be change. So much has changed in the last 3 years including ownership, but especially player turnover as can be seen. The actual lists of players in and out is huge.

Such changes will take time to settle. Some players may never settle or adapt to the premiership, but molding so many new faces into a team is a long job as the likes of Shankly, Wenger and Ferguson have proved.

Not only are the changes so many and too many in so short a time, the players brought in, especially before Hicks and Gillett took over, were not necessarily much of an improvement and in several cases far worse. Losing Biscan and Henchoz for Pellegrino for example was not an improvement. Many bad buys among the few good ones. I wonder if Rafa needs a director of football?

There are clearly right now several Heinz 57 mutts standing in the greyhound derby and it shows. More spending is needed for wingers and defenders, or some of the reserves have to be given a shot. Either way the changes will take time to settle down and like Gwillem Bellague, I thing the Premiership is two seasons off yet and then only if the right pegs are found to fill vacant holes.
Any further thoughts.

Plus - Gerrard is today named as captain of England to play Switzerland tomorrow.
Another question for you to ponder regarding his position as skipper at Liverpool: Do you think he would be a better player at Liverpool (and maybe England too), if Carragher or another senior pro was skipper (of LFC)? I named Carragher because he is vice captain.

Bobby – I think that is a pretty good summation of the Liverpool situation. There are a couple of things I would add. There is no doubt in my mind that this Liverpool team is a better team than 2005 even though that side won the Champions League – that is not to say that it doesn’t come without glaring weaknesses.

The fight back from 3-0 was probably the greatest seen in the final of a major competition and I think because Liverpool won very little is said about how they came to be down 3-0 in the first place. Rafa put out the wrong players out playing in the wrong formation.

His half time substitutions only rectified his original mistake – not a bad gig if you can get it. Receiving credit for solving the problem you caused in the first place.

And that leads me to the second point. I just keep on getting the feeling that Benitez thinks that he has to get every team and every formation just right for every game. It leads to odd formations, players out of position and the team generally looking disjointed and confused.

I think he gives three-quarters of the Premiership far too much credit. If he has a more settled formation he could throw the team out most weeks and they would come back with three points.

It’s not to say that formations cannot change based on the level of the opposition – Benitez has shown a masterful hand at times in one off games – but every game?

Liverpool does need a couple of better fullbacks going forward. There are not many teams that are successful without solid attacking options at full back.

I don’t see Gerrard captaincy as being an issue.


OrangeSpur - I've enjoyed your opinions over the years and I'm curious on your take on Tottenham's current CB situation. Can Tottenham really afford to accommodate Ledley King with playing him in one out of every 3 games?

I've been after my glory-glory.net mates that Spurs need to move on a plan for life without King and should his health turn around then it is a bonus for us.

Secondly, what do you think about the thought that Berbatov is the new Zizou - well the closest thing we have to Zizou in today's game? Take care!

Bobby – A few months ago I took a look at Spurs point production with and without King. There is no doubt that Spurs are far more productive with King in the side. However, I am not sure I understand what you are getting at when you refer to a plan for life without King. What are you suggesting?

The thought that Berbatov is the new Zizou? Well, it is a unique thought given that they play(ed) in very different positions and not an idea that has ever crossed my mind. I thought the comment from last season that Berbatov was the new Alan Gilzean was closer to the mark.


Henry14 - What do you think of the statement that Walcott is more of an athlete learning to play football rather than a footballer who becomes a great athlete? What do you think of such an assessment?

Bobby – I would say that anyone that came up with that doesn’t know very much about what it takes to develop a professional soccer player. If you are not a great athlete to start with your chances of getting a look in are pretty slim. I can’t think of one player who was a great player who became a great athlete.

Gers4Lyfe – 1. Will Dundee make another run at Hamilton? 2. Do you think Celtic's additions will push them past Rangers in the second half? 3. How do you rate Hutton's debut performance for Spurs over the weekend? 4. Your views on the coaching staff for Scotland?

Bobby –1. Sincerely hope so. Still a good bit of the season left. 2. I would say it is Rangers league to lose. 3. I thought he played very well – in no way did he look out of place. 4. If George Burley is happy with Terry Butcher then I am happy to give it a chance. However…….


Jeremy St Louis is back in the blogging business and don’t forget that England vs. Switzerland is on both FSC in the US and FSWC in Canada.

It looks as if the Heskey and Owen partnership has reached the iconic stage. The statistic of 14 goals in 14 starts or 12 starts together (and that was before Russia and Israel)  crops up in almost every article about them. It seemed to me that given that both of these players started their careers in the late nineties and that Owen has 85 caps and Heskey 45 that 12 or 14 starts together seemed very low.
I might be missing something (and it certainly becomes difficult to track appearances because of substitutions) but this is what I have come up with in terms of starting together and goals.

Russia Sept 12/07                   Owen 2,  Heskey 0.
Israel Sept 8/07                        Owen 1,  Heskey 0.
Croatia Aug 20/03                    Owen 1,  Heskey 0.
Serbia & Mont. June 3/03       Owen 0,  Heskey 0.
South Africa May 22/03            Owen 0,  Heskey 1.
Liechtenstein Mach 29/03      Owen 1,  Heskey  0.
Slovakia Oct 12/02                   Owen 1,  Heskey  0.
Portugal Sept 7/02                   Owen 0,  Heskey  0.
Brazil June 21/02                     Owen 1,  Heskey  0.
Denmark June 15/02              Owen 1,  Heskey  1.
Nigeria June 12/07                  Owen 0,  Heskey  0.
Argentina June 7/02                Owen 0,   Heskey  0.
Sweden June 2/02                   Owen 0,  Heskey 0.
Cameroon May 26/02              Owen 0,  Heskey 0.
South Korea May 21/02           Owen 1,  Heskey 0.
Italy March 27/02                       Owen 0,  Heskey 0.
Albania Sept 5/01                     Owen 1,  Heskey 0.
Germany Sept 1/01                  Owen 3,  Heskey 1.
Greece June 6/01                     Owen 0,  Heskey 0.
Mexico May 25/01                      Owen 0,  Heskey 0. 

I make that 20 starts together with Owen scoring 13 and Heskey 3. Still a decent strike rate but not what has been widely reported.
In all it appears to me that they have played in 32 games together although they may not have been on the park at the same time when one has replaced the other.
I used the FA archives as a source and I would be more than happy to admit an error if someone can come up with support for the 14 goals in 14 or 12 starts statistic. I did rattle this off quickly.

 

 

If Brazil is to win the FIFA under-20 World Cup they will have to do what Argentina did two years ago – recover after losing their first game. In 2005 the USA pulled off the upset, this time it was Poland. What’s more Poland did it playing for over an hour after Krzysztof Krol of Real Madrid was sent off after collecting a second yellow card from referee Howard Webb.

Krol’s dismissal came just minutes after Bordeaux’s Grzegorz Krychowiak curled a 30-yard free kick over the Brazilian wall for what turned out to be Poland’s only shot on goal and in turn, the only goal of the game. The free kick was well struck but the positioning of Brazilian goalkeeper Cassio was dreadful. 

In the first half the Poles picked up two other yellow cards while embarking on a policy of take-no-prisoners. With the possibility of going down to nine men only one mistimed tackle away Poland showed a great deal more discipline and control in the second half as they comfortably absorbed pressure from Brazil.

Brazil dominated possession (62-38) over the ninety minutes but failed miserably when it came to creating clear cut chances. If Brazil was to score it was going to come through Lima (first half) and Renato (second half) but time after time the final pass failed to find its mark.

The Brazilians lacked width in attack and tenacity up front. Luizao at centre back hardly put a foot wrong for Brazil and was by far their best player.

For Poland, Dawid Janczyk was tireless during his 73 minutes on the pitch while Strugarek and Fojut were both immense in defence. In all a poor Brazilian performance that a solid and motivated Polish side punished.

Team Notes
"The New Zealand midfielder Chris James has withdrawn from the FIFA under-20 football World Cup in Canada, citing family reasons.The 19-year-old is returning to his home in London, ruling him out of New Zealand's group C matches against Portugal, Gambia and Mexico from Tuesday.He can't be replaced under FIFA regulations, leaving New Zealand one player short of the 21 allowed.New Zealand face a tough opener against the two-time champions Portugal at Toronto's National Soccer Stadium. Kick off's at a quarter past six on Tuesday morning, New Zealand time." New Zealand Radio.

You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.

You can also check out the National Post blog on the tournament.

Let's take a look at the statistics before we look in detail at the last five teams in this seasons upcoming Premiership. The chances are that at least two of the three promoted teams and the pair that finished just above relegation will be dropping down to the Championship come next May. In the last 13 seasons, at least two teams from that combination have been relegated, and in all 26 teams out of the 40 that have been demoted have come from the aforementioned grouping.

To narrow it down even more the chances of all three promoted clubs surviving is not good. Only the graduating class of 2000/01 (Blackburn, Bolton and Fulham) has managed to survive intact. Conversely only once have all three promoted teams immediately dropped back down – that was in 1997/98 with Barnsley, Bolton, and Crystal Palace.

History shows that come May 2007 the most likely relegation permutation will be one from Aston Villa or Portsmouth; one from Reading, Sheffield United or Watford; and one other side that finished between 11^th and 15^th last season. That has been the combination 6 out of 13 seasons.

Based of past performances of teams promoted by way of the play-offs Watford has the most to fear. Only 5 teams out of 13 have survived their first season in the Premiership after winning the play-offs. However, Reading should also be concerned because the record of the lower division winners is not that much better – 6 times out of 13, the champion has become a chump within 12 months. The best survival rate is by the previous year’s runner up – only 4 times out of 12 (one year the runner up did not receive automatic promotion) has relegation followed. A good omen for Sheffield United.

Last season Aston Villa slumped to 42 points their worst ever Premiership points total although they did finish 8 points ahead of the last relegated team. (In 1994/95 they finished with four more points although four more games were played that year and Villa only finished the year three points ahead of Crystal Palace who were relegated.) David O’Leary left by “mutual agreement” during the summer to finally end what was an inevitable parting of the ways.

The appointment of Martin O’Neill has set off a state of euphoria amongst the Villa faithful. However, until the ownership situation is sorted out and money is available to strengthen the squad any improvement will be limited. O’Neill has never job-hopped and with five years each at Wycombe, Leicester and Celtic the Villa fans will settle for steady improvement over a quick fix option.

Portsmouth is a side that has already sorted out it’s ownership over the summer but even with Harry Rednapp back as manager it looks to be another tough grind ahead for Pompey. The revolving managerial door has seen players arrive and leave by the dozen over the last twenty-four months. Ten players have left during the summer while Glen Johnson on loan from Chelsea and David Thompson signed as a free agent has arrived. Rednapp is sure to make more signings in the next ten days.

One of the most questions is “who can do a Wigan or West Ham this season?” It might be Reading. In Steve Coppell Reading has experience of managing in the Premiership (albeit with relegated Crystal Palace), a hard working squad and a management team that is unwilling to throw money around. The Reading investments (Sam Sodie and Seol Ki Hyeon) have so far been limited although a centre back continues to be a priority. However, it might be Reading’s ability to score goals that sees them survive in the Premiership. 

Controversy and Neil Warnock go together like a rash and …poison ivy. If Warnock goes more than five games without hitting the headlines it will be a major shock. On the transfer front, the major acquisition has been defender Claude Davis from Preston although he is likely to miss the first part of the season through injury. Other arrivals include Mikele Leigertwood (Crystal Palace), Li Tie (from Everton) and David Sommeil (Manchester City).

Without any doubt, Watford was the surprise package of last season in the Championship. Tipped as relegation fodder the Hornets stunned the pundits and gained promotion after comfortably beating Crystal Palace and Leeds United in the play-offs. Manager Adrian Boothroyd was very much the flavour of the month come the end of last season but it will be interesting to see how long that lasts as Watford bring their “direct approach” to the Premiership.

Over the weekend, Danny Shittu opted for a shot at the premiership with Watford in preference to joining West Brom. Boothroyd has also added experience in the form of Damien Francis (Wigan) and Chris Powell (Charlton).