The Q & A

Another addition to my football columns. This one is called Q & A . Having done with transfer talk previously , I hope I could do one better. This column is about me doing both the interviewer and pundit's jobs. I'll think about the issues concerning football today and I'll respond to it in a way someone else is asking me a question. I'm a 2 in 1! haha. let's see how I do.

The interviewer is someone neutral with questions about issues in football.
The pundit is an Arsenal fan


I : Arsenal has completed the signing of Samir Nasri , do you think he was brought in to replace Hleb?

P :According to reports, Hleb has planned his exit since before the season ended. From meeting officials who claim they were looking for "ice -cream"and saying London is too noisy. It's totally ridiculous. I am very sure he is Barca bound. I actually do think he was brought in for Hleb. He can play centre or the right wing.

I: Are you excited by the prospects he would be able to bring to the club?

P: Of course I am. I've seen a couple videos of him. He seems quite good on the ball, he is quick and has an eye for goal too. But as always, first seasons for players abroad are always the toughest, so I am not really expecting him to do anything extraordinary this season. But I really hope he contributes more goals from the midfield.

I: Can I have your take on the Adebayor saga?

P: I am actually quite disappointed on how this has took place. I never thought it could come from a player like him. Money does play a big part today. We have seen Ashley Cole and then Flamini leave for the money although they deny it. We all know the truth. Now we have Ade doing the same, and it's very disappointing he may leave after his best season in an Arsenal shirt.Reading the comments, you know it's all about the money. 60k a week is all Arsenal can offer, and some reports even suggested he wants a pay like Thierry before. Thierry's salary was a very unique case, he may be the best player Arsenal had and they were trying to show their appreciation for his pledging to stay at the club. At least it actually did last for a season. I do hope he stays but it seems more unlikely by the day. We'll just have to wait.

I: Speaking of money, Arsenal's wage structure is one of the lowest among the top clubs, is this a problem for keeping their biggest players?

P: Like Winterburn said the other day, Arsenal were never a top paying club. Thierry's 120k a week was a special case and a few years back Sol Campbell had a 100k a week due to his Bossman(free) transfer. Currently William Gallas is a top earner at 80k a week and the rest would be ranging from 30 k onwards. Arsenal definitely can't compete with the wage structures with Manchester United and Chelsea because both teams has got external funding and they lack the commitment of a new stadium which makes a tremendous difference. The players are by all means still very well paid, but you just can't compare with the other teams. It was never a huge problem as it was a few years ago. Abramovich has to take some of the blame, he pushed wage structures off the roof to record levels when he took over. Paying amounts never seen in football. Crespo's value is 1mil a game, Sheva's value is close to 2mil a goal and many others who were just tempted for the cash. Drogba did admit months ago he was tempted by Russian money and he felt embarrassed. Hence, it is a problem these days for clubs going through the traditional way of growing on their own without external funds.

I: There has been a plan by Michel Platini to propose the 6+5 rule . There's obviously plenty of objection by the clubs. But do you think this will help national teams?

P: Firstly, I think it would take a lot of convincing to get the representatives to approve this rule. There's already a rule of a minimum of 4 homegrown players at every club and there's been talk of raising this figure every year. This rule I feel is sufficient at the moment. Obviously homegrown players may not necessarily have the same nationality as the club. For example, Fabregas is a homegrown Arsenal player. The serious objections would be coming from people who feel that the move would be discriminating because of clubs needing to favour local players. It would be one of the biggest barriers to this proposal as it would be again EU laws. I don't think this rule would have much direct impact on the national team. If the rule comes through, we could see top teams forced to field at least 5 English players on the starting line up. But the worst thing is there would be more talented players which are left on the bench or the stands because of this rule . I don't think it is a solution to improving national teams.

I : Sepp Blatter had comments that players are being slaves today. How ridiculous is that?

P: There's definitely no place for this in football. The term slavery refers to people who work for nothing and it is such a sensitive word that should not be even mentioned. I wonder whether he has a dictionary. Players today are paid a fortune today not just because they are attract a global audience, their lifespan as a footballer is relatively short. But in no way this could relate to players being slaves for a club. The Club owns the player and has a huge say at what the player does and that is exactly what should happen, not the player doing what he wants.

I: Jose Mourinho has taken his first job after Chelsea. What things can we expect by the so called "Special One"?

P : I would say I have huge respect for what he has done at Chelsea. Virtually out of nowhere ending the dominance of a two-horse race in the league. He will deliver trophies at the San Siro but when it comes to the ultimate prize (CL), it is a different opinion. I have always analyzed that there are at least 10 teams capable of winning the competition, which means the odds are always stacked. On many occasions the team with Lady Luck on their side are the ones who get through. He will achieve great things in Inter. He has a good team and he is capable of building a very strong team. My dream job for him is manager of the England national team though. 42 years since the last World Cup victory would be a daunting but perfect task for a person like him.

I : There's been quite a few players brought in Premier League clubs this summer, which are the particular few that you are looking forward to?

P:There's quite a few I am really looking forward to see. Particularly Dos Santos of Spurs from Barcelona. I have seen him play for Barca and he is really a very talented player. I never expected Barca to sell him. Is he going to do something big at Spurs? Maybe not at the moment.Before I forget, there's also Luka Modric who also arrived at White Hart Lane. He seemed to be a very creative playmaker for Croatia. He was targeted by Arsene before last season. I do think he is gonna make a big impact. Jo from Man City is also another acquisition I am looking at. He has been linked City for such a long time and after going through many weeks of negotiation and a 18mil price tag, he must be something special. The others are Deco and Bosingwa from Chelsea. They have proven they can play good football abroad, but are they able to adapt in the BPL. It's a very exciting prospect for all fans.

I : Let's move to the Arsenal questions since you are a big fan. What kind of signings do you expect Arsenal to make apart from the current ones?

P: I would like to see a center back because I losing patience on Gallas by the day. I'll keep it simple, if Hleb leaves, sign a replacement and if Ade leaves, find another replacement. I think that should be how it works. This is one funny summer where there has been more links of signings at Arsenal than ever. There are just so many rumours out there.

I : Any particular player linked you would be interested in?

P: Well, there has been talk about Arshavin, Bischoff , Aguerro and some others. Some are plain rumours. A holding midfielder required and Amaury Bischoff has come out and said he would join the club. I don't know much about him or the situation, but if the manager think it suits the team, I'll have no doubts. There has been talks of bids from English clubs for Arshavin and Aguerro. But honestly , these two players are too expensive for Arsenal to compete for.

I: Arsenal has been playing great football over the last few seasons but are always coming up empty-handed. Who are the players that need to step up?

P: Thats a very good question actually. There are quite some players who have underperformed. Van Persie and Rosicky are very influential players for the team but injuries are constantly getting them out of the game. Is this the season they "finally" excel? I hope so. Gallas makes some huge mistakes at times, he has to step up. I am very disappointed by Eboue's contribution last season, and this could be his last straw at the club. Walcott is a name that definitely needs a huge mention because it's about time he delivers his first big season. Bendtner too needs a huge improvement in his game.

I: And lastly,prediction for Chelsea against the Malaysian National Team?

P: Haha. Thank god it's not a competitive match. 7-1 to Chelsea.


~deyao~

Super Spin-Off

Yup, I am talking about the new series Private Practice. A spin-off from hit series Grey's Anatomy, and of course having the same creator Shonda Rimes. The main reason people would definitely tune in would be because of the transition of Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh).

Grey's Anatomy viewers would know a thing or two about the series before it started because of a cross-over of this series in the last few parts of Season 3. The introduction of Addison in Grey's really shocked the entire audience and I am sure everyone was praying for her not to interrupt "THE" couple. But the creator obviously knew what she was doing and we got to love her in the show.
And so.....

The huge decision did indeed change Grey's forever. But there's always a compensating factor, Private Practice is such a brilliant series.

The Transition
Her exit from Grey's was built up in such a way that we could have expected her leaving. The breakdown of her relationship with Derek,Mark and a bound to fail relationship with Alex was showing signs that her presence on the show was diminishing. I would also think that it was difficult having to focus on every of the main characters of the show since there are at least 10 . The part where she decides to visit her friend in LA to determine whether she could conceive and a "moment" with another doctor was the point where viewers were given a huge hint of the outcome.

The New Life In Santa Monica
The place Addison works at, Oceanside Wellness Center, is not exactly a hospital, it's more like a place with private clinics. Hence, you won't really get the sort of hospital environment where there's a lot of dealing with trauma and emergencies. The change for Addison was difficult. There were no hospital "staff" or "nurses" , but only 1 person to assists the entire practice. It was no longer the hectic lifestyle compared to Seattle Grace.

Season 1 has 9 episodes , so it's was pretty quick.

The cast.


Let's get to the people.

Dr. Addison Montgomery. She is obviously the main character of the show. She loves the proclaim her qualifications. "I am a double board certified world-class neo-natal surgeon. One of the best in the world with a specialty in genetics and DNA". She does repeat it quite a few times. She does some really hilarious things in the show, sometimes I can't believe how funny she really could be. Her moment with Pete previously resumes on this series.

Dr. Naomi Bennett. She is a fertility and hormone specialist and she owns the majority of the practice. She is divorced with her Sam who also works in the same practice, having a child. She was best friends with Addison since med school and she was the one that persuaded Addison to join the practice. Episodes in the show continue to show whether she and Sam could ever reconcile.

Dr. Sam Bennett. He is an internal medicine specialist. As stated, he is divorced with Naomi, having a child Maya. He is also an author in the show, writing the book Body Language: The Mind-Body Connection. The book is a success and patients usually refer to him as Dr. Feel Good. Overall, he is a really good guy in the show. He lives a few feet away from Addison .


Dr. Pete Wilder. He is an alternative medicine specialist. He did a few years of traditional medicine in China. Thus, he does the acupunctures, herbal medicines and all sorts of therapy. His character is one of the unique ones, not the totally outspoken type. But the fact is, he is being too big of a magnet to Addison. He has a painful story about his wife who has passed on a few years ago. The entire story about it is not really clear. We'll have to wait. When you see him and Addison together , there's bound to be drama.


Dr. Cooper Freedman. He plays the role of a pediatrician. In the very beginning, he was known to be 'dating' people over the internet, and occasionally get screwed over. Played by Paul Adelstein, previously in Prison Break. It's hard to accept that he is actually a doctor, compared to his role as a killer for the government in Prison Break. There's a lot between him and Violet.


Dr. Violet Turner. She is a psychiatrist. It is not exactly the best job in the show. But there are some patients with unthinkable problems that come to her. Like any other psychiatrist, she is very patient and tries to talk things over.She is very good at what she does. She did ask Cooper for a very weird favour.

William "Dell" Parker. He is the receptionist and he helps out with minor medical procedures. He is technically a "nurse" because of his degree, so he does some tests for patients. And yes, he is the only one that the whole practice has got. He was a the "hot guy"that goes surfing in the Grey's Anatomy cross-overs but apparently there's not much of that in this season.

Charlotte King. She is the Chief of Staff at the St.Ambrose hospital. It is the hospital that all emergencies from the practice are directed to. Many of them don't really like her because of conflicts in decision making by the doctors at the practice and her hospital policies. She normally is seen at the hospital and occasionally stops by the practice to bring medical records. She too does internet dating. Guess who she meets? Haha......

Thats for the characters. Now for the bottom line. The show starts off a little slow but it does pick up very quickly. Relationships in the show keeps viewers tuned in. Very well structured show. It's standard may not be as high as Grey's but it is darn good. Rated at 8.5/10. Definitely a must-watch for all. It surely keeps you back for more.

~deyao~

Bubbling Talent

I recently realised I've been really into new artists, first it was Sara Bareilles, then it was "the" craze Marie Digby , now it's Colbie Caillat and Taylor Swift. Only girls? kinda realized that too... There's definitely plenty of male singers coming through, but I probably I haven't got any on my list. So after a week of Colbie Caillat's Coco album, I am again thoroughly impressed. Yea as we know, we've heard Bubbly too many times on any radio station, and people especially me are kinda sick of it. Then there's Realize now playing on the waves which is doing quite well.

As you may know, Colbie, like Marie did get a lot of attention and fans by using the power of the internet. Colbie did it through her MySpace like Marie used YouTube. She has taken off since with her album and she is going on tour like every emerging artist. She is no 'One-hit Wonder' for sure, her album is just wonderful. Previously, all I think when I see her was she is that boring singer who sang the sleepy Bubbly song. How wrong am I? I was off the mark by quite some bit. She is blessed with beautiful vocals and she does instruments too. Writing her own songs as well? That has to catch my attention.



Nice album cover too!

Now to the songs. Most of the songs are the slower types except a few which a quite uplifting. Overall , every song in the album is very distinct and and has a meaning of its own. Many of the songs are quite relatable. When you listen to the song Bubbly, you get the feeling of relaxing . Thats how the songs in this album are, more soothing ones. There's not really much powerful emotions taking over any of her songs, but there are a few which are rather sad songs.

Recommendations- Love to say all, but let's be fair.

1)Oxygen
2)One Fine Wire
3)Feelings Show (fav) Watch It
4)Midnight Bottle
5)Battle
6)Tailor Made

Btw, she also has duet with Jason Mraz, Lucky. It's not bad as well. Jason is one of the most talented performers I've seen , I'll try to get his album. Coco is rated at 8.5/10. I haven't known much about her yet, so the information is a little light. Maybe in the future when I do read more about her. I am quite late on Colbie, she's been out for almost a year and even made it to Malaysia. A little late for me but hopefully there's more to come. Claps for the bubbly singer !!



Pictures!



Another picture.

Private Practice is on its way ! I am again a little late, but at least I am ahead of Malaysian TV.

~deyao~

Another Original

I haven't figured out what the blog for days now. And randomly I accidentally bumped into more Marie Digby on YouTube, you know what happens when people get too bored , they look for just about anything to pass time. And thats what happened. I was looking for this song I heard for awhile but I never knew the title. And now I finally got it, it's another original from Marie herself and it must be a newer song as it is not part of her Unfold album. Unfold was actually completed way back in 2006 and I suppose the between then and now she has came up with new ones.

This one's called Dear Friend. Mouse over to load it on the mini SnapShots window(you can always zoom in) or click on the link. This one was recorded live. This one is rated 8/10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IkO4_VsrPo

This is another version she did in the studio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00YlAUuzzTc

She also has another song which I think is fabulous. Lucky Americans get to watch her perform this song during her tour around the country. It's called My Greatest Mistake . It's also another original, I wonder whether it's going to be in her next album. I'll give it 8.5/10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nus12OhcfIE

Btw, she would be releasing a Japanese edition of her album Unfold , and the good news is she would be releasing a full Japanese song called 'Korewa' . If you didn't know, Marie speaks the language fluently being a half-Japanese. I'll definitely be posting it when I get it.

And lastly , I leave it with some shots from her rather recent event "Alice Summerthing" with Lifehouse , Last Goodnight and a few other artist. Lucky Americans again...........


Marie !


Great shot!


Jason Wade from Lifehouse


Bryce Soderberg also from Lifehouse


Kurtis John of The Last Goodnight(Pictures of You)

You don't normally see artists do this, but who can blame Marie, she is a big music fan and she is human anyway. It was said she went close to get pictures of Lifehouse. Who wouldn't?


Credits to the photographer from Flickr.

Been trying with Germany's Next Top Model, but the language barrier is very quite significant and reading subtitles and trying to watch at the same time is hard! But I'll be having a review on Grey's Anatomy spin-off Private Practice in a week, hopefully.

~deyao~