Bugger me, it's April

Better write a blog entry, as it has been a while.

So, how's you? Long time, no see.. How's life treating you?

Was a bit ill last week and then we had a 10 month old who thought that 2 am was a good time to get up and demand everyone's attention. So was a bit fucked towards the end of last week..

But things made me smile this weekend..

Liverpool 4 - Arsenal 1
He's big, He's red, His feet stick out the bed..

Doctor Who
There's a platoon of Jadoon on the Moon

Rediscovering Iron Maiden
"Scream for me, Long Beach"

..More soon, honest!

I don't want to talk about it

But we were mugged 87 minutes in today..


Hmph

Get In!

Not a bad night, that..

I tell you, when Deco hammered home his header, I thought that we might be heading for a whupping, particularly given the pressure that Liverpool had to absorb for the following fifteen minutes. But Bellamy's goal was perfectly timed (just before the break) and Riise's goal was the sweetest thing I'd seen in ages.

And who'd have thought Bellamy and Riise would be making the headlines again in a week?

Good result, but the job's not done yet, let's hope the Mighty Reds can hang in there.

Sold!?

Well..
It would appear that my football club will be the next one to be sold into foreign ownership, if reports on the BBC website are to be believed.

There's no doubt that investment is needed, particularly to build "The new Anfield", however I was always hoping Stadium sponsorship (like the Emirates/Arsenal deal) might help with that particular cost.

Instead it looks like LFC will be the latest Premiership club to be sold on to rich businessmen from foreign shores.

I just wonder how the fans will be treated?
Do these foreign owners even give a toss about the thousands that turn up week-in-week-out, coughing up hundreds of pounds a year (even when it's a midweek fixture and the team puts on a piss-poor performance against Portsmouth). Or will just be a figure on an Excel spreadsheet somewhere? Can we expect to see ticket prices go through the roof as a result, and more corporate boxes for twats who are prepared to pay £1,000s to eat oysters and sip champagne whilst they watch the game from behind glass at a safe distance from the real supporters? After all, isn't that where the real money is..
Where's the sport feature in all these deals, I wonder?

Oh well, we shall see..

Typical

The first away win for the reds would just have to be the first away game that wasn't shown live or I wasn't at, now wouldn't it? Fucking typical.

Knew someone would get a battering on the road sooner rather than later, but didn't expect it to be Wigan due to our lacklustre performance against Pompey midweek..

Anyway, well done Red Men, particularly Mr Bellamy.. Four - nil. Fabby

Fuck it

We always play better when we have absolutely no fucking chance of winning the title anyway. Still, there's always 2007/2008.

By the way, I take it back about what I said about this new version of Blogger, these labels are a very nice way of giving alternate access to your blog (and it's interesting how some topics come up again and again). Only labelled about 150 posts so far, but will do the lot eventually..

Need some Dutch Courage

So yesterday, according to multiple sources, Liverpool Football Club agreed a fee for Dirk Kuyt from Feyenoord.  Signing a new striker should be exciting, but I must admit that I feel completely underwhelmed by Rafa's latest addition to the squad.  And the thing that niggles me the most is that this whole feeling of unimpressedness is based, not after watching footage of Kuyt playing, but purely on the reaction of other Liverpool fans I've spoken to. 

I'll admit, I really don't know that much about the player, the Dutch league not really being of that much interest to me.  I saw a bit of Kuyt playing in the World Cup (and only kept an eye out for him then because the transfer rumours about his move to Anfield began at the end of last season), and must admit that I didn't see anything particularly special.  However, after the experience of seeing signings of players who do (inexplicably) have a good World Cup before immediately going back to being woefully mediocre once the ink is dry on their new contract (Diouf for example), I've learnt not to take one tournament's performance as too much of an indication.  I mean, one should only look at the England squad's woeful performance in Germany as an example of that, they were completely dire and yet no-one would argue that the likes of Gerrard, Terry, Cole, etc aren't anything but World Class players.

But, for me, the real damning evidence as to why I shouldn't be too excited about this signing could be seen in  the news reports last night.  Yes they all covered the signing, but when they showed footage of Kuyt, not one of the news channels had footage of Kuyt actually finding the back of the net. 

That's worrying, no? 

Surely if you're signing a striker it's because he can score hatfuls of goals?  (Again with the exception of Diouf).  So where was the footage of Dirk launching a twenty-five yard screamer into the top corner of the net?  Or of him poaching a cheeky little tap in from a few yards out?  They were both scarily absent..

So, my scepticism increases. 

However, my faith in Mr Benitez to do the best for the club remains unshaken.. surely he must have seen something in this latest signing that leads him to believe Dirk can do the business.  As I've said before, I reserve the right to change my mind and would love Mr Kuyt to prove me wrong and become a prolific scorer.  I await the new season with baited breath..

Speedy

Good to see two new boys scoring for the reds last night (even if it took a Maccabi Haifa goal to get them playing properly). Still sceptical about Craig (and I will insist on calling him David) Bellamy, but must admit he took that goal well.

Mark Gonzalez certainly looks interesting. He impressed me a lot when we saw him at Crewe. His pace is phenomenal, but to be only on the pitch for three minuts and have already found the net? That's most impressive. Pennant had a great game too.. Two proper out-and-out wingers who can get balls into the box and a striker who can actually score. Could be an interesting season indeed.

This I Like..

Gotta get me one of these..

Question is, what goes on the back?

GERRARD 8

or

FOWLER 9

Hmm.. Decisions, decisions

Reasons to be cheerful..

I don't know what has happened, but my mood is surprisingly
upbeat today.
I find myself bursting with a sunny disposition, a smile on
my face and a spring in my step.
No doubt some twat will come along and urinate on my French fries at some point during the working day, but for now I intend to bask in this happy and content state of mind.

I wonder what's brought it on, though?

It could be the simple fact that it's Friday. After all Friday is the final day of the working week, the teasing foreplay before the full-blown intercourse of the weekend.

It might also be that I know that breakfast is ordered and will be arriving shortly (the Friday breakfast order is still alive and well and the cholesterol hit is delivered about 9:30 every week) -yum yum!

Perhaps it's because there are two nice air conditioning units in the office now and the temperature is an incredibly pleasant nineteen degrees Celsius, creating a comfortable environment conducive for working in.

Maybe it's because I have a pass out tonight (hooray!) and am therefore looking
forward to a few cheeky ales in the company of good friends and (former) colleagues.

Perhaps it's due to the fact that I'm off to Crewe tomorrow to get the first glimpse of the 2006/07 Liverpool squad, hopefully including our new signings Bellamy and Gonzalez.

Maybe it's just because life is fairly groovy at the moment, and although no existence is perfect, I certainly am more than happy with my "lot".

Who knows?

Whatever it is, I hope you're feeling the positive vibe this
Friday morning.

I still reserve the right to be sceptical..

I remain sceptical about the signing of Craig Bellamy, but stories like this one, give me hope that we might have done the right thing:

"Craig Bellamy turned down an extra £4million in potential wages when he agreed to his dream move to Liverpool from Blackburn Rovers.
The Welsh hitman - who scored on his Liverpool debut yesterday - is still pinching himself following his summer transfer and he's so happy to be at Anfield that he's pledging to see out his career as a Red.
Talking about the move, Craig said: "If any other club but Liverpool had come in for me maybe I would have fancied myself to stay at Blackburn because I was very happy there.
"The contract they offered me was a really good one, and I am on less than what I would have earned at Blackburn.
"Money wasn't the issue in me coming to Anfield, for me my dreams are worth much more than money.
"I have come here to win trophies - that has always been the expectation at Liverpool and that is what drives me as well.
"I want to win titles and Cups and I believe I have a great chance to do that at Liverpool.
"I have always been happy to play anywhere. I played 36 times for Wales under Mark Hughes and 23 of them were on the wing so that is my Welsh career really.
"I have never ever had a problem playing wide. I played wide with the youth team, and in my first year in professional football under Mike Walker at Norwich I was a central midfielder.
"People only hear what they want to so I got labelled with that, but I never had a problem playing there.
"Whether I do a good enough job there is another thing. I can do a job, I know I can, but ask me to do it week-in, week-out, and I know I am not good enough.
"I'm not here thinking I will walk into the team. I'll have to work hard and meet the standards set by players like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
"I want to see the rest of my career out here before returning home to Cardiff City. That would be perfect for me."

No more vouchers! Hooray!

From Computing, dated 13th July 2006

"Liverpool FC kicks off season with smart tickets

Liverpool Football Club is to issue season ticket holders with contactless smartcards this year following a successful trial at its Anfield Stadium last season.

The club has installed smartcard readers at all 80 turnstiles and could eliminate tickets altogether by 2008, according to IT manager Ken Webster.

He says the smartcards will replace the 28,000 season ticket voucher books issued each year, improve security and make entering the stadium quicker. 

'The speed of processing and identification on match day will speed up access as fans do not even have to take the smartcard out of their wallet,' said Webster.

Smartcards also reduce the risk of forgery and ticket touting as the cards will be retained by fans throughout the season.

Supplier Fortress launched the cards with a limited trial two years ago before installing readers at all gates at Anfield.

Ovum analyst Graham Titterington says many clubs are adopting smartcards but costs limits it to large teams.  He does not believe paper tickets will be phased out completely.

This would create problems when dealing with casual or away fans as there will always be some fans who attend just a few games and it would be too expensive to give them all chip-enabled cards,' he said.

So no more season ticket vouchers?  Splendid.

Rafa Benitez gets himself a brazilian..

..left-back.

Why?

What were you thinking?

South American footie at Anfield. Exciting times indeed.
Let's hope that Aurelio, Paletta (from Argentinia) and Gonzalez (from Chile) make a huge impact on the Premiership next season.

Wonder if the Kop will struggle with those names for a chant though?

Oh for fuck's sake

Now we'll never sell the idle cunt.

Scorchio

Sorry.. just recollecting..

No, not recalling summers past when it did actually get hot in the summer months (we're three weeks away -give or take- from the longest day, and the weather is still predominantly poo, more akin to March than May).

No I was just thinking back to yesterday, Dad and I re-watched the FA Cup final, and I was remembering Gerrard's second goal.

Quite simply one of the finest goals I've ever seen - scorchio!

Carragher, Stevie G and St. Michael get the FA's knickers in a twist

Now Stan Boardman is undoubtedly one comedian that belongs squarely back in the 1970's, however this story did make me chuckle. The FA really are up their own arses, aren't they? I thought at first the players had actually sang on the single, not just sung it on the back of the bus.

Sense of humour failure or what?

Steve Gerrard

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard
Can pass the ball forty yards
He's big and he's fucking hard
Steve Gerrard, Gerrard


Prepare to say: "Have it". Lots.

Seven!

No Seven's the magic number..

Seven!

You know..

Seven Seven's

Seven Eleven..

Seven chipmunks, twirling on a branch,
eating lots of sunflowers on my uncle's ranch..

You remember that old children's tale from the Sea!!

It's like you're talking Gorgonzola, when it's clearly Brie time Baby!!!


Step into my office!
Why?
Cos you're fuckin' fired

Second Coming

So God scores again at Anfield - and he was also kind enough to do it at the Anfield Road end, right in front of me - Cheers Robbie, lad. You can score in front of the Kop against the toffees, okay?

I predict a riot..

..of goals!!!