Ways of life from an idiots’ game

20 idiot men chasing a ball, that’s the usual manner a girl will normally describe the world most beautiful game. Well, who would blame them? Ask any ordinary guys and most will in turn find a barrage of females rushing to a MNG sale a total waste of time. It’s a balanced world after all.

But is it all just about 20 men chasing a ball while the balance 2 hope the ball will never reach them? Certainly not, football is more than that. It’s about passion, it’s about pride, it’s about verbal battle when I wrote this, it’s about money and… while some may disagree, it may also teach us a thing or two about life. Impossible? Well, let us just focus our thoughts to the recently ended English Premier League season, and see what we can pick up from this idiot game.

I would like to start by talking about READING. They started the season as one of the favourite to be relegated (it means demoted to a lower league). They were a team without any superstar and what did they achieve towards the end? They missed UEFA Cup qualification by only just 1 point. What I said may not make any sense to some. But what I am trying to say is that… while the world looked down on you and think you’re doom… the ultimate fate is in your hand. If you believe in what you do and have confident in your own ability, you may just surprise a few souls.

Let’s shift our attention to WEST HAM UNITED. They were the finalists of the 2005/2006 FA Cup and one pundit branded their football as “a display of entertaining attacking football”. They seemed to be heading for higher grounds this season but what happened to them? Not only did they fail to live up to expectations but the club was fighting for survival early in the season. That’s when the press and most idiots football fans around the world wrote them off. But what happened in the end? They beat Man Utd twice in the season and avoided relegation. What can we learn here? The world may have good words on you but as soon as you screw up, everyone else is just going to step on you. But don’t fret, victory is not about winning, victory can be sweet as well when you prove your critics wrong. Never give up!

Next, the once great LIVERFOOL LIVERPOOL. Having enjoyed a glorious past and recently tasted Champions League victory, they always think they can conquer the world. Of course, they failed to win the Premier League… again, and local fans were quick to brand the FA Cup final as Champions League 3rd/4th play-off having qualified for the final. But what can we learn from Liverpool? Just because you have been good in the past, doesn’t mean you will be good forever. Statistics doesn’t guarantee success and in life, there’s no point living in past successes. Also, in life, don’t be too quick to brag about glorious history. Telling people you were very successful 20 years ago simply means you have not been successful in the last 20 years.

When we talk about CHELSEA, 2 things that will come to mind… A Russian who spent a lot of money… A manager who wasted a lot of money. When Chelsea bought Shevchenko and Ballack early in the season, everyone though the title has been won even without kicking a ball. I was one of them. I mean, looking at what they’ve achieved and you add that with Shevchenko and Ballack… no need to play already. But what happened in the end? They didn’t win… and what we can learn from here is that money may buy you initial happiness, it may stretches it for a year or two, but it doesn’t last forever. While money is important… CHELSEA is a testimony that money is NOT everything.

Finally, MANCHESTER UNITED. Yeah, some of you already know that I am a Man Utd Fan. Many will say that I am a glory hunter but I remember I started supporting them when they lost the league in the last day of the season and lost the FA Cup final to Everton in 1994. Anyway, that’s not the notion today. I am here to say, as a fan, I wrote them off before the season started. They were slow in the transfer market and the fact that Chelsea bought Shevchenko and Ballack while Man Utd bought only Carrick AND kept Fletcher, I thought the season was doomed. Of course, I was proven wrong. This is another classic example of not underestimating anyone or anything just because that person or thing has not lived up to your expectation. Always have faith in whatever you believe in, and support the cause that you said you will.

So who said football is just about 20 men chasing for a ball for 90 minutes? If you would only not watch the match but see things from a different angle… there’s much to learn from this idiots’ game.