Brave Barca shoot blanks

FC Barcelona drew 0-0 at home in that Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester United. Considering their recent indifferent form, the draw was not a particularly bad result, though not fantastic either. At least they didn't lose. But it would have been so much better if they managed to have got the win they so richly deserved for their domination. Even a 1-0 win would have been a good result to take into the second leg.

I woke up early this morning to watch the match. It could have started horribly for Barca - they conceded a penalty in the third minute, thanks to Milito's silly & completely unnecessary handball. But Man Utd star Cristiano Rolando missed badly from the spot. A let off for Barca, who then proceeded to control the rest of the match. In general play, Barcelona absolutely pulverised Man United, having at least 65% possession (some sources have it as much a 73%) & constantly attacking the English club, creating some good chances too. But unfortunately, for all their attacking waves, they fired blanks & failed to score. Viewers might have recognised some shades of Arsenal in Barca's play - all style, imaginative passing & entertaining attacking football, but with little or no end product. Watching the match unfold, it's not so difficult now to see why Barcelona have struggled in the Spanish league this season - they don't score enough goals. If you don't take your chances, you can't expect to win many matches. The Barcelona of a couple of seasons ago would have annihilated Manchester United, because that side never had problems putting the ball in the back of the net.

Overall, I was very happy with Barcelona's performance, which while not totally marvellous, was nevertheless good & impressive enough in light of their recent indifferent form. Where some might expect them to be nervy, they were brave. They comprehensively played Man Utd off the park. This Man Utd, remember, are famed for their high-tempo, speedy & lethal attacks. We saw none of that from them. Instead, we only saw one team trying to entertain & win, & that's Barcelona. I've never seen Man Utd play so defensively & cagily, & I'm not sure why. Was it because they feared being carved apart by Barcelona? Were they saving a bit of energy for this weekend's top of the Premier League clash with Chelsea? Who knows....

There were some encouraging performances from some of Barcelona's players. Lionel Messi, the young Argentinian prodigy who returned from injury, played well. Yaya Toure was superb & tireless in midfield, & Deco (who also came back from injury) didn't play too badly either. Defensively as a unit, they don't look totally convincing (though Marquez had a good game - shame he'll be suspended for the second leg), but it wasn't really an issue because Barcelona mostly attacked throughout the match.

The decisive semi-final second leg at Old Trafford will be different, as United will certainly be more adventurous in front of their home crowd & play their normal attacking game. This will allow Barcelona to find more space for their attackers to do some damage. But on the other hand, it's also hard to see Barcelona keeping a clean sheet against United. Though I'll still say United will probably go through to the final, anything can happen now. The 0-0 draw, while not great, isn't too bad for Barcelona, because United failed to score an away goal. So any goals Barcelona manage to score at Old Trafford will count double, i.e. whatever goals Barcelona score, United must outscore them. So if both sides score the same number of goals, Barcelona will go through on away goals.

For the second leg, I think Barcelona must start with Henry - he has a good record against United when he played for Arsenal, & the experience of having played against United would help Barcelona. Puyol will be back in defence, to replace the suspended Marquez. Apart from that, Barcelona should pretty much stick to the same players that started the first leg match. And hopefully they can at least reproduce the first leg performance at Old Trafford. Of course, it will be difficult in United's own backyard. But they should just try to play their normal game, not make silly mistakes. Then they will have a good chance. Win or lose, I'll be behind FC Barcelona all the way.

What's this? Support from unlikely sources?

I was just surfing the internet, reading up all sorts of football news as usual. Then I read something which kind of shocked me - the club president, the coach & some players of Real Madrid have said they will be supporting Barcelona in the Champions League!

What??! Real Madrid & FC Barcelona are supposed to be sworn enemies! Both clubs have had years of mutual loathing & animosity. It's like the rivalry between Argentinian club sides River Plate & Boca Juniors. It's like Brazil & Argentina at national team level.

I would have thought that people connected to a given football team wouldn't support that team's most bitter enemies or arch rivals. Normally, u would want to see your arch rivals lose. And yet, it seems that the Real Madrid fraternity actually want to see us win in Europe's premier club competition! All this, after much slagging & mud flinging between both sides during much of the current Spanish season.

One of the Real Madrid players that voiced support for Barcelona, Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder, said Barcelona was his favourite team when he was a kid in the Netherlands. The Real coach, Bernd Schuster, was a former Barcelona player & apparently he even still holds club membership with FC Barcelona. As for the Real Madrid club president Ramon Calderon, he said he will support Barcelona in the Champions League because he is good friends with Barcelona club president Joan Laporta. So perhaps they had valid reasons for lending their support.

I was a tad amused by this unusual & unlikely support. A display of sportsmanship? Perhaps. Or perhaps, it could it be that they are a bit jealous that Barcelona are still in the Champions League while Real didn't even make the quarter-finals, & therefore see Barcelona's continued participation in the tournament as the embodiment of everything that their own club has failed to live up to. Actually, I shouldn't gloat like that, because I do respect Real Madrid & they are miles ahead of Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga standings. So, I'd say they are still better than us, despite being eliminated earlier from the Champions League.

But anyway, back to the unusual & unlikely support. It'll be interesting to see how this would go down with the Real Madrid fans. Although I have seen posts by some Real Madrid fans saying they would like to see Barcelona win the Champions League, because Barcelona are Spain's sole representative in the Champions League & they want to see a Spanish side do well become champions of Europe. Ah, that's it - national pride & solidarity, the reason that most Spanish football fans would be willing Barcelona on tomorrow against Manchester United. Hey, the feeling is mutual - although I'm a Barcelona fan, I would support Real Madrid if they play Manchester United. In fact, I'd support any Spanish side against Manchester United....

No doubt the Real Madrid fraternity will look at Barca's Champions League game tomorrow with envious eyes, wishing that their side are still in the competition. But hey, if they want to support us, they are welcome to. Go ahead, do as they please. Not that we need their support. And, of course, those Real people would support Barcelona only in Europe, & only because no other Spanish side remain. They won't support Barcelona if they were playing another Spanish side. Next month, Barcelona will have to travel to Madrid to play Real in el clasico. The Real fraternity surely will not wish Barca well then, will they! I'm sure in the lead up to el clasico, the slagging & mud flinging between the clubs will have well & truly resumed!

UEFA Champions League 2007/08 - semi-final preview

And then there were four. We're now in the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League. The line-up promises some mouth-watering matches:

Liverpool (England) v Chelsea (England)
Barcelona (Spain) v Manchester United (England)

Matches will be played on a home-and-away basis. The 3 English clubs which reached this year semi-finals were the same 3 that appeared in last year's semis. The possibility of an all-English final is strong, & only Barcelona stand in the way of that scenario.

My forecast on how I see the semi-finals unfold are as follows:

Liverpool v Chelsea

This will be the third time both sides meet in the Champions League semi-final! That's because these 2 teams previously faced each other in the semis of the 2005 & 2007 Champions League. On both occasions, Liverpool narrowly prevailed to reach the final. On the basis of those results, Liverpool are seen to be the favourites (though not strong favourites) in this tie. Indeed, Liverpool have really thrived in this competition over the last few years, so it will surprise no one should they get past Chelsea yet again.

Matches between these sides tend to be tight affairs. This particular tie will probably not be any different - there will only be 1-2 goal difference at most over both legs. It's possible that a penalty shoot-out may be needed to separate the sides, as was the case in 2007. Both teams seem to play a similar, disciplined style of football. That is not to say both sides do not have quality players. Far from it. There are match winners on each side - Torres & Gerrard for Liverpool, & Drogba & Anelka for Chelsea. Besides these, both sides can also call on numerous other international players. On the coaching side, both coaches enter this tie with an opportunity to prove something - Liverpool's Rafa Benitez has a chance to establish his credentials as a tactical master for the big-games, while Chelsea's Avram Grant will have a chance to step outside the shadow of the previous coach Jose Mourinho.

Benitez suggested that Chelsea's players must overcome the mental block from the 2005 & 2007 semi-final defeats in order to get past Liverpool this time. He suggested that Liverpool therefore have the psychological edge. Some may see this as Chelsea's opportunity to gain revenge on those defeats. And I think they will get it this time. Chelsea's players will have to be careful not to get carried away with the revenge factor - the danger is that the desire for revenge can be so strong as to get the better of their emotions & consequently the ability to focus on their game. But I would think Chelsea's players are experienced enough not to let "revenge" get to their heads. Furthermore, the difference between now compared to 2005 & 2007 is that this time, Chelsea will have home advantage in the decisive second leg. And, overall, I feel Chelsea have a stronger squad than Liverpool. So, all things considered, I think Chelsea will make it third time lucky & will prevail. My verdict: revenge for Chelsea.

Barcelona v Manchester United

It is this semi-final tie, more so than the other, that will have football fans everywhere excited. That is because Barcelona & Manchester United both play attacking, enterprising football, compared to Liverpool & Chelsea who are both considered to be more tactical & conservative. Past matches in this competition have seen lots of goals - 4-0 to Barcelona in 1994/1995 season, & 2 sets of 3-3 draws in the season Man Utd won the treble. Another goal fest could be on the cards.

Now, if this match was to be played 2 years ago, I would be absolutely confident of an emphatic Barcelona victory. Back then, Barcelona were the best team in Europe. Today's Barcelona, however, are not as strong, & so I find it hard to imagine a comprehensive win over Man Utd this time. Barcelona's performances this season have been very inconsistent, & at times, ordinary. They have been struggling of late - just refer to one of my previous posts on FC Barcelona. They are having problems on & off the field (injuries, erratic form, uncertainty over coach & players' futures, etc etc). By contrast, everything is going extremely well for Manchester Utd. They have been in fine form, have such great team spirit, have no injury worries, & some of their players recently having their contracts renewed, which should boost the morale of those players.

Needless to say, I would be supporting Barcelona. For those who know me, it's no secret that I am no United fan & would not want to see them win this competition. However, I do like a couple of their players - Portugal's sensation Cristiano Ronaldo & Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez. The best compliment I could pay these 2 is that I wish they were playing for Barcelona. If so, then I can definitely see a comfortable win for Barca. But the reality is they play for Man Utd, & they will most likely be key in helping Man Utd get past Barca. Verdict: Based on form & their consistency, I would have to say Manchester United will prevail over the 2 legs. Never mind the fact that Man Utd will play the decisive second leg at home, their more impressive form alone is enough to persuade observers that they look more likely winners. But in football, anything can happen, so who knows, maybe Barcelona can rise from the ashes? I hope so...

Joke - Getting into Heaven (Dolly Parton & Queen Elizabeth)

Dolly Parton and Queen Elizabeth die on the same day and they both go before an Angel to find out if they'll be admitted to Heaven.

Unfortunately, there's only one space left that day, so the Angel must decide which of them gets in. The Angel asks Dolly if there's some particular reason why she should go to Heaven.

Dolly takes off her top and says, “Look at these, they're the most perfect breasts God ever created and I'm sure it will please the angels to be able to see them everyday, for eternity.”

The Angel thanks Dolly, and asks Her Majesty the same question. The Queen takes a bottle of Perrier out of her handbag, shakes it up, and gargles. Then she spits into a toilet and pulls the lever.

The Angel says, “OK, your Majesty, you may go in.”

Dolly is outraged and asks, “What was that all about? I show you two of God's own perfect creations and you turn me down. She spits into a commode and she gets in! Would you explain that to me?”

“Sorry, Dolly,” says the Angel, “but even in Heaven, a royal flush beats a pair - no matter how big they are!”

The 10 most annoying alarm clocks

#10 - Climbing clock: It hangs above your head and starts climbing while it rings. Don't wake up fast enough, and you won't be able to shut it up without a ladder.

#9 - Wake Up Puzzle: You have to build the puzzle to make it stop

#8 - Wake or Curse: You can ask it what the time is and it will answer. But if you don't wake up quickly enough it will curse you.

#7 - High Tech: This one has a vibrator, 95 db alarm and police style rotating light that you cannot ignore.

#6 - Find The Pin: You need find the right pin to stop it's ringing. Not going to stay sleepy after this mission.

#5 - Chicken and Egg Problem: The egg laying alarm clock. It will only quiet down after you put all the eggs back.

#4 - GI Joe: You will wake to the sound of your commander's wake up call. Don't mess with it.

#3 - Floating Around: Will float around the room until you'll catch it.

#2 - Kaboom: This acoustic grenade will wake the neighborhood with its ultra loud sound level.

#1 - Hide and Seek: The winner is the hide and seek alarm clock. Once it begins to ring it falls down to the floor and finds a random place to hide. Chase it down or else you're doomed.

Article - Australians work longer than many others

I saw this article today on NineMSN. Apparently, on average, Australians work longer hours than workers in other developed countries.

Wow, more than 43 hours per week. And hey, the Europeans & Americans have lighter workloads. Maybe they work more efficiently than Australians in the hours they are at work? Who knows??

My official weekly hours is 37.5 (7.5 hours daily). But last week was horrible, one of the worst weeks in my career. I was totally snowed in - I estimate that I must have worked about 44-45 hours last week. It was so bad that I had to give last Monday's Clay a miss. And last Friday was the only day I arrived home before 7pm (& only because it's a Friday). Last week was very stressful & I'm not sure if the next couple of months will be much better if at all. The stress has brought the worst out of me, causing me to be moody, grumpy & snappy.

I don't like working excessive hours. It takes away from my "free time" which I could spend on other things. But with my work schedule over the next couple of months, it looks like there will be some days at work where I stay back for quite a while. Not good. However, the one possible "silver lining" is that working longer increases my chance of getting a decent bonus. The bonus is payable if I exceed my annual billing target - so the longer productive hours I put in, the better the chance of getting over that target. Not saying I will definitely get the bonus (I wasn't even told what my target is), but it'll be good if I did. And then, next in line hopefully will be a hefty payrise. Go DT!

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Aussies work longer than many, including US workers

From smartcompany.com.au
April 2008

Australians are working longer average weekly hours than their colleagues in other developed countries, according to new data from the OECD compiled by a Sydney academic.

Brigid van Wanrooy, at the University of Sydney, says there is a chronic culture of overworking among Australian full-time employees, which needs government intervention.

Australian employees' average full-time weekly hours exceed 43. By comparison, British workers do just over 42 hours, US workers less than 42, Spanish workers less than 41, German workers less than 40, and full-time workers in the Netherlands work on average less than 38 hours a week.

The data is being used to call for a cap on working hours because long hours can damage safety standards and productivity. Van Wanrooy told The Australian Financial Review that 48 hours of work a week is the tipping point. Working 48 hours in a week is likely to result in fatigue, poor performance and risks to health and safety.

Wheels falling off at FC Barcelona

All does not seem to be well at Barcelona FC. During mid-week, they chalked up an unconvincing 1-0 win over German club side Schalke in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals second-leg. The result meant they win 2-0 on aggregate to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals. OK, so they managed to win, but the performance was far from polished & left a lot to be desired. I woke up early in the morning to watch the match. I saw a Barca side that looked very uncertain in defence. And the display was patchy & lacked any sort of urgency - they seldom showed their free-flowing fluent football, although they did somewhat improve in the second-half. Barca coach Rijkaard was jeered, & sections of the Barca fans waved white handkerchiefs, which was a sign that the fans were unhappy & disapprove of the team's performance.

Then just this morning, they could only manage a 2-2 draw away to Recreativo Huelva in the Spanish La Liga. The draw is a blow to their hopes of regaining the Spanish championship from arch-rivals Real Madrid. Twice Samuel Eto'o gave Barcelona the lead, & each time Recreativo's young Argentinian striker Marco Ruben equalised. I didn't see the match (we don't get ESPN), but by reports, Ruben's first goal was debateable as it did not appear to cross the Barca line. Still, not to win the match was disappointing. But Barcelona's recent form can most charitably be described as mediocre anyway, & the latest result is merely a continuation of that bad run. The wheels are falling off, if they haven't already.

In the past few weeks, I've been livid at Barcelona's poor & inconsistent run of form. I think I have moved past that stage, because now I've come to accept that Barcelona might not win anything this year. That's simply because they don't look like winning anything this year. Barcelona are currently a shadow of the side which won La Liga & Champions League in 2006. So I no longer expect Barcelona to sweep all before them. I'm just relieved that Barcelona are in the Champions League semis, slightly happy that Barcelona are still in the running for the Champions League. Anything more will be a bonus, in light of their current form. Of course, if/when they do crash out of the Champions League, I'll still be disappointed, perhaps angry. But expectations are not high from me, so perhaps I'll get over the disappointment quickly.

I've heard all sorts of reasons/"theories" being put forward to explain Barcelona's patchy & inconsistent form. Here they are:

• Injuries - key players have been missing for long periods this season. Eto'o missed a large number of games earlier in the season. Argentinian whizz kid Leo Messi was out at one stage, then came back but then got injured again, & made his return as a substitute in the Recreativo match. Ronaldinho is out for the rest of the season, & though he's not been fantastic at all this season, a player of his class & skill will always be an asset to any team & will always be missed. Deco is still out. Other players such as Krkic, Henry & Iniesta were rested from the Recreativo match to nurse slight injuries.

• Players - A lot of players have not been at their best form, & many fans think that some players are past their best. Deco is frequently "accused" of not being the player he once was. And on top of that, it has been said that some players have been so distracted with contract negotiations that it affects their performances on the pitch.
  

• The coach - Some critics have said Rijkaard is not the most tactically astute of coaches, that he's getting stale with the Barca coaching job. For much of the season, there has been lots of talk & speculation about Rijkaard's long-term future at the club. The Spanish media constantly speculate on suitable replacements for Rijkaard in light of rumours that the Barcelona board are looking for such a replacement. And also, with such uncertainty in the background, would one think that Rijkaard can do his job effectively? Can anyone really blame him if he feels he lacks support from the Barcelona board & that his position is untenable? Would his heart still be 100% devoted to the job with all that speculation over his head?
  

• Team spirit - Another rumour has it that team spirit is not the strongest, with certain players not getting on well with each other (e.g. Eto'o & Ronaldinho), others not happy with the coach & his tactics, & others not happy at the club (e.g. Henry complaining he never sees his young daughter as often as he likes, that he does not like his new playing position of the left of the attack). I don't know how true this rumour is.
  

In light of the above, many fans seem to consider Barcelona FC to be a club in crisis. After all, they are 6 points off the top of the Spanish league & not exactly impressive in reaching the Champions League semis. While all may not seem well at Barcelona, to say Barcelona are in crisis is probably an exagerration. It is a reflection of how demanding Barcelona fans can be, particularly those based in Spain itself. Lots of clubs would love to be in Barcelona's current position.

Having said that, as a fan, my head spins when I think of all those "theories" behind Barca's inconsistent form. I mean, goodness gracious, come on. Low team spirit, players not getting on?? We are talking about a great football institution here. Players, coach & coaching staff, fans, everyone at the club or connected to the club need to realise this. Everyone need to pull their finger out. Put aside whatever personal differences people may have with each other, & be absolutely united for the greater good of the club. The best interest of the club must always come first - people need to realise that if they want to be part of Barcelona FC. Have more team bonding sessions, whatever it takes to bring everyone together.

All that stuff about contract negotiations, if true, should wait until the season is over. Players & coach should concentrate on getting the club as far as it can in the Spanish league & Champions League. There is still plenty to play for. Not saying they will definitely win everything & anything. But that should be the aim. Hola Barca!

2 quotes (Chinese proverb; human beings)

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. Chinese Proverb

Hhhmm, that reminds me of my spiritual walk. It's much closer to standing still than growing slowly, with the way things have been going.


When they are alone they want to be with others, and when they are with others they want to be alone. After all, human beings are like that. Gertrude Stein

That is so true. I am sometimes "guilty" of such behaviour.

Unknown workers

Friend emailed me these pics this morning.

UEFA Champions League 2007/08 - quarter-final preview

Alright. The UEFA Champions League season 2007/2008 is now at the quarter-final stage! Some interesting match-ups are coming up. Anyway, here are the quarter-final matches:

Roma (Italy) v Manchester United (England)
Schalke (Germany) v Barcelona (Spain)
Fenerbahce (Turkey) v Chelsea (England)
Arsenal (England) v Liverpool (England)

The matches will be played on a home & away basis in the middle of this week & next week. Here's my forecast on the outcomes of the quarter-final ties:

Roma v Manchester United:

Both sides met at the same stage last season, & Manchester United ran out big winners, inflicting Roma a heavy defeat at Old Trafford. What will happen this time round? I think the matches will be a lot closer this time. Roma will definitely want to give a much better account of themselves this time round. Whether that extra motivaton will be enough to get past Manchester United is open to question. The tie promises to be interesting, as both sides like to play attacking, adventurous football. I think Manchester United will get to the semi-finals, simply because they have a stronger attack & have been in very fine form domestically & in Europe.

Schalke v Barcelona:

On paper, Barcelona are hot favourites. However, their form has not been impressive of late. For that reason, their ties against Schalke could be a lot closer than many people would expect. All is not well at Barcelona. They have been showing inconsistent performances & during the weekend, they let slip a 2 goal lead to lose 3-2 away to Betis in the Spanish league. An embarassing collapse, that, & a blow to their hopes of winning the Spanish championship. It's hard to tell quite how Barcelona will react to that massive setback. If they carry that patcy form into the Champions League, then Schalke are quite capable of causing a shock. However, if they can put that setback behind them, then they should beat Schalke. As it is (& perhaps I'm biased), I tip Barcelona to go through, but not by a huge margin.

Fenerbahce v Chelsea:

Turkish giants Fenerbahce caused quite a sensation by dumping highly fancied Spanish outfit Sevilla out in the previous round. That must be considered quite an achievement, given the talented footballers Sevilla have at their disposal. For that reason, it would be foolish to underestimate Fenerbahce. However, I still think Chelsea should have the measure of them & more. Chelsea look to have too much all round experience, & do have a bigger & better squad than Fenerbahce. For that reason, I think Chelsea will once again reach the Champions League semi-finals. But don't expect a walkover, for Fenerbahce should be tough to beat in Turkey. However, when they travel to London, it will be a different story altogether. And that's where this tie will be decided in the Londoners' favour.

Arsenal v Liverpool:

England's top 4 clubs have done very well in the Champions League this season. Two of them meet each other in the "all-English" quarter-final tie. Seasoned campaigners Liverpool travel to London to face talented Arsenal. Given their experience & European pedigree, some have considered Liverpool as the side no one wants to face in the Champions League. Many have said that they will be too experienced for Arsenal to handle. But then again, Arsenal were also written off when they were drawn against last year's Champions League winners Milan in the previous round. And guess what happened? Arsenal showed what they are capable of, knocking off the defending champions on their home ground. So having eliminated Milan, Arsenal will have no real reason to fear Liverpool, even though they may be the less experienced of the two sides. This will be a tactical battle between the respective coaches - Arsenal's Wenger & Liverpool's Benitez. Who will win the tactical battle, that's anyone's guess. But Arsenal are more talented than Liverpool & over both legs, I actually think Arsenal will narrowly edge it.

WrestleMania 24 - a review of sorts

OK, WrestleMania24 has come & gone. So let's look at how my predictions went.

Hmmm, looks like many of my predictions proved correct:

Randy Orton did retain the WWE Championship belt.
The Undertaker did extend his unbeaten WrestleMania streak to 16-0.
Kane did win the Battle Royal before WrestleMania & then win the ECW Championship during WM itself.
Shawn Michaels did beat Rick Flair in the retirement match, thus forcing Flair to retire. The next day on Raw, they had a Flair retirement address, & Triple H had the everyone in WWE (the entire roster, referees, officials etc) come out to farewell him. Thanks for the memories, Rick.
Batista did beat Umaga (not the result I wanted).
JBL did beat Finlay, despite the best efforts of Hornswoggle to help Finlay.

Where I had my predictions wrong:

CM Punk won Money in the Bank Ladder Match (I tipped Jericho to win), so he will have a future title shot at the belt of his choice (he can choose from WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, ECW Championship).
Ashley & Maria didn't win the BunnyMania Lumberjack match - Beth Phoenix & Melina did.
And....The Big Show lost to Floyd Mayweather. Yeah, the wrestler who is more than 7 foot tall lost to a professional boxer in wrestling! But apparently, Mayweather had help from his crew, which was legal because the match was "no disqualification", meaning anything goes. So Mayweather managed to gain the win.

All in all, I don't think I did badly at all with the predictions!