Superfluous Rants

Reason #30924095 for why I find entering captcha codes annoying before enjoying my (il)legally streamed entertainment:

What keyboard settings do I need to have to enter that shit?

Anyone who knows who this video game character is, is really cool in my books.

Finally the season starts! I am so excited for this.  The starting 11 that i would like to see tomorrow is as follows:

------------Reina
Kelly---Carra---Agger---Enrique -
--------Lucas---Adam
Kuyt-----Aquilani---Downing -
------------Carroll

I think this starting 11 is very important to set the precedent for us for the rest of the season. I expect Suarez to come off the bench depending on his match fitness especially after the summer he has had at the Copa America. Henderson, Maxi and Raul should also feature at some point. What a bench we have now! I look forward to seeing Downing on the left wing and true grit from Charlie Adam.

Having said all of that…all I care about is the 3 points. I don’t expect us to be fluid from the get go, considering all the squad changes we have made this off season; but I do expect us to be smashing down their doors from the get go.

2-0 (Carroll, Kuyt)

YNWA

Liverpool announced that they had come to an agreement with Newcastle United regarding the sale of defender Jose Enrique.

The club has now been given permission to discuss personal terms with the player, who will travel to Liverpool to undergo a medical.

Fantastic news this. Finally a proven left back at Anfield. I can’t wait to see him link up with Downing on the left side. Enrique has been the player of the season at Newcastle for the past few years. He has excellent defensive skills and isn’t shy to go forward either.

Welcome to LFC Jose Enrique. YNWA

More at: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/reds-agree-enrique-deal

There has been a lot of talk of Alberto Aquilani being a dud at Anfield. Frankly, I don’t find this assessment fair as the lad has barely gotten a chance to show us what he has got. He was brought here by Benitez to succeed Alonso and that itself posed immense pressure and garnered tremendous expectations from the fans. First off I don’t think we can ever replace Alonso and second, Aquilani never fully got to settle with us. Half of his first season with us was spent being injured and when he did come back he had that one tremendous game at Portsmouth. Last season he was shipped away on loan to Juventus by Hodgson and Purslow. I don’t think the Hodge was even aware of Aquilani, let alone rate him, He was tremendous in Juventus and instrumental in their return to the European scene.

I am glad he is back with us now and have indicated that he wants to stay and play at Anfield. He is been on fine form in the pre season and I am relishing of his quick pass-and-play mentality especially with Luis Suarez. They both have such fast thinking football minds. I remember watching that night  against  Portsmouth at Anfield, he was 3 moves ahead of everyone, he didn't have enough class around him at the time. I hope he stays as I know he will go on to be one of our important players this season.

This morning Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish held a press conference officially announcing the club’s signings of Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and Doni. What I love about Kenny is that he is ever so eloquent in these pressers. He always knows the right things  to say and he’s rarely ever wound up by the media. Crazy to think this time last year we were having to listen to Hodgson's rambling monotone predictable crap and how he had the best managerial record with his 30 yrs experience etc etc.

You can watch an interview of King Kenny post the press conference below:

Liverpool’s marquee signings for this offseason thus far has been Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam. Although they will be joining a midfield that already boasts the likes of Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva, Alberto Aquilani and Raul Meireles; I believe each of the new signings have something different to offer to the team and I can’t wait to see them play in the red shirt.

Jordan Henderson is a highly rated 20-year-old international midfielder who is very versatile and can play either from the centre or on the right side. Of what I have seen him last season at Sunderland, he has game intelligence, makes quick runs, got good technique and skills. I believe he will play mostly off the bench for us and will be groomed as a potential successor for Steven Gerrard.

Stewart Downing is the winger that we have been in dire need of. Anyone who has seen us play last year could clearly tell that we overly lacked wide play. I look forward to Downing putting in balls for Andy Carroll from left and right. Now a lot of people are saying that they would have rather had Ashley Young than Downing, I for one am happy with Downing because I feel he is less flashy and more substance.

Finally Charlie Adam is the third big name we have signed this season. His move to Anfield has been protracted as far as the January transfer window. For someone of his quality, he has been a bargain buy at 6 million pounds. I look forward to his set pieces and midfield pairing with Lucas.

[Phandroid]

Sick remix!

Everyday, we be burnin not concernin what nobody wanna say
We be earnin dollars turning cau we mind deh pon we pay
some got gold and oil and diamonds all we got is mary j
legalize it, time to recognise it

I was going to post this at 4:20pm…but then I got …

Happy 420 everyone!

Congratulations to team India for winning the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Consequently, India has become the first nation to have won the World Cup in 60-over, 50-over and 20-over formats!

Caught this on ESPNcricinfo’s pre-match special on Mohali, Punjab.

WHY could it not be ROTI CONTROL instead!!??!!??

[ESPNcricinfo on YouTube]

Another massive dominant performance by us. We totally made ManUre look like the luck-ridden-shithouse of a team they have been this season.

• Kuyt’s hat-trick must be a record of somewhat in regards to least amount of yards covered in all 3 of his goals.
• Suarez is so fucking good. His run with the ball that lead to the first goal was absolute magic. (See gif at the end)
• The Kop was loud as ever. Not once did I hear the away fans chanting. Then again, they had nothing to cheer for other than that late goal by La Cockaroacha, or whatever they call him.
• Both Carragher and Rafael should have been sent off at half time.
• Nani deserved what he got. Karma is a bitch.
• Ferguson is a senile old fool. Shunning the media after the game just to protest alleged dodgy ref calls from a previous game illustrates how delusional he is. I was really looking forward to hear what excuses he had for being prison raped by us.
• Speaking of refs, I bet United missed their boy Howard Webb. He would have deffo sent off Carragher and patted Rafael on the back.
• Andy Carroll looked good in his cameo. His first touch, a controlled header towards goal, showed the new dimension he has to offer to the Liverpool attack. I don’t think we have ever had a striker who is that good in the air in recent times.
• Did I mention how good Suarez is? His movement and energy scared the shit out of United’s defenders. His link up play was excellent and he was all over the field. He attacked from left, right, in the middle, in the box. Very rare to see a player who has great pace, agility, creativity and work rate. Even rarer to see such a player play for us.

YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE!

Love this track….contemporary Ghalib!

They can take our striker, steal our banner, imitate our chants…but they can never be us!

What a massive, MASSIVE victory for us today. We put in a clinical performance as a team and worked cohesively to negate any attack from Chelsea. I have always believed that we never were a one-or-two-man army and it was something instilled by the media to downplay us. Well, after today’s TEAM performance, it should be clear to everyone that we are more than that. I mean we managed to secure a victory with a make shift centre forward with no legit wingers against an attacking line up featuring Torres, Drogba, Anelka and Lampard. Our defence was very much up to the task motivated by a beastly performance by the returning Jamie Carragher. Every time their new 50-million-pound striker had the ball, we had 3 men swarming him completely getting him off the game. It was Raul Meireles’ fabulous strike that broke the deadlock in the 68th minute, his 4th goal in 5 games. From there on we controlled the game while Chelsea desperately tried to find a breakthrough. At the same time, we did not park a bus in front of Pepe Reina as we had many chances up front, the best being a close shot on target by Fabio Aurelio.

As said earlier, a massive victory for the team and while I believe every single player deserves equal amount of praise; the one man who needs to be credited the most is Kenny Dalglish. Since “King” Kenny has taken over, he has instilled belief, desire and spirit in our players, owners and fans. He has been tactically spot on, positively utilizing the players according to their strengths unlike the previous manager who made it a habit of playing players out of position and relying on hoof-ball tactics. Confidence is at an all time high in the club and we managed to win today without our two new signings, who will only go ahead to improve things on the pitch.

We were four points above the relegation zone when Kenny was brought in. After today’s game, we are six points off a Champions League spot and on a four game win streak with not a single goal conceded in all those games. FSG must make signing Dalglish on a permanent basis a priority now. The man is an absolute legend and will only progressively take the club farther. YNWA!

Oh, one more thing….

Should have stayed with a real club, eh Fernando?

A club that promotes a culture of plastic flags..I am surprised they knew how to put a banner together in the first place.

(PS. For the uninitiated: The design below the banner is part of the iconic Shankly Gates of Anfield. Obviously the dumb thieving gobshites wouldn't have a clue.)

The magazine is finally on sale. To purchase a copy, please click on the link below.

Films and Grains Issue 1: Retro

This issue contains: An interview with our featured photographer: Francesca Tallone. Exclusively Polaroids Gallery Open Gallery: Theme - Retro

30 odd minutes played. 1 Goal scored. What a fantastic debut.

Luis Suarez came off the bench today to seal a 2-0 victory for Liverpool against Stoke City. It took all of 15 minutes for Suarez to get on the score sheet, showing the Kop what an intelligent player he is. His initial touches were a bit rusty however, and there were a few shots that he scuffed. But that is completely understandable considering the fact that today was his first competitive game since November 2010 and he has yet to train with his new team. I loved how he was always looking to move off the ball, trying little flicks here and there. He also wasn’t hesitant to track back and picking up the ball deep. I have been on a constant buzz since the game ended and I am absolutely relishing the magical performances from our new number 7 that are yet to come.

Onward and beyond! You’ll Never Walk Alone!

Liverpool signed Andy Carroll from Newcastle for club record breaking 35 million pounds earlier today. Carroll’s move to Anfield followed the departure of the man he will replace, Fernando Torres.

Good bye Nando, thank you for the memories. I will most likely still cheer you on when you don the Spanish national shirt, but as a Chelsea rent-boy you will obviously have nothing but resentment from me. I understand as a professional you want to win titles, but the way you left us is outrageous to say the least. Had you put in your transfer request at the start of the season or even in December, rather than 3 days before the deadline, we would have been less bitter about this. And I do not even want to bother with your hypocritical statements of your commitment to us made as recently as early January. Anyway, We are LIVERPOOL, the most successful English team in the world and no single player will ever be bigger than the club. Thanks once again for the 3 fantastic years you gave us as a red.

The best thing to take out of this transfer window is the fact that we are no longer cash strapped. I am just happy that we have financially sound owners who are open to splashing out money for quality players. Both our new signings, Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, follow the model that FSG promised to implement when they took over Liverpool. They are both young stars who have shown tremendous potential and will hopefully go on to hit their peak with us. Another positive to look forward to is the fact that Kenny Dalglish is here to stay. Although he has only signed on to manage the rest of the season, I get the feeling that he will stay with us longer due to the fact that he was so closely involved with the signings. And he rightfully should as well. As most of us LFC fans will remember, in his playing days he came in when Kevin Keegan had left us and brought us so much glory.

While I believe we overpaid for Andy Carroll (thank you last minute Torres), I look forward to him linking up with Luis Suarez. Carroll is colossal with tremendous strength especially in the air. Ideally I would like to see us play a 4-3-3 formation with Carroll in the middle and Gerrard and Suarez in the wings. We could also play 4-3-1-2 with Suarez as the second striker and Gerrard or Meireles the attacking midfielder. Of the two, I am more excited about Luis Suarez. Of what I have seen him in the in the World Cup and on YouTube, he is a crafty player who has great pace, can shoot with both feet and take set pieces. He also has a nasty bite haha. Check it out by clicking here.

Overall, I am content with our activity in this window. The January window is usually inflated anyways and I am glad we did not settle for any stop-gap solutions. I look forward to us signing quality players linked with us in the summer  such as Keisuke Honda, Arda Turan and Eden Hazard with our newly demonstrated purchasing power. But for now, Welcome to LFC Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.
YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE!

Films and Grains is dedicated to the celebration and preservation of analog photography. Issue 1 “Retro” goes on sale on February 4, 2011.

More at: http://www.FilmsandGrains.com

Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally! Great show of intent from FSG, splashing out 26.5 million for a renowned up and coming striker. I am also glad over the fact that the negotiations were done professionally without getting the rags involved.

From the official website:

Liverpool Football Club announced this afternoon that they had agreed a fee of up to 26.5million Euros with Ajax for the transfer of Luis Suarez, subject to the completion of a medical.

The Club have now been given permission by Ajax to discuss personal terms with the player and his representatives.

A front line featuring Torres, Suarez and Gerrard. Time to go MENTAL!!

Currently playing continuously on my iPod…

Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman) in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Christopher Nolan stated, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story."

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies."

Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.

The Dark Knight Rises is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

[SHH!]

Well, well…Marvel are on a roll today. Here is the first look of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man from next year’s yet to be titled reboot of the Spider-Man franchise.

Andrew Garfield definitely has the more accurate look and build  for Peter Parker than Tobey Maguire ever did in his three movies. I am really liking the toned down, “ultimate-series” inspired Spidey suit. Can’t wait till they reveal what the mask looks like.

[SuperheroHype!]

First look of Chris Evans in full costume as Captain America from this summer’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Looks sweet!

[SuperheroHype!]

Yesssssssssss! Roy Hodgson has been sacked. LFC legend Kenny Dalglish will manage the team for the rest of the season. Finally we will play football properly, rather than hoofing the ball from the back. Though the damage done by that old buffoon will linger on for quite some time; our tactics will improve no doubt, as will the team selection and post-match comments. AND we just might manage to win some away games for a change!
Cheers, King Kenny!

A return of an old tradition of this blog and since retrospection is the current  flavour of the month, here are my top lists of the year 2010.

Top Movies
5. Never Let Me Go
4. Black Swan
3. The Social Network
2. The Town
1. Inception

Top TV Shows
5. How I Met Your Mother
4. Community
3. Boardwalk Empire
2. Mad Men
1. Lost

Guilty pleasure: Jersey Shore

“The funny thing about sleep is you can’t instruct it to happen. Your mind knows the facts and repeats them to you – it is late, only five hours when you have to wake up again, you need rest. Your mind also has a million options on what it can think about; stars in the clear moonless sky, the beautiful flowers at the Nungambakkam flower shop, the smell of incense in Ananya’s house, your best birthday party. But somehow, even one negative thought will crowd them out. Maybe it is an evolutionary mechanism so we can focus on the problem at hand rather than rejoice in all things wonderful. But it makes life a bitch, as good memories have to make space for the next pain in the neck item. And what does one gain by losing sleep? I hope our genes mutate ASAP so we can evolve out of this.”

- 2 States: The Story of My Marriage by Chetan Bhagat.