Leading figures from West Midlands football have agreed to answer the questions of Row Z readers.*
 This week it's the turn of Birmingham City's midfield dynamo Robbie Savage to take his place in the hotseat: Hi Robbie! How do you think the Blues'll do this season? Ann, Sheldon. RS: Hi Ann. I think the Blues will do quite well. David Moyes has put a strong squad together - it's a good mix of youth and experience and, of course, in Wayne Rooney you've got one of the brightest young talents in the game. And I like the look of James McFadden. So yes, I'm very excited about the coming season. Row Z: I think Ann's actually talking about Birmingham City, Robbie. RS: Was she? Oh, right, yeah. Whatever. Were you distracted by all the rumours of a move to Everton during the close season? Dan, Acocks Green. RS: As a professional you can't afford to be distracted by speculation. But I mean, yes, sure, obviously in a situation like that, when the rumours start to surface, it's only naturaly that you nip up to Liverpool, buy a house, paint it blue and white and get '100% pure Everton' tattooed above your heart. That's just a perfectly natural response. It happens all the time. Anyone who reads anything into that just doesn't know football. But you supported Everton as a kid, didn't you? Dilip, Sparkbrook. RS: I mean, sure, yes, there was a time in my life when my one and only dream was to pull on the Everton strip and run out at Goodison Park to the adulation of my fellow fans. But that phase is over. Row Z: When did it end? RS: Last Tuesday. What particularly impresses you about Birmingham City? Andrew, Edgbaston RS: Well, they play in blue, which is nice. Why are you such a hate figure for opposition fans? Alf, Rochdale. RS: I don't know, Alf, I honestly do not know. But I'm drawn to the words of Bertrand Russell: "Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." You seem to be a very 'driven' footballer. What motivates you? Roy, Washwood Heath. RS: Albert Camus once wrote: "When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him; and you are torn by the thought of the unhappiness and night you cast, by the mere fact of living, in the hearts you encounter." I think that says it all, Roy. You've always had a bit of a rocky relationship with referees. Why is that? Nancy, London RS: I find myself in complete agreement with the great American statesman J. William Fulbright, who once said: "In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith." So I must be democratic as hell. Row Z: That's all we've got time for. Thank you, Robbie Savage. * Or to put it another way, no they haven't. We've made the whole thing up. | 
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