我和我的利物浦 (上)

「任何人成為球迷之前，都係一個勝利球迷。」1

對我來說，這或許對了一半，因為我正是盃賽三冠王那屆 (00-01) 開始捧利物浦；至於另一半，就是反骨仔奧雲和球隊當年以他為核心的防反戰術。(那是希比亞、夏文、麥亞里士打、希斯基、史米沙、梅菲、懷斯，當然還有謝拉特和加歷查的年代)

第一次接觸「利物浦」，大概是小四左右 (~1996)，記得那時經學校訂的《星島日報》中有一份學生報，某期全版專題介紹英格蘭聯賽 (或英超) 的「雙紅」─ 利物浦和曼聯。那個年代家裡沒有收費電視，我對兩隊甚至外國聯賽根本毫無認識，唯一的印像是球會名字和「飛利浦」很相似，曾懷疑兩者有沒有關係。

世界盃今年回到垃圾 TBB 之前，98 法國世盃是 TBB 最後一屆直播的世界盃，之前偶爾睇本地波都是不甚了了，到那年真正開始睇波。升中後，同學朋輩間更常談到足球，尤其是英超，但家裡沒有唉畸寶，也不能上網，當年 TBB 偶爾的深夜轉播和精華大多是西甲 (後淪為荷甲)，要接觸英超主要靠睇波經。

01 年，TBB 當然沒有足總盃和聯賽盃的決賽，但有直播對艾拉維斯的歐協決賽，我就是從那場打到加時共入九球的比賽後開始留意利物浦。記得有朋友說過，他喜歡獌是因為球隊會創造奇蹟，大槪就是這回事。中三開始用 56K 上網，每 load 一個網頁都要幾十秒，要避開多圖片的網站，用 flashget 下載入球片段。上香港球迷會網站、找球賽精華、讀球會歷史 ─ 與愛華頓的分裂和競爭、七八十年代暉煌的本土及歐洲戰蹟，還有希素和希斯堡慘劇。

球隊在聯賽也有進步，01-02 球季壓倒獌排第二，似乎有望爭取聯賽錦標。那時最令人期待的一幕，就是謝拉特直線傳予反骨仔入球，但球隊守強攻弱，面對死守往往老鼠拉龜，接著一季成績倒退，侯利亞常提到「球隊還很年青」的解釋已難令球迷滿意。03 年利物浦來港，和朋友通頂排隊買飛，現在只記得希斯基壓往港隊中堅，輕鬆轉身怒射破網，接著和仔在右路 cup 過當年仍打閘位的加歷查，可惜出波底線傳底。同年裝了有線，自此常在家看利記比賽，謝拉特剛成為隊長，球隊成績沒有大起色，侯利亞單調的戰術已經走到盡頭，那是他和反骨仔在利物浦的最後一年。

04 年暑假，賓尼迪斯由華倫西亞入主，開始西班牙化，引入了沙比等西國球員，針對性部署往往能限制同級對手的發揮。(其實我想寫 "the rest is history") 中七，AL 前都不用上學，讓我看多了深夜的歐聯 ─ 利迷都記得那年的神奇之旅：分組賽最後一場謝拉特對奧林比亞高斯的絶殺、四強加西亞那個令摩佬一直難以釋懷的入球 (那幾年肥賓與摩佬多次在盃賽碰頭，結下樑子)，和最後在伊斯坦布爾的大逆轉。

季初，早已不肯續約的反骨仔己離隊加盟皇馬。無法否認，當年走位、速度和埋門俱佳的反骨仔是我支持利記的一個重要原因，曾認真想過，自己支持的是他還是球隊，結論是 no player is more important than the team。 人各有志，對他的離去一直沒有甚麼意見，直至他入獌。自此我在隊中最喜歡的就是開始大熟大勇的謝拉特 (第二是最穩陣的加歷查，再其次是沙比)，鬥志、感染力，加上在關鍵時刻的招牌遠射，包括 06 年足總杯決賽對西咸那球補時期間「神奇，頂級，超卓」的入球。最重要的是他 05 年暑假拒絶車仔的斟介留效利物浦，要知道忠誠在現今足壇已屬難能可貴，球員生涯有限/人望高處，為錦標和高薪而轉會才是常態。2

(睏，有機會再續)

1. http://www.hkoriginals.hk/%E8%B6%81%E5%88%A9%E7%89%A9%E6%B5%A6%E6%9C%AA%E5%A5%AA%E5%86%A0%EF%BC%8C%E5%AF%AB%E5%B7%A6%E5%85%88/

2. 大部份謝老四的致命失誤，我都是看直播 (除了 09-10 聯賽回傳杜奧巴一球)，包括在球會和國家隊兩次對享利的致命回傳、04 聯賽盃決賽末段的撐龍舟烏龍，當然還有今屆對巴亞跣腳。再在此提出來恥笑，大可不必。

[FW] Moneyball：單刀橫傳的反思

歐偉倫手拿「單刀橫傳霸四海」揮春的拜年圖（當然是網民創作），今年新春仍在流傳。歐假假哋曾是港腳兼足球先生，球技絕對應該高於99.99%取笑他的網民——在香港，球迷若日常會去公園踢兩腳，已算頗難得了。我有時會想：當年這一腳橫傳，是否建基於一些我們普通人看不到的因素而作出（雖然我暫時仍未想到有何可能性）？

不留情面的批評，在網上永遠有市場，鬧得越抵死越多人like，但我相信鬧的人很少質疑自己有無資格批評。例如曼聯成績不濟，球迷鬧爆之餘，十個人會出二十個建議：起用香川真司、減少兩邊斬中、買法比加斯、炒領隊……但球迷果真認為自己的判斷比曼聯管理層更好嗎？


精華片段放大球員表現

1990年世界杯準決賽中，德國憑布林美的一記改變方向射門入球，賽後英格蘭門將施路頓遭不少球迷罵他年紀太老、反應太慢（他當年40歲）。施路頓二十年後開腔回應：「批評者不知道自己在講甚麼。」

他解釋，若是由其他守門員來把關，十之八九只會呆站目送球入網，正是因為他反應夠快，才能中途轉向後退，反而令動作看來突兀。你必定懷疑施路頓砌詞為自己解困吧？入球的布林美卻認同這說法：「他從未見過守門員反應這麼快。」

球迷對足球的印象，九成來自電視轉播，其中又有九成來自精華重溫，換言之是C朗、美斯最佳表現片段；餘下的可能來自電子遊戲：按「A」鍵長傳、「B」鍵短傳，腳腳到位，按「D」鍵射門腳腳七注。殊不知，就算強如沙維、沙比阿朗素，都不可能達到如此準繩。C朗每場比賽射門「只有」7.88次，當中「只有」17.6%成為入球，必定比大部份FIFA玩家水皮。用這樣的尺度量度一般球員表現，當然是失望居多，但也不能代表球員「無腦」、「屎波」、「未盡全力」甚至「打假波」。

當我們取笑李健和「底線傳底」時，是否低估了踢了大半場、體力下降、兼快放完一段落底線後準確傳中的難度？

誠然，有些球迷業餘得來非常專業，例如英國有位博客Michael Cox，在自己網站Zonal Marking寫足球戰術分析，後來得《衛報》和ESPN垂青轉為職業分析員。他仍是業餘博客時接受訪問說，睇波時配備磁石白版，協助記錄隊形和做筆記，也會反覆重看比賽重要時刻之後才下筆。



我問過足球博客「薩基」如何觀察和分析隊型，特別是球員沒球在腳時的走位，他也說：「係呀，的確要抗拒追波睇的本能，迫自己追住球員來睇。」他們是例外中的例外，我自問做不到。

1941年12月7日，日軍偷襲夏威夷珍珠港，美軍傷亡慘重，原來事前有不少預警迹象，例如美國情報部10月時已得悉，一個駐夏威夷的日本間諜收到指令，監視珍珠港的美軍艦進出調動情況。

事實上，美軍共收過不少於八項線索，指日軍可能突襲珍珠港。憤怒的美國人認為這是軍方重大疏忽，甚至有人相信總統故意讓日軍得逞，以乘勢鼓動國民參戰。

不過，原來在同一段時間，情報部也收過58條情報指日軍會進攻菲律賓、21條指會攻巴拿馬、7條關於東南亞、7條直指美國本土西岸。

2001年的911襲擊亦然：固然事後「發現」襲擊者之前和拉登有聯繫、與之前爆炸案有關、曾計劃暗殺名人等「先兆」，甚至有FBI探員上書警告「拉登可能正有計劃地派人到美國學駕駛飛機」，何以FBI無動於中？部份原因是，FBI手頭上，有68,000項仍未跟進的「情報」。

因此，人人都可以做諸葛亮——不過是「事後」那種。早前曼聯被富咸迫和，批評者大喊曼聯只懂獨孤一味兩邊斬中，破了傳中次數紀錄。假如幸運之神稍為眷顧，讓曼聯偷雞成功，賽後評論很容易改寫成「曼聯勝在兩翼佔壓倒性優勢」。

另一問題，是球迷普遍極之主觀，偏見亦非常嚴重。我明白，睇波要投入才過癮；要投入，則必須有立場，有擁護對象，才會贏波時開心到跳起、輸波唉聲嘆氣。


批評總比付出心力容易

社會心理學家指出，人有根深蒂固的「小圈子」和「排外」傾向，這種擁護和守衞自己社群本性，對人作為群居動物甚為重要。不過，有質素的評論和討論，前提是要客觀，否則只變成潑婦罵街。

我試過寫文章批評車路士指控球證出言侮辱（事件後來被足總裁定不成案），立刻被讀者留言指我是「獌迷」（申報：我是利物浦迷）；我也寫過「腳風順」沒有科學根據，卻被批反蘇亞雷斯（申報：ME ENCANTA SUAREZ!）。

有關擁躉偏見，有這一個政治學的研究：一般人自以為根據自己的價值取向決定支持那些政黨，但實際上過程往往倒轉：我們先選定了心儀政黨，然後找支持理由，包括選擇性地接受和扭曲現實。

我當然預計各位「獌迷」、「車迷」甚至「利迷」會對這篇文章有不客氣評語。我會用電影「五星級大鼠」（Ratatouille）裏，食評人Anton Ego品嘗老鼠廚神Remy手勢後的感慨，來安慰自己：「評論員的工作其實頗容易。我們不用冒險，卻可佔據道德高地，肆意批評他人的作品甚至個人。我們喜歡鬧人，因為寫者痛快、讀者過癮，但我們最終不得不承認的一點是，人家付出了心力的『垃圾』，意義還是比我們的批評大得多。」


姚崢嶸

The Wenger Game

7 things to learn from the Old Trafford game

1. You can only have one formation in one season. so as we play 4-3-3 in the pre-season, we can only afford to play 4-3-3. Players need time to understand & adapt the tactics, so do not change it in a single season. (Keep the faith even it seems not work with the available players)

2. All substitutions need to be made after 60 minutes. You need to trust your starting eleven. Give them at least 15 more minutes in the 2nd half (Keep the faith even how strange the opponent's tactic is)

3. Whoever we play, ignore their tactics and style. We play our own football and we can surely win & score with it. If they park the bus in front of goal, we would keep our nerve and be patient. If the game finally ends with a dulll draw, that is their problem. (Keep the faith we believe our football style)

4. Key players must be played if they are fit, or so-called fit. (Keep the faith even they seems have a poor game, they can change it sometime later)

5. Trust your players even how crap they seem to be. They need games. Youth players can only improve their games. So do Diaby & Denilson.

6. We need a plan B from the bench. The tactics need to be the same, but at least we can move some players from the flank to the middle or from the bench to the field. Nasri can play both the flank and the middle, but starting him in the middles allows us no plan B.

7. Play the ball in the middle is alright. People saying why not using the width of the pitch. You know, we didn't train crossing!

Arsenal the present

We lost the Carling Cup Final.

People around start mocking Arsenal once again. They say Arsenal is a team 6 years without trophy and will be without for a even longer time. Somebody in facebook compared Arsenal with the Hong Kong MPF, aiming at something can't really can get in near future. Well, every gooner should be get used to this kind of laugh in recent years. And as I recalled, people talked about quadruple just a week ago.

Is Arsenal never gonna win another trophy under the Arsene Wenger? Is Arsenal only capable to be better the year later? These are not indeed the center of the discussion.

People, even the fans, would question the philsophy of Arsenal. Selling the best players in the team to cash in. Brings the most talented youngsters to the first team, gain experienced and then sell for money again. I was one of them a few years ago. Especially when we reached only 4th rank for 2 years consecutively. "C"ashley Cole left the team since we moved to Emirates and he won 6 trophies since then. We won none.

Football is about winning trophies. This is the ultimate target for every football club in the world. It is so natural and understandable to measure the success of a club according to the number of trophies they won. However, to reach the target, there are many success factors. Man Utd become the best club in England because of Ferguson and Famous 1992 Academy. Chelsea is success not only because of Abramovich's money, but also Jose Mourinho.

To be honest, Arsenal had never as successful as these 2 clubs, even they had an invincible. Arsenal's success comes too short and too fast under Arsene Wenger. He start the so-called new philosophy all since the sale of Patrick Vieira and mature of Cesc Fabregas. The move to Emirates is something make the philosphy more solid. Being not unable to spend big, Arsenal put efforts on the worldwide scouting system. With the hot money making the transfer market too crazy, Arsenal do not have the money to spend big and can only spend smart. For example, Wenger admired Essien but failed to compete with Chelsea. On the other hand, some key players left the team bacause of other big club's interest (Henry, Hleb), money (Ashely Cole, Flamini) & getting older (Gilberto, Ljungberg, Pires, Vieira, Parlour). All these side issues make the rebuilding difficult for Wenger.

He can only rely on the young players who seems so talented at early ages. Young talented players are also cheap who fits the smart-spending phoilosophy. He bought Adebayor, Hleb, Eboue, Diaby, Walcott, Song and brings Denilson, Bendtner, Djourou to the first team.

Get ride of the difficult period, when Wenger has the ability to spend, however, he finds any big spending would ruin the progress of young players. The young system, both scouting and academy, at that time was already well built and has a inexpensive treasure for the club. He wants to protect it and so can only keep the team in similar style.

This year, Wenger rarely shouted to ask for his youngsters to deliver. He feels the transform was finished and it is time for the team to win something. With growth of Wilshere and Szczesny, the last puzzles of the team were collected. We have everything to win something this year. What we lack is just the start. Carling Cup is a easy step but we failed. It doesn;t matter because there are still 3 more chances coming.

Arsenal's failure hurts not only the fans, but also Wenger. He is more faithful to the team than any Gooners in the world because he is a god damn perfectionist. He doesn't like losing. As you can see on the pitch, his patience, like us, has gone.

Remark: A lovely article seen in the internet -
Arsenal’s Winning Mentality and the Invincible Season

Pain

Arsenal punished by their North London rivals by an awesome 2nd half comeback.
Arsenal 2 - 3 Tottenham

Arsenal's hope to top the table were completely destroyed and Chelsea is likely to extend thier lead over the Gunners to 5 points.

This is the first defect that I can hardly accept since the 2006 final.

This reminds me about 2 old comments:
1) Arsenal can no longer win any trophy under Arsene Wenger - by Palmer (ANR's blogger)
2) Whenever Arsenal close to the top of table, or win something, they slipped - By Mourinho

I was deeply hurt by the result. Fortunately this is a Novemeber match so the we may be still have chance to blow our title hope bubbles later this season. However, I hate the feeling of being strengthless. We used to have many match-winners like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg. But the existing team can hardly overcome the obstacles they faced. I can name a lot easily, Clichy slip at St Andrews, the 4-4 draw with Spurs at Emirates, all the games against Drogba. They keep disappoints the fans.

I congratuate Spurs fans as they can smile the whole year with this victory. They did not expect their team to win at Emirates so these, including the Champions League football this year, are out of their expectation. Their team are climbing up from a position of middle team to challenge big teams. Being an arsenal fan in hard, you are not satisfied even your team got a second, because you always think the team SHOULD win something.

I am struggling as being a gooner. I missed the old days, the time when the team perform like winners. I loved the club. I look forward to this match for more than a month and spend the whole week to wait for the match. What I get from the match is pain.

I have high expectation to the gunners. At 2-nil up at half time, I expect them to score more to crash their rivals, and to build up their morale to both the midweek Champions League game and next Villa game. I think too much for the table and coming fixture, then Spurs's 3 goals got me back to the current situation.

I support the team since 1998, even when I did not watch them played a single minute. I bought up to 10 Arsenal DVDs to make sure I can always watch the goals when no match is played, and to retaste the wonderful winning memory. As the internet improves and I started not to satisfy with only the goals, I download every single MOTD highlights in recent years so I can watch more. I loved playing football video games, and I used Arsenal for many years. I follow many Arsenal's fans in twitter, as well as some Arsenal's players and I read their Tweets everyday. With all these, arsenal is just surronding me.

I understand the ability of the players from the replay, the news, the computer games. So I know they are capable to win something. There is no real difficulty to win against the fucking Spurs.

I almost cry after the final whistle.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]