Its been a busy few weeks and I haven’t had much time to write. In the intervening period Flavio Briatore (Super Flav) has sacked Iain Dowie, allowed a short run as caretaker manager for Gareth Ainsworth, and now hired midfield maestro Paulo Sousa as the new manager.

Firstly Iain Dowie…

Replacing him was a good move. I personally felt his appointment was a negative one and if we want to see the brand of good attacking football that QPR were known for in the past, the former winner of ugliest ma in football is not the way to go. I understand some fans will say “But he knows the Championship…” I say rubbish to all that. He liked to play conservative and in my opinion negative football. Probably learned that from his days at West Ham.

Good football is good football. If you can get a team to play good quality football you will do well at whatever the level. And even if we don’t get promoted at the end of a couple of seasons. At least the fans won’t feel they’ve wasted their money watching a game. I used to be one of those would go Boring Boring Arsenal in George Graham’s days as the Gooner manager . I definitely don’t want it to be boring boring QPR or even Quarter Pound of Rubbish. If Paulo Sousa can instill the type of attacking play that he used to produce, then I think his appointment is a great move.

Secondly on Super Flav..

Unlike some other QPR fans I have a great deal of belief and faith in Flavio Briatore. I have faith that he will turn QPR into a successful club and eventually a big club.

Why? He’s a tyrant say the press. He’s destroying the club say others…

Look, Super Flav is not new to sports. Furthermore he is a winner. He knows how to run a successful winning sports team and he knows what is necessary. Finding a winning formula takes time and furthermore finding a good personnel will take even longer. Rome wasn’t built in a day so the adage goes.

I cannot say that I know what the culture of the club is like behind the scenes, but I do know that you need a winning culture to make a successful team. Complacency is the biggest enemy of success. Perhaps the changes wrought are for the best. In any case, lets sit in for the ride. Let Super Flav weave his magic, let him appoint who he thinks is best for the managers job and don’t complain. He’s not invested in QPR to see us lose. Whatever his methods, he’s here to see us win. And that says a lot in my book. 

Far from all the negative things I have been reading in the press, I think we are quite fortunate to have an experienced owner like Super Flav. As an owner he’ll not sit back and watch us produce rubbish. The type of football we produce should be like a quality product and in a business, a company director does not sit quiet when rubbish is produced. Out comes the axe, heads roll and a better person is found for the job. No different here.

The future is not bleak. Far from it, the future is bright, the future is blue and white superhoops!

 

 

I remember browsing through the martial arts section in the bookshop when this compilation of personal interviews caught my eye. Compiled by Jess O’Brien, who in his capacity as Martial Arts Editor for North Atlantic Books, has had the oppportunity to meet with many of the leading masters of chinese internal martial arts in the USA. These masters, including notables such as Tim Cartmell and Bruce Kumar Francis, give their insights about the art they teach and in many cases some history and personal experiences as well.

For those with an interest in chinese internal martial arts, this is a very readable book. However, one can’t quite help feeling that there is a certain amount of reservedness found within each interview. For those of you who enjoyed Robert W. Smith’s Chinese Boxing: Master and Methods, the edge given by his candidness in his opinion of different masters and styles is not found here but then this compilation doesn’t aim to achieve the same things. All in all a good read. I wouldn’t call it a must have book as it doesn’t inspire as much as you might think and the masters don’t reveal as much as you would hope, but it is a good book none the less. I particularly enjoyed James Wing Woo recounting the time when Bruce Lee tried to demonstrate and sell Jeet Kune Do to him to which he told Bruce, “Bull Shit Do! You should stick to Wing Chun, you’d be a lot better off!”

As some of you know I’m currently in London on a break from the grind. While walking through central London, I’ve taken a few shots with my compact camera to give a taste of London.

I am a fan of the mighty super hoops, Queens Park Rangers FC. Founded in 1882 significant post WWII club honours include:

League Cup winners 66-67 season, runners up 85-86 season

FA Cup runners up 81-82 season

Old Division 1 (Now Premiership) runners up 75-76 season

UEFA Cup Quarter-Finals 76-77 season

The trophy cupboard is a little bare for QPR but as it was my local team growing up in London, I’m a superhoops fan all the way having watched many of the games when we were in Div 2 under Ian Holloway. I suspect I’m one of the very few QPR fans in Singapore. Currently in the Coco Cola Championship managed by Iain Dowie (known for beating Matt Le Tissier as the ugliest man in football – no small feat for those in the know). A new set of owners last season, a new club badge and a whole lot of unspent wonga leaves the mighty superhoops lounging in 11th place, 9 points behind the leaders Birmingham City. The rumour mill suggests we have the possibility of Leroy Lita joining the ranks to bolster the strike force who is certainly no slouch on the goal front when he gets going. There’s an exciting game coming up for QPR as we play Manchester United in the League Cup on November 11th. Come on you superhoops!

I was just going through some of my music collection. For some of my Singaporean friends who may not have heard those cracking tunes from the mid 90’s from UK bands such as Supergrass, Stereophonics, The Verve. I’ve put some songs on my VodPod for your pleasure. Happy listening.

Hey superfly.. First post, and what a time to start a blog. The world is in economic meltdown and the mighty superhoops are in a slump on the football side of things. I have finished working 1 year in Singapore and its been a rollercoaster of a ride. I have made some good friends and met some really good people. It is a rat race in Singapore but fun too.. stay tuned.