The Malaysian Insider

NOV 18 — For Liverpool, perhaps the most significant loss against Birmingham was not the two points, but the moral high ground.

Some might argue that another two points will hardly matter now that they are so far behind the title race anyway — or indeed, the race for a Champions' League spot — but all in all, Liverpool has always prided itself on fair play, and its fans have long scorned the likes of those who go rather quickly to the ground such as Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo and well, Arsenal's rather impressive red card record under Arsene Wenger (around 80 since he took over).

NOV 16 — Did you know that Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal is the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) chairman? For those who said yes, can you name me one piece of news about the CPA that you've read about since he was elected in August last year?

I thought so. Of course, the first problem is that the CPA isn't all that well-known an entity in Malaysia in the first place. But surely part of the point of lobbying — or whatever it is politicians and diplomats do — to win Malaysia the chairmanship is to both increase the standing of the country in the CPA and vice versa. Despite Malaysia having the chair, there has hardly been any media buzz since Shafie first took up the post.

NOV 9 — On the one hand, there is Sir Alex F***-the-Ref, on the other is Carlo Ancelotti. One says he lost to Liverpool and Chelsea and drew with Sunderland because of the man in black. The other actually did the job of beating both Liverpool and Manchester United with clean sheets.

It is difficult to find a more astute mind in the game than Ancelotti. He won league, cup and European titles in eight years in charge of Milan — to take the Fergie comparison further, even one of the greatest managers English football has seen took seven years to win his first league title — before moving to Chelsea where his side, after edging Man United 1-0 last night, look dominant in the current Premiership race.

NOV 5 — What do fireworks and a big bonfire each year on this night mean? Aside from some inherent, nearly prehistoric ignition of pyromanic glee in children, the only (tenuous) link to Guy Fawkes, who is “celebrated” on this date in the UK, is the fact that our villain attempted to blow up Parliament.

Are children then also encouraged to exercise such arsonic fervour when they grow up? No, that would be too simplistic. Instead, what is being invoked here is probably the link between fire, hell and the demonic.

OCT 22 — I mean, seriously, does anyone really need to point out how Rafael Benitez is in trouble? Four defeats on the trot, Liverpool's worse run since 1987, is solid enough so there's no need to waste column inches saying, "Benitez really needs to work a miracle against Manchester United this weekend" or "The team relies too much on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres."

These are bloody obvious statements. Obvious and, in the case of the latter, dumb.