lehmann

"um mr wenger, did you see that? are you absolutely sure you want him to stay?"

i respect arsene wenger alot, and appreciate and admire his work. but one thing i can never understand is, why does he still want lehmann?

if you see the fulham game, you will know that davies should never have even come close to scoring. lehmann came all the way to the edge of the box to flail (yet again, doesn't he have new tricks?), haplessly at a cross, with two of his defenders there. he missed, and davies lobbed it over everyone.

are there no other keepers in the market? then put whoever is playing for the youth team in. i would rather a 17, 18 year old make this kind of mistake, because than i can say, he is inexperienced, he is naive.

but for someone who is twice that age to do this kind of thing, it is sheer stupidity.

the most amazing thing with lehmann in ur starting eleven is that 90 percent of the goals you concede are soft goals.

thankfully, adebayor saved us with a henry-esque finish. and then gilberto with a penalty. but we played very well in the first half, almost like exhibition football, with some fancy touches. and clichy was magnificent. but until we scored those two goals, we looked so different in the second half and allowed fulham back into the game. we should have buried them once and for all in the first half. and that's the otehr problem which has defined our season. the first, needless to say, is lehmann.

and yes, it is the third time this season that all four won.

a vdv-inspired hamburg heaped even more misery on bayern's miserable season. and i feel sorry for hitzfield, he deserves more, coming back to bayern. but vdv's goal was quite a scorcher.

then joaquin is finally starting to prove that he is joaquin. the two valencia goals were well worked out, with villa again pulling the strings.

2-0 is not good enough to win the eredivisie. but still, it meant that all four won.

那年夏天的海边

空荡城

一个人的行人道
***

anyway,

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/takany_

i was scrolling down. and i was just thinking: woah.
***

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUIJWqfrFEg

melody's hui zi bu qu

so close.

so close. so, so, so, so very close. just a difference in goal difference of one.

excelsior beat az 3-2. we beat willem ll 2-0. but psv beat vitesse 5-1.

until the 77th minute, we were going to be champions. then cocu scored to make it 5-1. if he hadn't score, we would ahve the same goal difference, and we would have won the title, i believe, by virtue of scoring more goals. even if you want to look at head to head, we would ahve won it as well.

so close. i was looking at the live update all the way. hoping that vitesse would score, or we would score. but the ball apparently won't go in.

what really happened in rotterdam, tilburg and eindhoven? what did van gaal, koeman and ten cate do? what were their words to the players? what were the thoughts of the players and the fans?

i won't know.

i jsut know there is no "almost".

now we have to win the playoffs to get to the champions' league, the very same funny backdoor system which we used to reach the champs league last season. now, we can only hope it doesnt work against us.

tonight.

tonight is the night.

it has been a brilliant comeback.

play, such that we can have no regrets.

willem II v ajax
psv v vitesse
excelsior v az

the closest it can get.

i really can't imagine the atmosphere. too bad the last game isnt in the Arena. i am sure it would be electrifying.

especially if we win it in the end.

ave maria

watched 200 pound beauty today. i thought it was quite ok. it brought me closer to understanding why we can never throw away everything and leave just like that. much as we would want to. because the core will always remain.

and at the end, it was quite touching.

but i think the main message is to be yourself. which is not as easy as it seems, given the messy world we live in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AHz0n7E7d8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy8naos6lhk
watch from after 5 minutes or so of the first clip. the best part is when she launched into the chorus. basically the reaction of the people in the movie and what i felt was what i felt when precious came on at the end of umizaru 2.

the world coming to a standstill.

beauty is attitude.

down to the wire

alkmaar, psv and ajax will go into the last match of the eredivisie level on points.

the title race will go down to the wire.

it is out of our hands, but if we win, then anything is possible. but we must win.

let's win.

七つの海を渡る風のように

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzOQfnud0U0

rina aiuchi and u-ka saegusa's song for the anime conan the detective.

dictionary definition

lisa featuring park hyo shin

with you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GubxI5WQgdo

this mv is very nice. especially the part where the dictionary definition of 'with' and 'you' come out. i must admit i was pleasantly surprised.

sevilla

i think sevilla's home and away jerseys are the nicest. the printing of the names is rather artistic. very different from the usual.

clowns

we threw it away. i can't believe we threw it away. it was absolutely disgusting. why do we always undo all our work? the contest is never over until the whistle is blown. please understand that.

and please understand that we don't need a clown. let alone two.

somebody please take lehmann and baptista away.

the funniest thing i read this week had to be that of baptista talking about the english preferring don't-know-what(something not very pretty, that's for sure) to bicycle kicks.

hello, as if you can do a bicycle kick. i think you can't even control a ball. that had to be the joke of the week. baptista lamenting about...wait, what was he lamenting about?

and he missed that header. it could be 3-1. even if adebayor can miss easy chances, he does score. and he makes chances. he makes himself useful. that's the difference. baptista? he wishes he can do a bicycle kick when he has trouble controlling a very, very, very slow moving ball going directly to his feet.

lehmann. i am damn bloody sick of talkng about him. please, someone take him away.

and if eboue shuts up, he can be a very good player. i hope he realises that. just play.

hleb is starting to lose the plot. the only reason why he is still in is because he makes a few killer passes now and then. but why he can't shoot has to be one of the most intriguing puzzles of all time. especially since he scores alot for stuttgart.

gallas redeemed himself. but i think lehmann's eccentricity is rubbing off him. and it is very worrying. so all roads lead to rome: lehmann must go.

we threw away two points. no doubt about it. bye bye third place. unless liverpool stumbles. but we are going to finish fourth again. all because we think we won it.

naive, naive, naive.

memories resemble love

live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4oEL3RC5Gs
mtv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0CU444vC4g

Flower in Tjen Droonen

18 April 2007

Tjen Droonen. The place they call the Twin Dragons. The view was very nice. It was very windy at the top.

It rained. A sudden shower. Maybe Heaven was crying for you too. Maybe Heaven was trying to hide our tears from you. So you won’t be worried.

A flower for you.

I will never forget your face, your smile, your laughter and your tears.

Five of us, now four.

How could you leave just like this?

comedies

i seriously don't know what lehmann is trying to prove.

but lehmann and a certain organisation have something in common:

1)their work is serious, and important.
2)they take pride in their work
3)they think they are serious about their work
4)people laugh at their work, especially the manner in which they go about doing it

you can say they are either clowns or comedy actors.

eternal puzzle

i think the french elections would have an impact on the future direction of the eu, especially in terms of foreign policy. i think i am stating the obvious.

i think the eu stands at a crossroad. a key question that would be answered in the next 12 months would be the question of turkey: does it have a place in europe?

the answer to this question would be partly defined by the winner of the french elections. turkey is important because it is a chance to show the islamic world that the eu is not an exclusive christian club. neither is the world against islam, just against the radicals. that would be a great step towards peace and security in the long run, via closer cooperation fostered by greater mutual trust between all. that would be the ideal.

of course, there is only a thin line between idealism and naivete.

not everybody wants turkey in europe for various reasons, one of which must be the cyprus problem. i think it was a mistake to allow cyprus to join the eu divided, be it intentional or otherwise. or maybe they thought at some point in the foreseeable future, the conflict would be resolved, allowing the turkish part of cyprus to join. or maybe the turkish part could break off to become independent.

a lot of considerations all around.

but if the world is really going to end, would all these matter?

no wonder some people are preparing for the end of the world instead, rather than concern themselves with this... mundane stuff.

but when the end of the world comes, what happens next? what exactly are these people preparing for? salvation, a new beginning? then won't they still need to think about all these the next time round?

and if they think there won't be a new world, why are they living then? then they would need to think about why they are living. if they choose to die immediately and they get reincarnated or something, they would face the same dilemma all over again. and if there isn't life after death, but there's a place for them, i am sure there would be similar things for them to mull over.

maybe the world won't end in our lifetime. so we are still going to die in the end. and the same cycle repeats itself.

so we are trapped. it's like an eternal puzzle.

whether or not the things really matter, there is always something to think about.

unless we all turn into mush for good.

that must be why we have brains.

and so it is. a villa-inspired valencia took sevilla apart. four out of four. only the second time this season.

actually valencia is a nice place. just that the boardroom is abit divided. and maybe flores is not as respected as benitez, but he's still way better than ranieri. and in terms of football, standing and offer of competitive football, i think valencia is up among the biggest. so valencia is a nice place to stay. certainly as good as manchester or liverpool, or even chelsea.

so i hope you stay for life.

A Walk

I took a walk the other day. I drove down to Zentraal, parked my car at the station and started walking from there. To Alksstak, Neusstak, Matisse, Universidad, Sereven, and finally Fenevour. I walked from dawn to dusk. I saw the sunrise, and the sunset.

You might say I was crazy.

Maybe I was.

But I tried to see Venprek through my father’s eyes.

I think I understand him better now.

If it isn’t too late.

beautiful life.

a picture paints a thousand words.

so, this is what i missed out on.

a little hard to believe, but it's been 5 years.

yes, we are in a crisis.

***
if valencia beat sevilla tonight, it would be only the second time all four teams win. only the second time. the onus is on you, flores, to mastermind that win.

even if i have failed to keep my part of the bargain.

i am somewhat satisfied with the response.

there were positives. but talking about positives isn't going to win us anything.

lehmann must go. if i were the opposition manager, i look at the teamsheet and see lehmann's name, i am going to laugh, because that is where i am going to attack. that is the weakest link.

eboue can go as well. his errors are going to cause us dear, if they haven't already done so. he is the second weakest link. i would tell my left winger to make a fool out of him. put pressure and he cracks. it is only because of lehmann that he isn't the weakest link in the team.

baptista can seriously start questioning if he were brazilian. and yes, he should go as well. the only reason why he din go above eboue in the pecking order was simply because he is not a regular starter. but he takes up too much space on the bench. subs must be able to come on and change the game. with that kind of technique, well... well.

hleb, you have to wake up. you have made too many stray passes and fouls that led to goals. you weren't punished today, and that's simply cos you were lucky. you know it.

diaby has to play with more maturity. cut the fancy. take the ball and release it; don't hold it for too long. and make those marauding runs sparingly for maximum effect, like toure and vieira. let fabregas do it. you defend.

i am most impressed by the way fabregas looked at the goal before he placed teh shot. as though at that moment, he had already blotted everyone else out, until it was only him, the ball, and the goal.

that is the state of perfection.

response.

i don't expect. i demand.

risks and flexibility

i am appalled by how one-dimensional some people can be. it's like they can only play with one leg. one leg, one leg, one leg.

maybe i can play with both, that's why i think a little differently.

or maybe it is the decisions made. ridiculously stupid. i am kinda sick of people making lousy decisions.

but i am relieved to know that i am not alone in my thinking.

if you don't have the instinct, you have to think more.

apparently, some don't.
***

are u a risk-taker? explorer or home person? i guess we are both, depending on the situation. or at least i think that's what i am.

but the more i think about it, the more i start to feel that risk is not the keyword here. what is a risk? my interpretation of it would be the chance of failure, and your readiness for that. when you talk about chance, you are talking about probability. and to me, 0.000001 and 0.9 mean the same: it can happen.

so the key, as usual, is:

how much do you want it?

beautiful days

promise(yaksok) by zero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGb3EBaDmUk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6vcu7VWHXg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_88LCrHfAg

goodbye by zero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUJfOetx43M

less is more

sometimes less can be more.

i guess if god wants to make a mockery out of you, there's nothing you can do about it. absolutely nothing. especially since he will go all out to make sure you are played inside out. what chance do you, a mere mortal have against him?

week after week like this, the causes might be different, but the result is still the same, i think you will reach the point whereby you have nothing to say. it is very frustrating. maybe frustration is an understatement.

i know i am not the kind who listen to others. i think i am the kind who will stand in the rain in an act of defiance. even if the whole world might not be with me. i won't take no for an answer.

but i also know that much as i am willing to go it alone, i might not be able to win alone. so sometimes, i don't fight, because i know, alone i would lose.

and it is during times like these, that you really feel miserable. because you are telling yourself you don't have the guts, don't have the faith, don't have the will.

i am really afraid to ask you to make sure we finish fourth, because i asked you not to lose at home, and asked you not to lose two consecutive games again, and you didnt do both today. i think i better keep my mouth shut. i wonder how arsene wenger feels.

i really wonder.

with love.

out of nothing

when the camera followed the flight of silva's ball into the net, i was like 'oh, so there's the ball'. i am sure the millions of people watching the game, either at the stadium or at home, must have shared the same thought. and then, after a moment or two, they would, like me, realise that the ball was in the net. it was a goal.

something out of nothing. a fantastic shot, no doubt, but still something out of nothing.

just like drogba's goal. it should never have happened.

canizares was very very disappointing. it is not the first game this season that he has looked so cagey, so unreliable, so hesitant. he is flapping at balls. yes, like lehmann. oh god, not another one. the older they get, the more eccentric they get. whatever happened to the experience that's supposed to come with age??? canizares is supposed to be a top class keeper. supposed. oh well, we should never have sold palop back then. he had come in for canizares a few times and did very well, i remember. that championship season, if i am not wrong.

joaquin is supposed to complete the valencia jigsaw. that right winger we have been searching for all this while. well, on paper. he has done nothing to set the liga alight this season, nor given the mestalla a reason to give him a standing ovation, something you would expect a player of his calibre and reputation should be very capable of. even miguel seems to be able to dribble through the defence more successfully than joaquin.

and i am not making these judgements based on this morning's game alone. on all the valencia games i have managed to catch this season. maybe joaquin hasnt had much chances this season, so he hasnt really performed. and even though i have said i am disappointed by them, i am still waiting for them to prove me wrong.

we didnt play fantastic. neither did chelsea. chelsea can only blame themselves for failing to beat us, because our defence was quite scrappy. in my opinion, the way we performed had already made the job easy for them. and of course, the mentality, especially after the silva goal, was all wrong.

why can't we attack away from home? why must we look for a draw? why can't we go win it?

attack, attack, attack!

win.

free kicks and penalties

the other day, i was taking a shot from roughly 11 metres out. basically a penalty kick.

what do you think about when you take a penalty? do you think about the keeper? do you think about the 11 meters? do you think about the people watching?

i realise that much as i have always considered shootouts as lottery, considering that holland has not won a shootout for 12 years prior to the 2004 quarterfinal win over sweden, despite playing better most of the time( read: euro 2000 semifinal loss to italy on penalties), penalties are actually the purest form...of what, i can't quite come up with the word.

but when i take a penalty, i don't think about anything else other than where i want the ball to be. i realise that if you are able to put it where you want it, for example in the top left corner, there is nothing the keeper can do to save it. seriously. that's why it is only about you, the ball, the position.

that is why it is the purest. the situation has been reduced to such a simple equation. the keeper can even be treated as non-existent. you jsut need to put the ball in.

penalties are like a form of meditation in that sense.

and to a lesser extent, free kicks too. after all, the wall can also be treated as non-existent if you can place it where you want it.

i wonder, why do people hit a penalty with such power, when you can curl it beautifully to the post, beyond the keeper's reach? or just chip it into the top corner?

so effortlessly beautiful.

night views

http://ww4.tiki.ne.jp/~mmurakami/setoy/map.html

the views are too stunning. just click on the names to get to the places.

nagasaki and kobe are considered 2 of the 3 great night views of japan. http://view.adam.ne.jp/e_setoy/pic/kyusyu/nagasaki.html
http://view.adam.ne.jp/e_setoy/pic/kobe/maya2.html

hakodate is also considered one of the top 3.
http://www1.flickr.com/photos/oxborrow/52665410/in/set-72057594063709242/
i love this photo. hakodate in the centre, between the two water bodies.

if you have done something before, you definitely can do it again.

but if you haven't been doing it, then it is not going to be easy to do it again.

the best way to avoid oversleeping is not sleeping.