Luis Garcia - A Leg!

A letter from Lil Luis, a little player with a big heart...

Dear Reds, First of all I'd like to apologise for not having been back in touch sooner, but I needed to take some time to take on board all the recent changes and then to put down these words for you. I'm sure you will understand.

I would rather this be a letter of thanks and gratitude, not simply a goodbye. Yes, thats right, gratitude, because that is the word that best sums up my feelings for you all. Taking the decision to change clubs hasn't been easy. Not easy at all. I've experienced three fantastic years at the club and in the city. Three years in which together, the fans and the team, we have accomplished some fantastic achievements, and I'm sure that these successes will continue to be repeated in the near future.

You know that I like a challenge and that I don't just settle for second best. Back then Liverpool Football Club gave me the opportunity to be part of an ambitious plan to put the Reds back at the summit of the game. I think that together we managed to achieve that.

As I said, I do like challenges and in spite of the fact that at that time I was playing for my home town club, one of the biggest in the world, I wanted to be a part of that project that was being presented to me by Liverpool, and so I accepted the challenge. Now, after three seasons in the Premier League and having won some major trophies, the chance came up for me to return to La Liga and be part of a new project at a club I already knew. The idea of enjoying things in a Spanish club like we experienced together at Liverpool over these last three years appealed to me, and thats why I accepted the offer.

I want to thank everyone working at Liverpool Football Club for how well they have treated both my family and I, making us feel at home from the very first day to the last. I also want to thank the management, coaching staff and directors for the opportunity they gave me back then to be part of such an important and well-loved club as Liverpool. A club which has helped me to grow as a footballer and where to date I have enjoyed the biggest success of my career.

Without a doubt, this success has been possible thanks to the outstanding group of players with whom Ive been able to share a dressing room over the last three seasons. I'm not going to mention anyone specifically, because I think that the secret of this team's success has been exactly that: nobody wanted to stand out above the rest and there has always been a great togetherness in the squad, which made it into something more than a group of players, it was a group of friends. Thanks to all of you for your help and your friendship.

I've left until last the thank you which for me is the most important: Thank you to the supporters. Your support allowed me to settle quickly at both the club and in the city, and you made me feel really at ease with you all right from the word go; that's the kind of help that you notice most of all during the difficult times, of which there have been a few during my time here. I'd like to especially thank you for making up a song for me and you should know that every time I heard you singing it, it was like an extra injection of strength and motivation, even helping me to overcome pain occasionally during a game. Your unconditional support is the thing that ensures that this team manages to pull through in the most difficult circumstances; and I can assure you that the whole squad is aware of this and thanks you for it.

A football club isn't just made up of players, coaches and directors. More than anything else it's the supporters who make a club, and that perhaps is the ingredient which best distinguishes Liverpool Football Club from every other team. The supporters. Because if one thing has remained obvious to me after these few years, it's that with supporters like you, Liverpool Football Club will never walk alone. I really hope that the club wins lots of major trophies in the future; I'll be following it all from a distance, with the pride that you can only get from having been a Red and played for the home team at Anfield – a ground that every football fan must visit at least once in their life. Thank you for everything.

Yours most sincerely, Your friend, Luís García.

Shankly for you...

From Ron Yeats, Liverpool's longest serving captain

I know a story about him. Tommy Lawrence was frightened to death of Shanks. He as just a young boy. He had been there since he was 16-year-old. He got his chance in ’61. I’ll always remember we were playing Arsenal for the first time in 8 years because Liverpool had been in the 2nd division. We were winning 1-0 with 10 minutes to go and I thought, ‘what a good win this will be at Arsenal.’ I can’t remember the Arsenal’s striker name that hit the ball from 25 yards. I am not joking, but he stubbed his toe first and then hit the ball. It trickled by me and I went ‘it’s yours, Tommy’. Tommy was on the line and opened his legs and the bloody ball went right through him. I couldn’t believe it. They put the pressure on us for the last five minutes, but we held out.

I am thinking to myself all this time, ‘when we get into that dressing room I am going to get into the bath before Shanks come in the door.’ Little did I know that the ten players I was playing with thought the same thing. When the final whistle went...if we had sprinted that much during the game we would have won it easily. Everybody was trying to hurry into the dressing room but it wasn’t quick enough. The door opened and in came Shanks. His face was blue and I am thinking, ‘here it goes.’ He went, ‘where is he?’ I didn’t realise but big Tommy Lawrence was behind me. I was three inches bigger than him and didn’t know where he was. His finger went up and he said, ‘I am here, boss.’ ‘Where?’ ‘I am here, boss.’ He said, ‘before you say anything, boss, I want to apologize to you and the lads. I should have never opened my legs to that ball.’ Shankly went, ‘it’s not your fault. It’s your fucking mother who should have never opened her legs.’

Aston Villa match report

Final Score: Villa 1 – Liverpool 2
MOTM: Dirk Kuyt

Finally, after 5 fucking years, we won our opening match!!!!!!!!
Ok, I’m gonna keep it short and simple.

I’m happy with:
1- Torres – He looked really good. Movement were excellent, his pace were scary. Need to score on one on ones though.
2- Kuyt – He is as lively as ever and his first touch has improved a lot…
3- Partnership Kuyt & Torres – V happy with this. They were born to play together. But still too early in the season. Hope they can keep it up.

4- Babel – Well I think he will be the first choice right winger. V athletic and have good technique. Should have taken his chance better and score though.
5- Gerrard – Wonderful freekick. Refreshing to see he put some curl on it rather than just hit the ball as hard as he can. Saved us yet again.
6- Our movement and passing improve. Nice triangles, one touch passing. Before we got the lead that is.

Not happy with:
1- The chances squandered. We need to convert chances into goals if we were to really challenge this season.
2- Same old story, we played badly after we got the lead. We should really go for the kill, not sit back and let the other team get back into the game.
3- Risse – He looked lost in this game. Buck up quick!
4- Defense – We really struggled to cope with Carew. What would happened if it was Drogba yesterday?
5- Rafa – Should have brought on Hyppia, IMHO. Replace Risse with him and push Agger to left back. That way we could have cope with Carew better.

Anyway, v happy with the 3 points and very happy when the players immediately pushed for the winner as soon as Villa leveled the score. Keep up the good work.

Now bring on Tolouse!

My Guardian Angel

***About 3 years back, ground level Hell's Hole headquarters, KL***

Finally, a little room to breathe…

My day started at 6.45am with 60 minutes drive all the way to the Hell's Hole, braving myself through 60 kilometers and the notorious KL traffics just so I can play slave to my sadistic boss n co. And after 5 hours of rushing, mental torture & abuse, it was finally time for lunch. Thank God!

I just need to get out from this place for a while and I'll be fine.

Wishful thinking, just as I started walking to the nearest mamak place, I saw her standing there. Alone and looking lost.
She was my colleague at Hell's Hole, seated right behind me at our office. We rarely talked because she intimidates me a whole lot.

Shite, it's too late. She saw me looking at her so I can't hide now. Quick, think of something to say…

"Ermm, hi. What are u doing here?"

"It's lunch hour, so I'm thinking to go to lunch," she replied. Silly me, of course….

Paused, one second, two second…

"Wanna join me?" I asked. Not because I wanted her to, but as a decent human being, that was all left for me to do.

Say no, please say no. Say u are waiting for someone. JUST SAY NO!

Cheerfully she said, "OK!!"

Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

So off we went to lunch. And it turned out to be the best lunch I had since working there. We clicked, just like that. And the rest, they say, is history. She is now my guardian angel, one that I'm so proud to have.

It was a great mystery to me how we can get along so well. We are so different, came from different backgrounds and we certainly have different perceptions on things. We argue a lot on practically everything and we annoyed each other most of the time (in a good way, I guess).

They say opposites attracts. Well it's very true in our case. She has this aura of class around her; I have an aura of pathetic-ness around me. She is cool, I'm sad. She is 'happening', I'm boring all the way. She is tall, I'm short. She is old, I'm young (hah!). Her English is excellent, mine is awkward. Her Malay is cute, mine is ok (Pheww. Finally, something I'm better at than her).

Well, how we get along is not a mystery to me anymore. Her openness, her sincerity and her willingness to accept me for who I am bring us close. I can tell her anything and I do. There is no one else on earth who knows all my dirt except for her. She listens to my problems, and helps me get out from most of it, in her own unique way. To this one particular problem that I had, all she said was, "Hazri, u have a brain. Use it!" And that was all that I needed. She freed me from my stupidity (long may it last).

I am forever grateful to have her in my life, and I hope she feels the same way too. A wonder of a guardian angel…

Thank you for everything……

Blind, deaf & mute

Ok, I’m going to sound like an old man here. My pc is having some problems (well, it’s basically dead) and I can’t use it. I find myself with nothing to do at all. Can’t do my work, can’t go online and I’m bored to the bone.


But being bored is the least of my concerns right now. I’m supposed to get this thing done by today but because my pc is not working, I can’t. Well, stupid me for not having any back up files.


It’s just amazing how much we depend on that thing. If only we were using papers, hard copy of photos and a pen or a typewriter instead of this piece of machinery, I will be happily (not) doing my work right now.

Oh well what to do. At least now I have a valid reason to just sit on my arse all day. Wonderful.