21st April 2008 one day countdown

There were no networks available on the mrt. I would have wanted to blog on the page direct but that was not to be. --- 6.15pm Harborfront MRT station

7.15pm Kovan
There are two things I want to do before I go home today. First would be blog. There has always been long interval in between periods where I blog. Usually I fill in the vaccum by posting pictures I took. Pictures of places I have been to, interesting things I have seen or the nice food I have been eating. I would always add a mental note to update in words the story associated with the pictures. More often than not, my mental notes ended up in my cerebral dustbin. So in the end this blog has more pictures than words. On the other hand, I will also copy wholesale, texts from football websites, news about my favourite team and place them on my blog. In other words, this blog is badly neglected in terms of personal input.
There will be times when I am more inclined to blog than others. Usually that would be times when I have no access to a computer, spontaneous thoughts and musings that fleet across my mind, coherent and interesting enough that I would want to give these thoughts a cyber if not solid form. However I would be more distracted by the game on my PC to ever find time to blog. Another period where I want to blog would be during times of stress, that is while preparing for exams. Anything would be better than studying.

7.20pm Kovan
My blog should be given a facelift. Mainly for personal satisfaction. For the past weeks, while not studyiing/playing fifa08/tutoring, I have been playing around with photoshop7. My subjects would usually be pictures of friends or acquaintances. Nothing much came from that, maybe just a few very interesting resultant combination. I have not been doing much with texts/words or cartoons or pictures of inanimate objects. I have downloaded a few pictures, mostly holy or macabre ones. I should begin to experiment on these soon. Maybe I could design a background for the title of this blog. In the beat of a heart. I changed the color combination for this blog already. I like the new combi. Maybe I am not so much of a black and white and grey person. What is that word on my mind? Psychedelic? I am not so sure about the spelling but who cares. I wonder if a skull or a few angels would look out of place against the background color.

Liverpool Vs Chelsea
Venue: Anfield
There is no doubt that liverpool has the psychological advantage going into this fixture. They have one of the best midfielders in the world who happens to be one of the most consistent performer in the champions league. Also they have a lethal marksman who has power and pace, true power and terrifying pace. Few can compare to Torres in these two aspects. Perhaps Rooney and Ronaldo, of whom only Ronaldo is equally prolific. Then there is Reina who always seem to have a good game against Chelsea at Anfield or elsewhere, except Stamford Bridge. Put Carragher in front of him and the improving Skrtel, you do have one of the most consistent defences around. Ryan Babel has always impressed me when I watch him play. The ability to dribble between opposition players and past them reminds me of Arjen Robben.
They have a good record and the most intimidating stadium and that would no doubt spur the Reds players on to competing at 100 or 120% of their normal abilities. Of course, to match Liverpool, we need Ballack to perform to his maximum abilities, and add alot more steel to his game. We need our right back to keep their attacks in check and lastly we need Drogba to be in inspired form. Think back to 2006 1-4 win to Chelsea. Drogba did everything correct but score, but four others did after he had opened up the Liverpool's defense. Publicly, Lampard has warned of not using revenge as a motivator, but what is wrong if revenge for the wrongs of the last 3 seasons can help us to a rousing victory at the most hostile of places. To quote SAF, we would absolutely love it to win away even though this is just the semi finals. In Joe Cole, we have someone who never gives up, even though on many occasions, the managers choose to give him up in the last quarter of the match. He has the skill and tenacity to beat many world class defenders. AT the end of his crosses or passes would be Lampard or Drogba , of course in the event both are fit. These two appears to be really well shackled in recent games against the reds and it should really be time for them to start performing again in these big games. Tackle for tackle, lunges for lunges. The right amount of pace and trickery at the crucial moments. That is what they need to bring to the game. Just look at how hard Cech is fighting to be fit for Chelsea's games, the risks he knows he is taking, these two should take inspiration from the Czech.
Chelsea do not play exceptionally well away from home. In fact they are also struggling to create opportunities at home. So I would say , to put it mildly, the conditions are not favorable for Chelsea. Yet this is the 3rd or 4th time in a semi final Chelsea are facing Liverpool in the semi final if you would count the FA Cup two years ago. I noticed that the players lacked the motivation , the desire to win and the heart for fiesty challenges. But one thing that made me continue to support or even love them when they are not playing well is their often stubborn mentality to do well against adversity. It is a Mourinho trait. Some people call it a fighting spirit.
This is still almost the same team that won at Stamford Bridge 4-2 against a talented Barcelona, a team that won 3-0 against Man U in the following season to clinch the league title and most recently beat Arsenal 2-1 from behind to stay in the title race. The two matches after this tuesday's would see Chelsea playing twice at home against Man U and Liverpool to stay in the hunt for both the EPL title and the Champions League Final. Many of Chelsea's players play as individuals. Yet many of them are match winners and that has seen them still keeping up with the pace Man U is setting. The team effort is lacking on many occasions and without Mourinho at the helm to inspire them, you can imagine their spirit is slowly disintegrating. But do not forget that it is the legacy that Mourinho left behind that Chelsea are fighting to preserve in the following two games. And I would love it, absolutely love it, if we beat the two teams in RED.
Avram Grant gave a disastrous interview following Chelsea's victory over Everton. Was it similar to what Claudio Ranieri was feeling after Chelsea's semi final match against Monaco? When he realized that the club is looking for a change in leadershipby approaching Mourinho? Did Avram Grant catch news of a surrendipitious approach for another manager by the Chelsea management? Did he feel unloved by the blues brigade despite boasting a similar record with Mourinho?
The relationship between Mourinho and Chelsea borders on love. To mention one brings to mind the other. Chelsea and Mourinho have almost became synonymous during his 3 year tenure. Eponymous. Because he shaped what Chelsea is to the fans in their heart. He turned many new and old believers into believers and fighters with blue blood coursing through their veins. There was a certain pride in being a Blues. The knowledge that we are not easily defeated. and if you cannot defeat us, sooner or later you will lose to us. Just think back to last year's FA cup final against Man U.
Avram Grant will never enjoy the same sort of support Mourinho HAS. Love, respect, admiration all have to be earned. You do it by first talking about victories before proving yourself by walking the talk. Just as you would during a courtship, you promise the world to the pursued, not in boring and unconvincing manners but in eloquent and bombastic deliveries. And you make good on your vows. In football, everyone knows there are no constant winners, we are prepared to lose a title now and then, a cup final or semi final every 2 or 3 years and we will still stick by our teams. They call it through thick and thin. Mourinho did everything he needed to win over our hearts. He called for support for our team in the big games, in the less pretigious games, vocal support, banner support, flags and so on. He won us the title, he won us the Carling cup and he won us the FA cup. He told us we are serial winners. He made us believe. So he is respected and admired. Even when the results don't go our way. Even when we lost the league at Arsenal and the many semi finals to Liverpool.
What is the most important thing a new boyfriend or girlfriend should never do? Compare themselves with the previous one. It is obvious. You should never do it unless you are convinced you are way superior than the previous one and even so you need to convince your beloved that he or she was young and naive with the previous choice and it is really not their fault. Mourinho did that with Ranieri. He let us know that as amiable as Ranieri might be, he was just part of our growing up phase. An inconsequential relationship. Mourinho is the genuine goods, and we were ready to pledge eternity with him.
Cue Avram Grant. He promised to play attacking football, insinuating Chelsea were boring under Mourinho. Lets face it, when was it ever boring? The vicious media attacks? The quotable quotes of parking buses, bird flu is more worrisome than MAN U or the comments about some eggs being higher in quality than others? The goals of Drogba against Arsenal ( I cannot even recall how many exactly did he score against them, I just know it is a lot), the audacious chip from the byline into Barcelona's goalmouth at the Nou Camp, the come from behind 4-1 win against West Ham after going a goal and a Maniche down or the FA cup win in the dying minutes after a good combi by Lampard and Drogba?
You just do not bad mouth your predecessor unless you are Mourinho and of course you should never even consider it if the predecessor happens to be the Special One. Then there is the talks about Steven Gerrard. Mourinho did it in his first year in charge. But Avram Grant? You get the idea.
Of course it is a sign of a great manager if after his departure, the fans and players could find no one better to fill his vacancy. You may bring in Arsene Wenger, Capello, Klinsman or Rijkaard, but no one will be able to duplicate the pride and love of Chelsea and her supporters 2004 - 2007. Success maybe, given that we have Roman's roubles.
As someone once said, love cannot be made to order.

And what was the other thing I wanted to do before going home? Study.--- 9.00pm Kovan end of blogging session.