Ferdinand calls for a end to failiure in Europe

In the Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/ferdinand-calls-on-united-to-end-years-of-failure-in-europe-790912.html
You have to have that bit of luck to get to the final of anything, but if the draw is reasonably kind, as last years was to be fair, then if we don't get to the final this year with this squad you wonder when it will ever happen again. Our record of defeats in semi finals in this competition is hard to stomach, and it isn't just under Ferguson's watch, it happened under Busby 4 times as well.

United banking on imperious home record, as they seek 10th straight win at Old Trafford,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/04/sfnman104.xml
But it's the away record and tactical approach that has most of us crossing our fingers instead of being as confident as we should be really given the squad at our disposal this year. I don't think there are any teams that are our superiors on the continent at the moment, Barca may be slightly better going forward, that's debatable, but better than us at the back, no way, and as for their goalie, he doesn't get any better does he.

Tevez reminds Fergie of Cantona
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/2008/03/04/carlos-tevez-is-my-new-eric-cantona-says-sir-alex-ferguson-89520-20339775/
And apparently thinks criticism of the first leg was over the top
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=525189&in_page_id=1779
Whoops, those of us that couldn't understand this signing have had to admit humble pie and admit we were wrong, but to compare him to Eric, no i am not having that. Yes, he is a very good player, he drops of the front man and he has scored a few important goals, but he just hasn't got that physical and inspirational presence that Cantona had. As much as i have to admit that Rooney and Tevez are a far better combination than i imagined they would be. The combination of a real front man like Benzema or Drogba if he was younger would still be my ideal front pairing.

Speaking of Barca they managed to blow away the ground they had made up on Real on saturday losing to Madrid's city rivals Athletico 4-2
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/03/03/press_sells_the_bearskin_but_e.html
He is an entertaining read Sid Lowe, but the amount of times he writes teams are terrible and one man beats the opposition can get a bit over the top. One man can be head and shoulders above his team mates, but he can't beat any team on his own.

Chaos at the Pool
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3479591.ece
as DIC admit talks with dreamers Hicks and Gillet

It's grim up north
http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2261840,00.html
In France that is.

Europe V the super rich in the Independent as the EU go after tax havens and tax avoidance merchants
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/europe-vs-the-superrich-790863.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/eu-tells-tax-havens-you-are-costing-us-billions-each-year-790860.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/adrian-hamilton/adrian-hamilton-passive-distaste-has-turned-into-active-resentment-of-the-wealthy-790861.html
Larry Elliot on the affects of super rich tax avoidance
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/03/economy.economics
The home office and Treasury now owned offshore
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/04/economy

Dominic Lawson sees through the Obama hype
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/dominic-lawson/dominic-lawson-theres-nothing-new-about-barack-obama-790896.html
Bu this is just the way American politics are, if you are a democrat you promise change, a new start, bla bla and a few sops to what's left of blue collar America. And you govern as moderate conservative aka Heath or Ken Clarke. And if you are a Republican, the government is the root of all evil, taxes are the impediment holding ordinary folks down, but when you are elected you promptly drop taxes for the super rich and big business and that's it, whilst not forgetting to pump up massively spending on that little known arm of government called the armed forces.


Russia starts a new era as Medvedev wins election
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/russias-postputin-era-kicks-off-with-demonstrations-and-a-police-crackdown-790879.html
To quote Pete Townsend, new boss same as the old boss

India worried about future gender imbalance
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/03/babies
This is already a problem in China