Just thinking

Just thinking

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I’m not sure if there’s cause for my Hero to be worried or not.  I mean, when a blog post of mine begins with a diagram of …well, have you worked it out yet?

It’s OK.  Until yesterday, I wouldn’t have had a clue.  Still haven’t, really. (The answer is here)

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As I caught up with a few blog posts yesterday, I came across this Waterstone’s article.  Unusually, instead of simply hitting the tick box and moving on, I began to read.  For some reason, something which would normally hold no interest whatsoever for me piqued my curiosity.  Was it as a result of our visit to Lambeau Field recently, where the business side of football proved surprisingly interesting?  I don’t know.  But the theory of the game, the influence of a handful of characters and the analysis of what I regard as “just kicking a ball about” gave me food for thought and perhaps altered my perception of what goes on in a game of football.  Somehow, the presentation engaged me and I wanted to read further, learn more and maybe give it a bit more consideration than I’d have expected.

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Winking smile

Do you think a game is really all planned out like that, or is the analysis simply worked out afterwards by a few pundits, like parsing a line of Shakespeare?  And do you agree that Pep Guardiola will have a significant impact upon the English game?  (No need to answer )

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A similar thing happened to me this morning, as I was driving home with Radio 4 switched on the radio.  I’m not generally much interested in history, though I know Horatio Nelson to be a figure of huge interest and admiration generally and the reading of RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR this morning just happened to be about a visit to HMS Victory.  In particular I loved the descriptions of the Admiral’s hat, which gave me a reason to listen again when I got home.

I learned a new word too.  Chelengk.

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Of course I wanted to know more, if only to check that I hadn’t imagined hearing that there was a clockwork mechanism in there somewhere which caused the diamonds to vibrate slightly and shimmer in the light!   Such details are key to setting me a’googling. 

Not only that, but a visit to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich just moved a few notches up my wishlist. 

Further research on the advantages of the positioning of Messi and Alba in the recent Real Madrid vs Barcelona match, when the former ran the game as a conventional number 10 and the latter was able to become involved in many promising Barcelona attacks might follow.  In the meantime, I’ve got a few pictures to stick in my journal this afternoon.

Well-travelled socks

Well-travelled socks

Go for the easy win first

Go for the easy win first