Now, I went to see Black Swan the other day and I’m finding it harder than usual to give this one a score. It’s one of the better tough decisions to have to make however. It’s not like I’m trying to decide to give it one star or two!
Black Swan is what you’d probably call a dramatic thriller. It’s creepy, intoxicating, sexy, powerful and at times breathtaking. It has its jumpy moments, its touching moments and its just plain creepy moments.
Saturday 29 January 2011
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Were you saying something? Look, I don't speak Spanish.
Picture the scene, you’re a hot-shot TV personality who is number one at your organisation. Nobody defies you; you may have ridiculous opinions and your dress sense is a little dated but you’re the best. Then one day someone writes the F-word on your teleprompter and Ed is forced to fire you.
Okay that’s Anchorman but there’s really little difference between Ron Burgundy and Andy Gray. Apart from Ron Burgundy being funny, and the moustache, and the popularity, and the fact that there was no teleprompter, and Ron Burgundy respects women a little more but still the similarities are uncanny!
Okay that’s Anchorman but there’s really little difference between Ron Burgundy and Andy Gray. Apart from Ron Burgundy being funny, and the moustache, and the popularity, and the fact that there was no teleprompter, and Ron Burgundy respects women a little more but still the similarities are uncanny!
Sunday 23 January 2011
Taken for Granted.
Managers are being sacked left right and centre this season and it more than likely isn’t over yet. So far this year the Premier League has had three managers given their marching orders: Chris Hughton of plucky Newcastle, Sam Allardyce of wealthy Blackburn, and Roy Hodgson of bumbling Liverpool.
Next in line is anyone’s guess, I think of everyone out there the only real ‘safe’ managers would be Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. The rest could be gone tomorrow! There are a few though who are teetering a little too precariously towards their P45 for their own good. The likes of Carlo Ancelotti, whose Chelsea side has been in freefall for over a month now, Roberto Martinez who is struggling at Wigan right now and faces a tough task in keeping them in the league this season, but the main manager who’s been in the harrowing spotlight has been none other than Mr Avram Grant.
Thursday 20 January 2011
Are you just holding on to the can?
Danny Boyle is back with a new movie for 2011 and this one, in my humble opinion, is one of his better ones. It goes by the name of 127 Hours and tells the true story of Aron Ralston, a particularly obsessed climber and canyoner who on an excursion unfortunately finds himself trapped between a rock and a hard place, also known as a very large rock and a smaller yet still immovable rock.
Incidentally the name of the book in which this movie bases itself on is named ‘Between a rock and a hard place’ by Mr Ralston himself. I haven’t read the book but after watching the movie version of the tale I am definitely more inclined to do so now.
Incidentally the name of the book in which this movie bases itself on is named ‘Between a rock and a hard place’ by Mr Ralston himself. I haven’t read the book but after watching the movie version of the tale I am definitely more inclined to do so now.
Sunday 16 January 2011
Bear Rhetoric.
Sarah Palin has the same effect on me as she does with many people. She makes me excruciatingly angry. A woman so mixed up in her own self-importance that she fails so catastrophically when it comes to simply acting like a normal human being.
Earlier this month, a man opened fire on a public meeting in Arizona killing six people including a nine year old girl and wounding 13 others. One of the 13 wounded was Democratic representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head at close range. Fortunately she survived the attack, and is recovering in hospital.
Earlier this month, a man opened fire on a public meeting in Arizona killing six people including a nine year old girl and wounding 13 others. One of the 13 wounded was Democratic representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head at close range. Fortunately she survived the attack, and is recovering in hospital.
Thursday 13 January 2011
Movies of 2010.
Well I’ve noticed that a few people here and there are doing these best movies of 2010 lists. So I though I’d get me some of that action even though realistically I haven’t seen as many movies as I would have liked last year.
What I think I’ll do is a top five and then just go into a few movies I thought were good, and some that were not so good. Okay, so here are my top five movies of 2010:
#5 Shutter Island
A movie I haven’t seen included in a lot on people’s lists is Shutter Island, a sort of psychological thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish, even at the end of the movie you’re unsure as to who’s story is the right one. There’s plenty of depth into the main character Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and you’re always kept guessing and trying to think back to events he supposedly went through in the past. The film doesn’t deviate from Daniels and it has a genuinely good twist to it that really surprises you especially once you get rooting for him. It’s not been a bad year for DiCaprio, this one gets a solid 4 stars from me.
#4 The Social Network
One of the biggest movies of this year has been The Social Network, the film about the founding of the Facebook site. Centred around its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, the movie shows all the twists and turns down the road to Facebook’s resounding success, showing all the grisly betrayals and break-ups along the way. Whether or not any of this film is actually true or not is debateable, I believe it’s had a lot added to it to make it a bit more entertaining. It’s based on the book by Ben Mezrich, which it does deviate from a little in terms of the details. Put that fact along with the fact that the book itself deviates from the actual story and your left wondering how much is really true. I think I summed it up in my review by suggesting you take the book with a pinch of salt and the movie with a small handful. It’s entertaining, interesting, and is regarded by many as the movie of 2010. For me, as good as it is, it’s not the kind of movie that I would want to watch again. Once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it. 4 Stars.
#3 Toy Story 3
Pixar’s annual movie in 2010 was none other than Toy Story 3. The final chapter of the franchise, this movie delivered everything you could ask for from the finale. It was done by a different director than the previous two which would normally have you worried, but Lee Unkrich managed to keep what we love about Toy Story and also add his own ideas into the mix without spoiling the recipe. Yes, it’s darker in places, but it works, and it genuinely makes you laugh along the way. It has great characters, both old and new, and a great story line which provides a poignant ending along with the biggest tear-jerker of the year whilst it's at it. All in all a fitting end to the phenomenally popular franchise that put Pixar firmly on the map all those years ago. 5 Stars.
#2 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I didn’t see many comedies this year, mainly because none of them appealed to me at all. One that did appeal to me though was Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Directed by Edgar Wright of Hot Fuzz fame and based on the graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley, this movie became one of my favourites instantly. I love everything about this movie, from the comic book style to the silly characters, it is a very funny film for so many reasons. It’s one of those movies you want to see again as quickly as possible because you know you’ve missed so much! The dialogue, the sound bytes, the fight scenes, the Seinfeld reference, so much to enjoy and so many reasons to watch it again. I still say Scott should have gone for Knives and not Ramona but hey ho it still receives a definitive 5 stars from me.
#1 Inception
So that leaves Inception to swoop in and pick up the number one spot in my list. When this movie came out, I entered with reasonably high expectations, seeing as it’s directed by Christopher Nolan and the trailer looked pretty interesting. I left the cinema completely blown away by its magnitude, and not just because I saw it at IMAX! The thought that has been put into this film deserves acclaim on its own, Christopher Nolan knows how to write a great screenplay and this one is no exception. It’s as original as it is epic, with so much emotion flying around hand in hand with action packed scenes that keep you perched perilously on the edge of your seat wondering if your brain can take much more or not. It’s got fantastic characters, brilliant actors involved, breathtaking special effects, moments that make you jump, moments that wrap you up in the emotions of it all and of course that wondrous moment at the end. Is he or isn’t he? We all knew it would end that way, I’ve spent much time deliberating it and well, I don’t know! Obviously this movie gets 5 stars, and deserves to sit in everyone’s DVD collection.
So that’s it, my top five movies of 2010. There were other movies I saw that deserved some recognition. If I were to do a top six then sixth place would have definitely been Kick Ass. It’s a fun movie that although takes itself a little too seriously than it should is still a blast from start to finish. It features some great action scenes, some fun characters, and provides an interesting take on the whole superhero movie that we’re all so painfully used to these days. I gave Kick Ass 4 Stars, I would have given it number five in my list, but it loses minor points because of the totally pointless C-word it throws in half way through. Utterly pointless, and ruined that scene. Well not to worry Kick Ass is still a very good movie.
Sticking with superheroes, Iron Man 2 came out this year. The sequel to Iron Man (obviously), this chapter carries on where the other left off, with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) rebelling against the US Military who want his flashy and all round bad ass suit. It’s an okay movie, the villain is played by Mickey Rourke who loses his bird and takes revenge on Tony Stark, something along those lines anyway, he’s pretty funny in it, not quite sure if he was supposed to be though. The action scenes are good, but it doesn’t really add much new to the franchise and fails to live up to its predecessor. 3 Stars for that one.
My surprise of the year has to be The A Team! Now, I know everyone hated this movie, but hear me out. I never really watched the TV show, so that might explain why I liked it. Yes it’s really corny and has a few lame scenes in it but overall, considering I expected nothing from it, I was actually pleasantly surprised. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock is easily the best character in the film, played by Sharlto Copley of District 9 fame, as most things that make you laugh come from him. Oh and that bit where they drive a tank in freefall, probably the most memorable bit of the movie. I’m giving it 3 Stars, just for how little it disappointed me.
The other film I saw that I’d say was okay was Robin Hood. Billed as if it were a Gladiator beater, it really didn’t deliver but was still an enjoyable watch. Much was made about Russell Crowe’s accent, but the main star in this movie was the baddie, played by Mark Strong, who incidentally wasn‘t too bad in Kick Ass either. His acting overshadowed Crowe’s at times. It wasn’t a bad movie but it could have been much better than it was. 3 Stars.
Another movie that was disappointing for me was Alice in Wonderland. It had a little promise but I largely found it a bit tedious. It brought back most of the original characters but they just felt weaker than usual. Johnny Depp was the star and played the Mad Hatter in probably his worst role for a while. Tim Burton usually gets it right when working with Depp but this one, along with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, just didn’t hit the mark. In fact he missed the mark by a fair distance. Yes, the Cheshire Cat had his moments but the story wasn’t very good, and I was left feeling a bit empty by the end of it. I’ll give it 2 Stars, which is maybe a little harsh on it, but three just feels like too much.
A film that does deserve three stars though is Green Zone, which came out early on in 2010. I won’t beat around the bush, it’s a Bourne film, starring Matt Damon. The film’s director, Paul Greengrass, essentially picked up Jason Bourne by his thumb and index finger and plonked him in the middle of a war zone. That’s it, there’s your general premise right there. It’s an okay story and you can’t really fault Damon at all, but it just feels like a quick cash in after the Bourne trilogy.
Probably the worst film I saw this year was a British comedy called Four Lions. It got some very good reviews when it originally came out so I thought I’d give it a watch. Don’t get me wrong, there are some funny moments in this movie but overall I just didn’t see the point in it. In a nutshell, it’s a tongue in cheek look at a bunch of shoddy terrorists living in England. There are some funny scenes like I said, but I don’t understand why this is a movie. They should have made a thirty minute sketch show and just broadcasted the funny parts, simply cutting out the painful filler in between. The film’s running time is 97 minutes and I feel like I’ve wasted 87 minutes of my life with this one. One lonely star I‘m afraid.
So yes, that’s it, all the movies I saw that 2010 gave to us. There are probably some good ones missing that I haven’t seen, but I cant really have an opinion on something I haven’t watched now can I? Notable films that I wanted to see but didn’t get chance to are Ben Affleck’s The Town; Tron Legacy, which I might still get a chance to see in the coming weeks; and a film called Monsters, filmed in Mexico with a budget of less than a million dollars I heard great things about it but never got around to watching it. I’m sure I’ll catch it eventually.
In terms of best soundtrack, Kick Ass provided some good music from its score, Scott Pilgrim featured some great new tracks that still gets a listen on my ipod, but the winner is Inception again, simply because Hans Zimmer managed to make it suit the movie perfectly from start to finish, and no not just because I saw it in IMAX!
As for scene of the year, it gets a little harder. Of all the scenes I’ve seen this year it comes down to three. The final scene from Toy Story 3, Arthur’s zero gravity fight scene in Inception, or the strobe lighting Big Daddy rescue scene from Kick Ass. I think I’ll give it to Kick Ass, because I feel sorry for it not being in my top five. But hey if you say a pointless C-word just for petty giggles, that’s what you get.
What I think I’ll do is a top five and then just go into a few movies I thought were good, and some that were not so good. Okay, so here are my top five movies of 2010:
#5 Shutter Island
A movie I haven’t seen included in a lot on people’s lists is Shutter Island, a sort of psychological thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish, even at the end of the movie you’re unsure as to who’s story is the right one. There’s plenty of depth into the main character Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and you’re always kept guessing and trying to think back to events he supposedly went through in the past. The film doesn’t deviate from Daniels and it has a genuinely good twist to it that really surprises you especially once you get rooting for him. It’s not been a bad year for DiCaprio, this one gets a solid 4 stars from me.
#4 The Social Network
One of the biggest movies of this year has been The Social Network, the film about the founding of the Facebook site. Centred around its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, the movie shows all the twists and turns down the road to Facebook’s resounding success, showing all the grisly betrayals and break-ups along the way. Whether or not any of this film is actually true or not is debateable, I believe it’s had a lot added to it to make it a bit more entertaining. It’s based on the book by Ben Mezrich, which it does deviate from a little in terms of the details. Put that fact along with the fact that the book itself deviates from the actual story and your left wondering how much is really true. I think I summed it up in my review by suggesting you take the book with a pinch of salt and the movie with a small handful. It’s entertaining, interesting, and is regarded by many as the movie of 2010. For me, as good as it is, it’s not the kind of movie that I would want to watch again. Once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it. 4 Stars.
#3 Toy Story 3
Pixar’s annual movie in 2010 was none other than Toy Story 3. The final chapter of the franchise, this movie delivered everything you could ask for from the finale. It was done by a different director than the previous two which would normally have you worried, but Lee Unkrich managed to keep what we love about Toy Story and also add his own ideas into the mix without spoiling the recipe. Yes, it’s darker in places, but it works, and it genuinely makes you laugh along the way. It has great characters, both old and new, and a great story line which provides a poignant ending along with the biggest tear-jerker of the year whilst it's at it. All in all a fitting end to the phenomenally popular franchise that put Pixar firmly on the map all those years ago. 5 Stars.
#2 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I didn’t see many comedies this year, mainly because none of them appealed to me at all. One that did appeal to me though was Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Directed by Edgar Wright of Hot Fuzz fame and based on the graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley, this movie became one of my favourites instantly. I love everything about this movie, from the comic book style to the silly characters, it is a very funny film for so many reasons. It’s one of those movies you want to see again as quickly as possible because you know you’ve missed so much! The dialogue, the sound bytes, the fight scenes, the Seinfeld reference, so much to enjoy and so many reasons to watch it again. I still say Scott should have gone for Knives and not Ramona but hey ho it still receives a definitive 5 stars from me.
#1 Inception
So that leaves Inception to swoop in and pick up the number one spot in my list. When this movie came out, I entered with reasonably high expectations, seeing as it’s directed by Christopher Nolan and the trailer looked pretty interesting. I left the cinema completely blown away by its magnitude, and not just because I saw it at IMAX! The thought that has been put into this film deserves acclaim on its own, Christopher Nolan knows how to write a great screenplay and this one is no exception. It’s as original as it is epic, with so much emotion flying around hand in hand with action packed scenes that keep you perched perilously on the edge of your seat wondering if your brain can take much more or not. It’s got fantastic characters, brilliant actors involved, breathtaking special effects, moments that make you jump, moments that wrap you up in the emotions of it all and of course that wondrous moment at the end. Is he or isn’t he? We all knew it would end that way, I’ve spent much time deliberating it and well, I don’t know! Obviously this movie gets 5 stars, and deserves to sit in everyone’s DVD collection.
So that’s it, my top five movies of 2010. There were other movies I saw that deserved some recognition. If I were to do a top six then sixth place would have definitely been Kick Ass. It’s a fun movie that although takes itself a little too seriously than it should is still a blast from start to finish. It features some great action scenes, some fun characters, and provides an interesting take on the whole superhero movie that we’re all so painfully used to these days. I gave Kick Ass 4 Stars, I would have given it number five in my list, but it loses minor points because of the totally pointless C-word it throws in half way through. Utterly pointless, and ruined that scene. Well not to worry Kick Ass is still a very good movie.
Sticking with superheroes, Iron Man 2 came out this year. The sequel to Iron Man (obviously), this chapter carries on where the other left off, with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) rebelling against the US Military who want his flashy and all round bad ass suit. It’s an okay movie, the villain is played by Mickey Rourke who loses his bird and takes revenge on Tony Stark, something along those lines anyway, he’s pretty funny in it, not quite sure if he was supposed to be though. The action scenes are good, but it doesn’t really add much new to the franchise and fails to live up to its predecessor. 3 Stars for that one.
My surprise of the year has to be The A Team! Now, I know everyone hated this movie, but hear me out. I never really watched the TV show, so that might explain why I liked it. Yes it’s really corny and has a few lame scenes in it but overall, considering I expected nothing from it, I was actually pleasantly surprised. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock is easily the best character in the film, played by Sharlto Copley of District 9 fame, as most things that make you laugh come from him. Oh and that bit where they drive a tank in freefall, probably the most memorable bit of the movie. I’m giving it 3 Stars, just for how little it disappointed me.
The other film I saw that I’d say was okay was Robin Hood. Billed as if it were a Gladiator beater, it really didn’t deliver but was still an enjoyable watch. Much was made about Russell Crowe’s accent, but the main star in this movie was the baddie, played by Mark Strong, who incidentally wasn‘t too bad in Kick Ass either. His acting overshadowed Crowe’s at times. It wasn’t a bad movie but it could have been much better than it was. 3 Stars.
Another movie that was disappointing for me was Alice in Wonderland. It had a little promise but I largely found it a bit tedious. It brought back most of the original characters but they just felt weaker than usual. Johnny Depp was the star and played the Mad Hatter in probably his worst role for a while. Tim Burton usually gets it right when working with Depp but this one, along with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, just didn’t hit the mark. In fact he missed the mark by a fair distance. Yes, the Cheshire Cat had his moments but the story wasn’t very good, and I was left feeling a bit empty by the end of it. I’ll give it 2 Stars, which is maybe a little harsh on it, but three just feels like too much.
A film that does deserve three stars though is Green Zone, which came out early on in 2010. I won’t beat around the bush, it’s a Bourne film, starring Matt Damon. The film’s director, Paul Greengrass, essentially picked up Jason Bourne by his thumb and index finger and plonked him in the middle of a war zone. That’s it, there’s your general premise right there. It’s an okay story and you can’t really fault Damon at all, but it just feels like a quick cash in after the Bourne trilogy.
Probably the worst film I saw this year was a British comedy called Four Lions. It got some very good reviews when it originally came out so I thought I’d give it a watch. Don’t get me wrong, there are some funny moments in this movie but overall I just didn’t see the point in it. In a nutshell, it’s a tongue in cheek look at a bunch of shoddy terrorists living in England. There are some funny scenes like I said, but I don’t understand why this is a movie. They should have made a thirty minute sketch show and just broadcasted the funny parts, simply cutting out the painful filler in between. The film’s running time is 97 minutes and I feel like I’ve wasted 87 minutes of my life with this one. One lonely star I‘m afraid.
So yes, that’s it, all the movies I saw that 2010 gave to us. There are probably some good ones missing that I haven’t seen, but I cant really have an opinion on something I haven’t watched now can I? Notable films that I wanted to see but didn’t get chance to are Ben Affleck’s The Town; Tron Legacy, which I might still get a chance to see in the coming weeks; and a film called Monsters, filmed in Mexico with a budget of less than a million dollars I heard great things about it but never got around to watching it. I’m sure I’ll catch it eventually.
In terms of best soundtrack, Kick Ass provided some good music from its score, Scott Pilgrim featured some great new tracks that still gets a listen on my ipod, but the winner is Inception again, simply because Hans Zimmer managed to make it suit the movie perfectly from start to finish, and no not just because I saw it in IMAX!
As for scene of the year, it gets a little harder. Of all the scenes I’ve seen this year it comes down to three. The final scene from Toy Story 3, Arthur’s zero gravity fight scene in Inception, or the strobe lighting Big Daddy rescue scene from Kick Ass. I think I’ll give it to Kick Ass, because I feel sorry for it not being in my top five. But hey if you say a pointless C-word just for petty giggles, that’s what you get.
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Ryan Babel #idiot
Upon watching the FA Cup match between Manchester United and Liverpool at the weekend you may have heard the commentator say the following when Ryan Babel came onto the pitch:
I’m sure he’s impressed his new manager no end! Because yes, as you might have heard, after the match, in which Liverpool lost 1-0 thanks to a dubious penalty and a stone-wall sending off, Ryan Babel decided to log in to Twitter and take his frustrations out on referee Howard Webb.
Along with this outburst he posted a link to a mock-up photo of Howard Webb in an old United kit clearly stating he felt the experienced official was a biased referee. He couldn’t even be bothered to Photoshop the latest kit onto him, what a muppet.
What went through his head? What imbecile writes that on Twitter and goes into enough thought for a picture and thinks they’ll get away with it scot-free. Ryan Babel apparently.
Obviously he didn’t get away with it and the FA have charged him with improper conduct, and rightly so. If you ever find yourself on Ryan Babel’s twitter page you’ll see that he’s been banging on about being sent to Twitter jail. Maybe it will do him some good, if he spent more time actually training than tweeting nonsense all day long he might actually become an average player yet!
But that’s not even the worst thing, what’s annoyed me the most is the fact that the PFA have actually defended him! No! You just don’t do it! Gordon Taylor, a man so out of touch with the game he still thinks managers are allowed to smoke in the dug-out, has come out and said Babel shouldn’t be reprimanded:
This guy’s a bigger idiot than Babel. First of all Gordon, a quick definition of the word vitriolic from Chamber’s dictionary: extremely bitter or hateful, especially with reference to speech or criticism. Yeah, I think we can just about say that Mr. Babel had a slight bitterness to his apparently innocuous tweet.
I highly doubt Howard Webb will see the funny side to it to be honest Gordon. He’s a professional referee and calling him biased is pretty much the worse thing you can say about him! That would be like calling a fireman a secret arsonist! I’m sure you wouldn’t like it if someone questioned your professionalism Gordon, how would you feel if someone said you took a bung from a multi-national news corporation? You wouldn’t be seeing the funny side to it would you?
Football is currently the worst sport for showing disrespect to officials. Referees in football get nothing but abuse from fans, players, managers, and journalists, and yet funnily enough without them we’d have no game to play at all. Players show no respect for match officials, swearing at them, surrounding them, slating them before and after games. What message does that send to the young kids out there? It’s alright kids, abusing the referees is just part of the game, according to Gordon Taylor it’s all a bit of fun!
In rugby the referee stands at about half the size of the cauli-eared behemoths running around the field and yet they command more respect than a football referee could ever dream of! Players address him as Sir, listen to what he has to say, and take decisions on the chin, whether they’re right or wrong. So why is football so different? Well youngsters playing football aren’t being taught to respect the referees while young rugby players are. That’s where it has to start, at a young age. Teach them to respect officials no matter what, their decision is final. If it’s gone against you, man up and get on with it. But that’s easier said than done when every Match of the Day interview is filled with one manager praising his team whilst the other bemoans the referee.
Ryan Babel’s tweeting is but a drop in the ocean. But that ocean is made of tiny droplets that over the years have created a mass of water so big it will probably never be able to be drained.
Babel’s not the one to blame here, he obviously thought it was okay to do what he did. He has since apologised on Twitter, it’s unknown if he has apologised to Howard Webb directly though. The people to blame for all this are the FA, who year in year out allow this to happen, and the morons like Gordon Taylor who apparently say it‘s alright.
And they call him chief executive of the PFA? That's a joke. SMH
“Here’s a real chance for Ryan Babel to impress his new manager, all be it they’re down to ten men and a goal down, but it’s still a great chance for him.”
I’m sure he’s impressed his new manager no end! Because yes, as you might have heard, after the match, in which Liverpool lost 1-0 thanks to a dubious penalty and a stone-wall sending off, Ryan Babel decided to log in to Twitter and take his frustrations out on referee Howard Webb.
“And they call him one of the best referees? That's a joke. SMH”
Along with this outburst he posted a link to a mock-up photo of Howard Webb in an old United kit clearly stating he felt the experienced official was a biased referee. He couldn’t even be bothered to Photoshop the latest kit onto him, what a muppet.
What went through his head? What imbecile writes that on Twitter and goes into enough thought for a picture and thinks they’ll get away with it scot-free. Ryan Babel apparently.
Obviously he didn’t get away with it and the FA have charged him with improper conduct, and rightly so. If you ever find yourself on Ryan Babel’s twitter page you’ll see that he’s been banging on about being sent to Twitter jail. Maybe it will do him some good, if he spent more time actually training than tweeting nonsense all day long he might actually become an average player yet!
But that’s not even the worst thing, what’s annoyed me the most is the fact that the PFA have actually defended him! No! You just don’t do it! Gordon Taylor, a man so out of touch with the game he still thinks managers are allowed to smoke in the dug-out, has come out and said Babel shouldn’t be reprimanded:
“So long as it's not vitriolic, so long as it's taken in the right way and it's a little bit of fun then we've got to be able to smile at these things.”
This guy’s a bigger idiot than Babel. First of all Gordon, a quick definition of the word vitriolic from Chamber’s dictionary: extremely bitter or hateful, especially with reference to speech or criticism. Yeah, I think we can just about say that Mr. Babel had a slight bitterness to his apparently innocuous tweet.
I highly doubt Howard Webb will see the funny side to it to be honest Gordon. He’s a professional referee and calling him biased is pretty much the worse thing you can say about him! That would be like calling a fireman a secret arsonist! I’m sure you wouldn’t like it if someone questioned your professionalism Gordon, how would you feel if someone said you took a bung from a multi-national news corporation? You wouldn’t be seeing the funny side to it would you?
Football is currently the worst sport for showing disrespect to officials. Referees in football get nothing but abuse from fans, players, managers, and journalists, and yet funnily enough without them we’d have no game to play at all. Players show no respect for match officials, swearing at them, surrounding them, slating them before and after games. What message does that send to the young kids out there? It’s alright kids, abusing the referees is just part of the game, according to Gordon Taylor it’s all a bit of fun!
In rugby the referee stands at about half the size of the cauli-eared behemoths running around the field and yet they command more respect than a football referee could ever dream of! Players address him as Sir, listen to what he has to say, and take decisions on the chin, whether they’re right or wrong. So why is football so different? Well youngsters playing football aren’t being taught to respect the referees while young rugby players are. That’s where it has to start, at a young age. Teach them to respect officials no matter what, their decision is final. If it’s gone against you, man up and get on with it. But that’s easier said than done when every Match of the Day interview is filled with one manager praising his team whilst the other bemoans the referee.
Ryan Babel’s tweeting is but a drop in the ocean. But that ocean is made of tiny droplets that over the years have created a mass of water so big it will probably never be able to be drained.
Babel’s not the one to blame here, he obviously thought it was okay to do what he did. He has since apologised on Twitter, it’s unknown if he has apologised to Howard Webb directly though. The people to blame for all this are the FA, who year in year out allow this to happen, and the morons like Gordon Taylor who apparently say it‘s alright.
And they call him chief executive of the PFA? That's a joke. SMH
Saturday 8 January 2011
Hodgson sacking: Who's to blame?
Liverpool are terrible. A simple statement of the obvious, but true nonetheless. In the past two seasons they’ve looked so poor, with two players at most providing any input whatsoever. So who is to blame for all this?
The previous owners have done their fair share towards the demise of the club, Hicks and Gillett brought down the axe on them for sure, but they are thankfully gone now and Liverpool have new owners. New owners who probably didn’t know what they were in for!
There is a long long road back to the top for Liverpool. The owners, and the fans, are going to have to be very patient as they wait for Liverpool to even get into contention for European places, never mind the Premier League.
However, since Liverpool have been saved by their new baseballing owners, they’ve still been as poor on the pitch as they were with Hicks and Gillett. So who’s to blame for it?
At this moment in time all of it is being placed at the door of manager Roy Hodgson, and literally as I’ve been writing this, he has been sacked. Fair or unfair, this is just what happens when you’re manager of one of the biggest clubs in Europe and your team isn‘t performing. I personally think blaming Hodgson for it all is unfair. Obviously he was under extreme pressure by the fans, but maybe they were expecting a little too much from him. Liverpool are not an elite club in the Premier League anymore, their team isn’t even good enough for a Europe berth. It’s been the biggest fall from grace in Premier League history, and in such a short time too. Two seasons ago Liverpool looked like they would win the title for the first time in their history, United pipped them, and they’ve been in freefall ever since.
They’re just not a good side, take three players out of it, Reina, Gerrard and Torres, and Liverpool are no better than West Ham. Exaggeration? I don’t think so. Liverpool’s current squad are so under-par they almost don’t deserve to be playing in the Premier League at all.
You do feel for Roy Hodgson, he had a tough job in getting this bunch of second-rate superstars to perform like a top side and it just was not happening. You can't blame Hodgson for all of it. It’s the players who should have to answer for the recent plummet in form. Think about it, Liverpool have been poor now for a couple of years, they were poor under Hicks and Gillett, they’ve been poor under the new ownership; they’ve been poor under Rafa Benitez, they’ve been poor under Roy Hodgson. Who’s been there the whole time? The players. Someone needs to tell them that Liverpool Football Club is not a retirement home! It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world!
It must be so frustrating to be a Liverpool fan, especially a Liverpool fan who spends their good money to go and watch their side at Anfield, and God have mercy on their poor away fans. Every game I’ve watched with them involved, all I’ve seen has been a complete lack of effort by the players, they don’t even care. Some of them have been sat in cruise control, waiting for the inevitable moment when Hodgson gets the sack and someone else takes the reigns.
Remember when putting on a Liverpool shirt meant something? Apparently those days are gone. None of the players this season have even pretended to make an effort, with the exception of Pepe Reina. Steven Gerrard is a great player but I’ve only seen glimpses of him putting in a shift, and he’s the captain! Fernando Torres started to show some of the form that Liverpool fans remember early on this year, but he has fallen right back into his rut. Joe Cole has done nothing since signing, the whole defence might as well be made of origami, Max Rodriguez is capable of much more, same goes for Glen Johnson and Lucas. Paul Konchesky is the only woeful player you can blame on Hodgson.
Liverpool are in the FA Cup against Manchester United this weekend and you just can't see them getting a result, not when you have players who just aren’t earning their wages. When you put on that shirt, you give your all, not necessarily for the manager but for the fans. When these players first sign for Liverpool all you hear from them is how big a club Liverpool is and how proud they are to be playing for them. Here’s an idea: show it!
If Liverpool are going to get out of this mess they’re going to have to do some work. The fans don’t deserve to watch this, I think the recent Anfield attendance says it all really. It’s not fair on them, it’s not fair on the owners, it’s not fair on the now sacked manager. Go out there and make an effort, for your self respect if nothing else.
The previous owners have done their fair share towards the demise of the club, Hicks and Gillett brought down the axe on them for sure, but they are thankfully gone now and Liverpool have new owners. New owners who probably didn’t know what they were in for!
There is a long long road back to the top for Liverpool. The owners, and the fans, are going to have to be very patient as they wait for Liverpool to even get into contention for European places, never mind the Premier League.
However, since Liverpool have been saved by their new baseballing owners, they’ve still been as poor on the pitch as they were with Hicks and Gillett. So who’s to blame for it?
At this moment in time all of it is being placed at the door of manager Roy Hodgson, and literally as I’ve been writing this, he has been sacked. Fair or unfair, this is just what happens when you’re manager of one of the biggest clubs in Europe and your team isn‘t performing. I personally think blaming Hodgson for it all is unfair. Obviously he was under extreme pressure by the fans, but maybe they were expecting a little too much from him. Liverpool are not an elite club in the Premier League anymore, their team isn’t even good enough for a Europe berth. It’s been the biggest fall from grace in Premier League history, and in such a short time too. Two seasons ago Liverpool looked like they would win the title for the first time in their history, United pipped them, and they’ve been in freefall ever since.
They’re just not a good side, take three players out of it, Reina, Gerrard and Torres, and Liverpool are no better than West Ham. Exaggeration? I don’t think so. Liverpool’s current squad are so under-par they almost don’t deserve to be playing in the Premier League at all.
You do feel for Roy Hodgson, he had a tough job in getting this bunch of second-rate superstars to perform like a top side and it just was not happening. You can't blame Hodgson for all of it. It’s the players who should have to answer for the recent plummet in form. Think about it, Liverpool have been poor now for a couple of years, they were poor under Hicks and Gillett, they’ve been poor under the new ownership; they’ve been poor under Rafa Benitez, they’ve been poor under Roy Hodgson. Who’s been there the whole time? The players. Someone needs to tell them that Liverpool Football Club is not a retirement home! It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world!
It must be so frustrating to be a Liverpool fan, especially a Liverpool fan who spends their good money to go and watch their side at Anfield, and God have mercy on their poor away fans. Every game I’ve watched with them involved, all I’ve seen has been a complete lack of effort by the players, they don’t even care. Some of them have been sat in cruise control, waiting for the inevitable moment when Hodgson gets the sack and someone else takes the reigns.
Remember when putting on a Liverpool shirt meant something? Apparently those days are gone. None of the players this season have even pretended to make an effort, with the exception of Pepe Reina. Steven Gerrard is a great player but I’ve only seen glimpses of him putting in a shift, and he’s the captain! Fernando Torres started to show some of the form that Liverpool fans remember early on this year, but he has fallen right back into his rut. Joe Cole has done nothing since signing, the whole defence might as well be made of origami, Max Rodriguez is capable of much more, same goes for Glen Johnson and Lucas. Paul Konchesky is the only woeful player you can blame on Hodgson.
Liverpool are in the FA Cup against Manchester United this weekend and you just can't see them getting a result, not when you have players who just aren’t earning their wages. When you put on that shirt, you give your all, not necessarily for the manager but for the fans. When these players first sign for Liverpool all you hear from them is how big a club Liverpool is and how proud they are to be playing for them. Here’s an idea: show it!
If Liverpool are going to get out of this mess they’re going to have to do some work. The fans don’t deserve to watch this, I think the recent Anfield attendance says it all really. It’s not fair on them, it’s not fair on the owners, it’s not fair on the now sacked manager. Go out there and make an effort, for your self respect if nothing else.
Thursday 6 January 2011
Players of the EPL season (so far).
The football season is half way through now and it’s been a weird one so far. At first it seemed Chelsea were favourites to win the league with ease. Then it appeared Manchester United were going to bother after all. Arsenal keep on entering the fray every now and again and Manchester City are knocking on the door of a the top four.
In fact, the year ended with the two Manchester clubs sitting pretty at the top of the league with only Arsenal in a real touching distance. Chelsea were sat outside of the top four, with Spurs nicking in, who would have though that would happen?
I thought with the season being at the half way mark I’d do a little top ten of the most impressive players I’ve seen so far this year, there’s been plenty of great players so it’s been tough to narrow it down to just ten. Here goes nothing…
#10 Javier Hernandez - Manchester United
Fergie bought Hernandez and the back end of last season for a steal at £7 million. Since then he’s gone on to make a name for himself at the World Cup in South Africa, giving United fans at least something to cheer about, not that many United fans are English of course. Since joining up with the squad though, the ‘little pea’ has made a big impact already scoring goals and creating problems in opposing defences. He even made history on Tuesday night scoring his sixth league goal against Stoke, becoming the highest scoring Mexican in Premier League history. Vela fans look away now. The reason he’s impressed the most is because he’s settled into the English game so quickly, usually it takes at least a year. Hernandez appears to have taken about a week.
#9 Asamoah Gyan - Sunderland
After impressing in the World Cup for Ghana, Asamoah Gyan made his big move to the Premier League with Steve Bruce’s Sunderland. Since then he’s bagged seven goals for the Black Cats and is one of the main reasons they’re in contention for a European spot. Relatively unknown before the World Cup, he has possibly become Sunderland’s best player, and his dance moves aren’t too bad either.
#8 Johan Elmander - Bolton Wanderers
Bolton are flying this year, playing some football Lancashire could have only dreamed of in the past. A lot of this is down to the manager Owen Coyle and I believe he’s had a big part to play in the resurgence of Johan Elmander. For the past two seasons Elmander has done very little, a goal here and there but nothing to shout about. All of a sudden he can’t stop scoring. He has nine goals to his name now, one more goal and he’ll match his total for the past two seasons combined! His contract is now coming up for expiry, I’d imagine he’d get a new deal.
#7 Gareth Bale - Tottenham Hotspur
Now, I know people are going to question why Bale is so low on this list, because, frankly, he’s been the most talked about player this season by a mile! However, as impressive as he has been, the San Siro sticks out in my memory the most, he hasn’t been as good as people have made him out to be. People seem to think that because the media are talking about him he must be amazing. I think he’s a great player who is having a great season, I for one am looking forward to his imminent return to the San Siro against AC Milan in February. There’s potential no doubt, I just hope he doesn’t turn into another Aaron Lennon, hyped up for nothing.
#6 Vincent Kompany - Manchester City
A strange entry into my list you may think but I believe this man is the most consistent player at City, okay that’s not the greatest compliment a man has ever given, might as well call him the thinnest kid at the fat camp, but nonetheless Kompany has been outstanding for them this year. Last year he was good, this year he’s been even better. All the talk at City is about Tevez and the rest of the big money attacking players, meanwhile Kompany sits at the back and gets on with it. A great defender and a superb leader, he really should be captain, no question.
#5 The entire Blackpool squad.
This year Blackpool have been nothing short of outstanding. Since being promoted they have been condemned to relegation and yet they have barely flirted with the idea of it this season. With very little resources and players who are just about of Championship quality, they have managed to somehow play their own game and not only cause teams problems but actually beat them. Currently they’re in mid-table, and could still get dragged into the dog fight going on at the bottom. But whatever happens they’ve exceeded expectations already.
#4 Samir Nasri - Arsenal
Now, when you think of the current Arsenal side, you think of their captain Cesc Fabregas, and to be fair he hasn’t been playing his best football this year. Their other top player, van Persie, has spent a lot of time injured so it came to someone else to lift the team and be the star performer. That man is Samir Nasri. He has scored some of Arsenal’s most important goals this season, has played consistently well week in week out and deserves the praise he gets. At this moment in time he is their top goal scorer and at only 23 Arsenal could well have unearthed another French gem.
#3 Dimitar Berbatov - Manchester United
Where has Dimitar Berbatov been? Well wherever he was he found his form, he now has an astonishing 14 league goals to his name already this season. He’s the Premier League’s leading scorer at the moment, and the closest player to him at United is Hernandez and Nani with six a piece. Prior to this season, Berbatov had a total 26 Manchester United goals to his name, I wouldn’t put it past him getting 26 this season! He’s been slated a lot in recent years by United fans for his lethargic attitude towards the game, but without him this season I doubt United would be in pole position.
#2 Andy Carroll - Newcastle United
Although Newcastle’s number nine has had a terrible season off the field, he’s had a spectacular one on it. Andy Carroll has been integral to Newcastle’s success this year, scoring the vast majority of their goals. With 11 of them to his name this season already, he has certainly turned a few heads, even some of the big boys are looking at him with a watchful eye. People questioned whether or not he could make it in the Premier League but he has proven that he most definitely can. Last season he finished with a total of 19 goals, chances are he’ll top that this year, which would be a massive boost to the Toon, and should keep them up.
#1 Rafael van der Vaart - Tottenham Hotspur
Yes, the most impressive player of this season so far is a Tottenham player. Who would have thought it? But it’s definitely true. Harry Redknapp’s purchase of Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid, for a mere £8 million, is his best ever buy. Tottenham are a good team without van der Vaart in it, but they are a great team with him in it. When he plays, they play, you can see the difference in them when he is missing from the line-up. If he’s in the starting eleven you wouldn’t fancy playing Spurs but you know you’re in for a chance should he be out. Van der Vaart made little impact at Real Madrid but since entering the Premier League he has proven his world class status and impressed by the bucketful; he scores goals, sets them up, brings players into play, is brilliant off the ball, calm in front of goal, everything you could want from an attacking player. I fear that Tottenham will need to finish in the top four this year to keep him, not an impossible task, but it will be hard for them. Still, with him in the side the sky is the limit.
Not all players can make the top ten, but some players deserve some recognition. Bolton have a few players who have been outstanding this year, Kevin Davies is always consistently good, but Stuart Holden is the other big standout player this year, now in his first full season at the club, the American is starting to cement his place in the Bolton line-up with some impressive performances. Jordan Henderson of Sunderland is another player who has played very well for his club this year, even earning him a call up to the England squad. Marouane Chamakh has been in great form for Arsenal, another young one Arsene Wenger has found from nowhere. Charles N’Zogbia and Tom Cleverley offer Wigan fans a ray of light in their fight against relegation, as does Craig Gardner of Birmingham. Tim Krul, the Newcastle goalkeeper, deserves a mention for filling in brilliantly for Steve Harper until January. And I can’t finish the list without mentioning Stoke in some way. They’ve impressed me every time I’ve seen them this year and prove to be a match for any team in the league. Out of them all Robert Huth has impressed most, even chipping in with a few goals himself, not bad for a defender.
You’ve probably noticed that there are no players mentioned from Liverpool, Chelsea, West Ham, Everton, Fulham, Aston Villa, Wolves, Blackburn and West Brom. The Baggies have been a little like Blackpool this year, in that they haven’t had one individual player who has stood out, yet their team has been more than impressive. Blackburn have also been good, up until Big Sam was sacked, since then they’ve been weak. As for the others, it’s no surprise they weren’t mentioned, as they’ve been pretty lacklustre this year.
Liverpool don’t seem to want to play for their manager, Chelsea are still missing Ray ‘Spot’ Wilkins, West Ham rely on Scott Parker who can only do so much, Fulham have not got going yet this season, nor have Everton. Wolves, even though they’ve just beaten Chelsea, have been poor if a little unlucky at times and Villa, well, that’s just been one disaster after another.
It will certainly be interesting to see who impresses in the second half of the season. I’m looking forward to finding out.
In fact, the year ended with the two Manchester clubs sitting pretty at the top of the league with only Arsenal in a real touching distance. Chelsea were sat outside of the top four, with Spurs nicking in, who would have though that would happen?
I thought with the season being at the half way mark I’d do a little top ten of the most impressive players I’ve seen so far this year, there’s been plenty of great players so it’s been tough to narrow it down to just ten. Here goes nothing…
#10 Javier Hernandez - Manchester United
Fergie bought Hernandez and the back end of last season for a steal at £7 million. Since then he’s gone on to make a name for himself at the World Cup in South Africa, giving United fans at least something to cheer about, not that many United fans are English of course. Since joining up with the squad though, the ‘little pea’ has made a big impact already scoring goals and creating problems in opposing defences. He even made history on Tuesday night scoring his sixth league goal against Stoke, becoming the highest scoring Mexican in Premier League history. Vela fans look away now. The reason he’s impressed the most is because he’s settled into the English game so quickly, usually it takes at least a year. Hernandez appears to have taken about a week.
#9 Asamoah Gyan - Sunderland
After impressing in the World Cup for Ghana, Asamoah Gyan made his big move to the Premier League with Steve Bruce’s Sunderland. Since then he’s bagged seven goals for the Black Cats and is one of the main reasons they’re in contention for a European spot. Relatively unknown before the World Cup, he has possibly become Sunderland’s best player, and his dance moves aren’t too bad either.
#8 Johan Elmander - Bolton Wanderers
Bolton are flying this year, playing some football Lancashire could have only dreamed of in the past. A lot of this is down to the manager Owen Coyle and I believe he’s had a big part to play in the resurgence of Johan Elmander. For the past two seasons Elmander has done very little, a goal here and there but nothing to shout about. All of a sudden he can’t stop scoring. He has nine goals to his name now, one more goal and he’ll match his total for the past two seasons combined! His contract is now coming up for expiry, I’d imagine he’d get a new deal.
#7 Gareth Bale - Tottenham Hotspur
Now, I know people are going to question why Bale is so low on this list, because, frankly, he’s been the most talked about player this season by a mile! However, as impressive as he has been, the San Siro sticks out in my memory the most, he hasn’t been as good as people have made him out to be. People seem to think that because the media are talking about him he must be amazing. I think he’s a great player who is having a great season, I for one am looking forward to his imminent return to the San Siro against AC Milan in February. There’s potential no doubt, I just hope he doesn’t turn into another Aaron Lennon, hyped up for nothing.
#6 Vincent Kompany - Manchester City
A strange entry into my list you may think but I believe this man is the most consistent player at City, okay that’s not the greatest compliment a man has ever given, might as well call him the thinnest kid at the fat camp, but nonetheless Kompany has been outstanding for them this year. Last year he was good, this year he’s been even better. All the talk at City is about Tevez and the rest of the big money attacking players, meanwhile Kompany sits at the back and gets on with it. A great defender and a superb leader, he really should be captain, no question.
#5 The entire Blackpool squad.
This year Blackpool have been nothing short of outstanding. Since being promoted they have been condemned to relegation and yet they have barely flirted with the idea of it this season. With very little resources and players who are just about of Championship quality, they have managed to somehow play their own game and not only cause teams problems but actually beat them. Currently they’re in mid-table, and could still get dragged into the dog fight going on at the bottom. But whatever happens they’ve exceeded expectations already.
#4 Samir Nasri - Arsenal
Now, when you think of the current Arsenal side, you think of their captain Cesc Fabregas, and to be fair he hasn’t been playing his best football this year. Their other top player, van Persie, has spent a lot of time injured so it came to someone else to lift the team and be the star performer. That man is Samir Nasri. He has scored some of Arsenal’s most important goals this season, has played consistently well week in week out and deserves the praise he gets. At this moment in time he is their top goal scorer and at only 23 Arsenal could well have unearthed another French gem.
#3 Dimitar Berbatov - Manchester United
Where has Dimitar Berbatov been? Well wherever he was he found his form, he now has an astonishing 14 league goals to his name already this season. He’s the Premier League’s leading scorer at the moment, and the closest player to him at United is Hernandez and Nani with six a piece. Prior to this season, Berbatov had a total 26 Manchester United goals to his name, I wouldn’t put it past him getting 26 this season! He’s been slated a lot in recent years by United fans for his lethargic attitude towards the game, but without him this season I doubt United would be in pole position.
#2 Andy Carroll - Newcastle United
Although Newcastle’s number nine has had a terrible season off the field, he’s had a spectacular one on it. Andy Carroll has been integral to Newcastle’s success this year, scoring the vast majority of their goals. With 11 of them to his name this season already, he has certainly turned a few heads, even some of the big boys are looking at him with a watchful eye. People questioned whether or not he could make it in the Premier League but he has proven that he most definitely can. Last season he finished with a total of 19 goals, chances are he’ll top that this year, which would be a massive boost to the Toon, and should keep them up.
#1 Rafael van der Vaart - Tottenham Hotspur
Yes, the most impressive player of this season so far is a Tottenham player. Who would have thought it? But it’s definitely true. Harry Redknapp’s purchase of Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid, for a mere £8 million, is his best ever buy. Tottenham are a good team without van der Vaart in it, but they are a great team with him in it. When he plays, they play, you can see the difference in them when he is missing from the line-up. If he’s in the starting eleven you wouldn’t fancy playing Spurs but you know you’re in for a chance should he be out. Van der Vaart made little impact at Real Madrid but since entering the Premier League he has proven his world class status and impressed by the bucketful; he scores goals, sets them up, brings players into play, is brilliant off the ball, calm in front of goal, everything you could want from an attacking player. I fear that Tottenham will need to finish in the top four this year to keep him, not an impossible task, but it will be hard for them. Still, with him in the side the sky is the limit.
Not all players can make the top ten, but some players deserve some recognition. Bolton have a few players who have been outstanding this year, Kevin Davies is always consistently good, but Stuart Holden is the other big standout player this year, now in his first full season at the club, the American is starting to cement his place in the Bolton line-up with some impressive performances. Jordan Henderson of Sunderland is another player who has played very well for his club this year, even earning him a call up to the England squad. Marouane Chamakh has been in great form for Arsenal, another young one Arsene Wenger has found from nowhere. Charles N’Zogbia and Tom Cleverley offer Wigan fans a ray of light in their fight against relegation, as does Craig Gardner of Birmingham. Tim Krul, the Newcastle goalkeeper, deserves a mention for filling in brilliantly for Steve Harper until January. And I can’t finish the list without mentioning Stoke in some way. They’ve impressed me every time I’ve seen them this year and prove to be a match for any team in the league. Out of them all Robert Huth has impressed most, even chipping in with a few goals himself, not bad for a defender.
You’ve probably noticed that there are no players mentioned from Liverpool, Chelsea, West Ham, Everton, Fulham, Aston Villa, Wolves, Blackburn and West Brom. The Baggies have been a little like Blackpool this year, in that they haven’t had one individual player who has stood out, yet their team has been more than impressive. Blackburn have also been good, up until Big Sam was sacked, since then they’ve been weak. As for the others, it’s no surprise they weren’t mentioned, as they’ve been pretty lacklustre this year.
Liverpool don’t seem to want to play for their manager, Chelsea are still missing Ray ‘Spot’ Wilkins, West Ham rely on Scott Parker who can only do so much, Fulham have not got going yet this season, nor have Everton. Wolves, even though they’ve just beaten Chelsea, have been poor if a little unlucky at times and Villa, well, that’s just been one disaster after another.
It will certainly be interesting to see who impresses in the second half of the season. I’m looking forward to finding out.
Tuesday 4 January 2011
You used to be cool.
Happy New Year one and all! Yes 2011 is now in and already the all important questions are being asked. Is this the start of a new decade or not? The BBC seems to think it is, so maybe we celebrated the millennium a year early, or perhaps the last decade was eleven years long instead in some sort of weird baker’s decade. Who knows.
The most important question we want answers for is this: what exactly are we calling this year? Twenty eleven, or two thousand and eleven? See, last year didn’t really make its mind up on what it wanted to be called, and I was kind of hoping this year would be a little less indecisive about it. But no one seems to know.
When people talk about the London Olympic games they say twenty twelve, so is this what we’re supposed to adopt? I’m so confused! Do we have to suffer with another year of indecision only for 2012 to put its foot down and demand the word twenty followed by the next two digit number? I sure hope the world doesn’t end otherwise that would be really annoying.
So yes, whatever it’s called, the new year has officially begun, it’s always quite a mixed occasion looking back at the year that has been and looking forward to what we hope to happen in the year to come. And what would New Year be without a song and dance and of course, the good old resolutions!
Every year I get asked what mine is and every year I tell them I don’t have one, mainly because I’m obviously perfect and wouldn’t need to change my life in any way, but also because it‘s a stupid and pointless thing to do, shouldn‘t you just be making positive changes all year round? I digress. However, this year, just to keep it fresh, I decided to make one. The resolution was simply this: to get with the times.
It’s been about a month now, and I’ve been avoiding it. That’s right, the new Facebook profile. Oh it fills me with such sorrow just thinking about it. I used to love Facebook it was just so handy to use and so very tempting to sit and waste time on. But now, now it’s just plain awful. Of course, Facebook has had many a facelift over the years it’s existed, and by-and-large I’ve liked the changes that they’ve made. But this one feels like such a step backwards.
Ever since I laid my poor innocent eyes on it I was disappointed, I didn’t have to change mine right away, but the knowledge that one day I would have to pained me greatly. So yes, on January 1st, New Year’s Day, I decided to do it, I mournfully changed my old faithful Facebook profile to the new one.
And I hate it.
Alright, I don’t hate it, it’s a step back but I’m slowly getting used to it. It’s pretty much the same only now it’s become less accessible. On new Facebook you have to literally press ‘status’ to post a status, or ‘post’ to write on someone’s wall; the tabs are now aligned vertically down the left rather than along the top, along with your friends; there are mini-pictures along the top putting less value on a profile pic and more on random Mr Men charts you happen to be tagged in; it looks really cluttered; and the text, don’t even get me started on the text. It’s tiny! I’m considering going to the opticians it’s that small!
There’s no one big thing I dislike, just a mixture of small changes that has me miffed. I just want it back to how it was, it was better, at least that’s my opinion. The main annoyance of all the wee ones is the unfortunate existence of advertisements.
Facebook used to be cool. Remember that scene from The Social Network? Facebook without ads is cool, with them it’s not. Now, Facebook has had averts for a while but four of them down the right hand side of my profile? Is that really necessary? It’s slowly getting full of them now, and it just adds to the all round tacky aura that it is recently getting. Seriously not cool! Timberlake was right.
Facebook is useful to me, so I’m not exactly going to get rid of it because they changed the layout. Unlike everyone else who sit and join groups in some sort of pathetic protest against a layout change, I don’t really care that much. I’ll deal with it, and so will everyone else. Until they change it again of course, then I’ll be out on the streets!
You may think my resolution madness would stop there, and it would be a reasonable thought to have, it is quite a lot of effort for one year. But no, I went one step further! Zuckerberg probably didn’t intend for this to happen, but upon looking at the new Facebook in the past month I’ve been considering its younger sibling and all round nemesis, Twitter.
Now, I’ve never understood Twitter. I’ve been on it a couple of times, on a few profiles and whatnot, and I don’t get what’s happening on it. Anyway, as of the first of this month I have taken the horrible plunge into the deep end and I can safely say that I still have no idea what is going on! Like a floundering child with no arm bands I’m attempting to navigate around the site trying to figure out how to do it and what it’s for.
From what I can tell it’s like Facebook, only it’s just purely status updates from the users, and you can talk to these users (I think) by putting an @ symbol before their name in one of your tweets. Maybe. I haven’t done that yet. It’s all a bit strange, when you view a profile I never know who is talking, it’s just @this and @that followed by RT and the hash key. What’s the hash key all about? Is that so you can fax the user? Still none the wiser on that one.
Regardless of the confusion, in terms of coolness Twitter kicks Facebook’s ass, maybe it’s the lack of adverts on it, I’m not entirely sure, but there is definitely something about it that makes it cool. If Facebook is like that advert where a grandfather gives his grandson a Werther’s Original, then Twitter is that James Bond-esque Virgin Atlantic advert.
Your social network’s either got it or it hasn‘t.
***
If you want to check out or 'follow' my twitter page my name is crumpledpapyrus or @crumpledpapyrus, I'm not totally sure... here's the link:
http://twitter.com/crumpledpapyrus
The Virgin Atlantic ad is below, because it's cool.
The most important question we want answers for is this: what exactly are we calling this year? Twenty eleven, or two thousand and eleven? See, last year didn’t really make its mind up on what it wanted to be called, and I was kind of hoping this year would be a little less indecisive about it. But no one seems to know.
When people talk about the London Olympic games they say twenty twelve, so is this what we’re supposed to adopt? I’m so confused! Do we have to suffer with another year of indecision only for 2012 to put its foot down and demand the word twenty followed by the next two digit number? I sure hope the world doesn’t end otherwise that would be really annoying.
So yes, whatever it’s called, the new year has officially begun, it’s always quite a mixed occasion looking back at the year that has been and looking forward to what we hope to happen in the year to come. And what would New Year be without a song and dance and of course, the good old resolutions!
Every year I get asked what mine is and every year I tell them I don’t have one, mainly because I’m obviously perfect and wouldn’t need to change my life in any way, but also because it‘s a stupid and pointless thing to do, shouldn‘t you just be making positive changes all year round? I digress. However, this year, just to keep it fresh, I decided to make one. The resolution was simply this: to get with the times.
It’s been about a month now, and I’ve been avoiding it. That’s right, the new Facebook profile. Oh it fills me with such sorrow just thinking about it. I used to love Facebook it was just so handy to use and so very tempting to sit and waste time on. But now, now it’s just plain awful. Of course, Facebook has had many a facelift over the years it’s existed, and by-and-large I’ve liked the changes that they’ve made. But this one feels like such a step backwards.
Ever since I laid my poor innocent eyes on it I was disappointed, I didn’t have to change mine right away, but the knowledge that one day I would have to pained me greatly. So yes, on January 1st, New Year’s Day, I decided to do it, I mournfully changed my old faithful Facebook profile to the new one.
And I hate it.
Alright, I don’t hate it, it’s a step back but I’m slowly getting used to it. It’s pretty much the same only now it’s become less accessible. On new Facebook you have to literally press ‘status’ to post a status, or ‘post’ to write on someone’s wall; the tabs are now aligned vertically down the left rather than along the top, along with your friends; there are mini-pictures along the top putting less value on a profile pic and more on random Mr Men charts you happen to be tagged in; it looks really cluttered; and the text, don’t even get me started on the text. It’s tiny! I’m considering going to the opticians it’s that small!
There’s no one big thing I dislike, just a mixture of small changes that has me miffed. I just want it back to how it was, it was better, at least that’s my opinion. The main annoyance of all the wee ones is the unfortunate existence of advertisements.
Facebook used to be cool. Remember that scene from The Social Network? Facebook without ads is cool, with them it’s not. Now, Facebook has had averts for a while but four of them down the right hand side of my profile? Is that really necessary? It’s slowly getting full of them now, and it just adds to the all round tacky aura that it is recently getting. Seriously not cool! Timberlake was right.
Facebook is useful to me, so I’m not exactly going to get rid of it because they changed the layout. Unlike everyone else who sit and join groups in some sort of pathetic protest against a layout change, I don’t really care that much. I’ll deal with it, and so will everyone else. Until they change it again of course, then I’ll be out on the streets!
You may think my resolution madness would stop there, and it would be a reasonable thought to have, it is quite a lot of effort for one year. But no, I went one step further! Zuckerberg probably didn’t intend for this to happen, but upon looking at the new Facebook in the past month I’ve been considering its younger sibling and all round nemesis, Twitter.
Now, I’ve never understood Twitter. I’ve been on it a couple of times, on a few profiles and whatnot, and I don’t get what’s happening on it. Anyway, as of the first of this month I have taken the horrible plunge into the deep end and I can safely say that I still have no idea what is going on! Like a floundering child with no arm bands I’m attempting to navigate around the site trying to figure out how to do it and what it’s for.
From what I can tell it’s like Facebook, only it’s just purely status updates from the users, and you can talk to these users (I think) by putting an @ symbol before their name in one of your tweets. Maybe. I haven’t done that yet. It’s all a bit strange, when you view a profile I never know who is talking, it’s just @this and @that followed by RT and the hash key. What’s the hash key all about? Is that so you can fax the user? Still none the wiser on that one.
Regardless of the confusion, in terms of coolness Twitter kicks Facebook’s ass, maybe it’s the lack of adverts on it, I’m not entirely sure, but there is definitely something about it that makes it cool. If Facebook is like that advert where a grandfather gives his grandson a Werther’s Original, then Twitter is that James Bond-esque Virgin Atlantic advert.
Your social network’s either got it or it hasn‘t.
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If you want to check out or 'follow' my twitter page my name is crumpledpapyrus or @crumpledpapyrus, I'm not totally sure... here's the link:
http://twitter.com/crumpledpapyrus
The Virgin Atlantic ad is below, because it's cool.
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