As I said, "real" content should return next week sometime. For now I'll just idly muse and point to more interesting people/places ...
1. A bit of lunch hour reading for tomorrow courtesy of Owen Hatherley?
2. As always, more and more good stuff, tons of posts, at Brownfemipower and Lenin's Tomb--the sorts of blogs that, through information, analysis, and community continually intimidate my ineffectual ass from even pretending to be a source of "political commentary." Add more catch-up to that lunch hour (and after) reading.
3. Speaking of reading, if one's goal is to try to finish and absorb a number of books on a regular basis, it is a really bad idea to try to do this with several really thick books. And if you don't even stagger them well in terms of when you begin page 1, you feel like you're perpetually on page 42 out of 600, no matter what tome you've got in your hands. I'm trying to read the damn Pickwick Papers but any time I feel like I make progress in that thing (MLA paperback edition's cover design a photograph taken by Gjon Mili, btw) I just look at the other things I'm nominally "reading" (Peter Gay, Klaus Theweleit, The Republic) and bury my face in my hands.
4. Champions League predictions: Roma barely stun Man Utd, Liverpool continue to trounce PSV ("duh" on that one), Chelsea edge out Valencia, and Bayern Munich pass Milan. Prediction for the final: Chelsea v. Bayern Munich, boring, I wouldn't even care who wins (I guess my sympathies would be with BM a little). Though I think it would be the most interesting match-up to see Liverpool v. Roma (whom I've taken a liking to in the CL with their rotating-midfield-attack-supporting-Totti tactics), a repeat of a final from over two decades ago. Both are defensive teams that have put up some really excellent attacking soccer lately. Any EL readers still have a horse in this race?
5. By the by, Football Is Fixed, an interesting blog.
6. New posts: choice political words via film personalities via two great cinephiles, Mubarak Ali and Andy Rector.
7. Need even more to read while you surf the net? Ladies and gentlemen, Matt Clayfield ...
3 comments:
If you watch Serie A regularly you'll soon realize that Roma are the most entertaining Italian side extant. Don't buy the stereotype of Italian defensiveness. Yes Roma can defend when necessary but while most (English) pundits predicted Roma would go for 0-0 in this home leg the Giallorossi attacked from the outset. Totti is the focal point of their attacks but if you think only Mancini of the others can hurt you then you'll give up long-range bomb from De Rossi or forget to pick up Taddei in the box (which is what happened on Roma's first goal Wednesday.) Roma most definitely will not be playing for 0-0 in Manchester. They'll be missing Perotta but with Pizarro back look for them to hit on the break with speed. Without Scholes ManU are sorely lacking in midfield (Fletcher? Carrick?) so look for it to end 1-1 at Old Trafford with Roma taking on FC Bayern.
Filipe--you were totally right about Man Utd! (But you couldn't have expected 7:1, did you?) Chelsea have been superb at late goals and comeback goals this seasons, often courtesy of Drogba, so I'm not too surprised they pulled it off against Valencia too.
David, I think I'll have to start following Serie A a bit. I have to say I really liked Roma's style in their match last week. They fizzled big-time tonight, but not many teams could have survived the onslaught of that Manchester squad in such amazing form. At least Roma is pretty much assured a place in the CL next year, no?
Yeah, Zach, I pretty much blew that prediction! Good thing I'm not a betting man, I always choose with my heart instead of my head. Yes, barring a late-season collapse, Roma are pretty much assured of a CL place for next season, but we need depth, obviously. Missing Tonetto, Taddei and Perotta really hurt, not to mention a lame Totti. But no excuses, Man Utd were unstoppable.
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