New United Kit Going Downhill?

I am not sure if I even like this design... what's worse if you are into fengshui and stuff, the arrow is pointing downwards which cannot augur well for my beloved team...

Shoot the designer!!!

Forced Out - Neda's Family

Extracted from the Guardian "The police did not hand the body back to her family, her funeral was cancelled, she was buried without letting her family know and the government banned mourning ceremonies at mosques, the neighbours said."

Read the whole article here.

The Voice of Iran has been muffled but the cries are heard loud and clear. Preserving the status quo at all costs may well cost Iran everything...

Movie Review - Goal! 3: Taking On The World

Managed to catch the third installment of this football trilogy *Beware of Spoilers!* in what was supposed to be the continuing pilgrimage of young Santiago "Santi" Munez... it really isn't.

In many ways, this straight to DVD release is a major disappointment from the quality of the fictitious pitch scenes to the soap opera style plot and simply fails to get off the starting block. Santi has regressed to being a supporting character and not even the most prominent one at that!

Here's the spoiler, and I mean it in every sense of the word. The young Mexican boy whose rise from Newscastle to Real Madrid FC was featured in the earlier installments doesn't even get to play in the World Cup. This movie could have been called "Box" and no one would have missed a thing! Perhaps the real person with the aneurysm is the producer rather than the fictional character of Charlie Braithwaite.

Redeeming grace comes in the form of a lovely Kasia Smutniak (pix) who gave a believable performance as Charlie's love interest.

Overall: I recommend watching a rerun of the earlier 2 releases. At least there were more off the pitch scenes involving real life soccer stars.

Why the Wait to Splash??

How does one replace a World Player of the Year? Well, you simply don't. But life needs to go on and for many Manchester United fan, it's terribly disconcerting to read about how Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City are actively harvesting the greater lights in the game while we wait for Sir Alex to showoff his kitty. But until the ink is dry on the Ronaldo agreement, don't expect any major announcement...

First and foremost, there's a reason for setting a deadline... technically the English transfer window opens in July. Secondly, I'd wait to cash the cheque from Madrid, just to be safe. Thirdly, the market is in a frenzy - better wait for it to calm down several notches.

So, while the oil monies and Spanish Euros are being generously circulated, I wouldn't hold my breath for any football news coming from Old Trafford except the state of Owen Hargreaves knees...

Ronaldo Loss Paves Way for Team to Grow

To say the imminent of loss of Ronaldo is a surprise would be stretching the imagination. Cristiano Ronaldo has made it clear several times that his future lies in the cauldron called Santiago de Bernabeau, and having assisted in several wonderful seasons, we should bid this gifted player a fond farewell... and then look around to see what 80 million pounds will buy.

In all fairness, Ronaldo has paid his dues. He is by my consideration, the best footballer in the world. But what is good for football need not be good for Manchester United per se. The signs have been there this season that while many appreciate his Portugese genius, the same cannot be said of this attitude towards his teamates. Throwing a hissy fit when substituted may reflect the determination of the player, it also highlighted the self centredness of one whose shoes have become too big for the hallowed closets at the Old Trafford fitting room.

Against a superior Barcelona performance, the team ethic that has become synonymous with Manchester United was lost, and along with it, the trophy. By blaming tactics after the loss, Ronaldo has effectively lost the plot and his place in the team that Alex Ferguson built. No one is larger than the team, no matter how many stepovers he is able to pull off or imaginary dives. In Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo's theatrics will be gamely applauded by the very team that embodies the theatrical promise of the game - and if success comes along with it, this will be a match made in heaven.

For Manchester United, I believe the emphasis on youth will persist. Players like Wellbeck, the Da Silva twins, Kiko etc. will be given ample chances to proof their substance and I salivate at that prospect. Expect a major signing or two, but not all of the transfer proceeds will be spent. Like it or not, I do not see Sir Alex gambling away the money from the Ronaldo proceeds, anytime soon. With the imminent return of Owen Hargreaves, reinforcement will probably come in the shape of a striker (Benzema or Huntelaar) and a defensive midfield cover, maybe someone like Yaya Toure. Expect Berbatov to prove the critics wrong and form a lethal partnership with Rooney.

The emphasis however will be on team ethic... and certainly that alone is justification to let Ronaldo spread his glorious wings and fly to Madrid while we await the latest instalment of Sir Alex Ferguson's rebuilding of the team that is Manchester United.

The Milky Way

As Chinese customs typically go, we wax lyrical about the importance of milk for infants and then lose the plot somewhere around age 5 when chocolate drinks seem to take precedence. Maybe it was cost or just simple convenience but somehow, our love affair with milk came to an abrupt end. So it was for me.

To the average schoolboy though, the occasional sight of the Dutch Lady truck entering our school gates was a sweet delight, chocolate and strawberry flavoured to be more precise! The queue to the truck snaked some distance and I wonder if the prospect of skipping Mrs Goh’s English torture chamber added to the motivation... ah milk!

Milk had some lessons in life for me too. The reality that Woon Kang Chien could buy a whole carton while I walked away with three is not lost. Lesson in life #121 – need to save up for milk *wink*!

Milk Loves You Blogging Contest!

This may interest you - http://www.milklovesyou.com/blogcontest/overview.aspx

Just a heads up from my buddies at Tetrapak.