JOURNAL: poolfan (Shane H)

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  • God has left the building 2001-11-29 07:53:09
    So Robbie has gone to Leeds. The initial gut instinct is we have lost a great player, at a relatively cheap price to a serious rival for the League Championship. And Leeds are hardly flavour of the month down Anfield way. We also look slightly threadbare if injuries occur in the striker department without a purchase. We have quality but not numbers.
    In reality this whole saga had gone on too long. It was not good for Robbie who was desperate for a long run of first team football to get up to full match fitness - he's not the type of player who suits a rotation system (particularly when he was just rotating his seat on the bench). It was not good for Liverpool as we had the press vultures circling everytime Robbie didn't start a game.

    His contract was running down with no sign of a compromise between LFC and RF over the next one. 11 million is a lot of money (and will be reinvested in players according to Rick Parry) for a player who was no longer deemed to fit the style of football we play at Liverpool now. In the cold light of day this maybe best for both Robbie and the club.

    So after 171 goals in 330 games it's a big thank you to Robbie for everything. You were often the only bright spark in some dire 90s seasons and it was great to see you lift 3 trophies last year. Score lots of hatricks in 4-3 defeats for Leeds. Good luck and YNWA.

    Memories are made of this
    Some of my 10 top Robbie memories: 1) His volley against Brann Bergen - it's not on any video compilation but this was a simply stunning goal 2) That stupid blonde hair he had for a while 3) That fantastic 4 minute hatrick against Arsenal 4) Outplaying the Mancs on his own at Old Trafford in Cantona's comeback game 5) The header to win the second 4-3 against Newcastle. He had no right to get to that cross from Bjornbye. 6) The complete strikers performance in a 2-0 win against Arsenal at Anfield in August 1999 7) That mazy run and finish in the crazy crazy game against Alaves 8) His celebration against Everton - any man who had taken that much stick from opposition fans deserved a comeback 9) That dinky overhead chip against Charlton in the 4-0 win back in May 10) Singing "When the ball hits the net, it's a fairly safe bet that it's Fowler, Robbie Fowler" in many a pub across the land.

    Comings and Goings
    A quote from my last update "Fowler off to Leeds, Blackburn, Spurs, Newcastle ..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

    When you hear the same transfer story week after week after week it does get boring especially when the vast majority of it is ill-informed speculation from the tabloids. But when a newspaper prints 4000 exclusives in a year you will eventually get one correct. The Mirror will now be lost without their weekly Robbie story.

    From The Terraces
    So what are your views on the Robbie transfer? Any top 10 memories? Email me at stevedavies99@hotmail.com and I'll publish the best.

    Rumour Mill
    Kanoute, Trezeguet, Yorke (more cornflakes in orbit), Shevchenko, Cisse, Rebrov, Phillips, Saha ..... these and many more are signing for Liverpool soon. Allegedly.

    Coming Up
    Derby (away) on the 1st December. Can the world's most boring team (copyright - the downmarket tabloids) grab another 3 points on the break? Michael Owen (remember him? currently the world's top striker lest we forget)should be back after resting his hamstring against Sunderland. No Robbie for the first time - should be interesting to see the reaction of the travelling Kop. Expect a few thank you God banners
     
  • BØY 2001-11-16 11:18:29 My exams are nearly over...oh well..actually in about 10 days time. Bought a box of Hareluya II BŘY anime series for 14 bucks. At first, I had thought it was a steal, considering there are 25 episodes in all. But soon , to my horror, the subtitles disappeared after 6 episodes and some of the episodes were cut short (but not so sweet). Oh man!!! ... but credit should not be taken from the anime which is great, though not as great as the manga. (I lurveee it !!) Below is a short review of the anime (which I found rather fitting).



    Brief Synopsis
    Kyoshiro is a hard working student who want to achieve his dream of going to Paris to study art. One day while returning home he was met with a gang of extortionist and was beaten up. Suddenly out of nowhere, Hibino appeared and thrashed up the other guys real bad. This sparks off a beautiful friendship between this two. On one of their outings, they met with the beautiful Yamana Michuru who's also trying real hard to achieve her dreams. And then they met Ichijyo Makoto, the rock singer who is working towards becoming a real rock star. The anime take a very nice route to how they solve and help other people while in the same time maturing.

    Opinion
    This is one of the funniest shonen anime in the market today. Hibino Hareluya is the ultimate bad boy who can't be beaten and have a vast variety of assortments which he can pull out of his back in no time. The gag in the anime is so hilarious that you won't believe the fighting scenes which dominates the later part of an episode. Also, the anime also focus a little bit of romance especially between Kyoshiro and Yamana. Through their struggles, we are confronted with the loyalty of friendship, ambitions, justice and many other topics which the anime addresses in a humorous way. But as Hibino always say, "I'm the greatest!" I have no doubts about it.
     
  • A Namie Amuro Interview 2001-11-05 21:12:08

    Q: What is the first song you like?
    A: Awinks's "unstoppable love". It was the First CD i bought. I often dance along with this song.

    Q: Do you like to attend music courses during your school years?
    A: I don't like but I don't Hate too.Sorry.(smile)

    Q: What reasons causes you to have passion for music?
    A: It was during the training session, Although i was often scolded, but eventually still love the courses conducted by the school. The Opportunity to express myself made me felt great !

    Q: During your music training, Which type of music you like best?
    A: There's only rock songs during that time that have that "dance" tune. That was why i loved Princess Rock group and Rebecca's rock songs which i can dance along.

    Q: Cooperate with Tetsuya Komuro was a great thing indeed?
    A: He wrote lots of great songs for me.I'm happy about it. He also understands my liking of R&B music.

    Q: Does your life has any changes after all those hot-selling singles and being high-school girls' favourite image character?
    A: Im happy about the sales,but my journey was fully-packed. That was why i don't have enough time to think abt my personal issues.

    Q: Do you feel there's changes in your singing compared with before?
    A: Not much changes. But i did mistaken the lyrics though. There was once i was singing "Try me" But i sang "Taiyo no Season" lyrics ! Oh,I was shocked throughout. (smile)

    Q: Your singing style seemed to have change. What's your comment about it?
    A: Nothing much. But i did try a higher pitch and uses background vocal. I'll change according to the song's type and genre.

    Q: What Songs you often sing during your KTV karaoke Session?
    A: My own songs or other singers' songs i liked. But whenever i sang my own songs,the score would be low. (smile)

    Q: What songs you listen to recently?
    A: I listen to many genre though. But i listened to my own songs quite frequent recently. It's becoz my new song has lots of backgroud effect and mixes,playing it in car was nice. It boast my spirits too.

    Q: Would you tell us about your own recording studio's arrangment ?
    A: My reason for having own recording studio is because i hoped to went in anytime i want. But the area was small,not much furniture. Mirrors were everywhere.There's also Microphones and recording machines. That's all.

    Q: Is there anything you wished to challenge ?
    A: I would love to challenge myself to Sliming.
    As im having Piano courses,I wished to attain that level until i can perform infront of People.
    And i hoped to be a producer,creating alot of great stuffs.

    Q: To you, What are the things a singer must have?
    A: I believed that the listeners were the one who decide the qualities of a singer.Even you were a singer, but no one listens to your songs, that was not a happy issue. Performing songs which people accept and like is a joyeous thing.

    Q: To you, what positon Music industry holds?
    A: Music made me realised the different faces of me. Music made me able to feel the different kinds of happiness and joy. Without music,life would be dull. Even next time i may not be singing,but i do not wish to stay away from music though.


     
  • Red tide is turning in favour of Liverpool 2001-11-05 05:35:54
    BY OLIVER KAY

    Liverpool 3 Manchester United 1

    AT TIMES yesterday, it was almost as if the 1990s had never happened. A ruthless performance put Liverpool proudly on top of the FA Barclaycard Premiership, for half an hour at least, four points clear of their fiercest rivals and with a game in hand. The Kop was alive with title talk and sneering chants about Sir Alex Ferguson, whose team was in disarray.
    It may be premature to talk of Liverpool as potential champions, but, on this and recent evidence, they will never have a better chance to end Manchester United’s stranglehold. Ferguson might not necessarily have lost the plot, as has been suggested, but some of his players seem to have done. Unless he and they can arrest this slump, Ferguson faces the prospect of standing down next May with United exactly as he found them: in need of rebuilding and with Liverpool galloping into the distance.

    This was United’s fourth consecutive defeat at the hands of the arch-enemy and certainly the most significant. On this occasion, they were outfought, out-thought and outmanoeuvred. They played some pretty football at times but were put to shame by Liverpool’s superior work-rate. Their defence was almost laughably bad at times, with Fabien Barthez producing another costly error for Michael Owen’s decisive second goal. Most alarming of all, they did not seem to be chastened by defeat.

    Ferguson criticised his players but he has no defence. He was taunted by the Kop in the closing stages yesterday as they gleefully chanted the name of Jaap Stam, whose controversial sale to Lazio in August may have far more serious repercussions than could have been imagined at the time. Whichever central defensive pairing he chooses — and this was his eighth different permutation this season — it seems to make little difference. The loss of Steve McClaren, Ferguson’s former assistant, to Middlesbrough is also being felt keenly.

    Their frailties were ruthlessly exposed by Liverpool, a team with no visible chink in their own armour and fully able to exploit those of others. Solid in defence and supremely organised from front to back, they are the antithesis of United. Ferguson may not care much for their tactics — having disparagingly referred to them as “physical”, “hard-working” and “direct” in the past — but he could learn as much from them as they have from his team. “They are where we were at four years ago,” he said.

    For Gérard Houllier, now back at home after being released from hospital 20 days after undergoing heart surgery, this must have been a joy to watch. The Liverpool manager’s prognosis that it would take another two years or more to catch United now looks conservative in the extreme. With Phil Thompson maintaining his remarkable run of success in temporary charge, carrying out Houllier’s wishes to the letter, the red tide may already have turned.

    There was little sign in the opening exchanges yesterday of what was to follow as United, with Paul Scholes on the bench as Ferguson reverted to a conventional 4-4-2 formation, took the initiative. Ruud van Nistelrooy almost created two chances for himself, but on both occasions he was denied by the determination of the home defence. With David Beckham and Juan Sebastián Verón both in wretched form, that was as good as it got for United.

    Liverpool played much of the first half on the counterattack, but their quicksilver forward play always threatened to cause problems for a defence that never looked convincing. Barthez had already given United a couple of scares, misjudging a long throw-in from John Arne Riise and a Jamie Carragher cross, but he was blameless for the opening goal, a superb curling finish from Owen in the 32nd minute after Wes Brown failed to cut out Vladimir Smicer’s pass. Seven minutes later, Liverpool’s lead was doubled with an unstoppable free kick from the explosive left foot of Riise. Many eyes had been on the young Norwegian after his ill-advised pre-match promise to “break” David Beckham, but this was the perfect response. The television cameras timed his shot, which crashed in off the crossbar, at 65mph. Barthez got nowhere near it.

    United gained a foothold early in the second half when Beckham, hitherto hugely disappointing, shot low past Jerzy Dudek after a rare slip from Riise, but Owen restored Liverpool’s two-goal lead almost immediately, leaping highest to head home his second after Barthez went walkabout again. United monopolised possession after that, but never threatened to do anything with it. “You can have all the possession in the world, but it’s what you do with it that counts,” Thompson said.

    The caretaker-manager punched the air with delight afterwards, the dignified restraint of recent weeks forgotten in the heat of victory. For him and Houllier, the dream is coming true. For Ferguson, the nightmare scenario looms larger.

    Man-to-man marking

    LIVERPOOL
    (4-1-3-2)


    JERZY DUDEK: Untroubled apart from Beckham’s goal, he was nonetheless by far the more assured of the two goalkeepers. 6


    JAMIE CARRAGHER: Not one to claim the limelight, but he never puts a foot wrong. Did his England credentials no harm at all. 7


    STEPHANE HENCHOZ: Unspectacular, but he produced a number of timely interceptions. How United could do with a defender like him. 7


    SAMI HYYPIA: Stretched at times in the first half, he was as commanding as ever in the second as the defence held firm. 7


    JOHN ARNE RIISE: Enhanced his cult status with a free kick of awesome power and precision. At long last, Liverpool have a top-class left back. 8


    DIETMAR HAMANN: Another controlled, disciplined display, he is becoming an ever more vital performer in the midfield. 8


    STEVEN GERRARD: Not at his most influential, giving away possession a little too easily, but deserves credit for his phenomenal work-rate alone. 6


    DANNY MURPHY: Seized the opportunity to impress Sven-Göran Eriksson, who will have been stirred by a creative yet disciplined performance. 8


    VLADIMIR SMICER: Enjoying his best spell since arriving at Anfield two years ago. Liverpool’s best player in the first half. 8


    MICHAEL OWEN: Well shackled for long periods by Silvestre, but took his two goals superbly. Hamstrings permitting, he cannot be stopped. 8


    EMILE HESKEY: Never looked like ending his goalscoring drought, but he is worth a place for his physical presence alone. Brown could not handle him. 7


    SUBSTITUTES: Patrik Berger (for Smicer, 68min): A little sloppy at times, but played an important role after he came on for his Czech team-mate. 6

    Robbie Fowler (for Owen, 68): Showed encouraging sharpness. Looks a far happier player than a month ago. 7

    Substitutes not used: Stephen Wright, Jamie Redknapp, Chris Kirkland.

    MANCHESTER UNITED
    (4-4-2)


    FABIEN BARTHEZ: Promised more errors and, lo and behold, he delivered. Looked shaky even before presenting Owen with the decisive third goal. 3


    GARY NEVILLE: Not as his most comfortable. Struggled to deal with Smicer in the first half, but improved a little in the second. 4


    WES BROWN: Did not look fit on his return from a knee injury and certainly didn’t relish the physical encounter with Heskey. 4


    MIKAEL SILVESTRE: Initially his pace looked likely to contain Liverpool, but the game hinged on his error for the first goal. 5


    DENIS IRWIN: A shadow of his former self, lacking pace and conviction, but he was arguably the best of a bad lot in defence. 5


    DAVID BECKHAM: Scored a goal and came close again early in the second half, but his all-round contribution was poor. 4


    NICKY BUTT: The outstanding midfield player on view in the first half-hour, but lacked the support to influence the game. 6


    JUAN SEBASTIAN VERON: Had an impressive five-minute spell in each half, but much of the game seemed to pass him by in a disappointing display. 4


    QUINTON FORTUNE: The great mystery was how he remained on the pitch. Had no joy as he was well marked by Carragher. 4


    RUUD VAN NISTELROOY: Looked far happier with company in attack but faded after a decent start in which his impressive footwork caused Liverpool problems. 6


    OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER: Does not want to be known as Supersub, but cannot expect a regular starting place on this evidence. 3


    SUBSTITUTES: Dwight Yorke (for Solskjaer, 51min): Livelier than Solskjaer when he came on but got little change out of Henchoz and Hyypia. 6

    Paul Scholes (for Beckham, 76): Came on too late to make a positive impression. Does not look content at the moment.


    John O’Shea (for Irwin, 84).


    Substitutes not used: Phil Neville, Roy Carroll.

    Referee: Graham Poll: Controlled the game well and never even needed to show a card. A rarity in this fixture. 7

     
  • LIVERPOOL 3 MANCHESTER UNITED 1 2001-11-04 09:19:56

    Liverpool moved to the top of the table for the first time since September 1998 after beating Manchester United 3-1.

    Michael Owen scored twice to make it four successive wins against their arch-rivals, and to suggest United's grip on the championship is loosening.

    The visitors were bettered in every area of the pitch but defensive mistakes from Wes Brown and goalkeeper Fabien Barthez made Liverpool's job a little bit easier.

    Owen curled in a 32nd-minute opener before John Arne Riise made it 2-0 before half-time with a blistering free-kick.

    David Beckham pulled a goal back just after the interval but Owen was on hand to head in his second just 60 seconds later as United slipped to their third league defeat of the season.

    Anfield assistant boss Phil Thompson made one change to his Champions League midweek team, restoring defensive rock Sami Hyypia to the centre of the backline with Jamie Carragher switching to right-back.

    Defensive problems had hindered Sir Alex Ferguson's side but further upfield he dropped Paul Scholes for Nicky Butt and brought in Quinton Fortune to replace the injured Ryan Giggs on the left. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also making a rare starting appearance alongside Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

    A high-tempo start saw the home side dominate the early proceedings, forcing Barthez to come storming off his line in the first minute to attack a long throw from Riise. He dropped the ball but gratefully reclaimed under intense pressure from Owen and Emile Heskey.

    Owen had a drilled shot wide from Jerzy Dudek's long ball, and then the striker spun to drive a shot that Barthez saved after a fine run from Vladimir Smicer.

    But when Denis Irwin got down the left his cross caused some trouble, as did van Nistelrooy's run into the box that tempted Dudek out and needed a fine saving header from Carragher in the six-yard box with the keeper nowhere to be seen.

    On 22 minutes van Nistelrooy got past Hyypia, then Riise, all in a tight area on the edge of the box and then escaped Stephane Henchoz, but despite some fine control lost possession at the last second, Dudek salvaged an increasingly dangerous situation.

    Then from another Riise throw, Barthez and Brown collided, the ball dropped for Danny Murphy, but covering defenders blocked the effort amid chaos.

    United's travelling fans were left speechless on 32 minutes when Owen scored a very special goal.

    Smicer's through-ball gave Heskey the chance to dummy, confusing Brown and Silvestre and allowing Owen to scamper clear.

    The 21-year-old coolly gave himself the space to strike the shot with his right foot, curling it superbly into the top corner with Barthez well beaten.

    On 40 minutes it was two, and it was another cracker.

    Owen was fouled on the edge of the box by Silvestre and with the Kop singing his name, Riise stepped up to unleash a stunning left-foot drive from the free-kick that screamed past Barthez into the top corner.

    United's response after the break was predictable and determined and they had pulled a goal back within four minutes.

    Irwin's cross from the left cannoned off the unlucky Riise and bounced invitingly for Beckham who drilled the ball past an exposed Dudek.

    It stunned the Kop, but not their players. They were back at United's throats and within two minutes they had their two-goal advantage back.

    Another Riise long throw, this time flicked on by the dominant Heskey, was flapped at by the unconvincing Barthez and the ball dropped into the six-yard box for Owen to gleefully head his second.

    Smicer had the chance to hit the fourth on 61 minutes, latching onto Murphy's excellent crossfield ball, but the Czech went past Gary Neville only to balloon his shot over the crossbar.

    Ferguson threw on Scholes for Beckham in a last-ditch attempt to salvage something from the game but the England midfielder, without a league goal this season, could do nothing to influence the outcome.
     
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