The Thrill and Pain of following England

"2010 will be England's 1966!"...that's what the chant is once again. Its been 4 years and everyone (including me) who vowed never to put ourselves through watching England haplessly bow out of the WC again, are back to putting our money on its footballers. The reason?....well many, in fact...1) Its Fabio Capello who's in-charge, 2) EPL is the best league in the world and English clubs have been outstanding in the recent editions of UCL, 3) Can there be a more lethal stricker than Wazza at the moment?, 4) This time the Gerrard-Lampard partnership will kick for sure!...and every possible minutest reason to make ourselves believe that its not wrong to, once again, break our vow.

But I'd rather check myself here and remind all my fellow-supporters why we took the oath of not watching England play again in the first place after Germany'06. #1 They didn't have a worldclass goalkeeper in 2006, #2 Counting Rooney out, they had a very feeble attacking line-up, #3 The team was ageing with the likes of Sol Campbell, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and David Beckham, #4 They weren't good enough...period!

Let's see if things look better this year in South Africa. #1 The world still wonders who'll guard the English net...the 3 goalkeepers in the squad haven't played a single European match for their respective clubs, #2 Counting Rooney out, they still have quite an impotent attacking line-up, #3 The squad is the oldest among all the 32 in this WC with an average age of 28.7 years, #4 They have a soft core now since Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of the WC with an injury and the management can't put a finger on a suitable replacement, #5 Steven Gerrard will lead England for the first time in a competitive match, #6 After reigning supreme at their respective clubs, there are still doubts hovering over the Gerrard-Lampard partnership in the midfield, #7 Their record against the top-ranked sides in recent times has been abysmal. They have lost to Spain, Brazil and Netherlands, #8 The team management spends more time working harder on warding away the WAGs, press and paparazzi!, #9 The coach is still undecided on who will constitute his first XI, #10 They are still not good enough....period!

Yet, I can't help but plan a get-together on Saturday evening at my place when England play USA at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenberg. A part of me says that's there's every reason to believe that its going to end in tears for England again...but the football fanatic in me thinks that this year they will go beyond the last eight and prove their worth and get crowned as the world champions. Cummon, #1 its the master tactician and highly successful Fabio Capello who's in-charge, #2EPL isn't the best league in the world for nothing...the Rooneys , Terrys, Lampards and the Gareth Barrys make it the most watched league in the world, #3 Rooney has grown in maturity and he's made even the best defenders in the world sweat with his agility and power!#4 Gerrard-Lampard surely at par with Iniesta-Xavi...top class!

Wait a minute. Am I not repeating myself here??....that's the thrill despite knowing the probable pain. That's England for you. That's football! And this is the World Cup! 11 lions, 1 nation...England shall roar!

Doomsday at The Theatre of Dreams?

Doomsday at The Theatre of Dreams?

The recently played FA Cup match between Man Utd and the lowly Leed Utd can be seen as a rare blip from the Reds. One may not and should not read much into it. But with the recent news pouring in from the ManUtd boardroom about the seemingly insurmountable debt that ManUtd now owes, I can't help but think of the Leeds Utd that vied for the silverware one season and nose dived into the Championship the next. Can the same happen to United too?? Can the Premiership champions and last year's European beaten-finalists see themselves going down? Will we also have to watch ManUtd play against the Nottingham Forests and the Preston North Ends next season or the season after that? Right now, even thinking about this sounds highly incredulous. But, could one have imagined Leeds going down too when they were rubbing shoulders with the likes of Barcelonas and the Valencias of Europe? A side boasting of some highly skilled players viz., Viduka, Paul Robinson, Rio Ferdinand, Lee Bowyer, Harry Kewell, Jonathan Woodgate and many more was surely destined towards winning the silverware sooner or later. But, suddenly the financial rot growing within the club came to the fore one season and there you had the Yorkshire club relegated to the Championship! Some of the best players of the club became highly under-valued and were sold cheaply to other big clubs of England.

Last week it was announced that the club owners- the Glazers had created a debt pile of over 700 mn pounds!!! News has been rampant about what measures ManUtd might have to take to bring it down. The obvious one was to sell Rooney off for 94 mn Euros in the summer to Barca. A bizzare suggestion was to dispose off the club's Carrington training ground. The most absurd was the one that suggested to part with the 76,000-seater Old Trafford Stadium!! Absolutely ridiculous!

But what other options does the club have? How many more titles can this side win so as to ease off the financial burden? Many sceptics were against the Glazers' bid to takeover United. Clearly these people pointed out then that Glazers didn't have anough money to buy 100% stake in the club. Predictibly the Glazers resorted to leaveraging their purchase of the stake. Malcolm Glazer succeeded not only in gaining control of the club through his takeover vehicle, Red Football Ltd., but converting it into a completely private company. Soon the club was saddled with 660 mn pounds debt with an annual interest payment of 62 mn pounds! In July 2006 the club announced a refinancing package. The debt taken on by the Glazers to finance the club was split between the club and the family, approximately £256 million is secured against Manchester United's assets. Under the terms of Glazer's financing, in the event that Glazer is unable to repay bondholders, majority control of Manchester United will pass to three New York hedge funds in August 2010. With the current financial scenario at the club, the possibility of insolvency doesn't seem too distant.

I hate writing this. But there are so many factors that are indicative of end of United's dominance. 1) Sir Alex is seen as retiring within the next 2 years. Some of the foreign names in the side can be tempted to transfer to other big clubs of Europe. 2) The 'one-club' players such as Giggs, Scholes will retire soon. So which big player would want to come to United after 2 years, when Sir Alex's days come to an end. 3) Like most other clubs, I don't see one man fitting into the manager's role right away. Any new person who would come would be under tremendous pressure to win titles from day one...such is the legacy Sir Alex will leave behind. So I forsee tumultous years ahead as far as getting the right person to manage the club is concerned after Sir Alex leaves.

Slowly the club will start drifting down the table. And adding to this there will always be this debt which will make it impossible for anyone to purchase a 'big name player'. Recent past has shown, it took only one season for Newcastle and Leeds to get relegated if the clubs are not professionally managed in the boardroom. As I see it, the Club does not even have a strong and a settled line-up. With oil money coming into the Premiership, the competition for ManUtd is only getting stiffer by the day.

There is every reason for every ManUtd fan to worry. I hope good news pours in soon. The club is on the verge of signing a lucrative deal with with the American Insurance Co. AON- a deal rumoured to be worth 80 mn pounds for a period of 4 years. Also, it now becomes even more imperitive to win the premiership and the Champions' League this season.

All this seems like just another nightmare which I sincerely hope it would remain just a nightmare and nothing more.

Shaddup your Face

(Chelsea owner Roman Abrahmovich insists Jose Mourinho to pick Schevchenko as his forward, but Jose thinks otherwise...this is what Mourinho says....)


When I first arrived
This team was low
We more than just survived
We won two in a row
So you have to be blind
We're only 6 behind
you must be out of your mind (you must be crazy)

I'll tell you where to go
Telling me who to pick
Look at Shevchenko
He cant even get a kick (shut up)
You think it would be cool
To pick him for Liverpool
Aah Don't be a fool(Everybody do it)

Whatsa matter you (Hey!)
Gotta no respect (Hey!)
What do you think you do (Hey!)
You're only writing the cheque (Hey!)
Itsa not so bad (Hey!)
Chelsea a nice place (Hey!)
Aah shaddup your face(Makelele put your shirt on, put it on)

(Now I tell you)So be a good little guy
And open up the bank
Or we'll say goodbye
That's right I'm taking Frank
But if you won't get rid
25 million quid will go to Real Madrid (I will go, I will go, OK)

Whatsa matter you (Hey!)
Gotta no respect (Hey!)
What do you think you do? (Hey!)
You're only writing the cheque (Hey!)
Itsa not so bad (Hey!)
Chelsea a nice place
Oh Shaddup your face(Do it, shaddup)

We often crib about the poor state of affairs of our nation. We are ruthless at attacking our elected representatives on their governance. We have started loving to hate our governments on issues such as decrepit roads, improper sanitation facilities in the country, malnutrition, the fact that 70% of the nation is still below the poverty line and more recently the security issues. I think it is fair for the people of this country to be unhappy and dissatisfied even after 60 years of independence and despite now being well into the 21st century. The China- comparison only makes the resentment grow among us.

I sometimes can’t help but draw an analogy wherein I see India as one huge, mammoth-sized machine with thousands of complicated mechanical parts with grease all around them (obviously to make the parts function smoothly), yet rusted at most ends. A machine that should function 24 hours round the clock, 365 days in a year, a machine which is always under maintenance (which from the face of it looks shoddy), a machine which produces all kinds of noises, it creeks, it groans, it spews oil only to suggest that this is one old dilapidated machine which needs a replacement. Yet, the machine does not stop functioning.

When we got independence from the British Empire, we not only inherited the railway network or the postal service or the English language which were solid foundations for India that was to grow and become self-sufficient, but the codicil to the British will also prescribed for us- a major chunk of the rural population, bureaucracy, hunger, depleted reserves of every kind from food grains to foreign currency… and ofcourse our neighbor Pakistan. Yet, we had a visionary in Nehru who gave us the IIMs, the IITs, the public sector. He launched programmes to harness nuclear energy. He asked for dams to be built, power projects to be erected. No wonder he is called the ‘Architect of Modern India’.

But we faced 2 wars during his term as India’s PM. Today we are continually pestered and needled by China who claims its right over Tawang which is very much a part of our Arunachal Pradesh. The McMahon line is still disputed. Our foreign ministry seems to be always kowtowing China. Then there has been an obvious chronic problem on the west side with Pakistan. They continue to wound us all across with their terrorism nexus. The government, as we know, keeps providing evidences to the Pakistani government against the culprits of the 26/11 attack so as to force Pakistan to bring them to book, but only in vain so far. We spend humungous amounts on our defense and internal security. Our intelligence agencies work round the clock to foil plots, yet the terrorist acts sometimes seem inexorable. To add to our government’s woes, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka too demand a separate foreign policy for each one of them.
As if the external threat was not enough, at home the government faces the rise of the Maoists who have managed to hold the government at ransom time and time again.
Moving from security issues, there are other vagaries the nation faces today. To list a few such as, an irresponsible opposition party in the parliament, being awarded the Commonwealth Games for 2010 but being frequently doubted on our ability to host them, the Satyam scam and the after effects of it, the world financial crisis which forced the government to dole out incentives to save our economy, poor rains, spiraling food inflation, being stocked out of rice and having to import it, the greenhouse gases issue that has recently forced the country to pledge emission cuts in the near future possibly at the cost of development, the ailing government airline company, the ever volatile prices of crude that hit everyone of us, the sectarian politics advocated by the Thackreys or the Mayawatis of this country, rains or lack of them in key agrarian states of India, not to forget a slew of scams viz., the Koda scam, the Babri Masjid report, the submarine scam, army ration pilferage scam, the 2-G spectrum swindle, the illegal monies in Swiss bank accounts and the list can run into pages.

Despite having drawn a grim picture of the ugly machine that India is, we still have managed to record better than expected figures of 2nd quarter growth showing light at the end of these financially woeful days. We continue to be counted as drivers of world economy in the future (along with China ofcourse). We continue to hold elections in a manner so as to attract awe from study groups from around the world. We continue to play an important role in redeveloping Afghanistan. We continue to be heard at world forums. We continue to attract foreign investments. We continue to give the fairest trial to Ajmal Kasab. We have finally been de-hyphenated from Pakistan at the international level. The machine continues to function.
But, all this only makes me more confused and fuddled. Should I as a citizen be happy with the state of affairs of this nation as we continue to progress, however slowly, despite the challenges (listed above) which are more or less inextricable? Obviously, to make our ministers more accountable is an answer. Or should we ask for more and be justified for being a dissatisfied lot? I don’t have the answers to the above. But India’s case doesn’t cease to amaze me and I for one will surely continue tracking it only in quest for answers.

Don't Stand By and Watch

(the essay is written by Milin Deora. The piece has been published in 28th Nov, 2009's TOI edition)

The latest in a series of bash-'em-ups by serial offenders in the Shiv Sena when they attacked a media organisation in Pune not only betrays a contempt for the rule of law but also an astoundingly naive world view and warped political ideology. Demagogic Hitlerian persuasions apart, i am less interested in historical comparisons than an immediate high-level probe that results in bringing to book the ringleaders of this reprehensible criminal act. By resorting to gratuitous violence and crude attacks on those it disagrees with, the Shiv Sena has not only alienated the media at large but also the Marathi community it purports to protect.

Little surprise then that its already dwindling political base is more confused than convinced. The ballot is always stronger than the bullet, however, and i would sincerely hope that better sense prevails when voters determine their own political fate the next time around.

There have been suggestions in recent days to muzzle the party and impose a media boycott on it but neither is this possible nor productive. Sensationalism sells, unfortunately, and imposing embargoes would in any case be in conflict with the very democratic principles we uphold everyday. The political manifestos of both the Shiv Sena and MNS, two sides of the same communal coin, are inherently sectarian, non-inclusive and incite followers to spew hate and vitriolic nonsense. Both deserve to be consigned to the dustbin of history but more likely than not, they will implode by virtue of their own proscriptions and without much help from anybody else.

That is not an excuse to remain silent and do nothing, however. We must continue supporting responsible news organisations and citizens' groups that raise difficult issues and ask difficult questions. I stress the word "responsible" though: media houses would acknowledge that they need to self-monitor and run in-house checks to address excessive bouts of frenzied reporting that may unwittingly fan the flames of communal discord. By the same token, civil society and those who claim to speak for it must take an unambiguous and consistent stand on sectarian politics if real change is to come about.

The doublespeak of Mumbai's high society is that even outspoken and otherwise liberal commentators like Shobhaa De went on news television to unfairly attack Karan Johar for apologising to Raj Thackeray and in the same breath defended several of Thackeray's political positions. Equally, those of us in government and on the right side of the law have a responsibility to protect civil society against abuses of power. That is the only collective way our democracy, imperfect as it is, can survive and resist the forces that threaten it.

I must say it is deeply unsettling that an attack of this sort should take place on the cusp of a year since 26/11. I am not suggesting for a minute that comparisons be drawn with last year's terror attacks and last week's mindless thuggery. But here's the rub the lack of similarity isn't strong enough and that is what irks me and ought to concern us all. All too often, the danger we face as a nation lurks within. Divisive forces create and thrive in a climate of social unrest and will go to any extent to pry open social fault lines wherever they exist. The only antidote to this subversion of democracy is a stronger system of checks and balances. That includes an independent news media with the courage and integrity to expose malpractices so that the force of public opinion, shame and law can bring about a correction. Our democratic institutions must show themselves to be accountable, transparent and accessible to the common citizen, and act swiftly in the interest of justice. It is imperative that government, in partnership with civil society, creates strong deterrents against an increasingly pervasive and violent form of political hate-mongering, wherever that may emanate from.

In the final analysis, politicians and people in public life are fair game for the media and we have to accept that reality. Those of us in political life may not always like or agree with what is said and written about us, but surely that doesn't give us the licence to ransack and rampage. There are other civil and legal avenues to resolve grievances; you debate, propose, oppose and sue if you must. That is what civilised societies do. If the media, with all its influence and reach, can be attacked with impunity; if the media is not free to seek accountability from political parties, leaders and the government of the day, how free or safe is the ordinary citizen we serve?

It may be a while before we start subscribing to Voltaire's lofty philosophical conviction of disagreeing with what is said but defending to the death the right of those we disagree with to say it, but this is as good a time and place as any to start making a difference and fight for the freedom and rights our founding fathers sacrificed so we could have ours.

United's Stars against Chelsea's Diamond

The league table puts Chelsea 2 points above United at the moment with the 2 giants ready to face each other at Stamford Bridge tonight. A win for United and they would be a point clear at the top. Sounds simple, doesn't it?? Not quite. What makes it more difficult this year for United to beat Chelsea is not only the fact that they are soarly missing the presence of someone who could create a havoc in Chelsea's rather unusually error-prone defence this year. But they will face their sternest test tonight when they finally line up against a side that plans to pack its midfield with 4 central midfielders!! Yes, that's precisely the core of the much talked about Ancelotti's Diamond Formation.

Diamond formation is only a variant of the conventional 4-4-2 formation. The difference lies in the placement of the 4 midfielders. The 4 midfielders are placed in a diamond-like formation with the player at the top of the diamond playing as a through-ball feeder for the 2 strikers upfornt. Whereas the player on the other end of the diamond guards the defence, while the 2 in the middle make is conjested for the opposition and aim to win maximum possession. This is exactly how Carlo Ancelotti played Chelsea this year. Chelsea lack the pace in their width unlike ManUtd who have the most efficient wingers in Giggs, Evra and Nani. That's how Ancelotti tries to overcome the inherent weakness of his squad by packing his midfield with 4 top- quality central midfield players.

In Michael Essien, Chelsea have one of the best defensive midfielders in the world., who works tirelessly to protect the defence and regain possession whenever lost. In the Ghanian's absence, John Obi Mikel also fits the bill more than adequately.

Then there are 3 world-class midfielders to accomodate in Lampard, Ballack and Deco. Neither Lampard nor Ballack seem comfortable spearheading the diamond but side by side in a slightly deeper role , they are briliiantly creative. And forgotten man Deco has played his best football for Chelsea at the top of the diamond, linking up beautifully with Drogba and Anelka upfront. Add to this the prospect of substitutes viz., Malouda and Zhirkov, it looks lips smacking!

A diamond formation will always dominate possession but will never score goals freely. But that's certainly not the case with Chelsea who've been scoring lavishly. But won't it be a risk to have weak flanks against ManUtd?? It could be a torrid time for the 2 full-backs Cole and Bosingwa against Evra and Giggs (also Obertan if he plays) who love galloping forward skipping past even the best wingers in the league with great ease. But Lampard and Ballack are more than capable of giving their defence a more solid cover when required. Also, if Ancelotti feels the need to negate that threat he can always go back to the old 4-3-3 formation wherein his midfield could be flanked by Malouda or Zhirlkov or Kalou.

Manchester United will feel the heat in the central midfield which has come under pressure this season (esp. against Liverpool) since Scholes and Carrick don't look very settled. Ancelotti knows too well how to keep ManUtd away from getting any possession in the central midfield as his former side- AC Milan had done just the same in a wet Milan night in the semi-finals of UCL where ManU were thumped 3-0. Again, ManU struggled in the central of the midfield against Barcelona.

Citing all the above, it seems best for Chelsea to use the diamond formation against United tonight.

All about having the Bragging Right!

So what does the Old Trafford defeat do to Man City's 'bragging right'...I mean, have they lost the right?? Some would argue if they ever had any this season.

Having been an ardent follower of the game for sometime, I would have to say Man City are reminding me of the Chelsea that caught everyone's attention in their first season under Jose Mourinho (of course it was the second under Roman Abramovic's ownership, but we all know that Chelsea got potent only under Mourinho). Drawing such an analogy so early in the season may draw strong reactions. After all, Chelsea were different...they were a more complete side with a very very deep squad, thanks to the oil money. Whereas, Man City on the other hand have a lop-sided squad with a crazy 7-man strike force and almost no such muscle in the defence (apart from Toure and Lescott). But why I sketched such a comparison is because, they look as hungry and intent on making a mark in the Premier League this season as one would have imagined after spending a whopping 120 mn pounds in the summer. Remember, Stamford Bridge also exuded a belief that they could teach Man Utd and Arsenal a lesson after they spent close to 90 mn pounds in the summer of 2004. Mourinho rubbed Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex the wrong wayafter calling himself 'The Special One'... and surely Man City have done just that this season. Arsene finds them low class and Sir Alex called them 'noisy'.

The last 2 matches City have played have surely caught people's attention. Arsenal is no walk-over. But Manchester City knocked them off so badly that probabaly Arsenal were still feeling a little dizzy against the Belgian side in midweek. Then came the United match which we all know about. If Sir Alex ever said that he wasn't left rattled after the match, he'd be lying. Despite the eventual loss to their rival neighbours, City have responded well beyond poeple's expectations to the money they spent in the summer.

What remains to be seen is if 1) City can continue to do the same week in week out for the next 8 months? 2) if City can remain as potent when they travel to The Emirates, Stamford Bridge and Anfield?

To do so week in week out is quite realistic as the bottom half of the league table looks quite abysmal really. City is definitely too strong for the Stokes, Burnleys and the Boltons of the league. But can they break into the top 4? With a string of breath-taking performances so far, it doesn't need much of an effort to think about City challenging the elite of England. But, lets try to see this objectively. By asking a question as this one, aren't we undermining the capabilities and credentials of the Big 4. Don't forget, these 4 sides have been semi-finalists of the European competition for the last 2-3 seasons. All 4 have been the finalists at some point or the other in the last 4-5 seasons. No one outside the big 4 has won the Premier League ever since Shearer's Balckburn Rovers won it in the early 90s. Do we still believe that City can break all these traditions and fight themselves in into the top 4, let alone becoming champions! Its hard to buy that right now. Probabaly next season or the season after that.

I have no doubts that City will continue to push the Big 4 right till the end to claim a spot in Europe's big league next year. Also, they are bound to upset one of the Big 4 again this season in their own stadium. United will feel lucky that they got the last gasp goal yesterday, but wait until its their turn to travel to The City of Manchester Stadium. The City side will probably be stronger than the one that travelled to OT with the likes of Robinho and Adebayor certainly bound to claim first team place next time. Manchester City have all the ingredients to create tremors this season- an enviable strike force, a solid midfield, a reliable goal-keeper and a really 'noisy' fanfollowing.

It looks bright and sunny for the blue half of Manchester this year after years of playing second fiddle to their illustrious negihbours. City might not yet be lethal enough to get their hands on the Premier League trophy this season, but after what they've exhibited this season so far, they sure have the 'bragging right'!