Selamat Hari Raya 2012!!

It's coming to the end of the fasting month in 2012 now. Highlights of the fasting month this year would be:

- First time fasting with the kid this year.

- Have not gone for a buffet buka puasa this year yet.

- Although I've had Japanese for buka, which was good.

- Ooh, actually company event was a buffet buka puasa. But that buffet wasn't great though.

- Olympics, where the highlights of the olympics this year has been:

1) The Dato Lee Chong Wei final. He tried his best. We are proud of you.
2) Didn't watch Pandelela get her bronze, but proud of you too.
3) Awesome Usain Bolt in the 100m, 200m and definitely how the Jamaican's destroyed the 4 by 100m's
4) How Brazil lost the football finals to the Mexicans. I just love it when an underdog wins.

Anyway, the end of the fasting month tonight coincides with the start of the Premier League again.

Watched Gomel game and it was a good performance (2nd leg) where we destroyed them. I know, I know, it's just Gomel, but you can only play against the team in front of you. Looking forward to the start of the Rodgers revolution tonight.

But been reading some of the blogs and forums lately and I have to say some sections of the Liverpool supporters are just a bunch of delusional fools. It's like their not thankful of what they have but are more interested in what they don't have.

Almost 2 years back, we were on the brink of bankruptcy. It does happen. To even the most historically inclined and large teams. Just ask Rangers. In comes FSG, paid their cash to wipe out our debt. Took out Hodgson, and put in the fans choice, King Kenny in charge, gave him and Commolli > 100m to spend (although most of that came from the Torres sales). And it all blew up in their faces. I mean, looking at it from their point of view, I myself would be a wee bit peeved and pissed off by how it all ended up.

So they are now doing it their way. They have appointed their choice of manager now. A young and upcoming manager with his own ideas on how to play football. We aren't gonna be spending outside of our means. Seems we are spending wisely with Borini, Allen and Assaidi. And it seems we are going for the cheaper, less risky refurbishing Anfield option for the stadium issue (oh I just hope we sort that one out soon!). Things seem to be looking relatively positive.

Yes, I am upset Kenny got sacked, but he blew it himself. Ideally, I would have given him until Christmas, but then again, looking from FSG's perspective, do you really want to give him even more money to spend? Really? We just need a fresh start.

But yeah. It is FSG's man in place now. We are planning to run the club FSG's way now. Let's see whether it works now. FSG and Rodgers, and all the LFC players. You will always have my support a long as you are Liverpool. I will question and criticize if I don't agree with anything. But support you always.

You will never walk alone.

Selamat Hari Raya.Eid Mubarak. Maaf Zahir dan Batin to all.

The golden generation ends with a whimper

Managed to wake up for the England game last night . Really didn't feel too good yesterday evening, so really was contemplating not waking up at all. But in the end I did. The little kiddo and wife was sound asleep as I quietly sneaked out of the room and turned on the telly. The second half just started.


Let me get this out of the way first. England were rubbish. However, what Roy has managed to do is lower down expectations. England this time did not expect to go do well. And they didn't. They topped their group and lost to the first decent team they encountered in the play off stage. But they were rubbish. Roy has made England play, well, like a Roy Hodgson team. 442. Two banks of four. People call it highly disciplined. Rigid. Players just did know how to play with the ball at their feet. 


Italy on the other hand. They were not great. But they were better than England. Much better. Pirlo was extraordinary at the center of the pitch. They had twice the amount of possession compared to England. And around more than 30 shots on goal compared to England's less than ten (if I remember correctly). It just shows the gulf in difference. Pirlo's penalty as well was out of this world. With all the pressure he managed to stay cool and calmly floated the ball into the net, in the middle. 


But what now of the English? Where do they move from here?  Its the end of the so called "golden generation" who has not brought any success. Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Parker, Rio and all should just retire from the international scene  I think what they should do is scrap the entire team and work with the youngsters now. . Building around with players like your Wilshires, Walcotts, Kellys, Hart, Henderson (maybe??).


All in all, England got what they deserved. At least they saved themselves from the experience of being humiliated by the Germans in the Semis. Can't wait for the semis now.  Germany v Italy and Spain v Portugal. More sleepness nights ahead this week!

So far the best flat white I have had is a tie between whisk in empire subang jaya and departure lounge in solaris mont kiara

My Predictions for Euro 2012 Quarter Finals

Czech Republic v Portugal  - Portuguese Czech-mated: 2-1 to the Czechs

Ho-Hum. Not the most interesting game in my honest opinion.  Don’t really follow these two teams closely myself, but judging from the players that I do know between both teams, and judging from some absolutely made up, sticking my thumb in the air assessment, I’d go for a Czech win. Just because I like the underdogs.  And I am not particularly fond of Cronaldo.

Germany v Greece – No recovery in sight for the Greece just yet: 2-0 to ze-Germans

I would love to see the Greek win this one. But I just don’t see it happening. Heard on BFM on Monday that the German guest was complaining that his team aren’t performing to his expectations, and they need to up their game and he has been so far disappointed. These Germans can be a very demanding bunch. They are the only team that won ALL their group games. Although if the Danes actually won the last game, there was *a* chance that they may have been kicked out. May. But no way. I am not buying that. The Germans have an efficient, precise engine running there. With Schweinsteiger (is that how you spell it?) pulling the strings, and Muller, Khedira and Ozil in midfield, I just don’t see the Greek winning this one. Stranger things have happened. Euro 2004 anyone?

Spain v France – No repeat of the French invasion of Spain: 1-0 to the Spanish

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/campaign_french_invasion_spain_1808.html

Now it gets more interesting. Will tiki-taka football triumph? Will the false 9 approach show the rest of the world how it’s done? I think the Spanish national team are not performing to the same tiki taka awesomeness level as Barcelona as they have a massive “Messi”-sized hole right at the heart of the team. Still, I think they will still be able to pass the French to death and probably get a goal. My guess would be a more than 60% possession for the Spanish with the winning goal to not come from a striker or a False 9.

England v Italy – Expecting the double decker bus to be firmly parked again: 1-0 to the English

I am expecting this game to bore me to the brink of death. England parking the double decker bus again. Italy being Italians. Goal to come from a Stevie G cross to Andy Carroll’s head and into the net. Either that or Downing to come on as a sub and score the winning goal in the 91^st minute from an assist from Henderson. Ok. Probably not.

Now, bring on the lack of sleep!

Heroic defending by John Terry who was caught under the high ball, outpaced and then failed to stop it going over the line!

For once I managed to get back home early yesterday. Well, went out with some friends for dinner before heading back home to the wife and kid. Yes. Kid. The little bundle of joy. Haven't really been going back that early lately mainly since work has been hectic. But it was nice to be able to leave the office while the sun was still up. Actually some times, I do wait until it is a bit later, to wait for traffic to settle down first. So went back home after dinner and managed to get some proper sleep until the morning. Sleep which I haven't been able to get for the last week or so. Yeap. The Euro's are here.

The thing about the Euro's is that, almost all matches is a going to be a good match. This is not like the World Cup, where the early rounds are filled with dead rubbers (like your Spain v Ireland match). Most matches are close. Decent teams against decent teams. The teams that I have been following are England (of course), Germany and the Netherlands. Am a sucker for underdogs as well, hence I do have a keen interest in teams like Ireland, the Danes and Greece as well.

I was up late for the England match 2 nights ago. I must say it was one of the most atrocious matches of football I have ever seen being played by England. They snatched a goal, and then parked the double decker bus. But I must say, Roy at least has England playing to a game plan. And there "seems" to be some team spirit and a sense of togetherness in the team. Gerrard has been good. Not great. He assisted 3 goals already, but hasn't really been able to control the center of the park. But then again, it also could be due to the way Roy has them playing. And yes. Ukraine DID score. It was a goal. Just makes you wonder what the f*ck the match official sitting on the goal line is doing. If you can't make those calls, might as well just don't be there.

Luckily, the workshop I was supposed to run the next day got moved to another day. So was able to waltz into the office at a semi-decent time of half past ten. I could see that most of the guys in the office had their eye bags as well themselves, so I wasn't the only sucker who watched the match that night.

So looking forward to some more nights without sleep.

Note: The title of the post is credited to a tweet I saw on that night. Don't remember who it was, but can't be asked to look for it. So there.

Awesome thoughts for the day...

Just to list down some thoughts on what I think is awesome lately. The brain dead Malaysian just had a baby recently. Ultimately awesome. Awesome as well that he has been healthy and growing well. Love my wife. That's awesome. Families are good. On the flip side, some un awesomeness... Liverpool are un awesome now. Rusell Peters tickets are un awesome. Couldnt get any! Lack of sleep is un awesome. But getting to play with the kid is. Evens out. Tara..

Are you Bersih today?

Just a little shout out to the people bersihing today in Kuala Lumpur. What ever cause you are fighting for, just make sure you guys behave your selves. Stay safe. Always.