How to Choose a Football Club - A Fan's perspective.

If it hurts you that every time that you don’t have a team to cheer for whereas your friend keeps putting his arm up and jumping his seat when his team blows hot and cold. Then you are the right page reading the perfect article and not wasting any bit of our precious time.

Here are a list of key attributes which will help you identify and surrender yourself to highs and lows of a soccer fan cult. The top clubs garner the craze in majority of footy fans. But before here are few rules to be followed. Identify whichever role interests you first, do not switch minds. There can be only one God, though you may favor another club in a different league so adorn to its principles. The Who’s who of football command their disciples, let go off every weekend, choose a cult and start roaring.


Warning: “Football craze is said to be the root cause of all evil.”

The Three lions and “A Big Four”.

Manchester United: Served by a legendary manager for around 20 years, choose this club if you want to be amongst 5 % of world’s population in cheering for them. A mesmerizing attack backed by a red hot defense. Lots of flaunting, very skillful and audacious players will melt you in their bloom day. Red –devils will be your logo and a 3 page thorough reading of its history is mandatory if you seek admission to cheer this club. A must for every Ronaldo fan. Rooney and co will be your Gods and Sir Alex Ferguson is always right. Your main rivals are Liverpool, Manchester city, Leeds united and off lately Arsenal.

Chelsea: The Blues of England are an empire built by an oil baron from Russia. The rich powerhouse club never misses the attention of any wealth seekers around the world. A staggering 85 plus games unbeaten at home with a remarkable show of consistency unmatched by its rivals. Domination and control are their forte and battles are won in the mid field. If laying siege is your priority, then you might well choose the Londoners. They rarely lose to minors and any lose is considered as being assisted by the Gods of football. Rest assured you never hang your head in shame against any of your lesser opponents.

Liverpool: A.K.A the Reds, the most successful English football club. You got to be an Anfield faithful all your life if you choose this club but we bet “You’ll Never Walk alone” and at times when the chips are down, the reds will ooze of adrenaline that will sway any football fan. If Colossus (read as Gerrard) was your favorite childhood word and “Never say Die” is your attitude, you need not read any further. Just get up and pick up a Red Liverpool jersey and start yelling. Liverpool fans are supposed to be one of the loudest. This is a pro-Spaniard team for its high content of Spanish soldiers and a Spaniard general.

Arsenal: The most youthful, dynamic and exuberance of the lot. The gunners are a hit across the globe for the beautiful game they play. A favorite of many up coming prodigies and continental talents, the gunners’ disciples rarely believe in playing for a draw and boring their fans. Unpredictable is a word sticky to the gunners and choose this club if results don’t matter much when compared with the attractive display put on by the gunners. An unconventional club in all its senses of transfers, style of play and its methods but definitely a club any football fan would secretly envy for.


The Beautiful bulls and the Ugly Matadors:

Real Madrid: The Spanish Giants are the ruling powerhouse in Europe. If power and wealth is your priority, then your needs are met at this club. Vote for your favorite player and they might buy him for you next season. The most successful European club boasts of money and talent very few clubs would have seen. All players start their careers with a dream and Real Madrid remains a dream for many till date. The Santiago Bernabau stadium is your temple; ups and downs are part of this legendary club which is voted the most successful club of 20th century by FIFA. The Los Merengues Fans known as Castilians boast the highest attendance in Europe and have paid the highest fee ever to land Zizou in their town. Its arch rivals are Barcelona and cross town team Athletico Madrid. Be prepared to be sacked.

Barcelona: If you aim to see yourself in a blue red jersey with Messi written behind, you will be identified as a Culer and a supporter of the Catalans. The club boasts of the richest talent mix from home grown academy players to South American sizzlers. One of the finest short passers in the game, the Catalans are known for terrorizing defenders across Europe. Consistency is a hallmark of their game with walk in finishes and solo runs from Messi & co being a common sight in the liga. El Clasico is an important event in your life (Barcelona Vs Real Madrid) and it can’t be any shameful if you aren’t supporting them on that important day.

A Fan’s Guidebook to easy viewing.

The following Views and recommendations are real and true. Any resemblance to living or the snoring is purely intentional and deliberated to invoke responses from the audience.

Ten things which can maximize your pleasure of watching weekend football and minimize stress.

1. Get your local timings intact, be prepared and leave early to the field. A 5 minute delay can break your heart, a Gerrard screamer or an early red card can’t be missed. Check the timings more than once and make sure the field remote control will not be occupied.

2. Nothing adds to the joy of being prepared well for a match. Invite friends to come over, ask them to get some cans, munchies and your favorite snack. Never run out of stock in-between, chewing nails isn’t good for health. Have keen attention and a loud support scream for over 2 hours. Make a chorus and let the others follow suit.

3. Invite “fans and fans” only. Red card at Wall Street is irrelevant. AIG is not any popular than the Red Devils. Also chalk out a strategy about a venue. Your home, his bed room or the local sports bar. With multiple options you can always make a smooth transition in case of pre-occupied field. In case of friend’s house, check for presence of nerds or exam frenzy.

4. Fans should be asked to choose their support and it would be a pleasure if they land up in their home jerseys. End of the day, loyalty and support goes a long way in making your teams win. Also make sure about the loyalties of any third team supporter. He might be secretly rebelling both of you.

5. Only players have intervals, fans don’t. So don’t breakdown or stop your cheering. You might not be aiding your teams cause. All phone calls can be missed and all missed calls can be answered later. Only nature calls are allowed.

6. Speak diligently and use the right terminologies. A miss-pass is different from a good interception. Appreciate the differences and spread your knowledge. Give Gyaan at interval and discuss half time tactics. Wenger needs your input.

7. Declare pre match warnings and issue preventive advice in case of feminine fans turning up at the venue. Ballack is a player and not a model. Ronaldo has a girl friend.

8. In case of high pressure situations and hyper sensitive fans, make sure there is sufficient space around them. Elbow tackles and knee jerks are too painful to take. Edge of the seat is too risky. First aid kit can be a good addition.

9. Replace all fragile and valuable decoratives around to a safer place. A harsh tackle or a slip is definitely around the corner.

10. Frequently engage in reading up pre match reviews and post match analysis from Goal.com. You can claim your podium next to Steve Mcmahon. Passionate fans never miss out on all the pre match hype and fuse. Simulation managers are the best way to let the world know. Sometimes we do plan better than Rafa’s formation.

Raiders of the New Ark - The English Invasion

The English fanfare continues aloud in Europe. The feelings that many amongst us had about the English domination in Europe seems to take life slowly but surely. On last night’s evidence from two English teams who played with stark contrast, the Red Devils and the Gunners drubbed their opponents 3-0 and 4 -0 respectively. First, the traveling reds at Denmark stamped their authority on the Danish side and Sir Alex accepted to have learned his lessons a few years ago. He put forth a strong side and gave the samba lad Rafael his 1st UEFA CL appearance in place of the old warrior Neville. United pressed on the gas from the start and had to wait sometime before Rooney coolly netted the first from a fine pass from the new “central midfielder” Ryan Giggs. The reds then went on to dominate possession, shots and almost everything that could be recorded as a stat till it appeared like a pre-season conditioning game. The Danes had their moments but couldn’t make it count as likes of Ferdinand and Vidic were ready to take it All day long. The feeling had set in both the dug outs and at times the ball rolled only on one side. The one way traffic soon paved way for the second as Olfers’s intended back pass sat up and only to be volleyed beautifully at the back of the net by the Berbatov for his 1st ever united goal. The brace soon followed when the Bulgarian smashed his second with exquisite technique worth 30 million from a deflected cross off Ronaldo. The Danes were exposed in defensive shortcomings and goal keeper was left helpless in most situations. Nani’s part of the game was reminiscent of some school boy stuff when his crosses and corners failed to clear the player at the near post. The shot meter kept rolling over as the teams started tiring in a monotonous game. Ronaldo had all the time and chances to make up for his missing goals from the previous games until the Danish bodies got in front of him. Rafael’s good outing was marked by his dazzling dribbling skills, his occasional solo runs and one touch play. A comprehensive win marked by an opening brace for Berbatov. Sir Alex will not have any complaints except for Scholes’s injury scare.

The Much criticized Gunners over their week end performance put up another display of a perfect team game where everybody had a memorable outing. The emirates stadium saw a fine display of free flowing football from both the sides when the Porto side afforded to attack rather than the usual strategy of the visiting teams to sit back and defend deep. The game was played unusually at the start when Arsenal played slowly and uncharacteristic of them. The home team then drew first blood when the hovering Dutchman Van persie toe-poked the ball ahead of the defender to take a 1-0 lead. Adebayor soon had a free header when Porto forgot the basics of man marking in set pieces. RVP then added a third with a cut back and a poke at the bottom left corner. Adebayor stepped in coolly to take the 4th of a penalty when Bendtner was fouled inside with a careless push. RVP and Adebayor scored braces but the highlight of the match was Walcott’s lightning runs. He deceived almost anybody with his pace and drew comparisons with former talisman Henry yet again. He could have had his name in the score sheet had he been a little better in reacting to a cut back. Nasri put in a good show despite him coming back from an injury and Fabregas was his usual with threading passes and holding possession until the re-enforcements came from. Vela came on for Theo and he seems to be knocking the door for a starting line up very soon. Sagna and Clichy had similar dashes in the flanks and put up a decent performance. When the prediction of a cricket score line over the weekend got banished by Hull, it might have once again cropped up with this comfortable win. Wenger’s men played it beautifully against the former champions of UEFA CL. As they march on, the days are not far ahead when at least half their team enter the score sheet and cricket scores are a reality.

UEFA Champions League - September 30th preview.

After a high scoring opening day of 22 goals followed by a 14 goal 2nd day, let us look at the mouth watering clashes served for the next week on September 30th.


Zenit St Petersburg Vs Real Madrid:

Zenit narrowly lost to Juventus by a solitary Del Peiro goal and Madrid had a comfortable outing with a brace at home over BATE. Zenit will look to prove themselves as a tough opponent for the touring Spanish champs at the Petrovski stadium. The free scoring Spaniards fly to Russia after a win over Betis at the weekend and the In-form madridistas will not settle for anything less than 3 points. Zenit come at the back of a 3-0 win over lokomotiv and currently 6th place in the league. Coach Advocaat will put his best attacking line up for this big game. All that remains to be seen is how well does Zenit play to deserve its tag of dark horses. Too early to say, but rest assured that the UEFA cup champions are a team to look out for.

AaB vs. Manchester united:

The Danes frustrated Celtics at the park for over an hour and despite being down to 10 in the last 10 minutes, they managed to negate a flurry of attacks from the Celtics. Things will be different at old Trafford for the very reason that Man Utd looked like getting back in the groove after a 2-0 demolition of Bolton at the weekend. They played their best game of the season till date in terms of possession and shots on target. With a novice like Aab, Sir Alex would not squander the opportunity to get their winning streak back on track. At home this might well prove to be a one-sided match in favour of united unless the Danes come up with the game of their lives. Also for Aab, they would see the return of Beauchamp after his controversial red card was over turned by UEFA.

Villareal vs Celtics:

Coach Manuel Pelligrini would be very delighted over a single point squeezed from old Trafford but would still consider himself unlucky for a deflection of Franco that was denied by the post when Van Der Sar seemed a mere spectator. To follow it up they take on Celtics who could just take a single point over Aab in their home game. Both the teams have not entered the score sheet and arguably these two lock horns for the second spot in the group behind the reigning champions. Fans can look forward to a tight game with Villareal lining up the likes of Senna and Nihat from the bench. On the other hand, Celtic seems to have lost a big name or two to injury and that might hamper their progress in the tournament. Villareal sit pretty on top of the league table with comfortable wins. What looks optimistic is the manner in which they have gone about their work. Celtic would need a top draw to scar the yellow submarines in front of their fans at the Estadio Al Madrigal.

Fiorentina Vs Steau Bucharest:

The Viola’s went ahead twice only to concede goals and Lyon got back into the game to snatch a draw after some angry moments from the viola players. Steau Bucharest in their game against Bayern lost on a tight one goal margin after Buyten deflected a free kick for the visiting Bavarians. For most of the second half, the Romanian outfit stung the palms of Bayern Keeper Rensing with some excellent drives from the edge and outside. Coach Lakatus would look back a fortnight and expect a better finishing form for his strikers to upset the violas. The Violas meanwhile have their own problem at the back and are currently 13th in their league. At home any points dropped would spell doomsday in this extremely competitive group.

Bayern Munich Vs Lyon:

The Germans are yet to find their feet on the ground in the league and have been at the wrong place of the table considering their high standards. The return of Ribery for the cup will be a welcome relief for Klinsmann as his side look to bolster their attack against the French champions. With a disastrous start to the league campaign, a lot hinges on how they respond to the UEFA CL clash against a good opponent. The French champs are meanwhile about to lose Juninho to injury. Rest apart the team looks in good shape and would not want to concede any advantage to the german giants. They rank 1st in their league and also put up a good performance against fiorentina to get back into the game after being 2-0 down. The Bavarains will be questioned on their defense against the likes of Benzema and Govou after a disastrous 5-2 defeat to Werder Bremen still in their minds. This contest should play level with both teams looking better to take the 2 spots in this group.

Arsenal Vs Porto:

Arsene Wenger will be very disappointed about his young team which is showing signs of inconsistency and vulnerability at the back. They drew against Dyanamo kiev and lost to Hull city in the league at the weekend. Inexperience in this side could be a fallability against a Porto side that ousted Aragones’s Fenerbahce with a 3-1 win. At the emirates stadium, Arsenal are still a unbeatable side but with their new found zest in youngsters, they might open up gaps for the experienced porto side to exploit. Porto are undefeated in their league and remain 3rd in the rankings. What remains to be seen is the line up they present against arsenal after closely observing their fluctuating fortunes over the past few weeks. Arsenal looks a beatable side but they are also ruthless on their day at the Emirates.

Fenerbahce vs Dyanamo Kiev:

Fenerbahce lost to Porto and Kiev drew with arsenal. What they can’t afford now is a point share where the other two heavy weights in the group can pull away from them. Fenerbahce look a better side in proper shape after a few summer signings. With coach Aragones, they look a formidable team in the field and play football with good movement up front. Mallorca man Guiza will once again be the key player to watch and all eyes upon him to score his first home UEFA CL goal. As for Dyanamo Kiev, they put up a good show to stumble arsenal, but did’nt show much of attacking prowess in the second half and were left to defend deep in the wake of a string of arsenal attacks. The ukranian side for all their players with international experience can play better and we hope they just bring out one of the better performances over fenerbahce. Tough it may seem, but never the less this match seems promising on the cards especially after the 1st week results.

BATE Borisov Vs Juventus:

BATE had a tough outing against Real in the first week and it seems like no respite when the Italian giants are coming down to play some spoil sport. The scoreline 2-0 depicts little damage but psychologically the pressure of a heavy weight opponent would still ring their minds when they see the likes of Del Piero scorching free kicks from distances. As for Juventus, A scratchy display ended by a piece of brilliance from a legend against a well organized Zenit side. The Old lady lacked creativity all throughout and this cannot continue for long if they are to make any impact at the latter stages of the tournament. Currently placed 6th in their league with 2 successive draws, the onus of scoring rests upon Amauri to keep them going into the season with good convincing performances. BATE can count on fans at their home ground to do all the inspiring work for them. For BATE fans, there was an upset in the first week by CFR Cluj and BATE can draw some inspiration from it.

UEFA Champions league preview day 2

The following is the preview article of Matchday 2 of UEFA Champions League.

Group E:

1. Manchester United Vs Villareal @ Old Trafford: The Red devils enter the competition with an eye to retain the trophy from Moscow early this year. Few teams have managed to lift the cup in successive editions with giants A.C Milan being the last team to achieve that feat in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Sir Alex would like to script history when his team enters the field in this year's edition. The Scotsman will look to recapture his most cherished trophy one more time before he can call it quits. The return of Ronaldo will be a big boost for the Red devils though it remains to be seen how big a part he can play in this particular clash keeping in mind an even more tougher opponent in Chelsea on a weekend at the bridge. With Tevez, Rooney and Berba in the fray, options to lead the attack are plenty but Sir Alex has problems in his midfield as seen from the Liverpool game where Liverpool were all over the park behind the ball. An injury to Carrick, a not so fully fit Hargreaves and the ageing duo of Scholes and Giggs means that Sir Alex will have to wear the thinking hat about choosing ball winners in the center of the park. As for the Yellow Submarines, the team has improved leaps and bounds after their semi final showing in 2005 edition and a runner up place in La liga last year. Coach Manuel Pelligrini will be without Star striker Nihat, but the presence of experienced mid fielders in Pires, Edmilson and Euro winner Marcos senna will form a reliable mid field combat for the " Submarine Amarillos". G.Rossi will face his old club and a surprise package in American teenager Jos Altidore can work either ways for the men in yellow. The past encounters between these teams have been more or less even and it remains to be seen, how much of character can the red devils show again in the midst of a bad patch. Finally being a home game for united with the crowd behind their backs, this could just be the booster that Sir Alex was looking for.

2. Celtic vs. Aalborg @ Celtic Park: The Scottish champs Celtics take on the Danish champions Aalborg at the Celtic Park where they boast of an impressive record defeating the likes of Man united and Milan. Coach Gordon Strachan will also have to find a method of creating away victories in the later stages of the competition. Much of their failure has been attributed to an inability to score away goals. There is no dearth of talent, yet the Celtics fail to make a mark at the big stage in Europe year after year. Samaras and Venegoor of Hesselink start the line up with Nakamura drilling in the passes from the midfield. Mcgeady is a talented winger and Goal keeper Artur Boruc is a top shot stopper at the back. For the Danish giants, they would be reliant on Danish top scorer last season Jeppe Curth to lead the attack. With no big names featuring here, Aalborg would like to play a disciplined game and should be looking forward in clinching a draw against their opponents to cause some trouble in the group

3. Steaua Bucuresti vs. Bayern Munich @ Stadionul Ghencea: The Los- Albastrii’s (Red – Blues) had their moments long back winning against Barca in 1986 and losing to Milan in the finals in 1989. Nothing much has happened to them after that though they have been regulars to feature in the group stages. The 2nd placed Romanian team coached by M.Lactus will look to line up a disciplined side in the field. With not many famous names in the line up except for their Star defender Dorian Goain who is pursued by many English and Spanish top teams. The defender is highly regarded for his aerial prowess in set pieces and disciplined tackles. A few Latin American players in the line up can cause troubles along the flanks and that will be it. On bayern's part, Coach Klinsmann will keep his fingers crossed about the return of creative nimble footed Ribery from his injury. The German champs are a different side altogether with ribery on song in addition to the likes of Toni, Podolski, Borowski and Van bommel in their camp, it looks like a TALL order for the Romanians with the Bavarian strikers well known for their cunning aerial strikers.
Goal keeper Micheal Rensing will fill the boots of legendry Kahn after being in his shadow for 4 years. After sitting out of this competition last year, Klinsmann will be looking forward to start fresh his European campaign in search of their glory. At Steuau's home, the Bavarians can be rest assured that it wont be any cake walk for them when they start their challenge.

4. Lyon Vs Fiorentina @ Stade de Gerland: The seven time successive French champions have never progressed beyond the quarter final stages in this competition. On paper they appear a formidable side except for their “waiting to crumble” defense, the French champs " Les Gones" can boast of a supreme strike force led by 20 year old teen Sensation Karim Benzema who opted to stay back in Lyon, the fast paced Sydney Govou in the flanks, Brazilian Fred, mid fielder Fredric Piquionne, the magic of dead ball specialist Juninho, mid fielder Toulalan, makoun, and Keita. A combination of such quality will pose a serious challenge for the Fiorentina lads. The Voila men are coming out slowly of a financial crisis and the Re- Pairing of Mutu and Gilardino under their gritty coach C. Prandelli would mean that they won’t be any push over in this challenge especially after a successful league campaign last year where they managed to climb over Milan in the standings. With Peruvian Vargas at the back and dribbler Jovetic in their ranks, Voila will find it hard against a seasoned campaigner in Lyon. All that remains to be seen is that whether Adrian Mutu can create some dazzling moments which he does time and again to help fashion an deserved victory if not an emphatic one. Meanwhile Lyon at home is a formidable opponent just to tell you that the match could also progress in one way traffic.

5.FC Porto Vs Fenerbahce @ Estadio de Dragao: The Dragoes won their last UEFA CL title in 2004 under the " Special One". After that they haven’t showed similar consistency and failed at crucial stages of the tournament. The reigning Portuguese champions have many a times caused an upset frequently against the biggest names across Europe. In Lucho Gonzales, they have a talisman midfielder to control the game alongside winger Cristian Rodriguez and Colombian international F.Guarin. Also do watch out for a Jersey named “Hulk” from Brazil expecting to show his antics at the European level. Coach Jesualdo is a master tactician and having been in this coaching field for quiet a long time, he will arrange a line up to tactically pull a 1st leg victory in the early stages. Their Turkish rivals Fenerbahce in their yellow black stripes also known as yellow canaries have made some star signings this summer after a quarter final showing last year where they lost to Chelsea. Euro winner Luis Aragones is on a sky high in terms of confidence bringing along former Mallorca marksman Danny guiza to turkey. Partnering him would be Semih senturk and Kazim-Kazim who had an outstanding euro tournament respectively. Emre belozoglu still remains doubtful in his fitness and form whereas Ugur boral is sure the take the starting line up. Fans can expect to see Roberto Carlos in action in the left wing and if all goes well, we expect him to unleash his power in free kicks against Porto. This should be a well contested and evenly poised match, considering that both teams are not superior in defense, it might turn out to be a high scoring encounter.

6. Dynamo Kiev Vs Arsenal @ Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium: The recent departure of the Brazilian trio has diminished the attacking resources of Dynamo Kiev and a lot of responsibility hangs around a much younger and in-experienced shoulders of Artem Milevsky to convert any half chances to make a match out of it. At the back of a miserable campaign last year where they faced 6 clean defeats, the number 2 Ukrainians will try to make a match out of this against a Wenger's side that is brimming with confidence. The skill set and the passing abilities in Wenger's BOY'S are a delight to watch when they play against some lesser known opponents. The gunners on their day could surpass any team in the world and with Fabregas and Nasri in the mid field, the Dynamo Goal keeper is bound to have a hard time against the likes of Adebayor and Walcott. Although not impossible, but keeping in mind the home advantage for dynamo, the Ukraine’s can tactically test the not so called unbreakable defense of arsenal to get their name in the score sheet. The gunners as they do would love to seal a win in their usual emphatic fashion and assert their supremacy of playing a beautiful and delightful game, which any football lover would watch. The Gunners will not settle for anything less than 3 points at the start of the tournament with minimum injury concerns.

7. Real Madrid vs. BATE Borisov @ Santiago Bernabau: It can't get any better for Los Merengues when they start their search for the elusive 10th CL title with a home match against a lesser known opponent. Coach Bernd Schuster would like to get his team selection and line up right keeping in mind the high pressure league games in the forthcoming week. With two top goal CL scorers in Raul and RVN, Madrid boasts of a poaching strike pair that can enter any team. Dutchmen Van der vaart and arjen robben are fit to play the clash, Borisov will have a hard time negating the power of Real Madrid in their backyard. The Spanish champions will take on Belarus champs BATE Borisov, who make history by being the first ever Belarusian team to enter CL after defeating Anderlecht and Levski sofia. Such a feat is an achievement in itself but taking on nine time champions and power house Real Madrid will prove more than a handful for this Belarusian side with no history or experience behind it. In the absence of any big names in their line up as compared to an all star team of Coach Schuster, BATE will play to avoid any embarrassment on their debut in this fiercely competitive tournament.

8. Juventus Vs Zenit St.Petersburg @ Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino: The Old lady is back at the top draw and the Bianconeri will look to assert their supremacy in a clash which can go any way. With living legend Del Peiro in their ranks, Juventus cannot complain of creativity in the park. Bolstering the mid field would be Pavel Nedved, Poulsen, Tiago and a never ending list of experience, this team has a bench as strong as its line up. New signing Amauri will pair up with Trezeguet or Laquinta with ADP playing behind them with a license to roam. The Old lady's defense is ageing but its experience will offset the lack of pace and sharp movements inside the box. On the other hand, the Russian champions Zenit defeated Man united in the super cup@ Monaco few weeks ago and play a silky smooth flowing football. Star player Arshavin showed his presence in the middle and the impact he made at the Euros. Fans will definitely hope for a repeat performance from their displeased mid fielder. Striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, Igor Denisov, Defensive mid fielder Tymoshchuk with Coach Dick Advocaat make a line up that will make life difficult for its opponents. If Zenit can play its free flowing crisp passing game, Juventus could well be in trouble trying to catch up for most part of the game. Call them Outsiders, on their day a disciplined side like Zenit might surprise the world too.

UEFA CL Day 1 Preview of matches

Nothing excites a fan more to watch his favorite club compete for the european challenge. UEFA CL again resumes this year after that famous victory for the Red Devils over the Blues. some moments are still fresh in the memories like John terry and Ronaldo's penalty miss, Drogba's send off and the whole lot of transfer saga. Lets look at the clashes and highlight few key players and issues that can make us enjoy watching our game better.

Day 1:

Group A:
1. Chelsea Vs Bordeaux @ Stamford bridge: Chelsea's unbeaten home record extends way back to february 2004 where they lost to arsenal 2-1. with a record of 77 unbeaten home games behind them, it really would take the 8th placed french team ( as of now) to play the match of their lifetime to match their opponents. Coach Laurent Blanc too feels the same as bordeaux have already lost 2 matches and lost some ground to pose a serious title challenge.but with players like Cavenaghi ( 3 goals in current season), Gourcuff, Gouffran and Bellion, they have players who can shock the opponents on their night. As for chelsea, the return of Drogba against city would mean a lot in bolstering their final shot.with full backs Cole and Bosingwa swinging in those crosses, Drogba will fancy his chances of putting the ball at the back of the net. All said and done, Chelsea have been consistent in the tournament for past few years at this stage of the tournament. with Deco and lampard in ominous form, the blues will try to take control of the match and Big Phil will have his first taste of Europe against a talented bordeaux side who are looking for a stellar performance to get back on track for their title challenge as well as the champions league.

2.Roma Vs CFR Cluj - Napoca @ Stadio Olimpico : Roma have started the season badly with a draw and a loss from two games giving doubts about their title challenge in the absence of the their big guns from last year. the romanian champions CFR cluj better known as the " The Railway Men" coached by an Italian Trombetta make their first ever entry into this format of europe. with not many star players in their ranks, the team is made up of few portuguese and argentinians who could be exciting to watch on their day. except for their striker, Y.Kone ( previously for Rosenberg) who has had some CL experience , CFR would hope that the bad form of the Gialarossis continue in their match too where they can salvage something out of the game. Roma would seriously look to get back into their winning ways and time can't come any better than an opponent who is making his debut in the CL. With the final in Rome this year, coach Spaletti admits that they have to push much harder to realise the dream of their Totti lifting the cup. the oppurtunity for a rollicking start lies ahead for Roma or will the little known Railwaymen pull off something out of this game ?

GroupB:

3.Panathinaikos Vs Inter Milan @ Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium : The " Prasinois" combination of Coach Ten cate, Ex arsenal man Gilberto and the Pillar of greek midfield Karagounis combined with the likes of 18 year old greek prodigy Ninis and Striker Salpigidis, the Panathinaikos a.k.a Prasinoi can cause some early panic in Mourinho's camp if they get off to a rapid start and force their say on the game. though it will be tough for the greek club club to play a dominating game, a home ground support can add lots to their confidence in playing a hard match against inter, for whom the start this season has'nt been upto their standards. For the Nerazzurris, this could be a game to kickstart their 36 year CL drought for the team as well as coach Mourinho's recent chase for the CL trophy with the blues. with the summer signings of Mancini, Quaresma and Muntari led by a strong Ibra upfront, Inter will keep creating chances before its a matter of time to take the lead. with the tactician clearly signalling his intent to bring the CL this year, Inter would like to sound their arrival to the league of CL winners from the yesteryears. Must say this should be a hard fought midfeild game.

4.Werder Bremen Vs Anorthosis Famagusta @ Westerstadion: The Bundesliga runners up have played consistently well over the last few years reaching the second round in 04 and the 05 editions. Coached by Thomas Schaaf, the Werder boasts of a challenging line up in the likes of midfield grafter Deigo, Frings and Claudio Pizzaro ( on loan from Chelsea). the other players to watch out for would be Striker Marcus Rosenberg, Vranjes and their two center backs Naldo and Mertesacker. As for their opponents as the champions of Cyprus, who defeated olympiacos to reach this stage, the team will rely a lot upon the experieced 32 year old defender Trianos Dellas and Former Madrid man 34 year old Savio. also to watch out would be the speedy french winger Laban who tormented his opponents to bring his team here to this stage of the CL. but lacking in experience, reality will look to show its ugly side to them in their CL clash. the Cyprus champs will have to take this chances if they want to salvage any bit of pride from this game unless until werder gives it away on their own.

Group C:

5. FC Basel vs Shakhtar Donetsk @ St.Jakob Park: The swiss champions have had their glory days in 2002 -03 when they defeated celtics and juventus to reach the second round and also have held Man utd and Liverpool to draws.but apart from that they dont have any special attribute to boast about. after the exit of playmaker Hakan Yakin, the swiss champs have found it hard to compete at the CL level and have faced the habit of getting knocked out in the early stages. This time around with the likes of Safari, Marko Streller etc they do have players who are skillful and at the same time can make the most out of some oppurtunities. for Shakhtar donetsk, the ukraine champs, the record has been much cleaner as they have never progressed beyond the group stages. on paper with the likes of Fernadinho, the much talked about striker from bolivia Moreno, Side backs Srna and Rat, this team looks much solid to grind their opponents in terms of experience and skills, the nicknamed " Miners" from ukraine have a little bit of Brazilian Style about them. expect some fancy footworks to keep you interested while watching.

6. Barcelona Vs Sporting Lisbon @ Nou Camp: Pep guardiola has lately found that the art of coaching is seemingly getting difficult day by day. At Nou Camp, when they start their CL bid, they take on a notorious opposition known for causing upsets . without the likes of Ronaldinho,Deco and Henry ( who sat out against Santander) , Barca might find it difficult to stop the odd fast paced counter attacks from the sporting wings. At the same time, the likes of Messi, Bojan, Iniesta, Xavi ,Alves, Eto etc might be too hot to handle for the portuguese runners up. The Barca line up looks the best on paper but performances on field cannot be said the same as seen from their La liga matches till date which had very little of the barca grace in it. As for the Leons, the presence of Brazilian Leidson upfront, Postiga, Fabio Rochemback's return to former club, Joa Moutinho and Miguel Veloso they have a portuguese line up ready to make some swift counter attacks. but against Barca, will that be enough for sporting which has failed to go a notch above. Finally will we get to see the true Barca game in this?

Group D:

7.PSV Eindhoven vs Athletico Madrid @ Philip Stadium: All picture does not look rosy for a PSV side after the exit of Hiddink followed by few of their star players. the dutch fringe internationals like Kovermans, Allefay and skipper Simons will need to take charge if at all their side has to prove something in this encounter. For Athletico, the deadly duo of Forlan and Aguero flanked by Simao will make life difficult for the Dutch team to handle. with the experienced gregory Coupet between the posts backed by heitinga and ujfalusi, it will take some creative play for the Dutch men to register a score. also backing them will be argentinian maxi rodriguez, Paulo Assuncao, luis garcia etc. with this line up, the athletico side looks a lot handful in terms of their current form and skill. it will take some hard tackles and ball winning abilities for PSV to make their presence felt in this game.

8.Marseille Vs Liverpool @ Stade Velodrome: Coach Eric geret's mission of constructing something precious will get a reality check when they face Rafa's liverpool. OM has always staggered behind and conceded the limelight to OL who have performed thoroughly and consistently over the past few years. With the likes of Ben Arfa in their ranks , Kone and Niang in the lead role, Marseille can hope to create and convert those odd chances into magic moments. what remains to be seen is their back line with no solid face in it. on the other hand, liverpool are coming here on the back of a sensational victory over the red devils. the confidence is sky high, Gerrard is back, Babel will cause problems , Keane will keep moving and upon that the menace of EL Nino. what else can Rafa ask for. a solid midfield of Gerrard, Alonso and the magnificient Mascherano will keep pushing in those passes and any sniff of the goal would mean torres getting his name in the scoresheet.tough to say that this match will not be a one sided encounter, it remains to be seen as to whether Rafa does something supremely confident in team selections to give a chance to OM.

Liverpool vs manutd. sept 13th preview.

" The clash of the Reds at Anfield can set a strong footprint in the long season to follow. As suggested by Rafa, this is more than 3 points as teams make or break confidence from such outcomes. Looking back, history points at Man utd for a better record in the past 5 outings with only 1 win for Rafa in a cup match. but as they, every match is a new match and especially when it is between the champion reds and the merseyside warriors.
Rafa's attack is bolstered with the return of Gerrard and El nino who on their day could rip apart any defense. meanwhile Sir Alex has dropped a bombshell by saying that Roanldo might feature somewhere in the match, though many beleive these are mind games played before a high voltage clash. Ronnie apart, Sir Alex has an exciting trio of tevez, rooney and berba upfront but at the same time picking up the line up and formation for the start will not be any bit easy as all three strikers bring in different attributes to the game. in any case we expect him to field a 4-4-2 attack against the reds who boast of a solid midfield led by gerrard. upfront for both the teams, the chances will be minimum and torres could be the razor sharp difference in the scoreline considering that berba will take some time to adjust. in defense both teams look solid again, but in such high pressure games, ferdinand and co have always been tight at the back considering that the scorelines in the past have been repeatedly 1-0 for both the teams.
all said and done, on basis of current form after 2 matches, utd seem to slowly climb up the form ladder, whereas liverpool started very bright but the draws inbetween seem to have slightly hampered their top of the table climb. a liverpool win would mean they climb up to the top spot temporarly for 2 hours based on other results, a win would also take man utd to the top 3 in the table based on other results too. amongst much heated pre match arguments from both the managers, rafa and co seem more focussed as man utd seem to look ahead for a dream debut for berba. let us not forget the likes of keane, tevez, and rooney to have their presence felt in the game.
my verdict Liv 1-1 Man utd. goals from keane and berba to open their accounts for respective teams. Go ahead, grab a can and be amazed"

hey there delilah - plain white T's... wonderful lyrics.

Hey there Delilah
What's it like in New York City?
I'm a thousand miles away
But girl, tonight you look so pretty
Yes you do
Times Square can't shine as bright as you
I swear it's true

Hey there Delilah
Don't you worry about the distance
I'm right there if you get lonely
Give this song another listen
Close your eyes
Listen to my voice, it's my disguise
I'm by your side

Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
What you do to me

Hey there Delilah
I know times are getting hard
But just believe me, girl
Someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar
We'll have it good
We'll have the life we knew we would
My word is good

Hey there Delilah
I've got so much left to say
If every simple song I wrote to you
Would take your breath away
I'd write it all
Even more in love with me you'd fall
We'd have it all

Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me

A thousand miles seems pretty far
But they've got planes and trains and cars
I'd walk to you if I had no other way
Our friends would all make fun of us
and we'll just laugh along because we know
That none of them have felt this way
Delilah I can promise you
That by the time we get through
The world will never ever be the same
And you're to blame

Hey there Delilah
You be good and don't you miss me
Two more years and you'll be done with school
And I'll be making history like I do
You'll know it's all because of you
We can do whatever we want to
Hey there Delilah here's to you
This one's for you

Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
What you do to me.

Blog series - Traveller and his journey.

I kept thinking fast, moving fast and doing things faster. a wave of enthusiasm had engulfed me and i started loving what i was doing. i had to lose some on the way which could have cost me dearer later but fortunately they didn't. Living life with one thought in your mind was much simpler, the fact is u are never lost to decide upon something outside your mind. I had my priorities set right, they were few and concentrated upon the same. life became lighter and lighter until i kept flying high. i was never grounded on those memorable days. Talking about these to an good friend of mine, i felt good about my flying days. looking back i also take pride in what i did. as they say the path was cherished and taught me a lot. i was more passionate than ever before in my life and more thoughtful and single minded. i learnt to focus on things and learnt to execute them better. I was racing time and calender, patience built a castle in me until that chilly night back to my place. i kept a secret to myself till then that i wud never share my sorrows to anyone nor make people around me feel pity on me.one has to suffer his consequences to become better for the future. the truth could be that the consequence might even trigger a new beginning as i always hope for. but with time i brush it away to the side and get back on track to do what i do best. then it was gettin fast and worse, i started seeing things which i had'nt imagined. my dreams were different from reality. too far for me to understand anything goin around. i backtracked to check for mistakes, yes, quite a few, but they were open and i guess they spoke a lot about me. i had'nt followed what nature had advised mankind. i tried something different, too different for someone of my age. the thoughts that yielded my actions were'nt understood. perhaps it was my fault for choosing a different language, but again like music, love speaks only one language. the language of love itself. i understood, but i shud'nt have expected the other to do the same. i did and i suffered. thats when i realised the human way, a way with a mind and a chemistry on its own. i ardently solved the latter, i completely lost the former. though i cud'nt have done anything about it. my enthusiasm overlooked the scene. it took me above to show things that i have never seen and felt. i started liking the way, making me believe the end was even sweeter. after the chilly night, the end seemed farer, i was travelling the wrong path, there was no end and there was no fruit either, i was travellin with a stranger all of a sudden. she cud'nt understand what i was talkin. she used to wake up inbetween and ask me for water and biscuits, i assumed he had understood me and liked me for my way as a companio n. the thirst for water was there around for everyone and every passenger did the same when he was thirsty. perhaps it was too much optimistic of me to see beyond a companion. but she heard my stories, she laughed, she cried, she comforted me and made me feel better. i was'nt wrong about my decison to not let go of this person, i wanted to laugh, cry and comfort her the way she felt with me. it was true, the tears were warm i knew they came from deep inside. they must have come after a lot of turmoil too. i wanted her to travel alongside me, she understood my hunger better, my view and my way of travelling. i wasn't wrong, but i wasn't meant to travel alongside. i was packed light and i didnt travel with a map. may be he was too scared of my destination, may be my bag was'nt stuffed enough for her kind of travel. i did'nt bother to consider. they were not of much significance. but when she opened the window on one chilly night, i lost the plot. i thought i was travellin until then to some place but i wasn't. i had'nt sized up the situation. i read it hopefully and read it the way my mind wanted to see. the thirst for water was normal unlike any other living creature, the biscuits for hunger and some laughter/ cry to pass the travelling time too. maybe i stretched my mind to think about things alongside her. the journey beyond the destination was what i was all thinkin about. i was right in some way. i was planning the map ahead, but i forgot to ask where she was headin. she had different opinions. i had'nt. i just got one on the way. lucky. may be / may be not.

Blog series - A travelller's thoughts.

Have you ever felt a chill in your spine when u stand hugging urself tightly at the edge of a cliff and when it pours down heavily. The eyes become heavy with all that rain drops and still u try to keep ur eyes open and admire something u find beautiful across the edge. There was a strong westwind blowing across making the trees whistle, the cold air and ur wet clothes make u shiver, and it wud be more worse if u felt like crying for something that is running in ur mind. u really wudn't but it is one of those moments where ur tears get lost amongst the drops, ur body feels warm admist the cold, a nerve of comfort runs thru ur body making ur hair stand up and this comfort makes u break down even more until u collapse. its one of those moments which i believe one wudn't forget for any reason. i am nostlagic abt places, weather and scenarios. they remind me a lot abt " those " days of pain especially those which turned out to be good in the end. but its a nostalgia, i love to pause those moments, stop everything that i was doin, and look around to see if there is something that can make me happy. a life of an optimist is good to watch and read about for others, being an eternal one, sometimes we need something concrete to get a grip of life and things happenin around. i am drawn into conclusion right from my childhood, i think in more than 1 way and behave defenitely in few ways. sometimes/sometimes not, i think its misfortune if u dont have enough ignorance to not see things the way which can affect us in some way. originating from the same source, i see the coin in more than 2 ways as others wud say crazy. i have'nt learnt bliss from ignorance, neither the conviction to live as one can. the path seems clear sometimes, then blurred, missing sometimes and then back to square one. a kind of turmoil many people wud have gone thru for different reasons. mine was'nt but it was for some strange reason and hence it was unique like many others. a misery compounded by the fact that none other the victim can relate to it leave alone understanding it. And so when all this was happening to me, i was left with nothing much but to relish the moment in my own way. then it all happens, the fog clears and i left a different person only to return again with the same cloud over my head. a cloud that had formed on its own picking up everything in its way with ease as an optimist would like to see the world, call it madness but you wud sure not deny it for the moments u live. it taught me a lot of things which i cud'nt cope up with. but still i fought it the hard way. one upon the other, difficulties kept comin, everythin targeted at my emotions and reactions. juggling fire balls became difficult and i realised it a little later. when i felt the burns. now the burnt fingers handle hot things better than ever before.

we are..............

Over the course of time we tend to believe that all our decisions tend to pay us off the way wanted to. we make believe ourselves that we actually got what we wanted. the level of decision and actions that led us there were never questioned. as they say in schools, its the path that matter rather than the end. but our thought process are governed to overlook the path and conclude on basis of end. but when we look deeper, the solidarity behind our conclusions are because of the fact that we are fractals in nature. we interact with enviroment knowingly and unknowingly. both carry variable weightages and significant/insignificant may be. being fractals in nature, we assume the interaction variables to be insignificant in our outcome when they may have actually aided / remained neutral/ opposed the outcome of a particular event. in this measure we again breakdown a composite equation by eliminating the non measurables and considering only those which can be sized up by our human minds. again in this part we shud encounter an unknown method programmed in us that considers the non measurable variables insignificant or sized up for a small part in the entire equation. we repeat this procedure until we arrive at an equation in our mind that again make us believe that we have considered the relevant variables. ( sorry to say this )but at this point we try to consolidate and our psychological make up becomes positive. ( elimination of fear of unknown) at this stage we interact and we see a direct response that triggers to mind to verify the equation. we all act like a equation, we know nothing abt the catalyst, the other variables that add on to us nor the methods of the reaction. all that we know is a small part of ourselves that makes us feel positive psychologically and at that point we give up the equation and praise the glory of an part that was insignificant. again we conclude on this and re assure ourselves to make a similar successful one the next time. we all think trying to account for factors around us that influence us. some go a lil ahead and bring in variables that have their dependents too. the circle expands. the inter variable dependence is complex and extremely vast for any godamn machine too. then we try to move this entire set in time hypothetically or extrapolate a lil from the past ( cant stop laughing abt the way we boast ). this is like solving a equation with n variables that have n outcomes with every instance of time. and then we sometimes say long term planning which is absolute bullshit , nothin but randomness and from the present giving a solid reasoning for our past actions which we are best at. anyways we cant escape the fact that we are mere fractals ( not even ant size economics ) and insignificantly significant that we decide to psychologically appear to ourselves the other way round that keeps us going and biding time. else imagine wat else can our complex minds think abt and do for living thru time till death. we are wat our minds want to and what our souls thirst us . we move in that direction blindfolded but eyes wide open as we claim.( optimism dictionary terms ) then we dilute it in for a entire man kind under a roof called GOD ( a.k.a Hope ) sorry but this is wat it can be. insults welcome .