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So who’s the next celebrity chef? Posted: 08 Nov 2011 04:22 PM PST (Left to right) Saxon, Olson, and Lim are seen in this AFC promotional image. KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — It was the largest talent search in Asia, spanning five cities and filming took place over 100 days. Now it's time to roll out the E&O Search for AFC's Next Celebrity Chef, which will come on air tonight at 10pm over Astro Channel 703. "It's going to be an incredible show," said Mike Saxon (right), E&O's director of hospitality and lifestyle. Saxon is also a judge on the show, together with guest judges Chef Bruce Lim of AFC's Tablescapes, Anna Olson of AFC's Fresh With Anna Olson and our very own Chef Wan. "It's ours, an Asian product and we should support it. We encountered lots of fantastic contestants and had a good time," added Saxon. "The pace in which we got this done was a record for us," said Hian Goh, co-founder of the Asian Food Channel. "We put a call out for contestants on TV and on the Internet and thousands of people responded. We showcased Asian talent from South-East Asia and Hong Kong. It's the first time we have done such a show." A total of 35 finalists, who will appear in the premiere episode, travelled to E&O properties in KL and Penang where the entire series of eight episodes was shot. These included the E&O Hotel and Lone Pine, the Martinique Seafront Seafront Villa and Straits Quay Retail Marina in Penang, the St Mary Residences in KL and the Delicious restaurants in Penang and KL. The winner will be awarded a year-long contract with the E&O Group, taking on the mantle of Creative Chef, Hospitality & Lifestyle Division of the E&O Group. He will also be signed on as AFC Celebrity Chef for a year, to appear on the channel. For Saxon, the highlight of the show was working with the contestants, watching them grow episode by episode, and becoming better people. "The objective was to set a challenge, promote Asian cuisine and use it as a platform. We were looking for a chef who can cook, entertain, shows confidence, is willing to be flexible with different cultures and to learn and shine. He must also have people and management skills and not be just a cook." Applicants queue up for the auditions to the E&O Search for AFC's Next Celebrity Chef. — AFC pic The candidates encompassed young and old, said Goh, with some bakers, housewives and "young student chefs who showed us they had a very bright future... It's been a journey for both AFC and E&O. We did it on time and on target, and there are lots of pure intensity moments in the show." Indeed there are, looking at the zippy preview of the show at Dish in Kuala Lumpur. It is complete with all the drama that boils over in the heat of the kitchen, and the pressure of the competition. You can also go to asianfoodchannel.com/nextafcchef for more information about the contestants, behind-the-scene pictures and weekly updates about the programme. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Tottenham deny surveillance allegations, man arrested Posted: 08 Nov 2011 03:24 PM PST The Olympic Stadium with the figure 1 mown into the grass to mark one year to go until the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, is seen in this undated aerial photograph released in London on July 27, 2011. — Reuters pic LONDON, Nov 9 — The saga of the future of the London 2012 Olympic stadium took another twist when a man was arrested yesterday over allegations that executives of West Ham United football club and the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) were spied upon by a potential tenant of the venue. "An investigation was launched in August 2011 by officers from the Economic and Specialist Crime Command following allegations by West Ham and the Olympic Park Legacy Company in respect of the unlawful obtaining of information," a Metropolitan Police statement said yesterday. "A 29-year-old man was arrested in connection with the investigation. He was arrested at an address in Sussex on suspicion of fraud offences and has been taken into custody at a Sussex police station, where he remains." West Ham were chosen as the preferred long-term tenants of the £500-million (RM2.49 billion) stadium in February. Tottenham football club, who said a £40-million loan from bid partner Newham Council gave West Ham an unfair economic advantage and made the decision unlawful, dropped their request for a judicial review after the deal to award the stadium to West Ham fell through last month. West Ham and Tottenham became involved in a war of words before and after the initial decision and the OPLC chairwoman Baroness Ford said the 14 board members who made the decision had been put under surveillance by Tottenham. Speaking to the London Assembly, she said: "My board were put under surveillance by Tottenham Hotspur and the chairman of Tottenham Hotspur felt confident enough to say that in the Sunday Times several months ago, that all 14 members of my board were put under surveillance. "The Metropolitan Police are now conducting an investigation into that surveillance. There has been all kinds of behaviour here that I could not have anticipated which, believe me, has not been pleasant in the last 12 months." Tottenham strongly denied any suggestion that it had carried out surveillance on executives at West Ham or the OPLC. "The club did not undertake, or instruct or engage any party to conduct surveillance on any member of the OPLC committee whatsoever and we consider the making of this baseless accusation to be wholly inappropriate and irresponsible," a club statement said. "We totally reject this accusation in the strongest possible terms." — Reuters  Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Soviet great Ivanov dies after long illness Posted: 08 Nov 2011 07:10 AM PST Former Russian midfielder Valentin Ivanov carries the UEFA soccer championship trophy after the draw for the UEFA Euro 2008 soccer finals in Lucerne in this file photo of December 2, 2007. Ivanov died on November 8, 2011 after a long illness. – Reuters pic MOSCOW, Nov 8 – Former Soviet striker Valentin Ivanov, one of the six joint top scorers at the 1962 World Cup finals in Chile, died following a long illness today, the Russian FA said. He was 76. The Moscow native played in two World Cups, scoring two goals in 1958 and four in 1962 when he shared top scorer status with, among others, Hungary's Florian Albert who died last week. Ivanov, who would have been 77 in two weeks' time, helped the Soviet Union to their first major international title at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics where they beat Yugoslavia 1-0 in the final. He was also a member of the team that won the first European Championship in 1960 and finished runners-up in 1964, losing to Spain in the final. "He was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He had been sick for a long time," Nikita Siminyan, Ivanov's team mate on the 1956 Olympic team, told reporters. Viktor Ponedelnik, who scored the winning goal in the 1960 final in Paris, where the Soviets again beat Yugoslavia this time by 2-1 in extra time, added: "We played together on the national team for many years. He was more of what you now call a playmaker than a pure centre forward. You always had to be alert on the pitch because he always had some tricks up his sleeve." LEADING SCORER Ivanov, who was awarded the UEFA Order of Merit, spent his entire playing career with Torpedo Moscow, winning two Soviet league titles in 1960 and 1965 and Soviet Cup in 1960. He is still the club's all-time leading scorer with 124 goals. He also scored 26 goals in 60 appearances for the Soviet Union between 1955 and 1965, making him their third highest scorer behind Oleg Blokhin (39 goals) and Oleg Protasov (29). He later coached Torpedo to the league title in 1976. Ivanov was married to famous gymnast Lidiya Kalinina after they first met during the 1956 Melbourne Games, where she also won gold as part of the Soviet women's team. She repeated that feat at the Rome Olympics four years later. Their son, Valentin Ivanov Jr, was a FIFA referee, officiating at the 2006 World Cup in Germany where he was heavily criticised for handing out four red cards in a second-round match between Portugal and Netherlands. While Valentin junior never played in a World Cup, his father certainly left his mark on the tournament. After scoring twice in 1958, he netted four goals in 1962 to finish joint top scorer with Garrincha and Vava of Brazil, Leonel Sanchez of Chile, Drazen Jerkovic of Yugoslavia and Albert of Hungary, whose funeral took place on Sunday, just two days before Valentin's own death. The only one of the six players still alive is Sanchez. – Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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UK music industry, royalty honour Jools Holland Posted: 08 Nov 2011 07:39 AM PST Jools Holland has been awarded the 20th Music Industry Trusts Award. – Reuters pic LONDON, Nov 8 – Heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and record industry royalty paid tribute to pianist, bandleader and television presenter Jools Holland late yesterday when he was awarded the 20th Music Industry Trusts Award. In a video message played at a swanky dinner in central London, Charles spoke of Holland's "irresistible music" and "wonderful humanity". "As you now know there has been a long-running plot to promote you to the position of a full blown national treasure," he joked. Holland rose to prominence in the 1970s as a founding member of the band Squeeze, famous for hits like "Cool For Cats" and "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)". He has worked with a host of major music stars and is best known in Britain today for his long-running, famously eclectic music show "Later ... With Jools Holland" on which the quirky presenter regularly jams with his invited guests. The annual award is designed to honour a leading figure in the music business and raise money for its two chosen charities – music therapy organisation Nordoff Robbins and The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology. Nordoff Robbins uses music to help people with a range of conditions including autism, dementia, stroke, mental health problems, depression and terminal illness. The BRIT School is Britain's only free performing arts school and has produced major recording stars including Amy Winehouse and Adele. "Thirty years of television, 25 of big band and probably 40 years since first playing the pubs ... that's why I'm delighted to receive this, with all of those in mind," Holland said. "But I think this award also helps to celebrate and draw people's attention to Nordoff Robbins and the BRIT School, so it's more about them than it is about me." He later took to the stage with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra featuring Ruby Turner on vocals, and Imelda May and Paul Weller also performed. Bob Geldof, concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith and rock guitarist Jeff Beck were among the crowd of nearly 1,000 who paid tribute to Holland. Also honoured on the night was chairman of the Music Industry Trusts Awards committee David Munns, who has been at the helm for 15 years. Previous recipients of the annual award include George Martin, John Barry, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Kylie Minogue, Ahmet Ertegun, and last year, Tom Jones. – Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

No Muse on Twilight’s ‘Breaking Dawn’ soundtrack Posted: 08 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST 'Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn Part 1' soundtrack, album cover. – All rights reserved LOS ANGELES, Nov 8 – The soundtrack to the fourth installment of the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn Part 1, leads with the single "It Will Rain," by Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling singer Bruno Mars. For the first time, the band Muse will not be included on the Twilight Saga album. The new 15-track collection features Iron & Wine, Noisettes, Christina Perri, and more. Released on November 8 in North America and November 7 in Europe/UK, it has reached No. 1 on Amazon's soundtrack chart and No. 8 on its pop chart. Previous Twilight soundtrack albums have launched acts such as Bon Iver and Lykke Li, so with this go-round several new artists could benefit from the exposure to Twihard fans, such as The Joy Formidable. Ballads dominate the romantic compilation with songs by Imperial Mammoth, Sleeping at Last and Aqualung & Lucy Schwartz. On Chop Shop/Atlantic Records, the musical companion to the fourth sequel in the blockbuster film franchise also features Mia Maestro, who co-stars in the film as Carmen of the Denali Coven. The album with the film's score won't be released until December 13. Composed by Carter Burwell, who is best known for his work with the Coen Brothers films, from Fargo to True Grit, he also has composed prior Twilight Saga films. Burwell also contributed a "Love Death Birth" track to the film soundtrack. Starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, the story follows the Quileute and the Volturi as they vie for Edward and Bella's child which poses a threat to the wolf pack and vampire coven. The highly-anticipated The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 hits theatres on November 16-18 worldwide. http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com/ – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Enter the dragon ― on very small legs Posted: 08 Nov 2011 03:32 AM PST A miniature figurine of a dragon made of resin and gold foil, which measures about 1.2cm long and 0.9cm high, is displayed in Taipei on November 5, 2011. Taiwanese artist Chen Forng-shean created the dragon figurine to welcome the Lunar Year of the Dragon in 2012. ― Reuters pic TAIPEI, Nov 8 ― Some sculptors work in marble, others in cement or metal. But Taiwan's Chen Forng-shean uses things like rice, sand and dental floss to create tiny creatures no bigger than a thumbnail. His latest creation, a dragon made out of gold foil and black resin, is a mere 1.2cm long, not quite half an inch, and stands only 0.9cm high. Complete with legs and claws, it is barely visible to the naked eye. "The hardest part about making this dragon is the sculpting for the limbs and the claws. These are the most delicate parts, also its open jaw and its whiskers," said Chen of the dragon, which he maintains is the world's smallest. "After the dragon was completed I had to pay attention to its body so it looks like the dragon is above the clouds, that's the dragon's spirit." A recently retired plate designer for Taiwan's Central Engraving and Printing Plant, the 56-year-old Chen began creating miniature sculptures as a hobby three decades ago. The dragon took Chen three months to complete, and he failed several times. It went on display at the weekend, part of a continuing tradition of sculpting animals from the twelve-animal Chinese zodiac. Next year is the Lunar Year of the Dragon. Visitors to the exhibit said they were astonished by the piece, one example of a high-end Chinese art thousands of years old. "I admire the work very much. It's amazing," said 72-year-old Hsia Chun-chun. ― Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

US judge blocks graphic cigarette warnings Posted: 08 Nov 2011 01:12 AM PST Combination picture of graphic cigarette packages, released by the US FDA on June 21, 2011, shows a varied collection of a man on a ventilator, diseased lungs and dead bodies were among the images for revamped US tobacco labels. ― Reuters pic WASHINGTON, Nov 8 ― A federal judge blocked a US rule requiring tobacco companies to display graphic images on cigarette packs, such as a man exhaling cigarette smoke through a hole in his throat. US District Judge Richard Leon sided yesterday with tobacco companies and granted a temporary injunction, saying they would likely prevail in their lawsuit challenging the requirement as unconstitutional because it compels speech in violation of the First Amendment. The Food and Drug Administration in June released nine new warnings to go into effect in September of 2012, the first change in US cigarette warning labels in 25 years. Cigarette packs already carry text warnings from the US Surgeon General. The new warnings must cover the top half of the front and back of cigarette packs and 20 percent of printed advertisements and must contain color graphics depicting the health consequences of smoking, including diseased lungs, dead bodies and rotting teeth. Congress instructed FDA to impose the new labels as part of 2009 legislation making the agency responsible for regulating tobacco products. "The sheer size and display requirements for the graphic images are anything but narrowly tailored," Leon wrote in a 29-page opinion. Just because Congress ordered the size and placement of the new warnings before charging the FDA with carrying out the mandate, "doing so does not enable this requirement to somehow automatically pass constitutional muster," he said. The content of the images would also not likely survive constitutional muster because the FDA did not attempt to narrowly tailor those either, the judge said. The tobacco lawsuit is the latest effort by corporations to assert a right to free speech, a high-profile legal battle that could end up before the US Supreme Court. Reynolds American Inc's R.J. Reynolds unit, Lorillard Inc, Liggett Group LLC and Commonwealth Brands Inc, owned by Britain's Imperial Tobacco Group Plc, sued the FDA in August. They argued the new graphic warnings force them to "engage in anti-smoking advocacy" on the government's behalf, breaching their right to free speech. The Obama administration's options include appealing Leon's ruling or the FDA could try to rewrite the rules. FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Yao said the agency did not comment on proposed, pending or ongoing litigation. Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said the department was aware of the decision and was reviewing it. The White House expressed disappointment in the ruling. "Tobacco companies shouldn't be standing in the way of common sense measures that will help prevent children from smoking. We are confident big tobacco's attempt to stop these warnings from going forward will ultimately fail," White House spokesman Nick Papas said. Emotional images Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States, accounting for one in every five deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 21 per cent of US adults smoke cigarettes, a number little changed since 2004. Worldwide, tobacco kills nearly 6 million people every year, including more than 600,000 nonsmokers, according to the World Health Organisation, which has repeatedly called for graphic images to appear on tobacco packs, saying the pictorial warnings actually work. The tobacco industry had asked Leon to block the FDA's new requirements, pending a final decision on their constitutionality. They argued they needed a quick ruling because they would have to start in November or December and spend millions of dollars to comply with the requirements. Justice Department attorneys had argued that the money was a small fraction of the companies' net sales, so they would not suffer irreparable harm without the temporary injunction. Government attorneys said the labels conveyed the dangers of smoking more effectively than words alone, and were needed to stop more people from smoking, especially teenagers. Judge Leon said the images provoked an emotional response rather than just providing factual and noncontroversial information, crossing the line into using company advertising for government advocacy. Floyd Abrams, a prominent First Amendment lawyer representing Lorillard, called Leon's ruling a "vindication for the well-established First Amendment principle that the government may not compel speech in the commercial area." He said the case was in its early stages and there was a "good chance" it will eventually reach the US Supreme Court. The Dow Jones tobacco index, whose components include Altria, Lorillard and Reynolds American, was just 0.05 per cent higher in afternoon trading amid mixed trading for broader US stock indexes as investors kept a worried eye on European debt problems. Altria Group is not part of the lawsuit. The case is R.J Reynolds Tobacco Co et al v. US Food and Drug Administration et al, US District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 11-cv-1482. ― Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Bunuh pelajar Malaysia di Jawa Timur tiada kaitan motif dendam Posted: 08 Nov 2011 03:03 AM PST JAKARTA, 8 Nov — Pihak berkuasa Indonesia telah mengklasifikasi kejadian pembunuhan pelajar Malaysia Adrian Jay Pereira sebagai kes jenayah semata-mata dan tiada kaitan dengan motif lain termasuk balas dendam. Atase Pendidikan di Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Jakarta Ludinata Misnun berkata, polis Indonesia sedang memburu dua suspek berhubung kejadian itu namun sehingga berita ini ditulis, belum ada sebarang tangkapan dibuat. "Pihak Hospital Saiful Anwar, Malang, telah selesai menjalankan bedah siasat ke atas jasad Adrian pada pukul 2.45 petang waktu tempatan dan sedang menguruskan penyerahan mayat itu kepada Kedutaan Besar Malaysia untuk dihantar pulang ke tanah air," katanya ketika dihubungi di Malang. Laporan Bernama Online menyebut, Adrian, 23, ialah mahasiswa Fakulti Perubatan, Universiti Brawijaya, Malang, Jawa Timur. Ludinata berkata hasil bedah siasat itu menyimpulkan bahawa kematian Adrian disebabkan luka parah pada leher sebelah kanan akibat ditetak dengan objek tajam. Katanya keluarga mendiang Adrian diwakili seorang bapa saudaranya dan seorang peguam untuk melihat keadaan mayat beliau di hospital itu hari ini. Jasad Adrian akan dihantar pulang ke tanah air dengan pesawat Penerbangan Malaysia pada pukul 10.40 pagi waktu tempatan dari Lapangan Terbang Juanda, Surabaya dan dijadual sampai di KLIA, Sepang pada pukul 2.15 petang waktu Malaysia. Ludinata berkata berdasarkan keterangan polis, kejadian yang menimpa Adrian bermula pada pukul 6.30 petang di rumahnya di bandar Malang, apabila beliau bersama dua rakan serumah terdengar bunyi bising di luar kediaman mereka. Adrian yang keluar menyiasat tidak menemui apa-apa yang aneh namun beliau mengesyaki ada orang cuba mencuri motosikal yang baru dibelinya. Pelajar itu kemudian berpesan kepada dua rakan serumahnya supaya mengunci pintu dan menunggu beliau di dalam rumah, sementara beliau menaiki motosikal untuk mencari pihak yang disyaki berniat jahat itu. Tidak berapa lama kemudian selepas gagal menemui orang yang dicari, Adrian pulang semula ke rumah dan sejurus berhenti di luar rumah, beliau secara tiba-tiba diserang dengan tetakan di bahagian kanan lehernya dengan senjata tajam oleh orang yang tidak dikenali. Semasa serangan itu, Adrian dilaporkan masih duduk di atas motosikalnya. Polis percaya dua penjenayah terlibat dalam kes itu. Seramai 173 pelajar Malaysia sedang menuntut di Malang, pada masa ini dan daripada jumlah itu 161 orang belajar di Universiti Brawijaya. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Umno tak pernah sekat suara ahli, kata Muhyiddin Posted: 08 Nov 2011 02:56 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 8 Nov ― Umno tidak pernah menyekat mana-mana pemimpinnya di semua peringkat daripada menyuarakan pendapat tentang isu melibatkan parti kerana Umno mengamalkan prinsip demokrasi, kata Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin, yang juga Timbalan Presiden Umno, berkata setiap hari beliau membaca dalam akhbar banyak pendapat daripada pemimpin-pemimpin Umno yang mengulas mengenai pelbagai isu yang membuktikan tiada sekatan daripada parti. "Tiada satu pun pekeliling yang dikeluarkan kepada mana-mana pemimpin Umno baik di peringkat negeri, bahagian atau individu mengatakan mulut mereka terkunci dan tertutup sepanjang masa. Kadang-kadang mereka bercakap lebih daripada yang sepatutnya pun," katanya kepada pemberita selepas mengadakan dialog terbuka dengan 50 graduan yang terpilih untuk menyertai program "Teach For Malaysia" di sini hari ini. Muhyiddin (gambar) mengulas kenyataan Ketua Umno Bahagian Gua Musang Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah hari ini yang mendakwa kononnya dalam Umno sudah tiada peluang untuk bersuara, dan jika mahu bercakap pada perhimpunan agung pun, individu itu perlu mendapatkan kelulusan pihak atasan. Pada 22 Julai lepas, Tengku Razaleigh melancarkan sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) dikenali sebagai Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) dengan beliau sebagai presidennya, sebagai "platform untuk menyuarakan pendapat secara lebih meluas". Muhyiddin berkata berkata Umno juga tidak menyekat mana-mana anggotanya untuk menyertai NGO kerana itu adalah hak masing-masing. "Kita tidak sekat kalau mereka hendak menyertai mana-mana NGO, begitu juga dengan individu di parti lain yang ada juga menyertai badan dan persatuan, kerana itu minat mereka untuk memberi tumpuan kepada sesuatu perkara yang mereka ingin fokuskan," katanya dipetik Bernama Online. Menurut Muhyiddin, di dalam Umno ada sistem di peringkat bahagian dan negeri sebagai satu forum untuk ahli dan pemimpin menyampaikan apa sahaja yang berkaitan dengan parti. "Saya tidak tahu apa yang Tengku Razaleigh hendak cakap yang kita tak bagi cakap. Apabila beliau buat majlis bertemu dengan media, dia bercakap juga. Mungkin kalau beliau ada sesuatu yang berbeza sikit dari parti, bolehlah beliau kemukakan. "Jika beliau ada cadangan tertentu hendak disampaikan, rasanya tidak perlu tunggu sehingga Perhimpunan Agung Umno kerana mereka boleh sampaikan pendapat pada bila-bila masa sahaja," kata Muhyiddin. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Individual class — the winning link Posted: 07 Nov 2011 03:57 PM PST NOV 8 — At halftime of the Wolves versus Wigan Athletic match on Sunday night, while on the set of the Super Sunday studio at ESPN, I had my own analysis ready but unfortunately, the first question was not directed at me by the host. However, my thoughts were that it had been a scrappy, unimaginative and shapeless first 45 minutes. Then I sat through 90 minutes of scrappy, unimaginative, shapeless and schoolboy error-strewn football in the Singapore versus Malaysia match at the SEA Games 2011 yesterday evening. It was hard to believe that this was in fact an Under-23 game of football. Both teams seemed to be involved in a "who can kick it furthest" contest. It really was a difficult-to-watch match with maybe the only positive being the fitness levels of both teams.  By that, I mean both sets of players relentlessly pursued the strategy all through the game. If not for our skipper Baddrol Bakhtiar's freekicks, this game could really have been a coma-inducing prescription. This is our first game of the campaign but already it shows that we have regressed from the efforts of Laos 2009, when we won the gold medal for the first time in 20 years. I do wonder how our lads will do when they face Thailand in their next match tomorrow. It is the Thais' first match and given the advantage of watching Malaysia play first, not to mention having fresh legs for the game, Ong Kim Swee's charges will find it an uphill battle to begin with. Anyway, when teamwork fails, it is the ability of highly-talented individuals who can and will decide a game as Queen's Park Rangers found out at the weekend. Truly, this was a monumental effort by the Hoops and boy, did they play really well. However, they still could not beat Manchester City. The men from the Etihad Stadium struggled for fluency with Kun Aguero having a nightmare but yet, the team had enough individual quality among its world-class stars to successfully find the net three times. Manchester United though are struggling for that same star quality since Cristiano Ronaldo left and perhaps this is what Alex Ferguson needs to address in the shortest possible time. The Red Devils need world-class talent to reign supreme but unlike last season when they won the league with some pretty average football, this season needs either some "breathtaking football" or "breathtaking performances." Meanwhile, my Tottenham Hotspur scored two breathtaking goals and then seemed to have suddenly turned breathtakingly rubbish in the second half against Fulham. This has got to be down to attitude and it seemed all wrong to see Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart being so "chummy chummy" with Fulham manager Martin Jol at halftime.  The Welshman obviously knew Jol as the former manager of Spurs, while Van der Vaart is a fellow Dutchman. But no matter what, this is a professional game of football and the time for handshakes and cuddles is after 90 minutes. To Spurs' benefit though, Van der Vaart quite perhaps brings arrogance into the dressing room. The lack of focus in the second half was too glaring not to want to question the swagger of certain players. Meanwhile, Stoke City's Europa League hangover continued to weigh heavily on their Premiership form as they were walloped 5-0 by a weak Bolton team that had not won at home all season. Just three days after beating Maccabi Haifa 2-1 in Israel — a great result for this usually mid-table English Premier League (EPL) team — Stoke lose by a big margin. This was almost identical to how their travels caused them to lose 4-0 at Sunderland just three days after their last long-distance trip — a 1-1 draw with Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev — back in September. Understandably, Tony Pulis' side doesn't have the squad depth of the more prominent clubs in the EPL and so are suffering the effects of the tough-going schedule, playing in two major competitions But no such problems face the mighty Reds, who seemed to have taken the foot off the pedal at the end of last season just to avoid the Europa League distraction in Kenny Dalglish's first full season back in charge at Anfield. So, Liverpool only have to focus on the EPL and the domestic cup competitions.  You wouldn't think that though, if you watched Liverpool's home match against newly-promoted Swansea City. They struggled and delivered a performance of almost embarrassing proportions, as the visitors could easily have taken all three points. This is no different to the Liverpool of recent seasons, choking against some of the smaller teams but putting on the game of their lives when playing the big boys. It is still early days yet, and any team who needs a lift just need look to the Emirates for some inspiration as Arsenal won their fifth Premiership game in a row, mostly thanks to the prolific scoring and individual master-class performances of Robin Van Persie. Yes, one man, or better yet, two, can make a huge difference. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Friedel still fab at 40 Posted: 07 Nov 2011 03:50 PM PST NOV 8 — Tottenham continued their excellent run of form with a hard-fought 3-1 victory at Fulham on Sunday, and they appear set for another productive campaign. Harry Redknapp's attractive and attack-minded team lost their first two games of the season, suffering heavy defeats against the two Manchester clubs following the postponement of their opening day fixture against Everton. Since then, though, they've put together an eight-match unbeaten run, including seven victories, to propel them into fifth place in the Premier League table, level on points with Chelsea and with a game in hand. Although Spurs are one of the most entertaining and creative teams in the country, their victory at Fulham was not, for once, primarily earned by the silky attacking skills of Rafael van der Vaart, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon or Emmanuel Adebayor. Instead, on this occasion the main man was veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who pulled off a string of superlative saves — including some spectacular injury-time heroics with the score precariously poised at 2-1 before Jermain Defoe's last-second clincher. Multi-capped American international Friedel has been one of the best goalkeepers in the country ever since he escaped the understudy role at Liverpool, where he played second fiddle to David James and then Sander Westerveld, to join Blackburn Rovers in 2000, and he's showing no sign of deterioration despite celebrating his 40th birthday in May. Over the course of 11 years, Friedel has made more than 400 Premier League appearances for Blackburn, Aston Villa and now Tottenham, and has a remarkable record-breaking streak of starting every single league game since the start of the 2004/5 season — Sunday's fixture at Fulham was his 285th consecutive game, and it would be a big surprise if he doesn't reach the 300 figure a couple of months from now. Despite his omnipresence for the last seven years and the extremely high esteem that he commands among his fellow professionals, Friedel's unfussy, businesslike manner has allowed him to maintain a relatively low profile, and his summer move to White Hart Lane on a free transfer from Villa generated few headlines. But his capture could prove to be one of Harry Redknapp's best signings — and that's saying something for a manager who has made a career out of wheeling and dealing with shrewd intelligence in the transfer market. Redknapp had grown frustrated with the occasionally brilliant but always erratic Brazilian Heurelho Gomes, and didn't hold too much faith in his understudy Carlo Cudicini after the Italian's recovery from a serious motorbike accident. The Spurs boss needed a safe pair of hands, and it's fair to say that he has found them with Friedel, whose most impressive quality over the last decade has been his metronomic consistency. In addition to the stunning saves of which he's clearly capable, Friedel just doesn't make many big mistakes — and that, in general terms, is the mark of a good goalkeeper. Someone who can be relied upon to not drop simple crosses, fumble tame shots or race needlessly off his line is an enormous advantage to a team, giving the defenders in front of him an enormous sense of reassurance. Unfortunately, Friedel's decision-making off the pitch doesn't appear to have been quite so flawless; he was reportedly declared bankrupt earlier in the year after investing in an American youth football development scheme that went badly wrong. Perhaps that's why he's still playing at the age of 40, and playing so well; if you're bankrupt, every signing-on bonus, every appearance bonus, every clean-sheet bonus and every win bonus makes a big difference. Whatever Friedel's motivation, the United States seems to possess the knack of producing goalkeepers, with the Spurs stopper just the most distinguished of an impressive recent batch of Yankee keepers. Tim Howard, Kasey Keller and Marcus Hahnemann have also enjoyed excellent Premier League careers in the last decade or so, giving the US one of the strongest groups of goalkeepers of any nation in the world. Hahnemann, my former colleague at Reading, had a plausible theory that his country's goalkeeping excellence can be explained by the fact that most talented young Americans grow up playing basketball and American football — sports that require the essential goalkeeping skills of ball handling, athleticism, power, bravery and hand-to-eye co-ordination. I can't think of any better explanation — other than pure coincidence — and it's provided the US with a better group of keepers than anything English football has produced since David Seaman (although Joe Hart looks very promising). None of them have been better than Friedel, and his reliable excellence in goal could be enough to secure his club a return to Champions League football at the end of the season — and if that happens, don't bank on him retiring. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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