for him...the gates had opened: December 2005

Liverpool, probably the best club in the world...

When i was small, i was always fascinated about the green pitch, with 22 players playing with a ball. I used to ask which team my father supported, and i will always cheer for that team.

When i started to know more about this world and football, Liverpool came into my life. Young and ignorant, i only knew Michael Owen, then the most exciting prospect in English football. The goal against Argentina was, well pure inspiration.

I guess i was only considered an official hardcore fan in the days of Gerard Houllier, Before the treble in 2000-2001. Closely following Michael Owen in his days as a red. Then i started to realise that football is not a one man game, without all the assists, can owen have scored so many? Then new idols started coming out. Hyypia, Jari Litamen, Gary Mcallister. Then there was the young gerrard, who seriously didn't looked like the footballer he now was.

The year of the treble, actually its a 5 bagger. FA cup, UEFA cup, European Super Cup, Charity Shield, and the league cup. I could still remember clearly the Uefa cup against alaves. It was an exciting game of football, 5-4 the final score, and the joy you felt when the team won it, you can't describe it.

Things were starting to look up, and the next season was crucial for us if we wanted to win the EPL title, which eluded us for 15 years. However, due to alot of poor buys by houllier, he just lost it. They started losing, and Houllier got criticise for his boring game, even when it was his style all along, and the media only pointing it out when they were losing.

Finally, he got the sack, and a few weeks of speculation who our next manager would be. In came Rafael Benitez, and immediately, we could see the changes in the liverpool team. Owen went to Real Madrid for 8m, actually its not because of liverpool not wanting him, its because of him wanting to go to Real, and with 1 year left in his contract, there was no choice.

The transformation of the young gerrard into a midfield general was incredible, you could see how much he loved the club and played like a ferrari every match, week in week out. Another local star was jamie carragher. especially when Benitez came in in his first season. That is why local talents are so important to the club. They give their life for the club, and i mean literally give it. The tackles that carragher had made, only pure determination and perseverance could see him clear it before the ball ends up in the back of the net.

Hyypia was as dependable as always, and due to his consistent performance, he is sort of an unsung hero, because people will only talk about him if he makes a mistake. Then came in the spanish imports, Luis garcia, Xabi Alonso, josemi, etc etc.

A lot of long term injuries in that 2004-2005 season, which is why liverpool struggled so much in the premiership.

European football wise, the last min goal by gerrard in the olympiakos game, let everyone believed that anything is possible. Then from there on, i did my part, and watched the games against, juventus and chelsea. It was really spectacular, the 2 goals against juventus was pure class, especially the 30 yarder by garcia, even the no.1 keeper buffon can't save it.

Then came that day, 25th of may 2005. In instanbul, i watched as Liverpool crumpled to AC Milan and was down by 3-0 at halftime. I was upset of course, but i never gave up. Then i heard the song. At halftime, 3-0 down, and the stadium was rocking with the song "you'll never walk along". I was crazy, as i sang along too, in my own house! Hahaha, then came the 2nd half, Dietmar Hamann came in and it became a diffferent team. A header by gerrard, into the top corner, and i shouted. My father was out by then. The liverpool captain led by example, and from his eyes, i knew we will win it.

Then came Smicer goal minutes later, it was quite emotional, because he was kissing the badge after scoring, and we knew it was his last game, and how he left in such spectacular fashion. After being plagued with injuries, he couldn't secure a first team place. I wasn't a big fan of him, but i believed that as a supporter, we should support the players who puts on the liverpool shirt wholeheartedly.

Liverpool was on a roll then, and then came the penalty, alonso took it, dida saved, and xabi alonso scored from the rebound.

It was not history, it was destiny.

The extra time saved by dudek, from 6 yards out from one of the world's top goalscorer, it was just unbelievable. My heart skipped a beat when dudek kept that out. Then came the penalties, and the best goalscorer in the world, not only missed from 6 yards, but also from 12 yards, it was Liverpool's day, and on that day, nobody, and i mean nobody can beat us.

It was party time, I celebrated like hell, and when i saw gerrard lifted the trophy, i almost cried. The passion, the love for the club, so many many things. It's just so magnificent. After that i couldn't sleep at all, and ended up sleeping during lectures.

Then was i believed the best signing Rafael benitez made in the summer, the signing of Steven Gerrard. I was quite sad really, affected by it for the whole week, couldn't do my work. Then when he said he was staying, i was very very relieved. He was so important to Liverpool, actually when you think of Liverpool the first that springs into your mind is steven gerrard. I remembered not being so sad when owen left.

Now things are really and truly looking up. Exciting times ahead, for the club and us fans. I really believed that Benitez will bring us back to the days of Sir bob and Sir Bill. I'm damn excited by the january transfer window, theo walcott? I even heard rumours of a bidding war with newcastle for joaquin. Anyway, things are just looking up.

Yeah, think i'm destined to be a liverpool fan forever. I will definitely go to Anfield at least once in my life, and i still want the Liverpool European shirt.

I shall stop here now, or everyone out there, whenever you're feeling down, remember this:

"At the end of the storm, there's a golden sky."

Flashback of year 2005...

As the year 2006 approaches, let's reflect on the things that happened in this one and only year 2005.

I could still remember when i first entered TJC. Met many many new friends, had many wonderful moments, and of course, ponning everything with my marist brothers. It was really really fun, the best times when schooling. Of course, tj was also the place where i tried to build up my foundation on snooker. another 1 year has pass since, and imagine what kind of player i would be if i was still there. All in all, the first 3 months were really enjoyable, and having known so many new friends, it was a good start to the new year.

Then came the down, the O level results, and well, going into nyjc. Not really ideal, and i still think so up til now. However, the teachers are still quite ok, some more new friends, though not exactly very close. Spend my next few months trying to catch up with the work, to make up for the 24/7 fun in the first 3 mths.

Then came june, and found the girl i was looking for all along, and for her to well, say nothing. Haha, it's quite a joke really, but no problem, i shall persevere. Yeah meanwhile for the next few months was feeling pathetic for myself. It's quite hard really, but hey, i'm still here right?

My mood was liven up by the robin gibb concert in the indoor stadium. Music have wonderful healing powers, when robin and hopefully barry comes back again, i'm going for their concert again. Their music made me feel that life's is not just about relationship, there's so much more to it. You just can't describe the feeling.

After that, i went into chiongster mood for studying. I mean i really did my stuff seriously, and pia like nobody business. Almost went into depression, the work just seemed to be endless. The 7 days was like it was already scheduled for tutorials. After that started to slow down abit, and then came promos. I was quite confident at first, not because it's nyjc or what, but i felt prepared. It wasn't enough though, not even 1 A. I must say i was quite disappointed, because i could do the papers.

After that was the project work. Quite nervous at first, but ya, it's over, and i'm very glad its over. Project have never been one of my forte.

Then it was the last week of school, can't really consider it school though, 5 days of lecture, and i only went for 2. Now there's really alot to catch up. Meanwhile i had bufan aka wc as my full time snooker partner, and train our snooker quite vigorously i must say. Our break was getting higher, and sighting improved abit. Of course we still had our regular KFC training throughout the year, to get away from the hectic school life once in a while.

Then was the cruise trip with clara and allah. One of the better ones i guess, and improving on my jetski skills, i'll be looking forward to the jetski next year too.

Now its christmas eve, and also dog and kw bday, happy bday dudes. This year has been quite an eventful one, many new bonds created, and many strengthened. For example those with kat, jia, mel, ernest, cb and shaun. Great bunch of friends, and as always the marist brothers, still very much in contact.

Now for the new year 2006, looking towards the future, A level approaching, it will be a busy year. Then again, after 17 years of life, what haven't we been through before? PSLE, O level, Promos etc etc, seriously i've grown numb of it all.

New year wishes, have quite a few though:

A safe year for family and friends.
Get through A level without any problems.
Father to have a smooth year for his business.

Last but not least, still hoping that she will accept me.

That's all, wish everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year. May everything go well in the year 2006.

Creative centre

Today went to the creative centre at jurong, kao, damn freaking far. Listened to bear advice and took 143. Wrong decision.

I was on the bus wondering if i'll ever reach there before everybody went home. It took me about 1 and a half hours man, when i alighted had to stretch and run abit.

Then went in, changed abit since the last time i went there, quite impressive the stuff, service was good i must say. Of course it should, after the NUTS syndrome published, how can have no improvement? hahaa, the staff serving me not bad also, then i wait a while for them to repair, walk around look at those speakers, tempted to buy sia. Speakers are fun, especially blasting them for your neighbours to enjoy it.

After that i changed my mind and took mrt back. Sim wong hoo quite clever, you can get to the centre easily. Take mrt to jurong east station. Exit from the back of the station after tapping your card, and follow the trail all the way to the road, cross it and turn right. Walk a few more steps and you reach creative. I think the trail must be he asked someone to do it de, hahahaha.

Have been really depressed this few days, can't seem to have any luck with FM, lose and lose and lose. Anyway, here's 10 reasons not to play FM, not according to ranking:

1. Referee gives yellow card like tissue paper, i got 8 for 1 particular match.
2. My goalkeepers score more own goals than silvestre and wes brown.
3. Cisse runs onto a through pass, get into penalty box, 1 on 1, instead of shooting, runs in circle in the box and gets fouled, and gets a penalty.
4. Cisse, an over rated guy averages 30 goals a season.
5. You get sacked after winning 10-0, and looked to be making a comeback in the epl.
6. Man utd have 30-40m to spend (glazer struck lottery?)
7. jamie carragher and sami hyypia hardly kept a clean sheet.
8. David O'Leary became a world-class manager.
9. shooting stats 10 and scores a 35 yarder.
10. sheff utd thrash me 4-0.

FM needs improvement. LOL

The Beautiful Game.

This few days have been quite happening in the football world.

First of all, is the liverpool defeat in the World Club Championship. I was expecting it to be a good game, but in the end, it turned out to be a 1 sided affair. I must be stupid for thinking that sao paolo is a good team. They are better technical wise, but they don't deserve to win that game la seriously, playing like chelsea, scums. So much anger because of houllier i think, i'm sick of watching teams play like that especially after watching houllier's liverpool for 5 years. Main thing though, is the standard of refereeing. Canadian linesman?! Do they know what's offside? Do they even know what "soccer" is? Haha, hilarious man, trying to promote the competition and use such referees for this competition.

2nd is the match between aston villa and man utd. The man utd defence, seriously, cannot make it. Rio ferdinand, for all he's worth, haiz, worries about his hair much more than his team. Now, he's influencing wes brown to do the same. Brown, instead of improving on his game( he is so bloody crap), decided that his hair was more important too. How can this type of players win the EPL title? Ferguson better do something about it. David O'Leary is also going to bring aston villa down man. Look at him, man utd battered and trampled on his team in all aspects, IN HIS OWN FREAKING HOMEGROUND. He should be sacked la seriously, causing a club like leeds to collapse, what kind of stupid crap is he?

Then it was the arsenal vs chelsea game. Great game in my opinion, it was so difficult to play on that field, and for chelsea to come out of that with a 2-0 win, it was impressive. However it was thanks to once again the arsenal defence, and of course, the linesman, this time not canadian though. Once again that beast essien makes the headline. Seriously, he is a piece of crap la, no doubt adopted and learnt something from mourinho. "If you can't get the ball, get the man!" His challenges and tackles are super ridiculous, and he still has the gut to come out and say football is a man's game and etc etc. Of course it is, but there's no place for thugs man. The challenges were just horrible, trying to emulate roy keane eh? Have some ge ren feng ge la idiot.

I've already thought of another future for him, to join the WWE entertainment. He should be called essista(adopted from batista). He will have 2 special move. The Animal's elbow, and studs chin music. I'm sure he will be very popular there.

Back to FM now, on a row...

Fortune telling.

Today woke up early, kena awaken by my cousin from penang. Anyway couldn't sleep much also, feeling very down due to my lost to Thia's chelsea and bear's man utd last nite. Everything was under control, then the defenders cannot make it. I not going to relate it to real life liao, in fm my defenders that got 11 clean sheet in a row in reality have been a flop.

We went to the fortune teller in amk after breakfast, then i went to see what the master have to say about me. Quite accurate i guess, and alot of advice given to me. He asked i born in which year, then can deduce i'm a 天龙. Those type that can fly into the heaven and go deep into the ground. He also said that i will have good life if i know how to control my emotions and actions, don't just chiong, anot will bang wall.

Next year is a bad year for me, and he said that my studies depend on ownself, which is what i believe also. Then he went on to tell me what god i need to pray to etc etc. Then also that i will most probably be involved in court case. Haha, sounds scary, being a scapegoat for the so called friends.

This one quite easy to deduce, must stay away from school, because my brothers won't harm me wan, so only down to school friends.

Money will have alot, even bring wealth to parents, haha, which is good to hear. Sadly he never mention anything about relationship, so too bad lor, Anyway going into "shaolin temple" in 2007, so got gf also doesn't mean is good thing.

After that nothing much le, just need to be a little bit more cautious next year. This fortune telling is very interesting, can go read up on more of it.

Another career path unfolded....

Deportivo Saprissa VS Liverpool

Once again, your toshiba full time report, this time all the way from japan.

Liverpool ran out as winners 3-0 in the contest, goals were brilliant, especially the gerrard goal. Risse sends in a high ball to an open gerrard, he follows the ball all the way to his foot, then unleashes a vicious volley into the bottom right corner, in off the post. GOALLL!!

Crouch also scored 2, due to poor defending.

This will be the shortest report ever, because the match was like a fun fair carnival for liverpool. 3 shots for $1.

A training match for liverpool, 11th clean sheet, and bring on the brazilian giant!

NS?

This few days have been either bowling or stoning at home playing game. Time is passing by so fast man, looks like school is reopening school, what crap.

Today i just received the NS letter, i was so afraid it will never come. I heard that if they never send you the letter, it is your fault that you never inform them. What crap, government always correct sia, must wait a few days then can register.

Tomorrow going to get the FM from bear, finally, can start our game already, took quite long to get it going. Just now bear helped me play, 2-0 down at half time, then drew with him 2-2, quite fake though, cisse is damn good in the game.

I just went bowling again today, not bad already. When found the line it was quite easy to bowl, but the zhong dian is to find the line, took 1 game to find it, hahaha, super noob. Average 160 for 3 games after finding the line, quite good considering i don't hit 160s very often. Ball hit pocket can already, no need care so much.

Actually i'm quite tired, so i shall go sleep liao...haha

Liverpool VS Boro

Now once again, is the Toshiba full time report with rafael gohnitez. Zenden will be probably out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Therefore the liverpool boss had harry kewell to replace him.

The Anfield faithful have been praying for him to find his form, the harry kewell that we see in leeds united a few years ago. A strong starting 11, with the same back 4 that was so solid in the past 10 games.

Reina
Finnan
Carragher
Hyppia
Riise
Gerrard
Alonso
Sissoko
kewell
morientes
crouch

Gerrard once again on the right, and the first half begins. Liverpool started out strong, and was pushing for an early goal. It never came, and i was thinking it may be one of those nights again where chances after chances, and still no goal.

Boro on the other hand were containing their attacking counterpart quite well i must say, and set up quite a few situation where they should have scored, and probably would have if not for reina. A number of chances came and go, some quite clear cut and should have been a goal.

2nd half came on and Boro looked like they were beginning to get a feet into the game. There were another few great chances which went begging for boro, but credit to reina too, who made quite a no. of saves, and with some luck too. Time for a change, great mind thinks alike, and out came luis garcia, surprisingly for crouch, with benitez opting for a 451 formation.

It was crucial as it added the much needed creativity in the game, which of course, lead to the first goal by fernando morientes. Gerrard received the ball, took a touch too far, garcia took it away from him and drifted right, floats a delightful cross from nowhere into the direction of gerrard and morientes. Great play from gerrard who shows superb awareness, bending low for the ball to go pass his head, which landed for morientes to finish it off. Great finish, but even greater assist.

Boro tried to push for an equaliser, and it is always the case when you try to attack, there will no doubt be some "holes" at the back. So came no. 2. Actually the commentator was saying it was an offside, i don't think so though. A ball was played to garcia who was onside, but a boro defender heads it into the path of morientes, who lobs a wonderful ball pass a helpless keeper. If i'm not wrong if they ball is not intended for the player that is offside, then play will continue. However i'm not so sure about it, the offsides rule was a massive debate at one point.

Anyway, that was the winning goal, and 10 clean sheets in a row for Liverpool, equalling the record set by kenny dalglish team.

Great spirit by the liverpool team, they never gave up, kept creating, chances after chances, and in the end it paid off. However, i would like them to be more clinical in front of goal than now, but i guess it will slowly come.

Another point is how the back 4 of Liverpool operates. As i've said, the media is crap by saying what zonal marking doesn't work, FUCK OFF, look how in just a few months time, that benitez have changed the defence into. I must say i am very impressive with the back 4, the coordination and marking is very very good. Just look at how they set the offside traps, 1 straight line, no doubt an offside can be spotted easily. Their coordination are perfect too, look at how they cover up each other when the other is out of position. For example when riise ran 80 yards into opponent half, xabi alonso ran back and took up the left back position for him, and the many cases of not just carragher and hyypia, but also the full backs helping out with the central defenders. Their display was wonderful, and they truly deserved the 10 clean sheets.

Now, liverpool will travel into middle east for their world club championship, a chance to be named champions of the world.

That's all for today from rafael gohnitez, now going to watch other games to improve my tactical knowledge.

Essien sucks...

Essien, for all the money that he is worth, couldn't break down the liverpool defence, and seeing his teammates wail like babies, he decided to permanently put hamann out of the game with a knee high stud challenge.

Fucking loser, that could have ended someone's career, i don't give a damn who was on the receiving end, but in football, you just can't do this to your fellow professional. This son of a bitch must have learn quite something from his manager.

It's ok anyway, i'm angry because i'm angry for hamann, but since he also couldn't be bothered with such idiots, why should i?

However, we can see what type of people jose is, he have created a team of chelsea cowards, and when they can't break down opponents defence, they drop to the floor and start crying. Some special characteristics that a manager brings into the team - sore loser.

Man utd, on the other hand have big problems, they are definitely losing their touch. I watched the game between benfica and man utd, and saw benfica outplay, out run, and eventually win a man utd side, whom we know can do much better than that.

Benfica deserved to win though, ran as though they were possessed, very impressive, its been since a while since i saw teams play like that. Running the field as though they were running basketball court instead. The infamous man utd back 4 also did quite alot to help benfica win. If ferguson doesn't want to get sack he should start rebuilding now.

I think its about time to bring in thiarinho and bearguson, but gohnitez needs to wait i guess, and i'll be happy to wait.

One more thing, happy 17th birthday to my brother wc aka bu fan, keep on potting black!