Showing posts with label grand slam sunday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grand slam sunday. Show all posts
5

Kofi's Perspective on Grand Slam Sunday...

Sunday, 16 December 2007


So yesterday was grand slam Sunday, a day filled with so many expectations for so many people, but after being told that Leon had won the X-Factor, I knew all wasn’t right with the worlds equilibrium. My day started quite positively, I woke up slightly hungover from the night before, but I did recall memories of having a few wagers with my Man Utd supporting mate, all in all I was quite confident of a Liverpool victory. I get to the pub, get a nice seat and watch the simply ridiculous hype on Skysports. For some reason they had a boardroom full of ex footballers giving their defunct opinions on how the day’s events would pan out. Why do these "experts" get paid? Their professional insight on the premiership usually extends to telling us that any team that wants to win the title will have to finish above Man Utd. Oh really?


Anyway back to the game, so I was patiently waiting for the team sheet, furiously hoping that Crouch would start and the workman Kuyt would simply drop off the face of the earth and not just onto the bench, but sadly I was disappointed. I was still very optimistic about the game though, was my optimism unfounded? So we get to kick off, and as the first 45 minutes fly by I notice a pattern reminiscent of many other games against Man Utd. We create a few clear cut chances, dominate possession but somehow by some divine right we simply cannot put the ball in the net. So the question was how long until we get sucker punched? Low and behold on the stroke of half time Tevez nips in to score. How predictable was that? We simply didn’t turn up creatively, and it was quite clear that it wasn’t going to be our day. Kuyt was as awful as ever, we were playing with 10 men whilst he was on the pitch, god knows why Rafa has so much faith in him. Gerrard persisted on playing the quarter back role for most of the match, surely he wasn’t scared of Anderson? Torres literally disappeared from the pitch in the second half. Rio put in the performance of his life, and when you defend like that you have a chance wherever you go. They truly are champions, and I think that’s what frustrates us Liverpool fans the most.

So as I watched the last 45 minutes wind down, I sat there thinking will I ever see a Premiership title in my lifetime? Every year we are full of so much hope, but now it seems like there is a dark cloud over Anfield, something that simply wont allow us to do as well as we should be doing in the league. Something tells me that if we were playing a champions league semi final, then we would have won this game and that saddens me. Why can’t we get motivated in the premiership?

After drowning my sorrows with a couple of shots of whiskey I sat down to watch the Arsenal Chelsea game, which involved four of the most despicable human beings to grace the Premiership. Many of them getting what some might say they deserved. I think on reflection it probably should have been a draw, but without Drogba in the side Chelsea lacked the cutting edge required, and they desperately need to spend some cash in January. You seriously have to question the business acumen of Chelsea F.C, how the hell did AC Milan get 30 million pounds for Shevchenko, I will say it again, 30 million pounds!!!!?????? God knows what that can buy these days, but for some reason it can’t get you a striker who can run or score. Strange. Also, Chelsea got rid of Gallas(one of the best defenders in the league) for 5 million and Ashley Cole(One of the biggest …… in the league), and in the end it has come back to haunt them, seriously Kenyon what the hell are you doing?

When John Terry went off injured after a vintage Eboue tackle, you knew Chelsea were in trouble, and Ben Haim is not a suitable replacement. Sidwell, Ben Haim and Pizzaro? Simply awful Business, even for free and not squad depth that Chelsea need. Chelsea have been unlucky with injuries, but with the ANC around the corner, things will only get worse.

How apt was it to see the most detestable characters in football scrapping with each other? John Terry vs Fabregas/Eboue and Ashley Cole vs Fabregas. John Terry clearly tried to injure Fabregas which makes him a twat, but can you blame him? I am not the sort of person to wish injury on a player, but many will say that seeing Eboue go off injured was divine retribution for his double sending off last week. Fabregas is a brilliant player, but is a tedious annoyance, how long before someone punches him clean in the face, his hypocritical play acting was a disgrace and what more needs to be said about Ashley Cole? How classy of him to salute the fans who used to adore him with a cuntomary(spelt incorrectly on purpose) 2 finger gesture.

Overall I went home learning a few things about the top 4, that Liverpool will probably have to wait another year, Man Utd have the luck and steel of champions, and are the team to beat, Chelsea’s 1st team is awesome and would have beaten Arsenal, but with a few injuries they are lacking and Arsenal are going to be there until the very end, but its not a 2 horse race just yet.

2

Men In Tights, Theatrics, Grand Slams And Wrestlemania.......

Friday, 14 December 2007

I remember my school days, I was and sadly still am sometimes a big wrestling fan. From the Royal Rumble to Summerslam, I was constantly enthralled by seeing some of the biggest names in sports entertainment, touch, rub and caress each other(eewwww) . It was always Wrestlemania which I had a soft spot for, it usually fell on or near my birthday and the hype surrounding it was ridiculous. The build up for Wrestlemania would often begin a year in advance, just as the curtain had fallen on the last one. From the video montages, to the trash talking to the crazy insane fans speculating what might happen, Wrestlemania was one of those events that you felt you simply couldn't miss, purely because of the out of control marketing campaign and I have to say I literally lapped it up.

So how does this relate to football you might ask? Well, on Sunday we have another one of those grand slam events, with a hype machine almost as ridiculous as what you see in wrestling week in week out. Apparently the fixture list is generated in a totally random way, but I'm not so sure, how is it possible that the big four play each other on the same day for the second season in a row? Either way Super Duper Annihilation Judgment Grand slam Sunday will be as important as ever, the games probably wont live up to expectations, but the ramifications for the title race are clear for all to see. A win for Liverpool and Chlesea is probably a win for the premiership, whilst a win for Arsenal or Man Utd could see the the premiership leaning towards a 2 horse race.

We wont see any men in tights on Sunday or the most electrifying move in sports entertainment, but expect all the razzmatazz of a Rock vs Stone Cold extravaganza, with all the similar theatrics provided by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo or Joe Cole. Make the most of it people , because you probably wont witness another one soon(note the sarcasm). Who would have thought that Wrestling had so many similarities to a footballing weekend involving the top four.