再会啦！阿都拉

作者／唐南发专栏 Mar 30, 2009 11:22:10 am

【乱石崩云／唐南发专栏】巫统党选尘埃落定，阿都拉巴达威正式结束主席任期。新任主席纳吉周内行将就任首相一职，对于过去经历马哈迪长达22年领导的年轻国人而言，马来西亚在六年内再度更换国家最高领导人确实不寻常。

犹记得阿都拉在2004年3月以狂风扫落叶的姿态赢得大选时，我曾对新加坡媒体表示以马来西亚人的“善良”，只要新首相能借强大的民意基础，大刀阔斧抓党内外改革，特别是在肃贪和整顿公务员体系方面交出成绩，要在布城住上十年并非难事。

往后局势的发展再再显示我高估了阿都拉，他虽居高位，心态上却不过把自己当作高级公务员，谆谆告诫有余，殚谋戮力不足；就学识和视野而言，皆乏善可陈。尽管如此，马来西亚在他“治理”期间虽然没有在经济上取得长足进展，却意外地开拓了言论和结社自由的空间。

然 而，巫统是个靠朋党利益维系生存的政党，断无法忍受其领袖的无为作风。早在2004年9月，党内就已策谋强力反扑，阿都拉派系的多名候选人在党选中人仰马 翻，使他从此受制于因恐惧利益受损而集结在一起的力量；最明显的例子，就是他在2006年初向党内势力妥协，提出不汤不水的“选择性公开招标”，公然违反 本身大选时许下要全面落实政府工程公开招标的承诺。在马来西亚特殊的情境中，所谓“选择性”其实就是继续黑箱作业。阿都拉下台前夕，国人望穿秋水仍然不见 有任何重大的政府工程开放给私人界竞争。

“输了，就输了”

阿都拉也并非没有优点，对于民间力量一再挑战政府权威，他都选择容忍；在野党迅速崛起，他也消极应对。除了偶尔发生较为严重的警民冲突事件外，阿都拉个人在任内几乎不动用暴力对付民众，有别于烈火莫熄时代马哈迪的武力镇压和从而产生的寒蝉效应。

阿 都拉或许以为他的沉默或退让是一种民主精神的体现，又或者他自认是虔诚的回教徒，行事为人必须符合真主教导，间接让民众看到他和马哈迪枭雄个性的区别，但 巫统素来只讲拳头，不讲教义。去年3月8日全国大选失去几个州政权和联邦国会内的三分二多数席优势后，阿都拉一句“输了，就输了”虽然博得民众喝彩，党内 却因此弥漫着政权崩溃的深层忧惧。槟州峇东埔补选，安华漂亮胜出；瓜拉登嘉楼一役，回教党巩固了马来人选民的支持。

对 民众而言，这些都是民主成果，但对巫统的诸侯而言，无疑是丧钟。一个靠“劈友”扩张势力的政党，如何能容忍其老大眼见马仔被揍得脸青鼻肿之后，还目无表情 地一句“真主会惩罚他们的”？相比之下，纳吉在霹雳州策动的政变乃久旱后的甘霖，这位敢带头去“开片”的老二顿时成了救星，也预示阿都拉大权旁落的开始。

巫统大会的羞辱

进 一步，退两步，是阿都拉任期的最大特征；在关键时刻缺乏斗志，也是他个人最大的弱点。他的任期虽有五年之久，却因为毫无建树，不足以成为一个时代；至于其 他国阵领袖把他称为“民主之父”，则是吹捧过头了，毕竟他在体制改革方面交了超大的一张白卷。从威权统治迸裂到民主化，朝野政党和民间必须有民主转型的意 愿，阿都拉个人显然没有如此的壮志；而巫统为了维系统治，也不惜全面回归极权主义。说什么“后308乱象”是“民主转型的阵痛”，简直就是太抬举马来西亚 当前的政治局势了。

巫统大会闭幕前，马哈迪突然进场成为焦点，夺去阿都拉的锋芒。（光华日报提供）

走 到首相任期的终点，阿都拉唯一能聊以自慰的就是其“妙选”的东床凯里在险恶的竞争中当上了巫统青年团团长。不过，如今纳吉团队已然成形，马哈迪的旧部也重 新归队，凯里当下的选择只有靠拢新首相，暂时委曲求全，俯首帖耳，以时间换取空间，未来几年断不可能培养本身的势力。加上任内没有充分照顾到朋党利益，阿 都拉很难在卸任后发挥如马哈迪般的影响力。非不为，乃不能也。

正 是由于阿都拉种种性格上的弱点，才导致一位民众仰首期盼的首相最终沦为跛脚鸭；但也因为他看得开，才能忍受巫统党大会结束前，马哈迪风光进场的安排。党代 表的掌声象征了马哈迪的最终胜利，也凸显了阿都拉的失败。然而，既然拉伯能够接受这种羞辱方式，吾人亦无须悲愤，只要祝福他老人家今后含饴弄孙，安享余年 即可。

鄭丁賢‧凱里和呂布

2009-03-29 19:22

巫統大會謝幕，所有黨領袖都獲得掌聲；然而，介紹凱里時，場內噓聲一片。

場面十分尷尬，凱里被認為是大會的一個遺憾，就好像一鍋精心泡製的鮑魚粥，掉進了一粒甚麼東西，破壞了應有的完美。

巫統代表們，唉，其實你們不懂納吉的心。

凱里，絕對是納吉的一粒棋，是很好用的棋子；今天巫統裡的凱里，正好像三國時代的呂布。

大家都討厭呂布，害怕呂布，還得防

備呂布。但是，討厭是一回事，利用是另一回事。

真正打天下的人，從早期的董卓、王允和袁紹，都必須把呂布招到麾下。後來的劉備和曹操，也打呂布的主意，直到把他利用到盡為止。

原因很簡單，人中呂布，馬中赤兔。他的戰鬥力，無人能及，有了呂布，如虎添翼；打天下，不能少了他。

目前是納吉打天下的時候。改造巫統，對抗民聯，爭取新生代馬來人的支持，這些都是艱巨的工程。

慕克力能嗎？基爾行嗎？納吉很清楚。

基爾的紀錄，說明一切，不用再談。

慕克力是聽話的孩子。他的背後，有一個巨人，叫做馬哈迪。慕克力中選的話，就把老人家真正帶回巫統，難搞！

剩下的，只有凱里。

凱里像呂布，有鵠鴻之志，虓虎之勇，英奇之略；缺少的，就是一個靠山。呂布到處找靠山，凱里也是一樣。

阿都拉下台，不代表凱里就倒了。他搶到了巫青團長這個山頭，接下來，就需要納吉這座大山為後盾。

很多人都以為納吉和凱里形同水火；錯了，兩人的關係並非外界想像中的惡劣。

過去，4樓辦公室和納吉的辦公室，其實有良好的互動和合作。凱里相當尊重這位前輩，納吉也不為難這個晚輩。

納吉樂意接納凱里，除了要善用他的才幹之外，也不難加以駕馭。

固然，凱里還是阿都拉的女婿，但是，伯拉已經準備歸隱田園，做陶淵明去了。這點，讓納吉很放心。

當然，凱里最終必須打造自己的江山，否則，難免步入呂布的宿命。

星洲日報／馬荷加尼‧作者：鄭丁賢‧2009.03.29

http://opinions.sinchew-i.com/node/9298?tid=17

LIVERPOOL 5-0 ASTON VILLA

Liverpool's unforeseen excellence

By Richard Jolly
(Archive)

March 22, 2009

Now, once again, Anfield expects. Liverpool's previous Premier League home game, against Sunderland, was notable for the air of resignation. The title, once again, was bound for Old Trafford and if Rafa Benitez did not actually acknowledge it, it was only due to the Spaniard's stubbornness.

GettyImages

Aston Villa keeper Brad Friedel picks himself up after conceding the third at Anfield

Yet Benitez has only won trophies at Anfield in utterly improbable fashion and Liverpool's renewed assault on the top of the table has come with a sizeable surprise factor. Theirs is the most emphatic of comebacks, capped by a five-goal demolition of a side who recently recorded seven successive away wins.

Hope can be the cruellest emotion, but now their supporters can hope again. Their optimism can be allied with the belief, confidence and momentum the players possess. Manchester United have the one-point advantage and the game in hand but, perhaps, the more frayed nerves. ''We need to do our job and wait for United to make mistakes,'' said Benitez. ''Now we are closer, but still they are in a much better position.''

But there is an element of role reversal. Now the streets surrounding Anfield are patrolled by traders selling T-shirts mocking Sir Alex Ferguson. Now the chants of ''Rafa's cracking up'' are the ironic songs of the Liverpool supporters. They have a tendency to deify managers and, after beating Real Madrid 4-0, Manchester United 4-1 and Aston Villa 5-0, there is a religious fervour to the more traditional choruses of Benitez's name.

If Istanbul was the most remarkable 120 minutes (plus penalties) of his five-year tenure, this represents the greatest fortnight.

Liverpool have tended to be a side capable of great displays rather than a great team, but they have mustered three in succession. The predictable part of their unforeseen excellence has been the brilliance of Steven Gerrard. The captain's latest tour de force incorporated a hat-trick that took him past the 20-goal barrier for the third time in four seasons.

For the third time in three games, however, Gerrard's brilliance was complemented by his team's. Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso were dominant in midfield, a resurgent Albert Riera exerted a major influence on the left flank and in attack Fernando Torres' lithe and graceful running troubled Villa. In many respects, it ranks as another bewildering development that Liverpool struck five times without a Torres goal.

The perfectionist at the helm was certainly hoping for more. Benitez's initial reaction to the rout was a lament that Liverpool's victory was not larger, even though their goal difference is now greater than United's. He said: ''I wanted more goals. We had some chances to do better on counter-attack. It was really important to take your chances and you never know what can happen with the goal difference. It's something we could improve.''

Others detected less room for improvement, especially as Liverpool have rectified their habit of starting slowly. At Anfield, tempo, rather than tactics, can be the key. Liverpool's was high, and so was their level of performance. They won a corner in the first minute, forced Brad Friedel to make a save in the second, were ahead by the eighth and had a three-goal lead at half-time.

The breakthrough came with an emphatic finish from Dirk Kuyt after Alonso met Gerrard's free kick with a glancing header that rebounded back off the bar to the Dutchman.

Villa had their direct moments, but Liverpool managed to take route one for their second goal. It was, nonetheless, one to remember and it was made in Spain, though the creative talents of Alonso and Torres weren't required. Instead, Jose Reina should be credited with a rare assist. His punt forward travelled some 80 yards and was allowed to bounce - something that should prompt an inquest in the Villa defence - for Riera to strike a glorious half-volley that crashed in off the underside of the bar.

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Gerrard celebrates sealing his hat-trick

The left winger, enjoying a renaissance after a midwinter slump in form, played his part in the third goal. He was fouled by Nigel Reo-Coker, whose comparative unfamiliarity with the right-back role was exposed, and Gerrard converted the resulting penalty.

He was as accurate from 20 yards as from 12. After Alonso touched a free kick to him, Gerrard's precise sidefoot defeated Friedel. Then, when the goalkeeper, albeit inadvertently, halted Torres in full flight, he was dismissed. Gerrard beat another Brad - substitute goalkeeper Guzan - with a very similar spot kick.

It means the longest unbroken appearance record in the Premier League will end when Friedel is suspended for the trip to Old Trafford in a fortnight. Martin O'Neill said: ''I don't think Brad's gone out and made a deliberate attempt to upend him; quite the opposite, he makes himself smaller. The fact is that the referee has interpreted it as a penalty and a sending-off on top of it.''

The result brooked no complaints: ''We have played poorly today. There's no getting away from it. We have given some really lousy goals away and we have contributed to our own downfall.'' His analysis of the title race was succinct: ''After today, it won't concern me.'' Interest in Liverpool, however, is growing.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Steven Gerrard
It was the sort of performance to support Zinedine Zidane's theory that the Liverpool captain is the best player in the world. On current form, he is certainly the best in the league.

LIVERPOOL VERDICT: It was another outstanding performance. What bodes well for them is that several players, including Mascherano and Fabio Aurelio, have found much their best form of the season in its closing stages.

ASTON VILLA VERDICT: It may seem perverse to start with a positive, but the recalled John Carew improved the attack. But for two fine saves from Reina, he could have equalised. However, the ease with which Villa were over-run after the second goal must be a concern for a team who have not won in eight games. Some of the defending was substandard and right-back Reo-Coker endured a particularly awful afternoon.

WELCOME BACK: It was a miserable return to Anfield for former Reds Emile Heskey and Friedel. Both were granted generous ovations by the Liverpool support when taken and sent off respectively.

TOMKINS: REDS ARE COMING UP THE HILL

Paul Tomkins 23 March 2009
	Sloppy, disjointed, lacklustre. Thankfully, this was only injury time; the preceding 90 minutes were electric, the Kop ecstatic.
And you know it's a good day when the opposing fans resort to ironic chants. It's fair to say that we all know who the big Liverpool stars are. Home-grown lads Gerrard and Carragher win countless plaudits, and rightly so. And Fernando Torres is idolised. But almost five years in, this is now very much Rafa's team. It is one that he has fully shaped. From his predecessor's days, only Gerrard and Carragher remain in the first team, albeit in different positions to where they played up to 2004. (As an aside, only one other player remains from the days of Gérard Houllier: Sami Hyypia endures as a valuable squad member; one I hope to see at Anfield until he's 40. He has that naturally lean look that saw Teddy Sheringham go on to the same age, and with little pace to lose and much intelligence to use, I see no end in sight for the big Finn, if he plays in a good team. If I were him, I wouldn't want to be in a ropey defence at that age.) Anyway, this side is about much more than the three much-vaunted stars. It is, in every sense of the word, a team. The next three most appreciated players are probably Reina, Mascherano and Alonso; a trio who, in my opinion, are as good as anyone in the league in their respective positions. Of the three, Mascherano is the only one to struggle a bit this season, perhaps as a result of the Olympic games. But in recent weeks he's been immense. For a little man he's a real giant. Goalkeepers get the lion's share of the credit for clean sheet records, but the team clearly plays its part. Even so, Reina deserves great acclaim for reaching 100 clean sheets faster than any other Liverpool keeper. Not only that, he is one of the most creative keepers, too. A clearance to him is a chance to start a move, not merely eradicate danger or get rid of the ball. No-one can match his distribution. Liverpool play some great passing football, but rightly aren't afraid of a direct ball either. Mixing things up is vital. I have also always been a massive fan of Xabi Alonso. But the previous two seasons were disrupted by injury and led to indifferent form, certainly by the standards he set in his first two campaigns. Thankfully he's not only back in form this season, but better than ever. He's a joy to watch. Of the six players named so far, four were signed by Benítez, while the other two he remodelled. They have his stamp all over them. Another near-faultless player is Martin Skrtel, who had a nightmare start against non-league Havant & Waterlooville (that cost me the last of my hair), but has barely put a foot (or his close-shaven head) wrong since. Daniel Agger, an immensely talented centre-back I love to watch, has struggled to dislodge the Slovakian, even in his few periods of full fitness after two bad injuries. I try to laud the more unsung heroes, often because rather than given credit they can find themselves unfairly criticised. Some players will split the opinion of the fans, simply because we all appreciate different things. But you have to learn to appreciate what it is that individuals offer, and how they compliment one and other. You need contrasting styles, different strengths. I do still despair at the minority who focus on Dirk Kuyt's shortcomings rather than his attributes. For a centre-forward he's not especially prolific, but for a wide midfielder he contributes massively. His movement is superb, largely because he mixes intelligence with great stamina and heart. And in the last two years, he has scored an incredible amount of important goals. His finishes took the Reds to the semi-final of the Champions League last season, and into the group stages this time. He also took two massive penalties at Goodison Park last season, the second in injury time to win the game. Rather incredibly, this year his 10 goals have all been vital: either the team's first in a match, which he's done seven times, and/or late, late goals to help win games for the Reds (four times) and salvage a draw (once). Go and check: not a single 'luxury' or consolation goal in there. Ten solid gold goals. Some goalscorers rack up high figures in routs, or bang one in when the opposition is easing off with a big lead, but goal difference aside, they can be meaningless. Kuyt's great strike against Villa was just the latest in a long line of telling contributions. While Kuyt offers a bit of everything on the right flank, on the left Albert Riera has usurped Ryan Babel as the tricky left-winger. I despaired at some fans recently writing off the Spaniard after a sticky couple of months, but anyone with eyes could surely appreciate his skill and awareness in the first half of the season. English football is gruelling, and while Riera had adapted to the pace of the game in terms of time on the ball (perhaps due to his four months at Man City in 2006), it's another challenge to keep bright and bubbly for 10 months of unrelentingly tough matches; even the artless teams make you work hard in England. So remember, form is temporary, class is permanent. This also applies to Alvaro Arbeloa, who started with a bang by marking Lionel Messi out of both legs against Barcelona in 2007, after only arriving that January. His first half-season was a big success, but last year I was less impressed. However, he has responded in real style, and after a very good season so far has been better than ever in recent weeks, particularly in getting forward with skill, pace and energy. All of the players listed above are pretty much regular starters. It's a right they've earned, but there can be no doubt that it's harder for players who are in and out of the side. It's virtually impossible to keep international-class talents happy as bit-part players. Liverpool wanted to keep Peter Crouch, but with his contract running down he opted for regular football, which I understand and respect. He knew he would never find his best form in and out of the side, but equally that he would never displace a fit Fernando Torres. It's impossible to say either way, but I suspect had he still been at Liverpool, the Reds would have picked up more points during Torres' spells on the sidelines, and helped as a sub in some of the draws, but that's life. One player who might have felt frustrated but accepts the situation is Yossi Benayoun. In the first half of the season he wanted more playing time, which is a healthy desire, but in the second half of the season, before injury struck, his form was earning him it. In that sense, he's been the perfect squad player. Then there's Fabio Aurelio, who has been in and out of the side due to injury more than anything else. It seems he still can't play a lot of games in quick succession, but the left-back spot appears to be his right now (although Dossena is still adjusting, and Insua will only get better, at just 20). Until this season I felt the Brazilian was a 'good' player at best. He had that great game against Arsenal, in the 4-1 win, but then his Achilles' tendon snapped. It seemed he'd regularly come in to the side after an injury, looking short of match sharpness, then get injured again. And despite a great free-kick technique, they never seemed to trouble the keeper enough. This season he's shown me that he's a much better player than I believed, which goes to show two things: players can improve even at 29, and after three years in England; and that the manager will know what his players are capable of, even if they are not delivering at a specific point in time. At both ends of the pitch he's been superb, and looks an absolute bargain. Part of the challenge a manager faces is having everyone fit at the same time, and everyone in form at the same time. There's no magic wand to do this. Right now, it's hard to find a Liverpool player out of form; part of this is down to a shared confidence, but also down to fitness. Confidence on the ball often comes from your own sense of physical well-being. Tired or partially-injured players will naturally make more mistakes, which then negatively affects their confidence, and the cycle turns vicious. When preparing for this season, Benítez and his staff had Fernando Torres, after a long and intense first season in England, late back due to his further efforts for Spain. With him were several other colleagues, as the Reds suffered most in terms of the lack of a summer break. Then you had Mascharano and Babel, who were two of Rafa's biggest buys, jetting off to Japan for the Olympics, with the latter at the time still not fully recovered from the injury sustained for Holland earlier in the summer. Subsequently neither found their top form in a game for Liverpool before March. Coincidence? Torres then picks up a series of hamstring injuries, mainly with Spain, and Gerrard sustains several niggling problems. Skrtel misses several months, while Agger is finally injury free but lacking match fitness. Benayoun is Liverpool's best player in February but then misses March. Insua, after four excellent games, is taken by Argentina to the South American U20 championship. You can talk about the strength of the squad, and the tactics or selections of the manager, but it often gets overlooked how having fit and firing players can make all the difference. And this year, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have been more adversely affected by injuries to their key players than United, who have a bigger squad anyway. Liverpool are playing no differently of late in terms of tactics, but now enough players are injury free and sharp. And rather than miss great chances, they're all flying in right now, making this supposedly cautious side the Premiership's top scorers (and England's top scorers in Europe), even with Torres missing more games than he's played and the sale of one of the strikers. It shows how good this team really is, now that the key men are fit and enough of them are on song. And that has stoked life into the title charge. My suspicion is that Manchester United might probably still edge it, aided by the timing of this international break (just as they seem to be self-destructing) and Liverpool's infinitely harder draw in the Champions League, that will test the fitness and hunger of the Reds to the limit, not to mention Chelsea too. But even if they do edge it (and they'll probably enjoy it all the more because of our raised hopes), they would do well to stop and think about the statement made by Liverpool Football Club in the past fortnight, added to the clear progress made overall this season. To quote the Kop choir, the Reds are coming up the hill, boys. The Reds are coming up the hill.

TOMKINS: FERGUSON IS WRONG

Paul Tomkins 23 March 2009
	Thankfully, most media outlets seem to have seen the massive inaccuracy in Alex Ferguson's figures relating to Liverpool's spending.
That he should even choose to come out with such figures in the first place is interesting, given his rather undignified reaction to Rafa's 'fact' press conference a couple of months back. I'm also still smiling over his 'we were the better side' comments following their total humiliation last week, which every neutral I've spoken to found hilarious. That United played so well was obviously the reason Old Trafford was so empty in the last 10 minutes. He's also had a pop by excluding Rafa's name from the best managers in the league, which seems a bit childish for a pensioner. You can't argue with Ferguson's success as a manager, but you can with some of the things he says. This season may be a learning curve for Liverpool, with the league United's to lose even before their two main rivals were drawn against each other in the Champions League (which yet means the teams aspiring to catch United play each other in titanic, exhausting battles, as seen with Chelsea and Arsenal facing Liverpool last season while United get the easy draw.) But the United manager is clearly worried, particularly as stability has been put in place at Anfield regarding the manager's future. That the United manager should already be talking about Liverpool's future spending is fascinating. Why do so, unless he's worried? Ferguson talks about the young players United have signed, and bizarrely says that Rafa, a man who started out in youth development, does things differently. Perhaps Torres, Reina, Alonso, Mascherano, Agger, Lucas, Babel and Skrtel weren't all young players – aged 20-23 – when Rafa signed them after all, and all the teenage talent brought to the club, including Insua, Nemeth, Pacheco, Plessis and Ngog, is just a mirage? How many players in their 30s has Rafa brought to the club? I can't think of one before or after Pellegrino, at 33, in 2005. Nor one as old as Henrik Larsson or Edwin van der Sar. Robbie Keane was the oldest major signing Benítez has made, and perhaps the fact that he turns 29 this summer was why he was shipped out so quickly; at that age, if it doesn't look like it's working, you can't bide your time, particularly if a good offer comes in before the age-related depreciation takes place. But the major flaw in Ferguson's argument is the fact that he already had half of his squad in place in 2004 when Rafa arrived. He hasn't needed to rebuild an entire squad from scratch, merely add the £15m-£30m adornments. Rafa has clearly had to deal in quantity to cover all positions, but Ferguson has had the luxury of looking solely at quality. So the two situations are poles apart. Ferguson had already spent big on players like Rio Ferdinand before Rafa pitched up. He already had the players who emerged because of his youth system, which took almost seven years to bear fruit beyond one player (Giggs emerged in year five). Benítez would only be at that stage in 2011. Indeed, if you add together every single player Rafa has bought (and there have been around 60, many of whom were mere kids), it still does not reach the total cost of United's current squad. Even if you also add the cost of those players Rafa inherited who are still at the club (and there are just three), it still does not reach the total cost of United's current squad. Including players out on loan (but not the full Tevez fee due this summer), United's squad costs over £215m, compared with Liverpool's £134m. Let me remind you of what I said a few weeks back: “Unless Ferguson is banned from fielding players like Ferdinand and Ronaldo (which would be illogical), or forced to start from scratch in 2004 (again illogical), it is not a fair comparison, is it? – I mean, come on, use your brain for a second here.” Benítez is trying to overturn an established superpower, one that still has a dozen-or-so players who predate his arrival in England. Rafa has just three who were good enough and young enough to endure (not that Hyypia was young, but like Giggs he is evergreen). As well as buy players, Rafa has had to change the culture of the club to fit in with his ideas, as all managers do; Ferguson did that 20 years ago. It's why it took him so long to win the title, as you cannot change things overnight. Unless Benítez was going to try and compete for honours with the likes of Diao, Cheyrou, and Diouf, or players like Smicer, Dudek, Hamann and Henchoz, who are now all in their mid-30s (and therefore had a very short shelf-life), or injury-prone stars like Harry Kewell, Liverpool needed a fairly complete overhaul. Particularly as Owen and Heskey had left, and Djibril Cissé was about to arrive, all of which had been pretty much decided before Rafa took the job. (Also, including Cissé as a Benítez signing only further skews the figures.) So the inaccuracies are clear for all to see. But let's switch things a little. How did Ferguson overtake Liverpool? The situation was very similar to that now, even if it was a long time ago now. Remember, both Ferguson and Benítez arrived aged 44, and inherited squads that had averaged 4th over the previous four seasons, and finished 4th the season before they arrived. All the fours, then! Each had a massive burden of expectation, brought about by a desperately long wait for the title. Alex Ferguson's average league position in his first five seasons at United was 8.6 (11th, 2nd, 11th, 13th, and 6th). Benítez's, if Liverpool finish only 3rd this season, will be 3.6. But Ferguson faced in Liverpool in the '80s an established team with a top-class manager. He couldn't get close to Dalglish during their time in the respective dugouts. Ferguson spent more money between 1986 and February 1991 (£12.8m gross, £9.87m net) than Dalglish managed in his six seasons (£12.5m gross, but only £5.77m net), but got nowhere near to toppling the Reds in that time. So United's net spend was virtually twice that of Liverpool, and yet Ferguson still didn't trouble Dalglish. The money Ferguson spent wisely in the late '80s on players like Ince, Pallister, Hughes and Bruce took four years to have any effect on the league title. This is only Torres and Mascherano's second season. So why did Ferguson spend so much more than Dalglish? Well, Dalglish (like Ferguson in 2004) had a lot of his squad already in place. Grobbelaar, Hansen, McMahon, Whelan and Nicol all spanned the entire period when Dalglish and Ferguson managed the two English superpowers. (Liverpool raised £3.2m from selling Ian Rush in 1987, but the Reds also spend almost as much to bring him back a year later.) Those men formed the heart of Dalglish's Liverpool. They were five players who didn't need to be signed between 1986 and 1991; the kind of quality that could cost a king's ransom if they hadn't already been snapped up before at the top of their powers. Ian Rush, the sixth name, also had a Liverpool connection which meant that although he needed to be re-signed, it was a relatively easy deal because of his time at Anfield. Of course, Rush's initial departure led to the greatest influx of talent seen under Dalglish: the wonderful quartet of Aldridge, Beardsley, Barnes and Houghton. So Dalglish was partly 'blessed' in that Rush, whom he inherited, at least raised enough money to rebuild the attack upon his transfer. Ferguson has enjoyed similar bonuses more recently: selling his best players for big fees as they approached their 30s (such as Stam, Beckham and Van Nistelrooy). Such sales now help keep Ferguson's net spend down, but in his first five years he couldn't get such impressive sums for Ron Atkinson's flops. So his net spend was very high for the times. Again, make the comparison with Benítez and the likes of Diao and Cheyrou, who raised nothing. Benítez never had such a luxury. Owen's value wasn't great due to his contract situation, leaving £10m less coming in. The only seriously saleable asset was Steven Gerrard. The biggest profits Rafa has made have been on players he himself bought: Crouch, Bellamy, Sissoko. Of course, he hasn't been in the job long enough to sell his real gems, in the way Ferguson and Wenger (with Henry and Vieira) have picked the perfect time to cash in on world-class players aged 29/30/31. If Rafa wanted to sell Torres he could make a massive profit, but thankfully the striker still has five years before he even reaches 30. So it's not relevant. Ideally, Torres would score loads of goals, win Liverpool titles, and return to his beloved Atletico no earlier than 2014 for a big fee. Therefore you cannot ignore the way Ferguson overcame Liverpool – not by spending more, but by spending twice the amount. So there you have it. It took the resignation of Dalglish to open the way for Ferguson, who had spent twice as much money but only averaged 9th place between 1986 and 1991. No wonder United fans wanted him out in 1990. But it just goes to show how difficult it is to overtake a side that already has the momentum, but that the best managers get there in the end. If Ferguson is thinking back to how he did so, then no wonder he's feeling worried.

鄭丁賢‧納吉的副手

2009-03-16 20:03

如果你是CEO，你會怎樣選擇副手？

有兩種選擇──

其一、找一個精明能幹，能夠獨當一面的人物；

其二、找一個庸庸碌碌，不會威脅你的地位的平凡角色。

前者可以為你分擔責任，提升公司業績；然而，由於他的強勢，有可能不太聽話，有點難搞，甚至他日可能爬過頭，把你取代。

後者才華和能力有限，不能減輕你的負擔，也不會為公司帶來突破；但是，他沒有強烈企圖心，安分守己，讓你絕對安心。

如果你不是CEO，當然可以拍拍胸膛，表現自己寬大的胸襟，選擇前者。

等你做了CEO，想法就會複雜許多，這是人之常情。

換個位置，即將上位的準首相納吉，又會如何選擇他的副手？

固然，副首相的人選，是來自巫統黨選，由中央代表投票選出；然而，以納吉今天在黨內的地位，巫統各個派系競相歸順臣服，他的意向，依然可以影響選情。

同樣的，他有兩個選擇。一個是經驗豐富，幹練穩重的慕尤丁；另一個是在中央只有副部長資歷，還經常出搥的莫哈末阿里。

慕尤丁擁有民意基礎，領袖素質佳，能夠協助推動巫統和政府的改革。莫哈末阿里則是黨內人緣好，能夠協助整合黨內派系，其它方面，也不必有要求了。

只要納吉表態，其中一人的勝望就會大增。

不過，到目前為止，納吉還是很謹慎，沒有表明立場。

好處在於，他維持中立，不會觸怒任何一方，也尊重代表們的自主權利。

壞處是，如果代表們選出來的人物，不符合他的意願，日後難以配合，那就形同埋下地雷。

納吉的性格深沉而慎密，或許他心裡有數，已經有屬意人選；然而，不到必要時刻，不會輕易開口。

星洲日報／馬荷加尼‧作者：鄭丁賢‧2009.03.16

Koo and Tan back as champions too

PETALING JAYA: It was sweet revenge for Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong when they beat Danes Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen to win the Swiss Open men’s doubles title in Basel yesterday.

The Malaysian second seeds sent Boe-Mogensen packing in 38 minutes, winning the match 21-14, 21-18 to regain the title they won in 2007. It was also their first Super Series title in Europe in almost two years.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who won their last Super Series title at the Denmark Open in October 2007, had lost tamely to the current top Danish pair in the quarter-finals of the All-England in Birmingham last week.

The Malaysian duo came into the final with a gallant 23-21, 18-21, 21-14 win over All-England champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China in the semi-finals on Saturday.

They fought for 56 minutes to earn the title showdown against Boe-Mogensen, who overcame fifth seeds Lee Yong-dae-Shin Baek-choel of South Korea 19-21, 21-19, 21-14.

Winning their first title of the year could see Kien Keat-Boon Heong making their way back among the top four in the world ranking list.

When Kien Keat-Boon Heong last won the Swiss Open title, they were on a hot streak after ending a 25-year men’s doubles title drought for Malaysia at the All-England a week earlier.

Then as a newly-formed pair, they took world badminton by storm and won the gold medal in the Doha Asian Games in December 2006 before claiming the 2007 season-opening Malaysian Open crown as well.

Monday March 16, 2009

Chong Wei turns tables on Lin Dan to regain Swiss Open title

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Chong Wei turned the tables on his bitter rival Lin Dan to regain the Swiss Open men’s singles title in Basel yesterday.

After losing to the Chinese superstar in the final of the preceding All-England in Birmingham last week, Chong Wei, who won the Swiss Open title in 2006 and was the runner-up to Lin Dan last year, gave a much better performance to beat the Olympic champion 21-16, 21-16 in 52 minutes.

Sweet victory: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei (right) posing with Lin Dan of China after their Swiss Open men’s singles final in Basel yesterday. Chong Wei won 21-16, 21-16. — MARKO KUNZ

It was the sixth time in 18 meetings that Chong Wei managed to beat Lin Dan.

His previous win over the Chinese was in the Thomas Cup (world men’s team championship) semi-final tie in Jakarta last May before crashing to tame defeats in the final of the Beijing Olympics, China Open and the All-England.

But yesterday, it was the 27-year-old Chong Wei’s turn to take glory in his fourth consecutive Super Series final appearance this year. He was the champion in the season-opening Malaysian Open and was the runner-up in the Korean Open.

Chong Wei and Lin Dan qualified for the final in contrasting fashions on Saturday.

The Malaysian dropped a game against unheralded Dane Jan O Jorgensen before securing a 21-12, 20-22, 21-9 win in 51 minutes while Lin Dan cruised to a 21-13, 21-14 win over compatriot Chen Jin.

Chong Wei was delighted to get the better of Lin Dan.

Champion’s touch: China’s Wang Yihan returning a shot to Jiang Yanjiao during their Swiss Open women’s singles final yesterday. — AP

“This is also the first title I won outside Malaysia since I became the world No. 1 after the Olympics last August.

“I just told myself I had nothing to lose but to give my best,” he said in a telephone interview. Singles chief coach Rashid Sidek also felt that Chong Wei was able to play because he did not put pressure on himself to win the match.

“Lin Dan did not looked that sharp today and most of his shots were off target. But it did not take anything away from Chong Wei as he still played a quality game,” said Rashid.

In the women’s singles, 21-year-old Wang Yihan bagged a hat-trick of titles in three consecutive tournaments in Europe. The German Open and All-England champion beat compatriot Jiang Yanjiao 21-17, 17-21, 21-13 in 59 minutes to lift the Swiss Open title as well.

TOMKINS: FOUR DAYS IN HEAVEN

TOMKINS: FOUR DAYS IN HEAVEN Paul Tomkins 16 March 2009
	For once I'm almost lost for words. Where do you start after back-to-back results like those? Excluding cup finals and league deciders, I do not think there can have been two better results so close together in the history of the club.
In the grand scheme of things they are only small landmarks – two games – and United remain favourites to land the league title. But as markers of intent and ability, they could prove immense. If Liverpool do go on to win either of the main competitions, these will be seen as the defining moments. If not, they are still boosts to the self-belief and proof of what this team can do against the very best, and help attain future success. Liverpool didn't just beat Real Madrid and Manchester United, they outplayed them and thrashed them. Unlike victories at Old Trafford in the past decade, this was no smash and grab; it was smash, smash and smash again. To do the double over Manchester United and Chelsea and still be outsiders to win the league seems incredible. But it's credit to United for such an unbelievable run going into this game; when Liverpool did stumble in the new year they took full advantage. All the same, United's remarkable clean sheet record was dragged through the Old Trafford mud on Saturday lunchtime. Beyond anything else, this week has gone to show that a fit Gerrard and Torres combination is as good, if not better, than anything in world football. Zinedine Zidane, no less, said Gerrard is the world's best player, and no-one will argue against Torres being the world's best centre-forward. Put them together, and they will tear defences apart. If fit. And whatever you say about the rights and wrongs of Liverpool's season, and the manager's decisions, you cannot dispute the quality that the pair bring, and how the Reds have sorely missed it. Results have been dug out in their absence, because of other top players and a canny manager, but these two are as sharp as any cutting edge gets. Torres still has an ankle problem, but unlike a hamstring, it doesn't affect his pace, and is less psychologically damaging. But even with a strapping holding the joint in place, he tortured the league's best defender this season. Vidic on toast, anyone? A key factor regarding Torres' fitness has been how in both games it took just a long punt to open the scoring. Liverpool can, and do, play pretty intricate football to work openings, but if you have genuine pace up front, allied to skill and strength, you can terrify defenders as renowned as Cannavaro, Ferdinand and Vidic with any kind of pass. Gerrard, like Torres, is also a quick thinker, and when the no.9 wasn't running in behind United's knot-tied defenders, the captain was. Despite this, and despite the pair helping put four past Madrid, Andy Gray was still talking about Benítez being negative in the absence of Alonso (whose injury was another major blow – he and Benayoun have been two of the form players) by not dropping Gerrard back into midfield. Gray made some fair observations, but this wasn't one of them. When will people get – or maybe just accept – just how good Gerrard is right up alongside Torres? When will people see the Liverpool captain as a quicksilver version of Kenny Dalglish? – not quite as brilliant as the great Scot in some respects (who could be?), but arguably just as devastating playing off the main striker. Gerrard now has more goals than any United striker this term, by playing this role. Yes, he's great in central midfield, too. But please, let's not accuse the manager of negativity when this formation has helped thump the double Spanish, English and European champions in the space of four days, with eight goals to just one in reply! It's true that Alonso and Mascherano aren't prolific, but it's not like United are getting 25 goals a season from this position. United's pair of Anderson and Carrick have two league goals between them, the same as Liverpool's. Giggs and Scholes, who also play there a lot, are undeniably ageing well, but are no longer goalscorers; they have one league goal each this season. It's like judging them on their abilities of five years ago. Ditto Gerrard, who was averaging six goals a season in midfield in 2004, before Benítez turned him into a 20-a-season man playing in the hole. Until last season, Gerrard didn't look totally convincing in the role, particularly against the best sides. Now he's excelled there against Chelsea, Madrid and United in the past month or so. Part of this is due to his own improvement due to gaining experience in the position, and part of it is down to the introduction of Torres and Mascherano in front and behind him, and the much improved form of Alonso. In other words, the team is getting better, to provide him with a stronger platform. United also tend to play Park or Fletcher on one side and Ronaldo on the other; the same wide-midfielder/winger combination as the Reds. While Liverpool have no-one to match Ronaldo's remarkable record of goals from the flank, Kuyt has easily outscored Park and Fletcher put together, while Riera, Babel or Benayoun can also notch goals. (And any Kuyt doubters, look at his run to help Gerrard win the penalty. Top class movement.) I won't deny that Liverpool still lack a little of the all-encompassing depth of United's squad, and that's a reason why, over the long haul, it's proved hard to win the league. But even some of the less-heralded squad members have shown their qualities this week, not least Andrea Dossena, who has picked a great time to show the attacking instincts he was bought for (even if the non-stop, lung-busting gruel of getting up-and-back in the Premiership from left-back has been a big culture shock), and Lucas, who showed great heart on Saturday, and despite the odd mistake was generally excellent. Resources So why not play like this every week? As I've been saying for a few weeks, Benítez has had to sell his own signings in order to buy better, more expensive ones; trading his way up with a lot of transfer activity (making for a big, distorting gross spend), but rather than shelling out almost £200m, the reality is that he's been recycling funds, leaving a low net spend. United's current squad is roughly £80m more expensive than the Reds'. The gap in squad funding is immense, in no small part due to United's success on the pitch at the precise point the English game became a cash cow (while Liverpool's own great success was in a far less profitable era), and from being able to develop their stadium while Anfield remained largely land-locked. Look at it like this: even if you include every single player Benítez has bought, the total still doesn't add up to what United's current squad cost to assemble. Now, if in times of injury and fatigue, Liverpool had been able to also call upon Peter Crouch, Craig Bellamy, Luis Garcia, Momo Sissoko and various other players bought and sold by the boss, then would the squad be a lot stronger? Undoubtedly. But those players were sold as part of a process of improvement; without selling Bellamy and Garcia, Torres probably does not arrive; without selling Sissoko, Mascherano probably does not arrive. And the wages are a problem, too; it's not cheap to keep a big squad together. Just look at the two teams at Old Trafford. United's starting XI cost £45m more than Liverpool's, and their 18-man squad cost £176m to the Reds' £105m. That's a chasm. United have every right to spend more money on their squad, if they generate such amounts; but let's not enter into this mythological world created by United fans and myopic media mouthpieces to make out Benítez has had equal spending power. He hasn't. I also keep hearing that when teams like Everton fail to finish above Liverpool, or even get close, it's because of their lesser resources; David Moyes is still lauded as a genius, though. Meanwhile, Rafa Benítez is often lambasted even though he has worked miracles in Europe, and, domestically, has Liverpool currently punching at the same weight as a £200m+ über-squad (that of Chelsea, with a similar squad cost to United), despite a collection of players that only cost around 60% as much. Isn't this hypocritical? Can't people see this? Moyes has taken seven years to make Everton a very good side; Benítez has taken five to turn what was a decidedly average Liverpool team into a very, very good side indeed, bordering on excellent (if still not perfect), with only the 5th-most expensive squad currently in the Premiership. Hypocrisy abounds. Rafa is seen as someone who doesn't understand or prioritise English football, even though he's racked up his first 100 league wins in 50 fewer games than Alex Ferguson. Again, I'm not arguing that Liverpool are now better than United, merely that Benítez be judged fairly, based on facts. As another example of misconceptions, a lot of people appear to be criticising Benítez's substitutions this season, simply because he doesn't go for broke at half-time with bravado switches. And yet Liverpool have scored more second-half goals than any other Premiership team, and a whopping 24 in the last 15 minutes of games! Look at vital goals against both Madrid sides in the last ten minutes of Champions League games, or Kuyt's winner in the last minute of extra-time against Liege. Look at all the last-gasp winners in the league. Does this not suggest that, more often than not, the manager has been proved right? Does this not suggest positive changes were made, either with personnel or tactics, or that in some instances, no changes were right, too? The fact is, Liverpool have never been this well placed at this stage of a season since the league was re-branded in 1992; when I saw the figures a couple of games ago the Reds were five points better off than at any point in the past 18 years (going back to 1991, when the Reds trailed off in the spring following Dalglish's shock departure), and since then it's been six points from six. To go from a reasonably distant 4th to winning the title in one season is a big ask, particularly when the holders are also European champions. Even if the dream of the title ultimately proves a step too far, the Reds can go to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge with extra confidence from now on. There is still work to be done, improvements to be made. But that's why I've always trusted Benítez; I've never felt that anyone could guarantee Liverpool the league title (given the odds stacked against the Reds these days), but I have felt that at least he has the unerring perfectionism that will drive him, and the team, on. Yes, he persists with some players out of form, but simply because he knows what they are capable of (as seen this week), and trusts that his belief in them can help them succeed; but anyone who doesn't do what he needs them to is quickly sold, as better replacements are sought. Without the ability to spend £30m a time on a number of players, it becomes a slower process – sorting the wheat from the chaff; keeping the good signings and moving on those who don't cut it. Unfortunately, every time he does this, a club like United, who were already more advanced in their evolution, can go and spend £32m on a single player, while the league as a whole strengthens (see Aston Villa as an example). So if Liverpool are not yet at that level we so crave, anyone who cannot see a marked improvement this season is missing the overall picture and choosing to just fixate on the negatives. The progress may not be in giant steps, but it's not in baby steps either. And that's good enough for me.

Manchester United 1 - 4 Liverpool

Torres took advantage of a Vidic error to score.

Scoring Summary
Manchester United	Liverpool
Cristiano Ronaldo (pen 23)	Fernando Torres (28)
	Steven Gerrard (pen 44)
	Fabio Aurelio (77)
	Andrea Dossena (90)

Benitez's men back in the race

Rafael Benitez might end up having the last laugh after all as his Liverpool side hauled themselves back into the title fight with a decisive 4-1 hammering of 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Merseyside giants battled back from a goal down to defeat the Premier League leaders in clinical fashion, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard turning the match on its head before the break, with Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena easing Liverpool well clear before the end.

In contrast, it was an day to forget for Nemanja Vidic, who gifted Torres the equaliser before being sent off against Liverpool for second time this season as Benitez's side reduced United's lead at the top to four points, albeit having played a game more.

It represented Liverpool's biggest win at United since 1936 and could yet trigger an amazing championship revival.

Liverpool were the ones who needed the win and there appeared an extra sharpness about them from the start, especially Torres who gave the Red Devils defence a torrid time.

Once Jamie Carragher had recovered his composure after being unsettled by a late switch to right-back because of Alvaro Arbeloa's late withdrawal, they had the edge in vital areas, the hosts no better than their nervy first-half display against Inter Milan in midweek.

Indeed, it was a surprise when United went ahead.

Pepe Reina read Carlos Tevez's through ball for Park Ji-sung well enough but came out too quickly for his own good. When the South Korean nicked the ball away, the Liverpool keeper could not stop.

And though Reina pleaded for leniency, referee Alan Wiley correctly pointed to the spot.

Ronaldo is not the type of player to waste such opportunities and duly dispatched his 17th goal of the season.

Had Sir Alex Ferguson's men been able to hold their advantage for a decent length of time, the visitors might have panicked. But five minutes later Liverpool were level thanks to a rare mistake from Nemanja Vidic.

The Serbian has been virtually foot perfect this season, so much so that he is favourite to win the PFA player of the year award.

But first Vidic let Martin Skrtel's long punt forward bounce when he could have headed it back into the Liverpool half quite easily. Then, he failed to deal with the loose ball, allowing Torres to nip in and streak clear, beating Edwin van der Sar with clinical efficiency.

Conceding one goal was amazing enough for the Red Devils, yet before half-time Liverpool had scored again.

Hull were the last team to score more than once against United in Premier League combat - and that was four-and-a-half months ago.

But when Torres tried to send Gerrard racing into the box and Patrice Evra mis-timed his tackle, the Liverpool skipper found he converted his penalty with the same confidence Ronaldo had shown earlier.

Gerrard's glee was obvious. And Liverpool's lead was fully deserved, condemning Ferguson to his first interval rallying call in league combat at Old Trafford all season.

The Scot injected a greater sense of urgency into his team, even if there was no improvement in their retention of the ball.

Carrick in particular was having a pretty bad day, twice putting his side in danger with wayward passes.

United at least managed to generate some momentum, with Tevez almost getting on the end of a Wayne Rooney knock-back and then rolling a shot on the turn just wide.

Having expressed his `hatred' of Liverpool earlier in the week, the last thing Rooney wanted was to suffer an immediate defeat and a chance for Gerrard - a long-time friend - to gloat.

Yet as time ticked by, that was the fate Rooney was condemned to, especially as Ferguson waited until less than 20 minutes remained before he made the introductions of Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

It is the kind of strength Benitez does not have and one of the major reasons why Liverpool have found themselves on the wrong end of a 14-point swing in fortunes since United returned from their Club World Cup campaign in Japan just before Christmas.

What Liverpool have managed to do this season is beat Chelsea and United, against both of whom they have now registered 'doubles'.

Any hope United had, evaporated within a minute of Ferguson's spectacular triple substitution as another woeful first touch, again from Vidic, left the Serbian little alternative other than to haul down Gerrard.

For the second successive game against Liverpool, it brought Vidic a red card and he was still making his way down the tunnel when Aurelio curled home a superb free-kick.

And Liverpool were not finished as Andrea Dossena lobbed Van der Sar to complete a memorable win, whose significance remains unknown.

Liverpool blow Real Madrid away

By Richard Jolly

March 11, 2009

He may be a faceless bureaucrat or an unknown statistician, but the compiler of UEFA's European club rankings can congratulate himself on his formula. Liverpool, as Rafa Benitez had noted with satisfaction, are placed above all others. He demanded respect, and he should now receive copious quantities. Liverpool produced a performance worthy of the best, humbling Benitez's beloved Real Madrid.

CliveMason/GettyImages

Steven Gerrard celebrates his first goal

Had UEFA's rankings been assessed over 55 years rather than five, first position would have belonged to Real Madrid. This, though, was a salutary warning to arguably the world's biggest club. The gulf was vast, wider than the smiles at Anfield and more pronounced than even the scoreline indicated.

The consequence was that this lacked the tension of some European nights, though Liverpool compensated with their considerable quality. This was a joyous occasion, a cacophonous celebration of brilliance.

At a club where authenticity matters, they were the real deal. Real appeared imposters on the European stage, donning the kit of the club with the greatest tradition in the competition but incapable of competing with their quicker, sharper opponents. It was perhaps the outstanding display of Benitez's five-year reign. It was perhaps the nadir for Real in their five successive exits at this stage. But for the magnificent Iker Casillas, the nine-time winners could have been beaten 9-0.

They were abject, stylishly scythed apart by the sensational Steven Gerrard and the formidable Fernando Torres. Apologies should be proffered. Liverpool's victory in Madrid preceded an outbreak of footballing snobbery in Spain. Real, the implication was, wouldn't win in such a manner. The accusations were directed at a man schooled at the Bernabeu. The rebuttal was swift and emphatic. Boring, boring Benitez? Not a bit of it. The safety-first strategist sent out a team of entertainers, the flicks and tricks belonged to the men in red, the one-touch football rendering it an exhibition performed at blistering speed. Liverpool may have been misers in Madrid; they were adventurers at Anfield.

They could have scored twice within the first four minutes. Real surrendered the moral high ground within 30. They abandoned any pretence they could overturn the one-goal deficit. There was no white storm, no white lightning and precious little white spirit.

"To win any game is important, so it doesn't matter the name of the other team," insisted the happiest Real fan at Anfield, Benitez. "We are top of these rankings because in the last five years we have been very good." The message to his compatriots who had branded him defensive was simple: "Look at the facts, look at the figures. Liverpool scored 119 goals in all competitions last season and that proves something." With typical obstinacy, he ignored invitations to single anyone out, but added: "We played really well from the beginning to the end. We showed today we can play in different ways. We knew that they were expecting us to stay deep and play on the counter-attack."

His outwitted and eliminated counterpart, Juande Ramos, said: "We're very disappointed indeed. We're sad because we are out of the competition. Liverpool were just too good on the night. They were better side and they deserved to go through." Nevertheless, he added: "We conceded two early goals, both of which had their doubts." However, the elements of controversy should not conceal Liverpool's dominance. A sense of injustice should not obscure Real's failings.

Their validity was questioned, but the lead was deserved. When Torres diverted the ball to Dirk Kuyt for the opener, Real claimed a foul on Cannavaro. Yet their statuesque response meant that, when the Dutchman centred, both Gerrard and Torres languished unmarked, the Spaniard tapping in. Accustomed to life at a club who operate in Real's considerable shadow, the former Atletico captain duly rejoiced in front of the visiting Castilians.

LaurenceGriffiths/GettyImages

Ilker Casillas keeps out another shot

Then Gabriel Heinze was adjudged to have handled, when he had actually shouldered, the ball inside the box. Gerrard's 100th European game was already cause for celebration, but his coolly dispatched penalty brought more.

His second of the night made Gerrard the leading scorer in this season's Champions League. After the rampaging Ryan Babel cut the ball back from the left flank, the captain arrived at pace to lift his shot into the roof of the net. It appeared the product of unstoppable momentum, a characteristic of Gerrard at his best. After his departure, the rout was completed by Andrea Dossena, sliding a shot beyond Casillas from Javier Mascherano's low cross.

Casillas deserved better after producing a series of outstanding saves to thwart Torres and Gerrard twice, plus the marauding Mascherano. It meant that the perfectionist at the helm at Anfield was not completely satisfied. "Close," said Benitez. "But we could have scored more goals."

Four was enough to make it Real's heaviest Champions League defeat. Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Julio Iglesias, Sergio Garcia: your boys took one hell of a beating. And it was orchestrated by one of your own.

• MAN OF THE MATCH: Steven Gerrard - There are matches when Gerrard is astonishingly good, and this was one. But for Casillas and his removal when the game was becoming more open, he would have become a rare player to score a hat-trick against Real.

• LIVERPOOL VERDICT: They were absolutely superb. If Gerrard and Torres were the star turns, the tireless Mascherano, the industrious Kuyt, the mercurial Babel and the defiant Jamie Carragher all played their part. Yet the sense of achievement is heightened by a glance at Liverpool's slender squad. The valiant Sami Hyypia aside, the bench comprised of Diego Cavalieri, Dossena, Lucas Leiva, David Ngog, Jay Spearing and Martin Kelly.

• REAL MADRID VERDICT: Apart from Casillas, only the indefatigable Lassana Diarra should escape censure. They were overwhelmed and overpowered. Whether it is the past fixation with galaticos, the revolving door to the manager's office or the penchant for knee-jerk reactions, something is seriously awry for Real, despite their lavish expenditure, to prove this poor.

• JAY'S DAY: With 17 minutes remaining, Benitez brought on Jay Spearing for just his second Liverpool appearance. With the Kop chorusing his name and the local lad tearing around, harassing a demoralised Real side, it scarcely appeared credible.

TOMKINS ON MADRID MAULING - Paul Tomkins 11 March 2009

	When Real Madrid scored six goals in the first half of the league game a few days before the first leg, on the back of a nine-game winning run, the signs were ominous.
In last night's second leg, with a deserved 1-0 lead to protect (achieved against the odds in the Bernabeu), Liverpool could have scored six goals in the first six minutes. The Reds were simply sensational. The eventual 4-0 margin flattered Madrid. And then some. This was the kind of night that a decade ago I thought I would never see again. Hell, even five years ago it seemed a million miles away. Thrash an in-form Real Madrid in the Champions League? Are you joking? The kind of tempo and intensity on show against the most glamorous club side in the world is hard to replicate on a weekly basis, as, alas, is the fervour of the crowd. The Reds harried the life out of Real, and out-passed them too. The crowd rocked in a way that has become famous on European nights, but which is rarely replicated domestically. The noise leading up to the kick-off clearly inspired the players, and if only it could be the same every week, with the noise there before the players get the game started. But the visit of teams like Sunderland, as seen last week, don't get the pulses racing. If the Kop could make itself famous once again for its league atmosphere, it would surely be a big help, but against smaller teams there will always be a natural air of “it's up to you” aimed at the players (who themselves need to try and get a fast tempo going from the first whistle). While Rafa Benítez has given us some amazing European nights, none has come close to the emphatic nature of this result. It doesn't get close to Istanbul for overall jaw-dropping drama and the joyous rewards at the final whistle, or the euphoria of edging out Chelsea in the semi-final second-leg a few weeks earlier, but it is arguably the most incredible score-line Liverpool have ever had in Europe. Already the “Madrid aren't really that good” excuses are being trotted out, despite being the reigning double Spanish champions and on a domestic run that they've barely bettered in their history. For me, the game goes to show that Liverpool are not negative or cautious, but a great attacking team – when everyone is fit and the confidence is flowing. (Most teams obviously look a lot poorer when the confidence is low, and that certainly applies to the Reds.) A couple of months ago Liverpool showed how devastating they can be when it all clicks into gear at St James' Park, but it was written off as ‘just Newcastle', even though it was at one of the harder places to go in football. That day, Shay Given knew he'd had enough after being beaten five times and making about ten top-class saves. Iker Casillas, a similar style of sublime shot-stopping goalkeeper, might be thinking the same. On both these occasions, Liverpool broke through early on, when on top. Getting the first goal is vitally important to the confidence and belief of these players, particularly at Anfield. Confidence tends to drain away after the 30-minute mark if the breakthrough hasn't come, and thankfully the tie was as good as won at that stage last night. Results like this can't help but build an overall belief. The truism goes that ‘the first league title is the hardest to win', but in the Champions League Benítez started by lifting the trophy. That had two effects. It made people more inclined to say “but why not do that in the Premiership?”, and it gave the Reds that all-encompassing belief in Europe. Had Benítez, by some utter freak of nature (given the team he inherited) instead won the 2004/05 Premiership title, that belief would be there to keep, no matter what the current form might be. A monkey would have been off Liverpool's back, and his players will have known that a repeat was possible. Instead, in the more realistic scenario, the Champions League was won; not that it felt in any way realistic at the time, or that it was easy. Contrast this to Rafa at Valencia. He won the league at his first attempt, and the club's first for 31 years, as he organised a fine squad. But his European record wasn't that remarkable: quarter-finals at best in the Champions League, and a very good but not outstanding (given the strength of the competition) UEFA Cup win. So to pigeon-hole him purely as this European specialist is a little wayward. Yes, as a continental coach he understands the different styles of football. But for me, the key point (and I said this three years ago) is that “we can do it” belief – which cannot simply be talked into players – came in Europe. You cannot give that to the Reds in the league until they've been right there and done it, making it almost catch-22. But in the Champions League, they've had it since 2005. Benítez's Valencia didn't have that belief in the Champions League, but instead in La Liga; in his third season, he won the title again, by a bigger margin. But of course, results like last night's only lead to a highlighting of the supposed contrast between the league and Europe. But the fact is that over the course of his tenure Rafa has won more-or-less as many games in the league as in Europe, and that this season, his team have won a greater percentage of games in both the Premiership and the Champions League than the average across his previous four years. (And lost fewer than ever before, too). To win the Premiership these days you need an über-squad, and the Reds don't quite have the depth of Chelsea a few years ago and United at the moment, or that ‘been there, done it' experience. These are squads that cost between £200m-£300m, unlike Liverpool's, which, as I pointed out last week, cost around £130m. (Of course, it might be helpful if I didn't, as happened last week, mix up Rafa Benítez's net spend with the money raised from player sales: rather than a net outlay of £108m (from a gross of £188m), his net spend is only approximately £80m. Or £20m a season. I double-checked my own figures in calculating the cost of the five most expensive squads, but misquoted the numbers supplied to me by www.LFCHistory.net. Still, I'm not afraid to admit, and correct, my mistakes!) If you don't quite have as much depth, you need players like Torres and Gerrard to be able to play 90% of the matches; not only are they two of the best players in the world, but their understanding transcends the sum of two remarkable parts. Together they are lethal. I think this season they've only been fit to start a handful of league games together, and almost all of those saw them hampered by injuries or rustiness. While United can now cope better without Wayne Rooney, their results without Ronaldo are not impressive at all; and if they can miss one player with their über-squad, Liverpool will clearly miss two such outstanding attacking talents. Liverpool have proved this season against Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid that, on occasion, they can cope without Gerrard and Torres – but the more games those two have missed, the greater the effort required by the others, and the greater the chance that the extra spark G&T can provide will not be compensated for. You can't have players that good in reserve; it's very hard to even keep players as good as Crouch and Keane (neither of whom are in Torres' class) happy on the bench. So no-one can convince me that if Gerrard and Torres been fit and in the form shown last night, Liverpool wouldn't have more Premiership points. All the same, they are not the only top-class performers. The likes of Carragher, Skrtel, Reina, Alonso and Mascherano, along with Gerrard and Torres, get their fair share of praise, so I see it as my job to give credit to the more unsung heroes. Some of the form players of recent weeks – Benayoun, Ngog and Insua – missed playing a part in this famous night, but they do show that there is depth to the squad, even if it's not replete with £20m-30m players. Benayoun has emerged from the shadows to show what a shrewd buy he was, while Ngog and Insua can only improve from the experience of this season. Indeed, Insua has already built on his steady-but-unspectacular tasters from the previous two seasons to now look very assured, while Ngog really showed what he can do in his last outing. As they mature, along with players like Jay Spearing and others who will emerge from the reserves, the squad will take on a stronger appearance. Despite his difficulties this season, Lucas is an important part of the fast-pressing game Liverpool try to play every week, when it's his turn to give another midfielder a rest. He's been a little clumsy at times, but it's that in-your-face closing down that the Reds do so well when on song. It's an unappreciated job at times, but such players can help set the tempo. Dirk Kuyt is another player I'll defend to the hilt. Give me Kuyt over the more gifted Arjen Robben any day. There's no doubt that Robben is a match-winner (when he turns up), but Kuyt is always involved in the best things Liverpool do, even if he isn't the man making the most silky touches. His effort is infectious, and his movement off the ball vastly underrated. For a right-midfielder, he has a great knack of popping up in the right place at the right time, partly due to a striker's instinct and partly due to his incredible stamina and work ethic. He set up the opening goal last night with his proactive run, but while it's easy to look at his pass to Torres as simple because he didn't beat five men and do a triple salco, he has a habit of getting in behind defenders. Look at how he ran off Heinze in the first place to leave him for dead – not with skill, but with intelligent running, to get a five-yard advantage. Babel also showed something of a return to form and better use of his left foot. I think he can be something very special, but he needs confidence. So let's be clear: Liverpool are deservedly the #1 ranked team in Europe based on the results of the last five years. That is a massive achievement in relation to the riches other clubs possess. Any single season can fall away due to a bad run of results, but consistency over half a decade in Europe's premier competition is the hallmark of a quality side that knows what it's doing and believes in itself in that arena. We all crave the Premiership crown, but we should be grateful for what we have. There's a long way to go, but with six wins and two draws from the eight ‘proper' games so far, you wouldn't bet against the Reds making it to another final. And what better place than Rome?

鄭丁賢‧精英和平民 2009-03-08 18:24

一場大示威，敲響英語教數理的警鐘，也凸顯馬來精英和馬來平民的矛盾。

一些馬來團體，早就恫言要訴諸示威。但是，政府的情報，到政府的決策中心，都以為只是三五遊民，不能成事。

他們的邏輯，是根據經驗法則；以為反對英語教數理的，只是華人社會的“基本教義派”，以董教總馬首是瞻。

至於政治力量龐大，人數眾多的馬來族群，過去6年來，意向模糊。

表面看來，馬來社會沒有強力反對；然而，這是一種假象；可以稱之為馬來精英折射的假象。

部份馬來政經精英，尤其是有留學外國經驗者，他們瞭解馬來語的局限，在全球化的驅動下，他們認同馬哈迪的構思，誠心支持英語教數理。

另外　一些傾向執政黨，或是靠政府庇蔭者，他們也是精英階層，利益相關，促使他們全力配合政策，為英語教數理護航。

至於一些存有疑慮者，乃至內心反對的文教精英，在權力之前，選擇默不吭聲，或是委屈求全。

加上巫英報章和電視台只談英語教數理的豐功偉績，避開政策的誤區和弊端，而把英語教數理這個汽球吹大了。

6年來，政府對英語教數理政策的評估，主要是來自這4個層面。

結論是：英語教數理基本上正確，也獲得社會接納；雖有少許阻力和反彈，主要是反對黨所挑撥造成，不足為懼。

然而，這種視角，有一個盲點──見樹不見林。

廣大的馬來社會，對馬來語文，抱持濃厚感情；語文，代表這個族群的尊嚴。

任何貶抑語文的措施，會傷害族群的感受。口操流利英語的馬來精英，可能感受不深，但是，只懂馬來語的平民百姓，感受就很強烈。

此外，英語教數理的政策，在馬來精英和馬來平民之間，劃出一條鴻溝，擴大他們的差距。

馬來精英的子弟，熟悉英語的應用，容易掌握這種轉變，也能夠提昇他們的表現。

馬來平民的子弟，A是api，不是apple，B是bola，不是ball；英語基礎原本薄弱，又如何以英語來學數理？

英語為上的政策，使基層馬來社會產生挫折和沮喪。

星期六的示威，雖然有政黨參與，但更多是來自馬來文教團體，以及青年學生。

通過示威，他們表達了和精英社會不同的心聲，也要政府正視他們的意願。

星洲日報／馬荷加尼‧作者：鄭丁賢‧2009.03.08

鄭丁賢‧霹靂測驗題 2009-03-04 19:19

1. 為何在大樹下開州議會？

A. 州政府大廈的鑰匙被偷走了

B 州政府大廈有很多老鼠

C. 向路人示範州議會的操作情況

D. 大樹可以散發芬多精，刺激民聯議員的腦細胞

2. 大樹下開州議會的感覺如何？

A. 很丟臉

B. 很光榮

C. 很浪漫

D. 噢！好熱（為甚麼冰淇淋小販還沒有來？）

3. 樹下州議會的議決案， 如何執行？

A. 交給蘇丹決定

B. 人民自有公斷

C. 召開另一次的樹下會議，討論如何執行

D. 等著瞧

4. 樹下州議會有效嗎？

A. 有，議長有權力在樹下召開會議

B. 有，太平洋的馬拉多納島國，也是這樣的

C, 沒有，因為忘了排國陣州議員的位子

D. 沒有，因為大樹說：“我是無辜的！”

5. 國陣如何阻止樹下州議會？

A. 把怡保的樹木都砍掉

B. 要樹木發表聲明，表明不介入政治

C. 要樹木發表法定宣誓書，證明它是被逼的

D. 要樹木跳槽，支持國陣

6. 州議會不應該在哪一種樹下召開

A. 椰樹，椰子會掉下來

B. 榴槤樹，榴槤可以作為武器

C. 紅毛丹樹，螞蟻很多

D. 芒果樹，議員會摘芒果吃

7. 如何處理議長西華的問題

A. 交給法庭處理

B. 交給蘇丹決定

C. 交給他人搞定

D. 委任許月鳳當新議長

8. 如何解決霹靂僵局？

A. 解散州議會，重新選舉

B. 尼查和贊比里猜拳決定

C. 把霹靂一分為二，一邊一半

D. 恢復霹靂王國，由蘇丹統治

星洲日報／馬荷加尼‧作者：鄭丁賢‧2009.03.04

TOMKINS: END SHOCKING TRANSFER MYTH

Paul Tomkins 04 March 2009
	Okay, it must end NOW! I've reached breaking point. The shocking transfer myth must be put to rest, once and for all.
I've tried in the past, but the media misinformation continues to gather pace like some ill-founded rumour. It's dangerous, because it causes unjust criticism. Let's make one thing clear: Liverpool have nowhere near the most expensive squad in the Premiership. No. Where. Near. Indeed, there are three clubs who have spent at least 50 per cent more on their current squad than Liverpool. Shocked? Well, you should be if you believe what's spouted out on TV. But it's true. And one of the clubs is not a name you'd necessarily expect. It doesn't help that some people – such as Jamie Redknapp last night – focus on Rafa's gross spend, rather than the net amount. Effectively, this means counting all the right-backs he's bought as one big outlay, rather than looking at how he's replaced one with another for roughly the same £2m fee. Working with just the gross spend, you add the £2m of Josemi to the £2m value of Kromkamp (even though it was a swap), to the £2.6m paid for Arbeloa. But none of these players were at the club at the same time, and each was traded to get to the point where an outright success was secured, as happened with the final purchase. So even though the total cost of getting Arbeloa was just the £2.6m paid, people will use a figure almost three times as high. That is illogical. (Another note, Jamie: Liverpool have three right-backs on the books, not just one; but the promising Darby, like Arbeloa, was injured and Degen has had a first season ruined by various ailments. So it's wrong to criticise the manager for an unbalanced squad and playing a midfielder out of position when three right-backs are unavailable.) It's like the housing market: you don't just go in and buy a mansion straight from school. (Okay, so maybe some footballers do, but not the normal people of this world. As someone stuck with renting, I'm speaking generally here!) You start with an affordable house; you then use the money from selling that to buy your next property. Most people can only get to own a big house having traded their way up over a number of years. Yet when someone asks how much you spent on your house, you don't add all the houses you've ever bought together, do you? If you own a £220,000 house, you don't say £470,000 because you add the £90,000 starter home and the £160,000 step up. That would be moronic. According to the excellent and reliable www.LFCHistory.net, Rafa's gross spend is approximately £188m, but his net spend is only £108m, given that around £80m has been recouped. (I'd hazard a guess that a large proportion of the £108m net spend has also been recouped through Champions League progress rewards, particularly with the Reds being the top-ranked team based on his five-year tenure.) So it's easy to pluck a figure of '£195m' from the air, live on air, and make it seem like that should make a team champions, or ultra-close challengers. But it's only the cost of the current squad that counts. Because that's all a manager can choose from; he can't go back in time and select a player he sold in order to trade up, just as you can't just turn up to one of your old houses and let yourself in. You simply cannot add Rafa having spent £5.8m on Sissoko to the £18m on Mascherano, because the two were never part of the same set-up; one was bought and sold for a profit, and as with a house, the money reinvested in a step-up. If Sissoko isn't bought and then sold, Mascherano probably doesn't arrive. Is that really too tough to grasp? From my own experience in writing 'Dynasty', I can attest that researching transfer fees is never easy, given the amount of undisclosed fees and various add-ons (for various things, like appearances, trophies won, national caps and the cultivation of unexpectedly daring hairstyles). But taking each fee as the most a club has expect to pay when add-ons are activated, I've calculated the cost of the most expensive squads in the league, and listed them below. (Note: while it's impossible to be 100 per cent accurate with the figures in the public domain, I'd say that overall it's at least 95 per cent of the true amount, and with rival teams I've actually been generous and excluded a couple of players whose cost just isn't listed anywhere I could find.) The most expensive squads (excluding players out on long-term loan) are as follows: Chelsea £207m Manchester United £206m* Spurs £188m Manchester City £140m Liverpool £127m (*£226m if Carlos Tevez's deal made permanent, given that it is initially a unique two-year £10m agreement, and very different from 99.9 of transfer deals. Effectively United are winning games with a £30m player.) So what does this tell us? Let's start with the leaders. United's squad contains the most home-grown players, such as Giggs, Scholes, Neville, O'Shea, Brown and Fletcher, who all arrived for free. So that shows that it is a long-established core supplemented by a lot of expensive signings added one by one to a unified collection. In other words, classic, spot-on building of a squad when already established at the very top. But it shows that even if you work with the unfair use of Rafa's gross spend, it still doesn't match what Ferguson has spent on his current squad, let alone those who have been bought and sold for record fees in the past. And this is utterly, utterly critical, and beyond the grasp of some people who cannot analyse things with common sense. After all, what does it matter how much Rafa has spent since 2004 if Ferguson is currently fielding players like Ferdinand (£30m) and Ronaldo (£12.8m) who were bought before then? Isn't Rafa – in the real world – competing with a team whose construction started well before he arrived? Unless Ferguson is banned from fielding players like Ferdinand and Ronaldo (which would be illogical), or forced to start from scratch in 2004 (again illogical), it is not a fair comparison, is it? – I mean, come on, use your brain for a second here. After all, how much as Harry Redknapp spent since he took over at Spurs? I make it almost £50m. How much has Rafa spent since Harry Redknapp took over at Spurs? Nothing. But only a nutter would compare the two in this deeply skewed way. Rafa has been in his job about five times as long as Harry, so you obviously wouldn't dare compare their teams. And yet Ferguson has been in his job about five times as long as Rafa, and yet the Spaniard is expected to have Liverpool as champions by now. Chelsea and Spurs are actually the more interesting examples in many ways. I knew Spurs had spent a lot, but to have a current squad that cost almost £200m shocked me. Add together the cost of Bentley, Pavyluchenko, Palacios, Bale, Defoe, Bent, Keane and Modric and you more-or-less end up with the cost of Liverpool's entire squad. I could be sarcastic – or media-style sensationalistic – and say that with that much spent, any manager should be able to win almost all of his matches, but it wouldn't be fair or logical. It's far more complex than that, and even a good manager like Redknapp has his work cut out. Chelsea and Spurs have had seven managers between them since 2007. This means different men making expensive signings and ending up with a mixed squad. Based on expenditure, both of these clubs are massively underachieving this season. Almost certainly to blame for that is the hierarchy having itchy fingers when it comes to firing managers. Of course, this analysis doesn't include wages, either. You don't get the very top players in the world without also having to pay them a king's ransom. Michael Ballack must be most expensive free transfer ever, with wages reported to be around £130,000 a week, or about £30m over five years. Again, Liverpool are no way near the highest payers, either. So there you have it. By all means print it out and pass it around; 'pass it on', as the saying goes, including to those in the media who could do with reading it. By all means quibble over some of the finer details, as there is a tolerance of a few percent on the accuracy of the figures, but the overall gist is very much sound and robust.