It’s been a year since Peter Crouch set up his mailbox to answers readers’ queries and, once again, there was a big influx for Sportsmail’s resident columnist to dissect.
This week, man-management and the Champions League are on the agenda, but first it’s England…
Was Patrick Bamford unlucky not to get into the latest England squad?
Joe Webster via email
It’s a thankless task being England manager, Joe. We have a lot of very good players, all of whom have staked their claims. Lots of people have their favourites and it is inevitable Gareth Southgate is going to make some unpopular decisions.
I can’t criticise the decision to pick Ollie Watkins, who has had an excellent season. He deserves his opportunity and it’s probably come down to the toss of a coin. Bamford has two goals in his last seven games, Watkins has one in seven.
Patrick Bamford has been a leading light for Leeds this season and provided the goals
Bamford is a bit different from any other striker in the Premier League and I’d love to see him get a chance one day but the selection — or should that be ‘no-selection’ — that surprised me most of all involved Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It feels now like Reece James will be going to the Euros ahead of him, provided he stays fit.
I like James, he’s had an outstanding season but if Trent doesn’t go to the tournament it will remind me of the time Sven Goran Eriksson overlooked Jermain Defoe for Theo Walcott in 2006.
Trent is a top player and surely you have to find a place for him in the squad?
Is lying down behind a wall the most stupid thing we are seeing on THE pitch right now?
Mark Burke via Twitter
Yes, Mark! Yes, yes, yes! When I was in a wall, I never jumped.
It wasn’t because I was conscious of a ball going under my feet but more because I knew if we all jumped, the wall would fall apart and you end up with a situation like what happened between Juventus and Porto.
People have said to me a player lying down behind the wall that night would have kept Juventus in the Champions League — no. It wouldn’t. Porto scored that free-kick because the wall was a shambles, plain and simple.
Walls should stand still, like a strong unit. If the ball gets past, it’s up to the keeper to deal with it, whether it is over, under or around.
There are a few fads that annoy me at the moment but none more so than this.
It has now become commonplace to have one player lie down behind a wall to block low shots
Can Liverpool do what they did in 2005 and get to Istanbul to win no 7?
Adam Page via Twitter
I’m not writing them off, Adam. That side of the draw is the most inviting and I would hope — and expect —Liverpool have enough to take care of Real Madrid.
They are not what they were and even accounting for Liverpool’s problems this season, I see them getting through.
I’d also expect Chelsea to get past Porto and then you are looking at a re-run of 2005, 2007 and 2008 — three incredible occasions. The Anfield semi-final in 2007 remains the greatest atmosphere I ever played in. What an unbelievable night it was.
Liverpool’s ’05 heroics could be repeated if they progress to the final this year, against all odds
Manchester City and Bayern Munich are the teams to beat but one of them will be gone before the final, maybe even both if things click for Paris Saint-Germain.
It’s also going to be intriguing to see how City handle Erling Haaland. I love watching the way he runs over defenders.
This is the stage of the competition when it really hots up and funny things happen when Liverpool are in Europe. For all the players who are missing and the issues they have faced, you would be a brave man to say they cannot do it.
Help us out. do you know how a ‘clear and obvious error’ is judged?
Mike Smith via email
I’m afraid I don’t, Mike. Each weekend I watch football and each weekend I am left confused about what I have watched.
I see penalties that are reviewed over and over again so a foul can be found, I see incidents that look like certain penalties and no reviews take place.
The implementation of VAR continues to be a talking point after each weekend of football
VAR — and how it has been implemented — has ripped the enjoyment out of football. The latest episode of misery was Friday night at Craven Cottage when Luke Ayling thought he had scored for Leeds.
His hairband came out, he started playing the air guitar —then his first ever Premier League goal was ruled out because someone’s shoulder was in front of a yellow line.
Was that decision really clear and obvious? I felt so sorry for him. There will be more incidents like this before May.
What’s your honest opinion of the job Steve Bruce has done since Rafa Benitez left Newcastle TWO YEARS AGO?
Wilf McFarlane via Twitter
Well Wilf, I’ve defended Steve in the past because I like him, to be honest (not for any other reason), but results and performances have been miles off where they should be and it would be ridiculous to try to put things down to luck or injuries or whatever else.
Newcastle are miles away from where they want to be.
Under Steve Bruce Newcastle appear to be spiraling and run the real risk of relegation
Have Fulham left it too late to catch them? Possibly. But it’s going to be a close run thing about whether they stay up.
It is a horrible state of affairs with the players looking like they have given up and leaks continually coming out of the place. The situation is very worrying.
Why do some players perform so much better with a change of manager — take Luke Shaw with Mourinho and Solskjaer?
Jack Cowburn via email
It comes down to human relations, Jack. You get on with some people, you have challenges with others. If I can give you an example from my own career, I’ll go back to when I was at Southampton.
In 2004 Steve Wigley was manager after Paul Sturrock had left and I was going nowhere.
Luke Shaw has improved markedly this season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s guidance
Wigley wouldn’t play me but then Harry Redknapp came in. He asked why I wasn’t starting, I told him I didn’t know.
He replied: ‘You’ll be playing every week from now on,’ and I ended up scoring 16 goals, winning a move to Liverpool. I always believed in myself, Harry coaxed it out.
Shaw was in a similar situation with Mourinho but now he looks like the best left back in the Premier League. You can talk about talent, hard work and application but man-management is crucial. Get it wrong and it can set players back miles.
Erik Lamela’s goal against Arsenal got me thinking: who is the most one-footed player you have seen?
Olly Waterfall via Twitter
When I was at Aston Villa, Olly, I trained with Paul Merson. Oh my God… the outside of his right-foot was miles better than some people who were natural on their left.
There was nothing he couldn’t do with the outside of his right foot but I never saw him use his left.
Lamela scored his goal because he didn’t want to use his right foot and what a spectacular decision it proved to be.
It’s the best we’ve seen so far. Someone is going to have to do something incredible to surpass it.
Erik Lamela’s audacious goal in the north London derby was a moment of pure genius
We’ve been asking you questions for a year, but if you could ask a current footballer, a former footballer and a manager one question each, who would you choose and what would you ask?
Jade Craddock via email
It is indeed a year since we started this format, Jade, and what a year it has been. Thank you for all the contributions you have made and to all the other readers who have got in touch. It has brought a smile to my face each week.
You’ve made me think with this one but here you go…
I’d ask Ronaldo — the Brazilian one — what happened before the 1998 World Cup final, how he went from being out of the team to in it and how dramatic it all was. I’d love to hear that story from his point of view.
I’d then ask Rafa Benitez about the 2007 Champions League final: first why I wasn’t in the team and whether he regrets being cautious with a five-man midfield. That night in Athens will forever be the biggest regret of my career.
Last but not least, I’d get on the phone to Jack Grealish. My question to him would be simple: how do you get those calves?
I’ve been working on mine for 25 years and they haven’t changed!
Until next time, stay safe and well.
Jack Grealish doesn’t neglect the gym work when it comes to boosting his calf muscles
