England outplayed and outclassed.

Now this is definitely a face of shock mixed with anger, frustration and disappointment...

Stuart Pearce begins his new two year deal as England's U21 coach with his side being outplayed and outclassed by a far superior German side in the finals yesterday.

This most probably reflects the bleak future of English football while it probably suggests that the Germans are well on their way to dominate European football in the near future. England has only itself to blame especially with its Preimer League flooded with foreign players, not allowing home grown players to shine and gain top flight football experience. Despite the Barclays (English) Premier League being one of the most successful and most watched league in the world, we observe that the top 4 teams are made up mostly of non-english players and more often than not, most teams in the BPL are built around stars that are definitely not english. Teams in the BPL with english players are mostly found struggling to avoid relegation and such is the sad pitiful state that English soccer have become.

Well, while Stuart Pearce continues to scratch his head and plans to revive his young side, it is not a matter that he alone should be wary of. The nation's football (soccer) organisation should be very worried if they intend to continue their status as a serious contender on an international level.

Germany U21 4, England U21 0. Such is the result which reflects the future domination of European soccer.

Toongerines

In recent times, Brazil won yet another international tournament, the Confederations Cup in their now famous yellow jersey which is symbolic of their brand in Samba football and success at every level. Donned by the legendary Peles, Zicos, Romarios, Ronaldos and Ronaldinhos, Brazil gave life to their yellow jersey.

Quite contrasting though is the recent away kit decided by Newcastle United a.k.a the Toon Army. Not satisfied with a "distinct" home kit that resembles that of jailbirds' uniforms from historical times, it got itself a wuss of an away kit which quite frankly reeks of bad fashion taste.

With the demise of their Permiership status, Newcastle's management somehow got itself into deeper embarassment by introducing a granny-inspired yellow kit that equates to their recent brand of football... toothless and dull. Nick names that had already come to mind of observers include "bananas and ice-cream", "deckchair" and "all-day-breakfast". To me, the best one coughed up to date must be "Toongerines".

I wonder who is the mastermind behind the design. Perhaps he is a keen supporter of Sunderland F.C. whose evil desire is to heap more salt into the heavy blows sustained by the Geordie club.. ... " Now what can we add on to relegation to the Coca Cola Division, the impending sale of the club again, an unstable management team and the loss of Michael Owen.... oh I know... how about a really horrible looking away kit?? hehehehe... HAHAHAHAAA!!"

The poor Newcastle fans must be wondering if their beloved Toon Army is really turning into a cartoon nightmare.

USA beats Spain?

Just look at Jozy Altidore's face (above picture)! All I see is a shocked face and I think the whole U.S.A team's probably in a state of disbelieve while Spain's team is in a serious state of SHOCK!

The team from U.S.A beat Spain 2-0 in the confederations cup to reach the finals. I guess the inspired performance and goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey did it for U.S.A.

How that is something quite unheard of and to me, quite shocking news. But I guess it further proves that in a "cup" game, anything can happen as it is all decided in 90mins, on the pitch.

South Africa, the new "place of possibilities"! Go to South Africa if seeking for new beginnings and previously unheard possibilities...!

Transfers: Owen a tiger?

Hull City's manager Phil Brown has confirmed that he's intersted to sign Michael Owen. The question how is whether or not Hull City has the money to sign Owen and whether they can handle such a star at their club.

As a Liverpool fan, it is quite a disaster to see a Liverpool talent wind up at Hull City. However, for Hull City fans, Owen could prove to what they need to survive another season in the Premier League. With Owen, you can always expect a goal or two each game and you can expect that he will strike some fear into the opposing defense and goalkeeper.

Well, if Phil Brown's interest comes true, it'll be interesting to watch Hull City's game next season partly to watch how Owen's going to fit into the club and help Hull City stay in top flight football.

The rise of Asian and African football

North Korea, the one country that has been on the news for all the wrong reasons have finally made the good tabloids for once, albeit the sports section. The North Koreans have made the 2010 World Cup, meaning the other powerhouses in Asia; Saudi Arabia and Iran will have to fight it out for the last automatic slot.


That is the beauty of football and sports really, where no politics and no government can deny the spirit of fairplay and healthy competition. North Korea, as poor an economy as the Western media will have the communist state to be, has risen above the mega-rich and oil churning Middle Eastern countries to raise a generation of players that will be fighting tooth and nail with the rest of the Western world at the biggest stage in international football. Against a Western world which has dominated world political sentiments and the game of football for the longest time. How apt then that it is to be held at South Africa, a state that has gone through its own history of political struggles as a country.

Who says you need a mountain heap of money and funding to build a football team to qualify for the World Cup? North Korea's football team just proved that with hard work and dedication, you can still chase the World Cup dream. A lesson for Singapore's FAS perhaps?

Many will remember 1966 as the year that England won its one and only World Cup. But few remember that it is also the year when an Asian minnow, North Korea stood up to and beat the mighty Italians 1-0. It was one of the greatest sporting achievements of the century and one that could be repeated again in 2010.

I wait in anticipation for the draw at the World Cup. There is always the possibility that North Korea could play the United States... who knows? Will North Korea's Dear Leader Kim Jong Il turn up to support the team? Perhaps President Barack Obama will make an appearance in the continent his father was born in to support the USA team? It will be a great spectacle.

The World Cup is a gathering of the best teams in the different continents. And even though standards usually differ, the gap is closing. Egypt beat Italy in the Confederations Cup just yesterday to prove just the point that Sir Bobby Charlton made about rising international standards.

Will a team from Asia or Africa ever lift the World Cup? Maybe not in the near future, with the teams from South America and Europe clearly the favourites for at least two more World Cup tournaments. But developing countries are certainly moving in the right direction. Who knows, we might just see a certain Asian or African side lift the World Cup to shift the balance of power. Afterall, Greece lifted the European Cup when people least expected it.

Now that will be an interesting thought, wouldn't it?

Master of their own misery

Real Madrid has created their own misery even before their players have started playing in the new season.

In what is painfully obvious to the bystander, all the clubs are now asking for astronomical amounts of money everytime the Spanish club is looking to buy a new player from them to add to their new super acquisitions, Ronaldo and Kaka. I mean seriously, who wouldn't after Real Madrid broke the world transfer record twice in a week ?!?

Now if I am Bayern Munich's general manager who has a player that Real desperately wants, I will conveniently slap another world record transfer fee on his head. Case in point: the club put a price tag of 87 million pounds for Franck Ribery, Bayern's best player and in the opinion of Bayern, better than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Well... I guess Madrid legend and former record transfer holder Zinedine Zidane said it himself, "to get the best players to come, you need to pay a high price." The cold and hard truth is Real needs to pay a price in excess of the last world record transfer fee they paid, every single time they want to gather another mother son of a great player.

Frankly, I am not pitying their sorry "plight" now. They will probably find people quoting ridculous amounts of money for an ordinary defender which by the way they need desperately now for an imbalanced team... I heard they wanted Gael Clichy? How about 50 million pounds, Monsier Perez? I will try for the sky if I am Arsene Wenger.

Other than Ribery, David Villa's club Valencia is probably trying the same tactics as well. President Perez proudly endorsed it didn't he? He mentioned he will stop at nothing to build the best team in the world, so why would Valencia hesitate to ask for 50, 60 or 70 million pounds? Why not? Test his bank reserves, try his ambition... in the end, everyone wins don't they? Really?

So Real Madrid wants or should we say, they need to offload Robben and Sneijder before buying new players. A case of too many players in the same position with Kaka and Ronaldo. How do you propose selling them? Real cannot charge a high price for them, can they? If I am doing business with them, I wouldn't budge from my first offer if I am interested in their players. "Well, you know what Mr Perez... you can either sell them to me or you can keep their butts on the subs bench in an overcrowded first team while paying off their ginormous paychecks for the rest of the new season. Note: their value drops after a season on the bench." Nei ni nei ni boo boo :p

Fabio Cannavaro who left Real Madrid for Juventus mentioned before that the real issues at Real Madrid are not the qualities of the players or the coach but rather the politicking that is causing the instability which translates to the pitch.

I smell something terribly wrong with Perez's footballing strategy, I just have this sneaky feeling that it will all crumble on him... and my oh my, the cracks are already showing.

Says Who?

I have quite enough of this talking about who is coming to Man Utd that has been ongoing ever since Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed his transfer to Real Madrid. The suspense is killing everyone and it isn't helping one bit that newspapers has got names of potential signings plastered all over the front pages.

Truth is, no one knows except Sir Alex Ferguson. And he will be a buffoon if he told any of these rumor mongers who he was signing to the club. The latest I have heard? Fernando Torres!! Do you in the right frame of mind ever think Rafa Benitiez was going to sell one half of his prized attacking duo to his nemesis and closest rival? Not over his dead body I presume. Its so obviously impossible that its laughable to even suggest it. I am sure Sir Alex knows better than try his luck on this one. Karim Benzema looks more feasible.

A last minute ditch effort for David Villa? No no no, I don't think so. For starters, Villa plays similar to Rooney. And he is from La Liga, the place where Diego Forlan top-scored in while at the same time failing to find the net often enough in the BPL to be offloaded by Sir Alex to Villareal while he was at Man Utd. You think Ferguson will spend 45 million pounds for David Villa who didn't even outscore Forlan?

Perhaps Etoo could be a possibility, afterall he was second only to Forlan and very consistently pops up on goalscoring charts in Europe and the La Liga. His powerful game is more suited for the BPL than David Villa who will be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner by tough tackling BPL defenders. Sir Alex will have noted that smaller built forwards seldom succeed in the BPL unless you are brought up in the way of British style football or your myriad of trickery and skills match that of Gianfranco Zola's. Very few can adapt fast enough for the champions' high demands. 45 million pounds for a whole load of uncertainty about one's ability to cope with the rigors of the British game. Nah... not for me.

If Ferguson is smart enough and looking for a cheaper alternative, he will probably go for a cut price but injury prone Michael Owen if he needed a proven goalscorer, to not only allow time but also first team opportunities for Macheda and Welbeck to mature. This is exactly what he did when he lost his main goalscorer in Ruud Van Nistelrooy but brought in Swede veteran Henrik Larsson to allow Rooney and Ronaldo to mature into the players they are today. Sir Alex's proven style of management seldom changes in transition phases even if he has the cash to spend wildly. He will also probably do all he possibly can to keep Carlos Tevez at the club to maintain stability of the first team as it usually takes time to develop camaderie and players' mutual understanding. Tevez has already achieved that in his two years with Man Utd.

But then again, who am I to say so?

Here's to the future.

The reason why I am proud to be a Man Utd fan: the fans. The maturity, the club loyalty and the big heart that typifies the true Man Utd fans make them the best football fans in the world. So what if Ronaldo leaves, it doesn't change Manchester United one bit. This club is far bigger than any star it has produced over the years. Here's a toast to the future of Man Utd.

Courtesy of Stretford End Season Ticket holder and Man Utd fan Paul Davies

"So it looks like Ronaldo is getting his dream move to Madrid and Sir Alex will have a transfer kitty available to reshape his team. Personally, I think that’s no bad thing.

I was never one of those disgruntled Reds who booed him when he returned to action last season, but, if I’m honest, I could never muster the same enthusiasm for the “Viva Ronaldo” chants as I’d done previously. Nor could many others. The sentiment being that anyone who isn’t totally committed to the Red cause can leave.

Plenty of United fans will be disappointed today, as no supporter likes to see their best player leave. But plenty of others – especially those in the hardcore that follow the team home and away – will not be quite so sad at his impending departure.

For many, Ronaldo’s courting of Real last summer took the shine off what should have been a summer of celebration. We’d won a third European Cup and a 17th title, yet all we heard about was the Portuguese trying to manufacture a move away from Old Trafford. It felt disrespectful and showed a real lack of commitment to United, and for some supporters these things are forgiven but certainly not forgotten.

He eventually stayed on for the 2008/09 season but could not repeat his form of the previous campaign – it would have been an incredible feat if he had – which reassures me that Manchester United are a quality side and not only about one man. Ronaldo wasn’t poor last term, but he had far less impact than in the two previous campaigns and yet the Reds still scooped three trophies. It’s not a bad base from which to rebuild.

Of course we’ll miss his free-kicks and goals contribution, but in Sir Alex Ferguson we have the best manager to cover for this. We all feared when Roy Keane left that we’d never be able to find a man of his stature to replace him. In the end we didn’t need to, instead Sir Alex spread the load and contribution of Keano across several players – including bringing in our now midfield lynchpin Michael Carrick. The same is called for again.

As well as being confident that Sir Alex will strengthen and cover for the loss of the world player of the year – although, surely that title will soon pass to Messi – I’m delighted we’ll be spared another summer of Ronaldo speculation.

Fergie says the United bus is always moving and waits for no one. So thanks for everything, Ronny, but here's to the future. Ding ding. Tickets, please."

Ronaldo leaves Man Utd

It has been confirmed by the club's official site. Man Utd has agreed to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record fee of 80 million pounds. That is in excess of 131 million US dollars or close to 200 million Sing dollars. WOW !! With that money you can buy Newcastle United now ;)

Real Madrid just re-broke the record they set with Kaka at 56 million pounds. My word, this new Real president Perez guy has got some serious money. How can a sane club possibly turn down the offer which could possibly help them rebuild the entire team again plus fund many other developments. While Ronaldo is seen as indispensable to Man Utd's first team in the last two years, he is only so because the team was built around his attacking forays. Now with Ronaldo gone, Man Utd can focus on building a balanced first team which still boasts the talent of Berbatov and Rooney.

Real Madrid sure has financial muscle, I must do a google search to find out what this Florentino Perez guy does for a living. Signing players of Ronaldo and Kaka's calibre cannot possibly go wrong, afterall they are World Player of the Year winners. What you probably miss out on is the chance to unravel raw talents from your youth team. Unlike Barca, who boasts a vibrant youth system, Real's riches and their board's fickle-mindedness is their bane on an ineffective youth system which last produced a recognizable Spanish talent in the ageing Raul Gonzalez. The other obvious clue which could spell a trophyless season i.e. doom for the Madrid club is that while in awe of Perez's indulgent signings, the defence remains the weakest link at Real. Cannavaro is ageing, while Pepe and Heinze struggled to keep pace with Barca's attack last season. Sergio Ramos on the other hand attacked better than he defended. Casillas as good as he is, was left exposed too many times last season. Looks like nothing is going to change at the back even while Ronaldo and Kaka bombs forward.

Is Ronaldo able to replicate his success and win championships consistently as he did at Man Utd with Real Madrid? Frankly, I don't think so. Not because he is not that good a player to do so but I really don't think he will ever find the same winning mentality as he did with Man Utd. Real Madrid looks more like a "Harlem Globetrotters" of soccer; a show team of "Galaticos" more than a serious team. Their team balance now is unhealthily tilted towards players with attacking and flair more than players who can solidly defend, provide stability and a workhorse/team mentality. Flair in itself is not going to win Perez any sustained success as his first batch of Galaticos has proven him before embarassingly. Well, I guess then that Real Madrid probably suits a player who has allowed his ego to go to his head in recent times, even bordering on disrespect.

Goodbye Ronaldo, we will certainly miss you but it wouldn't be too long.

Newcastle to be sold to Singapore based company???

The people behind bringing Liverpool to Singapore this Summer might soon be owning Newcastle United Football Club. "Profitable Group" is a Singapore based investment company with two Liverpool greats in their executive team, Kenny Dalglish and Stephen McMahon. If these people do get Newcastle United F.C., I sure hope they are in this for the long run and hopefully do a better job than Mike Ashley. Well, we may all have our doubts about this, but it sure will be cool to have something Singaporean own a piece of something in Newcastle.

Transfers: Moving on to help AC Milan's financial crisis?

...and now he belongs to Real Madrid. Kaka has been sold to Real Madrid for a record breaking 59 million pounds. Apparently, one of the reasons Kaka decided to sign for Real Madrid is because he knows that his price tag will help AC Milan tide over the financial crisis. What a "sweet sweet thought". If this is truly true, then I guess there is still some glimmer of hope out there for this ugly world that we live in.

Kaka at Real Madrid. What next? Real Madrid seems to be on a buying and spending spree and it'll be interesting to see what team they'll be putting together to take back the Spanish La Liga and maybe even the Champions League trophy.

Antonio Valencia + Karim Benzema for Man Utd?

With Kaka's confirmed transfer to Real Madrid, Man Utd could be less likely to see the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, unless of course the Madrid team is going to spend another 80 million pounds on Ronaldo. This will be a scary thought, having 160 million Euros spent on two players with no gurantee of success. But then again, nothing is a surprise these days with football transfers.

The attention has switched to Man Utd. Speculation is rife that Man Utd is interested to sign Wigan's Antonion Valencia (top left). The right winger has impressed for Wigan in the BPL for two seasons now. I think he is a fairly good winger, traditional and hardworking, able to cross and shoot decently, and also has two good feet. His runs and natural flair reminds me of Kanchelskis, the Russian winger when he was at Man Utd. But whether is he good enough to challenge Park, Nani, Ronaldo, Tosic, Martin and an ageing Giggs for a spot in the 1st team, I am not so sure. Well, Nani was thought to be the one who will play winger for Man Utd in the future but he has failed to justify his potential and transfer fee. Valencia will be a good squad player to have but might not add enough to the first team.

Karim Benzema (most top) is someone I have admired for the longest time. Seriously, if Man Utd needed another striker, then it has to be Karim Benzema. While I really will hate to see Tevez go to a rival club, Benzema is the answer to allay all fears in me. He is the complete stiker in my opinion and if he hasn't proven himself at the highest level, he could do so with Man Utd. The boy's got touch, two fantastic feet, quick accelaration and a keen eye for goal. I will love to see him at Man Utd.

Who is coming to strengthen Man Utd this year? It will be a thrill to know.

"Where do we go from here?"

In what was probably the worst season for Newcastle fans in near memory, the fans are still enduring a big hangover from relegation with their club being put up for sale. Surely they must be asking "Where do we go from here now?"

No doubt that Newcastle has lost abit of its attractiveness after being relegated to the Coca Cola Division for 2009/2010, now it is being marketed as an entity for sale. Whats going to happen to Newcastle? Are they going to be the next Leeds United who has been mismananged, resulting in the sad demise of a club which used to fight for Champions League honors.

In times of uncertainty, the fan and owner that is Mike Ashley always decides that he has enough and is ready to sell the club. This is not his first try at making a quick exit from a presumably sinking ship. One has to question his timing again. While I think he has proved himself to be an ineffectual owner, this man has pretty much lost all respect at a club whose fans are proud believers in their team. With the relegation of Newcastle, I expected some fight in the man who claims to be a fan of Newcastle United. I expected the owner to show some grit and put his money where he says his loyalty lies, get his team some new players, put in place a new gaffer like Alan Shearer who breathes life into the team and assist the club in their bid to get back into the Premiership. At the end of the day, I guess he is still a man persuaded by investment gains and losses rather than club loyalty.

Not that it is a bad thing. Newcastle actually is better off without Mike Ashley. I hope for the sake of all Newcastle fans, that the club gets an owner who truly believes in the team like they do, who will own the club not based on investment purposes but shares the ambition of the Geordie faithful, who is a firm believer in making this club great again. A new owner, a new start, a new era for the Newcastle fans who so deserve it.

Transfers: Money Talks!

The first major transfer has occurred between Manchester City and Aston Villa. Villa has lost their captain to Manchester City for 12 million pounds. What a pathetic scene.

Just 12 months ago, a similar saga occurred with Liverpool trying to bring him to Anfield, but with no avail. Gareth had previously expressed his desire to play in Europe and also dedicated himself to Villa's fight for top flight football. Now, with Villa qualifying to the Europa league and Man City no where near European football, Barry left for a raise in salary and at a price tag, lower than the original 18 million pounds. It seems as though money was a key factor to his transfer but surprisingly, Gareth decided to pen down a public apology to the people at Villa Park. If you ask me, all these cockamamie talk about believing in the vision of the club and wanting new challenges is "bullshit".

Ultimately, I think Gareth knows that Aston Villa will never be able to offer him as much money as Manchester City and with O'Neil needing cash to increase depth in the team for next season, Gareth Barry became the ideal sale. I believe Gareth could have sold himself out for a higher salary OR could have been sold out by the club for money. I don't think Gareth Barry will enjoy the game as much as he will with Villa. Mark Hughes may have his plans for Gareth Barry but it will be exciting to see who he brings in next and at what price. With Gareth Barry being 28 years old and with the track records of the owners behind these newly bought rich clubs, I don't think we will see Gareth Barry there for more than a season.

Who knows what the real reason is behind this transfer and who knows that their true plans are. As we all know, more often than not, the best stories never get published.

Hmm... Chocolate Milk.

Interestingly, I recently overheard on Class 95, Singapore's popular deejay Jean Danker mentioning about one wonderful effect of chocolate milk I never knew. Well, according to published scientific studies... chocolate milk actually helps athletes recover faster from strenous exercise than the usual and expensive sports drink made for that purpose, case in example Gatorade.

Apparently, in the study made, chocolate milk outperforms sports drinks in every department when it comes to enhancing the performance of atheletes who undergo high intensity physical training. Even expensive and highly engineered drinks fail to replicate these effects with chocolate milk. Nothing beats nature and wholesome foods huh.

Well, if anyone needed some additional convincing... six-time gold medalist Michael Phelps for one drank Carnation Instant Breakfast before his races at the 2004 Summer Olympics. And soccer's very own Wayne Rooney goes for milkshakes after intensive training sessions. Fans who pay attention will note Rooney's exceptional capability to recover quickly from his past injuries... maybe its all just down to chocolate milkshake?!?!

All I know is, there is now a good enough reason for those who don't think about exercising to start exercising again...

Is it time for Ronaldo to go?

Its premature, but the question must surely suffice in the coming months. Is Man Utd ready to do without Cristiano Ronaldo? It will be rather unthinkable now, to see Ronaldo leave Man Utd. But in recent times, Ronaldo's attitude and disrespect for the club manager has made it increasingly likely that its time for him to leave.

Man Utd is well known for sending unwanted players to Real Madrid, the dumping grounds for ex Man Utd talent, including Van Nistelrooy, Heinze and Beckham. Truth is, comments made by the man himself looks increasingly likely that Ronaldo is biding his time at Man Utd. His comments are not reflective of a happy camper.

Should a mega deal be struck by Man Utd for Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich, it might not be a bad idea to offload Ronaldo in return for some extra profit. The work attitude and creativity of Ribery could be better suited to Man Utd's current first team. His team mentality might benefit Berbatov and Rooney more than Ronaldo who is the focal point of every Man Utd attack. Ribery might not score as many but he creates plenty to which Berbatov must convert into goals.

Maybe its time to inject some freshness into the first team for next season. Sir Alex will not want to dwell on a team that is becoming too predictable in its attacking play to close opponents and has seen its predictability being crushed in clinical fashion by Barcelona. Ribery will add a new dimension on the wings but it might have to be at the expense of a certain self declared "best footballer in the world".

The FA Cup

The FA cup final is the one match all Liverpool fans will shun, because there will be no happy ending for them whichever team wins.

Will it be Everton the Merseyside rival or Chelsea whose feud with Liverpool is well reported in recent years?

Well... whoever it is, expect some electrifying atmosphere and good fun in the final of the oldest cup competition in England.

Another sheik for the BPL?

The title shouldn't really be a question but more of a foregone conclusion. Looks like Portsmouth is going to be the next club owned by a rich Arab billionaire after Manchester City.

Sulaiman Al Fahim looks like someone who is more level headed than the current owners of Man City and has vowed to take in the views of Portsmouth's loyal fanbase. Well, they always say that at buy-in periods, don't they?

This is the looming sign that the BPL is increasingly a cosmopolitan league that hosts the "hobby" interests of billionaires. Not that it necessarily is a bad thing since they have the cash to build this league into a major cauldron of superstars and mega teams, attracting TV revenue and investments from major sponsors.

But sooner or later, the BPL is going to take over world football in player talent and what's going to be left for the Primera Liga and Serie A? Can we ever see another team from another league apart from the BPL making the finals of the Champions League? We could possibly witness the top ten teams in Europe consisting of mostly English teams except for perhaps Barca and Real Madrid. And you can't really call this league an English league any more can you? The influx of Brazilians, Spainards, the French, Russians, Argentinians and what have you at all levels of play makes BPL more of a commercial league than conducive grounds for grooming English talent.

The fact is, fans of the old English Premier League must come to terms with this reality. Club history and values will certainly pale in comparison to the big money rolling in. New agendas by new owners who do not belong to the history of the club are likely to deride club values and clash with what the club stands for. The landscape has changed. The league could be increaisng its power and standing but it is starting to lose its unique identity which has endeared it to many of its most loyal fans. Pity.

Outclassed

Outplayed, outmaneuvered, outsmarted and outclassed. There was not a moment in the entire match when I could see Man Utd winning the Champions League final except for the first few minutes. Quite simply put, Man Utd was beaten by a better team. And this is a rare occurence that must be applauded for its sheer quality of football.

It was no fault of the line-ups involved or the players' desire. In the end, the difference was in who played better and executed their gameplan more effectively. And Barcelona did that in fine style. None of Barca's players had a bad game whereas Man Utd made a few mistakes here and there which was all but enough for a clinical Barcelona side.

Like I have said before, no matter who wins the Champions League FInal, football has already won. So congratulations to Barcelona for putting up a great display. For Man Utd, its time to reflect on what has been a successful season domestically but to come back stronger than ever before in next year's Champions League campaign.

Champions League Champions: Barcelona

Well, what can I say? Barcelona reigns Champions in Europe!

Beautiful performance by Messi. Henry finally gets his Champions League medal. A strike from Eto'o changed everything after 10 minutes. It just wasn't Manchester United's day.

A fantasy end to Barcelona's season and a wonderful story for all their fans around the world. Barcelona, European Champions!

Unpopular Managers

The job of a soccer manager often times highlight what every organizational leader goes through. Decision making, power control, man management, motivation, playing the right cards at the right time, handling media pressure, public relation skills.... these are all the crucial elements that make up a good manager. Truth be told, these are the same for every other leader in his/her organization.

The most crucial thing about a manager's job is this... he leads and he makes decisons. He cannot and will never be liked by everybody whether directly or indirectly involved in his work. Why? Because a manager makes hard decisions, and like it or not, any decision he makes is going to be unpopular with somebody.

What do you think the pressure was on Alex Ferguson when he chose to sell the star of Man Utd, David Beckham? Probably excruciating pressure from the whole club plus the fans plus the media and maybe even his own wife. Everyone will have questioned Sir Alex for selling Brand Beckham who was the most profitable sports figure and the future captain of England at that time. But I don't see Sir Alex flinching; he probably wasn't a 100% sure at that time that it was going to be the right choice but he made the decision for the benefit of the club and based it on his vision of a winning team... and that quite frankly was that. Nobody was going to change his mind once he made it up. Today, no one can question his decision, because more than being European and English champions... Man Utd remains the richest club in world football. Sir Alex is not the most popular man in football but who can question his success?

The job of a soccer manager is for a certain type of people. And you will agree with me that every one of them had made and will continue to make unpopular decisions. If there ever is a Mr Nice Guy and Mr Everybody Loves Him among football managers, please point him out because I will like to prove you otherwise.

If you wish to be liked by everyone, then you probably cannot consider "soccer manager" as a profession. May I even boldly suggest this... if you wish to be liked by everyone, you probably won't make the most effective leader in your organization because the truth is... a leader in a team/organization is placed there to make decisions for the benefit of the team and if his unpopularity with his opposers is something he must pay, then he will gladly pay it. Managers and leaders who have earned their success this way... by earning the highest level of respect for sticking to a mantra few will find it a tad too much to take... you are a rare breed.

My Best Eleven of the Season

Now that the season is over, it is time to crown the top eleven players in the BPL for the season of 08/09.

Goalkeeper (Edwin Van Der Sar)
This is pretty much a shoo-in for Edwin Van Der Sar. The Dutch veteran is the best goalkeeper in this season simply because of his record-breaking effort in midseason for the most number of minutes in the BPL without conceding a goal. Coupled with his leading presence in the backline of Man Utd and more than a number of match-winning saves this season, Van der Sar is by far the most consistent keeper. In comparison, Petr Cech, Pepe Reina and Manuel Almunia have been let down by inconsistency.

Centre Backs (Rio Ferdinand and Nemandja Vidic)
The meanest defence in the world, Rio Ferdinand and Nemandja Vidic. No central defensive pairing comes close in the BPL. You don't seperate a defence that has almost telepathic understanding with each other. It is half the battle won when you know that Rio and Vida is the central defence you will be fielding. Expect little or nothing conceded.

Right Back (Glen Johnson)
This is a tough one, especially as there was no stand-out right back this season. Perhaps Liverpool's Alvaro Arberloa has been the most improved right back this season. He has put in solid performances for Liverpool this season. Another one is Portsmouth's Glen Johnson who has earned a call-up to the England national team. Johnson's performances have been slightly more impressive this season in a team that has been struggling with Harry Redknapp's departure (who can forget the wonder goal he scored?) There are even rumors that Johnson could leave Portsmouth and end up at Liverpool next season, which means goodbye to Arberloa's first team position. For that matter, Johnson wins my vote.

Left Back (Patrice Evra)
Who else by Patrice Evra of Man Utd? Tireless worker, natural attacking instincts, smart defending. Evra is the best left back this season by a long mile from his next competitor, Ashley Cole of Chelsea.

Left Midfielder (Wayne Rooney)
Some say Ashley Young of Aston Villa, others say Ryan Giggs. In my opinion, Giggsy is too old now to play effectively on my left wing. What you need is someone who has the ability to track back and defend while full blooded when counter attacking. Ashley Young doesn't come close here when compared to my choice... the versatile Wayne Rooney. If you've seen Wayne in matches when he played on the left for Man Utd, he's every right back's greatest nightmare.

Central Midfielder (Steven Gerrad)
Steven Gerrard is the best midfielder in the world if you ask for my frank opinion. His versatality, guile and fighting spirit on the field is second to none. Gerrard will be the best option in midfield whether attacking or defending, plus his goalscoring ability from midfield is a must for any top notch team. He is a must have in my best eleven.

Central Midfielder (Michael Carrick)
Michael Carrick or Ryan Giggs will win my vote here. While Giggsy had an unbelievable season, I have to go with Carrick in this postion. Frankly, no one comes close to his range of passing. His ability to pick up attackers from the back of the field turns defence into quick counter attacking opportunities. No one can train for a vision like his. While he is slower than most, his tactical acumen more than makes up for it. Plus he provides solid defensive cover sitting in midfield while Gerrard bombs forward to support the attack.

Right Midfielder (Cristiano Ronaldo)
It has to be Ronaldo in this position for me. By his lofty standards, Ronaldo had an ok season. But he still finished as the top scorer of the champions this season, second top scorer in the entire Premier League. Let's not forget that he can play in virtually any position across attack, whether centre forward or winger. His lethal free kicks from 30 yards out and easy ability to get past defenders are of the worst fears to opposing teams.

Centre Forward (Fernando Torres)
Fernando, Fernando, Fernando Torres. Too gifted, too good. I remembered only too well how he embarassed Vidic with his darting runs and clever touches. His aerial ability and accurate shooting makes him the outstanding striker of the season. A Gerrard and Torres partnership is guranteed goals. Just as how Rio and Vidic share a mutual understanding for the game, Torres and Gerrard's inter-play is one in a million and is deadly upfront. The only reason why Liverpool was so outstanding this season is Torres-Gerrard.

Centre Forward (Nicolas Anelka)
Well, you can't leave out the top scorer of the season can you? Anelka the sulker of Stamford Bridge was played often in the wrong position on the left but he stuck to his instincts and still finished the season with aplenty of goals. In my opinion, he will score goals at any club in the world, even if you put him with Hull City or Middlesbrough. He even proved it before when he was with Bolton. Its just pure instinct. He outscored the big, bad Drogba even when the club favors Drogba over him. I say what the hell is Chelsea thinking?

As you can see, Man Utd players rule my best eleven, but that is only because the first team of the champions have truly been outstanding in every department.

"Winners always want the ball"

I remember watching a movie once "The Replacements" and there was a line which stuck with me for the longest time. Not an exact quote but, I remember the coach telling their quarterback, "how winners always want the ball". What the crap does this mean?

Well, I'm sure we've all had our fair share of problems and obstacles and we find ourselves deciding if we should face our problems or should we just avoid them. I can tell you now that running away always seem to be the easier way out. Facing the problems, tackling it is tougher than it looks and requires a lot of mental strength to deal with all the pressures that come with wanting to confront your problems.

I guess this applies to all areas in our lives. The relegation battle has just ended and Newcastle, one of the biggest clubs has seen themselves dropped to the Championships. What will they do now? A similar situation occurred with Leeds many years back and they have never stopped falling. Will Newcastle end up free falling too? Well, I guess it will greatly depend on how the club is going to handle the situation. Even if they choose to confront their problems, it does not guarantee their immediate return BUT, I can confidently say that it will at least stop them from free falling forever.

"Winners always want the ball". Something that maybe everyone should bear in mind when dealing with their problems. Are you a winner? Are you the sort who will choose to tackle things the hard way and at least give it a chance? Or will you be one of those who chooses to take the easy way out of things. Only you will have an answer to that. Only Newcastle will have an answer to that. Only time will tell if Newcastle will not free fall and make it back into the Premiership again.

Relegation Battle's done. Season is Over.

The season has come to a close... alas Survival Sunday had no fairy tale ending... As if anything was a surprise for the four teams involved, all of them lost their games. None of the managers could be proud of their team's performance and frankly all four of them should head down to the Coca Cola Division. In the end, it was Newcastle and Middlesbrough that took the dreaded drop.

Newcastle United must be one of the most clueless teams when it comes to executing tactics this season, even till the last game of the season; their players ran around like headless chickens. A team that boasts the attacking talent of Owen, Martins, Duff and Viduka were full of running but most of it was aimless since they had no creative playmaker who could pick those runs. They could have done a whole lot better with a Ginola or an Emre but I don't think even that could have given them anything at Villa Park. Even Lady Luck wasn't on their side with that deflected own goal from Duff. Well, owner Mike Ashley (pictured) just witnessed the demise of his beloved club. Goes to show a big fan doesn't equate to a sensible owner.

Hull City can celebrate all they want now for the rest of pre-season but the reality of how much needs to be done must surely sink in at the end of the delirium...... simply because their first team just lost to a team of 17 and 18 year olds from a Man Utd second team. Not really a good sign in my opinion. If anything, the manger Phil Brown's face says it all at the end of the game, it looked somewhat like embarassment.

Boro should have seen it coming for the last two seasons. None of their first team players could have made the bench of any Top Four Premier League clubs. Gareth Southgate's youth policy just didn't work out. He really should have broke the bank for at least one decent striker because his team just doesn't know how to score goals.

So its goodbye to the Barclays Premier League season of 2008/09. We look forward to the next season as teams rebuild and re-challenge the status quo. Till then.

The Final Matchday of the Season

The final run-up to the season promises to be a cracker! Who will be relegated with West Brom to the First Division? Its anybody's guess.

Will it be the struggling Hull City who was never thought to be a contender for the demands of the BPL? Will it be Middlesbrough who had been in this situation before for the past few years but somehow found a way to survive? How about Sunderland, whom I thought will not be in this situation with a team like theirs but is somehow caught in a desperate bid to survive? Or will it be the underachieving Toon Army, once the mighty giants of the BPL from Geordie Land?

What is your pick? My picks are Middlesbrough and Hull City. Sunderland will only go down if both Hull and Newcastle win and they lose to Chelsea at home. Chances are one of those two will draw/lose. Well, I fully expect Newcastle to give the thin and fatigued squad of Aston Villa a street fight and probably steal a narrow win at Villa Park. I really don't think Hull will get an easy game with a second string Man Utd, even at home. Expect the very-eager-to-impress second team of Tevez, Macheda or Welbeck play a full counter attacking game at the Tigers' home. The truth is such games are usually in full attacking flow and unexpected things happen. Hull might probably get a scored draw at home. Middlesbrough will need some miracle to expect Hull and Newcastle to both lose their games and win theirs at West Ham in front of the Hammers' home fans. I think its too late for them this time round. Time to rebuild from a lower division.

So we shall see.

God is in Singapore.

Yes indeed, the man whom everyone touts as God of the Kop, ex-Liverpool hero Robbie Fowler is gracing the tiny island of Singapore, at our very own Jalan Besar Stadium. To see God, ticket ranges from $25 (Grandstand), $15 (Gallery) to $5 (children below 12) This divine encounter is happening next Sunday May 31 at 7.30 pm. Tickets available at Jalan Besar Stadium or at http://www.redcard.tv/.

Fowler will be donning the colors of North Queensland Fury and their opponents will be the Eastern outfit from Singapore, Tampines Rovers. Even though its a lesser shade, slighly overweight version of the Robbie Fowler we see during Liverpool days, anyone who wished all their life to watch Fowler display his natural goal instincts... I suggest you don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. It is likely to be his last foray in competitive soccer. Drop a message in the shoutout box if you're interested and let's see if we can all arrange something together. Too bad our co-editor, Fowler's loyal fan will be stuck in London.

"Teamology"

A team is made up of 2 or more people. The question that everyone usually asks themselves is, "What makes a successful team?". In most cases in sports (which can be applied to all areas in life), a team comprises of a group of people who come together and work towards a common goal. The team that succeeds usually is defined by the team that reaches the goal first or simply reaching the goal. So how do we answer the question of "What makes a successful team?"?

Well, if you ask me, a successful team is not one that is made up of superstars. Neither is it one made up one superstar. A team is not simply defined as a group that is constantly winning. A team is successful when the people in the team work together, when their hearts truly beat as one.

Most winners would argue that talk about heart and passion is losers' talk. However, I beg to differ. I may not be a winner. But I still feel that heart and passion is what identifies a team. It is the whole concept of belief, working together and hearts beating as one that makes a team what it is.

In times of ups, it is easy for everyone to jump onto the bandwagon and support the Champions. However, it is the times of down that is the real test of what a team is. It is where the fundamentals of a team is tested. It is where we truly see if a team is successful. It is heartwarming to see fans cheer for their team despite when they are losing. These are the scenes that portray the true meaning of a team, standing together no matter what the results are. It is when the team is bigger than any one person, it is when everyone do things for the team, it is when we fight together as team can a team truly succeed and consider themselves to be successful. I would rather belong to a team that is losing and yet standing by each other than a team that is successful but yet full of individualistic thinking of personal gains in priority.

Again, neither is it about results or monetary matters. It is about a process of achieving and working towards a common goal together regardless of the circumstances and sticking by each other through this tough process with no inclination of personal gain will a team be considered a success.

Are you playing your part in the team? Do you belong to a team? Is your team successful?

Be a team player. It is always most difficult to put aside your personal needs for the team. It takes strong beliefs to make such sacrifices. Yet, it is these people who will contribute to a successful team.


I am that is.

Oh, the things pressure do to you...

I don't admire the jobs of managers at top football clubs. They have a demanding job. And I mean it.

Look at Joe Kinnear, the caretaker coach of Newcastle United for most of the season. The ginormous task of saving The Toon Army coupled with his critics' close scrutiny probably triggered his heart attack. Most of you should remember his once in a lifetime press conference when he went mad and spewed "f**k" no less than 20 times at reporters who condemned his "average joe" abilities. A sign of mental breakdown maybe? That probably culminated to his poor health. Get well soon Joe.

The manager doesn't just get it from the media. How about the recent Arsene Wenger saga? Poor Arsene who really has nothing to prove to anyone these days got a mouthful from his own fans who cannot believe they have not won anything this year (as if it was a big shock in the first place). A typical Frenchman's reaction you would expect; Wenger threatened to leave the club... which immediately got everyone involved to shut up and realise they have offended the one man who held and still holds the club together. Oh come on, spare the manager some slack... Arsenal had already overachieved with a paper thin squad this season. What else could he do with a team of kids? They could only get better next season with a few additional signings.

How about the whiney whiney Spainard at Merseyside? I smell the distinct stink of sour grapes at Anfield. If you watched the interview of Benitez at the end of the match between West Brom and Liverpool, you would have turned away in disgust at the manager's childish antics. As if Alex Ferguson did anything that caused him to make so many mistakes in the season... as if Fergie was the culprit behind the failure of Liverpool to be trophyless again this season. Come on Rafa, has the pressure gotten to your brain so much that you are punching at shadows now? While I see extensions of gentlemen behavior and congragulatory comments from Liverpool fans all over the world, their manager is sadly not man enough to stand up to his mistakes nor did he have the balls to acknowledge that he had been pipped by a better man in Sir Alex. Boo... .... shame shame...

Why not take a leaf out of Arsene Wenger's book Rafa? Pay your opponents some respect... stop whining and start competing. If you can't take the pressure of a Top Four Club, take your bow and leave gracefully.

Benitez, Please Shut Your Trap!

If you have been reading the news, you will have read that Benitez is continuing his little feud of words with Alex Ferguson. Benitez has continued on to attribute Liverpool's lack of silverware to Liverpool's lack of financial ability as compared to Manchester United. Benitez is behaving like a sore loser who refuses to lose (graciously) with his integrity and honour intact, taking Liverpool down together with him by refusing to congratulate Alex Ferguson graciously.

Listening and reading all these makes me sad to be a Liverpool fan, as we have a sore loser at the helm. Liverpool is a club of long and great tradition. In my earlier posts, I have spoken about what a true champion is and yet, the club I faithfully support is behaving the direct opposite of that.

Mr. Benitez, think before you speak and learn to SHUT UP! It is not about how much money you have. Liverpool have spent a great deal of money on transfers since your arrival. Probably to the same extent as Manchester United or even more. We have quality players all throughout the squad. However, it is your crazy antics that is causing Liverpool the lack of success. Even more so, we have not exactly lost, we just have not won. We do not go around being sarcastic and whine about our lack of success to the media.

This season has been a great season for Liverpool because for so many years, we have been serious title contenders and I was looking forward to Liverpool finally winning the Premier League. However, a turn of events mid-season has cost us the lead and crucial points. Next season, we can expect Arsenal to challenge the title as their players mature and we can also expect Chelsea and Man City to splurge and probably bring in established stars. What are we (Liverpool) going to do then? Are we going to continue to whine about how other teams have more stars or more money than us? Are we going to sit there and cry and say that we do not have stars sitting on our bench while Manchester United have people like Berbatov as a substitute? No....We need to strengthen our existing squad by firstly, playing our game right at every match. We need to seriously consider and recruit players that will help increase depth in our squad so we can challenge not only the Premier League but other competitions too.

Liverpool needs focus. Liverpool needs to have a plan. Benitez needs to stop being a whiner and start being a winner. A true champion loses with his head held high. As long as we play our game right, winning or losing is no longer something that we should be concerned with. Perfection is our game and we need to work towards that. Live up to the Liverpool's tradition Mr. Benitez. Walk and talk like a Champion. Before we can be champions, we need to learn not only to lose but lose like a champion.

20 years down the road, no normal fan will remember who won the league title in 2009 or the champions league in 2009. People will remember the club and team not for the silverware achievements but for something beyond trophies. People will remember the club and team for their legacy. Continue the legacy of Liverpool and Liverpool shall remain a great club for a long time to come.

Who will be the next manager of Chelsea?

Million dollar question: Now that Guus Hiddink is gone, who will be the next manager of Chelsea?

We all know the fickle-mindedness of Chelsea club owner Roman Abramovich, When he first came in, he sacked Claudio Ranieri when the Italian has been doing well, and consequently sacked 2 more world class coaches in Jose Mourinho and Luis Felipe Scolari. Frankly, with Roman at the club, expect a few more sacks in the next few seasons... the owner has no sense of what it means to run a successful football club. If all he needed was an obvious clue, just look at the current BPL champions Man Utd, Arsenal not so long ago, and the Liverpool of the 80s. Dynasties are built into a club from the youth system, and longevity of the manager is crucial in seeing the vision of the club come to past. No prize for guessing why Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger have been 2 of the more successful managers in club history; they were trusted to do their job.

Even though it looks increasingly likely that Carlo Ancelotti is the top pick for the Chelsea job, I highly doubt he will do a good job. Why? Because Chelsea is a players' club; John Terry, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba have too much say at the club. A manager who cannot communicate in English, lest motivate this gang inherited from Mourinho cannot succeed in getting the best out of them. Look at Scolari, his English wasn't that bad, but he couldn't get along with the players and that cost him his job. Hiddink did relatively well because he probably is the most affable and likeable man in football, look at him motivate and guide his moderate players from all over the world to greatness in World Cups, from South Korea to Australia to now Russia.

No manager will succeed unless his players back him up. IF Carlo Ancelotti signs eventually, he needs to rid the players who are still stuck in the age of Jose Mourinho and bring in his trusted subjects. Sell Drogba, exchange him for Inter want-away Ibrahimovich. Sell Ballack, bring in Pirlo. Sell Malouda, bring in Kaka. Revive the magician in Deco, bring out the best in Bosingwa, Essien and Anelka. Build on the respect of Terry and Lampard, recognize they are indispensable and club motivators, command the tactics to be used but trust the execution with them. Hire a proven footballing mind to be the director of football; who is solely responsible for building the youth system.

But the hardest part of it all? Getting the clueless owner to leave you to do your job. Unless Abramovich retains his powers to just signing chequebooks for the club, Chelsea will forever be stuck in the group of has-beens and rich owner football clubs. Their fortunes will end with Abramovich's short-lived and shallow interests.

Reviews: Manchester United Champions. Relegation battle still on!

Alas, the inevitable has happened. Manchester United has once again won the Premier League and Liverpool will now have to wait till next season to try again at the title. The excitement is now at the bottom of the table where the relegation battle is taking place. Newcastle's loss to Fulham has almost condemned them to the Championship. Middlesbrough draw with Aston Villa has left them 2nd from the bottom. Hull City isn't exactly safe as they sit one point above Newcastle.

If West Bromwich Albion fails to at least draw Liverpool tomorrow, it will be all over for them as it will guarantee their relegation back to the Championship League. Newcastle has to win their final match with Aston Villa on the 24th and will need Hull City to lose/draw their final match to Manchester United on the 24th as well.

It will be a great loss to see any team getting relegated but it will be so much more painful to see Newcastle getting relegated after so many years of top flight football. All the best to the Toon Army! Fight on! Don't stop believing. I will be cheering Newcastle on and I am sure many football fans out there will be cheering them on as well. I am sure we will not want to see a club with so much history and talent relegated.

Once again, congratulations to Manchester United. Try harder next season Liverpool! 24th of May will decide the fate for these teams and will bring a close to the 08/09 Premier League.

Champions Champions Champions !!

It was ugly, it was scrappy, Arsenal outplayed us... all credit to them but who cares ?!?! The season is decided throughout the entire campaign, not on one game... and no one can deny that Man Utd was the best team in the BPL this season. Liverpool pushed the champions hard, and it added spice to the season. Kudos to Liverpool but it only made victory all the more sweeter.

You never get sick of winning, it spurs on everyone who supports Man Utd. Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow the Reds will be fully focused on the Champions League.

Champions... champions... champions, champions , champions !!!! As the Reds go marching ON ON ON !!!

Preview: Manchester United vs Arsenal

Whether or not Liverpool will have a chance at the Premier League title this year will greatly depend on the results of this match. Arsenal MUST beat Manchester United at Old Trafford to allow Liverpool a chance at the title.

All Liverpool fans will momentarily cheer for Arsenal! GO GUNNERS! Shoot down the Devils! Given Arsenal's recent poor run of form, it will be tough for the young gunners to perform a miracle and defeat Manchester United. However, if anyone can do it, Arsenal can!

Liverpool fans will have their eyes and ears glued to the TV or radio as we await the results of the match between Arsenal and Manchester United. Do not let us down Theo Walcott! Score one for the KOP at Liverpool!

Hee haw... Patrick Kinghorn....

Has anyone seen Patrick Kinghorn on ESPN Star... He appears on Football Forecast and occasionally pops up on Nokia Football Crazy. Well, some of you might have seen my last entry on the clueless Shebby Singh. Kinghorn is just as clueless but hey... the guy has got some entertainment value.

Catch him on TV and you probably wonder why the heck a British clown is on a sports channel. He speaks with a shriek in his voice, talks way too fast especially with that thick British accent, makes way too many biased judgments i.e. he hates Rafa Benitez, and if you see his track record in forecasts, you wouldn't bet a dollar based on what he says, but of course in any case you should never trust any pundit with their over-eager and "I have nothing to lose" comments. And of course, he likes to make cheap monkey remarks, and make passing comments bordering on flirtatious with Jamie Yeo, the only female football "commentator" on TV.

Frankly, ESPN Star at least got the cast right this time. I suggest keeping Kinghorn limited to comic relief. His clown antics strangely has a hilarious and honest effect on the usual pundit reviews which always seem to suggest that they know everything except of course nobody does. So I say "Stop confining Patrick Kinghorn to a small screen on the wall !!" I mean seriously, have you ever seen a clown restricted to just performing with his facial expressions and animated voiceover. The poor clown will pass out in no time.

If I may boldly suggest to ESPN's producers, replace Shebby Singh with Patrick Kinghorn on Football Focus with John Dykes. Pull that guy down from London and station him in Singapore. For sure, its a step forward... Anyone with me??

Latest casulty, Steve Coppell resigns from Reading.

Steve Coppell has resigned from Reading after a 5.5 years tenure at Madjeski Stadium with Reading. It is a tragic day at Reading as they missed both the chance for promotion back into the Premier League and also lost one of the most promising managers in England.

I have always had a strong opinion about managers resigning or getting the sack after a run of bad results. In my humble opinion, what define the club are the managers, coaches, players and the fans. A club to be successful needs to have a good combination of the 4 factors. To develop a successful team in any sport, time is required. In the context of a soccer, time is needed for the manager to train his players and to develop a style of play amongst his team. Time is needed for the fans to learn about the culture of the club and to build a sense of belief and belonging to the club they support. Time is needed for the management, players and fans to bond together and to play the sport as a team, which includes everyone involved with the club.

Today, teams are too concerned about results that they forget the requirements of a successful club. Owners are too concerned about the dollars and cents to give the managers the time they need to do their job. Please do not misunderstand me, lousy employees of the organisation should be "given the boot", but we should not simply sack an employee or apply too much pressure on an employee just because a game was lost or 3 games were lost in a row. We all have our bad days and if given the right amount of support, the right dynamics and the right relationship will be allowed to blossom within the club to ensure success at all levels.

As fans, we must stand by our team. As the Liverpool's slogan says, "You'll Never Walk Alone". The KOP at Liverpool will always stand by the team and I will always do my best to stand by the team no matter what the results are. Owners should too stand by their managers and support them to create success. Success is not something that we can achieve overnight but can only be achieved, over time.

Steve Coppell must have his reasons for resigning from the club but he has done a fantastic job at Reading, bringing them this far. I believe there will be a few more sackings/resigning as we head towards the end of the season. To all the owners, think twice before you fire someone whom you appointed and trusted. Analysis the situation objectively and not just financially. Give the managers a chance to do something at the club and to create success, perfection.

"Perfection is never about winning. Winning is no different from losing. Be perfect." -anonymous. Perfection is what we should be striving for and being perfect at what we do has nothing to do with whether or not we have won. Success is in achieving perfection. "Perfection in imperfection"-anonymous. Truthfully, there is nothing in this world that we really say is perfect. We as humans are imperfect. The world is imperfect and yet, that is what makes the world work and in a word, perfect.

Man Utd signs Dodo ?!?!

No no... not the clumsy bird that went extinct... its Dodo the new left back that Manchester United is signing. Not much information now. All we know is he is Brazilian, 17 years old, plays for FC Corinthians and is worth 5 million pounds. Its the 5th consecutive Brazilian boy at Man Utd now. Looks like Sir Alex is going for youth and most of them hail from the land of Samba and Joga Bonito. Brazilians are just born with a football at their feet. They live and breathe it, which is why they are so darn good.

If Dodo is half as good as Evra, Man Utd has got its left back position well covered for years to come... it has been one of the less reinforced positions since Gabby Heinze left. I am pretty sure Dodo flys down the wings faster than the extinct bird he shares a name with.

The future is truly bright and exciting at Old Trafford. A quick glance at the Reds' Reserve team: Macheda, Welback, Possebon, Petrucci, the Da Silva twins, Gibson, Foster, Tosic, Ljajic, Campbell, Brandy, Martin... and now DODO !! I love that name... We have a mini Arsenal right here in our own backyard.... step aside Arsene Wenger.... the youth system of Man Utd is second to none.

"Your Season Ticket, Your Choice."

FC United came up with an interesting and novel idea to sell their season tickets. Fans can decide how much they want to pay for their season tickets! FC United was established in defiance of Manchester United's takeover by Malcolm Glazer and their recent campaign goes to show a few things that we all can and should learn from.

Firstly, they still believe in doing things for the fans. By allowing the fans to decide on the price of their own season tickets, they ensure that no discrimination is achieved and that everyone who is a true FC United fan will be able to purchase a season ticket and make it to the games. This clearly shows that they identified that fans are a big part of what the club is and will be. The fans are IMPORTANT!

Secondly, in a statement released by FC United, they believe that fans with more money will be able to contribute more with the implementation of this scheme while fans with lower financial ability will be able to purchase the season tickets at a price that is affordable to them. I guess, they are in a way putting their fans above their financial situation and believing strongly that this club, set up by fans, will continue to survive because of a mutual trust and belief between the fans and the club.

Such "pure" thinking and belief is difficult to find in today's world. If this scheme works, I guess it will show me and I hope show the world that there is still so much room for maturation our of culture and our community and this first step taken by FC United will hopefully help kick start this mutual belief and trust within the sports community where sports is not simply just about making money. There is so much more to sports and that the key to sports is to enjoy the game.

"Perfection is never about winning. Winning is no different from losing. Be perfect." - annoymous

Anniversary: Robbie Fowler's last game with Liverpool.

Two years ago today, Robbie Fowler played his last game as a Liverpool player against Charlton Athletic at Anfield. It was also a day where Fowler was given the Captain's armband one final time at Anfield. Robbie Fowler was once hailed "God" at Anfield, being the most natural and prolific striker that has ever grazed the pitch at Anfield.

Light on his feet compounded with his natural goal scoring instincts made him the hit of the KOP as he led Liverpool to many victories, especially during his partnership with Michael Owen and Steven McManaman. He currently plays for North Queensland Fury in the Australian A league.

Fowler's the fourth highest goalscorer for the Premier League and will continue to be sorely missed by all at Anfield. He will forever be remembered as "God" and the memory of the KOP chanting his name will remain in our minds, forever.

Alas, the Toon Army wins

The above says it all doesn't it. The Toon Army once fought for UEFA qualification in the heydays of the 90s, Kevin Keegan had even led them to challenge for the BPL title with the likes of Man Utd. How drastic the drop has been in the past few seasons... the Toon Army is fighting relegation, no thanks to the departure of influential Keegan and the entrance of a clueless fan and owner Mike Ashley.

I like The "carToon" Army. They entertain, quite literally. Some "cartoonic" players don the black and white of Newcastle and remain as "legends" of the BPL today. Who can forget the fumbling defensive duo, "Own goal king" Titus Bramble and "Two left feet" Alain Boumsong? St James Park gave us some forgettable names and big flops like "Overrated" Albert Luque and the "Way past his prime" Patrick Kluivert. Oh yes, how about the current "I have an anger management problem" Joey Barton... ...

But good news for Toon fans, the Geordie Messiah and cult hero Alan Shearer led his team to the first victory in his managerial tenure so far. I don't regard Shearer as much of a manger yet, even though he had been Captain Fantastic when he was with the Magpies as a player. But I like him. He was the typical English striker who takes no nonsense in his play and I pretty much expect him to be the same with his management style. Congratulations to Newcastle United on their first win in many games now... the relegation danger is certainly not over but a win is always nice for the team morale.

Don't get me wrong, I will hate to see the Magpies go down. Afterall, who will entertain us like they do?

"Magic" Money not the way for true Champions.

Despite being a Liverpool fan, I do salute Arsene Wenger's strong belief in not using money to build a champion worthy team. It has always been the style of the Arsenal's manager to develop players rather than buy well established players. This contributes to the wealth of tradition at Arsenal and makes them a side to be respected. The influx of money into the Premier League turned clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City into playgrounds for their wealthy owners as they bid for players just as if they were antique artifacts in an auction.

People like Arsene Wenger needs to be applauded as he identifies promising youths and develops them into stars for Arsenal. It is comforting to know that Theo Walcott is staying under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger and I believe he will blossom into a fine young gentleman if not, a great athlete.

Man City despite splurging so much on Robinho, is a far cry from being hailed as Champions. One day, the financial tap will run dry and clubs like Arsenal will triumph and survive through the test of time to emerge as eventual Champions in the hearts of everyone regardless of their achievements.

Champions are not bought. Champions are grown.

The Tevez Saga

Over the years, many players come and go at Manchester United. Some went out like heroes i.e. Eric Cantona, Gary Pallister while others were given the boot by the gaffer who takes no nonsense from his players and recognises individualistic mentalities as poison to the fabric of his team i.e. Becks, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam. Others stay on to become greats, no shortage of these professionals... Giggs, Scholes, Gary Neville and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who stayed on as the Man Utd Reserves coach.

Carlos Tevez will remain as the one who probably deserves a hero's exit. For all his battling spirit, work-horse attitude, and pure genuis, Tevez has endeared himself to all Manchester United fans. Though all odds point to him not staying on as a Man Utd player next season, Tevez just did what he did everytime he stepped onto the field today, he played like a true professional and scored a fantastic goal in a derby that will eventually culminate to the Red Devils' triumph at the end of the season. This is the epitome of professionalism and the dream player every manager loves, and though he has been dropped so many times to the bench despite excellent performances like these, he never went out of his way to voice his displeasure. In sharp contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo sulked his way out after he was substituted by the gaffer (childish in my honest opinion) Surely at the very least, Tevez deserves a contract at Man Utd next season.

But Sir Alex is Sir Alex, he knows what he will pay for a player and 32 million quid to keep Tevez as a bit part player is apparently out of the club's valuation of him. Afterall, Man Utd just paid 30 million quid for whom he thought was a genuis in Dimitar Berbatov, turned out Berbatov wasn't the fans' favourite.

Sometimes, money can buy you a good player, but that is never a gurantee of success. Tevez proved himself to be a player of passion, drive, determination and heart, traits that resound with every Man Utd fan. Curse fate, him being too similar to Wayne Rooney meant he probably is not indispensable to Man Utd. My mind tells me he is gone after the summer transfers but my heart begs for some resolution to the whole Tevez saga, perhaps Sir Alex and David Gill will budge if it is 15 million pounds not 30 million?? But there will still be a host of clubs out there who will pay 30 million for his services... Manchester City at the very top of that list.

I feel sorry that a player like Tevez has to leave a club whose fans adore him. Fans pay to watch players they love but soccer in modern days have no regard for loyalty, passion and heart when its the dollar sign that the top men in suits running player and club are pursuing.

So we move on, like how we did when stars like Keane, Nistelrooy and Becks left Old Trafford. Tevez's leaving will hurt, him joining a rival team will hurt even more but enter a Karim Benzema or the emergence of Kiko Macheda and Danny Welbeck... and you bet Manchester United fans will refind their voices again, cheering on those who will remain to become Man Utd legends.

Review: Torres & Gerrard too fast for Hammers.

Torres and Gerrard's partnership proves to be too lethal for Hammers as they score within 2 minutes of the game and it was all over for West Ham as it went all quiet at Upton Park except for the cheering from the visitors' section.

Two more goals from Gerrard and Babel respectively, sealed it for Liverpool as they go top in the Premier League. A happy day for all Liverpool fans as we wait for the results of the derby between Manchester United and Manchester City tomorrow.

"You'll Never Walk Alone."

Manchester Derby, battle of the Reds and Blues

What a smashing Sunday it is going to be for fans of Manchester. Its the cracking derby between the Reds and Blues that divide Manchester loyalties.

There is a saying in football folklore that resounds in every true fan's heart... "You could lose the season, but you cannot lose the derby."

Well, ask me honestly and I say "I'd rather lose the derby and win the season" but I will probably never make the starting eleven in Manchester United with this mentality. The Red Devils hate losing, and the most painful defeat in the last season of 2007/2008 was the one at the hands of our derby rivals, an excruciating 1-0 loss to "boring boring Sven's" expensively assembled team.

With the oil churning "Sheik" on their side, the blue side of Manchester is looking increasingly like Chelski or the Chelsea of old...except for one thing of course, they haven't been winning like Abramovich has with Jose Mourinho... which puts manager and ex-Man Utd striker Mark "Sparky" Hughes (picture above) under immense pressure.

Sorry Sparky but I don't foresee Robinho and gang upstaging Ronaldo, Rooney and the Reds tonight. A close fight as derbies usually are but a narrow win to Manchester United, and that very one step closer to the title for 2008/2009. Come on you Reds !!!!!

Preview: West Ham vs Liverpool

A showdown between West Ham Utd and Liverpool F.C. Liverpool travels to Upton Park in hope to keep their title challenge alive! West Ham will do their best to invoke a win for a chance to play in the UEFA Cup next season.

Will Zola's italian tricks triumph against the Spaniard's eccentric tactics? Only time will tell.

Why the heck is Shebby Singh a football pundit?

Heres an entry that will perhaps create some controversy. But I just needed to find out if anyone felt the same way as me. If you are half as mad as me about soccer and the BPL, you would have watched anything related to soccer. One of the shows that constantly pops up on ESPN on Starhub is this show called Football Focus with John Dykes whereby 4 football pundits sit in a panel to discuss football with the moderator and anchor John Dykes. Usually it includes ex-Liverpool star Steve McMahon, this old guy called Jamie Reeves, Paul Masefield who used to play for S-League outfit Balestier Khalsa and the very odd one out, Shebby Singh.

I mean seriously, have you heard some of the comments made by Shebby Singh? He cracks me up !! Sometimes he talks in circular arguments, at other times he sounds like he's agreeing with everything John Dykes says, "yes John, I agree with you..." or "Absolutely John..." but most of the time, his comments make no cow sense. I wonder how he got himself on the panel... at least the others had some time playing in the top flight in England while John Dykes is a highly respectable media figure in sports and soccer. Perhaps ESPN just needed an Asian face on the "angmoh" panel since its audience is mostly Asian.

I wonder why no one has considered bringing other pundits onto the show, someone like Ernest Luis from The New Paper has impressed me with his insights while the funnyman Neil Humphreys will add great insights away from the drudgery of football tactics... heck even someone who doesn't know nuts about soccer tactics like Nokia Football Crazy's presenter Jamie Yeo will be of better entertainment value than plain'ol Shebby Singh...

If I have my way... Shebby Singh will be long gone. But then again, many viewers will miss his classic line "yes John, I think so too..."

Transfers: Raul going for 35 million pounds???

Manchester City is speculated to have made a bid for Real Madrid's Raul at a price tag of 35 million pounds. Raul is 31 years old this year and have scored over 20 goals this season. But at 35 million pounds, isn't it all just a waste? No offence to Raul though because he is afterall a great player!

With Newcastle 300 million pounds in debt, and if they were to be relegated, I would be surprised if Man City will swop in to buy off all their stars at a discounted rate. Who knows, we might see Michael Owen playing for Man City next season alongside with maybe....Alan Smith?

It's really interesting to see how these people intend to slurge their money. It sometimes does make me wonder if the game has changed so much it is no longer a game but rather, a race to see who have the biggest names in their register. All in all, Man City is once again going on a spending spree and we can definitely expect to see more audacious bids in the coming months.