If I Was . . .

. . . the Daily Record's sub-editor, 'Murray's Prayer' would have my back page headline for this wee bit of transfer news.

I'm away to put the kettle on whilst you, dear reader, tries to work out what I'm wittering on about.

Behind the Rent Strike (1974)

Loose Connections (1983)

Bend it like Bent

Love it.

No jokes please about beach balls, freakish goals and Liverpool having to cut short next year's summer holidays so that they can try and qualify for Europe via the backdoor.

That joke is redundant now that they've abolished the Intertoto Cup. Europa League it is.

Another gem . . .

. . . via the good folk at Urban 75.

March 14th seems so long ago.

Ruffled Benitez

Inspired . . . and I don't even have that much of a problem with either Benitez or Liverpool.

Once again, Fergie wins the minds games and Man Utd wins the title.

Sammy Lee as Uncle Albert is just brilliant. Made my day seeing that. Those Surrey Reds can be creative when they put their minds to it.

Hat tip to the good people at Urban 75.

Alan Barlow - Funeral and Wake (2005)

"Funeral and Wake of Alan Barlow (1928-2004), anarchist and trade unionist. Alan, an anarchist all his working life, was arrested, charged and imprisoned in 1969 for his role in a First of May Group attack on the Francoist Banco de Bilbao in London."

You can view the 36 minute film here.

Loose Connections by Maggie Brooks (Abacus 1984)

Sally nodded vigorously. There was nothing more exhilarating than arguing a thesis among intelligent people who were all in total agreement. There was a heady self-righteousness about it that went to the head like champagne.

'Quality of life, economic survival, these are the issues. They can't be tackled from the old narrow base. The parties have to face this . . .'

Sally was just about to launch on a favourite theory of wealth redistribution when the chandelier tinkled out a warning note, stirred by the rising heat of the silver candelabra. She had a strange, disorientating sensation, sitting in this Homes and Gardens interior discussing socialism. She examined it. What was it she wanted them to do? Give all their money away and then discuss it?

Bhoy Keano and Thaksin's mercenaries

Continuing on with the Guardian's preview of the upcoming English Premier League:

Liverpool

Man City

Before They Were Famous

Early promo pic of Goldfrapp*

Post-Punk + Liverpool + music reference = incredibly tenuous link to 'The Zoo' Uncaged 1978-1982, and the best track off said album:

Lori & The Chamelions - 'Touch' mp3

Check it out. If Aneka's 'Japanese Boy' had had kids with Bucks Fizz's 'Land of Make Believe', this would have been their bastardised offspring. Bill Drummond before the KLF bollocks.

Further Linkage:

Excellent post on Lori & the Chameleons over at Spinster's Rock music blog.

Everything you wanted to know about Zoo Records, but were too cool to ask.

*Don't care if you don't get the Goldfrapp joke. It works at this end.

Peel Back The Years

Christ, Peel has just played a track called 'Generals' by Musical Youth. Sounds nothing like the stuff that made them famous, and now he's banging on about getting a ticket for the forthcoming European Cup Final. I remember that final . . . Alan Kennedy's late winner against Real Madrid in Paris.

Don't mind me, I'm having a Proustian Peelian moment.

Zzzz

It doesn't merit 50 words never mind the seemingly 5000 words from Istanbul two years ago.

A flat performance from Liverpool, where they did not even deserve Kuyt's consolation goal. Benitez's timidity was the name of the game, and only begs the question: Harry Kewell, why?

The one high point for me was the sight of Steve Nicol as a panellist on ESPN at half-time. It was obvious he was seriously pissed by Inzaghi's deflected goal just before half time, and didn't hide his true colours when discussing the matter. It was funny also to see him as this respected figure on American Sports TV discussing soccer football, when I remember him as a brilliant utility player for Liverpool in the 80 and 90ss, but someone who was never considered the brightest spark on the block. (An anecdote about a wired up broken jaw and liquidised fish and chips seems to spring to mind.)

Angst about Athens

Does a team that has Jermaine Pennant and Bobo Zenden in its first eleven deserve to win the Champions League?

If I can get a late cancellation at JFK, perhaps Benitez will put me on the bench?

Istanbul, Athens and a Jeffrey Daniel Impersonation

Kaka versus Mascherano . . . Gerrard versus Gattuso . . . Harry Kewell wearing an alice band.

All burning topics of debate for tonight's final - which of course will be a damp squib of a match after all the build up and the recent past history between the two clubs in this competition - but the real burning question is not even the small matter of which side of Glasgow claims the greater glory tonight if Milan win: R*ngers for the Gattuso connection or Celtic, 'cos of Milan hammering them one-zero in the last 16 of the competition?

Nope, the question I'm asking myself is whether or not I can do a repeat of this stream of consciousness if the final measures up to even half the drama of that crazy night in Istanbul two years ago:

Solipcism and Scousers

Those days of the 5000 word posts on the blog are long gone. Thank you You Tube for intervening before the RSI became too much.

With regards to who is going to win tonight?: My head says Milan 'cos of Kaka and Seedorf, but my heart says Liverpool because of Scully and the off-chance that Peter Crouch will do his robotic dance again if he scores tonight.