虽然我们已不像从前一样热络，
就算我们的交流已屈指可数，
即使我们在办公室已如陌路，
但当我在每个星期一早上开会前，
我还是会忍不住看一看门口，
看一看时间，挂心着你能否赶到。
而今天，知道你已身在国外，
我还是一如既往的和同事们哈拉，
一如往常的做着每个星期一都会做的事。
一切看似一成不变，
但是心里，却有种莫名的失落，
不管做什么，就是挥不走。
看起来并没有缺少什么，
仔细想一想才发觉越是努力不在乎，
就越是会不由自主的去默默在乎。
越是告诉自己别去在意，
心里便越是偷偷去留意。
而你，在百忙中，是否会有那么一刻，想起我呢？
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Friday, May 10, 2013
Saying goodbye to Sir Alex Ferguson
Just realized when I was about to start this post that my previous post was also about goodbye. Perhaps I'm really getting old and nostalgic about things nowadays :p
Sir Alex was the manager of Man Utd when I started watching EPL back in 1992. Still remembered that match was between Man Utd and Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford. Since then, Sir Alex has been a constant throughout my years of watching English and subsequently world football. I've witnessed players such as Alan Shearer, Dennis Bergkamp and Zola at their prime before retiring as TV pundit, coach and manager respectively. I've seen my beloved Blackburn won the league title in 1995, relegated in 1999, promoted back 2 years later and enjoyed a brief revival of fortune under Mark Hughes before the gradual decline to absolute farce today. I've watched Arsenal transformed under Wenger from George Graham's 1-0 team to the most pleasing football spectacle in England for the past 2 decades. Throughout all of those, Sir Alex has always been there, patrolling the Old Trafford touchline while munching his seemingly unlimited supply of chewing gum and berating the officials when things didn't go their way. Even now, it seemed impossible to imagine a Man Utd home game without the scene I described earlier, although truth be told, we all know deep in our heart that nothing lasts forever, even the mighty Sir Alex with his famous "Fergie Time".
Without even referring to the numerous trophies won in his time, his longevity in the cutthroat business of management is simply astounding, and that owing to his relentless drive to better himself and improve, reinvent his team to keep the winning cycle going. We have seemed Man Utd from the days of Brian Mcclair, Mark Huges and Steve Bruce to the famous batch Of Fergie Fedglings with the Neville brothers, Butt, Scholes, Giggs and Beckham before the recent team of Rooney, Ronaldo and Vidic. Even as he plans to retire, we can already take a glimpse into the near future with young talents such as Phil Jones, Chicharito and De Gea. Should Moyes falter in the following seasons, he can't point a finger at the standard of the squad left for him.
While not the most innovating tactician around, Sir Alex has certainly proved his mettle as an excellent man-manager. Volatile characters such as Ince, Keane, Cantona and Schmichel retained their fire on the pitch without challenging his authority. Stam and Nistelrooy were swiftly dispatched off once they became detrimental to team unity. And let's not forget his constant rotations as he juggles the egos of players expertly in the case of their Treble season when he distributes playing time among 4 top strikers (Cole, Yorke, Sheringham and Solskjaer). Even Beckham, who was sold to Madrid after the infamous bust-up with Sir Alex, retains utmost respect to the father figure who brought him into football.
I remember a saying which goes along the lines of knowing someone through his friends and his enemies. This certainly applies for Sir Alex, who had been fierce rivals with Wenger and Mourinho before becoming friends of mutual admiration and respect. For those who skeptically suggested that Sir Alex only make friends with those who are not in direct competition with him, one can only look out his friendship with Mourinho which stretches back to the days when Chelsea was the top team in England as well as his continuing dislike of one Rafael Benitez regardless of where he went, to know that the contrary is probably closer to the truth. Sir Alex is competitive but also recognizes true talents when he see them, talented competitors who forced him to improve and up the stakes. Such mutual competition without losing the respect formed the foundation of such friendships.
Ever since news of his retirement broke out, everything that can be written by Sir Alex has probably been covered. Despite not a Man Utd fan myself, Sir Alex is a manager who I have my utmost respect and admiration for and I have nothing but best wishes as he enjoys his retirement munching on his gum in the director's box instead of the touchline and perhaps, grab a prawn sandwich as well? :p
Sir Alex was the manager of Man Utd when I started watching EPL back in 1992. Still remembered that match was between Man Utd and Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford. Since then, Sir Alex has been a constant throughout my years of watching English and subsequently world football. I've witnessed players such as Alan Shearer, Dennis Bergkamp and Zola at their prime before retiring as TV pundit, coach and manager respectively. I've seen my beloved Blackburn won the league title in 1995, relegated in 1999, promoted back 2 years later and enjoyed a brief revival of fortune under Mark Hughes before the gradual decline to absolute farce today. I've watched Arsenal transformed under Wenger from George Graham's 1-0 team to the most pleasing football spectacle in England for the past 2 decades. Throughout all of those, Sir Alex has always been there, patrolling the Old Trafford touchline while munching his seemingly unlimited supply of chewing gum and berating the officials when things didn't go their way. Even now, it seemed impossible to imagine a Man Utd home game without the scene I described earlier, although truth be told, we all know deep in our heart that nothing lasts forever, even the mighty Sir Alex with his famous "Fergie Time".
Without even referring to the numerous trophies won in his time, his longevity in the cutthroat business of management is simply astounding, and that owing to his relentless drive to better himself and improve, reinvent his team to keep the winning cycle going. We have seemed Man Utd from the days of Brian Mcclair, Mark Huges and Steve Bruce to the famous batch Of Fergie Fedglings with the Neville brothers, Butt, Scholes, Giggs and Beckham before the recent team of Rooney, Ronaldo and Vidic. Even as he plans to retire, we can already take a glimpse into the near future with young talents such as Phil Jones, Chicharito and De Gea. Should Moyes falter in the following seasons, he can't point a finger at the standard of the squad left for him.
While not the most innovating tactician around, Sir Alex has certainly proved his mettle as an excellent man-manager. Volatile characters such as Ince, Keane, Cantona and Schmichel retained their fire on the pitch without challenging his authority. Stam and Nistelrooy were swiftly dispatched off once they became detrimental to team unity. And let's not forget his constant rotations as he juggles the egos of players expertly in the case of their Treble season when he distributes playing time among 4 top strikers (Cole, Yorke, Sheringham and Solskjaer). Even Beckham, who was sold to Madrid after the infamous bust-up with Sir Alex, retains utmost respect to the father figure who brought him into football.
I remember a saying which goes along the lines of knowing someone through his friends and his enemies. This certainly applies for Sir Alex, who had been fierce rivals with Wenger and Mourinho before becoming friends of mutual admiration and respect. For those who skeptically suggested that Sir Alex only make friends with those who are not in direct competition with him, one can only look out his friendship with Mourinho which stretches back to the days when Chelsea was the top team in England as well as his continuing dislike of one Rafael Benitez regardless of where he went, to know that the contrary is probably closer to the truth. Sir Alex is competitive but also recognizes true talents when he see them, talented competitors who forced him to improve and up the stakes. Such mutual competition without losing the respect formed the foundation of such friendships.
Ever since news of his retirement broke out, everything that can be written by Sir Alex has probably been covered. Despite not a Man Utd fan myself, Sir Alex is a manager who I have my utmost respect and admiration for and I have nothing but best wishes as he enjoys his retirement munching on his gum in the director's box instead of the touchline and perhaps, grab a prawn sandwich as well? :p
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