Neutral Fan

How good it is to watch a football game from a neutral point of view. There are no heartache in losing to a bottom-league teams, no anger in watching your striker hit the post from 2-yards and no frustration in watching the keeper-that-your-team-has-released-on-a-free-and-joined-lower-league-teams-before-performing superbly-to-earn-a-move-to-another-premiership-club performed a gravity-defying dive to save a 25-yard curler that is destined to end in the top corner. All you want to do is for both team to play splendid attacking football, while willing the defenders on both sides to commit schoolboy errors to be exploited by opposition attackers, which on-goal attempts excellently thwarted by the goalkeepers. Yes, the advantage of being a neutral fan.

So thats what I tried to be after the debacle at Craven Cottage. Yes, maybe the team was a bit unlucky for the 1st goal to be allowed with suspicion of offside, and i though boa morte was very fortunate to stay on the pitch after his lunge on sissoko, which later scored the winner, and maybe, just maybe, on another day, that luis garcia shot would not have been saved, however, the final verdict is simply not good enough. Fulham seems to be wanting more in the game, and the team seems still not in the same wavelength. The frustation of watching a game from a partisan point of view is just too much to bear.

Fortunately, there were a lot of games this weekend that allows me to enjoy as a 'neutral' fan. After the Cottage Heartache, off to Nou Camp I go. As expected, it was a very entertaining game. Ronaldinho was at his usual best, and Barca played superbly. However, the player that catches my attention most was Messi. I have read about all the good stuff about him, but I haven't actually managed to watch him play. And what a game this boy had. He was simply execellent. No wonder, even Maradona calls him 'the new Maradona'. Just only 18, this boy is definitely the one to watch.

Last night, it was the cracker match between Newcastle vs Sunderland at St James' (hehe I chose to ponteng terawikh berjemaah). Simply the game for neutrals. And I was flipping the channels between that game and Milan vs Palermo at 80. Also another one for the neutrals. The game was decided by a SuperPippo flying header 13 minutes from time, after Milan dominated the game but could not get the breakthrough that they needed. Yes, SuperPippo. Yes, he is still alive. He's been out for, what, nearly 2 years? And you should see the joy on his face after netting that goal. That was followed by West Ham vs Boro, not a great match, but a good one to watch nonetheless.

All-in-all, I believe this weekend was a good one for football, it could be perfect, if only I can be a totally neutral football fan. Next? Crystal Palace away. Argh.......