Monday Stats

Another win, another clean sheet and another cracking goal from Diego Costa. Chelsea going well at the moment, but what I'm enjoying is the calm and assured way the team is going about it. The new formation, since the 0-3 experience against Arsenal, is looking good and the players appear to be getting to grips with it. No bookings against Southampton. No contentious decisions. And nothing to get upset about either. Quite a contrast to where we were this time last season. (lying 15th with only 11pts on the board).

This Stat panel makes interesting reading.

Oh Jose ? 

Though I sympathise after Saturday's game against Burnley (the masters of low possession but point grabbing abilities). See the game stats here:

"Cirrus Minor" didn't make an appearance last week on that 'Pink Floyd Beginnings' programme - which turned out to be an odd collection of curios, mostly sourced from unknown European television shows. 
Now this week is somewhat significant (as the 50 comes up on the  FRIDAY MUSIC SPOT ) so it's probably time for a real show-stopper.
Phil Collins has been in the news recently promoting concerts planned for next year and his autobiography called 'Not Dead Yet'. The point being that he is very much alive, though not exactly a picture of health following alcohol related illness and back surgery.
This is probably his best known song, taken from 'Live and Loose in Paris' in 1997. 
No introduction required…

The 'Friday Music Spot' began last year on 13th November with 'Maggot Brain' by Funkadelic.

Carlos Alberto

Scorer of one of the best, if not the best, goals in World Cup history died yesterday aged 72.
Enjoy once again his goal for Brazil in the 1970 final in Mexico. Complete with Kenneth Wolstenholme's memorable commentary: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37767301

The move begins with the Brazilian Rivellino dummying a couple of Italian players.








The ball goes out wide left and then up the wing to Jairzinho, who instantly controls the ball with his right foot.









Dribbling in field, Jairzinho squares the ball to his right. There are still more blue shirted Italian players compared to Brazilian's in shot.







The ball reaches number 10 Pele. He turns and almost casually passes the ball, seemingly to no one !  Alberto is out of the picture at this time.








Finally Carlos Alberto appears from out of nowhere to smash the ball into the net.








Fantastic finish to a great team goal.

Thanks for the memory. RIP Carlos.

Sports Desk

Chelsea 4  Manchester United 0

Great weekend. Little to add, except this tweet which was brilliant. 

Comment:

Interesting over the weekend and especially during last weeks Champions League matches how many defensive errors are being seriously punished. Casual playing out from the back and suddenly you've given a goal away. Man City and Celtic particularly guilty of mistakes as forwards press and push up, ready to pounce.

But I will add this….

I'll try and keep this brief, something that may prove wildly optimistic given the band in question.
Last week I received my regular 'What's On' e.mailing from the Roundhouse in London's Chalk Farm. Titled 'Happy Birthday to us!' it informed me that October 15th marked the 50 year anniversary of it opening as a performing arts centre. "In 1966 the Roundhouse opened with a wild party, featuring a little known band called Pink Floyd". 
By coincidence on tv this evening, BBC4 are showing a programme called 'Pink Floyd Beginnings 1967-1972', at 9pm*.
Selecting something by Pink Floyd prompts the question 'where do I start?', with so much to choose from. Eventually I took my cue from tonight's programme and made life easier by restricting myself to the beginnings and this 5 year period. Even then it wasn't easy, but finding this little known track from the Soundtrack to the film 'More', released in 1969, is a nice reminder of a 'Relic' that perhaps has been lost in the years since. (It may even turn up in tonight's programme?)
The first minute of the song is all bird sounds, suitably weird but typical Floyd - then the YouTube video offers the chance to brush up on your italian as the lyrics are translated, before the images become a wildlife documentary again only for the ending, somewhat appropriately, to turn into a bit of a 2001:Stargate on the  STAR TRACK . 
'Cirrus Minor' begins very tranquil and peacefully…

'Cirrus Minor' was also on 'Relics' - a compilation album first released in 1971.

*If you switch on early this evening you'll catch a different kind of 'Good Old Days' in the shape of Music Hall entertainment and Danny La Rue. Be careful music lovers.

Sports Desk on a Tuesday

I've waited until Tuesday morning for Sports Desk this week due mainly to the Liverpool v Man Utd match being Sky's Monday Night Football.
This game's result has condensed the current Premiership league table even more but has not taken away for my high point of the weekend's games, seen during Chelsea's 3-0 win over Leicester City at the Bridge. No, not the delightful back heeled return pass to Victor Moses, by Nathaniel Chalobah, for the 3rd goal. Or, David Luis hitting the post of Leicester's and his own goal. But a moment perhaps not seen by everyone in the ground (and certainly not a part of Motd's highlights, more's the pity) but expertly summed up by Jonathan Northcroft in the Sunday Times.

"Cesar Azpilicueta overhit a long diagonal. Through the clear, cold sky it sailed, to the technical areas, where Antonio Conte killed the ball instantly with the outside of a handmade leather shoe. It was a ludicrously deft touch and Conte, in his nonchalance, did not even take his hands out of his pockets."

This happened midway through the first half - a moment I'm glad I didn't miss*.

Hull City's Curtis Davies

Other notes

Not surprised Hull got beat heavily at Bournemouth considering the colour of their away strip. I think it was Puce. Enough to put anyone off their game. 

Brilliant goalkeeping displays by Maarten Stekelenburg (Everton) and Ben Foster (WBA). Top marks.

There were few questionable decisions over the weekend, which makes the sending-off of Aaron Creswell of West Ham stand out all the more. Referee Martin Atkinson got both yellow cards wrong and to add insult, West Ham can't appeal against two yellow cards the way they can a straight Red. 

*Football footnote: Just seen Motd 2 and 'Too Good, Too Bad' featured that Conte moment. Excellent!

It's request time on the  FRIDAY MUSIC SPOT 
A few days ago it was Margaret's birthday and she requested I play something for her. A number of tracks were mentioned and it was agreed that I should make the final choice.
I picked this track as it always brings back memories of Cape Town, the scenery, the ocean drive, the atmosphere and warmth.
Off his 1994 album 'Move', track one, this is Earl Klugh and 'Across The Sand'. A bit of Jazz guitar, nice! 

Extras: As always I uncover some additional material > this is for all you drummers out there. Same song, accompanied …count the cymbals he has: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FipQKAw_kfM

Around the World

They made it… Trans-Siberian Railway journeys end - Vladivostok.
But not before I present one last graphic for everyone's entertainment:
First up, while reading this, how about some musical accompaniment. Listen to the rhythm of the railway as you digest some facts and figures.

I've calculated that since leaving London, and by the time they arrive in Tokyo tomorrow, they'll have clocked up almost a third of the distance around the world.
The Earth is 24,901 miles in circumference - they've travelling 8,173 miles (give or take a few miles here and there, depending on which website you've consulted). That's nearly one third of the way 'Around the World in 23 Days' !  Fantastic. Here's my graphic and some pictures of the 'Stars of the Show' -

Seems I've got stuck in a sound-a-like, rollin' down the road rhythm of 'rockabilly' rock.
Time for a change then and Something Completely Different - a man with a tape recorder up his nose.

And now: It's the music spot. Ladies and Gentlemen The Rutles with 'I Must Be in Love'

I hope you spotted the whole Monty Python, Eric Idle, Neil Innes, Beatles 'All You Need is Love' train of thought. More of The Rutles here:

Trans-Siberian Update 2

For those of you following and travelling along on the Trans-Siberian Railway, here's a latest update:

They arrived in Irkutsk. Then went to Lake Baikal and the town of Listvyanka (known as the Baikal Riviera). They arrived to snow !!! - (see picture Scott just sent me) - this is almost 'live' reporting.

This Week's Good Buy

If you like Belgium style Abbey beers then this week's best buy at Lidl is a case of 12 beers for £7.99.
The Abbaye de Vauclair is actually in France, but close enough to Belgium geographically and in beer variety and taste. You get two (33ml bottles) of six different styles, that's about a £1 per half litre. Good value at Lidl and far cheaper than Sainsbury's, Waitrose or you local beer emporium, where you can pay double, even triple that, for similar strength beers.

Biere BLONDE (6.5%) 
Blonde beer (think Leffe)

Biere AMBREE (6.1%) 
Amber beer.

Biere BLANCHE (4.5%) 
Wheat beer

Biere RUBIS (5%) Fruity beer

Biere BRUNE (6.4%) 
Dark malt beer

Biere TRIPLE (8.5%) 
Strong blonde beer (like Duvel)

Good bye !

All aboard: Trans Siberian update

Well they made it over the Urals to Yekaterinburg. 
>See: http://billblogs2.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/timezones.html
The next leg across Siberia to Irkutsk only takes a little over 2 days !

YES that does mean 2 days and 5 hours

Gordon was not best pleased when the Fat Controller told him
about where he'd be going tomorrow.