保羅湯建士﹕傳媒針對利物浦的心態

puma8811

篇文有D長﹐所以要拆開幾分黎寫。作者已經唔代表本人立場。

雖然作者收官網既稿費﹐是為「官網喉舌」﹐但佢大部份講既野都幾有道理同引人深省既。呢篇就分析點解D報章每次報導利物浦時都會咁針對利物浦﹐但對阿曼車就捧若神明。作者雖然係講緊英國既報章﹐但香港既報章何賞唔係更過份﹖

Part 1

Ten goals in two home games, achieved despite the absence of a number of the club's creative players, but to read some of the press reports you have to wonder what the team and its manager has to do to get some credit.

兩場主場一共入了十球﹐而且是在球隊最有創造力的球員缺陣下達成的。但當讀過一些報章的報導時﹐你就不禁會想究竟球隊還要做什麼才能得到應得的獎勵。

For me, and a number of fans, it's important how the Reds are treated within the media. I don't expect glowing praise, but I do want to see some balance. Just a little credit where it's due, as opposed to undeserved criticism and petty snipes.

對我和其他球迷來說﹐傳媒怎樣對待紅軍是非常重要的。我不奢求被盲目追捧﹐但我至少想見到一些中肯的報導。在該稱贊的時候稱讚﹐而不是作出無理批評和人身攻擊。

The Daily Telegraph match report on Monday was a case in point. It was basically written from the point of view that Liverpool, had they not scored two late goals, would have drawn another game. (Wow, really?) And the piece suggested that drawing another game was not good enough, and certainly not championship form.

《每日電郵》在星期一的賽果報導就是一個例子。文章的出發點是若利物浦不是臨完場入兩球的話﹐他們就會再和一場。(真的嗎﹖) 文章還隱約說打和是不夠成為爭標隊伍。

Of course, let's not forget the awkward fact that it wasn't a draw, and that matches last at least 90 minutes. The last 10 minutes are where the best teams often make it count. Anyone who has watched football for more than a month knows that.

當然﹐請大家不要忘記事實是我們沒有打和﹐一個球賽是有至少90分鐘。而最頂級的球隊通常都能在最後10分鐘內分出勝負。任何有超過一個月看足球經驗的人都知道這個道理。

Somehow it's okay for Manchester United to unconvincingly beat Spurs, Sunderland and Everton 1-0 with late or very late goals 枛 that's "the sign of a great team". But Liverpool deservedly winning 2-0 with late goals is somehow just not good enough and the equivalent of a draw.

若曼聯再毫無起色的情況下以1-0小勝或臨完場一箭定江山打敗像熱刺﹐新特蘭或愛華頓之流的話﹐傳媒就會說「這是冠軍球隊應有的象徵」﹐但若利物浦在令人心服口服的情況下在完場前入2球獲勝他們就會說這表現是「不夠好」和「跟打和沒有分別」。

To put things into context, Alex Ferguson believes that his current crop is the best squad he's ever had. Yet the Reds, on their coattails (only three points behind when level on games on Saturday evening), are widely portrayed in the media as some second-rate outfit with no chance of the title in a million years.

另一個例子﹕費爵爺相信他的現有球員是他上任以來最好的。但排在他們後面的紅軍(雖然只有6分差距兼少打一場)就被傳媒定性為在一百萬年之內都不會贏得聯賽的二線球隊

puma8811

Part 2

Something is wrong with this picture. If United are ever-improving (and to my mind they are), and Chelsea have the most expensive squad in the history of the English game, and Arsenal are playing "the best football ever seen" (slightly facetious, but you know what I mean), then how come the Reds aren't getting at least some credit for still being unbeaten and within touching distance, while experiencing far more medium- and long-term injury problems?

這情況真是非常有問題。如果曼聯是不斷在進步(我也認為他們是這樣)﹐車路士擁有英超史上最貴的隊伍﹐而阿仙奴的打法是「」世界上最美麗的(雖然有點滑稽﹐但你應該知道我在說什麼)﹐為什麼傳媒沒有至少承認紅軍現在在承受中期到長期的傷兵困擾時還能夠保持聯賽不敗兼保留爭標機會這個事實﹖

(All of a sudden Chelsea have a few players injured, and "injury crisis" has started appearing in the press.)

(最近車路士有幾個球員受傷後﹐傳媒就已經炒作說他們現在面臨「傷兵危機」)

This Liverpool side is improving. The top four in England has been close to being the top four in Europe since Ben韙ez arrived in England. Five years ago that was nowhere near the case.

這個利物浦隊伍是不斷的在進步。自從賓尼迪斯來到英格蘭後﹐英格蘭的前四名差不多成為歐洲的前四名球隊。五年前不是這樣的。

Even when Liverpool hammer someone, as they did against Besiktas, it's down to poor opposition; no-one said the same when Arsenal thrashed Slavia Prague.

就算利物浦以大比數大勝對手﹐好像週中大炒比錫達斯﹐傳媒會說是因為對手級數太弱﹐但阿仙奴大炒布拉格斯拉維亞時卻沒有人這樣說。

The Telegraph piece, which said Fulham failed to get the point they deserved, ignored that the Cottagers are the best team in the league when looking at half-time scorelines, so it was likely to be a case of wearing them down 枛 tiring them out as they chase the ball 枛 and striking late on.

《每日電郵》的文章說富咸痛失他們應得的1分﹐但他們沒有注意到一個事實。若只計算半場比數的話﹐富咸確實是排列榜首。所以對付像富咸的頑強球隊通常是要以逸待勞﹐令他們疲於奔命﹐然後乘虛作出突擊。

Indeed, that's precisely what the great Liverpool sides of the past had to do on plenty of occasions. Or are we forgetting that? (And if late goals suddenly don't count, can we please have our league title from 1989 back, Mr?) Earlier this season Fulham were actually winning at Arsenal until the 84th minute, and then drew 0-0 at Chelsea. So their obduracy when visiting the big clubs is obvious. That's their style.

確實﹐以前1970-1980年代的利物浦也是通常靠這個方法獲勝﹐難道他們忘記了﹖(如果他們說臨完場入的球是不算數的話﹐請問我們可不可以拿回我們在1989年最後一天臨完場前痛失給阿仙奴的聯賽冠軍嗎﹖)在幾個月前富咸在作客阿仙奴時﹐頭84分鐘他們是領先的﹐然後他們0-0賽和車路士。他們作客強隊時的頑固性是無可否認的﹐因為這是他們的風格。

I also fail to see precisely what Fulham did to deserve a draw on Saturday. They defended very well, as they set out their stall for a goalless encounter.

我完全不明白富咸究竟做了什麼去令人以為他們值得拿1分。他們防守是非常好﹐而且他們是想悶和到完場一刻。

However, they offered nothing going forward, and did not stop Liverpool, on top of the two goals, creating several undeniably clear-cut chances: two for Voronin, one of which was well saved, the other fractionally wide; Torres' shot that was saved; Crouch's header off the bar; Benayoun's wonderful dinked chip that was just tipped round, and his miss from a yard as two Liverpool players dived in at the loose ball. Only one keeper was actually involved in the game (unless it was creating assists).

但是他們完全沒有進攻的意欲﹐但這沒有防止利物浦創造不少入球機會。禾朗連有兩次﹐其中一次被門將美妙撲救﹐另一次完全出界﹔托雷斯也有一次射門被撲救﹔高洛治的頭錘中橫楣彈出﹔賓拿約的射門僅僅略過。全場只有一方的門將(富咸的)有參與比賽﹐如果你不計算連拿協助助攻的次數。

puma8811

Part 3

While I'll never lose sleep over what's said in the papers on the telly, views expressed in the media do still irritate me; they can become the mantra of many fans 枛 particularly those who don't pay close attention to the facts but are quick to pick up their mobile and dial a phone-in 枛 and add to the pressure on a manager and the team.

雖然我是不會因為報紙和電視新聞說什麼而導致失眠﹐但他們的表達手法還是令我非常懊惱的。他們能夠影響球迷的心態﹐尤其是那些沒有留心事實但就毫不猶豫地打給電台節目的球迷。這只會增加領隊和球員的壓力。

One of the drawbacks of not being able to get to many games these days is that it leaves me, and my sanity, in the hands of the commentators.

最近我不能親身去球場觀賽的最大缺點是我要承受旁述員的說三道四。

I frequently switch off the sound during live games, only to quickly need it back on to either hear the crowd (as it's unreal without them) or for an explanation of what's happening when the pictures aren't clear (such as when the director focuses on a vaguely attractive woman in the crowd; wow, a woman! 枛 at a football match! 枛 and she doesn't look like a man! Unbelievable!)

通常我會索性把音響關掉﹐但很快因為感受不到現場氣氛而再度打開或當畫面不能解釋發生什麼事時。

These days, rather than write straight match reports, I concentrate on the bigger picture, and what surrounds each game: the form overall of the team and players; the tactics and systems; the short- or long-term patterns that can picked out with statistics, or from watching games over and over on the video; and so on.

現在﹐與其寫賽後報告﹐我會專注於球賽整體的事情﹐球隊的整體狀態﹐戰術和技術﹐還有一些只有靠統計數字才能觀察到的長期現象等。

And I guess I also look to provide what could be called a 'mediawatch' service, where I look to redress the balance from some of the more outlandish things said about the team.

我想我是在扮演一個「監察傳媒」的角色﹐去反駁一些對球隊比較過份的言論。

For instance, on Sky's The Sunday Supplement, Paul Hayward of the Daily Mail accused Rafa of rotating because of his ego 枛 "it's all about him and his rotation"; rotation that is undertaken, he said, to prove how clever he is.

早前在Sky電視台的節目裡﹐《每日郵報》的一位記者說賓尼迪斯輪換球員完全是為了滿足自我。

Presumably Ben韙ez's two titles and Uefa Cup with Valencia, and his European and FA Cups with Liverpool 枛 while using these methods 枛 were merely to prove how clever he is? (Well, actually, it does suggest he might be fairly clever when it comes to this management lark.)

難道他認為賓尼迪斯在過去幾年在華倫西亞和利物浦用同樣的方式為球隊贏得兩次聯賽冠軍﹐一次歐協盃﹐一次歐聯﹐和一次足總盃都是為了滿足他的自負之心嗎﹖

Quite what gives a journalist, whose cleverness is confined to the keyboard and who has never picked a team in his life, the right to make such an accusation is baffling.

一個從沒有執教球隊經驗﹐只懂在鍵盤上打字的記者有資格作出這樣的指控嗎﹖

I've never known of a manager who'd rather prove his cleverness in any other way than in winning games and, subsequently, trophies. Managers are obsessive winners. They'd feign a heart attack if their granny was going to beat them at tiddlywinks.

我見過的領隊中﹐從沒有一位是不會籍著贏獎盃去證明自己的英明。領隊是一個對勝利非常執著的動物。

puma8811

Part 4

In three years, Benítez has reached four finals and achieved the Reds' highest points tally since 1988 with rotation. With just five unchanged teams in his 200 games, Rafa's win-rate of 56 per cent bears comparison with the club's greats. It is fractionally behind Bob Paisley's, at 57 per cent, but quite a way ahead of Bill Shankly's, at 51 per cent. Only Kenny Dalglish's, at 60 per cent, is significantly higher since John McKenna's 61 per cent way back in the 1890s.

在3年內﹐賓尼迪斯利用輪換球員的方式已經帶領屬下的球隊去過四次決賽兼使紅軍自1988年以來取得最高的聯賽得分。在200場比賽內只有5次沒有作出調換內﹐賓尼迪斯的得勝率是56%。跟其他前利物浦領隊比較﹐他稍微落後皮士利(Bob Paisley)的57%﹐但就比辛奇利(Bill Shankly)的51%高。只有杜格利殊(60%)和19世紀球隊剛成立時的領隊麥肯拿(John McKenna)(61%)有更高的得勝率。

As for Benítez's ego, we're not talking about another Jose Mourinho, for whom the limelight was the only place to be, but a far lower-key man, who preaches the power of the collective, not the culture of the individual. But because he has 'ideas' –– ideas that he has the temerity to stick to in the face of press criticism –– he's an egotist? It's laughable.

至於說賓尼迪斯的「自負」﹐他怎能跟莫連奴比較﹖莫連奴是非常喜歡出風頭﹐但賓尼迪斯作風則比較低調﹐他是一個致力於團隊合作精神的人﹐而不是在搞什麼個人崇拜。但若只因為他有一些常人明白不了的想法—而且他在輿論壓力下還有堅持己見的膽識—傳媒就把他標籤為「自以為是」。這種見解是非常可笑的。

"The fans are fed up with his rotation" said Hayward. Well, some fans may well be. But that doesn't mean we all are; or that those who are fed up are right and the rest of us wrong. The trouble is if you listen to phone-ins for the opinion of 'real fans', you are likely to get the most controversial opinions, as that's what the producers want. The views of the fans of any one club vary quite wildly; as such I've never tried to represent "the fans" as a whole, just present my own views.

該記者還說「(利物浦)球迷也對輪換制感到厭倦了」。或者有部份球迷這樣想﹐但這不代表所以球迷都是這樣﹐或感到厭倦的球迷是對而其他人就是錯。如果你為了聽「真正的球迷」的想法而去聽電台節目時﹐最大的問題是你通常只會聽到最爭議性的意見﹐因為那些是節目監製最渴望聽到的。一個球會會有不同意見的球迷﹐所以當我在專欄表達意見時我從來都不敢說我代表「全體利物浦球迷」的意見。

puma8811

Part 5

Another theory espoused by Hayward –– which the Daily Mirror's Oliver Holt did well to debunk –– was that the European Cup now means nothing to Liverpool fans, who want the Premiership title.

那記者提出另一個理論﹕就是利物浦球迷為了想要得到英超而已經覺得歐聯現在沒有意義。但他這理論已經被《每日鏡報》「」踢爆。

Holt was spot-on when he argued that the European Cup has a special place in Liverpool's history and in the hearts of its fans. It's almost being treated as if it counts for nothing now, in order to find a reason to slate Benítez as a failure in his three years.

《睛報》的文章正確地指出歐冠盃/歐聯在利物浦球迷心中是佔一個非常重要的地位。現在那些傳媒為了攻擊賓尼迪斯三年來「一事無成」而把贏到歐聯的努力也貶得一文不值。

I'm sorry, but the European Cup meant plenty to Liverpool fans while the Reds were winning it, and arguably even more between 1985 and 2005, when repeating the feat had become the most spindly of pipe dreams as we looked on in envy. Yes, the Premier League is desired after such a long wait, but the Champions League cannot be devalued as a result.

很抱歉﹐但利物浦球迷是非常珍惜每次紅軍贏得歐聯/歐冠盃的。尤其在2005年等了差不多20年﹐在這20年內﹐我們連可不可以再度贏得歐聯都不敢太大聲說出來﹐以怕被人說痴人說夢話。當然﹐我們已經等拿英超等了很久了﹐但你不可以因這樣而把歐聯貶低。

It may sound paranoid, but if Manchester United had been doing as well in Europe while they weren't winning the league there would be no such criticisms of the competition meaning so little.

請恕我陰謀論發作﹐但如果曼聯在歐洲賽表現出色但在本土聯賽強差人意時﹐我敢說這些傳媒一定不會說歐聯是沒有意義的。

I mean, Ferguson has only made one final in the 15 years United have been consistently qualifying for it. This from a man whose first five seasons in the English league ended with United 11th, 2nd, 11th, 13th, and 7th!

因為費格遜在歐聯15年內只去過一次決賽﹐而且他在上任頭後五年的內聯賽成績分別是第11﹐第2﹐第11﹐第13和第7名﹗

And while the league title has yet to return to Anfield, before Rafa arrived the Reds' league form meant the club weren't even qualifying for the Champions League every season –– something he has a 100 per cent record with.

雖然他還沒贏到英超﹐但在賓尼迪斯來到前紅軍的聯賽表現是差到連歐聯資格也拿不到﹐但賓尼迪斯來到後是每季都確保紅軍有參加歐聯的資格。

puma8811

Part 6

I do think as fans we can be oversensitive to some criticism of the club we hold dear, as it can be like hearing someone criticise your wife or your mother –– but while some of it will be fair (no manager, player or club gets everything right), so much of it can be ludicrous.

我想我們球迷對任何對我們所愛戴的球隊的批評都非常敏感﹐有時會像聽到有人中傷你老婆或母親。有些批評或許會十分中肯而公正(沒有領隊﹐球員或球隊可以每次都對的)﹐但也有很多的批評是相當離譜的。

When it comes to televised games I don't tend to watch the pre-match discussion as it just winds me up ahead of the game, and adds to the nervous energy which I need to control.

當看直播賽事時﹐我通常不會看賽前分析的﹐因為那些旁述員的說話只不過另我血壓提高﹐而那時候我最需要的是鬆弛我的緊張神經。

Last week I was invited to be interviewed by Setanta, for use in the pre-match build up to the Fulham game, which was an honour, but too much for me to manage.

上禮拜我被Setanta電視台(在英國直播英超既兩間電視台其中之一)應邀在對富咸直播賽前做採訪﹐雖然我對受邀感到榮幸﹐但對我來說實在是壓力太大了。

(單由作者既說話﹐我地身在香港無從得知作者究竟有冇接受該電視台既訪問﹐因為我地既now電視只負責播直播既片段)

I also get asked to do a lot of radio and podcasts, but unless my health is 100 per cent I can struggle to think and speak as quickly as I'd like, as at times I can be affected by 'brain fog'. (Brain fog is described as "the sensation of a physical obstruction to clear thinking in the brain, often extended to apply in general to neurocognitive symptoms experienced by many people who suffer from neuroimmune diseases such as ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease and multiple sclerosis, amongst others.")

I have visions of coming across like Forest Gump's dim-witted brother, without my sibling's supposedly witty aphorisms about life and boxes of chocolates.

(呢兩段講作者點樣應付大病完後既生活。前幾年作者得過一場大病﹐有幾排都冇出專欄﹐復出後為左保重身體而少左去晏菲路睇波﹐我都唔會花太多時間去翻譯呢D﹐請見諒)

canz85

我一向来都没有理会媒体们说些什么，因为我觉得胜利会为我们说话~~~