Fulham’s win over Arsenal was no fluke. The Cottagers played high quality football and totally outplayed Arsenal in the midfield.
Stoke City took the lead twice against Aston Villa only to be pegged back each time. But they persevered and got a stoppage time winner from Mamady Sidibe in their first top flight game at home since 1985.
It may not have been pretty but that should not overshadow the fact that the USA got off to a great start to the semi-final round of World Cup qualifying with their first ever competitive win in Guatemala.
The New York Red Bulls are hitting their stride at the right time. A 3-0 win over Houston means that the Red Bulls are now unbeaten at home in their last six home games and have scored nine goals in their last three. Considering that the Houston Dynamo had been rattling up wins and goals the last few weeks it was an impressive outing for the Bulls.
Best forgotten…..
A little over two years ago Chelsea paid Milan a king’s ransom for the services of Andriy Shevchenko. To that point in his career Shevchenko has scored at a rate better than a goal every two games and although he scored on his debut for Chelsea only eight more goals were to follow over the next two seasons. It would be considered a poor return on a striker that cost $6M let alone $60M and no matter which way you look it the move failed miserably. The lesson – no transfer comes with a guarantee of success.
For most nations a bronze medal at the Olympic Games is more than a satisfactory return. But for Brazil’s men's soccer team and the fans back home it is nothing less than abject failure. Brazil has been become overly fixated on winning a men’s soccer gold at the Olympics – the one title that has eluded them over the years. Silver medals in 84 and 88 were followed by a bronze in Atlanta. This time it was another bronze and should Brazil stumble in their next World Cup qualifying match away to Chile in just under two weeks time it will be a coup de grace for coach Carlos Dunga.
Best goals…. There were a slew to choose from this week and here are my picks in no particular order.
Chad Barrett’s equalizer for Toronto against New England Revolution was his 7th goal of the season. It was a thunderous left foot strike that flew past the Revolution’s Doug Warren.
Liverpool’s winner against Boro might also be categorized as crime of the week. Nonetheless Steven Gerrard’s shot right on full time was not only beautifully struck but it was a clutch goal for the home side.
A very cute header from Hull’s Richard Garcia gave the away side a share of the points against Blackburn.
Jakub Blaszczykowski (Kuba to the fans and commentators) sent a swerving right footed drive from the edge of the penalty area into the roof of the Bayern Munich net for Borussia Dortmund.
Goal feast……
Not only goals galore but a few reds as well as Real Madrid beat Valencia 4-2 in the Spanish Super Cup second leg and took the trophy 6-5 on aggregate. When you consider that Real was down 4-2 on aggregate and down to 10-men by half time it was a remarkable result. But remarkable was to become extraordinary.
Ruud van Nistelrooy narrowed the gap to a single goal from the penalty spot only five minutes after the restart but then did his side no favours when he was sent off with 16 minutes to go. Playing nine against eleven and a goal down with a quarter of an hour left Real Madrid then stunned Valencia with three goals before Morientes scored a consolation goal for Valencia.
Sergio Ramos and substitutes Reuben de la Red (another red for Real Madrid?) and Higuaín all scored. It was all amazing stuff and a shot in the arm for Real Madrid who starts their title defense away to Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. Valencia is at home to Mallorca.
Best Howlers…… A badly misplayed corner by Pat Onstad gifted Jamaica an equalizer in midweek World Cup qualifying against Canada. Onstad who is normally so reliable for Houston punched an Andy Williams corner into his own net shortly after Julian de Guzman has given Canada a one goal lead.
Best Players…. The Fulham midfield of Davies, Bullard, Murphy and Gera was outstanding in Fulham’s 1-0 win over Arsenal.
Elano may have scored twice for Manchester City against West Ham United but it was Stephen Ireland that set both goals up. Ireland was irrepressible in midfield for City as they chalked up a much needed win.
Stat facts Middlesbrough last won at Anfield was on March 6, 1976 with goals from John Hickton and Terry Cooper. Since then Liverpool has won 19 and drawn 6 against Boro at home.
Michael Owen’s headed goal against Bolton was his 19th Premiership goal for Newcastle. Of the nineteen, nine have now come from his head. This is quite a contrast to Owen’s record of only seven headers out of 118 goals during his time with Liverpool in the Premiership.
Wigan boss Steve Bruce might want to be really clear about kick off time when his charges play at Hull next Saturday. In their two games so far Wigan has conceded three goals and they have all come in the first ten minutes.
What was said….
Jonathan Wilson with a remarkable story about Croatia’s Darijo Srna.
Marcela Mora y Araujo on Argentina’s performance at the Olympics.
Steve Tongue on the fall of the FA’s CEO Brian Barwick and the changes that have still to come.
Mike Ticher questions the purpose of the Men’s Olympic soccer tournament.
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.
"Does
anyone else reckon Gareth Barry is starting to feel like a bloke who's told his
missus that he's leaving her only to find out the blonde across the road isn't
interested anymore?" - Jason Tew in an email published in the July 17
edition of The Fiver.
As three of the summer’s
transfer sagas drag on there seems to be a very good chance that at least one
or more of Ronaldo, Gareth Barry and Emmanuel Adebayor will find themselves
playing for teams next season that they presently seem so desperate to leave.
You can’t hold on to an
unhappy player is common enough wisdom and on a basic level it is largely true.
If a player is truly unhappy with his life as a professional player he is
entitled to walk-away and take up another career.
In a very different era high
profile mid-career retirements from the game include Celtic’s George Connelly.
Connelly could have become a Celtic great but he packed in the game when he was
only 26. Before that we had Peter Knowles leave Wolves to become a Jehovah's
Witness. (So the next time you get a knock on the door it might be from someone
who almost played for England.)
But that is not the case
with our transfer trio. All want to pursue their careers with other clubs even
though they have valid long term contracts with their present clubs. There is
nothing new about such a situation.
But it seems that over the last five years
or so the market for such players has shrunk dramatically to the point where
there are very few teams willing and able to meet their demands. That has led
to lengthier transfer sagas.
In days past players would
complain a bit, there would be a bidding war of sorts with a few clubs putting
in bids and within a week or so the player would be mugging it for the press
wearing a new strip and holding a scarf.
But things are not happening as
quickly as before and some players are placing themselves in more precarious positions. Once they have gone public with their
complaints and two or three weeks pass without a move ensuing they are forced to
escalate the war of words.
That usually serves only
to entrench the position of the potentially selling club – don’t want to be
seen knuckling under to yappy, whinging player after all. Contrast Ronaldo,
Barry and Adebayor with that of Frank Lampard who has been close to the essence
of public discretion so far in his dealings with Chelsea and any potential move
to Inter.
If Lampard stays at Stamford Bridge rather than moving to the Giuseppe Meazza then there is little
to indicate that he will have to rebuild any bridges with the Chelsea support. The
lesson perhaps – the less said the better.
On the other hand the
three transfer stooges will have their work cut out if they are forced to
survive at their present clubs on their meager weekly pittances. You really
have to wonder about who has been advising them to take the “help get me out of
this hell” position that ostracizes fans and management alike. There again
maybe fans are so fickle that a couple of goals out of each of them and the
crowds will chanting their names just like before.
Amid all this summer’s transfer talk one of the few big money moves to actually happen has been the $20M+ transfer of Peter Crouch from Liverpool to FA Cup holders Portsmouth. Taken at face value the intent would seem to be to play Crouch in attack alongside former West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe.
The press has been quick to label the pair as a “little and large” combination. The little and large arrangement appeals to a number of sensibilities as it seems to match the best of two of the most common type forwards – the big fellow who is good in the air and the wee speedy striker with a nose for knock downs and an eye for a half chance.
But such combos appear to have fallen out of favour and instead many of the most successful Premiership scoring partnerships over the last few seasons have been made up of a striker and a midfielder - Van Nistelrooy and Scholes; Henry and Pires; Torres and Gerrard; Drogba and Lampard.
Nevertheless strike partnerships such as Quinn/Phillips (Sunderland), Heskey/Owen (Liverpool) and Dublin/Vassell (Aston Villa) have shown that a pairing of a big man and wee man along with the right supporting cast can sometimes deliver goals.
But when it comes down to ranking big and small pairings no combo has yet bettered the Kevin Keegan and John Toshack partnership from the Liverpool team of the seventies. Keegan and Toshack is still regarded as the consummate “little and large” strike partnership although as the years have gone by there has been a tendency to think only in terms of long balls pumped forward for the big strong Toshack to knock on for the speedy and nimble Keegan.
There was a lot more to the duo than balls thumped forward looking for Toshack to make contact. Keegan’s prodigious work rate and unselfish running created all sorts of problems for defenders who had become use to marking relatively static target men while Toshack was an intelligent reader of the game who was rarely given sufficient credit for his anticipation and touch.
Encouraging for Portsmouth fans is the fact that Peter Crouch’s only double figure scoring season in the Premiership (12 goals) was in 04/05 when he combined with “little” Kevin Phillips. It also marked Phillips last good Premiership season (10) although Southampton was relegated.
Both Crouch and Defoe have had trouble holding down regular staring spots at their previous clubs with over a third of their Premiership appearances coming as substitutes. Defoe has been the most productive scorer of the two and has also racked up 50% more Premiership appearances than Crouch despite being a year younger – 26 to Crouch’s 27.
Sixteen of Defoe’s 69 Premiership goals in 225 appearances have come off the bench and his 33 helpers reinforce his reputation as a striker who who is sometimes overly focused on his own exploits. Defoe’s best Premiership season for goals came in 2006/07 when he notched a dozen but he has finished two other seasons in double figures.
Crouch has 38 Premiership goals to his credit in 149 appearances although his 5 goals as a substitute seem to contradict the widely held opinion of him as a goalscoring “super-sub”.
In linking Crouch and Defoe Portsmouth boss Harry Rednapp is looking to improve Portsmouth’s goal output knowing that if his club is to improve further then more goals are necessary. In their five Premiership seasons Portsmouth’s scoring has ranged from a low of 37 (miracle escape year) to a high of 48 last season.
The best season return from a single player came from Yakubu with 13 in 04/05 and their two top goal scorers have never broken twenty between them in the five seasons - the best performance was in 2003/04 with Yakubu 11 and Sheringham 9.
Strangely that total was matched last season with Benjani collecting 12 goals and Defoe 8 but these two crossed transfer paths during the January transfer window and never did play together. For Harry Rednapp a change in preferred tactics may also be in order – especially at home.
Although last season Portsmouth finished a best ever 8th in the Premiership Pompey’s home form slipped and four single goal losses and eight draws at home meant a goal here and there might have meant a realistic challenge to fifth place Everton.
Rednapp’s favoured formation was the lone striker and although these tactics worked to Portsmouth’s advantage away from home it often backfired at home. Twenty-four goals in nineteen home games is far from prestigious but it becomes anemic when you consider that 17 goals came in only 4 games (against Reading, Birmingham, Bolton and Derby).
If Portsmouth is become a consistent top six finisher then not only do Crouch and Defoe have to become a dependable source for goals but Rednapp needs to make sure that more goals at one end are not negated at the other. Portsmouth need to find a way to service and support two strikers while keeping the midfield from being overrun and the defense from conceding more goals.
Not surprisingly Monday’s furour about the Luzhniki Stadium pitch appears to have died away as we now hear that it is going to be just fine. From the equivalent of a neglected public park pitch to no problem in 48 hours – a miracle indeed.
Perhaps the field condition was more a product of a journalist or two who found themselves in Moscow on Monday with nothing to write about until the teams arrived later in the day.
Now comfortable in the knowledge that billions of dollars of talent will not disappear down a sink hole in Moscow I can now safely turn my attention to the game this afternoon.
The problem is that with less than five hours to kick off and I am no closer to deciding who I think is the going to be the 2008 Champions of Europe. I have had a sneaking su####ion about Chelsea since the draw for the last sixteen was made but on the other hand I treat Manchester United in a final as I do the Old Firm – never bet against them.
So in an attempt to come to a decision of Chelsea or Manchester United here are the advantages that each side brings with them to the battle.
Chelsea 1. Didier Drogba – even more so than Ronaldo, Drogba has an unerring ability to lay low for most of a match but to still step up and decide the outcome. His strength and pace makes it impossible to ignore him.
2. Michael Ballack – Player of the Year in England if it was based on the last eight weeks. His positional play has been excellent and when not arguing with Drogba over free kicks the timing of his runs into the penalty box are reminiscent of former United great Bryan Robson.
3. Frank Lampard – criticized for the apparent high number of deflected goals he should be praised for adhering to old adage that if you don’t shoot you don’t score. What’s more when Lampard gets within 30 yards of goal watch how many defenders try to shut him down – no wonder he gets goals from deflections as well as creating gaps for the other Chelsea players to take advantage of.
4. Aerial power – Ballack, Carvalho, Drogba, Terry are all excellent in the air and every set piece for Chelsea will present and real and present danger to United.
5. No other English team has enjoyed a better record against Manchester United than Chelsea and that holds true even before the arrival of Roman Abramovich’s interest free loan.
Manchester United 1. Ronaldo – if United can get him the ball early in the game and he can settle into a rhythm then he can be the match-winner. Cole has played well against him in the past so it will be interesting to see which wing Fergie starts him on.
2. Rio Ferdinand – simply the best defender in England over the last season.
3. Patrice Evra – With a license to get forward that Chelsea appears to be unwilling to give to their full backs the Frenchman can exploit the spaces that the normally narrow Chelsea formation provides.
4. Edwin van der Saar – the Dutchman’s kicking skills have been identified as a weakness by many but it is his ability to find players with quick long throws that might be more pivotal.
5. Mobility – The constant movement used by United means that an opposition defense cannot drop concentration for a moment.
Line Ups Michael Essien at right back appears to be the way that Chelsea will go with Malouda or Kalou a tactical decision and Cole or Bridge a fitness decision.
The speculation on the United line up is whether or not Ferguson buttresses his midfield with Owen Hargreaves. Bringing Hargreaves in would in my opinion be a clear signal that Ferguson would be happy to accept a saw-off in midfield and rely on his wide players and Rooney to win it for him.
A more aggressive strategy - and gamble - would be to start Tevez and Rooney in attack with Tevez being asked to hassle and upset Makelele as he sits just in front of the Chelsea back four. The downside of starting Tevez is that it takes away an option to change the game by way of the substitutes bench.
Henry14 - I wanted to ask a couple of questions because we had a heated exchange with my friends
q1 Do Arsenal need a striker? My argument was that as much as l like Ade you do not get the feeling that he will do it again and l think Wenger is with me when he said he over achieved. Walcott and Bendtner are not consistent and l agree with you he is more of a winger than striker and rvp is always crocked q2 Wenger is said to buy a defender assuming that he is a shoe in who would get rid of Gallas or Toure? l would take Toure any day.
Bobby – Q1 – Arsenal do not need another striker, certainly not when you consider that Achilles heel this season was the defence and their overall depth. I know there has been a heated discussion going about Adebayor and frankly I would be shocked (and stunned) if he turned out to be a one-season wonder. As long as he keeps up the work rate he will score goals. Q 2 – You don’t get rid of either of them. How many times in a season does a manager get a chance to pick a first choice eleven? Very rarely. Arsenal needs to depth and talking of getting rid of Toure or Gallas does not make sense to me.
Quest5227 - Manchester United need a day-to-day right-back for the future. Whom do you think they should try to get, and whom do you think they will get? (They may not get their first choice.) Thanks.
Bobby – I am not a fan of Owen Hargreaves playing in midfield for United and he may be the answer at right back post-Gary Neville.
Ringo - Read a piece in the Guardian over the weekend comparing Avram Grant to Tony Barton, what do you think?
Bobby – I was thinking the same thing myself a few weeks ago. The only trouble was I could remember Ron Saunders but not who replaced him. Sort of sums it up doesn’t it.
Verbal97 - I'm NOT looking forward to Bobby posting the predictions.
Bobby – I looked up your predictions and no wonder you are not looking forward to it!!!
“There is a lot of underestimating Liverpool going on and thus a lot of impossible predictions. There is NO way that Liverpool finish any worse than 3rd (i.e., worse than they've finished the past 2 seasons). To predict them 5th (or even 4th) is about the same as predicting Wigan to win the league IMO.”
“I don't understand how anyone (yes, including Bobby) can have Liverpool any lower than 3rd. What about their signings, etc, make any of you believe they'll actually regress this season? And while other teams MAY have improved, I don't see any other team, including Arsenal, that can jump up the table past them.”
And there is more where these came from once the Whoops stops whoopsing.
DVXPrime - 1) Does Rafa Benitez keep his job? Shut out of the (domestic and European) cups and Year #18 without a League title...hmmm...
2) In your opinion, which clubs have done the best with a 4-5-1 (or similar) formation, and which clubs should try something else?
3) Why doesn't Canada rate a spot in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup? Not too badmouth Toronto FC, but MLS has plenty of representatives, Canada has a pro soccer league (if I'm wrong I stand corrected in advance), and MLS has had enough heartbreak in the CCC without being (poorly) represented by a second-year club.
Bobby – 1. Does Rafa get fired? – No way. Does he leave? I still think there is more of a chance of him leaving than staying.
2. I don’t think that is a question that can be answered. All the Premiership teams that I have seen this season have opted to play that way at some point.
3. Canada will have a representative in the “new” Champions League starting in 2008/09. Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and Montreal Impact are playing a round-robin over the next few months to decide a Canadian representative. (Canada does not have a national soccer league. It has a league named the Canadian Soccer League but the teams are all located in the east. It is not a true national league by any means.)
Gongatore -Wow outstanding piece but you are a bit remiss. Where's the post mortem on La Liga and Serie A?
Bobby – Wind up or not I will post the original predictions at the end of the respective seasons…soon.
Aldoray - Clubs in Spain are run and owned much differently than in England. U don’t often here of takeover bids in Spain, just about the president being changed, retiring or losing an election. What are the main differences between club ownership in Spain and England and what can the English structure learn from the Spanish structure of ownership so as to avoid quagmires like that which is going on at Liverpool.
Also Barcelona do not get money for a shirt sponsor (for many years there has been no advertising on their kit, I think they are the only major club like this (UNICEF is free). Why is it that they are able to be financially as strong as other clubs without a shirt sponsor- does this have to do with the previous statement in regards to the structure of the club being different to that of other countries?
Bobby – There is such a fundamental difference between the ownership structures that are commonly found in England versus Spain that goes back to the genesis of the game in each country.
England quickly moved to an entrepreneurial model although there was also a strong philanthropic emphasis as well. Local business men would invest in the club and receive the prestige of ownership.
Up until twenty odd years ago the directors/owners of clubs in the English League were banned from receiving anything put a small dividend and other payments from the club. However, someone realized that by instituting a creative governance and ownership structure you could suck money out of club by way of a holding company.
This was one of the elements that set of numerous clubs being floated on the stock exchange – few with any long term success. Nonetheless with the advent of Sky TV money top teams became a target for hot money leading to the present situation. There is a book or two on how the English game has reached the point it has. David Conn’s book “The Beautiful Game” is a great read while also being very disturbing.
Spanish clubs generally run on a model whereby memberships are sold and renewed every year – hence the elections and Presidential changes. There is a tendency I think, to exaggerate the benefits of the Spanish model.
It hasn’t stopped numerous Presidents of numerous Spanish clubs piling up enormous debt levels and short changing players. You also have to consider that Barcelona and Real Madrid sell their own TV rights, not as a collective organization such as you get with the Premiership.
Gregz-What do U think of Diaby potentially replacing Flamini as Arsenal's holding midfielder? U think he would be up to the task?
Bobby – I think that there is a very good chance that he will be given the chance. I’m not convinced that he is up to it. However, think back to this time last season and I don’t think you would find anyone who thought Flamini could do the job either.
Wiegs9 - With another EPL season complete, I'm wondering if you have seen anything which gives you any indication the top four finishers in the EPL will consist of something different than the Big Four in the foreseeable future. It seems regardless of the challenges the Big Four face (e.g., additional matches, lengthy injury lists, financing a new stadium, substantial debt, etc.), they are able retain all the Champions League spots, and will continue to do so.
Since Spurs' food poisoning incident, I don't get much indication any other EPL side is able to challenge for a CL spot since the difference from 4th to 5th has been 8 and 11 points the last two seasons.
Bobby – It always difficult to see change coming and to be perfectly honest I don’t see anything changing. However, it will because it always has and always will. Success is relatively fleeting even though it doesn’t seem that way sometimes.
Bevo2284 - 1. What has happened to Jose Antonio Reyes? I know he didn’t fit in at Arsenal or Real Madrid but what exactly are his shortcomings and what are your thoughts on him as a player?
2. I know last week there was a lot of Arsenal talk about the Flamini move. If you were Wenger who would be your top three targets in players and positions?
3. What are your thoughts on Sulley Muntari being a replacement for Flamini?
4. There have been rumours (as always) of Hatem Ben Arfa already having agreed to a deal with Arsenal. I think it’s a great move and could potentially be a great replacement for Hleb who looks set to join Inter. What is your opinion of this?
Bobby – 1. Atleti might be a better source on how Reyes is doing although by all accounts it does not seem like he has done very much. During his time in the Premiership I thought he was far too ponderous on the ball. His inclination when he got the ball was to stop, put his foot on it and allow the opposition to get players behind the ball.
2. Centre half, midfield player, goalkeeper. Who would that be – depends on too many different things.
3. Don’t think so.
4. I haven’t seen enough of him to comment although a young wide player (who can sometimes play up front) doesn’t seem to be the answer to Arsenal’s main problem which is keeping goals out.
Andrew Jennings on Peter Hargitay, a "strategic adviser" to England's 2018 World Cup bid.
Simon Kuper sits down to chat with Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard.
An excellent Monday morning column from Martin Samuel.
Gabriele Marcotti says that 442 is so yesterday and he is not discussing the magazine.
Here is a listing of the January 2008 transfer moves. Hard to find one player who could be regarded as a instant success.
Nigel Reed says that Laurent Robert “has to recapture the desire, the passion and the hunger that distinguishes great players from good players.” Recapture? Great player? Laurent Robert? We will see.
This is the same Laurent Robert who Sir Bobby Robson described as "the most difficult player I have ever worked with in my career". Although Robert apparently saw things differently - “I had four years with Newcastle, one in the Champions League, the others in the Uefa Cup as we finished in the top five,” the 32-year-old said. “Some people may speak bad about me, but I am no troublemaker. If you speak with Bobby Robson, I never had a problem with him.” That from the Times in January.
At best we might get a short glimpse of some of his better past performances - a few decent free kicks, a couple of blistering goals – then the problems will surface.
A while ago I put a link up to a website created by Bill Turianski. Bill’s specialty is sports maps with a lot of them focused on soccer. There is some wonderful stuff here.
David James on making it to Wembley for another FA Cup Final.
With the exception of West Ham and Portsmouth who play on Tuesday, the other Premiership sides have five games left. Five teams have already gained more points than they finished last season with.
The most improved at the moment is Manchester City with 49 points to last season's 42. On the other side of the ledger three teams have already guaranteed that even with 15 points still to be played for they will finish with less points than last season.
The worst of the worst - Bolton. Last season they finished with 56 points and so far they have only garnered 26. Down an incredible 30 points so far.
Matt Dickinson compares the Capello’s manner to that of Sir Alf Ramsey.
A piece on Anguilla’s World Cup second leg qualifying match against El Salvador.
Stephen Brunt writing a couple of days before Toronto FC opened the season with a loss to the Columbus Crew.
John Cushley who spent much of his Celtic career as a back up to Billy McNeill has died from Motor Neurone Disease, the same illness that took Jimmy Johnstone. Cushley spent sometime with West Ham in the late 60s.
Regarding Diaby's red card. As has been pointed out there has been a stunning silence on the blog from those ready to have Martin Taylor hung, drawn and quartered a few weeks ago. Even though Arsene Wenger seems to be able to differentiate between the two incidents the only difference I can see is that Eduardo was unfortunate that his foot was planted while Steinsson was on the move and got lucky.
If everything goes well I should be making a midweek appearance on Wednesday's Fox Soccer Report - Champions League edition.
ZUCO2 - Do you agree with me that the title race in the Serie A is officially open?
Bobby – Serie A is like Liga this season – it seems that every time the leader has built a substantial lead they seem to find away to drop points and to cast new doubts on the eventual winner ……again.
Inter will finish with way less points than last season (97 points) as they have already dropped 22 points while Roma are heading for a big improvement (last season 75 points and they already have 64 points with 8 games left). They look like they are both heading for a points total in the mid-80s.
Flashman - Nice of you, Bobby, to acknowledge Colin Jose. He is just a great, great guy. I got to knock around with him a bit years ago. An amazing knowledge of the game, not just the Canadian side of it.
Bobby – Mr. Jose was kind enough to contact me a couple of years ago. It was a real thrill for me because I remember when he wrote for World Soccer years ago when I was growing up and the magazine seemed very exotic. These were the days when the world was a much bigger place and World Soccer was the only reliable source of information from around the globe.
MasMaz – And even though Masch did nothing that I can see to deserve to be sent off, where was captain fantastic? Shouldn't he be there telling him to shut-up and pull him away, by force………..
I am deeply disappointed in Bobby's response to this issue. I expected low brow commentary from the clowns on FFF, but Bobby, say it aint so. Masch's behavior is only relevant if the standard response to it is to be sent off. At this time it is not, and Liverpool at Old Crapford in March is not the time to create the standard.
A journalist's job is to be critical when necessary. Bennett made a decision that taints a season. Another foreigner was singled out and made an example of, while worse English offenders are let off.
Steve Nicol put it best on FFF. Bennett didn't even warn him. Sure his behavior was erratic and insupportable, but he should have pulled Gerrard aside and said keep him quiet or he is out.
I agree that this type of behavior needs to stop. That is the beauty of this injustice from the corrupt FA. They can point to Macherano and say he is to blame, that no one but he is at fault. BS. Another year handed to United.
You don't make these type of statements in the final stretch of the season. This was selective enforcement and a travesty. Who will say that an Englishman would have seen red? I have seen Terry, Gerrard, ACole, Barton, Bowyer etc, do worse for years.
Bobby – This is a bouncing ball.
“Even though Masch did nothing that I can see to deserve to be sent off,” – “where was captain fantastic? Shouldn't he be there telling him to shut-up and pull him away, by force,” – “Bennett didn't even warn him” - “sure his behavior was erratic and insupportable, he should have pulled Gerrard aside and said keep him quiet or he is out,”- “I agree that this type of behavior needs to stop.”
So we have a player Mascherano that did nothing but was sent off even though his captain should have told him to shut up and pull him away …if he was doing nothing why would Gerrard have to tell him to shut up and pull him away?
Bennett didn’t warn him? What’s a yellow card an indication of? Most sane people realize that it is a clear indication that you are one indiscretion away from being sent off.
But of course Mascherano was doing nothing according to you. But then we find out that Mascherano’s “behavior was erratic and insupportable” – that's all very well except you spent the rest of your post claiming he was hard done by.
And to cap it all off you agree that “this type of behavior needs to stop” – would that be the bad behavior or the not doing anything behavior?
Arsewatcher - Cool Canadian Soccer History site, Bobby. I liked the hockey connection part. I remember playing against Peter Zezel in U-16....dude was a great centre-back.
Bobby – There have been a number of very good hockey players that played were also decent soccer players.
Bonmot - Might you have some information on how Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya are doing in Austria?
Bobby – From this account it seems that Nate Jaqua has made a good start in Austria. If you are looking to stay current on his progress then the Yanks Abroad website is excellent. The last piece I read on Joseph Ngwenya was that he has been having trouble settling down and there is speculation that he may return to MLS.
Sleeper000 - Croatia are to play Scotland on Wednesday. This is Scotland's first international match with a new coach. However, the stadium will probably be half full. Do you think this is due to lack of interest in international friendlies or perhaps that Scotland are not playing a more popular opponent like France or Germany? I for one never take friendlies seriously, other than taking a look at some talented up and coming players. What is your take on the fixture?
Bobby – I’m surprised that they have sold half the tickets. There is so much soccer at this time of year that I don’t think friendly internationals mean enough to really catch many people’s interest. If it was England it might be different but I don’t think the opposition is really the issue. I’m sure it will be a useful exercise for George Burley but that is about it.
TNGooner - I'm convinced Arsenal's slump has to do with Adebayor's hair. Since he took the braids out and went for the mini-afro, he's only scored once and Arsenal has only won once (against Milan)...Ade needs to bring the braids back and get the Gunners back on track!
Bobby – I have a similar theory but it relates to players who decide to go blonde. I cannot think of a player who has played better after having a run-in with a bottle of peroxide. The Romanians started it when they all went blonde at the 1998 World Cup and it did not do them any good.
Thewobegonboy - I subscribe to FSC, Setanta, and that other footy channel that broadcasts La Liga. Are there any other options for watching European soccer in North America? I know you don't control FSC programming, but you often talk about watching games that weren't broadcast to the masses and I was wondering what mechanism allowed you to view those fixtures. Satellite? Online streaming? Secret handshake with the cable guy?
Bobby – It probably has more to do with what is available in Canada rather than anything untoward. We sometimes get different games from the ones offered in the USA and we also get games on stations called the Score, TLN and TV5. During MLS season there is also HDNet, TFC games on multiple Canadian broadcasters and depending on where you reside you may be lucky enough to get additional MLS games – in Winnipeg I watch the NER on a station out of Boston.
Vang60 - As a part time viewer of the Premier League, I think that the sending off of Mascherano was ABSOLUTELY influenced by Sir Alex BLEEP SON and MANURE since the referees in the league have NEVER had a spine against MANURE ARSENAL OR CHELSEA players dissent in the past and find it easy to implement any new policy against Liverpool. Disgraceful. The Premier League has just lost me as a fan. BLEEP YOU ALL.
Bobby – Lost another half a BLEEP fan.
Gregz - Can Arsenal's poor run of form be attributed to a lack of steel in defence? The first choice back line are individually very good defenders, however, especially in central defence we really lack height and strength. We really miss a player like Sol Campbell don't we? Also, how much is Arsene's insistence to not add to his squad harming Arsenal choices of winning trophies?
Bobby – You nailed it and it isn't just lately. I think it is a case that lately it has cost them points. Tony Adams was the rock for so many years and then it was Sol Campbell. I think it is why Wenger perseveres with Senderos. Overall he is a poorer defender than Gallas or Toure he is better in the air. I just don’t think you can win the Premiership without a centre half that is dominant in the air.
Regarding Wenger’s reluctance to add to his squad there is another angle to it I think. Because Arsenal is slumping the knee-jerk reaction is he should have signed players with the automatic implication that such signings would have meant a guarantee of silverware. There are more than enough examples of god team signing players and they have had the opposite effect. It’s interesting that there are a number of Arsenal fans criticizing Wenger but are quick to point out the bad signing other teams have made. Signing players does not come with a guarantee of success.
MasMaz - You pointed out that Drogba and Anelka were offside... and then you said so what. What is going on over there? Red Devil mania is sweeping through Canada like the plague. Can you imagine the outcry if Man Utd lost a game on a call like that?
Bobby – Drogba was marginally offside coming back from a ball that was knocked forward 40 yards and was still well outside the penalty area. The Arsenal central defenders didn’t win the ball and then they didn’t clear it.
If you prefer to focus on a marginal offside call rather than accepting that Arsenal lost because they were unable to defend against the most basic of attacks – a thump up the park and down the middle – then good for you. Others might think you are missing the point.
DVXPrime - Here's an interesting question about the surnames (not the "nicknames or mascots) of the UK-based teams. Poring through FourFourTwo magazine's annual preview issue, I found four common surnames: Rovers (Blackburn, Bristol), Wanderers (Bolton, Wolverhampton), Albion (West Bromwich, Brighton and Hove), and of course, United (Manchester...need i say more?). Oh, and Rangers (Queens Park, Glasgow). By any chance can you provide some insight or history on why some teams chose those surnames? Thanks.
Bobby – I think some others have done a pretty good job of answering this one. Names are a bit like uniforms ..easily copied.
Ursusarctos - Verbal's comments were not phrased as a question, but accounting for some rhetorical excess-- which I also indulged in in my previous reply to RINGO-- the two paragraphs sum up my views fairly well also. How would you characterize these views-- is there some justice in LFC feeling hard done by (even accepting the stupidity of Masch's actions) in light of ALL the circumstances verbal mentions? The Masch episode appears inconsistent with precedent (Terry et al) -- do you agree or not, and should precedent even matter?
Bobby – Mascherano was not sent off for dissent he was given a second yellow card for dissent which meant he was off. A more accurate description might have been a second yellow card for crass stupidity.
Do you not think it was obvious after the Cole incident on Wednesday that there were going to be ramifications is there was to be close to a repeat of the incident? Anyone who watches the Premiership on even a semi-regular basis knows what Bennett is like. Players know the officials they can intimidate and the ones that are card happy.
What came over Mascherano goodness only knows. You talk precedent and others who may have got away with it but timing is everything and Mascherano's decision to chirp and get involved in something that had nothing to do with him cost his team a chance at a comeback.
Neophyte - As far as Mascherano goes, he was the only one who had any passion for LFC. Too bad he went out of his way to get that red. You can put any excuse you want on it but it was aggressive, excessive and plain stupid. It wasn't why they lost. They simply didn't match United's tenacity (foul for foul) or desire. They looked flat...then gave into blaming the official.
Bobby – That wasn’t passion that was stupidity. Passion is not running around chirping at a referee and leaving your team with only ten men. Passion is about applying yourself to winning the game. What Mascherano did was the opposite.
Chad876 - I think refs treat ManU players differently than they do other teams if you think its a lie how many penalties have been awarded to United and each time Ronaldo is touch the refs blow.
Bobby – If you are going to make a statement like that you need to back it up. And from the stats I’ve read you are way off the mark. So Chad let’s have your facts?
Redfan2000 -What's your take on the midfield for England? You lauded Jenas in the weekend blog, so how about explaining your thinking regards the competition with, Barry, Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick, Hargreaves et al, all vying for a CM slot? Could Jenas run the right wing??
What do you think of Downing as an attacking winger and his defensive qualities going the other way?
Re the Inter debate, do you think they are truly a great side or just very consistent, unlike those around them and elsewhere? Never mind Rafa's position, do you think Grant will start next season as Manager at Chelsea? Who do you think RA would/could replace him with??
Bobby – I think you can see a significant improvement in Jenas since Ramos took over. He is more composed, chooses his moments to go forward and is much more disciplined. He has a very good turn of pace – something that Ramos likes – and I am betting that Capello does as well.
There is a feeling that Capello will opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation and so in the long run Jenas probably has two bites at the cherry. If he continues to improve under Ramos then Capello may be willing to slot him into one of two defensive midfield positions.
The conventional wisdom has Hargreaves as having a lock on one of the positions but I am not so sure. Hargreaves is an aggressive defender playing in front of the United back four and offers virtually nothing in terms of building an attack or controlling the tempo o####ame.
That is where Barry has a big edge and I think Jenas will eventually be slotted into the second position beside him. In front of them maybe Bentley-Gerrard-Cole. Downing is a natural left footer but overall Joe Cole is a far better player and a better option.
Bentley is a more natural wide player than Jenas and I think Jenas’ more valuable in the middle of the park. For Inter to be regarded as a great side they are going to have to win the Champions League rather than just winning their domestic championship a few times in a row.
Re: Avram Grant, I’m still surprised he was hired to begin with. As for a replacement who knows. It is more a product of who is available at the time rather than who is the best candidate. Naming replacements is a hypothetical exercise means nothing.
CIAO - I'm curious, do you have any comparative data on injury statistics of the leagues (i.e. Serie A, PL, Bundesliga and La Liga). To me, it seems obvious that such career ending injuries seem to occur more in the PL vs. the other top leagues.
Henry14 - What should Eduardo have done yesterday? Should he have not gone for the ball because he thinks (as many others may do) there's a real danger my leg will be broken here. The ridiculous assertion that Eduardo was too fast and therefore that means that’s ok is beyond belief.
To avoid serious injury yesterday someone had to decide differently. Taylor could have decided to not go flying in or Eduardo could have pulled out going for the ball. You have a choice. Which one do you want to influence to make a different decision? For me it is clear. A greater ban in the event of causing a serious injury would make the tackler and the club thinks twice and we would not have had the injury we had.
What’s your take on the way tackling and aggressiveness on less technically play is taken in England?
Gregz - What did U make of the Eduardo injury. (I missed the show).
Bobby – I will try to deal with all the Eduardo/Taylor questions in one response so there may not be a direct match to each specific question. First off on a historical basis the game is far cleaner than it was in the 60s, 70s and early 80s.
That comment is made in the context of all leagues, not just in England. You name me a decent soccer playing nation from that era and I guarantee that we can find thugs from each and every one of them. The same goes for today. Just because one style is more physical than another does not make it more or less illegal.
I would suggest that the real dirty players are the ones that you don’t see rather than the ones you do.
Anyone trying to make this a nationality argument is disingenuous at best.
I am not aware of comparative stats on career ending injuries in the PL vs. Other leagues but I doubt that it would statistically significant if it was. It may seem that way because we hear more about the PL than others.
I don’t have anything to back up this assertion but I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of career ending injuries are not caused by fouls but from normal play and physical contact.
So is someone going to suggest that anyone causing an injury with a fair tackle should be suspended as well – according to some comments that would apparently stop bad injuries.
The most intelligent comments about the incident have come from Eduardo – the victim.
I wonder how many of you saw the incident and immediately thought it was brutal tackle?
Taylor flying into the tackle – pure hyperbole. Taylor was slow, he was late and he caught Eduardo. A fraction of a second either way and Eduardo rolls off the tackle or Taylor brings him down, a free kick is given and Eduardo plays on as players do countless times each game.
With a game played at the pace of the modern game it is impossible not to have some mistimed tackles and unfortunately bad injuries are going to happen now and again. Bad injuries have happened for years and they will happen for years to come and you are not going to find that they are restricted to one league, one nationality or even bad tackles.
As for a player going into a game worrying about a broken leg - he should not playing the game.
Gregz -Do U see Wenger parting ways with Van Persie because of his constant injury problems. What do you make of Carlos Vela? Better as a winger or striker?
Bobby – I guess your definition of constant injury problems are a bit different than mine. He’s been at Arsenal four seasons and the first year he was almost exclusively on the bench.
He injured himself scoring against Manchester United last season and then he’s been injured this season – is that constant?
Maybe someone can explain to me the upside of releasing a player who has yet to hit his prime and has the potential to be one Europe’s best goal scorers? My latest view of Vela was at the Under-20s last summer and he was not very impressive. On last summer’s showing he is nowhere close to being ready to step up.
Frenchking2012 - What do you think of Walcott? Could he do a Ljungberg after Pires (Arsenal best player in the 2001-2002 season) was injured by Dabizas. I remember Freddie scoring 6 or 7 goals in 8 or 9 games and he was the one whose run and later shot gifted Wiltord with an open goal at Old Trafford.
Walcott score 2 great goals Saturday and for once was dribbling rather well. I think he needs to step up because the Bendtner - Ade duo doesn’t work, and we won’t have RVP back for the Milan game (maybe as a late sub if we are down 1-0 in the 75th minute).
Bobby – Not a hope. Ljungberg was an experienced club and international in 2001/02, Walcott is still a young boy. The expectations of how quickly Walcott will mature are way over the top.
Flashman - When it comes to assessing ar5ena1 games, you dig in like you were Cronkite covering a moonshot. Very thorough. So why no coverage of William Gallas snapping a head valve and kicking the advertising boards and stomping off and throwing hisself down at midfield and having a right old sulk? The UK media have ripped him soundly and clamoured for the club to get rid of him. Why no coverage?
That said, you could have drawn attention to Spurs' Pascal Chimbonda chewing up clock time with his selfishly slow walk-off after being subbed at Wembley.
Bobby – If you can persuade our producers to give us a three hour show then I am hopeful that we could fit everything in. As it is I get told to wrap it up when I am going over and so I have to do what I am told. Sometimes bits get in and sometimes they don’t.
As for the media clamouring for Arsenal to get rid of Gallas - clamouring? Really?
Alberta_Man_United_Fan - What is it with the officiating in the Prem lately? Missed offside calls, ref's missing incidents were one player puts his hands on the face of an opponent who responds, only to get turfed?
I am amazed at the appearance of bias from some game officials in the calls that are and are not made! Kicking at a players heal when I played resulted in a card, not a lecture! (Arsenal-ManU).Then this past weekend Man City had a player sent off for doing that same thing.
As a youth coach and official I tell all the kids, if it is in the rule book it will be enforced! The best way to stay out of the book is to play a clean game. Professional referees do none of us minor coaches any favors by selectively enforcing the rule book.
Immediately after the Arsenal-Man United game I witnessed three such kicking incidences in the games that I officiated in. When did the standards drop for officials?
Bobby – I can’t disagree with you on the incidents that you bring up. However, I would not limit the comments to the Premiership.
Zuco2 - What do you think about Reading football club? Last season, they had a perfect year finishing in the top 10 and narrowly missing a UEFA cup spot. This season, they are winless in 11 games. They are in the relegation zone and they have one of the worst goal difference records in the Prem. What is wrong with them??????? Have any idea???
Bobby – At the risk of stating the obvious they can’t score goals and have let in far too many – a recipe for relegation trouble normally. Second seasons in a higher division are traditionally difficult.
It is interesting that last season a number of fans pointed out that Wigan had made too many changes to the team that had done very well during its first season in the Premiership and hence their problems.
Steve Coppell made few changes and that has not worked out either. Lita, Doyle, Long and Kitson have to start scoring goals and scoring early in games as well. The two goals in the last seven games have both been last minute consolation goals and they have yet score a goal in the first fifteen minutes of a Premiership game this season.
On the bright side they do not have a particularly difficult run in over the final eleven matches and frankly if they can’t get enough points from a softish schedule then they deserve to go down.
Thierry_Henry - From your point of view, do you think Setanta Sport which charges $15/m in Canada will have any success? I think the Premier League might be squeezing its loyal subscribers out. I don't think there are many people in Canada who are soccer crazy enough to pay that kind of money.
If it was hockey, yes. but soccer... I doubt. It's only the die hard or professional analysts like you who will pay for it. I had a few friends from Africa who used to wake up every morning to watch the EPL, but now they don't really bother...btw 300,000 subscribers in china on pay tv. wow. that is not even enough. how much do they pay per month? $15?
Bobby – It is interesting question especially given the news this week that Setantamay be sold. First of all I have been surprised how many people that I come across who I would have expected to subscribe to Setanta but have not.
Their reasons are diverse but price is an obvious issue and a lot are quite happy with a couple of game each weekend on Sportsnet and The Score. The market for seven or eight games a weekend is very limited. I don’t know the Setanta subscription numbers in Canada but I would be very surprised if it was in excess of 30,000.
Admittedly at $15 a month that is a fair chunk of revenue but that is not what the company would pocket. It is probably more like $8 or $9 a month after paying money to the cable and satellite delivery systems. The bad news for fans is that I would reckon that $15 a month is the thin edge of the wedge.
Whoever buys Setanta (and they will certainly be sold) will be faced with actually having to make a profit. The only way to do that is either cut costs, increase prices or increase audience. Guess which is the easiest?
Setanta has been happy to rack up losses while acquiring programming assets and offering discounted subscription fees particularly in the UK. The company line is that Setanta will break even this year or next but there are some legitimate doubts that this might actually happen.
The larger problem is that Setanta has forced programming costs up in the markets where they compete and have in turn fueled the expectation that these markets will generate ever higher rights fees.
If they are not sold and turned profitable in a year or so, a loss making Setanta will be back at the table and having to pay even more for the Premiership.
From the weekly viewing figures I have seen Setanta Canada has not served to increase the viewing figures for the Premiership in Canada.
Last season audiences of 90,000 plus were very normal for Sportsnet Saturday morning games. Just two weekends ago the audience for the Saturday and Sunday games did not exce
