There is only ONE Sir Alex Ferguson

Love him or loathe him. It's undeniable. There is only one Sir Alex Ferguson. 

It has been a mellow week here. We lost democracy on Sunday. And then on Wednesday, Man Utd lost its greatest manager. 

Appointed as manager in 1986, SAF did not have the best of runs. In fact, due to lacklustre results, United were lingering at the edge of the relegation zone in the 1989-1990 season. If not for the League Cup semi-final win against Nottingham Forest that season, it would have been the boot for SAF. He won the League Cup eventually after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in the final replay after an earlier 3-3 draw. 

But his league win didn't come in until 1993, for United lost out on the league title to Leeds after leading the table for much of the season in 1992. 

And then he got Cantona from Leeds in 1993 and that's when fortunes changed. Cantona was perhaps the catalyst needed, but make no mistake, it was also SAF's charisma and leadership which had paved a new era for Man Utd. They won the league in 1993. It was that year, that the Premier League was first introduced and United were the first winners of the Premier League. 

In the 1993-1994 season, United continued their winning streak and this time, picked up the Premier League title and the FA Cup. SAF was on his way to further success. 

And in 1994-1995, that's when I first noticed Manchester United as a force to be reckoned with. My first thoughts on SAF? He is one arrogant pr*ck. Yup. His remarks, his shrewdness. But you gotta admit it, its this driving force which makes United champs. The tough and unnerving attitude to succeed which managers such as Brian Clough share. United lost the title to Blackburn that season, but managed to grasp the title once again in the 1995-1996 and made another double with the FA cup. 

But shrewd as he was, he was already planning ahead. And with the emergence of the class of 1992 or Fergie's fledglings (Scholes, Beckham, Butt, both the Neville brothers) and the Welsh Wizard Ryan Giggs and his acquisitions of Roy Keane, Gary Pallister, the Great Dane Peter Schmeichel, Andy Cole, United probably were on the way to have the best team in the world....ever. 

United continued their winning streak picking up another Premier League title in 1996-1997 before losing it again to an emerging Arsenal under the guidance of Arsene Wenger in 1996-1997. And in 1998, United won the treble. More success to come. But to cut the long story short, it was SAF's guidance which had made United prosper. 

For him, the club is paramount and no one is above the club. Known for his temperament and outburst behaviour, he has always been one instills discipline onto his players. even his favourites such as Beckham, Stam and Keane would eventually learn the hard way that no one is above the club. And quite rightly so. 

Not only is he a manager, but he also acts as a father figure, nurturing young talent and guiding them. Players like Beckham, Christiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney would benefit from this and they went from strength to strength becoming greater players under his wing. 

Perhaps, not as sharp an eye as Wenger on picking talent, SAF did make some purchasing errors. Players like Veron who didn't fit into the English game, the great blunderer, Massimo Taibi and the ancient Laurent Blanc were only the few of the non-performing players that he had acquired. But nevertheless, he made important acquisitions too which proved to be game changing players such as Keane,  Van Nislterooy, Rooney, Vidic and quite recently, Robin Van Persie.

SAF was also known for yelling at referees when referees make er....crucial mistaken calls (I may be challenged on that) and chewing gum non stop. I would normally wait for the post game press interview and until now, I found it utterly difficult to catch his sentences due to the thick Scottish accent! But it's also his never say die attitude which was vital for United's success. 

Alas, with 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA cups, 2 UEFA Champion's League titles and a few other lesser cups, he has created a legacy where many managers thereafter would have difficulty emulating. 

Although this is not the first time he has mentioned about retirement as he did so by the end of 2002, still, it came as a shock to many United fans such as myself who would have perhaps relish the idea of him managing for another 20 years.  Like how Sir Bobby Robson devoted himself to the game until his death back in 2009.

And now on the 8th of May 2013, he has announced his retirement for good and will move up the ranks as director of the club. His presence will still linger but his legacy abound. 

Many managers were cited such as Pep Guardiola and even Mourinho, but in the end, the managerial duties fell squarely on David Moyes (who was at one time speculated to helm United one day too). And Moyes knows the shoes Fergie left are huge ones. 

So begins a new era for Manchester United without it greatest and longest serving manager. 

And this is my tribute to you, Sir Alex Ferguson. 

Thank you for making United what it is today. The board had faith in you and you have repaid the board in bountifully.  And now, Sir Alex Ferguson, you have joined the ranks of not just United's greatest managers, but as one of the greatest managers of all time that the beautiful game has ever seen. 

There is and always will only be one Sir Alex Ferguson. Thank you. 

2012 - In retrospect

After a 4 month hiatus, I'm breaking the duck once more. 

It's been a rally, the past 6 months. More so, it had a lot to do with work. Being a litigator is not easy. I've thought I knew the costs of being one. And I'm reminded once more of how tiring it can be. Managing an average of 5-6 hours of sleep a day (I know, some people say that it's quite a lot and perhaps it is), sleepless nights aren't much fun especially waking up in the weee hours of the morning and just staring into deep space, counting sheep, hoping that you fall asleep once again without much fuss. 

But all that said and done and looking back at those times, it wasn't so bad afterall. We eventually survive. We will survive, since we live on hope even when hope seems to be nothing but a tiny flicker, yet, we latch on to it to get through the night. :) 

It was a roller-coaster year indeed, and also a year which sets out the foundations for my decision making and risk taking. Not yet, but I will get there very soon.

So, in retrospect, here are my bests and worsts of 2012

Movies

Seriously, this is a really tough decision to make..........nah. I'm just kidding. I should have perhaps chosen an Oscar contender, but alas, I'm bias and I follow my heart. I

It would be, yes you would have perhaps guessed it, The Dark Knight Rises. It's not as good as its predecessor, The Dark Knight, but it's an epic on its own. 

 

Don't get me wrong. I love many other movies as well. And Avengers would have been a close second. But comparatively, the intensity and drama didn't match the aforesaid Dark Knight who remains as brooding and conflicted as ever. 

Other notable movie mentions which are favourites of mine are The Amazing Spider-man, Judge Dredd and Moonrise Kingdom.

My favourite comedies, I've watched many comedies this year but Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator definitely takes the cake for it. I expected it to be another Borat-ish mockumentary but was quite delighted to find that there is a proper story set out The Dictator. So it has my vote for favourite comedy of the year, followed by Ted (seriously, who can resist a potty mouthed teddy bear?) and Will Ferrell's The Campaign (great stuff and a parody of the American election which is quite endearing). 

Music

Now....we were suppose to go to Singapore to watch the Foo Fighters. Tickets were bought and plans were made. Alas Dave Grohl had a really bad throat infection and lost his voice. Monies were refunded, but it was a waste cause it would have been an awesome concert. 

To compensate the misfortune, I bought myself L'arc En Ciel tickets for their concert in Singapore. I was gearing up for that so much so that I started downloading the music which was kept in cassette form by me, which was eventually disposed off. So yes, it was downloads and new L'arc En Ciel album acquisitions. 

But alas.......national service came a-calling. And on 28 April 2012, on the day of the L'arc En Ciel concert, BERSIH 3.0 happened (which will be covered below). And I would miss L'arc En Ciel's first and perhaps only ever tour in South East Asia. Damn.........

Anyhow, no regrets going for Bersih 3.0. I would have decided to go for Bersih 3.0 anyway. 

But the Avenged Sevenfold  (A7X) concert more than compensated for the above bereavement and grief of missing out on two concerts thus far. The Avenged Sevenfold was really tight and each beat was played out precisely! 

I never was a fan of Avenged Sevenfold and was only there so that I get to see a concert in 2012. But like many other prudent people going concerts, we listened as much as we can to AX7 and slowly but surely, I developed a liking for them. And on that day of the concert it was a done deal. I was an official fan of A7X. Energetic, frenetic and I wished I could sing more of their songs at the concert, but I can't cause I'm not familiar with the lyrics. Anyway, here's a video for you if you are either curious or interested.

But the best album, that I've bought for myself, would definitely be this one:-

Tempered Mental's Pax Automata

I've been anticipating their follow up album after The View From Here. I loved their previous album and the EP (Honestly) way way earlier. But this one transcends my expectations. The songs were executed with perfect timing and pinpoint accuracy. The songs were edgy and tight. And progressive rock never sounded so good. Melina was as usual, slapping the bass and singing where no men (or women) can master. Except Les Claypool of course. Jack's guitar shredding puts him on top as one of the best (and technical) players this side of Malaysia. And Jimmy does what he does best, keep the timing tight and attack when needed. Purely technical but enjoyable and rocking stuff. I had the opportunity to watch them launch Pax Automata and what an experience it was. I've been to many Tempered Mental outings but this one was easily the best. Malaysia's best band in my humble opinion.

So that's my album of 2012. Yes Sir. Crap. Can't upload any videos from the launch though. :(

Events

There were many events that had happened over the year. There were some weddings. There were some wakes and funerals. There were performances. And then there were demonstrations. 
The biggest event for me in 2012 would be the Bersih 3.0 rally. 5 years down after the first Bersih rally back in 10 November 2007, the people marched on for cleaner elections and a more transparent process. I have in my own words documented this in my post here.
In light of the upcoming general elections, pressure needed to be asserted to ensure that the terms of the Memorandum from Bersih 2.0 will be clearly adhered to. Dato' Ambiga, chair of the Bersih coalition had warned that the upcoming elections would be the dirtiest. From the events that happened since the political tsunami of 2008, one would not challenge that assertion. 
Things are changing still and the process will be even more evident. But once again, it was encouraging to see familiar faces once more (veterans of the Bersih rallies, and I'm one of them if I do say so meself :) nyahahah) and new faces who have joined in to voice their concerns of the decadence of the ruling coalition.
Speculation on the dates for the general elections were pushed further and we may see experience the general elections in the first (or second quarter) of 2013. We will be ready then. And hopefully we see more change happening. The good fight continues on....

The other notable event would be the KL Bar Charity Night. SYB performed once more. I should be blogging about this as a tribute to our cover band. But here's the nutshell of it. It was a great night. We played our hearts out. The crowd was supportive and enjoyed our music (hopefully) and we hope we will continue to play for more events in the future. 

 We played a few covers. 6 in all. The list goes like this:-
1. King of Wishful Thinking by Go West
2. Rolling in the Deep by Adele
3. Don't Stop Believing by Journey 
4. Zombie by Cranberries
5. That's What You Get by Paramore and 
6. I Dare You to Move by Switchfoot

But here's 3 of the videos. I will perhaps post the rest up in another posts. If anything we're just a cover band, so we're not perfect :D



The lovely Raja Nadia Sabrina was our guest singer for two of the songs. This one is Zombie



Paramore's That's What you Get

and then below, Swtichfoot's Dare You to Move



Hopefully I get all the videos of SYB and I can post up a full song list in my next post. Whether you like it or not! Muahahah!

By the way, we also performed at the KLCC Plenary Hall. Michael Bolton held a concert there 3 weeks later. Just saying. 

Also notable was my trip to South Korea. It was an experience, culturally and err socially. Its a fact, there are many good looking people in Korea, and how do they all look so good? :) Well........it's your guess. But I enjoyed every bit of the trip; from the food I've tasted, from the wonderful places we visited and the people we meet along the way. Heck, given a chance I would go back there once more. Then again, there are many places I've yet to step foot on. Still the idea is an idea kept in view. 
We traveled cheaply and backpacked as much as we can. It made the whole trip even more worthwhile. 

Now here's the funny thing. Up this part, I can no longer posts any pictures. Probably I overused my quota of pictures for 2012. Hahaha. Oh well, just my luck. 

Oh yeah. And St Michael's had it's centenary dinner finally. It was a gathering of familiar faces. Ancient and young. Alumnis of La Salle who made their way from all over not only the country but from the globe as well. We gathered, we sang, we feast and we drank. And I'm reminded of why it is possibly the best school on Earth, ahahah (We Michaelians are a proud lot). And it has been an honour to have spend the best (and worst days) of my studying life in St Michael. 

To that I say, Quis Ut Deus (who is like God?)!

World Events 

Obama wins the presidential elections and will yet serve another term. Joy to the Democrats. Not so the Republicans. 

There were tragic events as well. Notably, two shocking and shooting events in the US. 
The first in Aurora Colorado where a lone gunman fired into a movie theatre whilst showing the Dark Knight Rises. The gunman was arrested. The identity of the person was later revealed to be James Eagen Holmes. His trial is still and on-going event. 

And then there was the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Reminiscent of the Columbine massacre in 1999, only this time, it's in an elementary school. The death toll and fatalities was about 20 odd children and 2 adults. The lone gunman, Adam Lanza committed suicide after the shooting before help arrived. 



Whilst I read about this and vicariously experience the tragedy, one can not help but ponder once again on what is it that drives some people to the edge. Over these episodes, questions arose, on whether gun enforcement should be stricter, or whether these gunmen are themselves victim of social ills? 

In India in December, 2012, notably the brutal sexual assault of an medical student on board a bus (her friend was assaulted as well) and thrown off a moving bus has sparked outrage in the heart of India. It was one of the most crushing and heartbreaking news of 2012, on how the student cling on for life after the assault only to die 13 days later in a Singaporean Hospital. We can only hope that this event, would have sparked not just an outrage but also spark reforms on what seems to be the chauvinistic attitude towards women. Not just in India, but around the world, to strip down the chauvinistic attitude that men in some archaic nations (including ours) have always harboured and to pound in them the humility and respect that they owe women around the world. 

Ok, I felt kinda depressed penning down the last bit. 

On a sunnier note.....

Sports

On the sporting front, Manchester United lost the title to their noisy neighbours, Manchester City. Was it shocking? Not really. The most shocking thing was of course how United lost the lead whilst ahead by quite a margin by losing game after game. But the title was tightly contested nevertheless and in the end, the title was won on goal difference. 
We were in South Korea in the district of Itaewon (not many EPL fans in Korea I reckon) drinking our beers and drowned our sorrows when QPR conveniently lost to City in the dying minutes. A draw would have sufficed but at the end of the day it was not to be. 
So the noisy neighbours take the 2011/2012 title and United are left reeling. Of course, now, with the acquisition of Robin Van Persie at the expense of Arsenal, things are looking bright once more. Lets hope it stays that way. 

And then our Dato' Lee Chong Wei put up a gallant fight but was unable to deny his arch-nemesis and friend, Lin Dan of China from taking home the gold medal at the Olympics. 
That was my highlight of the Olympics. :) Wished I could remember the other medalists, but not at the top of my head right now. 

And Spain prove itself to be a formidable force once more in football by trashing the Italians 4-0 in the finals. Not only are they the World Champions but they remain the unbeaten champs of European football. A feat not easy or unprecedented even, that a team would win 3 consecutive championships. Spain has come of age and are no longer playing second fiddle to the powerhouses of old, i.e. Germany and Italy. I supported the Netherlands in this one. But they couldn't kick themselves into second gear and bowed out horribly without any point. They came with great expectations but collapsed under the burden of that expectation. 

Below are the highlights of the final. Watch how Italy is made mincemeat by the Spaniards.



Conclusion

The ancient Mayans predicted that the world would end in 21.12.12. It didn't. We survived the 'apocalypse'. But having said that, we are in our last days anyway, so it's just a matter of time.
But anyway, with 2012 gone and I've resigned from my current job, changes will come, rest assured. New challenges will be ever present. And I will continue blogging as long as I can with the things that interest me. 


And I end 2012 with this:-

2012, an epic, I have not,

But a rhyme or two,

A ponder, a thought.

It brought the worst,

And the best of times,

In friendships and fellowships,

And brotherhoods that bind.

Events that ensue,

Of wakes and weddings,

Of life and death,

Of funerals and blessings.

The successes and joy,  

Together we shared,

And tragedies that ensued,

In solidarity to bear.

Of hopes and dreams,

That may have fall short,

Of lessons we learnt,

Let them not be forgot.

So we bring new hope,

In the days to come,

Of planned resolutions,

May they be done.

As I shut the doors,

For a year gone by,

And I usher in a new year,

With a smile and a sigh.

A memorable 2012,

Has it at all not been,

Happy New Years to all,

Happy 2013.

My grammar sucks. Bite me.

Homeward Bound

Twas a good weekend.
Went back to Ipoh with sister and some friends.
My relatives from Singapore were also up north for the weekend, hence we decided to go back to Ipoh to meet up.
Of course the agenda would be to eat eat eat and eat somemore. Well, I spend more time with my family back in Ipoh. I think as I grew older, the importance of family is more apparent, cause I dont see them as often anymore. Which is always good.
So we had meals at Tai Kar Rock, one of the best places for 'liew' and the noodles there are nice.
And also at Wooley Food Centre. The food there is getting better and better. Not to say the best around, but for Ipoh standards, quite decent.
We had main meals at this place called Soon Fatt which is in the same row as Overseas. Good food, good price. Too bad this is not a food blog. Otherwise I would have blogged more about it. No photos though

Well, Colin, Joo Na and I also managed to catch Captain America: The First Avenger.
Captain America in costume

It was a very good movie I would say. Certainly better than the Green Lantern and even to some extent Thor. The movie had me rooting for Captain America (as Simon told us that we would, and we did) cause it was quite believable. Chris Evans gave a fantastic performance as man of pure heart and courage. And also the character development was good and did not fall short. One of the few movies that Marvel actually took time to build on character (the other movies being Spiderman and X men). So it was good. The pre-ending was also very emotional and Colin mentioned that there were a few ladies crying. Heck, I would have cried too if I was a lady :)
Even the fight scenes were still believable and not too extravagant. I especially like the fact that he was accompanied by a ragtag team of soldiers which was a nice touch.
The downside of it is that Hugo Weaving's Red Skull was a tad too one dimensional. As compared to Loki in Thor.
Well, the ending credits are definitely worth the wait and seeing the Avengers assemble will be something awesome. Loki is the main villain, so the awesomeness is amplified!

Ok. Plan for next Sat then: Rise of the Planet of the Apes! The trailer looks intense! and with James Franco, it shouldn't be anything less than good. :)


And yeah, I also bought a Ukulele.
Brand is called Mahalo - which means "Thank You".
So, I'm thanked for buying a China Made, Hawaiian sounding Ukulele?
I guess so. I mean the facts show it. "Mahalo" :)
Well, was it an impulsive buy? Nah not entirely. this was my second time asking for it at the Music Store in Ipoh. Well, maybe it was an impulsive buy cause it only costs...............................RM65 haha...cheaper than my second Kapok guitar even. Ukuleles in KL costs around RM200-Rm500 so this definitely sounds like a steal. Then again, the differences in quality would be apparent too :) Now time to download the chords and save myself from buying a Ukulele chord book. Hey Soul Sista! :) ahhaa

Maholo Ukulele - Made in China. RM65.00. Purchased at the Music Store. Noticed that they even throw in a Ukulele bag.

And United won the Charity Shield! Yes!!! wait...should I be happy? Cause the charity shield is always deemed as a curse to Champions! The only time United won the Charity Shield and continued to win the EPL Was back in ...wait they won it twice and won the EPL thereafter 2007-2008 and 2008 -2009. So the curse should not be feared..haha oh me of lil faith.
But it was good to see De Gea making some good saves and also Welback playng clever one twos and passes.
Looks like Nani is dying to shine and I do hope he will. At least try. But more in store...and normal EPL service resumes next week. Nice.:)
One up for the red half of Manchester. Too bad to the noisy neighbours. But they will be a force to reckoned in the days to come :)

Not too impressed with the Jersey though, doesnt look nice. But nevertheless I know I will buy it at some point in time. The bloody United fanboy that I am :) hahah

Charity Shield winners 2011 - Manchester United

Paul Scholes - the Gingerhead Genius

Perhaps one of the greatest things that Paul Scholes ever did as a footballer in this time and age, was to remain anonymous in the social limelight, but yet be the genius that he is on the field.
And such a magnanimous presence he brings on to the field. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
He made many bad and mistimed tackles, but don't let that take away the fact that he had an eye for the killer pass and the killer volley goals.
He is the best volley goal scorer I have ever seen.
And it is really sad to know that he has effectively retired today.

After an illustrious career with the Red Devils, he finally calls it a day. We, the fans knew it was coming. But we didn't know that it would be this soon. Perhaps one more season we thought. He had other plans however. And now, he will be part of the coaching staff. Sad news, but its a transition and perhaps a necessary one for him.

Perhaps the final member of the Class of 92 (Beckham, Gary Neville, Philip Neville, Nicky Butt and Scholes) sans Ryan Giggs, to leave the United pitch and take his place as one of the United greats of all time. We already seen Gary Neville played his testimonial match. And now it's Scholes' turn.

So, what can be described about ol gingerhead?
Here is what some of the greats of football has to say about him:-

Zinedane Zidane -" My toughest opponent? Scholes. He is undoubtedly the greatest player of his generation"

Thierry Henry - "Without any doubt the best player in the Premiership has to be Scholes... He knows how to do everything."

Sir Bobby Charlton - "Paul is always so in control and pin-point accurate with his passing—a beautiful player to watch."

Xavi - "A role model. For me, and I really mean this, he's the best central midfielder I've seen in the last 15, 20 years. He's spectacular, he has it all, the last pass, goals, he's strong, he doesn't lose the ball, vision. If he'd been Spanish he might have been rated more highly. Players love him."

My view? Definitely one of the best midfielders United has to offer (according to the exposure of football that I have at least).
A creative attacking midfielder and the engine for the United attack complemented by other peers who were great as well.
An asthmatic (just like me) who beat all odds to become the professional footballer that he is and one that didn't let anything bogged him down.
A lousy tackler, ahaha, he is the Premierships third worst tackler mind you, 90 yellow cards and 4 reds.
A role model, footballer, family man and a player, any fan will always be proud of.

In the quiet words of Paul Scholes in a rare interview before Euro 2004 on what his usual day was, came the unassuming answer - "Train in the morning, pick up my children from school, play with them, have tea, put them to bed and then watch a bit of TV"

Here's a video of the gingerhead genius in his element. I enjoyed watching it, and was near to tears watching it. Enjoy :)

Barca Magic

It happened. As I have feared. A repeat of Rome 2009.
Only this time, the Barcelona team was at their peak.
Guardiola has won it for the 2nd time in 3 years. A terrific feat for a manager as young as he is.
But in all honesty, he had the pleasure of inheriting a great side, one that has risen through the ranks of the Barcelona youth system. Which reminds me of the class of 92 of United's side, arguable one of the best in Europe during it's peak.

But today, it was all about Barca.
Fluid passing between midfield and attack. Victor Valdez acting as the sweeper and last man and triumphing over United's attack bids.
Messi was uncontainable and it took at least 2-3 men to try to do it. Which leaves room for the other dangermen, Xavi and the swift Villa and Pedro to break through the defence.

United, like in Rome 2009, started the better of the teams. Playing their usual passing game and giving us fans some decency of a challenge for the first 15 minutes or so. Then after that, it was all but over but more on the defence against Barca's onslaught.
Barca drew first blood first with a sweet Xavi through pass and Pedro's strike at Van Der Sar's near post after 27 minutes. Not bad, United lasted longer this time.
And before half time, few passes between Fabio, Rooney, Carrick, Giggs and back to Rooney conjured and equalizer which we thought would never happened. United seemeed like they were back on their feet. It was a wonderful goal and a beautiful one at that. It was game on before half time.

And in the 2nd half, Barca once again proved that their prowess was unmatchable. Messi, always the dangerman, created space for himself out of nothing and scored the 2nd. And at the 69th minute, Villa sealed the victory. As how it was reported, Nani committed suicide by giving the ball away at the box to Messi, who didnt do much with it. But Busquets laid it for Villa to strike it at the top left Corner and Van Der Sar, after making so many heroic saves, couldn't touch it no matter how much he stretched.

So, United was deservingly beaten, because of many things i.e., Park giving the ball away too cheaply although his defensive play was spot on, the usual long ball tactics, Giggs couldn't focus or execute his creative plays, Valencia pretty much made many fouls but got away most of the time, Vidic and Ferdinand were not marking tight enough and Evra wasn't having such a good day, Carrick disappeared once again.
As a friend exclaimed, United didn't have a defensive player who was daunting and intimidating like how Roy Keane or Patrick Viera operated. Barca had Mascherano and he had a decent game.
But hey, it's all too easy to say all this. But the truth is the truth. United were no match for Barcelona and it's just that.
And as the final whistle blew, Alex Ferguson congratulated Guardiola with a rare smile to other managers, perhaps noting that his side was truly and undoubtedly beaten.

I would applaud the Barca win as well, as they won it deservingly. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

And also as I end this post with some sadness and awe at the same time, but also encouraged that United can only get better from this, I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to Van Der Sar. His career has been an illustrious one and he will no doubt rank as one of the United Keeping greats together with the Great Dane.
Indeed the flying dutch will be missed by all United fans in unison.

Thank you Van Der Sar!
And thank you Barcelona for an emphatic win!




Now, it's time to get my long awaited shut eye and back to reality..

Catalans vs the Devils Redux : 2011

2009 : Champions League Final
Manchester United v Barcelona

Man Utd were outclassed in every department of the game by the Catalans.
Barca's win was an emphatic and deserving one. No one disputed that. Even United themselves.



May 28 2011 : Champions League Final
Barcelona v Manchester United

Barca still looks to be the better team. United however were unbeaten in the Champions League this season.
Man United will probably start the line up with the one that beat Schalke in the first leg. In any event, this is probably the line up for tonight.

Van Der Sar - on goalkeeping duties
Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Fabio - holding the fort
Park, Carrick, Giggs, Valencia - holding the ball, passing, winging, you name it
Rooney and Hernandez - to tap the ball into the net

Barca's line up would include :-

Valdez - keeping duties, no one else but him
Pique, Puyol, Abidal, Alves - with the likes of veteran Puyol and the young brashness of Pique, it would be a difficult task breaching the walls
Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets - the engine, easily the best midfield line up in the world at the moment
Rodriguez, Messi and Villa - the attack force most feared

So what are the odds tonight?Seems to be leaning heavily on Barca.
But if Iker, the octopus's predictions are correct, then United should be lifting it tonight. Hahaha. Yeah. Trust an octopus. Paul died already, so don't bother.

Well, the task is a heavy and daunting one. But it is not impossible.

Tonight, I hope to see Van Der Sar lift one more trophy before he ends his illustrious career. And I hope to see Giggs emerge from the ashes of his recent scandal, at least for tonight's performances, to give his best.
United need to contain so many good players, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa, and I hope United succeeds in doing so.
Well, will Valencia (or Nani) tire the Barca defence? Will Hernandez score from anywhere from his body tonight? Will Giggs work the midfield engine to create magic? Will Scholes volley and score ala Zidane? Will Owen make a surprise substitute appearance and win it for United?

We shall soon find out...

It's a great day in Manchester...

1994 - "Au revoir Cantona and Man Utd. Come back when you've won 18" - A banner made by the Scousers, stamping their authority on the Premier League.

May 2012 - after the a tight league title chase, where points were dropped by the contenders. And up till the time when Man Utd took the lead, points were still dropped and the race was wide open on several counts.
However, today, 15 April 2011 - Manchester United have finally surpassed Liverpool's 18 first division / premier league trophies.

Manchester United gets their 19th and now is truly the best English team ever.


And for all this, it is this man, who has left a legacy in the red half of Manchester. Sir Alex Ferguson.



You can take away anything from this man, but you can never take away the legacy he has build over almost 3 decades.
And over these decades, he has reversed the fortunes of a once great club and transformed them into a greater club. The great gaffer that he is, the sly old fox, his brand of discipline is perhaps what is most revered to by the players. Just ask Jaap Stam, Roy Keane and even David Beckham and they will tell you all about it :)
Well, there is so much to write about this man, but today, we shall just note that he is now, one of the greatest managers in the portals of football history.
And what a lasting mark that will be for Manchester United and football as a whole.

And today, with the youthful likes of Javier Hernandez, Fabio, Raphael, Darren Gibson, Antonio Valencia, Nani to name a few, we can perhaps rest and be assured that with the soon to be expected departure of the old guard (Giggs and Scholes), the team will labour on to win more and more titles and play better football (and we do hope that they play more exciting football in the coming seasons and not just dour football to scrape for points, although that should be the main thing innit? haha.


As for me, I will still revel, in my opinion, the best team ever for Manchester United (1998/1999)and also remember the magical genius of Cantona. And one day perhaps, when this world ends, can I truly say which Manchester United team, from the day I first watched them play, is truly the greatest, as more and more exciting youngsters move up the ranks.

Well, for every Beckham that departs, there will be a Christiano Ronaldo. And for every departing Christiano Ronaldo, there will always be a Chicarito. And the list goes on and on and on...

But today, lets just revel in joy the 19 titles that marks United's dominance now in the English League.

"You can't win anything with kids" - Alan Hansen, 1995. How far from truth those statements ring, in this age of football. Somewhere, Alan Hansen must have had a hearty meal, eating back his words.

Oh, yes. It's a great day in Manchester also because Manchester City have finally ended their trophyless days after 35 years. Well done to them. Though I know I should have more animosity towards them, haha. But alas, they laboured and they won it, with their multi million dollar squad. Well, I would be happier if Stoke won though. That would have said so much more....:)

19...and counting....:)

"And so...in the magical realm of Footielandia, good triumph over evil when the valiant knights from Mancunia defeated the evil blue Chelsean Stamfordia Bridgia trolls and have perhaps successfully reclaimed the BPL treasure from the evil clutches of the Blue trolls. Over in the land of Manchester Mancunia, rainbows filled the normally grey sky. Twas a good day indeed.....a good day...:)"

Venue: Kayu Nasi Kandar SS2, Chow Yang. (thats a freaking mouthful)

Guilty parties: Joe Han, Kah Weng, Wil Liam, Eddy, Lian Sim, Daren, Kin Fai, Khee Fatt, Colin, Desmond and I.

It was billed to be the game of the Season. The title decider. And yes, it was the title decider. If United lose, Chelsea leads on goal difference. If United win, then the title is virtually theirs, and theirs only to lose thereafter. If both teams draw, it will go down the wire until the final game. But it didn't as United, played perhaps one of their best first half games ever.
To be honest, there weren't many chances. But the strikes wherever and whenever available, were crucial. Great passes from Giggs and a killer pass from Ji Sung, set up the first goal which was clinically finished by Hernandez, the Chicarito...:) Within 38 seconds of kick off, Hernandez already sent the crowd in Kayu Nasi Kandar at ChowYang shouting and celebrating as if it was Independence Day all over again!

Much later, Chicarito misses a wonderful cross and tries to coax the referee for a corner that it was off a Chelsea player. That didn't work.
Rooney takes another shot later but misses it wide.
And as Giggs, at the 32 minute puts in a cross, an unmarked Vidic, floats into the box, and still unamrked, until Ashley Cole realizes that Vidic has crept into the box as the ball flies across, and Vidic heads it to give the Mancunians 2 goals up!

Chelsea replied in the second half through a Frank Lampard scored one back for the Blues. the final minutes were intense as Chelsea, dominating the second half fired in shot after shot. If not for the heroics of Van Der Sar, Chelsea would have probably equalised...and more. But if it wasnt for Hernandez's missed chances, United too would have be up by quite a few goals themselves. And Alex made a wonderful save off Rooneys goal bound shot.

In the end, the Reds held on to triumph over the evil blues. I guess it was a blue day for Chelsea, as Malouda and Kalou were duds in offence. Only Blue player worthy of any mention in the offensive bit was Drogba. And Alex too in defence. Can't say the same for Torres who has still continued to play dud football in Chelsea. Well, I still wouldn't mind his services at United if he one day decides to come :) nayahahah
And yes, Carrick did made a cameo appearance after 88 minutes of football absentia...and I thought he was doing a shadow dance in the pitch all along!

Perhaps, the surprise of the night was Arsenal losing 3-1 to Stoke. Probably the players feared Shawcross more than as expected. Oh well.......

So, all is well in Footielandia as the Red Mancunians triumphed over the Blues of Chelseania. As Chow Yuen Fatt's Mark Kor once said in A Better Tomorrow, I will reclaim mine which was lost!!
Something like that......

Anyway, now....United are the only enemies left....so dont slip up...anymore..:)
19

photos from Gettyphotos at soccernet.com

O' Ye of Lil' Faith

I swear if I'm still idle in office, I'm gonna hang my head and doze off. To remedy that, I need to write, and write I shall.

I admit, I have been a lousy supporter this season. Ever since Ronaldo's Judas-inspired departure to Real Madrid, I have written off United's hopes of retaining the BPL. I mean Crybaby Ronaldo has been fantastic for the seasons before, and with United heavily relying on him to conjure up the points,surely there is a huge void to fill following his departure. With Carlo Ancelloti at Chelsea's helm and a squad full of depth, surely they looked like Champions. These were my thoughts. I wrote off Arsenal as well, being a relatively young squad, but one to watch in the future and Liverpool....well...for obvious reasons...they suck! ahhaa..and hence..my undying faith in Manchester United ...seems to be wavering.....

8 months down the line, the title race is wide open, thanks to Chelsea blowing off most of their matches, I wouldn't have guessed that United were still in contention to achieve a treble (without the FA Cup but with the Carling Cup instead). Now Chelsea is playing ketchup, but with Arsenal keeping close tabs with United, this looks like another race to the finish. BUt what's interesting is also the battle for 4th spot, the final Champions League spot, between not 1, not 2 but 4 teams!! Lets see, Aston Villa, Spurs, Man City and Liverfool.

After the United v Liverpool match on Sunday, 21.3.2010, it further fortified Liverpool's position as a truly sucky team. My uncles are gonna kill me if they read this post, but it is highly unlikely that they will read this :) haha...


Park Ji Sung with the winning header against Liverpool

Suffice to say, KING ROONEY has filled the void left by Ronaldo. Many say Ronaldo's departure had paved the way for Rooney to play upfront more freely and with confidence. But the other player whom I would especially mention is Darren Fletcher, who has finally proved, after what...4 seasons me thinks, that he is actually a good player....if not, an industrious player. This is one season where I dare not kutuk him because he does not give me the opportunity to do so. Hence, I shall concentrate my kutukans on Berbatov, whom time and time again has failed to deliver.

So...I have been wrong...and gladly I accept that my judgments have been wrong, in good ways! Of course, the race is far from over, be it the BPL or the Champions League, we still have another old enemy to battle, Bayern Munich. I haven't watched a single Champions League match other than the highlights, and if United makes it to the final, I hope my Boss is willing to grant me the indulgence, to be a part of it.

OK now...i'm less sleeepy and i can continue on my written submissions.
:)Lethargy my good friend, we meet once again......

A Third European Star

May 22nd. A pulsating night of football in Moscow as the masses in Malaysia gulped their brew of expressos and kopi kau, just to stay up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the UEFA Champions League Final between the Red Devils and the London Blues. I missed the final in 1999, where Manchester United played Bayern at the Nou Camp. We were at troop camp which to begin with, wasnt even ours. All we had was the radio and the word of mouth. THIS TIME however, i was sure i wasnt going to miss it. My mates thought the same. 5 days before the meet of destiny, I applied for leave. My boss asked me for the reason, to which i replied in Cantonese " the preferable reason for the leave was i needed the rest, but then Boss, you know the truth and it is football". Being the understanding boss, he duly allowed me my leave. YES!!! And so there i was in the wee hours in the morning at DI KAYU NASI KANDAR in Chow Yang. I pity the folks who live there. Gone are the tranquil moments of peaceful sleep each time a big match is in play.

The guilty parties of this 3 hour past midnite rendezvous were Khee Fatt, Eugene, Alvin, Wil Liam, Daren and myself. After our maggi gorengs and roti kosongs with dhall, the match was about to begin. I was wearing my Champions League jersey, in which Alvin had suggested. Yup, the right time for the right occasion. The match started with a frantic pace, and United were the better team in the first half. They controlled most of the possession, but it was the wonderful exchange of the ball between Hargreaves and Brown that got the gameplay for United rolling. After a neat trick of one-two passes, Brown made a decent cross which Ronaldo connected with a header in the top left corner of the post, to put United ahead. Securing that vital goal, they pressed on and were nearly 2-0 up if not for the double heroics of Peter Cech. Indeed, he is not touted as the best goalkeeper in the world for nothing. 2 saves from the Chech Republican made sure that Chesea were still in the game. And then Lady luck favoured Chelsea, when a shot from Drogba caught the back of Ferdinand and rebounded only for Lampard to latched on to it putting things back to square one and bringing United back to Earth. Lucky? Perhaps. The half time whistle blew not long after.

As the second half resumed, we could see that the Chelsea playing is now a more confident Chelsea. Who knows what mumbo jumbo cooked up in the Chelsea dressing room. But now even more determined with Lampard's lifeline, they decided to unleash hell for the United defence. Possession was now Chelsea's. They came with shot after shot. However, United were equally lucky. Ballacks shot, which could have resulted in another goal, hit the post. In the 75th minute or so, it was Drogba's turn to hit the woodwork. If that had gone in, it would have been difficult for United to recover from being a goal down at such a crucial moment. Just ask the Bayern Munich players, and they will attest to conceding a goal in the dying minutes is not exacty the greatest feeling on Earth. But it seems as quickly as lady luck decided to favour Chelsea in the first half, so did she deserted Chelsea as time wore on. Many battles on the pitch were personal. Ballack vs Tevez, Essien vs Ronaldo and Makelele with.....almost anybody :). Of course it was a delight to see twinkle toes Ron skipped over Essien twice or thrice.

And then Drogba did the unthinkable. At extra time, when the match was getting heated, words between the players were exchanged. Thats normal. But Drogba had to slap Vidic. It wasn't a hard hitting slap, just a petty one, but it was enough to see him earn a red card. Come On......remember Zidane and Materazzi? Tempers flared, but at least Zidane made full use of the red card and headutted the outspoken and often villified defender. Now that was worth it...hahahah!If you wanna go down, go down in style hhaha. Such a waste, but seriously, kids.....don't try it in the football field. Never, never involve yourself in a football fight. So Chelsea were down to 10 man at the end of extra time. During the whole extra time, the players could be seen stretching their legs, apparently to recover from cramps. No goals which meant, penalty kicks were in line.

The moment of truth now. It was indeed Russian Roulette. One winner, one loser. No in betweens. The real deal. Each player scored, Tevez, Carrick, Ballack, Belletti. Ronaldo was up next. He knew the pressure was mounting. He tried to dummied Cech, but Cech would have none of it and he made the save (see picture below)! Ronaldo now knew that he depended on his other team mates to absolve himself of the blame. Now we all know that in penalty shoot-outs, there shouldnt be anyone to blame as in all boils down to luck. But then again, we know the vile press woud always get their scapegoats. Finally when it was Terry's turn, with much confidence he stepped up. A Captain's penalty was all it needed to seal the deal. However, for sure this time, luck had deserted them and his penalty was wide! A sigh of relief for the United fans after cringing for mercy for a miss from Terry and a miss they got. Sudden death. Each shot was vital and important. In the end, it was Le Sulk who missed. The player who plays for a different club each season, was given the honour to hand the trophy to United. Anelka's shot was saved by Edwin Van De Sar, who was by now, the hero of the day.



As the United fans celebrated, Ronaldo collapsed into the ground, hands on face tears streaming. This wasnt his usual crybaby whines. This was perhaps tears of relief and joy. He knew that the weight was on his shoulders and it was finally off. Player of the year? Perhaps. It will depend on his Euro 2008 outing. I couldnt help but felt bad for Terry. He knew his miss was even more vital than Anelka's miss. And penalties are always the cruelest way to lose. Its a game of chance and tonight, it favoured United. But then it didnt matter. United won. the crowd in KAYU was fantastic as we sighed relief and hugged each other as if Malaysia had won the Thomas Cup or the World Cup. We suspect there were more Man United fans than there are Chelsea fans in that premise. The victory was perhaps a hallmark moment for Ryan Giggs as he surpassed Bobby Charlton's record of appearances in a United kit. Now....he is the most decorated United player ever. GOOD OL' No.11!!



Me, Daren and Wil Liam celebrated the victory with dim sum at SS2 as we did a post mortem the match. A wonderful double for United and it as a victory to savour. Well....by now if you havent notice....i'm a Manchester United fan. Thank you and good night.