Why Bournemouth will stay up

Much has been written before the start of the season & even after Round3 of the Barclays Premier League on where Bournemouth will end up come May 2016. The verdict by all noted pundits has been a fall back to the championship for Eddie Howe’s side. There is no denying that the Cherries will find it tough in their first season in top flight but what Bournemouth have going in their favour is their young and enterprising manager.

Eddie Howe seems like a brave manager who is not unwilling to change & the little that his side has shown during the 3 games so far is their tendency to continue to push the opposition. In only their second game of the season against a much fancied Liverpool side, a wrongly awarded goal from Liverpool’s 32.5 million pound centre forward Christian Benteke was the only difference between the two sides. That, they could restrict the movement of Liverpool’s playmaker Coutinho to work his magic near the box was a testament to the defensive shape Howe’s players can keep under pressure while frustrating the opposition.

The next game saw them take on West Ham at Upton Park where the Cherries twice took a 2 goal lead, only to let slip the advantage and allow the hammers back into the game. The defensive frailties on display from both the teams made for nerve wrecking football. Although they bagged their first points of the campaign, Howe would not have been too happy to see the mistakes committed by his team & it but shows that they have a long way to go to ensure their survival in one of the toughest league in Europe. Howe though must be pleased to see his team playing well while going forward and trying to breakdown defences no matter who the opposition is. Where they will end up finally only time will tell but if Howe can keep on motivating his team to play this attacking football, they will surely find themselves in top flight next season.

Four changes Brendan Rodgers needs to make to salvage Liverpool’s season

Much has been said of the sale of Suarez & absence of Daniel Sturridge to injury on the recent woes of Liverpool on the football pitch. No doubt these two were the biggest influence on Liverpool’s stunning run last season when they came closest to winning the title in 24 years. The money from Suarez’s sale to Barcelona for 75 million pounds was used to add depth to the squad that the team so badly needed with a definite eye on future for the football club. However, things have not gone as per plan as Brendan Rodgers agreed in the post-match interview after seeing his side suffer a 5^th straight defeat in all competitions at the hands of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. There is an urgent need for change & it begins with Rodgers having to bite the proverbial bullet & take some hard decisions.

Change #1: Drop Gerrard to the bench

To the Liverpool faithful this statement is tantamount to blasphemy. Who would have imagined this day when people start doubting the influence “Captain Fantastic” has on a game. But, at 34, Gerrard is way past his prime. Nobody can ever question his commitment for the club with whom he has been synonymous for during the last decade and a half. Liverpool is Gerrard & Gerrard is Liverpool as many fans have grown up seeing, believing & chanting. But the time to hand over the baton has come. It’s also time for Rodgers to realize that Gerrard probably has to play fewer games and be used more as an impact sub rather than midfield star he has been throughout his life. And if history tells us anything, it’s how great players continue to deliver for their clubs even while going into sunset. Frank Lampard, Zinedine Zidane, Carlos Puyol are such examples of great players who have continued to achieve success even after not playing regularly for their teams. It’s a tough ask of both the captain & the coach but it needs to be done. The replacement(s) with the likes of Jordan Henderson or Joe Allen who have been Gerrard’s understudy for two years now must take up the role that he has played so exquisitely & stand up & be counted as men.

Change #2: Deploy two strikers upfront

Yes Suarez & Sturridge are brilliant players but going back to last season it was the famous “SAS” that was the talk of the media circles before & after every match Liverpool played. A lethal strike partnership that destroyed defenses at will. Why Rodgers prefers to play Balotelli as the lone forward in the absence of Sturridge is beyond comprehension. Balotelli is a much better player when he has a strike partner who he can feed off from, who can create the odd knock down for him or set him up to score with a tap in. Asking the same of Sterling, Coutinho or even a returning Lallana is too much burden for players who generally are more useful when the defense is busy attending to the central strikers upfront. With Sturridge out injured till January, it leaves the club to play 11 more games till his return in a period which will pretty much define Liverpool’s season. Rodgers must change his outlook & put out a team that can get the best out of the player he spent 16 million pounds on.

Change #3: Drop Dejan Lovren & shift to 3 player defense

Lovren signed from Southampton in the summer is yet to prove why Rodgers forked out 20 million pounds for him. After 15-16 starts questions have to be asked why Rodgers is persisting with a defender who is making boys look like men in front of him. In contrast the new defensive setup of Southampton after departures of Lovren, Luke Shaw (to ManU) has been one of the stingiest in the league with more than half a dozen clean sheets in the 12 games played so far. Many would agree that letting go of Agger was a mistake, injuries to Sakho & Flannagan have not helped Rodger’s cause either. But why a club which thrives on giving opportunities to players from its academy, a point well branded in Rodger’s philosophy too is not doing so in the much criticized defensive setup is bewildering (Liverpool shipped 51 goals last season, 3^rd highest in the league & have already let in 21 in 12 games so far of the current season). Lovren has clearly not settled well in the team & it is time Rodgers took a chance with a different set up. Even Man Utd with all the injuries were able to scrap a win against the attacking prowess of Arsenal with 3 central defenders (two of whom are 17 year old academy players).

The new setup would mean Rodgers would have to move away from his preferred 4-3-3 formation which has brought him so much success to a new 3-5-2 by using Lallana & Sterling as wide players supported by Johnson/Moreno & Manquillo as the overlapping fullbacks. It’s time to fit the formation to suit his players rather than fit the players to suit his formation.

Change #4: Change the scouting team

History suggests that Liverpool have never been good at buying the right players for the team, names of Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing, Alberto Aquilani among many more remind the club’s fans of how the money was wasted on securing the services of players who were yet to prove themselves at the highest level. These three alone cost Liverpool around 75 million pounds with little or no returns.

Names of players like, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Luis Suarez, Xavier Mascherano stick out of having come in & made a huge impact on the club but, these guys were already match winners before they came to Liverpool. Same can’t be said of somebody like Carroll who was in his first full season in the premier league and yet to establish himself as a prolific striker before he was snapped up by Kenny Dalglish for a then record fee for a British player for 35 million pounds.

What Liverpool need is a change of scouts to find the right guys who can fit into the club’s philosophy. Granted it is easier to work with great players who can blend easily into any setup but they come at a price and Liverpool have not had access to such resources for a long time. So the next best thing is to find players whom the manager can mould into his own. With the upcoming January window, the target must be to find the right players not just any player to fill the Suarez void.

Liverpool need to ring in the changes if they have to salvage their season. Title is long gone and the only hope they have worth fighting for is a top four finish which is getting increasingly difficult with the likes of Swansea City & Southampton biting at the heels of the proverbial big four. Maybe the changes bring the effect that the club’s supporters want to see and maybe the rub of the green which has eluded Liverpool this season might come back to bring a cheer to the fans in the New Year.

My Club, My Story

Having gotten a cable TV connection last month only, it was sheer luck that I stumbled upon a channel showing a football match at near midnight. It was nearing half time & the score read Milan 3-0 Liv. I felt the game was pretty much over but seeing a live game after so long made me linger on. Honestly, I hadn’t heard of LFC back then & was kind of rooting for Milan to win. Then came the turn around that the world never expected, led by a young captain-Steven Gerrard. The first strike at the turn of the hour was magnificent & the next 30 minutes brought two more memorable goals & the rest as they is history. That was a magical night, if there ever has been one in footballing history. It was that game, that second half that made me a fan of the player, the captain, the legend. It was not just the footballing brilliance on the field that struck me. There have been & will be better players than Gerrard to have stepped on to the grass, likes of Maldini, Figo, Torres etc. have been known to produce magic on the field. But, it was the dedication, the ability to motivate the team & above all lead by example that has kept me captivated ever since with continuous repeat performances at all stages.

Naturally, that’s when my love affair with the club started. The overwhelming & sparkling history, an unparalleled success story & of course the associated bragging rights is what Liverpool brings to the table. The club’s history is seeped with great success & greater players. I know that every major club around the world boasts of this. But these great clubs don’t have what LFC has – ‘The Fans’. A patient lot who back their club no matter what, rejoice in its success & give deserved respect to other clubs fans’ & players. The support, the loyalty & the undying devotion even in adversity & crisis to see the club reach the zenith of success it once held so admirably. It is this attitude that makes watching matches at Anfield such a memorable experience & reminds me time & again of how complete I feel as a person when I’m in touch with the club, even though I’m sitting thousands of miles away in a hotel room in India. They are the reason I’m & will always be a LFC fan.

The Inevitable Wait

It’s that time of the year again when the colors come out, flags hanging outside homes & excitement & joy go hand in hand with the little kids as they move to fill the stadium of the clubs they love & support. Yes it is the beginning of the football season that captivates the whole nation, continent & perhaps the world, going by the popularity that these clubs have in countries as far away as Australia or Singapore. It is no denying the football is a global phenomenon & who it is to contest this fact when you see a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Robin Van Persie in each living room or out on the back of kids playing in the summer heat on the streets. It’s just not the home crowd that goes ga-ga come the month of August; it’s the same in many parts of the world as after an almost 3 month break, the heroes return on their field of exploits to enthrall the living.

Being a football fan for a long part of my life, I feel the sadness when in May the season draws to a close. There will be no more matches every week. No more going over the footage. No bickering over the tackles or the foul that was not given. In short the happiness if only momentarily, is lost. Then the wait begins. Wait for the dreaded summer to pass. As George RR Martin’s spellbinding saga, Game of Thrones comments, “The Winter is coming”, for football fans across Europe it couldn't come sooner. Three months is a long time for a football fan who is ready to live & die by his club, so is his dedication, love & support for the club, the players, the history. It is a pain to not turn to the noise coming from the stadiums as a goal is scored filling millions of hearts with joy & pain at the same time.

The close season though does offer the thrill of the anticipation of the movements in the transfer market. The chance for the clubs to get the players that would help them win all that they want to win & more in the coming season. It is also a chance to let go of the players you felt were undeserving of donning the same colors you wear. Rest assured, every fan has his views on the transfer policy of the club & who they should get in to bolster the squad & whom to let go to balance the books. Believe me the gossips floating around in media circles are far juicier than the news. As time passes, summer gives way to autumn & as the last grand slam of the year in US Open at the Flushing Meadows gets underway, so does the footballing season across Europe.  No need to tell that battle lines have already been drawn, to do one-upmanship on the nearest rivals, to shut up ‘The Noisy Neighbors’.

Every season starts with hope & pride filling up the hearts of the fans that are either smitten from last season’s successes or are looking to improve from the disappointments. It is a breath taking moment when time stops at kick-off time for the first game of the new season. The thrill is back. The nail biting finishes. Looking at the clock anxiously, yelling at the players, cursing the referee all to see your team get the morale boosting win under their belt. And within the first few weeks, predictions are drawn on where the clubs will lie come the end of the campaign.

Football is a game that brings people together. People from all walks of life, from different countries coming together to raise their voice in support of the colors they love to adorn on their backs, all the while filled with pride. Yes, all of this sounds a bit fanatical but to a true fan, this is his life. This is what he lives for in true sense of the word. It’s a passion that defines many lives; kids growing up supporting & loving their heroes, The Beckhams, Messis and countless others. You will do all the fighting, brawling, defending that is needed in the name & honor of crest you wear on your chest when you step out on the street, making your way to the stadium to join in the noise.

Change - Lost in Transition

Two months have passed since the incident that shook the nation. No judgement has been passed & the prime accused are looking at bail & possibly smaller terms due to botched up investigation & general apathy. Meanwhile, a terror strike in southern part of nation kills more than 20 people & injuring more than 100 people. The home minister shuns responsibility while other political parties bray for his blood. The nation needs a strong budget to reduce uncertainty  push reforms, address economic situation & with an eye on general election, the govt. is mulling a populist budget to suit its purpose. To hell with Fiscal Deficit, who cares about it anyways. We have & will continue to make money through countless scams (big or small). This is the mind frame of all the dacoits (as per Paan Singh Tomar) sitting the Indian Parliament. Those who have power are minting money & those who crave power want to mint money. Nobody is bothered where this country is heading and what their responsibilities are.
I wrote in my last piece how we should stand up, raise our voices against the govt. apathy & fight for what is our right - safety & end to corruption.I also made a point to let's not allow the circumstances we are witnessing to die & be forgotten in our daily lives. But after just two months, not only are we lost back in our cocoon styled lives but also have forgotten about everything that transpired. We desire sympathy/empathy from the govt. or the political parties wooing us for their votes but sometimes I wonder whether we deserve any of that or do we truly deserve their apathy as we can see day in & day out. In sports, it's a common saying that a captain is only as good as his/her team. It seems so apt looking at us today. Joker (The Dark Knight) said of Gotham, "This city needs a better class of criminals." I had for long felt that this nation needs a better class of politicians but I am not so sure of it anymore. We have the politicians we don't need right now but they are what we deserve.
I might sound all gloomy, disappointed & to some I might be just cribbing & fretting over nothing as I can't appreciate stuff (their words not mine) but to tell the truth I can't seem to get over the hurt when I look & can't find a clean politician or when I so wish I don't read about a new rape case in some part of the country & I see two cases on the news. I know, I am prone to preaching which people detest more than the hair growing out of their noses or ears but I can't help myself. In spite of the negativity surrounding me I am sadly still holding out for hope that one day this nation awakes & yells at top of its voice that ENOUGH!! I have not yet lost faith in the system which currently pampers to divide & rule & I often make myself believe that there is always HOPE & it is this feeling that provides some purpose to me in my daily existence. A question that springs to mind on going through this turmoil is, "Is there anything I can do?" But the coward in me sites the case of the problem being TOO BIG for a small ME & that one man can't change the system philosophy to make me sit back down & try & paper over the cracks of my moral fiber.
But change is needed & we need a leader who can be selfless enough to take up that task for us. Cause it won't be easy & it would require lot of sacrifices along the way. We need a Dark Knight, who can not be a silent guardian....

Change

Its ok to grief. Its ok to feel sad. Its ok to cry a little too. A nation you love so much has been let down by its public and its politicians so why shouldn't one cry out in disgust at the apathy of the rulers of this great nation? Why do we let ourselves be taken for a ride by the herd of money minting goons who have no care for us? Why don't we learn? Is it human to commit same mistake again & again? Why don't we focus on educating the public? Why are we mute spectators in this era of crime? Why is the sense of self comes first more important than of building a nation?
People say that a change is in order. The public wants answers. They need reassurances. But don't they need a sharper memory too to remind those in power that their time of sitting idle and doing nothing is over.
Its a black day in the timeline of existence of this country. Do we make noise or make our voices heard? Do we do anything but crib, deride, curse and forget? Do we let this victimization stand or do we stand up against the apathy and make this incident count? A day will come when we will fail as a race but can we let it be today? Should we not show our strength and let the braveheart know that her death spurred a nation from slumber into action? Lets rise! above the hate, above the displeasure, above the anger to ensure that this is not lost in memory, or in politicos dramas, or in media sensationalism.

An angry & sad individual who is coward enough to hide behind cynicism.

Epilogue

Another chapter in my life draws to a close as i prepare to spend the last of my days in this MBA institute. Have been through a lot of different circumstances, experienced gloom, sadness, happiness and complete ecstasy. I have never been fond of studying and i felt the pain again after 4 years of working when i had to prepare for all the exams, quizzes and presentations. To top it all, having to stay awake in classes was a big problem. I still remember being caught sleeping 4 times by the same prof in the first term itself. No wonder i was nicknamed SOTI.... :) (though it came about on the rural immersion trip). I knew staying awake would be a problem but i guess i crossed all limits during these two years :)

Before coming to Indore, I had heard a great deal from different people about the quality of food and different delicacies you can find here. I was excited no doubt but I was hugely disappointed as apart from a few places rest had nothing special about them. Don't know if i could call a particular dish made better in this town than anywhere else but yes i can get almost everything available here in every other place. Moreover, mess food as expected  was useless and I spent almost 3 days a week eating outside. All the time going to only one place near the institute whose every dish includes cheese and sometimes only cheese. Result: Zero bank balance but inflated tummy till the point it started looking shameful :(((

My life here has revolved around a lot of TV series and movies. The fact that there aren't any places to hang out in this town (refraining from calling it a city) has only helped in the despair that surrounds whenever the point of 'going out' is discussed. There is nothing you can do in your free time and this sense of wastefulness really gets to you day by day. Although we do have a 3 month old sports complex operational in the campus, i have never gotten around to make full use of it and i accept that it is inertia on my part that is responsible. Still it counts for little when all you can do is go to a mall, roam around (as u can't shop with zero bank balance) and come back.

One thing i have done in these two years is learn more about human behavior. I have gotten to know a lot more about how people are/can be. I have always known that no one is your own and there are some motives attached always but coming face to face with some has not been a pleasant experience. All my life i have found a couple of friends that i could call my own-those i can count on no matter what and those who know what I'm going through by just reading my words. Sadly, though I've failed to find those here. I mean yes they are good friends but not all weather friends. Those who know me also know that i don't get angry or sad easily when it comes to people around me but if i look at myself today, I'm not so sure. There seems a pain inside me that refuses to go away no matter what i do. I hate being like this but i guess i feel a sense of betrayal that i have not experienced ever and this is what is probably hurting the most. People told me how these two years would be the most exciting years of my life and yes i know couple of you reading this would call me the cribber (like always) but i would definitely not agree that these were the best years of my life. 

Without getting into specifics i would say that i was a sort of a misfit for this program. Many times i thought about why i am here and what i can accomplish. These self-doubts exist even today but i guess they've quietened down since last week. To be honest, I ain't actually proud of anything i did in the two years i have spent here. Looking back, i see how different things could have been and yes given a chance I would love to go back and change a couple of them. Maybe then i wouldn't feel the way I'm feeling right now......