Le Professor 56 years old and the Henry experience 186 goals old!
Well it’s been a bit delayed between the last post and this one. The season’s been like that – a stop-start one that has not allowed teams or fans to get into any rhythm at all. Except for the RMF and however grudging, some credit goes to Loudmouth Mourinho for what he has done. But back to the topic of the day. We are about 50 minutes from kick off vs Man City and I have no anxieties or worries; indeed I can detect a positive swagger in myself. The King is back to lead the troops.
What a fairytale return Henry had that night against Sparta Prague? I was sorry to see Reyes getting kicked (on that the refereeing that day was a shambles) and was worried whether Henry had recovered enough t play for almost 75 minutes. But recovered he had and if physically he looked a bit under par the mental sharpness was as good as ever. Shamefully I had to admit that I missed the first goal as it happened having switched channels to watch ManU struggling against Lille for a few seconds. But when I watched the replays my mouth was open and I needed some seconds to get my breath back. More than the creativity and the beauty of the goal, what stunned me was the sheer audacity of it all. That was no 185 and we all knew that 186 would arrive duly. Arrived it did after Pires played a super ball and Henry mugged two defenders and finished coolly. Otherwise the game itself was marked by our control and the way we soaked up whatever pressure there was and kept a vital clean sheet.
Henry’ second goal and the gush of articles that followed set me thinking on my favourite Henry moment. Some of those moments are not even related to goals like when he nutmegged Danny Mills! Among the goals there are many such as the hat trick against Liverpool that won us the championship in 03/04 or the pitch length effort against the old enemy in 02/03 or No 185 or the back heel vs Charlton in 04/05. But three goals stick in my memory and show a facet of Henry that many people do not realise or (in the case of media) won’t realise. The two goals against RMF in December 2005, when the championship was still in the boil and talk was rife how Henry was apt to bottle it in big games, were both special. A rocket within minutes of the start and a cheeky free-kick proved everyone wrong and gave the players and fans a visible lift that we can compete and best the filthy rich RMF. The other special goal was against ManU in October 2000 at Highbury when Henry flicked the ball up with his back to the goal and spun and unleashed a tremendous volley above a bemused Barthez. All these goals share a Henry characteristic – when he plays like that nothing, the quality of the opposition or the situation, matters. Quintessentially Henry!
Coming to the other reason for the article today, “Many happy returns to Le Professor” and my sincere prayer that he lives long and is associated with Arsenal until his last breath. There are no adequate words to describe or say thanks to what Wenger has done for football and Arsenal. I will single out only one trait – his refusal to bow down before the unfair, unhealthy practices of other teams, be it Marseille in France or Chelsea in England. Go on, Professor, keep fighting, we are with you. As they say, “Arsene knows”.
October 22, 2005
September 21, 2005
Two wins and season back on track
A last gasp win over FC Thun and a stroll against Everton represents a satisfying week for the faithful. With 2 wins on the trot, all outside talk of crisis has been banished. Mind you, I feel this is only temporary relief as any signs of wobble by the team and the media will only be too ready to jump on to the ‘Arsenal in crisis’ bandwagon. However producing results on the pitch is the best way to turn off the negative press. Now we are off to Upton Park for what should be an entertaining London derby.
Having watched both the matches on telly, I was happy with the improvement shown by the team in the Everton match. Since by now most of us have gone through innumerable reports of both the matches, I won’t add to the clutter but just leave some impressions. Against Thun, while we were creating chances by the dozen in the first half, the quality of our play left something to be desired. Passes were misplaced and possession was given away too easily near Thun’s box after lot of hard work. Reyes was a notable culprit in this regard. While the lad’s workrate was fantastic and he was reeling off his usual bag of tricks, he was being outnumbered by Thun’s defenders and lost the ball too often for my liking. As the first half wore on without any rewards for our efforts we obviously became more frustrated. One beneficial consequence of this was that we tried going for goal rather than trying for the perfect pass.
During this period, the Thun goalkeeper had an experience straight out of the Arsenal book of goalkeeping. He appeared to have under control a Reyes shot before inexplicably he allowed the ball to slip beneath him towards goal line. He gained control of the ball however before Ljungberg cannoned into him. I am sure both Lehmann and Almunia would have been proud of the gaffe! I am sure (based on some bizarre but painful CL experience with Lehmann) that if either of our goalies had been involved in a similar situation, we would have ended up conceding. As luck would have it Almunia was to be punished in the second half for straying a bit too far from his goal line to concede Thun’s equalizer. Nelson Ferreira of Thun didn’t look like he was shooting or lobbing the ball but a more alert goalkeeper would have anticipated such a danger. I hate to say it but I don’t see RMF conceding such a goal. God knows how many more silly goals we are going to concede to pay for the gaffer’s refusal to buy a good goalkeeper. Coming to Arsenal goals, both of them were well taken and it was good to see Gilberto plant a precise header into the net and to celebrate with some animation. What can I see about Dennis? His determination to make something out of an aimless long ball by Sol was fascinating and a lesson for our younger strikers. It may have been a foul on the defender as he gained control of the ball but heck, who cares? The adrenalin was surely pumping for me as the ball went into the net.
As to the talking point of the game, it was a tad too harsh on RVP to be sent off in the first half. The referee had a poor game throughout and compensated for this mistake by refusing to send off Thun’s Goncalves for a dangerous challenge on Gilberto in the second half! Having said that, it was a poor percentage decision by RVP to go for a high ball with his foot. Hopefully his decision making will improve because of this dismissal.
The quality of play picked up a couple of notches against Everton thanks mainly to Reyes. Passes were zipping across the slick turf and it was a surprise that we didn’t bang in any goals from open play. However both the set-piece goals were superbly taken and for me the highlight was the way Reyes planted quality balls into the danger area. Not to detract anything from Captain Sol’s efforts. Too often with Henry and Pires taking freekicks and corners we have wasted these opportunities. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for Henry taking freekicks when in a goalscoring position or when he decides to go for goal. But otherwise he is not too hot at putting quality balls into the box. Hope that even after he returns, he allows Reyes or RVP to take such set-pieces. RVP looked a shade under colour, possibly the dismissal against Thun was weighing him down. Still he almost squeezed in a goal from a Reyes throughball in the first half. While it was sad to see Pires had to hobble off under a challenge from one-half of the ugly sisters, it could prove to be a blessing in disguise if he stays injured for a while. I think Hleb deserves to start regularly and the more he plays with Ljungberg, Reyes, RVP and Dennis the better for the team. I do feel that recent comments by Henry and Bergkamp on releasing the ball quickly are valid as far as Hleb (and also Reyes?) is concerned but if he doesn’t start more often, how is he going to jell well with the team and improve his decision making? After all, as long as Henry is out injured, we have to rely on collective effort and there is no harm in trying to figure out the right way of using Hleb. I have nothing against Pires but he looks past his sell-by date and a spell in the stands would do him good. If ManU can shunt Giggs to bench there is no reason why Pires should be guaranteed a starting place. (And I hope he will stop moaning about Neville’s foul on him. He is only opening himself up to ridicule, some national stereotyping and more intimidation in the future.) Hleb has enough CL experience to cope up with the big occasions. Maybe like Sol, Pires will comeback stronger after a layoff.
Anyways after the first half goals, we eased up as Everton shifted to damage control mode. One does feel sorry for David Moyes as his team is paying the price for over-achieving last year. However for a team struggling to score goals, their conservative approach was puzzling. One member of Everton team Gooners won’t be feeling sorry for is Phil Neville. Perhaps he forgot that he no is longer at Old Trafford and continued with the ugly sisters brand of thuggery patented by his old team. So it was satisfying to see Reyes give back as good as he got. As to our players’ efforts, Fabregas was neat and compact in both matches while Ljungberg was his busy self although sometimes the over-reliance on the left flank by the team took him out of the equation. Teenager Song had his senior debut but there was little time to judge him and he looked extremely nervous. Understandable I think, but he looks to be a strong lad and hopefully he will develop quickly to provide us with one more option in the middle.
All in all a good performance and along with the win over Thun puts us in the right frame of mind to visit West Ham. I haven’t seen any of the Hammers’ matches this season but going by reports of their matches and the scores, it looks like Alan Pardew has got them playing an attacking game. What a refreshing thought it is to play a team that hasn’t blindly aped the RMF and plays to score goals. While on the subject, I couldn’t agree more with the gaffer who said teams should balance the task of entertaining with winning matches. We have done it with lot of success over the last four seasons and hopefully will continue to set standards in this manner in seasons to come. At present I can only hope that West Ham comes at us on Saturday thereby opening up the game and more teams follow their example. While it should be a spirited match given the local rivalry, I think we should be able to see off the Hammers if we can produce the compact display that we put out against Everton. And I do hope that Hleb starts on the left with Reyes and RVP up front. Also the gaffer does not choose to rest Fabregas. Dennis though may require a rest if he is going to travel for the Ajax game. So it may be down to the young guns again to pull us through with some help from the back four.
Oh before I forget, my day (or rather night) was made last Wednesday when Tabloid Rooney was sent off against Villarreal. I actually happened to catch that incident live while flicking channels and I almost fell off my couch in sheer disbelief. But it was soon replaced by mirth. The fat boy has proven that he is as much thick-skulled as he is vile-mouthed. Perhaps only those dumb-heads writing in some discussion boards defending Rooney brand of sarcasm can be as daft as the fat boy. And after the Arsenal match got over when news of Vieira’s dismissal against Juventus flashed on the screen, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Having watched both the matches on telly, I was happy with the improvement shown by the team in the Everton match. Since by now most of us have gone through innumerable reports of both the matches, I won’t add to the clutter but just leave some impressions. Against Thun, while we were creating chances by the dozen in the first half, the quality of our play left something to be desired. Passes were misplaced and possession was given away too easily near Thun’s box after lot of hard work. Reyes was a notable culprit in this regard. While the lad’s workrate was fantastic and he was reeling off his usual bag of tricks, he was being outnumbered by Thun’s defenders and lost the ball too often for my liking. As the first half wore on without any rewards for our efforts we obviously became more frustrated. One beneficial consequence of this was that we tried going for goal rather than trying for the perfect pass.
During this period, the Thun goalkeeper had an experience straight out of the Arsenal book of goalkeeping. He appeared to have under control a Reyes shot before inexplicably he allowed the ball to slip beneath him towards goal line. He gained control of the ball however before Ljungberg cannoned into him. I am sure both Lehmann and Almunia would have been proud of the gaffe! I am sure (based on some bizarre but painful CL experience with Lehmann) that if either of our goalies had been involved in a similar situation, we would have ended up conceding. As luck would have it Almunia was to be punished in the second half for straying a bit too far from his goal line to concede Thun’s equalizer. Nelson Ferreira of Thun didn’t look like he was shooting or lobbing the ball but a more alert goalkeeper would have anticipated such a danger. I hate to say it but I don’t see RMF conceding such a goal. God knows how many more silly goals we are going to concede to pay for the gaffer’s refusal to buy a good goalkeeper. Coming to Arsenal goals, both of them were well taken and it was good to see Gilberto plant a precise header into the net and to celebrate with some animation. What can I see about Dennis? His determination to make something out of an aimless long ball by Sol was fascinating and a lesson for our younger strikers. It may have been a foul on the defender as he gained control of the ball but heck, who cares? The adrenalin was surely pumping for me as the ball went into the net.
As to the talking point of the game, it was a tad too harsh on RVP to be sent off in the first half. The referee had a poor game throughout and compensated for this mistake by refusing to send off Thun’s Goncalves for a dangerous challenge on Gilberto in the second half! Having said that, it was a poor percentage decision by RVP to go for a high ball with his foot. Hopefully his decision making will improve because of this dismissal.
The quality of play picked up a couple of notches against Everton thanks mainly to Reyes. Passes were zipping across the slick turf and it was a surprise that we didn’t bang in any goals from open play. However both the set-piece goals were superbly taken and for me the highlight was the way Reyes planted quality balls into the danger area. Not to detract anything from Captain Sol’s efforts. Too often with Henry and Pires taking freekicks and corners we have wasted these opportunities. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for Henry taking freekicks when in a goalscoring position or when he decides to go for goal. But otherwise he is not too hot at putting quality balls into the box. Hope that even after he returns, he allows Reyes or RVP to take such set-pieces. RVP looked a shade under colour, possibly the dismissal against Thun was weighing him down. Still he almost squeezed in a goal from a Reyes throughball in the first half. While it was sad to see Pires had to hobble off under a challenge from one-half of the ugly sisters, it could prove to be a blessing in disguise if he stays injured for a while. I think Hleb deserves to start regularly and the more he plays with Ljungberg, Reyes, RVP and Dennis the better for the team. I do feel that recent comments by Henry and Bergkamp on releasing the ball quickly are valid as far as Hleb (and also Reyes?) is concerned but if he doesn’t start more often, how is he going to jell well with the team and improve his decision making? After all, as long as Henry is out injured, we have to rely on collective effort and there is no harm in trying to figure out the right way of using Hleb. I have nothing against Pires but he looks past his sell-by date and a spell in the stands would do him good. If ManU can shunt Giggs to bench there is no reason why Pires should be guaranteed a starting place. (And I hope he will stop moaning about Neville’s foul on him. He is only opening himself up to ridicule, some national stereotyping and more intimidation in the future.) Hleb has enough CL experience to cope up with the big occasions. Maybe like Sol, Pires will comeback stronger after a layoff.
Anyways after the first half goals, we eased up as Everton shifted to damage control mode. One does feel sorry for David Moyes as his team is paying the price for over-achieving last year. However for a team struggling to score goals, their conservative approach was puzzling. One member of Everton team Gooners won’t be feeling sorry for is Phil Neville. Perhaps he forgot that he no is longer at Old Trafford and continued with the ugly sisters brand of thuggery patented by his old team. So it was satisfying to see Reyes give back as good as he got. As to our players’ efforts, Fabregas was neat and compact in both matches while Ljungberg was his busy self although sometimes the over-reliance on the left flank by the team took him out of the equation. Teenager Song had his senior debut but there was little time to judge him and he looked extremely nervous. Understandable I think, but he looks to be a strong lad and hopefully he will develop quickly to provide us with one more option in the middle.
All in all a good performance and along with the win over Thun puts us in the right frame of mind to visit West Ham. I haven’t seen any of the Hammers’ matches this season but going by reports of their matches and the scores, it looks like Alan Pardew has got them playing an attacking game. What a refreshing thought it is to play a team that hasn’t blindly aped the RMF and plays to score goals. While on the subject, I couldn’t agree more with the gaffer who said teams should balance the task of entertaining with winning matches. We have done it with lot of success over the last four seasons and hopefully will continue to set standards in this manner in seasons to come. At present I can only hope that West Ham comes at us on Saturday thereby opening up the game and more teams follow their example. While it should be a spirited match given the local rivalry, I think we should be able to see off the Hammers if we can produce the compact display that we put out against Everton. And I do hope that Hleb starts on the left with Reyes and RVP up front. Also the gaffer does not choose to rest Fabregas. Dennis though may require a rest if he is going to travel for the Ajax game. So it may be down to the young guns again to pull us through with some help from the back four.
Oh before I forget, my day (or rather night) was made last Wednesday when Tabloid Rooney was sent off against Villarreal. I actually happened to catch that incident live while flicking channels and I almost fell off my couch in sheer disbelief. But it was soon replaced by mirth. The fat boy has proven that he is as much thick-skulled as he is vile-mouthed. Perhaps only those dumb-heads writing in some discussion boards defending Rooney brand of sarcasm can be as daft as the fat boy. And after the Arsenal match got over when news of Vieira’s dismissal against Juventus flashed on the screen, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
September 14, 2005
What is in store for Arsenal vs FC Thun
As a gooner living in faraway Mumbai (that was Bombay earlier) I couldn't bear it any longer to see every Tom, Dick and Harry starting to predict the end of the road for Arsenal and no one to refute these sentiments to. From now onwards I will unburden myself as often as possible on the team's prospects and the games. And in true Arsenal spirit I expect the current bunch to bounce.
Four games into the season and Arsenal is in an almost inextricable crisis if you believe the media. Paddy is no longer there, Sol is injury prone and Henry will not be available for at least 4 weeks and we are already 9 points behind the Russian Mafia Franchise (RMF). It is not surprising that Gooners everywhere are having an attack of the blues and are moaning about how to navigate this season, which suddenly looks interminable. What is more surprising however is that some of the players are also apparently taken in by the media hype surrounding RMF and doom and gloom scenario painted for Arsenal. Cole's comments about missing Paddy and the other players are a case in point. (Already suspect in my eyes for his open flirting with RMF, he has sunk even further in my books. On the field, his performance is not too inspiring. He seems to be coasting along, in that dreaded comfort zone). Now, the slow recovery of Sol and the injury to Henry are unfortunate. But Paddy has been gone more than a month now and Cole and others have had ample time to come to terms with that loss. Moaning on ad nauseum about that sale is not going to get Arsenal anywhere. Not surprisingly it is the seniors in the team who have kept up this chorus as the youngsters are eager only to grab each and every opportunity that comes their way. Accordingly, even Henry should stop reminiscing about Paddy whenever he teams up with the French team. What impression can it have on guys like Cesc, Senderos, Van Persie and Quincy if your captain keeps pining for the ex-captain? Here I think Arsene has a role to play too. Treating players as grown ups is all well and good but every now and then they probably deserve the good old clout on the ear even if figuratively. ManU players did not moan about Jaap Stam and Beckham when they were sold. Agreed they had enough replacements but even after two seasons without the Premier League trophy, the players have not lost faith in the team, manager or themselves. Which seems to be the case with Cole and co. They have been afflicted by a collective case of yips. While Arsene can't prevent them reading the tabloids or watching TV, he should stamp out this whiff of nostalgia in the team.
Not only is it damaging the team's prospects this year but also because there is no basis for such sepia tinted memories. With Paddy in the team we were no better in the Champions League, for starters. Quarter finals was the best we have achieved and the last ime we were in the quarters, a few seniors including Paddy went missing in the second half against RMF. Paddy was also missing, albeit through injury, on one of our biggest and best nights in the CL when we humbled Inter 5-1 at San Siro in November 2003. The point is Paddy's departure has not lessened Arsenal's chances in CL. (League is another matter altogether and merits a separate discussion) It remains as daunting a prospect as it was last year. But as Liverpool and Porto showed, you need good organisation, a little bit of luck and a big heart to prosper. Feeling sorry for oneself or the team is not a sound basis to compete. Arsene claimed that 'we are not a prisoner of names' after the Middlesborough defeat. It is up to him to drill the same philosophy into the team's collective psyche.
Coming to today's match, it is bemusing to say the least to be playing against a team that seems to be named straight out of Middle Earth. It is not difficult to imagine Thun tracing back their history to the mines of Moria. Flippancy apart, with nothing known about the team, Arsenal would be best advised to focus on their game. I didn't catch the Middlesborough defeat on tv but from match reports and other gooner reports on the net, looks like a familiar case of missed opportunities at the front and some schoolboy errors at the back. Apart from giving a pep talk to the team, Arsene can do everyone a great favour by dropping Cygan. With the defenders already having to adjust to the change from Lehman to Almunia, the sight of Cygan anywhere near Arsenal goal is only guaranteed to cause jitters to both players and the fans. So first change from Saturday's starting eleven would be Cygan out and either Senderos or Campbell in. Not a bad idea to have Senderos since as a Swiss he must be having some idea of Thun's players. In the middle of the park, Fabregas has to come in place of Flamini. Flamini is good if Arsenal are in front and containing the game but to break open the game or to chase the game he is unsuited. Ljungberg for Pires, that is a straight and logical swap. And if I have my way Pires won't even be in the subs bench. He is another senior who has gone missing big time for many games now. May be he needs some time to reflect on his role in the team and his goals. If he is so after an extended contract he has to prove his worth first. Up front I will start with Reyes and Van Persie. In a team crawling with players content to pass and elaborate, Van Persie, a compulsive shooter, is a rare jewel. God knows what more he has to do to command a starting place. I would have Bergkamp on the bench ready to come in the second half if the game needs to be opened up or if Van Persie's temper flares up. With more than 5 subs allowed on the bench, Quincy should also merit a place on the subs list. Along with Flamini, Clichy and Senderos/Campbell in the subs bench this team should be able to put it past Thun with some gas left in the tank. (On the subject of Clichy, Arsene shouldn't hesitate to sub Cole if he continues to coast). A nice 3-0 win would do. And yes it is imperative not to concede goals.
Four games into the season and Arsenal is in an almost inextricable crisis if you believe the media. Paddy is no longer there, Sol is injury prone and Henry will not be available for at least 4 weeks and we are already 9 points behind the Russian Mafia Franchise (RMF). It is not surprising that Gooners everywhere are having an attack of the blues and are moaning about how to navigate this season, which suddenly looks interminable. What is more surprising however is that some of the players are also apparently taken in by the media hype surrounding RMF and doom and gloom scenario painted for Arsenal. Cole's comments about missing Paddy and the other players are a case in point. (Already suspect in my eyes for his open flirting with RMF, he has sunk even further in my books. On the field, his performance is not too inspiring. He seems to be coasting along, in that dreaded comfort zone). Now, the slow recovery of Sol and the injury to Henry are unfortunate. But Paddy has been gone more than a month now and Cole and others have had ample time to come to terms with that loss. Moaning on ad nauseum about that sale is not going to get Arsenal anywhere. Not surprisingly it is the seniors in the team who have kept up this chorus as the youngsters are eager only to grab each and every opportunity that comes their way. Accordingly, even Henry should stop reminiscing about Paddy whenever he teams up with the French team. What impression can it have on guys like Cesc, Senderos, Van Persie and Quincy if your captain keeps pining for the ex-captain? Here I think Arsene has a role to play too. Treating players as grown ups is all well and good but every now and then they probably deserve the good old clout on the ear even if figuratively. ManU players did not moan about Jaap Stam and Beckham when they were sold. Agreed they had enough replacements but even after two seasons without the Premier League trophy, the players have not lost faith in the team, manager or themselves. Which seems to be the case with Cole and co. They have been afflicted by a collective case of yips. While Arsene can't prevent them reading the tabloids or watching TV, he should stamp out this whiff of nostalgia in the team.
Not only is it damaging the team's prospects this year but also because there is no basis for such sepia tinted memories. With Paddy in the team we were no better in the Champions League, for starters. Quarter finals was the best we have achieved and the last ime we were in the quarters, a few seniors including Paddy went missing in the second half against RMF. Paddy was also missing, albeit through injury, on one of our biggest and best nights in the CL when we humbled Inter 5-1 at San Siro in November 2003. The point is Paddy's departure has not lessened Arsenal's chances in CL. (League is another matter altogether and merits a separate discussion) It remains as daunting a prospect as it was last year. But as Liverpool and Porto showed, you need good organisation, a little bit of luck and a big heart to prosper. Feeling sorry for oneself or the team is not a sound basis to compete. Arsene claimed that 'we are not a prisoner of names' after the Middlesborough defeat. It is up to him to drill the same philosophy into the team's collective psyche.
Coming to today's match, it is bemusing to say the least to be playing against a team that seems to be named straight out of Middle Earth. It is not difficult to imagine Thun tracing back their history to the mines of Moria. Flippancy apart, with nothing known about the team, Arsenal would be best advised to focus on their game. I didn't catch the Middlesborough defeat on tv but from match reports and other gooner reports on the net, looks like a familiar case of missed opportunities at the front and some schoolboy errors at the back. Apart from giving a pep talk to the team, Arsene can do everyone a great favour by dropping Cygan. With the defenders already having to adjust to the change from Lehman to Almunia, the sight of Cygan anywhere near Arsenal goal is only guaranteed to cause jitters to both players and the fans. So first change from Saturday's starting eleven would be Cygan out and either Senderos or Campbell in. Not a bad idea to have Senderos since as a Swiss he must be having some idea of Thun's players. In the middle of the park, Fabregas has to come in place of Flamini. Flamini is good if Arsenal are in front and containing the game but to break open the game or to chase the game he is unsuited. Ljungberg for Pires, that is a straight and logical swap. And if I have my way Pires won't even be in the subs bench. He is another senior who has gone missing big time for many games now. May be he needs some time to reflect on his role in the team and his goals. If he is so after an extended contract he has to prove his worth first. Up front I will start with Reyes and Van Persie. In a team crawling with players content to pass and elaborate, Van Persie, a compulsive shooter, is a rare jewel. God knows what more he has to do to command a starting place. I would have Bergkamp on the bench ready to come in the second half if the game needs to be opened up or if Van Persie's temper flares up. With more than 5 subs allowed on the bench, Quincy should also merit a place on the subs list. Along with Flamini, Clichy and Senderos/Campbell in the subs bench this team should be able to put it past Thun with some gas left in the tank. (On the subject of Clichy, Arsene shouldn't hesitate to sub Cole if he continues to coast). A nice 3-0 win would do. And yes it is imperative not to concede goals.
February 24, 2005
Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud
Ten Thousand miles Without a Cloud is Chinese metaphor for absolute clarity. It is the title of a book by Sun Shuyun, a Chinese filmmaker settled in UK. She travels more than ten thousand miles to retrace the travels of Xuanzang (or Hieun Tsang as he is known in India), A Chinese monk who lived in 7th century AD. The death of her father, an armyman, broken and embittered, sets her thinking. She herself was successfully indoctrinated during the cultural revolution and is a typical product of Mao's revolution. However the changes that swept through China in eighties and nineties and her own experiences abroad have shaken those foundations. A well known Chinese folk tale "The Monkey King", a fictionalised account of Xuanzang's travels and a chance conversation with an Indian student at Oxford leads her to discover the monk. Curiosity to learn more about the monk and his travels and a desire to search for meaning, something to believe in leads her to embark on an ambitious journey retracing Xuanzang's footsteps along the Silk Route, from Xian to India. Memories of her own grandmother's devout Buddhism amidst the Cultural Revolution and in face of ridicule at home hover in the background.
This is a delightful book. Aprt from large doses of history and snippets from Xuanzong's own account and his biography, the book contains surprising insights into Chinese society and recent history. For example, we learn that the context for Cultural Revolution was the religious fervour that swept China in the late fifties when the authorities relaxed their grip on religious freedom. Similarly the intellectual climate sweeping through Beijing university in the mid eighties contained the seeds of the Tiananmen protests. Of course Sun Shuyun doesn't talk about the massacre itself as she had moved out of China by then. Her description of the present day situation in Chinese Turkestan (Xinjiang) is interesting. The sense of alienation felt by Uighurs and the apparent lack of social interaction between them and Han Chinese is troubling and familar. Many Indians would find this familiar as we remember the complete breakdown of interaction between Hindus and Muslims during times of riots and between Pandits and Muslims in Kashmir. While it is known that China faces separatism in Xinjiang the extent of the problem is not well appreciated. If the sense of alienation is as deep as Sun Shuyun portrays then China may just be storing up trouble for future. Cultural Revolution and Tiananmen were seminal events in modern Chinese history. May be the next big shake up will take place in the western regions.
Sun Shuyun's portrayal of this situation is balanced and sympathetic. Impressive given that she herself acknowledges the drawbacks of the Han Chinese society - inward looking and a sense of cultural supremacy. However her portrayal of Xuanzang's is as hagiographic as they come. Of course no one can fail to be impressed by his achievements. He crossed over 100 countries and was on the road for 18 years. He was single handedly responsible for bringing back a large number of Buddhist sutras and translating a number of them. It will not be an exaggeration to say that he strengthened the foundations of Buddhism in China and ensured that it will live on for centuries together. He was set upon by bandits, lost his way in the desert and amidst snowstorms, had to turn down rulers keen on holding him back in their countires and even turned down a princess' hand! And to think that he set out in violation of an Imperial decree banning foreign travel. His steadfastness, intelligence and dedication stand out. His was an achievement more diffcult than Marco Polo's and unlike Polo he accomplished his goals.
Xuanzang wrote a book "Record of the Western Regions" a detailed acocunt of the places he visited and the things he saw. This book proved invaluable to future historians across Central Asia and in India to rediscover lost sites and to reconstruct history. Sun Shuyun finds that Xuanzang is revered in many countries even today precisely for this reason. His account was a beacon in the darkness of the past in these countries. His reputation outside China is completely opposite to the way he is remembered inside China where the fictional account of the "Monkey King" has taken precedence over the truth. Hijacking truth was not the prerogative of Communicst China alone. Imperial China also had uses for false history. Be as it may, Sun Shuyun doesn't dwell too much on why a Buddhist monk wrote such a book in first place. She acknowledges that Xuanzang wrote the book to please Emperor Taizong whose patronage he needed for his massive translation job. Xuanzang needed to make up with the Emperor after having defied him by leaving the country. Also an Imperial stamp of approval would not hurt the chances of Buddhsim versus other faiths. But is it possible that Xuanzang made his journey with the knowledge and approval of the Emperor and he was in fact spying for the Tang Empire? We will never know. For historians in India and other Central Asian countries it doesn't matter.
Ten Thousand miles Without a Cloud is Chinese metaphor for absolute clarity. It is the title of a book by Sun Shuyun, a Chinese filmmaker settled in UK. She travels more than ten thousand miles to retrace the travels of Xuanzang (or Hieun Tsang as he is known in India), A Chinese monk who lived in 7th century AD. The death of her father, an armyman, broken and embittered, sets her thinking. She herself was successfully indoctrinated during the cultural revolution and is a typical product of Mao's revolution. However the changes that swept through China in eighties and nineties and her own experiences abroad have shaken those foundations. A well known Chinese folk tale "The Monkey King", a fictionalised account of Xuanzang's travels and a chance conversation with an Indian student at Oxford leads her to discover the monk. Curiosity to learn more about the monk and his travels and a desire to search for meaning, something to believe in leads her to embark on an ambitious journey retracing Xuanzang's footsteps along the Silk Route, from Xian to India. Memories of her own grandmother's devout Buddhism amidst the Cultural Revolution and in face of ridicule at home hover in the background.
This is a delightful book. Aprt from large doses of history and snippets from Xuanzong's own account and his biography, the book contains surprising insights into Chinese society and recent history. For example, we learn that the context for Cultural Revolution was the religious fervour that swept China in the late fifties when the authorities relaxed their grip on religious freedom. Similarly the intellectual climate sweeping through Beijing university in the mid eighties contained the seeds of the Tiananmen protests. Of course Sun Shuyun doesn't talk about the massacre itself as she had moved out of China by then. Her description of the present day situation in Chinese Turkestan (Xinjiang) is interesting. The sense of alienation felt by Uighurs and the apparent lack of social interaction between them and Han Chinese is troubling and familar. Many Indians would find this familiar as we remember the complete breakdown of interaction between Hindus and Muslims during times of riots and between Pandits and Muslims in Kashmir. While it is known that China faces separatism in Xinjiang the extent of the problem is not well appreciated. If the sense of alienation is as deep as Sun Shuyun portrays then China may just be storing up trouble for future. Cultural Revolution and Tiananmen were seminal events in modern Chinese history. May be the next big shake up will take place in the western regions.
Sun Shuyun's portrayal of this situation is balanced and sympathetic. Impressive given that she herself acknowledges the drawbacks of the Han Chinese society - inward looking and a sense of cultural supremacy. However her portrayal of Xuanzang's is as hagiographic as they come. Of course no one can fail to be impressed by his achievements. He crossed over 100 countries and was on the road for 18 years. He was single handedly responsible for bringing back a large number of Buddhist sutras and translating a number of them. It will not be an exaggeration to say that he strengthened the foundations of Buddhism in China and ensured that it will live on for centuries together. He was set upon by bandits, lost his way in the desert and amidst snowstorms, had to turn down rulers keen on holding him back in their countires and even turned down a princess' hand! And to think that he set out in violation of an Imperial decree banning foreign travel. His steadfastness, intelligence and dedication stand out. His was an achievement more diffcult than Marco Polo's and unlike Polo he accomplished his goals.
Xuanzang wrote a book "Record of the Western Regions" a detailed acocunt of the places he visited and the things he saw. This book proved invaluable to future historians across Central Asia and in India to rediscover lost sites and to reconstruct history. Sun Shuyun finds that Xuanzang is revered in many countries even today precisely for this reason. His account was a beacon in the darkness of the past in these countries. His reputation outside China is completely opposite to the way he is remembered inside China where the fictional account of the "Monkey King" has taken precedence over the truth. Hijacking truth was not the prerogative of Communicst China alone. Imperial China also had uses for false history. Be as it may, Sun Shuyun doesn't dwell too much on why a Buddhist monk wrote such a book in first place. She acknowledges that Xuanzang wrote the book to please Emperor Taizong whose patronage he needed for his massive translation job. Xuanzang needed to make up with the Emperor after having defied him by leaving the country. Also an Imperial stamp of approval would not hurt the chances of Buddhsim versus other faiths. But is it possible that Xuanzang made his journey with the knowledge and approval of the Emperor and he was in fact spying for the Tang Empire? We will never know. For historians in India and other Central Asian countries it doesn't matter.
In India itself, all traces of Buddhism had vanished till the nineteenth century when Alexander Cunningham, thanks to Xuanzang's account, single handedly unearthed scores of Buddhist sites and rediscovered Buddhism for India. It is an amazing, unbelievable story and must have cleared Sun Shuyun's doubts about why Xuanzang was so revered outside China. But then how did Buddhism vanish from India? Even today Buddhism with its egalitarian world view is refreshing. In Buddha's times, it must have been nothing short of revolutionary. It represented a direct attack on the ruling elite of those days, the Kshatriyas and the Brahmins. As Sun Shuyun recounts Buddhism was wiped out of India by a combination of the martial and the spiritual. In South India, the reformation movement sparked by Adi Sankara provided an intellectual chanllenge that Buddhism could not meet. In the North, it was the Afghan invaders who did a thorough job of destorying Buddhist sites and converting followers. Indeed, this is one recurring theme throughout Sun Shuyun's book and the places she visits - how the spread of Islam spelt the death knell of Buddhism - in Central Asia, Afghanistan and North India. Along with the author, we mourn the death of Buddhism, the desecration of places of worship and the loss of priceless art in these places. We also relive the agony of those days when the Taliban choose to destory the Bamiyan Buddhas. It is chilling that modern day fundamentalists can summon the same ferocity and hatred that drove their medieval ancestors. All the progress in science, education, culture, of what avail are these? But then as Buddha would say nothing is permanent.
Sun Shuyun's travels in India also offer a contrast in how the dalits, the oppressed, adopt different modes to fight for emacipation in Bihar and Maharashtra. In Bihar the language of the bullet speaks loudest. In Maharashtra, inspired by Ambedkar's example, dalits make their point by renouncing Hindusim and embracing Buddhism. Buddhism gave them dignity and helps them realise the power of the mind. As the author finds out, they have embraced a form of Zen Buddhism that would be alien to many of the followers in China. Indeed, Chinese Buddhism sounds suspiciously like Hindusim with all its superstitions and pantheon of Gods. Surely this was not what Buddha envisioned?
Probably that is why Sun Shuyun is still struggling with her understanding of Buddhism by the end of the book. She doesn't attain the proverbial clarity at the end of it all. She is still confused about Yogacara for which Xuanzang made the trip in the first place. But she discovers that the reason Buddhism is so appealing is that it places emphasis on the mind above all else. One can change one's life by the way one looks at it. Your mind is what matters and you can transform it. Looked at in this manner, Buddha was the pioneer for the self help industry! Although I am ignorant of Buddhism, if it has given hopes to dalits of Inida, if it has allowed them to restore dignity to their lives by changing a way of thinking, then it is truly revolutionary and deserves serious attention. What is best about this book is hat Sun Shuyun discovers that Buddhism can be better understood from the lives of people who practice it in various ways rather than by reading scriptures or following rituals. Her grandmother, Sister Shah Ren at the Thunderbolt monastery, the monk Duan at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the dalits in Kushinagar. Her own journey of self discovery ends at her grandmother's grave where she pays homage and regrets that she and her family didn't give her grandmother the respect, tolerance and understanding due anyone. If this is the one abiding learning from her journey, then it has been worthwhile. And worthwhile for me also. Read the book, you won't regret it.
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