Midweek Mailbag - 19 December 2006

The holiday season is upon us, and what better gift to give our readers than a holiday edition of the mailbag. Brian will have the honors this week. As always, these are real questions from real readers. Enjoy the festivities.

Miles in Yonkers, NY: Wow! What an upset at Upton Park. Do you think Curbs will be the difference and keep West Ham out of the relegation zone? Does this loss mean Mourinho is in Manchester United's head?

Brian: The surprise of the weekend was certainly West Ham's inspiring victory over Manchester United on Sunday. The Hammers' defense was absolutely superb, with young American Jonathan Spector looking particularly good. Rooney was non-existent (when Rooney is bad - which has happened on more than one occasion this term - you can't even tell he's on the pitch). And captain Nigel Reo-Coker's goal was the result of a beautiful piece of patient attacking football (although I'm not convinced Marlon Harewood actually picked out Reo-Coker's run). Inspiring stuff on Curbs' debut, but will it be enough to keep the Hammers out of trouble? West Ham certainly has the talent to steer clear of the relegation zone, but the key will be squeaking out points away from Upton Park. West Ham has zero wins, only one point, and has scored but two goals away from home this year.

As for Man Utd's side of the story, this was the Red Devil's first hiccup in quite some time. Chelsea is grinding out wins every week, just about. A two point lead can be erased in a single weekend. With the fixtures coming hot and heavy, Chelsea might catch Man Utd within the next two weeks. The Special One's club got through their toughest stretch of the season (Man Utd, Bolton, Arsenal, Newcastle) in even better shape than before it started. The game to keep an eye on is the New Year's Day tilt at St. James' Park. If a resurgent Newcastle United takes points off the Red Devils, we could have a tie atop the table for the new year.

Joanie in Grand Fork, ND: Did you see (Tivo) the Club World Cup final between Internacional and Barcelona? Were you surprised by the outcome? Does it mean anything about the true strength of European soccer that they can't seem to defeat the Copa Libertadores winners?

Brian: Joanie, our friends at Fox Football Fone-In were posed the same question today, and I agree with their answer 100%. This game is a glorified exhibition. While Barca did field the big guns (thanks to FIFA pressure, no doubt), to expect a team in the middle of a club and European game to travel halfway around the world and care about what happens in an exhibition game is asking a bit much. These kinds of games matter much more for the South American teams taking part, since they get their one shot at a big European power. I wouldn't read too much into this result.

Trent in Alexandria, VA: The transfer window is creeping closer. Which teams across Europe will be the busiest shoppers and sellers?

Brian: January is always an interesting time. However, the high prices and possibilities of players being cup-tied usually prevent big moves. It's a little too early to start throwing names around, but I'll pick a couple of teams to look at, Trent. In Italy, I'd expect AC Milan to "double down" and bring in a defender and a forward. That team has been ravaged by injuries this season and needs help in the Champions League and to avoid relegation in Serie A. Also look for Roma to bring in a money forward (although not a big-money forward). Fiorentina could be a seller, and teams may want to try to bring Luca Toni on board.

In England, Newcastle will look to bring in a forward. I was going to pick West Ham as a seller, but with a new big-money owner and a new manager, they may want to right the ship. Also look for the teams sniffing at a Champions League place in England, such as Bolton, Portsmouth, and Tottenham, to look at making moves. Big Sam has been openly courting David Beckham in recent weeks. And you know, if anyone could rescue Becks' career, it might just be Big Sam!

Jim in Tucson, AZ: Any reactions to the Champions League draw?

Brian: I was very satisfied with the draw. We have some really compelling match-ups. The two heavyweight contests will be Barca-Liverpool and Madrid-Munich. Liverpool absolutely must draw or stay within one goal of Barca at the Nou Camp, and the same could be said for Bayern at the Bernabeu.

The most compelling ties will be Inter-Valencia and Roma-Lyon. Lyon is my sleeper to win the whole thing this year. That team is quietly scary. The most exciting tie will be Celtic-Milan. Celtic Park will be electric for that first leg. There's something magical about that ground in European play. And let's not forget the Special One going back to his old stomping grounds in Porto. Good stuff all around!

While we're at it, here are my predictions. Winners are in bold:

PSV v. Arsenal
Real Madrid v. Bayern Munich
Lille v. Manchester United
Celtic v. AC Milan
Internazionale v. Valencia
Porto v. Chelsea
Roma v. Lyon
Barcelona v. Liverpool

Bryce in San Jose, CA: Were you aware that Newcastle United has already won more silverware than Arsenal this year? How you like them Intertoto apples!

Brian: The Inter-what? You win a trophy for that? I thought you just got a nice little ribbon like when you make the best apple pie at the county fair. By the way, sources tell me you need a new razor for Christmas. Let's hope Santa leaves one in your stocking and you clean yourself up a little bit.

Photos courtesy yahoo.com, imageshack.us, wikimedia.org. Bryce is up next. Send your letters to him. Happy Holidays!