Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Switching!

I've been updating my site at multiply quite often, so pls feel free to drop by and have a look and a listen to the material i've got there!

here's the link http://ravinderjit.multiply.com

HAve fun!

Industrial Training

Hah!

It's been almost two months since my last posT! That's not good eh? Anyways, I begin my Industrial training today at STATSChipPac, a semiconductor company!

Its all fun for the moment, looking at the frontline of production, but the real engineering starts tomorrow, when we have to actually oversee prodcution for our clients!

More soon...

Saturday, September 09, 2006

How un-Malaysian are you?

Here's something that I found while surfing the net...

Its a test about how un-Malaysian you could turn out to be...

here's my results...

Congratulations Ravinderjit Singh, you are 27% not Malaysian.

That means you're as Malaysian as...


Michelle Yeoh!

How Un-Malaysian Are You? TRy the Test!

Friday, August 18, 2006

Gonzales saves the DAy....


Mark Gonzales lived up to all the hype surrounding him and practically saved Liverpools arses with his first contribution on the field the other day agains Macabi Haifa....Sad the Haifa cant play the returning leg on hte home ground...freaking Israelis...

Love live Gonzales..

Monday, August 07, 2006

Missing in action

I've been missing since before the World Cup. But I have reasons...

1. I was in Germany for the World Cup
2. When I got back, I had to prepare for the Rainforest World Music Fesitval 2006
3. I was at Rainforest World Music Fesitval 2006
4. When I got back, it was smack in the middle of midterms...
5. My exams are going on now!!

I will update everything soon, tough!!

Till then, watch this space!!

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Sven pulled a rabbit out of the hat!!

England's famously cautious manager Sven-Goran Eriksson appears to have unearthed a previously unseen dangerous streak - at least as far as football is concerned - now that he has been unburdened with facing any repercussions of his actions.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers:
Robinson (Tottenham)
James (Man City)
Green (Norwich),
Defenders:
G Neville (Man United)
R Ferdinand (Man United)
Terry (Chelsea)
A Cole (Arsenal)
Campbell (Arsenal)
Carragher (Liverpool)
Bridge (Chelsea) Midfielders:
Beckham (Real Madrid)
Carrick (Tottenham)
Lampard (Chelsea)
Gerrard (Liverpool)
Hargreaves (Bayern Munich)
Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough)
J Cole (Chelsea)
Lennon (Tottenham) Strikers:
Rooney (Man United)
Owen (Newcastle)
Crouch (Liverpool)
Walcott (Arsenal)
The Swede will quit his post with England after their elimination, or triumph, at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and chose to make his last, and most important, squad selection the boldest of his six-year tenure. At England's stage-managed press conference on Monday Eriksson laughed and joked as his 23 man preliminary World Cup squad was unveiled, which contained some startling omissions and inclusions that, by Eriksson's own admission, defied logic. With all attention and conjecture focused intensely on his injury-hit striking line-up Eriksson foiled all sweepstakes on the permutations of his possible selection by naming uncapped 17-year-old striker Theo Walcott as one of only four forwards. Who? You know, the former Southampton striker that has not played a single game for his new club Arsenal since his £12million move in the January transfer window. And while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's track record of identifying talented youngsters is largely unrivalled, and Walcott's potential is unquestioned, quite why that is enough to win a place on the plane to Germany is mystifying. Walcott's entire league career only amounts to 1,334 minutes and four goals. It would be fair to surmise that no other country taking part in Germany 2006 will be taking a player who has not played a solitary game for his club this season. The inclusion of Walcott, who will become England's youngest-ever player if he takes part in any of the three pre-tournament warm-up matches, is all the more baffling given that Eriksson has only named a striking quartet, rather than the expected quintet, and two of those who have made the final cut are currently injured. Talismanic 20-year-old Wayne Rooney is nursing a broken metatarsal and, at an optimistic estimate, will only return for the quarter-final stages of the World Cup if he enjoys an amazingly rapid recovery. The Manchester United striker took 14 weeks to return from his previous metatarsal injury. Eriksson hopes the oxygen tent Rooney now sleeps in can reduce that time by half. Meanwhile, Michael Owen, Eriksson's most experience and prolific striker, is himself recovering from a metatarsal injury and was not fit enough to take his place in the Newcastle United team that beat Chelsea 1-0 at the weekend. It is a universally accepted truth that Owen is not a player who can quickly return to match sharpness after an injury lay-off and it takes five to six weeks for the 26-year-old to regain any semblance of his previous quality. Owen's old coach at Liverpool, Phil Thompson, has already voiced concerns that his former charge will be off the pace until the knockout stages of the Finals - despite having matches against Belarus, Hungary and Jamaica to aid the ex-Real Madrid forward in his fitness race. In a worst case scenario England could be left with Liverpool's 6'7" striker Peter Crouch and Walcott as their only fit strikers. The pair total only five caps between them and all belong to Crouch. Walcott has only represented England at U17 level and Crouch has only played in one competitive international. Eriksson's explanation for this uncharacteristic behaviour? 'Sometimes things work out without being logic,' the Swede chuckled - although I am beginning to suspect he is in fact an impostor.



Brother Sven and His Bunch Of Knights!!

It is a radical change for Eriksson who has traditionally erred on the side of caution and opted for experience over raw talent. It may have been fathomable, if somewhat unexpected, if the England manager had turned to 31-year-old Robbie Fowler, whose form has just won him a one-year contract with Liverpool, or 40-year-old West Ham United striker Teddy Sheringham whom the role Rooney occupies for England is named after - the Sheringham role. Both would have been a major surprise but neither as much as the inclusion of untested and unproven Walcott. Charlton Athletic striker Darren Bent must be wondering what else he could have done to win a place in the final squad. The 22-year-old is the leading English scorer in the Premiership despite playing for a club in free-fall. And to be ousted by Walcott clearly hurts: 'I am obviously really disappointed,' Bent said in a statement. 'I wasn't taking anything for granted and knew that it was by no means certain that I would be included, but being the leading English goalscorer in the Premiership I was very hopeful of being included.' The disillusioned striker didn't even make the stand-by list. Tottenham's Jermain Defoe and Andy Johnson, who plays for Crystal Palace in the Championship, take those places. Eriksson's new found taste for the unknown also extends to the midfield where many fans will be pleased to see Middlesbrough sensation Stewart Downing (one cap) as cover for the left-wing when he returns from Wednesday's UEFA Cup final and Tottenham's Aaron Lennon (uncapped) as cover for the right. The duo join all the usual suspects in midfield, but at the expense of Shaun Wright-Phillip's, whose ill advised move from Manchester City to Chelsea's bench has proven very costly. At The back their is an abundance of experience and despite the absence of injured Tottenham centre-back Ledley King, Eriksson's selection can boast over 300 caps between them. Overall Eriksson has opted for a very talented an attacking squad and his new found care-free selection policy has the nation focused, even if only briefly, on something other than Rooney's injury. It remains to be seen if the England manager's new found taste for risk taking will transfer itself to the pitch when needed - if his team need to chase a game for instance. Thus far his tenure has been marked with caution, but could this late change in attitude be just what England need at the Finals?

Friday, May 05, 2006

Great Clips

Check out these great four clips...pay special attention to the last one!!










Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Parisian Encounter...

It's exaggerating things just a bit to state that we have the Champions League final everyone wanted. There is after all the small matter of Milan and Villarreal fans' feelings to take into account.


What's not to like? Barca star Ronaldinho.

However, can anyone deny that Barcelona v Arsenal in one of the world's most magnificent capitals represents anything other than a mouth-watering prospect? Fair enough. If we want to be pernickety about it, the game itself takes place in the north-eastern suburb of St. Denis, rather than in central Paris itself. But let's not allow such trivial matters get in the way of our dream final. Often in recent years, the Champions League decider (can we not still call it the European Cup final?) has rather got lost in the commotion of World Cup build-up. Somehow, I don't sense such danger on the horizon in 2006. Stylistically, Barcelona and Arsenal favour playing their football in a manner that attracts the uncommitted. That is of course, if you disregard Arsenal's woefully unadventurous semi-final second leg performance at the Madrigal! Until that game I had never considered Arsenal a defensive side. I still can't quite bring myself to that conclusion, even though parsimony has prevailed over panache in this incredible Champions League run. It's difficult to imagine that Arsène Wenger himself believed his normally free-flowing, risk embracing team could reach the final on the back of a competition record 10 successive clean sheets: a grand total of 919 minutes without shipping a goal, and still counting. All this with a makeshift back four for whom Ivorians Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué have excelled. Still, defending superbly is one thing. Repelling Barcelona is another matter altogether. I'm in the privileged position of getting to see a lot of the blaugrana. I'll concede that they've lost a little bit of their dynamism in recent weeks, and one can justifiably put that down to the thigh injury young Leo Messi picked up on 7 March against Chelsea. But with or without Messi, Barcelona are an absolute joy to watch. Only a philistine could fail to enjoy the verve and charisma of Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Deco. Frank Rijkaard's back four is unfairly maligned. Critics of Oleguer, Gio Van Bronckhorst and goalkeeper Victor Valdes have tried to tell me they're suspect, but surely they're clutching at straws. Have we forgotten that the only goals they've conceded in the knockout stages were an own goal by Thiago Motta at Stamford Bridge, and a dubious stoppage time penalty in the return leg against the Premiership champions? They do tend to play high up the park as a unit, and can be vulnerable to swift balls over the top. This could be grist to Thierry Henry's mill. Certainly the linking up of Cesc Fabregas and his fellow midfield players with the Arsenal captain will have to be much better than it was in Villarreal the other night, if the Gunners are to take advantage.


The Arsenal players celebrate reaching the final of the Champions League in Paris.

I'll have more to say about the match itself in this space as we get closer to the big night. However, it would be remiss of me if I didn't let regular viewers of ESPNSoccernet Press Pass know that we'll be in Paris well ahead of time to bring you lively discussion from our set overlooking the Champs-Elysses. If you enjoyed our shows from Istanbul last year, you're in for more of the same. Our programme on Monday 15 May will be on air at the usual time with a rich Parisien flavour. Tommy Smyth and Janusz Michallik will be with me to help set the table for the week's events. We'll also be with you the following day, Tuesday 16 May, with a special 'eve of the big game' show. Then, on the night of the final, our ESPN coverage begins forty-five minutes before the game and runs until, well, every angle has been covered. As Barcelona and Arsenal fans can testify, tickets are at a premium. An allocation of just over 20,000 per team has been set aside by UEFA, and it's not as if we're talking about two teams with paltry followings. So if getting to Paris is a journey too far, or too difficult, rest assured you'll be able to savour the before, during, and after with us on ESPN. In the meantime, I'm trying to assure Mr. Smyth 'with a y' that escargots are indeed good for you - tasty too.

Money...Penny!!

No returns, no refunds, no satisfaction guaranteed: the football transfer market can be a harsh place, as even the finest managers have discovered.

And even the biggest cheque cannot ensure a successful signing... as the 10 worst signings of the last 12 months prove.

Abel Xavier

• 10. Abel Xavier (Middlesbrough, free)
A one-man boon to the peroxide industry, he illuminated the Riverside, albeit with a beard that, if it glowed any more, would be radioactive. Sadly, his performances were less memorable. Indeed Xavier only managed four matches - one a home defeat to Sunderland - before failing a drug test. His protestations of innocence have fallen on deaf ears; perhaps those four games were enough to convince Steve McClaren he was better off with Stuart Parnaby.

• 9. Zvonimir Vukic (Portsmouth, undisclosed)
It could have been almost any of the arrivals under Alain Perrin; indeed, even in his moment of triumph after preserving Portsmouth's Premiership status, Harry Redknapp was open in his contempt for his predecessor's signings. There were 15 players, he said, who were not good enough to play for Portsmouth. Without a doubt, Zvonimir Vukic was one such. Undistinguished as he appeared, the Serbia and Montenegro midfielder was hardly helped by Perrin's baffling 3-3-3-1 formation. He has vanished under Redknapp, eventually leaving for Partizan Belgrade on a free at the end of the January transfer window, and this is one undisclosed signing that Portsmouth won't be rushing to disclose.

• 8. Per Kroldrup (Everton, £5million)
As compliments go, 'looked good in pre-season' ranks up there with 'good in training'; the unspoken implication is that they are less useful in competitive matches. Dane Per Kroldrup did indeed impress in pre-season, but injuries and a swift decision by David Moyes that he was insufficiently aggressive for the Premiership meant he was limited to a solitary league start. And even that was a 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa. After six months, Moyes cut his losses and sold Kroldrup for £3million, preferring to bring back his predecessor, 34-year-old Alan Stubbs, on a free transfer.

• 7. Diomansy Kamara (West Brom, £1.5million)
While Nathan Ellington and, before his departure, Robert Earnshaw were regular sights on the bench at West Brom, Diomansy Kamara was alone among Bryan Robson's five forwards in invariably starting. Whether as a striker or a left winger, his pace posed problems. The difficulty for West Brom was the Senegalese's capacity to fail to score from practically anywhere. Misses against Aston Villa and Birmingham must rank among the costliest of the season, and he still has a solitary Premiership goal for Albion.

• 6. Walter Pandiani (Birmingham, £3million)
Like a poor man's Christophe Dugarry, he excelled on loan and then failed miserably when the deal was made permanent. Birmingham, however, were £2million poorer after a six-month stint that only yielded two goals. The brothers Gold and David Sullivan can surely afford it, but it set the tone for a season where Birmingham's strikers belied big reputations, price tags and salaries by consistently not scoring.

• 5. Wilfred Bouma (Aston Villa, £3.5million)
He arrived as a flagship signing, as part of David O'Leary's long-term plan to upgrade the Aston Villa squad. He ended the season, along with all his team-mates, available for transfer. And in between, little went right for Wilfred Bouma. There was a particularly inauspicious debut - a 4-0 defeat to West Ham - a miserable record (five wins in 20 games) and a demotion to the bench, even when Olof Mellberg, Martin Laursen and Mark Delaney were all injured. If further proof of Guus Hiddink's managerial qualities were required, he contrived to take a team including Bouma to the Champions League semi-finals. O'Leary is unlikely to emulate him.

• 4. Jon Stead (Sunderland, £1.8million)
Much of Mick McCarthy's transfer policy can be faulted. A seeming insistence on signing a striker from the Championship resulted in the arrival of Andy Gray (one goal in 22 games). Jon Stead was a rare recruit from the Premiership and has proved still less prolific. He broke his Sunderland duck in his 30th game; his recent record stands at three goals in 67 matches. Reasons abound for Sunderland's relegation, but buying a two-goal strike partnership ranks high among them.

• 3. Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea, £21million)
At Manchester City, he was perhaps the Premiership's best right winger, prolific in an average team and a beguiling combination of fearsome pace and a ferocious shot. At Chelsea, seemingly weighed down by an enormous price tag and confused by Jose Mourinho's definition of a winger, he has failed to score in 37 games. Indeed, he did not rate a place among the substitutes for the FA Cup semi-final, nor rate a mention when Mourinho berated his out-of-form wingers. Yet when he joined Chelsea, John Terry said Wright-Phillips had as much ability as Wayne Rooney; now, their World Cup places are in jeopardy for very different reasons. Another, rather cheaper, move is surely required.

Asier Del Horno

• 2. Asier del Horno (Chelsea, £8million)
Jose Mourinho feels that rightful credit is denied him because of Chelsea's wealth. Soccernet, however, is keen to remedy that; two of the Premiership's three worst signings, at a combined cost of £32million, are Mourinho's buys. Asier del Horno, the league's most expensive left back, has only served to illustrate how William Gallas excels out of position on his flank. Del Horno's despairing lunge at Lionel Messi was a prime cause of Chelsea's Champions League exit and, substituted in the first half against Portsmouth and at the interval against Liverpool, he has become accustomed to not completing games. It is hard to envisage him seeing out his contract at Stamford Bridge, either.

• 1. Albert Luque (Newcastle, £9.5 million)
The Spanish economy has benefited to the tune of £15million from Newcastle's generosity in recent years. First there was Marcelino, the defender sidelined by the most insignificant of injuries. And now there is Albert Luque, signed as the supply line to Alan Shearer and Michael Owen and instead thoroughly upstaged by the teenager Charles N'Zogbia. Newcastle supporters could have been forgiven for wondering whether they had lost their grasp on sanity when Real Madrid expressed an interest in Luque, despite his fine record with Deportivo la Coruna. Because, often omitted from the matchday 16, he has only managed six Premiership starts and one, rather meaningless, goal against Sunderland. When Graeme Souness blunders in the transfer market - as Jean-Alain Boumsong shows - he does so catastrophically; had they succeeded, the Scot might still have a job. Newcastle's next manager may care to note that, at the moment, excelling in La Liga appears a guarantee of infamy on Tyneside.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Final Curtain...

Few get to choose the timing of their exit, let alone the manner. Though slightly premature, Alan Shearer's departure - the wounded warrior limping off after gunning down his major rivals - provided still more reasons for his folk hero status on Tyneside.




Dennis Bergkamp may yet have the most unexpected finale; an infrequent visitor to the continent in recent seasons, he could end his career in a Champions League final. The decision may be taken for Duncan Ferguson, who is yet to confirm his retirement. But it would be a sign of desperation if Everton were to renew his contract. The leading striker of their generation from England, Holland and Scotland respectively have little in common. Shearer's career total of 409 goals is awesome; Bergkamp has topped 250 for club and country, and created still more. But despite 12 years in English football, Ferguson is stuck on 98 goals south of the border. Each curtailed his international career. Shearer, perhaps to spare himself the indignity of being dropped, channelled his attentions into Newcastle. Bergkamp spared himself the terror of flights to Japan and South Korea. Ferguson quit in a fit of pique at the SFA that never ended; while there are similarities between the international records of Shearer and Bergkamp (30 goals in 63 games versus 36 in 79), he never scored for Scotland. Shearer is often described as the last of a dying breed - though Dean Ashton and James Beattie, each with a vested interest in extending the lifespan of the classic English number nine, may disagree - but what does that make Ferguson? A hybrid of Nat Lofthouse and Mike Tyson, he induced palpitations from otherwise fearless central defenders and left a trail of destruction, but little legacy for younger strikers. Bergkamp, meanwhile, can trace his heritage in Dutch football back to Johan Cruyff, yet he is a one-off, a classic number 10 but demonstrably unique. Descriptions of Bergkamp vary. He has long been called an artist, but Arsene Wenger prefers to brand him a scientist; look at the cool analysis of the situation, the perfect calculation of the angle and weight of the precise pass to bisect a defence. If he paints a picture, in other words, it is for a purpose, though he has illuminated the game in the process. Shearer, in contrast, is more of a master craftsman; it is testament to his perfectionism that, whatever the angle or distance, he hits the target with a higher percentage of efforts than most of his rivals. He had the mental strength to recover from two cruciate ligament injuries, whereas Bergkamp's penalty-taking days were ended by Peter Schmeichel's semi-final spot kick save in 1999. Perhaps the imagination required to conceive of, and execute, some of the most beautiful goals of the last decade, prohibited further torment from 12 yards. Any selection of Bergkamp's best highlights a rare delicacy and a tendency to eschew the powerful for the deft, the dipping, the curling and the immaculate.




Think of his hat-trick against Leicester in 1997, his winner for Holland against Argentina the following year or the improbable goal against Newcastle in 2002, the product of an inventive turn to deceive Nikos Dabizas. Arguably Shearer's finest, against Everton that same year, was a consequence of ferocious power. Polar opposites in much, their conception of an ideal strike partnership is very different. Shearer was at his happiest alongside a forward with similar aerial ability, whether Mike Newell, Chris Sutton, Teddy Sheringham or Ferguson; even when pace had deserted him, he hoped to profit from their flick-ons. His was a single-minded pursuit of goals whereas Bergkamp's became fewer and further in between as he retreated into midfield. Genuine speed, a commodity that would have made both still better, has been a feature of his accomplices in attack, whether the ungrateful Nicolas Anelka, Ian Wright or Patrick Kluivert, especially in his younger days. In the least conventional of strike partnerships, Thierry Henry owes much to Bergkamp, as he is often quick to acknowledge. The former drops deep, the latter floats out to the left wing; centre-backs, invariably aware of Shearer's presence, have no-one to mark. Loyalty, however, is a common denominator. Both have a testimonial to reward lengthy and dedicated service (Ferguson, despite the Everton tattoos, does not qualify for one; he was complicit in a lucrative move to Tyneside behind manager Walter Smith's back). Shearer, pragmatic in so much else, allowed his heart to follow his head in his choice of his hometown club Newcastle. It has enabled him to build a power base unrivalled by another player in English football; captain, penalty taker and focal point of the team. Bergkamp, in contrast, has shunned the limelight while the public face of Arsenal has gone from Tony Adams to Patrick Vieira to Henry. Whereas managers dropping Shearer have had an unfortunate habit of returning to the job market, Bergkamp has been omitted and withstood the challenges of Kanu and Sylvain Wiltord to re-emerge as a vital member of Arsene Wenger's side. For each of the three strikers, the question can fairly be posed of if they played on for one year too many. Should Bergkamp, increasingly unable to make Wenger's team, bow out in the Champions League final, he will have his answer. Shearer has Jackie Milburn's record to show for his extra season. Ferguson, however, scored his sole goal at the wrong end of the pitch and incurred a seven-match ban. Indeed, though his suspensions amount to almost an entire league campaign, his club and FA fines to around £250,000, the Scot has never lost his swagger when dismissed.




Shearer and Bergkamp, each prone to flashes of temper camouflaged by an image of model professionalism and an ice-cool façade respectively, took less pleasure in leaving the field. But few have provided as many variants of violent conduct, or inflicted as much damage on central and eastern Europeans on a football field as the Scot. It reflects ill on the criminal fraternity that two of their number were stupid enough to burgle Ferguson's house. So Duncan Disorderly - and there are few more evocative nicknames - is unlikely to be forgotten, at least by cowering defenders. Shearer, meanwhile, is invariably acclaimed by the old pros' network as the Premiership's finest player - though Eric Cantona would win many votes and Henry this nomination - Bergkamp's significance, over and above 121 goals in 434 games for Arsenal, should not be forgotten. Shearer's success was built on British teams, rooted in a traditional style of play; Bergkamp was essential in the creation of the most cosmopolitan and progressive side in the Premiership. It is a clash of cultures and, despite their domestic troubles, Wenger's brand of total football could conquer the continent. Even if his Dutch master is not on the pitch, Bergkamp deserves his share of the credit for their transformation. Statistically, Shearer is an astonishing player. Aesthetically and technically, Bergkamp is. But while Ferguson's notoriety guarantees his ongoing fame and Shearer merits his place in both the record books and Geordie hearts, Bergkamp will live longest in the memory.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Reds gives Chelski the Blues!!

What a match!! What style and grace shown by Liverpool, credit to Chelsea for giving us a hard time in the last 30 mins...

In a match of many plusses for both teams, there was the sore thumb of sour-puss MOAN-rinho and his now expected post match interviews...

Here's some of ill-advised comments:

'Did the best team win today? I don't think so. In the last 30 minutes we deserved extra time.'

Same Re-used comments after the Champs Lge game last season, get fresh you moron!!

'In the first half nobody was better. They had a good start to the second half but then we dominated the game. I cannot wish them luck in the final. Middlesbrough and West Ham will be there and I must respect them.'

NOW you talk of respecting them...what happend to respecting Boro after they thumped you guys at the Bridge? And what about those comments you made about Harewood being short on IQ and not too smart? Nobody was better, have a look at the stats and the recording of the match afterwards, we walked all over you for the first hour...and credit for you ove the last 30 mins...thats what class sides do...fight until the end!!

'In the Premiership they have no chance. Over 40 matches no chance. Maybe they will surprise me and they can do it.'

Everybody has a divine right to make comments, and I respect that. But, pay attention to his second sentence...there's doubt at the back of his mind....

'But in 10 matches against us they have won twice. In the Premiership the distance between the teams is 45 points over two seasons. We beat them in a final, they beat us in two semi-finals. A psychological advantage? I don't think so.'

Yes you did beat us comprehensively in the EPL on all four occasions, and we note that and congratulate you on that. Who they hell counts points over two seasons? They only count that matters is that last season we were a massive 30 points behind, and this season we have halfed that into 15, and even if we dont win the league next season, halving that 15 points will mean progress.

You beat us in a final? The Carling Cup? Big deal!! That is the lowest ranked Cup in Endlands, top flight...altough we give you credit for doing a Cup and League double in your first season.

Here's the fact; We beat you in two very important and crucial semi-finals man, add that to he fact that these we better and bigger cup competitions, The Champs Lge and now the FA Cup...how bout it? These are the two thropies that you yearn to win...and you must be buring inside cause we beat you to the ultimate title in Europe and now have a chance to stake claim to the world's most prestigious Cup competition....look and weep, jerk!!

'In four matches in the Premiership we beat them four times.'

Duly noted, its something we have to improve on. But here's the catch, in the two Champs Lge group games, we were better and at the end, the two draws against us resulted in you being paired with Barcelona, and eventually getting kicked out of the tourney!!

'When the referee gives such important decisions against your team in a semi-final it doesn't smell good and it wasn't a free-kick for Liverpool's first goal,'

Yes, it is important for the referee to make good decisions, but dont take it personally man...the referee and both of his assisants were spot on throughout!!

Jamie Reeves and Steve McMahon both said that it was a dangerous tackle, and it could have injured somebody...so credit to Graham Poll for making the right decision...

'John Terry's goal should have stood and for the second goal we made a defensive mistake. We missed two good chances in the first half and at the end and the same thing happened with Gudjohnsen's miss in last season's Champions League final. If you don't take them in these games it costs you.'

How true, same thing cost us in the match against Benfica, but i dont see Rafa talking cock after that defeat or any defeat for that matter...

'I wish them luck for their qualification match in the Champions League.'

Thanks mate!! And here's to hoping that you guys hammer the lights out of Man Utd!!

A bit of advice my friend, learn how to be gracious in defeat...it will do you and your team good, even Sir Alex can be gracious in defeat....and he's the all time sour-puss...

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Cheeky Lil Goals!!

Check out these lung busting goals!! Last one is too much though!!

STICKMAN!!

Watch the clip....lotsa fun...the stickman is actually a Korean Guy who doesnt play footy professionally, but makes a living by doing adverts and showing off his skills with a a ball!!

A Bit of Fun in the Sun...

Here's a clip of Ronaldinho having some fun with the ball during training...brings a smile to your face anytime!!

Respect!!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Relive THAT moment from Istanbul....Real Clips...

Earlier was that awesome clip done by a truly truly mad footy fan...but this time i've got the real thing from Istanbul....Join in after haltime....and watch the clips as we claw back to 3-3!!

Gerrard Makes it 3-1



Smicer Wonder...3-2



Xabi's Nerves of Steel...3-3!!

I took a train down memory lane!!

I recently had a look in on a greeat goal by Stevie G....

Masters of Goalkeeping

Often when we see a skill by an outfielder, we are amazed beyond belief and that piece of skill stays in our mind and we try to re-enact it of the field when we play qith our mates.

More often than not, we tend to forget that lonely figure between the posts, often beradded for small mistakes but not always given due recognition when pulling off a master class save!!

the Next clip us a tribute to the greats between the posts, with the highlights being Rene "The Scorpion" Heguita and Jerzy Dudek's tripel save off Arsenal...

The clip is aptly titled..."Goalkeepers are CRazy"

The Great Entertainer!!

There's an on-going debate amongnst the footballing pundits of the world on whether Ronaldinho is quite in the class of Pele or Maradona...or have the ability to dictate games like Cryuff or Beckenbauer did...

He's not going to get any worse, and at 26, still has time to develope into a true great, but for now, his a joy to watch, the great entertainer....


Flamboyant Referee...

Check out this clip...the referee is a tad bit to "ballerina" for me...but he gets the job done and the message across...what message Im not too sure....

Keep a look out for the heartfelt acknowledgement of the fans at the end...

Rafalution In Dire Need of a Striker...

With his innate modesty and slightly faltering English, Rafael Benitez is not given to self-promotion. He does not seek to create a cult of personality; he eschews cheap gestures to increase his popularity. Yet, in a move few PR gurus could have conceived of, his decision in January to grant Robbie Fowler an Anfield homecoming made a Champions League winner still more liked on Merseyside.




It is starting to look a footballing masterstroke, too. Fowler has scored in three successive games - against Bolton, West Brom and Blackburn - and his return of four goals in seven starts now bears resemblance to his strike rate in a rather lengthier first spell at Liverpool. It has brought expressions of admiration for Fowler's enduring ability to accomplish football's hardest task from both Sam Allardyce and Mark Hughes. He will not be unemployed next season but, with three games of his extended job interview at Anfield remaining, his future remains unresolved. However, if the groundswell of public opinion behind Fowler is yet to sway Benitez; will the visible sharpness that eluded him at Manchester City? The Spaniard's focus may be on the bigger picture as he looks to reshape his forward line. When Benfica ended their defence of the Champions League, Liverpool's four strikers had a combined tally of one goal in 44 games for the club in 2006. It appeared feasible that each could be deemed surplus to requirements. A belated rediscovery of clinical finishing, however, hardly serves as confirmation that all will stay. Indeed, while Benitez has already tied up deals for defenders Gabriel Paletta and Fabio Aurelio and continues his ongoing battle to secure a work permit for Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez, it is a safe assumption that he plans to channel much of his summer budget into striking replacements. Supposed targets range from the fanciful to the predictable, from Raul to Michael Owen via Craig Bellamy, Jermain Defoe, David Villa and Dirk Kuijt. Though only Fowler's contract expires in the summer, someone will, like El-Hadji Diouf and Milan Baros before them, be able to testify that Benitez possesses a ruthless streak. Mention of the Czech brings Djibril Cisse to mind; both seem to have an endless capacity to frustrate Benitez. The Frenchman, lest we forget, was not Benitez's signing. Gerard Houllier's parting gift has been shifted to the right flank where, especially when he has a slow left back in his sights, he can be devastating. Yet confirmation of his unreliability came at Blackburn on Sunday; two presentable opportunities to seal victory were spurned though, as he struck the woodwork on both occasions, the margins could hardly have been finer. But Benitez's non-committal replies about his future after Cisse inspired a turnaround in the Super Cup provided an early indication that his manager will never double up as president of his fan club. Aided by penalties and strikes in the qualifying round of the Champions League, he has spent the season as the highest-placed Liverpool forward in the goalscoring charts - albeit trailing captain Steven Gerrard - yet the attack has been constructed around Peter Crouch; scoring, evidently, is not Benitez's only consideration. Much as Cisse's prolific past suggests French clubs are aware they could profit from a return to his native land, Fernando Morientes surely retains the respect of many in Spanish football. Liverpool represents the sole stain on his otherwise impressive CV and, judging from the competition for his signature when he arrived at Anfield, his availability should spark interest from La Liga.



Whereas Cisse and Baros, each prone to being caught by a well-drilled offside trap and liable to take the wrong decisions in promising situations, lacked the footballing intelligence Benitez seemingly requires, it may defy explanation for the Liverpool manager that a player of Morientes' pedigree and consistent achievement could rank among his most ill-advised signings. Yet he has proved uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal and, despite his stated intention, has been unable to reinvent himself as a 'number 10', a deeper-lying striker who can link play. Eleven goals in 55 games represents a miserable return and, confined to the bench for a month before facing Blackburn, opportunities are running out. His unselfish assist for Fowler's goal at Ewood Park was a rare reminder of Morientes' quality; indeed the combination of the pair providing the cerebral attributes of the quartet - Crouch's height and Cisse's speed provides much of their value - was unusual in itself; perhaps it was merely indicative that the FA Cup semi-final is Benitez's main priority. And, barring injury, Crouch will start. Though he has struck 12 times since the start of December, Benitez clearly doesn't judge his tallest striker by his goal tally alone. Instead, he is the pivot of Liverpool's attack, a focal point who can provide a foil to more athletic attacking midfielders. That Benitez persevered with Crouch in his lengthy goal drought shows he warmed to the Englishman's ungainly variant of the target man role, offering a selflessness his manager clearly values. That Benitez's Valencia often lacked consistent goalscorers in attack and relied heavily on the midfield for match winners provides an interesting comparison. So, too, does his fondness for 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1. Each, of course, makes establishing a forward partnership harder but, besides guaranteeing the future of Crouch, invariably preferred when he only fields one forward, benefits Luis Garcia. Whether as the supplementary striker or makeshift winger, his versatility provides options. Moreover, while consistent scoring eludes Garcia, his tally of 23 in two seasons exceeds those of all bar Gerrard, and with an aptitude for the big occasion and a fondness for the spectacular, a high proportion have been either memorable or important. To return to Benitez's summer dilemma, it is barely conceivable that Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United would covet Crouch, yet, of the four main strikers, he should be most confident of his future. The success of his combination with Fowler against Bolton may bode well for both, yet while public opinion may play less of a role in the Spaniard's decision as the success of his bids for new recruits, his second coming seems likelier to be extended for another year. And while the £14 million forward, Cisse, and the £6 million striker, Morientes, appear to be headed for the Anfield exit, the man signed for nothing - twice - is making the most persuasive case to stay.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Clueless Malaysians Get Thumped by Classy French!!

Malaysia have been sufferring embarassing defeats at the BDO Hockey World Cup Qualifiers. They lost twice so far....one to the unheralded and lower ranked, but highly industrious and bullet-fast Japanese...and then getting bullied all over the pitch by the mighty Koreans!!

They managed to salvage some pride with a win over the Chinese, with only Kelvinder Singh and keeper Nasihin Nubli playing well!!

So, it comes as no suprise when they were thumped out of this world by the quite suprisingly classy French outfit 4-1.

The French have only ever qualified for the World Cup once, way back in 1990, but they did finish a very respectable 7th. They have always had problems qualifiying because of European giants Germany and Spain (only two places for Europe) and they looks hell-bent like taking advantage adn going all the way in China!!

*Note that the French team are the 4th ranked team in world indoor hockey!!*

Only GOD knows now wheter these lot who are clueless all over the pitch can still make it to Germany via the playoffs?

Read the full match report at BDO HOCKEY WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Monday, April 17, 2006

Cahill's on a High!!
















Here's s photo of Gary Cahill's killer goal against Birmingham!! Look how high he is!!
(Photo Courtesy of Sky Sports cameraman's HP Camera)

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Hi Tea With the PM!












Good ol' Malkith singh looks in the pink of health along side our beloved PM. Hats off to Malkith for pulling off the event...and hats off to the PM for the apology on missing last years Open House!!
Looks like loads of fun!! Too bad I missed it!

KUDOS TO CAHILL!!
















Aston Villa's young defender Gary Cahill might have scored what is a cotender for goal of the season, after a goal mouth scaramble...the ball was flighted into the box by James Milner and Cahill was 5 feet of the ground when he attemped to side-volley the ball!!

Have a look at the picture!!

Amazing!!

Happy Birthday RAFA!!
















Liverpool and in particular Robbie Fowler, gave manager Rafa Benitez cause to celebrate on his 46th birthday!! A composed, albeit controversial goal scored by the Toxeth Terror settled a stop-start match in which Liverpool were reasonably comfortable...

Reasonably because the ever dangerous Morten Gamst Pedersen had a left-foot right wing corner nearly curl into the goal if Blackburn's skipper Ryan Nelson hadnt attemp to head it in!!

Overall, it was good win and sets us up nicely for the FA Cup match against Chelsea on a high...7 straight wins (6 in the league and THAT thumping FA Cup victory at St. Andrews!!), 22 goals scored(I might have left out a goal or two...doesnt matter, since we've scored too many!!) and only 3 conceded!!

Plus there was extra cheer for many of us Kopites as Rafa's body languange and comments seemed to suggest that "GOD" will be at Anfield next season!! The key moment during Rafa's post-match interview that suggested so was his closing statement..."It will be good for Robbie, it will be good for me, and it will be good for the fans!!"

Malaysia Gets First win at the Qualifiers!!



Malaysia finally got the win they were looking for, beating hosts China by two goals to nil. The goals were scored by Tengku Ahmad "Zidane" Tajuddin and Ismail Abu, but the main reason for the victory was the impressive debut of Kelvinder Singh. Kelvin looked sharp and quick throughout the match and was too much to handle for the Chinese defenders. Kudos to coach Wallace Tan for being bold in selection, and with the other results going topsy tury, Malaysia can still harbour hopes of finishing second in the group, providing they play like this and win all their remaining matches!!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

DHOL FOUNDATION at Womad Singapore '05

Here's another vid of the mighty TDF having a go during the workshop at Womad Singapore last year!!

Johnny Kalsi

There's a very good reason everyone rants and rave's about this guy...its no wonder that he's labelled the best Dhol Drummer alive!!

Have a look for ya' self...


Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Musically Inclined!!
















Here's a photo of the Dhol Foundation, one of the world's premier stage artists! This was taken at the recently concluded Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Festival Gala Concert!!

Loads of fantastic music was on showcase(classical, funk, rock, dance, latin, percussion to name a few...) at various different venues in Australia, to be exact in the state of Victoria.

The best part is, all of these venues were actually sporting event venues (stadiums) - Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo and Moe.

Fantastic innit? Not only do you get to witness world class feats in sports, you also got world class musical entertainment before and after the events!!

Monday, April 10, 2006

DHOL FOUNDATION once again...

Here's a clip of the crowd going mad and moving to the rhythmic cycles of the Dhol...

Enjoy...


DHOL FOUNDATION

Needless to say, these blokes from the UK are my all time favourite stage performers, not just for their brand of music, but very much for their stlye, energy, stage presence and hype!!

Here's a video of their recent performance at WOMAD Australia in Adelaide. Pure Class...


Malaysian Dhol Federation@Rainforest World Music Festival

The Malaysian Dhol Federation(MDF) will join the ranks of world class stage performers when they set foot on the stage of the 2006 Rainforest World Music Festival .

MDF will be the flag bearer for local artists alongside hometown favourites Tuku' Kame as they go about helping people experience the power of rhythmic Dhol drumming!!

For more info, go to the links section of my blog and you can choose to either click on the event link(RWMF) or MDF's site link!!

Relive THAT moment from Istanbul....

I found this video on YouTube...it's the Pro Evolution Soccer (that's a footy game, if you dont know) version of events that led up to LIVERPOOL being crowned Champions of Europe in 2005!!



Too good....

Vaisakhi Grand Event - Kirtan

Recently the Sikh Youth Association of Malaysia (Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia) hosted a Gala Vaisakhi Event at the International Youth Centre in Cheras, KL. Like I was saying earlier, it was a sprifitually uplifting event.

Here's the video I was talking about!!

Vaisakhi Grand Event - Pipe and Dhol

Recently the Sikh Youth Association of Malaysia (Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia) hosted a Gala Vaisakhi Event at the International Youth Centre in Cheras, KL. Neddless to say, it was a sprifitually uplifting event. (I'll try and post a vid of the kirtan jatha's singing the Guru's word)

Sidetracking a bit...some mates of mine from the Sri Dasmesh Band decided to entertain the crowd with their own brand of Pipe and Drums...err..Dhol to be exact!! Enjoy....



Cool Eh?

Stomp - Fellowship Style!!

Check out the video, we did a lil' musical demonstration ala STOMP for the Fellowship Camp Fire Auditions...needless to say we hammered the participants with our own brand of noise making...I'll just let the video do all the talking....



...just incase you havent figured it out yet, I'm the big dude with the grey tee!!

Sunday, April 09, 2006


Robbie Fowler celebrated his 31st birthday in style,
scoring a wonderful goal and helping Liverpool to a
1-0 victory over the boring Bolton. Looks like he's
well on his way to securing a new contract!!

GOD Returns to Anfield!!
















Im such a happy man!!

Now that GOD has signed for Liverpool, I can sleep well knowing that he'll score tons of goals for us!!

Long live Rafa!! Long Score Fowler!!

*Check out how smug RAfa's looks after signing GOD!!*
*Fowler was so happy to be back that the LFC CEO had to persuade him to read his contract!! the CEO said GOD would have signed even if the deal didnt offer any cash!!*

Saturday, April 08, 2006

City Prove a Point!!

Big up to Birmingham City and Steve Bruce for their battling performance against Wigan early in the morning today...they fought back from a goal down to secure a VERY, VERY valuable point in their battle to avoid relegation from England's top flight.

The man to save the day for them was none other than David Dunn, scoring a goal after some good approach play by the left hand side of Birmingham, Matt Sadler and Emile Heskey. From the moment Dunn stepped on to the field of play, he bossed the proceedings and topped it all up with an important goal for his team.

This goes to prove what I've been saying all season long, Steve Bruce's team have been unlucky with injuries and not that key players are coming back, they're building up steam, and a City with DAvid Dunn is a much. much stronger and better team.

Sunday Morning...

The first thing that came to mind after I stepped out of the shower was having my regular dose of Teh Tarik, beats a cuppa any day!! Its a beautiful morning, shame I have to stay indoor and study for my upcoming exams, else I would be doing some havoc with nature!!

Brand New DAy!!

Woits!

I finally made that long trip from kindergarden bloggin to the real deal!!

Here's to hoping that I'm much more religious in bloggin' here than I ever was on Friendster!

G'day!