me: really?
her: no.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
becoming Fergie: my pick to beat Barca
a lot of talk going around on which 18 players Fergie should pick for Barcelona, out of his 22 league champions. some are shoo-ins, while some will be disappointed. this is my best team to face Barca.
van der Sar
Fabio Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Anderson Giggs Park
Valencia
Rooney
Hernandez
- it has to be 4-4-1-1, United's best formation this season, and which was especially effective against top opposition like Chelsea and Arsenal.
- most significant change will be to drop the languid Carrick because his central partnership with Giggs is too lightweight against Barca's engine room. Anderson, Valencia and big-game man Park to provide the muscle and legs, allowing Giggs to focus on a creative role.
- Rooney has to be at his roaming best to help disrupt Barca's possession and support Hernandez. if he gives Busquets enough trouble, United has a chance.
- the more disciplined Fabio to get the nod ahead of brother Rafael. but i won't be surprised if O'Shea is preferred over the twins.
12. Kuszack
13. Evans
14. Scholes
15. Carrick
16. Nani
17. Berbatov
18. Owen
- would play Nani, for his style, which is more effective against continental opponents, but the first eleven simply has no space for him on this night. would also play Scholes, for his ability, but the concern is he might be exploited by top-level opponents.
- most significantly, Owen is in as an impact player. ive a strong hunch he'll make it count. Berbatov's tendency for genius has to be called upon earlier if the forwards aren't effective.
- Evans ahead of the other defenders because he can come in as centre- or leftback.
left out: Rafael, Smalling, O'Shea, Fletcher, Gibson
*Kuszack makes the team automatically as goalkeeper cover, although he did not win a league medal
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
a window of destiny
today is special.
i had asked her just the night before to go out with me, half expecting a failure. despite the spontaneity (rather), she said yes.
to be safe i had to reserve tickets, but i knew it was gonna be tricky. i am, after all, not number one. yet, although she hinted at the genuine possibility we might have to call it off, she promised.
at the end of the night though, what really took me was that to my utter surprise and comfort, when i looked up to her window she was there. hmm. as i was leaving, i checked again to somewhat prove myself wrong, but she was still there. i was happy, but now confused. my gut knows there's significance in that. she bothered, and even waited.
after we separated, she told me the night ended too early, we're too characterised by our long nights together. that, was honest and sweet. you've gained the courage to say it.
and not everyone goes for midnight movies. :)
she could have done a lot of things, reacted in a lot of ways. but all she did was tell me it set her heart racing. :)
i can see how you're more comfortable with me these days. and i treasure you making time for me.
就算只是 陪着你 看着你 也就幸福了.
多希望能够一直这样 看着你睡觉 比你迟睡 比你早起 每次离开 你都在窗口说再见
'再见', 一定会. :)
such a sweet, endearing relationship. 特别温馨.
i came home feeling a fuller person.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
shelter
"you'll be the first i call if it rains."
how i wish, i will be the first you turn to in every moment of adversity, trial, despair, woe, disappointment, worry, fear, and uncertainty.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
sayang
"im peranakan lah. im a little nyonya."
"then if we get married what does that make me?"
"sayang!"
Friday, May 13, 2011
"he asked if you like me and i denied. im sorry but i just told him nothing's going on. omg."
"i guess there's some truth in that.
i think, i haven't managed to put a certain courage in you.
so you really dont have to feel sorry or omg about anything.
i suspect it's time for me to reflect and rethink my life again."
"i still feel quite sorry for denying."
"i dont get you."
"for denying us."
Monday, May 09, 2011
Sunday, May 08, 2011
"i dont really..."
you dont really youtube, you dont really facebook. you dont really run, you dont really take bus. you dont really sleep, you dont really eat. you dont really talk, yet u dont really disappear from sight either.
so awkwardly perfect.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Exposed, like a Pandora's box
Today's the enigmatic Cooling-off Day of what's seemed like a marathon, and I think it's time I consolidate my thoughts.
PAP knows by the end of tomorrow night, they'll form the next government, seats still warm and paychecks still fat. But this GE, or for god knows how long it's been brewing, has exposed PAP for its disconnect with the electorate. For the longest time it skirted issues and repeated the same rhetoric it's sold for half a century. I'm not the seasoned political watcher here but i suspect whatever's the result on Saturday, it's already a watershed. PAP has unprecedentedly been slapped with hard truths and unbelievably apologised. They realised it wasn't the issues or their answers to them that irked Singaporeans. At the core of it is a disconnect fuelled by what seems arrogance, elitism and failure to empathise with the ground.
Spiralling costs of living, influx of foreigners, housing woes, population replenishment... heck even YOG, 50-years-once floods and a certain MSK. Are these truly the problems? Or are they more intimately linked to a citizenry's disillusionment with a government that doesn't seem to care yet isn't accountable? I suspect all the pro-Opposition sentiments online aren't exclusive or a minority, although I might be very wrong. I think this way because much of the sentiments isn't youth-centric or whatnots. They seem reflective, extrapolative. A signal of, like I said, a disconnect that cuts across society.
Education and access to information have become PAP's bane. They no longer can lord over subjects unable to think for themselves. They no longer are the best of the best. They no longer (not a matter of if, but when) have the luxury of history and transformation, a country indebted to them who toiled side-by-side. A generation comes, and a generation goes. They no longer control information the way they prefer.
PAP has doggedly built up education here in its drive for economic prosperity. Yet it understood that intellectuals have always been history's 'troublemakers'. And thus a policy of keeping its educated apathetic. My question is, how long will they stay apathetic?
'Watershed' as described by some, in terms of elected Opposition MPs, might be misleading. Yawning Bread's "morning after" of 86:1 and ST's Chua Mui Hoong's fearsome spectre of 87:0 are well within sight. Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong have no track record whatsoever in GRCs, while this is probably the Opposition's first concerted foray into GRC ground, it's almost like an experiment.
However, I suspect PAP's greatest fear isn't 87:0 or 86:1 that doesn't reflect ground sentiments or the national average. They have enjoyed sustained success for so long and yet still so jealously guard power. They fight hard for seats and continue to seek a strong mandate. Hell, the whole point of upping instant Opposition representation in Parliament to nine is in itself a proud assertion of confidence.
The PAP of today is not the PAP past. That is an accepted truth. The calibre different, the heart might not be the same, the motives suspect. The circumstances have also changed. We're not a slum-infested, poor, uneducated, racially-tense country anymore. The siege mentality is fast losing its effect. You're pounding away with knuckledusters but Singaporeans have been equipped -- by you, no less -- with bulletproof vests and SAR21s.
I think, as long as PAP maintains its stranglehold on politics, Singapore will be fine. They have capable people who are smart enough about self-renewal. Therefore PAP's greatest fear should be an elected Opposition tearing them apart for their inadequacies and shortcomings. If the Opposition gains considerable ground in Parliament, the current PAP, many of them battle noobs, will have to debate and defend agenda they might have previously taken for granted. In Singaporeans' eyes, they will have to live up to the long shadows cast by the Old Guard. The legacy turns back to bite them. If PAP gets hurt more, a vicious cycle ensues. This, is not just detrimental to PAP, but to Singapore as a whole.
Singapore's unique form of democracy indeed favours the ruling party. Because it is democracy that may hurt them most.
After a hotly-contested election period, two scenarios are possible. All depends on the real sentiments on the ground. Discontentment or satisfaction/fear? That will decide the polls. We know the hardliners exist on both ends of the spectrum. The crucial mass of votes however will come from the swing voters.
One, all of social media and typical election fervour is wrong. The dizzying activism was an illusion. 86:1, with Yaw Shin Leong edging Desmond Choo for the one and only Opposition elected seat (although it could very well be a sweep, if word that Choo has gained much progress is true). The 'majority appeal' of PAP means no GRC falls, while the quieter sectors of Potong Pasir go white, as Lina Chiam fails to retain her husband's loyalty.
Two, as opposed to general belief, the quiet middle ground is sympathetic to Opposition, and PAP suffers its worst defeat since independence. My prediction: 16 elected seats to Opposition.
5, Aljunied
5, Bishan-Toa Payoh
4, Holland-Bukit Timah
1, Hougang
1, Potong Pasir
The national average was 66.6% for PAP in 2006. In other words, for every two votes for PAP, another one goes to the Opposition. That's quite spectacular in Singapore terms.
I'll take the plunge and say it'll fall to 60% this time, keeping in mind though it doesn't guarantee anything. Strong Opposition sentiment in some places of, say, 55% should be offset by the numerous PAP GRC strongholds.
Rest of my predictions:
TIGHT
East Coast
Mountbatten, Lim Biow Chuan vs Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss
Pioneer, Cedric Foo vs Steve Chia
EASY
Ang Mo Kio
Jurong
Sembawang
Pasir Ris-Punggol
Moulmein-Kallang
Tampines
Marine Parade
Nee Soon
Chua Chu Kang
West Coast
Joo Chiat
Bukit Panjang
Hong Kah North
Punggol East
Sengkang West
Radin Mas
Whampoa
Yuhua
Remember, in perspective, how many times do you get to vote in a lifetime? And considering the many walkovers the country has seen, limiting some 40-somethings to have never voted before? Considering how issues change with age, how many votes do you have as a young adult, as a middle aged, and as a senior citizen?
Don't be apathetic. Don't be a wimp. Make it count.
Vote wisely. I am not telling you how to vote. As long as you've given it thought, your vote should be respected. This is democracy. But keep in mind your vote is sacred. It should not just reflect municipal issues, but have national interests at heart. We are not, after all, Aljunied or Tampines, Chinese or Malay.
We are Singaporeans.
PAP knows by the end of tomorrow night, they'll form the next government, seats still warm and paychecks still fat. But this GE, or for god knows how long it's been brewing, has exposed PAP for its disconnect with the electorate. For the longest time it skirted issues and repeated the same rhetoric it's sold for half a century. I'm not the seasoned political watcher here but i suspect whatever's the result on Saturday, it's already a watershed. PAP has unprecedentedly been slapped with hard truths and unbelievably apologised. They realised it wasn't the issues or their answers to them that irked Singaporeans. At the core of it is a disconnect fuelled by what seems arrogance, elitism and failure to empathise with the ground.
Spiralling costs of living, influx of foreigners, housing woes, population replenishment... heck even YOG, 50-years-once floods and a certain MSK. Are these truly the problems? Or are they more intimately linked to a citizenry's disillusionment with a government that doesn't seem to care yet isn't accountable? I suspect all the pro-Opposition sentiments online aren't exclusive or a minority, although I might be very wrong. I think this way because much of the sentiments isn't youth-centric or whatnots. They seem reflective, extrapolative. A signal of, like I said, a disconnect that cuts across society.
Education and access to information have become PAP's bane. They no longer can lord over subjects unable to think for themselves. They no longer are the best of the best. They no longer (not a matter of if, but when) have the luxury of history and transformation, a country indebted to them who toiled side-by-side. A generation comes, and a generation goes. They no longer control information the way they prefer.
PAP has doggedly built up education here in its drive for economic prosperity. Yet it understood that intellectuals have always been history's 'troublemakers'. And thus a policy of keeping its educated apathetic. My question is, how long will they stay apathetic?
'Watershed' as described by some, in terms of elected Opposition MPs, might be misleading. Yawning Bread's "morning after" of 86:1 and ST's Chua Mui Hoong's fearsome spectre of 87:0 are well within sight. Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong have no track record whatsoever in GRCs, while this is probably the Opposition's first concerted foray into GRC ground, it's almost like an experiment.
However, I suspect PAP's greatest fear isn't 87:0 or 86:1 that doesn't reflect ground sentiments or the national average. They have enjoyed sustained success for so long and yet still so jealously guard power. They fight hard for seats and continue to seek a strong mandate. Hell, the whole point of upping instant Opposition representation in Parliament to nine is in itself a proud assertion of confidence.
The PAP of today is not the PAP past. That is an accepted truth. The calibre different, the heart might not be the same, the motives suspect. The circumstances have also changed. We're not a slum-infested, poor, uneducated, racially-tense country anymore. The siege mentality is fast losing its effect. You're pounding away with knuckledusters but Singaporeans have been equipped -- by you, no less -- with bulletproof vests and SAR21s.
I think, as long as PAP maintains its stranglehold on politics, Singapore will be fine. They have capable people who are smart enough about self-renewal. Therefore PAP's greatest fear should be an elected Opposition tearing them apart for their inadequacies and shortcomings. If the Opposition gains considerable ground in Parliament, the current PAP, many of them battle noobs, will have to debate and defend agenda they might have previously taken for granted. In Singaporeans' eyes, they will have to live up to the long shadows cast by the Old Guard. The legacy turns back to bite them. If PAP gets hurt more, a vicious cycle ensues. This, is not just detrimental to PAP, but to Singapore as a whole.
Singapore's unique form of democracy indeed favours the ruling party. Because it is democracy that may hurt them most.
After a hotly-contested election period, two scenarios are possible. All depends on the real sentiments on the ground. Discontentment or satisfaction/fear? That will decide the polls. We know the hardliners exist on both ends of the spectrum. The crucial mass of votes however will come from the swing voters.
One, all of social media and typical election fervour is wrong. The dizzying activism was an illusion. 86:1, with Yaw Shin Leong edging Desmond Choo for the one and only Opposition elected seat (although it could very well be a sweep, if word that Choo has gained much progress is true). The 'majority appeal' of PAP means no GRC falls, while the quieter sectors of Potong Pasir go white, as Lina Chiam fails to retain her husband's loyalty.
Two, as opposed to general belief, the quiet middle ground is sympathetic to Opposition, and PAP suffers its worst defeat since independence. My prediction: 16 elected seats to Opposition.
5, Aljunied
5, Bishan-Toa Payoh
4, Holland-Bukit Timah
1, Hougang
1, Potong Pasir
The national average was 66.6% for PAP in 2006. In other words, for every two votes for PAP, another one goes to the Opposition. That's quite spectacular in Singapore terms.
I'll take the plunge and say it'll fall to 60% this time, keeping in mind though it doesn't guarantee anything. Strong Opposition sentiment in some places of, say, 55% should be offset by the numerous PAP GRC strongholds.
Rest of my predictions:
TIGHT
East Coast
Mountbatten, Lim Biow Chuan vs Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss
Pioneer, Cedric Foo vs Steve Chia
EASY
Ang Mo Kio
Jurong
Sembawang
Pasir Ris-Punggol
Moulmein-Kallang
Tampines
Marine Parade
Nee Soon
Chua Chu Kang
West Coast
Joo Chiat
Bukit Panjang
Hong Kah North
Punggol East
Sengkang West
Radin Mas
Whampoa
Yuhua
Remember, in perspective, how many times do you get to vote in a lifetime? And considering the many walkovers the country has seen, limiting some 40-somethings to have never voted before? Considering how issues change with age, how many votes do you have as a young adult, as a middle aged, and as a senior citizen?
Don't be apathetic. Don't be a wimp. Make it count.
Vote wisely. I am not telling you how to vote. As long as you've given it thought, your vote should be respected. This is democracy. But keep in mind your vote is sacred. It should not just reflect municipal issues, but have national interests at heart. We are not, after all, Aljunied or Tampines, Chinese or Malay.
We are Singaporeans.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Biennale 2011: Nedko Solakov
after a little look around National Museum and much more of Kallang Airport (minus East Block) this Biennale, my recommendation is please check out Nedko Solakov-Liao Jiekai's site-specific artwork at the latter's famous control tower.
yes, my favourite so far is located at the most shining locations of them all. it is the very spiral stairs that lie beneath the tower. to be honest, i was blown away. by its intelligence, its simplicity, how powerful it proves to be, and the story behind it.
the acclaimed Bulgarian artist was commissioned by Singapore to do up something for the Biennale. one tiny problem: Solakov is aviophobic. that means he has a fear of flying and cant possibly come create a site-specific project. i dont know if it's mocking or ironic but somehow it ties in nicely that his work's at an airport.
it became an impetus for what transpired. he in turn invited SIngapore to send an artist to Sofia to understudy his style and bring back his ideas. artist and filmmaker Jiekai did just that, chronicled in a documentary screening at the very site now. he returned and created a Solakov piece with his own local twist.
Solakov is famous for the words he scribbles everywhere in his site-specific works, which are combinations of important messages he wants to bring across and ingenious observations. he had told Jiekai, let's not bring anything into the site, just enter the tower and start scribbling what you find and think up, let the site speak for itself.
and we have art.
you'll find scribbles implying portraits; portraits that dont exist but that you must imagine. you'll find scribbles noting the dust, the hand and footprints. you'll find scribbles that give a twist to the most minute of details, like a crack in the wall or peeling paint. scribbles note the abandoned pail, the exit sign, the fire extinguisher, the door handle, the light switch. one window faces the Marina Bay skyline, and there are scribbles; another faces the demolished National Stadium, and there are scribbles. Jiekai even pokes fun at Solakov, scribbling below the tv that the documentary's the latter's way of stealing back some limelight. the site's so detailed that organisers apologise in a sign that cleaners had accidentally removed hair and feather that were part of the artwork.
truly, the lines between reality and art have been blurred.
i fail but the event synopsis explains much better: "The 'work of art' in this instance is the actual training, the knowledge and experience of the artist’s touch – the mental and physical ways Solakov inhabits, and works with, space."
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
我走之后, 你会想念我吗?
when you start asking how much you mean to her, if she'll miss you, how much she cares about you... you probably love yourself more than you love her.
im trying very hard to stop loving myself.
i'd never understood how love is sacrifice. i'd believed that love is fair. or we try to. it goes both ways. there's reciprocation.
here lies the laughable irony that both of us had thought i'd be gone in a while, i wont take it seriously... yet now i have reasons to suspect, you are of special importance to my soul.
sacrifice.
it's much easier said, than how painful it is to do.
Monday, April 25, 2011
the 10 worst players to win the champions league
Repurposed from: bleacher report
There are some truly great players and managers that have never won the biggest prize in football.
"My biggest wish is to win the Champions League in this shirt," Gianluigi Buffon said.
Javier Zanetti, before beating Bayern Munich last year, expressed his desire to reach the sport's pinnacle.
"The Champions League is more important than the Scudetto," he said.
"You are not great until you have won the Champions League," Arsene Wenger said.
In contrast, there are some players who hoard medals at home that their talents barely deserve. Life is full of winners and losers—life isn’t fair either—so it’s to be expected that some lesser lights somehow find their way into the top drawer of European football.
Here, giving hope to Sunday footballers across the land, are the 10 worst players to win a Champions League final. To qualify, a player must have started the match and ended with a winner medal since the Champions League era began with Marseilles' 1993 win against Milan, and be inestimably shit.
10. Dida, Milan, 2003 and 2007
Dida is an extremely shoddy goalkeeper and the only player on this list to have started and won the Champions League final twice.
Dida joined Milan in 1999, and began life behind Christian Abbiati and Sebastiano Rossi in the pecking order. He leaped into the starting lineup in 2000, just in time for AC Milan's trip to Elland Road to face a young, injury-ravaged and out-of-form Leeds United side. Of course, Dida threw the ball into his own net, and Leeds won 1-0.
He’s got quite a reputation. He’s basically the Serie A version of David James.
His first Champions League win actually came courtesy of some quality saves in a penalty shootout against Juventus—three to be exact. His second was the '07 final, where he gained some level of revenge over Liverpool with a 2-1 win which he had very little to do with. However, it’s no coincidence that he soon lost his place first to Zelijko Kalac, then to Christian Abbiati, before turning free agent.
9. Christian Karembeu, Real Madrid, 1998 and 2000
Karembeu has the honour of being the only player to make this list who has won both the Champions League final and the World Cup final as a member of the first XI. However, his second title, in '00, came as an unused substitute.
The lad’s obviously got pedigree, so what on earth is he doing on this list? Just ask fans of Middlesborough. In his one season there, he played abysmally for five months, merely okay for the next four, and then packed his backs and went for a working holiday with Olympiakos.
They really should have bought Karembeu when he was actually somewhat good, instead of a few years afterwards.
Notably, Karembeu is also the only Champions League winner ever to play for Kettering FC. Strange? Yes, very. He also has a famously hot wife.
8. Ivan Campo, Real Madrid, 2000
Ivan Campo is one of two Champions League winners to play for Bolton Wanderers. One was Real Madrid's most inspiring and influential captains of all time, Spain's one-time top goalscorer and possibly the most respected player ever to some out of the country. The other was this idiot.
Sadly, I cannot lay my hands on the footage of Ivan Campo's last stand at Real Madrid. In short, he’d started having panic attacks on the pitch, and suddenly and randomly played opposing strikers in on his own goal.
Real grew tired and shipped him off to Bolton on loan until the end of the season, where he confirmed his insanity by deciding that he liked living in Bolton more than Madrid and opted to stay for six more years. As well as his stupid hair, he’ll always be remembered for this goal:
7. Ludovic Giuly, Barcelona, 2006
Every now and then, a player hits a streak of freak form that is as inexplicable as it is short lived. Leon Osman does it once every couple of seasons. Emile Heskey did it for Liverpool once upon a time.
The same happened to Ludovic Giuly, only he was fortunate enough to be playing in the Champions League knockout phase when it did. He almost single-handedly carved teams apart, scoring himself and laying on goals for Morientes as Monaco tore past Real Madrid and Chelsea en route to the final against Jose Mourinho’s Porto.
Few eyebrows were raised when he was snapped up by Barcelona.
It is surprising, because Ludovic Giuly is, in fact, a painfully average winger. After all, he’s only managed 17 caps and scored three goals for France (against the Faroe Islands, New Zealand and Cyprus). He’s now back at PSG, lost somewhere in the French league, where he belongs.
6. Paul Lambert, Borussia Dortmund, 1997
Here’s your first British Champions League winner. A couple of years before Beckham, Giggs, et al brought home the trophy from the Nou Camp, Paul Lambert had remarkably won the Champions League less than a year after playing for Motherwell. That he marked Zidane off the field in the final is even more remarkable.
Before we get carried away though, we should remember who we’re talking about here—a really, really average, boring-to-watch defensive midfielder with merely average qualities.
He was no more than a cog in a Dortmund machine that was fortunate to reach the final, and capitalised well on a Juventus side that choked on their big day.
Lambert himself spent only one season at Dortmund before returning to play for Celtic, guaranteeing him some silverware with the minimum of effort. He’s won trophies with Celtic, Dortmund, and St. Mirren, played against Brazil at the World Cup, and captained Celtic to the UEFA Cup final. How the f**k did he manage that?
5. Oleguer, Barcelona, 2006
Catalan militant Oleguer Presas was one of just three Spanish players (all Catalan) to start the final against Arsenal. With over 125 appearances for Barca under his belt, what’s he doing on this list? History has a habit of smudging reality, so let's remind ourselves of the actual events of that evening:
Oleguer loses his man, and Sol Campbell heads Arsenal into the lead.
Oleguer is taken off in the 71st minute, to be replaced by Juliano Belletti.
Ten minutes later Barca are 2-1 up and Belletti has scored.
So, had Oleguer not been taken off, it’s probably realistic to say that Barcelona may not have won the match, and he would have escaped this list.
Oleguer is also a raving lunatic, having said that. In the unlikely event of him receiving a Spain call-up, he would reject it as he is Catalan.
An economics graduate, he drives a van to training and is in trouble with the police for his involvement in a riot in 2003. He also has written newspaper articles criticising the Spanish government for their treatment of a convicted ETA terrorist.
4. Jesper Blomgqvist, Manchester United, 1999
Jesper Blomqvist is better than Pele.
Unfortunately, there are only three Champions League winners he isn’t worse than.
Lars (Jesper is a middle name, but way cooler) was a promising youngster with IFK Gothenburg before spending a year each with Milan (where he was rubbish) and Parma, where he was a bit better. For some reason, United snapped him up. £4.4m was a lot of money to pay at the time for Ryan Giggs' backup, and he rarely started a game, picking up an FA Cup medal as an unused substitute.
However, his luck came on the famous trip to the Nou Camp, as suspensions to Paul Scholes and Roy Keane meant that a midfield of Blomqvist, Butt, Beckham and Giggs was the only real option available to Fergie. He didn’t much fancy Jonathan Greening against Stefan Effenberg.
Blomqvist was anonymous for most of the game, and in circumstances eerily similar to those of Oleguer, was replaced by Teddy Sheringham towards the end of the game. Thereafter serious injury restricted him to just 37 games in nine years, and he retired in 2008 after a short spell with Enkoping—whoever they are.
3. Milan Baros, Liverpool, 2005
The whole point of being a striker is to score goals. If you’re playing up front, that is the minimum expectation—from time to time, pop the ball into the back of the net. Has any European-level striker been as bad at that as Milan Baros?
I mean, he didn’t look bad when he was at Banik Ostrava, and the elite took note. Of course, it’s usually Liverpool who sign the duds, and so it proved when they snapped up Baros. A few goals in his first few games had people excited, but he quickly became very frustrating very quickly, and it seemed he was on his way out of Anfield.
In the main, he was extremely good at running forwards whilst looking at his own feet. Then came one of those inexplicable runs of form, just in time for Euro 2004.
Rafa kept him, and as such he got his chance in the '05 Final, Liverpool’s famous comeback. He lasted 85 minutes, and his replacement, Cisse, scored in the shootout. Since his time at Liverpool, he has flattered to deceive at Aston Villa, Lyon and Galatasaray, always falling out of favour and being criticised for not scoring enough.
But he’s had his year, in 04-05, and nothing can take that away from his bumbling boots. A friend of mine summed up Baros by once expressing surprise at something he’d done. He had turned someone inside out or made a staggering goal-line clearance.
“Did I really just see Milan Baros look up?” he asked.
2. Finidi George, Ajax, 1995
If you’re an Ipswich fan, you’re probably already in tears having read his name. I’m sorry. Really, really sorry.
He went from winning the Champions League with a stunning Ajax side filled with talent that would return to the biggest game in European football the very next season -- represented on no less than eight occasions by old boys in subsequent finals -- to being considered one of the worst signings ever made by Ipswich Town. I mean, it’s not like he was just a hanger-on in that Ajax team...
George's arrival, on inflated wages and with ego in tow, rocked the boat which had propelled Ipswich to the UEFA cup and a win against Inter Milan. They were a cohesive, hard working unit which was expertly balanced and reliant on every player pulling their weight. Their reward was that famous night at Portman Road.
George was a square peg in a round hole, and it pretty much capped off a slow slide into obscurity, from Ajax, to Betis, to Mallorca, to Ipswich, back to Mallorca, and into oblivion…
However, has a descent from Champions League winner into obscurity ever been quite as quick and painful as that of…
There are some truly great players and managers that have never won the biggest prize in football.
"My biggest wish is to win the Champions League in this shirt," Gianluigi Buffon said.
Javier Zanetti, before beating Bayern Munich last year, expressed his desire to reach the sport's pinnacle.
"The Champions League is more important than the Scudetto," he said.
"You are not great until you have won the Champions League," Arsene Wenger said.
In contrast, there are some players who hoard medals at home that their talents barely deserve. Life is full of winners and losers—life isn’t fair either—so it’s to be expected that some lesser lights somehow find their way into the top drawer of European football.
Here, giving hope to Sunday footballers across the land, are the 10 worst players to win a Champions League final. To qualify, a player must have started the match and ended with a winner medal since the Champions League era began with Marseilles' 1993 win against Milan, and be inestimably shit.
10. Dida, Milan, 2003 and 2007
Dida is an extremely shoddy goalkeeper and the only player on this list to have started and won the Champions League final twice.
Dida joined Milan in 1999, and began life behind Christian Abbiati and Sebastiano Rossi in the pecking order. He leaped into the starting lineup in 2000, just in time for AC Milan's trip to Elland Road to face a young, injury-ravaged and out-of-form Leeds United side. Of course, Dida threw the ball into his own net, and Leeds won 1-0.
He’s got quite a reputation. He’s basically the Serie A version of David James.
His first Champions League win actually came courtesy of some quality saves in a penalty shootout against Juventus—three to be exact. His second was the '07 final, where he gained some level of revenge over Liverpool with a 2-1 win which he had very little to do with. However, it’s no coincidence that he soon lost his place first to Zelijko Kalac, then to Christian Abbiati, before turning free agent.
9. Christian Karembeu, Real Madrid, 1998 and 2000
Karembeu has the honour of being the only player to make this list who has won both the Champions League final and the World Cup final as a member of the first XI. However, his second title, in '00, came as an unused substitute.
The lad’s obviously got pedigree, so what on earth is he doing on this list? Just ask fans of Middlesborough. In his one season there, he played abysmally for five months, merely okay for the next four, and then packed his backs and went for a working holiday with Olympiakos.
They really should have bought Karembeu when he was actually somewhat good, instead of a few years afterwards.
Notably, Karembeu is also the only Champions League winner ever to play for Kettering FC. Strange? Yes, very. He also has a famously hot wife.
8. Ivan Campo, Real Madrid, 2000
Ivan Campo is one of two Champions League winners to play for Bolton Wanderers. One was Real Madrid's most inspiring and influential captains of all time, Spain's one-time top goalscorer and possibly the most respected player ever to some out of the country. The other was this idiot.
Sadly, I cannot lay my hands on the footage of Ivan Campo's last stand at Real Madrid. In short, he’d started having panic attacks on the pitch, and suddenly and randomly played opposing strikers in on his own goal.
Real grew tired and shipped him off to Bolton on loan until the end of the season, where he confirmed his insanity by deciding that he liked living in Bolton more than Madrid and opted to stay for six more years. As well as his stupid hair, he’ll always be remembered for this goal:
7. Ludovic Giuly, Barcelona, 2006
Every now and then, a player hits a streak of freak form that is as inexplicable as it is short lived. Leon Osman does it once every couple of seasons. Emile Heskey did it for Liverpool once upon a time.
The same happened to Ludovic Giuly, only he was fortunate enough to be playing in the Champions League knockout phase when it did. He almost single-handedly carved teams apart, scoring himself and laying on goals for Morientes as Monaco tore past Real Madrid and Chelsea en route to the final against Jose Mourinho’s Porto.
Few eyebrows were raised when he was snapped up by Barcelona.
It is surprising, because Ludovic Giuly is, in fact, a painfully average winger. After all, he’s only managed 17 caps and scored three goals for France (against the Faroe Islands, New Zealand and Cyprus). He’s now back at PSG, lost somewhere in the French league, where he belongs.
6. Paul Lambert, Borussia Dortmund, 1997
Here’s your first British Champions League winner. A couple of years before Beckham, Giggs, et al brought home the trophy from the Nou Camp, Paul Lambert had remarkably won the Champions League less than a year after playing for Motherwell. That he marked Zidane off the field in the final is even more remarkable.
Before we get carried away though, we should remember who we’re talking about here—a really, really average, boring-to-watch defensive midfielder with merely average qualities.
He was no more than a cog in a Dortmund machine that was fortunate to reach the final, and capitalised well on a Juventus side that choked on their big day.
Lambert himself spent only one season at Dortmund before returning to play for Celtic, guaranteeing him some silverware with the minimum of effort. He’s won trophies with Celtic, Dortmund, and St. Mirren, played against Brazil at the World Cup, and captained Celtic to the UEFA Cup final. How the f**k did he manage that?
5. Oleguer, Barcelona, 2006
Catalan militant Oleguer Presas was one of just three Spanish players (all Catalan) to start the final against Arsenal. With over 125 appearances for Barca under his belt, what’s he doing on this list? History has a habit of smudging reality, so let's remind ourselves of the actual events of that evening:
Oleguer loses his man, and Sol Campbell heads Arsenal into the lead.
Oleguer is taken off in the 71st minute, to be replaced by Juliano Belletti.
Ten minutes later Barca are 2-1 up and Belletti has scored.
So, had Oleguer not been taken off, it’s probably realistic to say that Barcelona may not have won the match, and he would have escaped this list.
Oleguer is also a raving lunatic, having said that. In the unlikely event of him receiving a Spain call-up, he would reject it as he is Catalan.
An economics graduate, he drives a van to training and is in trouble with the police for his involvement in a riot in 2003. He also has written newspaper articles criticising the Spanish government for their treatment of a convicted ETA terrorist.
4. Jesper Blomgqvist, Manchester United, 1999
Jesper Blomqvist is better than Pele.
Unfortunately, there are only three Champions League winners he isn’t worse than.
Lars (Jesper is a middle name, but way cooler) was a promising youngster with IFK Gothenburg before spending a year each with Milan (where he was rubbish) and Parma, where he was a bit better. For some reason, United snapped him up. £4.4m was a lot of money to pay at the time for Ryan Giggs' backup, and he rarely started a game, picking up an FA Cup medal as an unused substitute.
However, his luck came on the famous trip to the Nou Camp, as suspensions to Paul Scholes and Roy Keane meant that a midfield of Blomqvist, Butt, Beckham and Giggs was the only real option available to Fergie. He didn’t much fancy Jonathan Greening against Stefan Effenberg.
Blomqvist was anonymous for most of the game, and in circumstances eerily similar to those of Oleguer, was replaced by Teddy Sheringham towards the end of the game. Thereafter serious injury restricted him to just 37 games in nine years, and he retired in 2008 after a short spell with Enkoping—whoever they are.
3. Milan Baros, Liverpool, 2005
The whole point of being a striker is to score goals. If you’re playing up front, that is the minimum expectation—from time to time, pop the ball into the back of the net. Has any European-level striker been as bad at that as Milan Baros?
I mean, he didn’t look bad when he was at Banik Ostrava, and the elite took note. Of course, it’s usually Liverpool who sign the duds, and so it proved when they snapped up Baros. A few goals in his first few games had people excited, but he quickly became very frustrating very quickly, and it seemed he was on his way out of Anfield.
In the main, he was extremely good at running forwards whilst looking at his own feet. Then came one of those inexplicable runs of form, just in time for Euro 2004.
Rafa kept him, and as such he got his chance in the '05 Final, Liverpool’s famous comeback. He lasted 85 minutes, and his replacement, Cisse, scored in the shootout. Since his time at Liverpool, he has flattered to deceive at Aston Villa, Lyon and Galatasaray, always falling out of favour and being criticised for not scoring enough.
But he’s had his year, in 04-05, and nothing can take that away from his bumbling boots. A friend of mine summed up Baros by once expressing surprise at something he’d done. He had turned someone inside out or made a staggering goal-line clearance.
“Did I really just see Milan Baros look up?” he asked.
2. Finidi George, Ajax, 1995
If you’re an Ipswich fan, you’re probably already in tears having read his name. I’m sorry. Really, really sorry.
He went from winning the Champions League with a stunning Ajax side filled with talent that would return to the biggest game in European football the very next season -- represented on no less than eight occasions by old boys in subsequent finals -- to being considered one of the worst signings ever made by Ipswich Town. I mean, it’s not like he was just a hanger-on in that Ajax team...
George's arrival, on inflated wages and with ego in tow, rocked the boat which had propelled Ipswich to the UEFA cup and a win against Inter Milan. They were a cohesive, hard working unit which was expertly balanced and reliant on every player pulling their weight. Their reward was that famous night at Portman Road.
George was a square peg in a round hole, and it pretty much capped off a slow slide into obscurity, from Ajax, to Betis, to Mallorca, to Ipswich, back to Mallorca, and into oblivion…
However, has a descent from Champions League winner into obscurity ever been quite as quick and painful as that of…
1. Djimi Traore, Liverpool, 2005
“Don’t blame it on the Hamman, don’t blame it on the Biscan, don’t blame it on the Finnan, blame it on Traore. He just can’t, he just can’t, he just can’t control his feet.”
Djimi Traore, my goodness. Without him on the team, it’s highly likely that Liverpool would have had it all to do once again. Of course you could argue that they would never have been in that situation to begin with, but that’s not too kind on Traore, who can’t help being totally out of his depth.
He didn’t ask to be distantly the worst player on the pitch. He just tried really hard and got his moment. Then again, he did give away the free kick from which Milan took the lead in the first minute.
Of course, Traore has had other moments. The one that springs immediately to mind was this one against Burnley in the FA Cup, which denied fans of Bournemouth a trip to Anfield. Lord knows what he was trying to do, but we really should keep him away from those Zinedine Zidane videos in future.
After his Champions League final appearance, which came about only because Riise was playing in midfield and Josemi was completely shit, his decline was alarming. He moved to Charlton, where he only ever got 11 games, and Portsmouth, where he was even more anonymous, showing up 13 times in 2 years in between loan spells at Rennes and Birmingham. He’s now playing for Monaco, who aren’t very good these days.
But the story of Djimi should be a positive one. The message is that any player, no matter what their ability or heritage, can reach the very top of the game, if only briefly, through no more than hard work and a lucky break. So keep at it, and you could one day follow in the footsteps of Djimi Traore.
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