- guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 10 May 2000 12.40 BST
I can recall transfers taking place between Manchester Utd and just about every top side in England - except Liverpool. Have the two clubs ever concluded a transfer deal? If so, when and involving whom? (And if not, why not?) asked Kevin Smith last week.
As you might expect, the fierce rivalry between the clubs has limited the amount of transfer activity between them. However there has been the odd moment in history (albeit from a long time ago) where this mutual antipathy has briefly dissipated. At the end of the second world war, for instance, Matt Busby retired as a player from Liverpool to become manager at Old Trafford.
But the last player to move between the clubs was Phil Chisnall back in April 1964. The inside-right played 35 games for United before his transfer to Liverpool for a then-substantial sum of £25,000. But Chisnall never established himself at Anfield, although he did play in Liverpool's first European match (against Reykjavik in August 1964) and in the first-ever Match of the Day game (a 3-2 win over Arsenal). But after being dropped after a defeat at Leeds in the next match, he never re-established himself in the first team, and his record for Liverpool makes sorry reading. In three seasons at the club he played just eight times (scoring two goals) before he was transferred to Southend in 1967. Thanks to Darin Wright and Luke Salaman.
I recently foolishly entered an argument with a knowledgeable friend about the football-playing history of top flight managers. With absolutely no proof to back up my case, I tried to tell him that it is possible to enter football management at a respectable level without having played the game. Now, after much brain-wracking I am beginning to wish that I hadn't, as there's a tenner on it. Can you help? asked a desperate Matthew May last week.
Rest assured Matthew - your tenner is safe. Among the names we've had suggested are former England no.2 Lawrie McMenemy (who was in the Coldstream Guards before entering football), Brentford manager Ron Noades, and ex-Italy boss Arrigo Sacchi, who deflected criticism of never having played the game by saying: "You don't need to be a horse to be a jockey."
In Holland at the moment, as Rick Buur points out, there's currently a polemic about this very subject, which was started by Johan Cruyff. Cruyff has argued that it is absolutely necessary for a coach to have been a top player. But journalist Paul Onkenhout claims that the best coaches are minor players with not enough skill for the top but enough ambition (Van Gaal, Hiddink, Advocaat to name a few). In fact many top Dutch coaches haven't played professional football at all. Leo Beenhakker of Feyenoord was only an amateur player before he started coaching when he was 25. And Heerenveen coach Foppe de Haan brings his team into the Champions League next year without ever having kicked a ball professionally himself (although he was the man who taught all the above managers at the Dutch FA's trainers course).
There's an even greater tendency for non-playing coaches in Norway, according to Raymond Njerve. Over there, they emphasise the education of the trainers - not necessarily what they have done in the game. And several managers - Tom Nordlie, Nils Johan Semb and Lars Tjaernes for instance - haven't much of a background in professional football, but have still become top coaches.
Last week we mentioned five cities that have had two different teams in the European Cup semi-finals (Milan, Glasgow, Dundee, Moscow and Madrid).
But as Jon Cudby points out, there's also a sixth - Belgrade. Partizan lost in the final to Real Madrid in 1966 (having beaten Man Utd in the semi-final) and Red Star won the competition in 1991, beating Marseille on penalties.
I'm trying to track down a forward, a chap named 'O Monterrubio'. I don't know what nationality he is, but he is aged about 26. I don't know who he plays for, but it is possibly a French club asks Ben Harrington
The player you are referring to is the French striker Olivier Monterrubio, who plays for Nantes. Monterrubio - who is not as old as you think (he'll be 24 on 8th August) - was crowned young player of the year in France last spring, and six days after picking up his honour scored the only goal in the 1999 French Cup final to clinch Nantes' first major trophy for four years.
Can you help?
What is the highest number of different countries represented by the starting 22 players in a Premiership match? asks Phil Brown
Hello! Who is responsible for the nutty situation that Heathrow Airport lacks any and all football memorabilia? Last December I made a stop-over (from Amsterdam to Montreal) and tried to get some Manchester United items. Alas, not one store carried anything from MU, or from any other football club for that matter. Doesn't England know how to honour its heroes? Cheers, Jesse Vorst.
Answers to the.boss@guardian.co.uk.