The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion
The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion |
| Can one man make a difference? Arsene knows Posted: 05 Sep 2013 09:06 PM PDT
We still park on pavements. Yet today, I feel there is more reason to curse and swear than worry about parking on pavements. Yes, I know, parking on pavements is still wrong but is that really what's important anymore? Especially, when one is a Spurs fan. When the best midfielder in the world - someone who is world-class and I mean genuinely world-class - goes to your deadliest rivals, it makes one physically sick. That is what it feels like and will feel like for some time to come watching Mesut Ozil play for the Arsenal. So, just like the scoreline at Sunday's North London Derby at The Emirates stadium, the close of the transfer window on Monday night, proved the red half of N5 has the edge in more ways than one. Obviously, all the attention has been on Andre Villas-Boas and his spending spree but Spurs have not bought world-class. Are Spurs buying for the future? Will Eric Lamela and Christian Eriksen become world-class? The future in top level football is today. It is right now. There is no tomorrow for AVB. This is the season when Spurs have to deliver. And a hundred million quid should, and must, buy the title. After having a chat with my Wingman, we have concluded that the scary bit about Ozil at Arsenal is if Olivier Giroud was to get injured. We pray he does not, well mainly because we would not want that to happen to any player. But the volatility of football is such that, such an injury could force a situation which could very well be the making of the Arsenal. The mere thought of Theo Walcott as the central striker supported by Ozil's elegance and eye for a pass is enough to give me the chills. The German international will thrive with pace ahead of him for it will allow him to split defences with his passing. Unless, of course, we take Mousa Dembele into account. But then again, that is akin to comparing a carthorse with a thoroughbred. Besides, there was Luka Modric,... unfortunately at that time Spurs never had a plan. The talk about the Gunners has been about them having too many midfielders but Arsene Wenger knows, and has proven that, there are differing qualities needed despite players being in similar positions. Unfortunately, AVB has bought too many who are too similar in midfield. Why Etienne Capoue when there is Sandro? And Kaka was available, too. Oh, for God's sake AVB! Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, the Red Devils have signed Maroune Fellaini, whose versatility in various central midfield positions will provide options for David Moyes. This is no surprise buy considering it is simply the reunion of a manager with his former star, but why did it happen so late, we won't know for sure. Moyes could do well to deploy the Belgian as an attacking midfielder, though I believe the best thing for Fellaini will be getting on the end of things in the opposing penalty box. An area where Manchester United have not replaced Paul Scholes. But the greatest injustice in football at the moment is Shinji Kagawa not even making the starting 11. The Japanese was bought by Alex Ferguson last season for precisely that. - September 6, 2013. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider. | |
| Ask Lord Bobo: Tremble, for Lord Bobo is here! Posted: 05 Sep 2013 07:10 PM PDT Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by LoyarBurok where all your profound, abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered. Free Your Mind! That slight tremor you felt was not the rumbling of a bomb exploding in a nearby forest. Nor was it a big-haired lady shifting in her seat to remove a mega-diamond from her suitably-luxurious handbag. Nor was it some heavy machinery collapsing from a ridiculously safety-bereft construction site. No, although all those things are very commonplace in Malaysia, that slight tremor cannot be attributed to any of them. For it is the return of "Ask Lord Bobo" which is responsible. For readers who are unfamiliar with Lord Bobo, pull up a chair, get comfortable, rest your much-maligned bottoms, and prepare to be enlightened. For those of you who already know of this hyper-intelligent wonder-typewriting monkey, well, read on anyway lah. His Supreme Eminenceness Lord Bobo Barnabus is the brains, heart, liver, and spleen behind the most amazing blawg in the known and unknown universe, and beyond: LoyarBurok.com. For it is through his and their (for Lord Bobo is/are one/triune/legion all at once) infinitely infinite (and not at all flighty) wisdom that several of his most loyal minions are regularly mind-controlled to run the most awesome blawg. In December 2010, a few of Lord Bobo's most loyal minions were mind-controlled to start a weekly column channeling the wisdom of the hyper-intelligent wonder-typewriting monkey. This column found a home in a humble publication called the "Selangor Times". Through the "Ask Lord Bobo" column, Lord Bobo lent his omniscient qualities to answering queries submitted by readers over the course of almost 100 columns (you can read all of these columns here: http://www.loyarburok.com/category/selected-exhortations/ask-lord-bobo/). Sadly, the Selangor Times was discontinued in April 2013. The good news for readers of The Malaysian Insider is that Lord Bobo in all his munificence has mind-controlled the LoyarBurokkers to revive "Ask Lord Bobo" here on The Malaysian Insider (TMI). And all it took to convince the TMI editorial team was a few bottles of halal whisky! So quickly, before they sober up, go ahead and submit your questions via an email (keep the questions short, sweet, or bitter please) to asklordbobo@loyarburok.com or on Twitter by tweeting your question and mentioning @LoyarBurok with the hashtag #AskLordBobo. Being the personification of human (and non-human) rights, Lord Bobo believes in freedom of expression, and welcomes all questions. There are no rules, and no restrictions on the questions that can be asked. His Supreme Eminenceness is open to all your profound, abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries. But of course, if you ask silly questions then Lord Bobo's minions also have the freedom to ignore you, or make fun of you. The wisdom of this universe and all the surrounding universes are now made available to you, so ask wisely. Now, what the hell are you waiting for? Hear This And Tremblingly Obey (although Trembling is optional if you are somewhere very warm)! - September 6, 2013. |
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