THE END OF A BUSY WEEK.
Reprise is over, and with that much of RJGE.
All of SPA is finally over.
No more trips to NUS on Monday and Thurdays.
Ah, suddenly, I'm going to be so free. Next week will really be unreal. Yes, I'm lagging big time on the tutorials and stuff but boy, the thing I need now is sleep, which I'll finally be able to get after a week in which I was enervated more and more each day.
First, Reprise really turned out great, I think. To be honest I doubted ticket sales would be good, not just because of the weird day it was held but generally because I doubted guitar would be that popular among students. But we were able to get a sell-out, which was wonderful, and from what I've heard most people who attended the concert enjoyed it thoroughly, even though the main ensemble songs were kind of short. And the spongebob encore was really just funny.
I have to say that I was pretty slack in guitar last year, not really bothering to practise much at home and just attending pracs. for the sake of it. But at least this year, despite being unable to attend monday pracs. due to H3, I've put in a concerted effort to practise the concert pieces. And the feeling of being able to play it during concert was really just wonderful - that sense of achievement. Apart from the final set of chords for Grenada which I just cannot shift fast enough, I've been able to learn and play the the other 3 pieces well enough, at least in my opinion, and it's a good feeling to have.
Tomorrow I'll finally be able to go for service again and enough though it's like only a week it feels like a long long time since I've been able to attend a praise and worship session and boy do I miss that quality atmosphere that is unmatched in Nexus.
Anyway, one thing that is not over though is NAPFA, thanks to sit and reach, a station where few people have problems in general, and one area which I certainly did not expect to be my 'limiting factor'. But oh well, a lack of stretching and doing sit-ups and jumps before that can really be significant. I shall look to the improvement in pull-ups to inspire me to stretch more and overcome the pain barrier.
Football now, and we lost to united in a match which has been typical of our slump: dominance but with nothing to show for. We certainly had no one to blame but ourselves. We even had a huge slice of luck when Adebayor smartly stuck out his elbow to direct the ball into the net. But then just like the past few weeks going ahead was the cue to hit the self-destruct button, and so now we are left with 4 games with no pressure, and plenty of time for the disappointment to sink in. Nevertheless, credit united. If it is not Arsenal, then it has to be them, for only they play football anywhere near the way Arsenal play it, the way it should be played. As a pundit aptly described the Liverpool Arsenal match: Beauty and the beast went head to head and sad to say, the beast won, thanks to its reputation. I will have no favourites but surely if I could pick winners then I would certainly want united to do the double this year. (shocking?)
I guess this year is still a big improvement from last year, where we were in such a position in February. They had such a long time for the disappointment to sink in, and hopefully despite the shorter time they have this season they will still reflect and improve for next year.
Really glad to get through this week, and now for much needed sleep.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
AND THE SEASON IS OVER FOR US. OR MORE OR LESS SO.
The 4-2 defeat means we are out of the champions league, and with the blown points against rubbish teams over the last few weeks, it means there is probably nothing left to play for. It is disappointing, after the fine first half to the season which the youngsters had.
Yet, there was so much more to the scoreline. 1-1 at the Emirates last week meant that a score draw of 2-2 or more would have sent us through to the next round. And it was 2-2, with 6 minutes to go, until things conspired horribly wrong against us. The liverpool fans were stunned. It was at Anfield. And the 12th man won the game for Liverpool.
Not the Kop, not the Liverpool fans who will be counting their lucky stars, but the referee. He gave a penalty that never was. Never. The shock look on Gerrard said it all; he coudln't believe the luck his team was getting. It was the second get-out-of-jail card Liverpool had drawn from the Chance pile. It was the second 'GO TO JAIL, DO NOT PASS START' card Arsenal drew from the Chance pile. What a shocker. And Gerrard duly dispatched the penalty away. The Liverpool fans went wild. Fair enough.
Where is the consistency in football? Where?
There is so much talk of match fixing and 'bungs' undermining the integrity of the game, when really, it is such clear inherent double standards that tarnish the integrity of the game far more. Arsene Wenger said after the match about 'injustice' being dealt to his team. And i don't know. Maybe UEFA will spend more efforts into investigating whether his comments are ruining the integrity of the game, rather than the decision itself, which is just farcical.
Rafael Benitez choose only to praise his team's determination to come back after the tie seemed out of their grasp. This was the same Rafael Benitez who said 'How can the referee do such a thing? How can the referee change the complexion of the game after we were dominating the entire match before that?' when Rob Styles awarded Chelsea another penalty that never was when Liverpool played Chelsea earlier in the season. Fair enough, luck comes and go. But this is not just luck. We've had none of it recently. Against Birmingham, we conceded a penalty that never was in the last minute: replays showed Clichy had clearly got the ball. Against Middlesbrough, a perfectly legal goal was disallowed for offside incorrectly.
And it is shocking that such huge mistakes occur during the most important of matches. This match aside, the World Cup 2002 in South Korea and Japan was another shocker. Maybe we should not be so surprised. The reality is that double standards have existed all the while, what with tackles warranting yellow cards and stuff. But when it leads to goals, the most pivotal thing in a football game, then people stand up and take notice.
And what with consequences? I fully agree with what Sir Alex Ferguson said when his team were hard done by against Portsmouth, by a refereeing decision that effectively cost his team the FA Cup. Ferguson said that "That referee will referee another match again next week." Where is the check and balance system which will ensure referees are on the top of their game as well? Sure, some associations impose bans on referees - they are suspended from refereeing the next match or something. But does it work? How much do referees reflect on their mistakes? Do they feel guilty? I'm pretty sure they do. But is that good enough a factor to make them more alert during matches?
I feel referees should be rated by a panel after each match. And their performances should be published weekly. We have a player rating system. We have a league table. We have statistics which rank players' miles clocked up, passes made. Why not referees. Because then we would really come to appreciate those who have truly done their job well.
It's one thing getting knocked out of the champions league due to 2 clear-cut mistakes. I'm not feeling too down about that. Besides, I have to be honest. I doubt we would have been able to overcome Chelsea. And in any case, Liverpool will probably collide with Man United in the final, and they will experience how it feels to have a match sucked away from you because your opponents are more illustrious. What I hope to see is a thorough evaluation of what went wrong at Anfield and at the Emirates. And people who have made mistakes should be accountable for their mistakes. Referees are people who demand respect right away just because of the important position that they have in a match. They should earn this respect by apologising for their errors, and acknowledging their mistakes. This, for the betterment of a game which represents so much in a world where double standards exist everywhere.
-------------------------------------------------
For all the talk about the disappointment, I am still so proud of the players. Apart from pieces of slack defending which will have to be addressed and this can be done at the end of the season, the players really gave their all in attack. They stuck to their guns, played their passing game, and the first goal was a perfect one indeed. In fact over the past 3 matches, they've just shown how capable they are of playing big teams and still being able to keep possession. And the 2nd goal, was just a joy to watch. It was a beauty, Walcott's run from penalty box to penalty box and then setting it up for a tap in for Adebayor. That alone was worth waking up to watch the match. And while we could still have a say in the title race by screwing Man United up this Sunday, to be honest I'd rather we lose and Man United win the BPL than Chelsea. To have a team like Chelsea who play the boring way they play and still be able to win the league, would be an absolute disgrace for the English game.
---------------------------------------------
It's been a disappointing common test again. I will have to work a lot harder. Nevertheless, I still enjoy the time I spend in school. With my classmates, with my CCA friends. And of course, spending time with my caregroup members. There are a lot of goals to aim for. The most important though are still those to do with my personal temperament, my commitment and self-discipline, and my willingness to step out of my comfort zone. In this testing week where I will be emotionally charged everytime I think of the injustices which have taken place, I look to no one else by Him. And of course, put in me the appropriate words during worship. This is a week of great dependence, as weeks have been and will continue to be.
The 4-2 defeat means we are out of the champions league, and with the blown points against rubbish teams over the last few weeks, it means there is probably nothing left to play for. It is disappointing, after the fine first half to the season which the youngsters had.
Yet, there was so much more to the scoreline. 1-1 at the Emirates last week meant that a score draw of 2-2 or more would have sent us through to the next round. And it was 2-2, with 6 minutes to go, until things conspired horribly wrong against us. The liverpool fans were stunned. It was at Anfield. And the 12th man won the game for Liverpool.
Not the Kop, not the Liverpool fans who will be counting their lucky stars, but the referee. He gave a penalty that never was. Never. The shock look on Gerrard said it all; he coudln't believe the luck his team was getting. It was the second get-out-of-jail card Liverpool had drawn from the Chance pile. It was the second 'GO TO JAIL, DO NOT PASS START' card Arsenal drew from the Chance pile. What a shocker. And Gerrard duly dispatched the penalty away. The Liverpool fans went wild. Fair enough.
Where is the consistency in football? Where?
There is so much talk of match fixing and 'bungs' undermining the integrity of the game, when really, it is such clear inherent double standards that tarnish the integrity of the game far more. Arsene Wenger said after the match about 'injustice' being dealt to his team. And i don't know. Maybe UEFA will spend more efforts into investigating whether his comments are ruining the integrity of the game, rather than the decision itself, which is just farcical.
Rafael Benitez choose only to praise his team's determination to come back after the tie seemed out of their grasp. This was the same Rafael Benitez who said 'How can the referee do such a thing? How can the referee change the complexion of the game after we were dominating the entire match before that?' when Rob Styles awarded Chelsea another penalty that never was when Liverpool played Chelsea earlier in the season. Fair enough, luck comes and go. But this is not just luck. We've had none of it recently. Against Birmingham, we conceded a penalty that never was in the last minute: replays showed Clichy had clearly got the ball. Against Middlesbrough, a perfectly legal goal was disallowed for offside incorrectly.
And it is shocking that such huge mistakes occur during the most important of matches. This match aside, the World Cup 2002 in South Korea and Japan was another shocker. Maybe we should not be so surprised. The reality is that double standards have existed all the while, what with tackles warranting yellow cards and stuff. But when it leads to goals, the most pivotal thing in a football game, then people stand up and take notice.
And what with consequences? I fully agree with what Sir Alex Ferguson said when his team were hard done by against Portsmouth, by a refereeing decision that effectively cost his team the FA Cup. Ferguson said that "That referee will referee another match again next week." Where is the check and balance system which will ensure referees are on the top of their game as well? Sure, some associations impose bans on referees - they are suspended from refereeing the next match or something. But does it work? How much do referees reflect on their mistakes? Do they feel guilty? I'm pretty sure they do. But is that good enough a factor to make them more alert during matches?
I feel referees should be rated by a panel after each match. And their performances should be published weekly. We have a player rating system. We have a league table. We have statistics which rank players' miles clocked up, passes made. Why not referees. Because then we would really come to appreciate those who have truly done their job well.
It's one thing getting knocked out of the champions league due to 2 clear-cut mistakes. I'm not feeling too down about that. Besides, I have to be honest. I doubt we would have been able to overcome Chelsea. And in any case, Liverpool will probably collide with Man United in the final, and they will experience how it feels to have a match sucked away from you because your opponents are more illustrious. What I hope to see is a thorough evaluation of what went wrong at Anfield and at the Emirates. And people who have made mistakes should be accountable for their mistakes. Referees are people who demand respect right away just because of the important position that they have in a match. They should earn this respect by apologising for their errors, and acknowledging their mistakes. This, for the betterment of a game which represents so much in a world where double standards exist everywhere.
-------------------------------------------------
For all the talk about the disappointment, I am still so proud of the players. Apart from pieces of slack defending which will have to be addressed and this can be done at the end of the season, the players really gave their all in attack. They stuck to their guns, played their passing game, and the first goal was a perfect one indeed. In fact over the past 3 matches, they've just shown how capable they are of playing big teams and still being able to keep possession. And the 2nd goal, was just a joy to watch. It was a beauty, Walcott's run from penalty box to penalty box and then setting it up for a tap in for Adebayor. That alone was worth waking up to watch the match. And while we could still have a say in the title race by screwing Man United up this Sunday, to be honest I'd rather we lose and Man United win the BPL than Chelsea. To have a team like Chelsea who play the boring way they play and still be able to win the league, would be an absolute disgrace for the English game.
---------------------------------------------
It's been a disappointing common test again. I will have to work a lot harder. Nevertheless, I still enjoy the time I spend in school. With my classmates, with my CCA friends. And of course, spending time with my caregroup members. There are a lot of goals to aim for. The most important though are still those to do with my personal temperament, my commitment and self-discipline, and my willingness to step out of my comfort zone. In this testing week where I will be emotionally charged everytime I think of the injustices which have taken place, I look to no one else by Him. And of course, put in me the appropriate words during worship. This is a week of great dependence, as weeks have been and will continue to be.
Friday, April 04, 2008
A PRESS THAT LIFTS PEOPLE UP ONLY TO SHOOT THEM DOWN AT ANY CHANCE AVAILABLE.
And that is all UK tabloids are about. Which is really quite amusing for people to read and which is why they sell so well. But sometimes, you just feel for the people who are 'shot' only to be hyped up again not long after, and then 'shot' again in a cyclical manner. Case in point -1. Capello, who was built up by the press as the 'best candidate after Mourinho', and soon after he got the England job, his tactical skills were continually boasted by the press. And then after only his 2nd match, in which England, whose team consisted of players who were not going to EURO 2008, and were tired out by an exhausting league race and champions league run, lost to France, whose team were going to compete in EURO 2008 in the summer and so had to treat the game seriously, the press raps Capello for being 'clueless' and 'a fool of a tactician', I mean come on. It doesn't take a genius to realise the mess that the team is in, and yet a 1-0 reverse to France makes it seem like its the end of the world.
Case in point 2. Avram Grant, has done so well after Mourinho left Chelsea abruptly, and yet the press keeps saying its the players that are playing well and that the manager has nothing to do with it. And when his good results are finally commended, he is just brought down to earth with every next defeat. And it is not just the culture of the press, it is also the culture of football fans. Fickle-minded. Chelsea fans, when they were trailing 0-1 to Arsenal, shouted chants of 'you don't know what you are doing' when Grant brought Anelka and some other player on. The same fans were screaming their team on after they came roaring back to win 2-1. The same fans who will curse him again now that Chelsea lost 2-1 to Fenerbahce, the weakest team remaining in the Champions League, after they were leading 0-1 and could have had 5 or 6. And we all know Chelsea will go through to the semis anyway. A single goal deficit is just so easy to overcome at the bridge. Thankfully Drogba stood up like all players should for their managers, saying 'We turk-ed it, not Avram'.
Anyway it's advantage Liverpool after the 1-1 draw at the Emirates. It was typical Arsenal, profligate, typical Liverpool, tight at the back (and boring). But they got their goal and that's all that matters to them, and that's all that hurts us Arsenal fans. 0-0 would be good. 1-0 would have been fantastic. It should have been 3 or 4. If not for a major refereeing blunder for not giving the penalty and a moment of horror for Bendtner (am I on the opposite end of the field?) clearing a goal-bound ball right before it went in. Speaking of that, the blunder was just a blunder. It surely wasn't any kind of favouritism to Kuyt, if it was so then he would have red-carded everyone who touched van Persie. And yet the press goes on to suggest conspiracy theories about the referee, when they should focus on the wonderful football that Arsenal played against an in-form Liverpool team and how we had 61% of possession. Probably the highest in a quarter final. And if the press was nonsensical, then I don't know who Kuyt is, Kuyt who said 'it was never a penalty'. Well try listening to Mourinho saying the opposite after what happened when Liverpool played Chelsea earlier this year. Laughs.
Point is: Admit you all had the luck. Yes the performance was 'professional' by virtue of the fact that you all got the away goal you wanted, the same way a penalty is 'good' if it hits the back of the net. Admit we outplayed you. And while that probably won't happen at Anfield next Tuesday, know that if we played the same way we did on Wednesday, and if we played the same way we played Milan, we would win.
Thankfully, any little bit of spite I had for the refereeing decision was eliminated by a UEFA statement that said 'He (referee) got a big decision wrong and a decision that could very well change the outcome of the tie. He will suffer the consequences for his mistake as will any other referee who performs similarly in such a showpiece match.' And fortunately for the referee, this is not Chelsea, this is not Mourinho. So we Arsenal fans are very accepting. If not, he would have received death threats and been forced to continue his remaining two jobs of being a husband and a bunch of organic molecules.
That's all the football rants I have this week. Oh, and Manchester are playing beautiful football, credit to them. They will fully deserve the league title and (very likely) the champions league this season.
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