Please in the comments write any songs you could not cope without if you were on a desert island!
Monday, 23 May 2016
What song would you choose if you were on a desert island & had an mp3 player with only 1 song?
I recently heard this song, About Her by Malcolm McLaren https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlHSqemPYuQ while watching a great film, Kill Bill Vol. II. I felt a lot of emotions listening to it and I am grateful for this. I think every person has song that is their song because it makes them think of things that are important to them & feel deep emotions.
Thursday, 19 May 2016
John Terry and his story in Chelsea kits
Hi all! John Terry has just signed a new contract at Chelsea so this is good time to show his story in some pictures, as well as Chelsea kits he wore that I liked.
Reading this title any football fan will instantly have an image in their head of Terry celebrating Chelsea winning the 2012 Champions League in his kit, despite being suspended for the Final. Many people trolled him with Photoshop for celebrating in his kit even though he didn't play. I couldn't miss the opportunity to include one such picture.
Now here is a real picture of him on this day.
JT did it again in 2013, when he was injured so could not play in the 2013 Europa League Final. Chelsea won it but that did not stop him wearing his kit AGAIN!!! The trolling of him photo-bombing the Queen and Obama was popular on Twitter.
In the picture below he is deservedly wearing a kit because he actually played a massive role in Chelsea winning their first Premier League in 2004-05 and the 2005 League Cup!
The 2010-11 Premier League and Champions League seasons were difficult for John Terry and Chelsea, who won no trophies. Chelsea did wear one of my favourite kits though.
The 2009 FA Cup Final was a close hard fought match with Chelsea beating Everton 2-1 thanks to a late Frank Lampard winner. My favourite Chelsea away kit was worn in this Final.
Reading this title any football fan will instantly have an image in their head of Terry celebrating Chelsea winning the 2012 Champions League in his kit, despite being suspended for the Final. Many people trolled him with Photoshop for celebrating in his kit even though he didn't play. I couldn't miss the opportunity to include one such picture.
 |
| John Terry on the Berlin wall |
Now here is a real picture of him on this day.
 |
| JT bites the 2012 Champions League medal |
JT did it again in 2013, when he was injured so could not play in the 2013 Europa League Final. Chelsea won it but that did not stop him wearing his kit AGAIN!!! The trolling of him photo-bombing the Queen and Obama was popular on Twitter.
 |
| JT lifts the 2013 Europa League Trophy |
In the picture below he is deservedly wearing a kit because he actually played a massive role in Chelsea winning their first Premier League in 2004-05 and the 2005 League Cup!
 |
| JT keeping the ball away from Steven Gerrard in the 2005 Carling Cup Final |
The 2010-11 Premier League and Champions League seasons were difficult for John Terry and Chelsea, who won no trophies. Chelsea did wear one of my favourite kits though.
 |
| JT having a bad time |
 |
| (Left to right) Didier Drogba, Terry, Guus Hiddink and Frank Lampard celebrate winning the 2009 FA Cup. |
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
Climate Change is Real! 50,000 people flooded London on a cold, wet Nov Sunday to protest & demand positive change in a stubborn, self-destructive world!
Hi all,
In Paris the Climate Change talks between states and countries has now ended. I hope some of the words and plans actually become action. The best outcome is limits on pollution and green technologies being created and built by cities, governments and people of all countries. People around the world care about their future. I saw and felt the sense of injustice people experience from their governments in a climate change march in London a few weeks ago. I feel very lucky,
grateful and happy to have been there. It was awesome to see genuine love of
the planet and people being very united and motivated in changing their world
to save us from poverty, hunger, mental and physical suffering and worldwide
destruction!
I spoke with and heard speeches from all kinds of people but they were all demanded a better world. A lot of good ideas were said about what could be done to reduce climate change. It was really inspirational to meet and see different races, classes and ages of people really caring about climate change. It showed me that we should not feel alone or accept the constant physical and psychological destructions on all life that many live through too often. The good actions of the many are undone by the madness of a small elite group of people with the power to destroy life to gain profit. It gives you hope when you meet and speak to others who think like you, believing the way society makes people live and think is HORRIBLY AGAINST something we are all lucky to have - LIFE.
Our soulless society has created an empty existence, so that even after fun experiences, amazing friends and family, happiness, calmness, love, purpose, power, or money arrive you still feel something is not right in this life. You see and experience it most when you look out at the dying seas, plants, animals, forests, the poisoned rivers and lakes, and deserts taking over once green agricultural lands. Most who are lucky enough to live in richer countries are living a life they are used to and take for granted, but this will change in my generations’ lifetime. Many of the friends I was lucky to have abroad and in the UK will have to deal with consequences of climate change so this is why I have to write this! We have to change our priorities/life & most of all the way society functions because if we don't we are all SCREWED. There is nothing that will make our lives unhappier than climate change and we need to act before it is too late. WE MUST do the following to make our own and our children's lives safer, healthier and better:
- Living,
farming & fishing in a way that doesn't ruin the ecosystem in a way we
cannot ever rescue. We need to teach the importance of polyculture farming so
we can not lose the land to grow enough crops to sustain humanity!
-STOP CUTTING DOWN FORESTS for meat farming, start actually PLANTING some TREES.
-Creating green cities (some countries have built some), consuming less, being more efficient in travel & life and some people will not like this one but oh well, #1 child policy is absolutely needed to reduce these problems.(10 Solutions to Climate Change from www.scientificamerican.com/article/10-solution-to-climate-change/ written by David Biello on 26, Nov 2007)
These are very, very important solutions from smart men for not just our survival but the survival of the human species.
We are made to forget human's connection with nature. It is only when a child/woman/man escapes away from cities of concrete and dark colours and their brainwashing culture into a natural place that they can they be free to think. We are creating an unstable climate that cannot produce enough resources to support the increasing demands of humans. There will be mass migration, famine, floods, heat-waves (fires) and wars. Already some of these are happening more often in your countries. Syrians are coming into Europe because of war caused by there being less & less arable land in Syria because of desertification. An unequal world, which is running out of resources is creating hate filled desperate men (ISIL) who will kill innocent people for any cause that gives them a purpose and support. It is likely the earth that gave birth to us and created our species will no longer be able to provide for us. We can still do something to at least limit the amount of painful changes and degree to which they make us suffer. We can't rely on the corporations, governments and the elite to care or make these earth-saving changes. We need to find a way to change it at local level, at least in our communities and lives. We can make these changes for ourselves!
For years I've cared about what is happening to the environment but how could I make a positive change to help it? Society and cultural norms were and are always saying, "no, you are wrong, the normal way is to accept the way we live in society. It's not about fairness, the system works well and everybody knows their place in it. It's not perfect but there is no better way! Your thinking is the daydream of a loser, a waster on society. Jobs and money matter more than looking for and wanting something more from life. Intuition and questioning our way of life is nonsensical philosophy and living in the dream world, not reality. That only things that are real are what we see, give names to emotions we try to categorize/define and reason is God, there is no more. Normality is adapting to society until it has taken everything from you and you are allowed to die. All these words about there being more to life are only hopes and expectations with no action because it is impossible to build a new system of living. Humans and their current way of life will survive forever." I don't give a shit about accepting any of this as truth or the right way. I don't see failure as the end but a new beginning!
I realise that as long as I keep my ideals, NEVER let them
die no matter the situation, then it possible to grow a better world, at least
in my interactions with people. We could lose the war to save this ecosystem to
a destroying and consuming system we are supporting, but there is one positive
- that our extinction may offer earth the chance to recover some of its life
and nature.
We need to change the way people think about life and this planet. We need to become more pro-earth. All of us can do this by trying to meditate or chill around nature as much as we can. Life is more important than any one of us. At least some of the people living now are beginning to look to action rather than words to change this wretched situation. The earth that made us can destroy us. We need to realise that by killing it? We are destroying ourselves! Until we stop the pollution of our home we are committing suicide. Every day in which change doesn't happen gets us closer to the end!
 |
| The March by Nick Winfield |
I spoke with and heard speeches from all kinds of people but they were all demanded a better world. A lot of good ideas were said about what could be done to reduce climate change. It was really inspirational to meet and see different races, classes and ages of people really caring about climate change. It showed me that we should not feel alone or accept the constant physical and psychological destructions on all life that many live through too often. The good actions of the many are undone by the madness of a small elite group of people with the power to destroy life to gain profit. It gives you hope when you meet and speak to others who think like you, believing the way society makes people live and think is HORRIBLY AGAINST something we are all lucky to have - LIFE.
Our soulless society has created an empty existence, so that even after fun experiences, amazing friends and family, happiness, calmness, love, purpose, power, or money arrive you still feel something is not right in this life. You see and experience it most when you look out at the dying seas, plants, animals, forests, the poisoned rivers and lakes, and deserts taking over once green agricultural lands. Most who are lucky enough to live in richer countries are living a life they are used to and take for granted, but this will change in my generations’ lifetime. Many of the friends I was lucky to have abroad and in the UK will have to deal with consequences of climate change so this is why I have to write this! We have to change our priorities/life & most of all the way society functions because if we don't we are all SCREWED. There is nothing that will make our lives unhappier than climate change and we need to act before it is too late. WE MUST do the following to make our own and our children's lives safer, healthier and better:
- Teach, educate, tell everyone of the importance of
renewable energy like wind & solar. Nuclear power is also renewable and, whether we like it or not, it is better for the environment than most of resources and energies our countries depend on like gas, fracking, oil and coal.
- Divestment from fossil fuel. Hold governments and corporations accountable for their destructive behaviour. Do not support them with investments, rather tell people to boycott them. Hit them where it hurts, their bank accounts & their greed for profits. Become a free woman or man by no longer being indifferent and powerless in your life by supporting the big businesses and corporations because everyone else does and it’s a popularity contest. You do not need to play their game any more. You can make it fairer and play it on your terms by no longer putting your money in their banks, stocks, bonds or working in jobs for people who are not interested in making the world a better, happier place.
- Divestment from fossil fuel. Hold governments and corporations accountable for their destructive behaviour. Do not support them with investments, rather tell people to boycott them. Hit them where it hurts, their bank accounts & their greed for profits. Become a free woman or man by no longer being indifferent and powerless in your life by supporting the big businesses and corporations because everyone else does and it’s a popularity contest. You do not need to play their game any more. You can make it fairer and play it on your terms by no longer putting your money in their banks, stocks, bonds or working in jobs for people who are not interested in making the world a better, happier place.
 |
| A statement of disillusion in Westminster tube station, photo by Nick |
- Start doing something
in your life to save the world, whether it is small or big. Invest in renewable
and people who are doing positive things to improve our lives rather than
destroy it with debt, pain and unhappiness!
- The global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, trains, planes and ships combined. Eat less meat and dairy, more vegetables, fruit and fish.(http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/03/eating-less-meat-curb-climate-change)
- The global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, trains, planes and ships combined. Eat less meat and dairy, more vegetables, fruit and fish.(http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/03/eating-less-meat-curb-climate-change)
-STOP CUTTING DOWN FORESTS for meat farming, start actually PLANTING some TREES.
-Creating green cities (some countries have built some), consuming less, being more efficient in travel & life and some people will not like this one but oh well, #1 child policy is absolutely needed to reduce these problems.(10 Solutions to Climate Change from www.scientificamerican.com/article/10-solution-to-climate-change/ written by David Biello on 26, Nov 2007)
 |
| A hotel in London |
These are very, very important solutions from smart men for not just our survival but the survival of the human species.
We are made to forget human's connection with nature. It is only when a child/woman/man escapes away from cities of concrete and dark colours and their brainwashing culture into a natural place that they can they be free to think. We are creating an unstable climate that cannot produce enough resources to support the increasing demands of humans. There will be mass migration, famine, floods, heat-waves (fires) and wars. Already some of these are happening more often in your countries. Syrians are coming into Europe because of war caused by there being less & less arable land in Syria because of desertification. An unequal world, which is running out of resources is creating hate filled desperate men (ISIL) who will kill innocent people for any cause that gives them a purpose and support. It is likely the earth that gave birth to us and created our species will no longer be able to provide for us. We can still do something to at least limit the amount of painful changes and degree to which they make us suffer. We can't rely on the corporations, governments and the elite to care or make these earth-saving changes. We need to find a way to change it at local level, at least in our communities and lives. We can make these changes for ourselves!
 |
| The Aftermath by Antares69 from DeviantART |
For years I've cared about what is happening to the environment but how could I make a positive change to help it? Society and cultural norms were and are always saying, "no, you are wrong, the normal way is to accept the way we live in society. It's not about fairness, the system works well and everybody knows their place in it. It's not perfect but there is no better way! Your thinking is the daydream of a loser, a waster on society. Jobs and money matter more than looking for and wanting something more from life. Intuition and questioning our way of life is nonsensical philosophy and living in the dream world, not reality. That only things that are real are what we see, give names to emotions we try to categorize/define and reason is God, there is no more. Normality is adapting to society until it has taken everything from you and you are allowed to die. All these words about there being more to life are only hopes and expectations with no action because it is impossible to build a new system of living. Humans and their current way of life will survive forever." I don't give a shit about accepting any of this as truth or the right way. I don't see failure as the end but a new beginning!
 |
| Irreversible by Yongl from DeviantART |
We need to change the way people think about life and this planet. We need to become more pro-earth. All of us can do this by trying to meditate or chill around nature as much as we can. Life is more important than any one of us. At least some of the people living now are beginning to look to action rather than words to change this wretched situation. The earth that made us can destroy us. We need to realise that by killing it? We are destroying ourselves! Until we stop the pollution of our home we are committing suicide. Every day in which change doesn't happen gets us closer to the end!
Sunday, 31 May 2015
Is Sepp Blatter corrupt? Would Michel Platini be a good replacement as FIFA President?
FIFA are being investigated for corruption and criminal
mismanagement by the FBI. There is a possibility FIFA President Sepp Blatter
could be implicated in this investigation and face punishments. If Sepp Blatter
loses his job please do not campaign for UEFA President, Michel Platini, as the
new FIFA president. Platini created an elitist oligarchy in the Champions
League with Financial Fair Play (FFP), or what I like to call ‘Financial Unfair
Play’. I will give another choice for FIFA President and a poll at the end of
this article.
 |
| Can Messi do it on a hot summers day in Qatar? |
José Mourinho recently spoke about FFP, "I think Financial
Fair Play is a contradiction because, when football decided to go for Financial
Fair Play it was exactly to put teams in equal conditions to compete. But what
happened really with the Financial Fair Play is a big protection to the
historical, old, big clubs, which have a financial structure, a commercial
structure, everything in place based on historical success for years and years
and years.
“And the 'new' clubs - I call them 'new' clubs, those with new
investment - they cannot put themselves quickly at the same level. Clubs with
new owners cannot immediately attack the control and the domination of these
big clubs."
FFP was a good idea but it supports and helps the most powerful
clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus, Real Madrid and Bayern
Munich get richer. These are historical teams that often win their domestic
leagues and dominate in the Champions League. This has given them a large global
fan base who spend money on their goods and profitable TV deals that allow them
to spend huge transfer fees on big name players. Real Madrid are the world's
wealthiest club by income, and Barcelona, the fourth richest, together take
about half the annual La Liga TV money of 650 million euros (£482million).
FFP should be trying to make predictable leagues like La Liga a
more competitive league, rather than punishing PSG and Manchester City for spending
more money than they make. Out of 23 La Liga seasons since the Champions League
replaced the European Cup in 1992-93 Barcelona have won 11 league titles and
Real Madrid 7. Atlético Madrid and Valencia both only won 2 leagues in this
time.
With the ridiculously unfair amount of TV money Barcelona and
Real Madrid get in relation to their Spanish rivals they can afford to buy the any
player they want and create excellent teams/academies to help them win trophies.
Most clubs around the World cannot match Barca or Real Madrid’s power or money.
Real Madrid spent €100M on Gareth Bale in 2013, a ridiculous sum considering
his disappointing 2014-15. They also spent €79.5M on James Rodriguez, which
seems excessive for a good player but not as hard working or talented as
Ronaldo, Neymar or Messi.
 |
| Gareth Bale & Cristiano Ronaldo hug |
Barcelona bought Neymar for €57.1M and Luis Suarez for €94M. Few
other clubs can compete with Barcelona or Real Madrid in transfer fees or wages
because most clubs lack the funds. Even if they had the money they would risk
punishments if their money comes from a rich owner, rather than their own
club’s profits. Barcelona have bought players they did not develop like Ivan
Rakitić, Neymar and Suarez. They were already established stars before they
arrived at Camp Nou. Yet still the myth lives on that Barcelona are a club who
only develop academy players.
The 2 horse race in La Liga will not change until ambitious,
successful and well supported clubs Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, Valencia,
Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Espanyol campaign/strike to earn more TV
revenue to close the gap between them and Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The monopoly of one or two Champions in the other major leagues
is equally worrying for people who like entertaining competitions, and who like
the underdog to win. Since the Premier League began in 1992-93, Manchester
United have won 13 of 23 league trophies. Their major rivals have won far
fewer, 2nd place is Chelsea with 4, Arsenal with 3 and Manchester
City with 2. Manchester United have spent heavily in the
past few years, breaking the British transfer record with €75M for Angel Di
Maria and spending large amounts with £37.1M for Juan Mata, £30M for Luke Shaw,
£24M for Robin van Persie and £27.5M for Marouane Fellaini.
 |
| Radamel Falcao scores for Manchester United |
There seem to be two different rules for Manchester United and
Chelsea. Chelsea have had to sell their players for transfer fees before they
can buy new players due to FFP. Chelsea sold promising, talented players like
André Schürrle (a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, who Chelsea have
missed in their attack in the 2nd half of the season) for €29.1M,
Romelu Lukaku for €35M and David Luiz for €62.6M. They suffered the handicap of
losing Juan Mata to a direct rival, Manchester United. These players were loses
to Chelsea, shown by their successes at their present clubs. David Luiz came
back to hurt Chelsea with PSG, his goal and top performance knocked Chelsea out
of the Champions League this season. FFP has meant Chelsea needed the money from
their sales to buy Cesc Fàbregas €39.8M and Diego Costa for €40.1M, for their
experience of winning trophies.
Chelsea are still a ‘smaller horse’ in terms of success than
teams like Manchester United who have 62 trophies, Liverpool 60 and Arsenal 42.
Chelsea are on 28 and it is unlikely they will ever catch these teams’ records.
Despite this Chelsea are determined to create history. You cannot easily get
the best coach in the world, strong motivation, ambition, belief and team
unity. Chelsea fans are hoping that some of the young English talent from their
academy, which won the 2014-15 UEFA Youth League, can get into the 1st
team and help Chelsea/England compete with the elite and win trophies.
Serie A is slightly more competitive. Since 1992-93 Juventus
have won 9 Championships, AC Milan 6 and Inter Milan 5. Unfortunately the other
teams win much less frequently, with Roma and Lazio both winning only one league
in this time. Juventus have won the last 5 Serie A titles so the future is
looking very bleak for their rivals. Former giants like AC Milan, Inter, Napoli
and Roma have had too much chaos in the management, with the constant sacking
of managers. They need big improvements in their motivation and team spirit otherwise,
Juventus’ domination will continue.
 |
| Massimiliano Allegri guided Juventus to the 2015 Champions League Final |
Bundesliga’s competiveness is ‘nicht gut’, since 1992-93 Bayern
Munich have won 13 of the 23 Bundesliga seasons. Dortmund have won 5 and the 3rd
best is 2 from Werder Bremen. Bayern lacked a strong rival in 2014-15 after
Dortmund’s fall from the Champions League places, so in Germany it is hoped
that Wolfsburg will become a genuine rival after winning the 2015 German Cup
and finishing 2nd in 2014-15 Bundesliga. Also Dortmund can find
their old form under new coach Thomas Tuchel. He showed he is very talented at
FSV Mainz, who lack the resources of most other Bundesliga clubs. He took them
to Europe despite them only gaining promotion to the Bundesliga for the 1st
time in 2004-05.
 |
| Thomas Tuchel at Mainz |
Clubs who have had recent success are crippled by FFP, as they
are not allowed to strengthen their position, so instead lose their players to
their richer rivals in their own leagues. A good example of this is Dortmund
who lost their star players Mario Götze and Robert Lewandowski to a direct
rival, Bayern Munich.
There have been some memorable stories in Champions League. Marseille,
Dortmund, Porto and Chelsea (vs Bayern Munich in their own stadium &
Chelsea finishing 6th that season) were massively unexpected winners
in 1993, 1997, 2003 and 2012 respectively. These were exciting Finals and apart
from Porto they were 1st time winners. Let's make football more enjoyable
by getting rid of the corrupt men of FIFA and UEFA. People like Blatter and
Platini have been in power for years and changed little. Look how long it took
goal-line technology to accepted, when it was used by tennis and other sports
years before. They have let these competitions become predictable. Every season
media and fans make Real Madrid or Barcelona the favourites to win the
Champions League because of their power and wealth.
We need a person who has achieved in football and can change
FIFA/UEFA to make it more open minded and modern (referees can view video to
punish terrible challenges that went unpunished). Luís Figo would be a great
choice for bringing back some youth (he is 42), excitement and passion missing
in football’s unprogressively traditionalistic leadership. He knows the game
better than most because of his success in winning the 2000 Ballon d'Or and 23 trophies
for Sporting, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He has lived and worked in
Portugal, Italy and Spain so understands the different football cultures.
He
would be a useful communicator to UEFA countries as he is fluent in five
languages, Portuguese, Spanish, English, Italian and French. His leadership skills could be seen when he captained
Portugal to their best World Cup performance since the Eusébio era in 1966 to
the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup. He is anti-Blatter, saying he has “no
integrity or honesty”. He claims to have seen incidents that "should shame
anyone who desires soccer to be free, clean and democratic". This should
make him the perfect choice for cleaning up football’s image.
 |
| Luís Figo with the Champions League |
Should Sepp Blatter stay in charge of FIFA?
Saturday, 23 May 2015
In praise of Andy Murray hiring Amélie Mauresmo as a Coach, a woman in a man's sport
Society and power structures man created centuries ago have
conditioned men and women to accept beliefs in everything we do, think and say,
as the right way. This has created an unnatural system. It is a social
construct to discourage too much freedom of expression and thought so as to
keep us in a state of ignorance, thus limiting the possibility of positive
change to humanity. You could call this the real Matrix and we are plugged into
it!
People are made to value money and goods bought by this money
to enhance social prestige. These goods are seen as more important than real
qualities of life like nature, social community and freedom. We resist any
change for the good of society because of our set beliefs and opinions that
there cannot be better and this is the best way of living.
There has been a shift in ideas in the last couple of decades,
with there being more feminists, activists for freedom and environmentalists.
However there are not enough of them to make a big change on the world stage.
The more people we tell, the more concise and persuading we are in our views
the more chance we have of getting changes. We are the only animal that would rather
form barriers with race, sex and social hierarchy between each other than
create a happier and freer world. This will not change until the worldwide
opinion of men and women being totally different changes.
We can think the same open minded way when we have not been brainwashed by society to think the man or woman way.
Look at Amelie Mauresmo, the moment she was hired by Andy Murray as a coach, the sexism and negativity on TV, websites, in certain papers and some people was ridiculous. Every time Murray lost it was pinned on her, rather than Murray (who was injured and out of form even before she arrived). What kind of a world is this where we say it’s free, yet hiring a woman coach in men's tennis or there being women coaches in men's professional football is wrong because neither has ever been done? That sounds pretty messed up to me.
Look at Amelie Mauresmo, the moment she was hired by Andy Murray as a coach, the sexism and negativity on TV, websites, in certain papers and some people was ridiculous. Every time Murray lost it was pinned on her, rather than Murray (who was injured and out of form even before she arrived). What kind of a world is this where we say it’s free, yet hiring a woman coach in men's tennis or there being women coaches in men's professional football is wrong because neither has ever been done? That sounds pretty messed up to me.
It was once believed women were not logical/technically adept
enough to study engineering, biology or politics and this attitude still
prevails in far too much of society. This shows opinion of what anyone can't do
is just a bunch of B.S. if the other person does not believe in negativity and goes for
it!
What is pleasing is that Mauresmo has proved the critics wrong.
She has brought a calming influence to Andy Murray that has seen his focus and
emotional stability improve since Ivan Lendl left him. I believe mental
strength is the most important aspect in being a top tennis player and Murray’s
belief in beating the top players has improved under Mauresmo. Prior to
Mauresmo he would never have beaten a player like Rafa Nadal, often called the
‘King of Clay’, on Murray’s weakest surface, clay. The self-belief has changed
as he beat Nadal in the 2015 Madrid Open Final in front of Rafa’s home crowd.
Murray’s technical ability has also improved, especially on
clay. He won two clay tournaments this year in Munich and Madrid. This would
have seemed impossible to Murray in the past because of his lack of confidence
and previous success playing on clay. There is optimism that with his recent
good form he can win more tournaments and maybe even a Grand Slam.
Praise must also be given to Murray for doing something considered ‘weird’. He is trying to promote equality, saying “Inequality is something I started to see and become passionate about. It's opened my mind. I've actually become very passionate about getting more women in sport, giving women more opportunities. When I was younger, I wasn't thinking about stuff like that. But now I've seen it with my own eyes, it's quite amazing how few female coaches there are across any sport.”
Until we create a more equal world, life for many will be unhappy. This is beginning to change with public figures Murray who have a platform to speak to large audience, due to their fame, about promoting equality. As a result of more people talking about issues like feminism there is every chance of these issues improving.
Friday, 15 May 2015
Who would you want managing your club, Diego Simeone, José Mourinho or Pep Guardiola?
Please vote for your favourite manager in the poll at the end of this article.
Pep Guardiola is a winner, his philosophy to keep the ball is part of his goal to win. By keeping the ball his opponents do not have a chance to score, while his players have the opportunity to create chances and goals. Would Bayern Munich get rid of Pep or would he choose to leave them? How many managers match the ambition of a club like Bayern or have the chance to manage a club that expects and normally win trophies?
Would Mourinho leave Chelsea? No, he wants to win the Champions League with Chelsea, as winning it for the third time with three different teams would prove he is one of the greatest managers of all time. Chelsea winning the Premier League this season was an incredible achievement because Mourinho spent less than either Manchester City or Manchester United did in the last two seasons. Chelsea now sell players on high wages that are no longer guaranteed starters (Frank Lampard, Juan Mata and David Luiz) and reinvests in younger talent (Thibaut Courtois, Mohamed Salah, Cesc Fabregas and Kurt Zouma). He is constantly evolving his team and people who say Chelsea are a club that buys success are making up B.S. Other Champions League teams like PSG and Barcelona spend more and do not fall in line with the financial fair play rules.
I do not see Diego Simeone leaving Atlético Madrid. He has done a brilliant job changing the Rojiblancos from underachievers for decades to a team that wins trophies and beats its richer bigger brother Real Madrid. He took a side unfancied to succeed to a Champions League Final in 2014 and won the 2013-14 La Liga against the more historically powerful Barcelona and Real Madrid. This is a real achievement because these teams normally have a duopoly on winning trophies in Spain and Europe. They will probably always have more money to buy the best players and create better squads, and larger fan base and better media support than Atletico.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has criticised Simeone, saying his team play “little football and mostly with aggression.” If Rummenigge’s Bayern had more aggressive defenders perhaps they would have been able to stop Barcelona’s deadly strike force in the Champions League. When teams defend nowadays they are criticised, but people forget that teams who are organized are often the Champion at the end of the season.
The quote “haters will broadcast your failures but whisper you success” describes a world we live in where the moment someone in the public eye falls down they are mocked. The success of people like Simeone or Mourinho often makes them attacked by people who don’t like them upsetting the dominance of established historical Champions such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. Therefore Mourinho and Simeone will always have haters so long as they remain at ‘smaller’ less historical clubs. Simeone wisely signed a contract keeping him at Atletico until 2020 and I believe he can continue his fight against the favourites.
Pep could have stayed in Catalonia and never grown as a person and manager. His Barcelona had won everything so had nothing left to prove and he realised only by leaving your cosy life and experiencing new challenges in a different football culture do you gain a better wisdom of life/football and so become a happier person. He is the ultimate perfectionist and his Bayern keep winning trophies in Germany. People might say this is easy but under the previous managers, Jupp Heynckes and Louis van Gaal, Dortmund won the Bundesliga twice and the German Cup. Pep has a talent for improving his players.
Look at the incredible level of talent Messi reached under him. Pep won La Liga three times and two Champions Leagues. Look at the World Cup his players, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Jerome Boateng and Arjen Robben, had after a season of his management. They were decisive in their countries’ wins in their most difficult moments in Brazil. Think of Neuer’s performance against Algeria, Robben outrunning and scoring against Spain’s center backs Ramos and Pique or Schweinsteiger controlling the midfield against Argentina’s best midfielder Javier Mascherano in the 2014 World Cup Final.
Guardiola has shown he is a top manager by the success of the national teams of the leagues he managed in. He won La Liga in 2009-10 with Barcelona then Spain, with many of these Barcelona and their rival Real Madrid players won the 2010 World Cup. Spain became World Champions with the same tiki-taka style he employed at Barcelona.
He then coached Bayern to the 2013-14 Bundesliga title against Dortmund, a strong team, shown by them being the previous season Champions League finalists. Then these Bayern and Dortmund players won the 2014 World Cup. Germany also used Bayern’s high pressing game in the same way that Pep’s Bayern put pressure on organized and dangerous counter attacking teams like Dortmund. In the same style of play Germany were also able to beat a, up until that point, very defensively solid and dangerous counter attacking Brazil side and a very organized Argentina.
Manuel Neuer set high standard for the role of the sweeping keeper he played under Guardiola with very composed performances by Bayern and Germany. Many times he was crucial in closing down or winning the ball from strikers high up the pitch. He saved Germany from conceding first in many of the knock-out games against organized sides that you do not want to be a goal down to, like France and Algeria.
Pep’s Bayern won the league this year, conceding only 13 goals in 30 games – 0.43 goals per game. This shows a wiser and better approach in training his players in the arts of organization than in his previous time at Barcelona. The criticism Bayern can’t defend does not stand up to the evidence. Bayern lost 3-0 to Barcelona in Camp Nou and this was a painful defeat for Bayern fans. However Bayern showed they are still a top team and restored some pride by beating Barca 3-2 in the 2nd leg.
In football success is never guaranteed and next season Guardiola will no doubt strengthen his Bayern team, signing players in positions they are weak in (a center back, right back and defensive midfielder) and moving on players, who are in decline or no longer needed. Evolution is key to create a future of success and trophies.
Who is the best club manager in the world?
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