United and UCL Crown Not to Be Again

Watched United's devastating loss in the Champions League Final against Barcelona.

It was a 1 sided affair.

Barca was at her very best, and i mean very top of the best kind.

The english commentator remarked that it was the best football he has witnessed in all his playing days and career as a commentator.

Fergie himself remarked that barca was at the "peak in this cycle of their team", and that the team was the bast he had faced in his career.

Big words. All of them true.

united players could not get near the ball. Barca was simply too good that night. It was heart-breaking to watch. the feeling is like a chess enthusiast looking at his son being bested by someone superior on the day. you feel helpless, but at the same time marvel at the skills of the opponent.

I mean, we have conquered England. We were the Mount Everest of the world. But then we met Olympus Mon of Mars.

So where do united go after this? I ask again: WHERE DO UNITED GO AFTER THIS?

Obviously we have to maintain the status quo at home, and that means continuing winning the league titles. But to conquer Europe, we need to change something.

I provide some options:

1. Replace the owners - after all, they are the source of funds for new players. they are ultimately responsible for the ups and downs of the club.

2. Replace Sir Alex Ferguson - the winning general in England has proven he cannot replicate the success in Europe.

3. Replace some players - buy new world-class players to enable us to compete at the highest level.

4. Replace the board - the board has consistently failed to deliver the UCL crown, despite domestic success.

5. Move the geography of United.

yeah, random ramblings i know...

Do you get the feeling that the clubs that most players aspire to are either Barca or Real? I mean United poach the best players from other teams, but teams like Barca and Real poach players from United.

I dunno...

Congratulations to Manchester United Football Club 19th Championship

Congratulations Manchester United.

Congratulations to Sir Slex Ferguson. This guy is an inspiration.

In 19 seasons, out of which won 12 championships, 4 runners up, 3 third place.

Wow...

Like i said in my last post, i'll be spending some $ on t-shirts and merchandises...

Election and Aftermath

Our election station was just below my block. Went at noon with Candy and Ethan and my trusted camera… took pictures and voted. It was fun. Its interesting how having a baby around throws a different light on almost everything.

Regarding the election, specifically the opposition, obviously the tide has changed this time round. But I question the fundamentals of the people who voted for the opposition. From my conversations with those who purported to support the opposition, I’m mostly disappointed with their lines of argument and logic.

For example, there is one issue where a supporter said the government wanted to ship the elderlys to johore for their retirement, thus saying that the government is cold-hearted and materialistic, etc. I asked her would she send her parents to an elderly home? Because her parents would not go to a home if she wants to take care of them. No government in the world could force her to send her parents to a home. Then she started lamenting about the high costs of living, HDB flats, cannot afford, etc. Then I ask her would she consider lowering her standards of living to accommodate her parents? What if in the future her son and his future wife told her they could not support her and have to send her to a home? Then she told me she expected it and in fact is going to tell her son that she would not be expecting to stay with her son and his future wife….. What a silly line of logic! She was non-committal when pressed with the question of sending her parents to a home, and she is going to teach her young son that it is okay to send his parents to a home. All the while she had this planned out, while blaming on the her personal decision to high costs of living and the government’s suggestion of setting up a johore home.

I found out that it is a waste of time to talk to these people about these type of issues. I’ll not learn anything new from the discussion. To her maybe I was being difficult and argumentative, but I was only trying to test out my own lines of logic (which I stand to be corrected). In fact, I’m sure with more intelligent thinking one can find loopholes in my arguments.

The thing about a democratic, popular election is – a vote from an uneducated is the same as a vote from an educated (I know it sounds elitist and exclusionist, but I have no better way of putting it across). LKY once suggested the idea of weighted vote (for more info you have to google yourself)…

“I’m not intellectually convinced that one-man-one-vote is the best. We practise it because that’s what the British bequeathed us.”
- Lee Kuan Yew, 1994

Less you think I agree with him, I stand on record to say I oppose his idea.

Back to time and tide. Well the tide can change… but are we looking at a recurrence of the aftermath of 1991 election where the opposition won a landmark 4 seats, only to fizzle out afterwards? The tide may change, but the fundamentals must too.

Manchester United Wins and on the Brink of 19th Championship Title

Watched the match between United and Chelsea.

Happy!

At the end of the match, saw Sir Alex hand stretched and bowed to the supporters several times. This is the first time I saw him doing that... really touched... the 19th Title really meant much to him, more than anyone could have imagined i reckon.

suddenly dawned on me that it has been 12 years since i started to really support United, on that fateful night in Melbourne alone at my rented room watching United came from behind to triumph over Byern Munich at UCL '99.

Since then United has went on to win another 6 championship titles, picking up another UCL title in 2008.

The 19th Title will be a historic landmark to relish.

I'm looking forward to order for me Candy and Ethan whatever 19th title jerseys and commemorative items that the official web megastore has lined up.

COME ON UNITED!!!