Manchester United season 2007-2008

Goalkeepers

Edwin Van Der Sar - Another pretty good consistent season from the big Dutchmen. He didn't lose his form as badly at the end of the season but he did seem to be carrying an injury that affected his kicking. But when it mattered he came up with the big saves, will he be able to keep it going for one more season.

Tomasz Kuszczak - He didn't get too many games, but there was no miraculous performances to make me reconsider last seasons verdict that he has no chance of being the man to take over when Van Der Sar calls it a day. His poor kicking and poor decision making haven't improved and if he is still here next season he will almost certainly become the number 3 keeper.

Ben Foster - With his bad injury he had been written off for the season by Fergie. But a speedy recovery and a Van Der Sar injury that saw Kuszczak keep goal against Portsmouth and then get sent off saw him get his chance away at Derby. He took it with both hands giving a top performance that saw him make a couple of top class saves but probably more importantly saw him impose his character on the defence. He definitely looked like a future number 1, though i am not going to go mad and judge him on one good game. Van Der Sar has got his work holding onto the number 1 jersey next season. There was a downside for him after the Pride park display, he had wanted to go out on loan and play but that was scrubbed as United entered the business end of the season.

Defence - This is definitely the strongest defence we have seen in some time at Old Trafford, i just hope they get Evra's contract sorted out, because there will be no replacing him.

Patrice Evra - He was my player of the season up until christmas, being consistently superb going forward and just as importantly in defence. The fact that others eventually ended up winning the personal awards and plaudits shouldn't take anything away from him. He is an absolutely essential performer for United. I thought we missed him almost as much as Rooney in the derby defeat at home. He can destroy the lesser teams with ease going forward, but what marks him out as outstanding for me is that even in the big big games he usually manages to make at least one outstanding overlap that leads to a real goalscoring chance. Games of the season for him have to be the 2 magnificent performances against Messi and Barcelona.

Rio Ferdinand - An absolutely outstanding season, and the most impressive aspect of it was that as the season got down to the nitty gritty, Ferdinand really rose to the challenge. With Giggs probably going to be relegated to a substitute for large parts of next season, it would seem about time that Ferdinand was made club captain. Last season saw him start to achieve the kind of consistency we had hoped for when we bought him. But this season he has added the consistency and then some. Torres at Liverpool has shown himself to be the player that could have replaced Saha having a great season in what has been yet another year of mediocrity at Anfield, yet Ferdinand and Vidic have completely nullified him twice. If he carries this form through to next season and if anything the chance are that he might be even better we have a great chance of honours again next season.

Nemanja Vidic - Once again another oustanding season from the no nonsence Serb. He seems to have brought the best out of Ferdinand, but to be fair i would think that Rio is his perfect partner too. As a pair there was no challenge too great, the way they nullified almost every attack they faced shows you how good they have become. The only team to really open us up in the second half of the season was Arsenal yet even then eventually we got to grips with them and went on to win the game. Possibbly the best centre half pairing the club have had in all my time watching the reds at least.

Wes Brown - I have got to admit that i am not the biggest fan of Wes Brown at right back, as you can still always tell that he is a centre half filling in. That said he has done a tremendous job filling in and whilst he will never be an Evra or a Neville going forward, he has done his job defensively . To be part of a defence that has only conceded 22 goals in the league is some achievement. Now his contract dispute is resolved it will be interesting whether he returns to being a squad player or continues to make the right back position his own. I have to admit the thought of an equivalent of Evra at right back gets me drooling with the attacking possibilities, Alves from Sevilla would fit the bill. Mind you i don't think i would be paying £25 million for a right back.

Gary Neville - I wasn't going to include him as it has been such a season to forget. It is hard for me, not to think that unfortunately his career is going to end in a series of injury setbacks that ultimately end his career. I know they say he has been fit for the last month or so, but until he strings about 10 games consecutively together it feels hard to believe it. As well as Wes has deputised for him can you imagine how many more goals we might have scored with Gary Neville still bombing down the right. Of course that is the other worry with him, after all these injuries, you just can't see him being the same old Gary Neville as age and injuries catch up on him. Will he settle for not being the player he was. It is hard to see.

Mikael Silvestre - Another set back by an injury almost as soon as the season had begun with a horrendous injury at Goodison. It was hard to see him coming back to play this season after that, but he managed a couple of games at the end of the season, where he played reasonably well. There have been newspaper reports of him leaving which make some sense for the sake of his career now that Evra has well and truly become a great United left back. But with Evra in a contractual dispute and no other obvious left back cover ( ok O'Shea in an emergency) i am not sure i would let him go quite yet.

Danny Simpson - Looked very promising going forward especially when coming on as a sub but wasn't quite as convincing defending. Bu then had a horrendous first half at home to Everton where he was ripped apart. He faded away from the first team scene after that and eventually went to Ipswich on loan. Unless he vastly improves his defending that is the type of club he will end up at.

Gerard Pique - Another youngster who disappointed, though he has certainly got the talent to be a top flight player as Barca will now hope to see after his £5 million move at the end of the season. I thought he could have been used more often at the beginning of the season at right back at home to the lesser teams, but this was an option that was never really tested. He had some decent games, but had a testing time against Bolton away where he gifted them the goal that saw us lose 1-0. But of course young players can only learn through their mistakes, which means it will be harder for young defenders than anybody else to make the grade at United now you can only lose 3 or 4 games a season if you hope to win the title.

Jonny Evans - Similar to Pique in the first part of the season, though he had even less chances than the Catalan did. Had a bit of a mare in the league cup tie to forget in the first half of the season, but recovered to have a decent game away at Roma. Sent away to Keano's Sunderland on loan for the second half of the season. Apparently he has had another impressive spell up there. I still have the feeling that he has a future at United, but maybe a full season on loan at Sunderland would bring him on more than sitting on the sidelines at Old Trafford.

Midfield - We wondered who would end up as the first eleven midfield as the season started with such a plethora of talent available, and virtually up to the final it was changing. The only constant i would say is that Carrick and Scholes were the two definite starters in the games that really matters. Will that still be the same as the ginger prince advances in years, possibly, but not to the same extent as this season. I would expect Anderson to figure a lot more come the end of next season than he did in this one.

Paul Scholes - Still my favourite player in a red shirt. Unforgivably there were some questioning whether he had gone as a player when he came back from his mid season injury. I think they were well and truly answered as he finished the season as well as he had sarted it. He had started in as good a vein of form as he showed last season, which had been one of his best ever. in fact the game that stands out for me in the first half of the season the was the 4-1 at Villa park where Scholes and Anderson were in mesmeric form. It was shortly after this that he suffered the injury that saw us lose him for a couple of months. Understandably enough when he regained his spot in the team it took him a while to recapture the old form, but return it eventually did. And he ended the season playing as well as ever, though it does look like 90 minutes is getting beyond him now. Who can forget that beauty against Barca and in the first half against Chelsea in Moscow he and Carrick totally bossed the show.

Michael Carrick - At the half way stage of the first half of the season it didn't look like Carrick would end up the season as the one central midfield player to play virtually every game as the season entered squeaky bum time. So he has to be congratulated for accepting the challenge that Hargreaves and Anderson handed to him. He didn't start the season badly, it was just that before the whole team ran out of juice the last month of last season he had really started to look the part. Up to that point he had had a good season complementing Scholes well, but then for a month he went beyond that playing as well as the ginger prince himself. But at the beginning of this season he seemed to go backwards as some of the sublime passing we saw in that spell went sadly absent. And with firstly Hargeaves and then Anderson challenging for the central midfield spots, for the first time since he came to United he wasn't a certain starter. His form stated to come back, surprisingly, when Scholes got injured, as the Carrick Anderson pairing really seemed to blossom. And as the season came to a climax and Scholes re entered the scene and Anderson was increasingly rested Carrick became virtually the only ever present in midfield. And by the end of the season he was playing as well as at the end of last season. My one concern about him is in the big games, if others aren't playing well and United are under the cosh, he doesn't seem to be one to say, right enough of this lets take the game by the scruff of the neck, if he added that to his game he would be at United for the rest of his career.

Owen Hargreaves - A season that started brightly as whilst the team struggled he was one player who looked the part. But after two magnificent defensive performances at Anfield and at the Emirates injury started to disrupt his season. The strange thing about him though, is i still think that whilst he can be having a really good game in central midfield he does stifle United's passing game somewhat. He is not as natural with the ball at his feet as the other midfielders. He is more the kind of player who likes to knock it forward and run after it. When he re-entered the equation at the end of the season it was as a right back a right sided midfielder tucking in and a box to box midfielder making surging runs forward. He did these jobs excellently and we were lucky we had such an experienced versatile player to cover those positions over the last month. But it does seem to suggest the management share the same concerns about some of his performances in central midfield. I was particularly concerned by some of his performances as a holding midfield player which is what he was bought for frankly. He wasn't exactly as safe as houses in that position. Still he ended up the season doing a great job for the team and puting in some top performances. It remains to see how his knee condition will affect him next season.

Anderson - I am not writing his whole name. It looks like of the three summer signings he is going to turn out to be the best of the lot. We didn't see him at the beginning of the season and when we eventually did we all wondered what the fuss was about. I had read that the players all raved about him after seeing him in training, but it was hard to see what they had seen. It didn't help that he didn't look fit. That is the one gripe i do have about him, that for a 20 year old he doesn't seem to last 90 minutes. Fair enough he does a lot of work, but he shouldn't be tiring 15 minutes before the end of every match, bu that's how it seems to me. Gripe out of the way then, what a player this guy could become. His season really took off in that game at Villa Park when he partnered Scholes in central midfield and all of a sudden he looked the real deal. We then saw him give two magnificent defensive midfield displays alongside Hargreaves at Liverpool and at the Arsenal which wasn't exactly what we thought we had bought him for. The way he had Gerrard in his pocket in particular augurs well for the future. It was hard to believe at time he was only 19 as he seemed to rise every other challenge. As Scholes came back and the season entered the deciding phase the management eased him out of the action. But he had shown enough for us all to be really excited about his future at Old Trafford. He didn't seem to show his best from in Europe, but time and experience will surely see that change for the better. And he was hardly alone in that as United ground their way to the final.

Darren Fletcher - He didn't start as many game as he would have liked, though injuries didn't help his cause but when he did play he didn't let us down. Yet again he saved his best perormance for the men from north London with another magnificent performance against Arsenal in the 4-0 drubbing administered to them in the FA cup. A valuable squad member, how long he will be happy with that status i don't know outside of the top 4 clubs he would be starting every match. Surely at some stage he is going to want some of that just like Phil Neville has at Everton.

Ji Sung Park - Another long term injury victim, i didn't expect him to figure too much in this seasons campaign. Yet he ended up being a vital member of the squad come the close of the season, starting both games against Barca. And i fully expected him to start in Moscow although he lost out to Hargreaves, though that was a decision that was definitely the correct one against a more powerful Chelsea side. As it now looks like Giggs will be coming off the bench more than starting as he enters the twighlight of his career Park and Nani will fighting it out to replace him in the starting line up as i can't see him playing Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez every game. That is unless we buy another wide player, or Brandy comes back and starts to figure in first team plans, you never know.

Nani - Very inconsistent, at times terrible, at times brilliant and at others both in the same game. He has the game to be a top player, but does he have the character and does he have the will to learn. He has an absolute rocket of a shot that has seen him score some terrific goals that will be a great asset to him as he tries to establish himself in the first team. His team play can be very good and he can put in a mean cross. But his appreciation of other players is sometimes really badly lacking. Some have compared him to the Ronaldo that first came to United and there is something to that. But there is more work to do with Nani because i don't think he is as strong a character as Ronaldo is. At the end of the day it is up to him because he has the talent to be a Manchester United player. His best game of the season was also the 4-0 drubbing of Arsenal though that was against a weakened Arsenal side of course. He had the chance to make a bit of a name for himself against Chelsea at the Bridge in the game we only needed to draw but he had a very poor game. He needs to see the bigger picture in a game which was sadly at fault on that day.

Ryan Giggs - The latter half of the season saw father time catch up with him finally. He has not been able to beat players with pace for a couple of years but come the end of the season he seemed to be struggling full stop. My thoughts on this are that he could still have a season or two in him yet but as either an impact sub as he showed at Wigan to so fittingly wrap up the title or as a central midfielder as he showed in the last season when we didn't win the league when he operated in central midfield with John O'Shea. The only problem there being the competition is now so intense in that area of the team. It looks like he will continue next season but would he want to continue after that if he doesn't see much first team football. Still what a fairy tale end to the season with those two last games at Wigan and in Moscow.

John O'Shea - He does a job, but i have said it before if there are promising youngsters at the club, then players like O'Shea are just stopping their progress. I rate Pique as far more talented and open to improvement yet if there was an emergency at right back or in midfield the Irishman would get the nod. Pique would have been helping his own career and United's cause far more if he would have been getting those chances as he would have been a better option in both positions. O'Shea isn't a bad player he just hasn't improved as much as he should have and if we are honest he is lucky to be at a club like United. If you saw him playing for the Irish national team and it was the first time you had seen him you wouldn't be thinking he would look good in a red shirt if you are honest would you.

Forwards- What can you say, after a very slow start where, hard as it might be to believe now, we just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net, it just got better and better. I will have to eat humble pie and admit the Tevez signing worked and the longer the season went on the better he became. Who knows after a proper summers rest how good he will be next year. Saying that, how good would our forward line have been if we had got Torres. He would have been the perfect replacement for the almost permanently injured Saha.

Tevez - After a slow start as he adjusted to United and vice versa, he just got better and better. His on field chemistry with Rooney was brilliant as they seemed to complement each other perfectly at times. Add Ronaldo into the front 3 and with all of them dropping deep and swapping positions United at times played without an orthodox centre forward. When it worked it was great to watch and opposition defences didn't know how to cope with the great passing, movement, invention and generally Ronaldo's brilliant finishing. There were times though when it didn't work and you yearned for the option of an old fashioned centre forward ( for the want of a better description ) When you add the work rate that he brings to the table to the skill and vision that he possesses you have got an inspirational footballer. He has a happy knack of scoring goals in tight games when he isn't playing particularly well which isn't a bad habit to have.

Rooney - Eclipsed this season again by Ronaldo, he ended the season being told by Ferguson and now Capello that he was too unselfish a player. My answer to that would be how many goals would Ronaldo have scored without Rooney in the team. If Rooney being unselfish helps the United cause it's fine by me. It might not help England but what concern of ours is that. I am still of the opinion that i would sooner go into a game with Rooney in the team and Ronaldo injured than the other way round, just look at the City game at home. His finishing has gone to the wall at present but ever since he came to United he has scored in patches and then had droughts. That said he does seem to have suffered a crisis of confidence in front of goal and seems at times to be trying to too hard to make sure. He might as well go back to just being instinctive if he can't follow the best goalscorers in aiming for the corner of the net. He looked like a player carrying an injury towards the end of the season to me and if that is the case let's hope it gets sorted out during the summer. Just remember how much better he has in it for him to become, unlike Ronaldo who relies so much on pace and so will be at his best in his mid to late twenties Rooney will be at his peak around the age of 30. There is loads of time to improve and we shouldn't be getting on his back. Not that any United fans are of course just impatient England supporting journalists.

Ronaldo - It would be between Ronaldo and Ferdinand who has been United's best player and i can't really pick one ahead of the other. I suppose 42 goals playing as a wide man, although i don't really see that as his position, means you have to hand it to the Portugese number 7. To be honest i don't think he played as well in the first part of the season as he had last year, yet the goals just carried on flowing. I don't think he has created as many chances for others this season, so if he is the best player in the world and there is always room for improvement for every player that would be one area to try to find it. For somebody who isn't an orthodox centre forward he is an unbelievably natural goalscorer which i would say is part of his greatness. Headers, shots from outside the box, tap ins and one on ones with the goalie you always fancy him to score. I would have said penalties but he has become as fallable as anybody else as the season drew to a close with misses against Barca and Chelsea. He doesn't endear himself to me though with his games with the press about his future. I think all sensible United fans know he isn't going to stay at United for the rest of his career. But as Real Madrid play their games in their Spanish press mouthpieces he doesn't have to join in and encourage it. Yet he doesn't seem to be able to stop himself, it goes against the grain that he seems so intent on Real Madrid with all that their history implies. I am afraid i can't be joining in singing songs about a player, however great, who is continually going on about moving to another country. And we all know at the end of the day that this isn't just paper talk. I get pissed off when i see United fans on the box and the only songs that seem to get sung are about Ronaldo and not United, the real object of our love. Remember when Eric left our club he went out at the top and not to play for somebody else, when Ronaldo leaves he is going to to a club with a nasty history who will be one of our main competitors for the prize, i treasure the most anyway. Will you still be singing his songs then.

Saha - Sorry to say as expected a complete waste of space, i don't see how United will get rid of him unless they tear up his contract. Who on Earth is going to be willing to pay good money to buy this injury prone centre forward.

Youngsters on loan
Frazier Campbell - I don't know whether he will be good enough for the first team if he does come back after his successful loan spell at newly promoted Hull City. But he does possess a quality we don't currently have, that being a centre forward with blistering pace. He reminds me of a raw Andy Cole, a comparison that some might think doesn't qualify him to be thought of as first team squad material. But if he can bring his pace and movement to the front line from the bench then i think it would be a good idea to bring him back next season and give him a go.

Other youngsters - I don't really know enough about how our other youngsters went on loan. Brandy didn't get enough games at Swansea to improve his game so that was disappointing. I don't know how Cathcart went on in Belguim, i really liked the look of him in the youth team last season. Welbeck seems to be on a fast track to the first team squad, and i like the look of him. But will he go on loan next season or join the first team squad. I think i would like him to go on loan and see him play a full season somwhere and gain vital first team experience. Because it has to be said the reserve team football that i managed to see this season was as poor as i could remember.

Thoughts for next season
As great as it was for Ronaldo to score 42 goals i prefer to see the goals shared out a lot more than was the case this season. Ronaldo can't be faulted for this, it's absolutely brilliant that he has come up with the goals when we have needed them. But what would happen if he was out for a couple of months or worse, even longer. The goal return from midfield was, it has to be said terrible and that has got to improve. Hopefully once Anderson gets his first there will be a lot more from him. But we need goals from everywhere. As i have said an attacking right back would make us a better team, but i wouldn't say it's a priority yet. Will Foster take Van Der Sar's number 1 jersey, well the competition can't do us any harm. Will Saha finally leave the club, i hope so. Should we buy a centre forward, i am not sure. We do need variation up front, but if Campbell comes back and does alright is there much point in blowing £25 million plus for somebody who won't be starting every game. Admittedly if it was Benzema i would say yes, but i don't think he will end up at United. As for Berbatov, he is a cracking player when he wants to be, but that is the not the attitude we want at United. That is the kind of attitude Drogba has shown at Chelsea since Mourinho left. So i would have big doubts about signing him.

calm down, calm down

Capello worried by Rooney's over aggresive nature
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/rooneys-rage-threatens-teammates-warns-capello-836632.html

Pique left a thank you note to the club and it's supporters as he left to try his luck at home town club Barcelona.
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7BB4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70%7D&newsid=6610293

MP Ian Lucas lobbies for the return of test cricket to terrestrial TV
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/may/30/englandcricketteam.cricket
As anybody with half a brain could have predicted, the boost the game got after the 2005 ashes triumph has been completely wasted both on and off the pitch.

I don't generally agree with things like this, but the tossers who do this kind of thing really do not give a shit about anybody else so they don't deserve much sympathy. Whether it will do any good, i can't really see it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/30/ukcrime.youthjustice

The guardian has been running a series of reports about the global food crisis. This report focuses on the impact of China's dynamic growth.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/30/food.china1

A surreal riot in India as a low cast tribe riots to try to gets it's caste status lowered so it can compete for jobs. This is something that India will surely have to solve if it is to become a serious world powerhouse.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/lowcaste-tribe-riots-in-delhi-for-right-to-be-untouchable-836769.html

Former George Bush white house press officer lifts the lid to tell us what we already knew, that Bush lied to lay the ground for the Iraq war.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mcclellan-says-first-loyalty-is-to-truth-as-he-defends-bush-book-836773.html
Matthew Norman on McClellan's memoirs
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-has-mcclellan-handed-victory-to-obama-836717.html

Music

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend: I wasn't sure what to expect from this, i had read that they were fans of African music and incorporated that into their sound. You can hear it in a few tracks and it sounds good. I really liked the album, this kind of thing used to be the preserve of British and European bands, but this lot are from New York. Whilst we get the likes of the Pigeon detectives the yanks are coming out with stuff like this.
Autechre - Autechre: I have to say i have hardly heard any Autechre, a bit embarrassing really because experimental electronic music is one of my real favourites. This is their latest album, and i have been missing out. It isn't brilliant, but there is enough there for me to want to go back and check out more. As with all of this kind of music it doesn't always work but when it does it does.
MGMT -Oracular Spectacular: I was reminded of the Flaming lips by this, and that is a good thing. Not that they are exactly like them, they have their own sound. Good old rock n' roll but with pop and even prog rock touches.
Sharon Jones and the dap kings - 100 days 100 nights : Funky blues soul straight from the 60's? no from 2007. This is how soul music should be with a proper tight group that can all play their instruments without it being produced out of existence in the studio and a singer with a great voice and character not a note perfect diva devoid of charisma.
The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath: I read the review in the Guardian where it got 1 star and laughed. This group are definitely one you either love or loathe. And i really love them. One half of the old US punk alternative band At the drive in, they went off in a Prog rock played at punk speed direction. Three albums in and i for one can't get enough. I saw them live at the Move festival a few years back and it's fair to say they flew over every body's heads that afternoon.
Tindersticks - The hungry Saw: Another group i saw live about 3 years back, another solid offering from Stuart Staples and the boys. They still haven't reached the heights of the first couple of albums, the second is a real favourite of mine from the 90's, but they were superb albums it has to be said.

Law, Best and Charlton statue

I haven't been to see it yet so i will reserve judgement until i see it in the flesh


Queiroz has a go at Real Madrid and the nation of Espana over the Ronaldo saga
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/queiroz-gives-real-lecture-in-history-over-ronaldo-835740.html

Revenue up for premiership clubs but players and agents eat up the extra money to the detriment of clubs finances. Oh and fans in the pocket.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/revenue-grows-for-english-clubs-but-so-does-debt-835739.html

Steve Richards converts to the cause of electoral reform
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-new-life-and-new-voices-must-be-brought-into-politics-and-that-means-electoral-reform-835812.html

I have read commentators warn that there will a war or wars fought over water supplies in the 21st century. US giant General electric warn that after the surge in oil prices, water is next in line to surge in cost. The imbalances in the world economy are really going to come home to roost in the not too distant future. Neo liberal economics aren't going to solve this.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/29/generalelectric.greenbusiness

Larry Elliot welcomes you to the bust after the boom, as house prices keep on falling. I suppose the Tories are bound to dig up that speech of Gordon Brown promising an end to a boom and bust economy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/29/housingmarket.houseprices1

English cricket seems to be fumbling it's way to big changes as city now clubs seem to be one way forward for the English version of the IPL 20 over game. I don't see how they are going to continue to stop England players going to India for the money if they are offered the chance.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article4022820.ece

Pique returns to Barcelona

The club United lured him from. It's a pity, i thought and still do that he will turn out to be a very good player. But there is no way he is going to force his way ahead of Ferdinand or Vidic any time soon, so for the sake of his career it has got to be a good move for him. As much as i rate him he didn't impress as much as i had hoped when he did get his chances last season. Though i thought he could have been given more of a go at right back when we were playing the lesser teams with his classy passing. I think he will do well at Barca, especially as he gets more games and more experience, exactly what he wouldn't have got at United. It makes me wonder what is going to happen with Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart as they have the same problem to surmount.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/27/piqu.returns.barcelona

United will consider reporting Real to FIFA if the continue to try and publicly tap him up.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7416981.stm
What good that will do, i know not.

Footballs fantasy finances, as the premier leagues top teams look to spend big and not so big
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/the-race-for-the-stars-top-flight-set-for-record-transfer-spree-834638.html

What will Abramovitch do next,
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/sam-wallace-grant-just-a-pawn-in-fickle-and-ruthless-world-of-abramovich-834364.html
Selling the club wouldn't surprise me, but not yet.

I am never sure what think fans or clubs think when they either agitate to get a coach the sack or when a board actually enacts the sack. Once you pick a coach he has to be given all season, if the teams performance wasn't up to scratch then relieve him of his duties and bring in a new coach in the off season who then has a chance to bring in the new faces he wants and get rid of the old coaches faces that don't fit. I thought Cullen had done a fair job at Warrington.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/may/27/superleague.warrington

I couldn't believe how easy it all turned out for England yesterday as they beat the Kiwis bu 6 wickets with Strauss of all people playing the match winning innings.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/new-zealand-381--114-england-202--2944-strauss-calls-tune-with-century-but-england-win-lacks-rhythm-834633.html

The American economy still struggling and the UK's will get worse if it follows the path the US has followed.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article4009709.ece

Brown and New Labour have missed their chance according to Steve Richards
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-its-the-crisis-of-identity-that-needs-to-be-addressed-ndash-not-a-change-of-leadership-834605.html

Another Kremlinologists take on Putin's move to prime minister
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/william_harrison/2008/05/putins_peril.html

United look to next season

Ferdinand wants more champions league glory whilst Fergie wants United to start to catch up to Real Madrid's haul of 9 cup victories. We have definitely got the squad to to add more champions league victories, but we are not as far ahead of the rest of the competition as AC Milan were when they were all conquering in the late 80's and early 90's. So a little more luck will be needed next year, unless of course the squad improves as we hope it will, then anything is possible.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/25/chelsea.premierleague1

Evra doesn't expect to make the French starting eleven in this summers European championship, i am not sure why, he is definitely a better player than Abidal. Still it won't do United any harm if he is going to be used as a substitute.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/26/france

Ronaldo praises Ferguson and Queiroz
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article4007365.ece
That won't do any harm to Queiroz's ambitions to succeed Ferguson as manager of course
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article4003690.ece

Sid Lowe on the final day of La Liga 2007-2008
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/05/19/sid.html

Doncaster Rovers 1-0 Leeds United
what a shame
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/26/sfgdon126.xml

More on Abramovitch and Chelsea and his lack of understanding of what makes a football club tick. One thing the article doesn't address is whether he can find it before UEFA bring in rules to stop debt ridden Football clubs having the unfair advantage they seemingly do at present. That is if they can summon the collective will to do something about it.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article4004204.ece

Chelsea manager, the impossible job according to Cascarino in the Times.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article4004172.ece
I am wondering more and more whether the club where Fergie said the chairman told his manager what the team would be before the game isn't Chelsea. It would seem to me it could only be between them and City.

After a disastrous second day England completely turn the game on its head to give themselves a fighting chance on day 4.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article4004189.ece
And to think England won't be playing at Old Trafford now for at least 3 years when they have at last got a spinner able to exploit the hard dry turning wicket that is Old Trafford. Let's hope the club take this opportunity to rebuild the ground, though what the present credit crunch has done to those plans, who knows.


The nasty party shows its true colours with plans to send youngsters to boot camps.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/may/26/conservatives.welfare
If they were talking about sending young people into apprenticeships or seriously training them up for some kind of trade, fair enough, but it's just slave labour that will solve nothing except making the Tories look tough. Of course, so many years after the recessions of the 80's when they tried every trick in the book to make the jobless figures look not as disgusting as they actually were, i suppose there might be some people that will be gullible enough to believe this will actually achieve anything.


Jackie Ashley admits she and the supporters of Gordon Brown got it badly wrong
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/26/gordonbrown.labour
I still think his supporters are trying to give his chancellorship too much credit. He could have taken steps to stop easy credit getting out of hand as Vince Cable and others had warned.

Mbeki condemns violence against foreigners ( mainly from Zimbabwe, they can't win can they, assaulted by their own government and assaulted abroad ) in South Africa, but finds himself condemned for his lack of leadership. He has been a disastrous successor to Mandela.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/26/southafrica.zimbabwe

An article on the changing face of Israeli foreign policy as US economic power is challenged by China, India and co. Very interesting i have got to admit i had never seen this in the context of middle east relations, but he is right it could force Israel to face up to reality.
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/dominique_moisi/2008/05/postamerican_israel.html

Gary Younge compares Hilary Clinton to George W. Bush, ouch.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/26/hillaryclinton.barackobama

Mad men finished its first series run on BBC 4 last night and if anything it just got better and better as the series went on. You could tell that the guy that wrote it, Matthew Weiner had been involved on something as stellar as the Sopranos. It was must watch TV.

The peep show has returned to the form of the first three series after the slight drop in standards of the fourth series with the first episode in particular being a corker.

Fergie to retire before he is 70

I have never bought the argument that he will go on and on, but i would have liked to have thought he would have learnt the lessons of the last time he announced he was going to retire and kept it to himself. Needless to say the choice of successor is going to be absolutely crucial to the future of the club. And if i was the Glazer clan i think i might be thinking it would be a good time to get out now. Because if the decision doesn't work out it will be as bad news for them as for us fans. Lets face it they have hid the price rises of the last two seasons on the back of his success, there would have been a lot more anguish and walking away from United over the last couple of seasons without it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/25/sfnpb125.xml

Gill plays the reports down but admits Quieroz would have a big claim to the hot seat if Fergie does go in the next couple of seasons
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7419047.stm

Ferguson just lives for the battle according to Hugh Mcllvaney
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/hugh_mcilvanney/article3998993.ece

Fergie says old boys will be increasingly used to fill jobs at Old Trafford
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1021590/Giggs-Scholes-set-join-coaching-line-United.html
As Solskjaer to take over the reserve team job next season and that he hopes Scholes and Giggs will in time take up coaching positions with the club
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1021590/Giggs-Scholes-set-join-coaching-line-United.html

Paul Wilson sums up the Ronaldo to Real Madrid situation up perfectly,

Just say no, Ron

It already seems clear what the soundtrack to the summer is going to be. Endless sniping between Manchester United and Real Madrid over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.

If the Real policy is to wind up Sir Alex Ferguson they have obviously got his number. In the past couple of weeks he has ranted at everything from the Spanish press to the Real president to the club's pro-fascist history.

He does it quite well, to be fair. But one cannot help but think it would be more effective if he could stop Ronaldo stirring up speculation at every turn by constantly insisting his future options remain open. Of course they do. Everyone understands that. If Ronaldo would simply come out and say he will be at United next season and leave it at that he would make his manager's life a lot easier.

Grant is sacked, not a surprise really was it, though the speed of it was.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/25/sfnfro125.xml

Bizarre goings on at the bridge, as Mourinho seems to be in the running for a return.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/25/chelsea.premierleague

Patrick Barclay argues Grant failed to curb Chelski's nastiness, though that was surely never his brief. I am not entirely taken in by the argument that Abramovitch wants to see his team play great football either, it seems to me he just wants to win and have everybody acknowledge his toy club as the best club in the world as the man who can buy what he wants must see it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/25/sfnpb225.xml
I never noticed Scholes and Neville trying to console Terry after the match in all the excitement, but it obviously reflects well on them. Whether he is the type of character that deserved that attention, i suspect not.

Hull city win play off to take their place alongside the big boys in the Premier League, its hard not to be cynical though, i just can't see them staying up.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/bristol-city-0-hull-city-1-windass-takes-hull-to-promised-land-833964.html
I saw the Derby County victory over West Brom in last seasons play off final and the one thing i took from it was whoever had won, they were going to go straight back down. Which of course Derby have duly done. I have seen Hull a few times this season to see how Campbell is doing, and although he has impressed me, though i am not sure if he will be good enough for United, he should at least be given a chance. But i can't say i have been impressed by Hull, Campbell aside and hopefully he will be coming back to United, i haven't seen a player who i would think is definitely a premier league class player. That means they would have to spend an unbelievable amount to stand a chance next season. Just look at Sunderland, they were far and away the best team in the championship last season, and then spent heavily in the summer, but they still struggled this season. If they hadn't have had probably the most promising new manager ( it feels weird calling Keano that, but that is what he is ) they may well have gone straight back down. It would probably be a good thing for football if they were successful because they would probably become a well supported team, i just can't see it happening next season.

Is Russian football going to be the country to challenge the English Premier Leagues current domination of European football.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/may/25/2
If it does happen, and there is every chance it will, it won't last as all those mega rouble Oligarchs fortunes are built on sand. That economy is going to hit a nasty down turn at some stage in the future, and i don't think too many Europeans are going to want to be playing there when that happens. Russia is not a democracy.

What is strange to me about this study into the activities of the German populace, that reports that the German people are pretty homogeneous is that they have this ideal that they are individualistic. I don't buy into stereotypes, i don't think that all Germans are humorless, but i have never thought of them as individualistic either.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/25/germany

Mike Brearley dissects the England performance at Old Trafford on day two of the second test against New Zealand
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/05/25/confusion_over_style_leaves_en.html
I have got to say England don't seem to be making any progress at the moment. The batting looks fragile, and the bowling line up doesn't look consistent or good enough to look forward to any kind of fight being put up to get those ashes back next year. And that is with an Aussie team missing Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist. Graham Gooch is worried about England's batting game plan
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2008/05/england_batting_lacks_authorit.shtml

Brown is in serious trouble according to almost every paper. The plan seems to be, to make sure that when they lose the next election they don't get annihilated,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/25/gordonbrown.labour
I completely agree with this analysis by Matthew D'ancona that it is not just Gordon Brown to blame for the governments current plight, bu the whole Labour movements.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/05/25/do2501.xml

Alan Watkins on a possible sea change moment in our politics, it does have that feel to it,
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/alan-watkins/alan-watkins-this-seachange-is-a-gift-for-the-tories-833912.html
He has had a pop at the Guardians commentators in recent columns, and quite rightly too, how you yearn still to read Hugo Young's measured tones.

Wall street still nervous over credit crunch
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/25/creditcrunch.useconomy

Heather Connon reports that Russia is a emerging economic superpower, there are plenty who disagree
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/25/economics.russia

Whilst Brazil definitely is an emerging economic powerhouse, how long will Europe's top clubs be a magnet for the best of Brazil's young football talent as that wealth floods into the national sporting obsession.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/25/globaleconomy.brazil
I would feel a lot more comfortable about Brazil becoming more powerful as it is a democracy and by and large there is a respect for the rule of law.

Ferguson hungry for more

And he hopes , so too are the players
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/23/manchesterunited
We did hear this after the treble, but it's easier said than done. All you can reasonably ask for is to be getting to the business end of the champions league and hoping our semi final record improves.

What now for United and Chelsea asks Kevin McCarra
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/05/23/little_to_separate_moscow_fina.html

Jim White on how United's history spurs its revenue drive
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/23/sfnjim123.xml

Don Howe's all time United eleven
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/23/sfntea123.xml
You can only go off the players you have seen so mine would have to be different, but one player who would be in my team and Don Howe didn't pick would be Paul McGrath.

James Lawton on Ferguson and winning the game playing the right way.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-ferguson-rekindles-fire-from-each-blaze-of-glory-832744.html

Sam Wallace berates Ronaldo for the size of his ego, there is something in that I'm afraid.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/sam-wallace-moscow-marks-extra-time-for-ronaldos-ego-832745.html
I don't think it will be this summer, though you never know he has now won everything there is to win at United, but we all know he is going to end up in Spain at some time, and that he will have engineered it himself. I am afraid i can't sing the Ronaldo songs with as much enthusiasm as we did for Keano or Eric.

Grant on the way out at Chelsea?
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/grant-on-brink-as-abramovich-agonises-over-a-replacement-832746.html
It would obviously be good for us if he does go as it will take a new manager time to set his imprint on the club. Especially if there is a bit more of a reshuffle of players this summer at the Bridge.

Rove will be forced to testify over the Gonzalez resignation, i didn't think it would get to this . Needless to say it's a good thing the Bush presidencies dirty linen will be washed in public.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/exbush-adviser-rove-must-testify-in-case-that-could-shame-white-house-832859.html

As much as i detest new labour the thought of a Tory government is one i will find very hard to stomach. But after that thrashing last night it is definitely looking on the cards.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-campaign-helped-by-10p-tax-prices-ndash-and-brown-832974.html
A betting mans view of last night and the implications for the next general election
http://politicalbetting.com/

Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea ( Uinted win 6-5 on penalties

I might have to buy that t-shirt


Champions of Europe, oh how good it is to be able to sing that again. It would have been nice not to have won it on penalties, but hey who cares. And at last the real United turned up in a big European game as United came out and totally dominated the first half playing the kind of football we had all hoped we would see. The second half was a different story of course, but at least we went out on that pitch and played the game the way Manchester United should.
The team was as expected apart from Fergie picking Hargreaves instead of Park on the right. I presume Ferguson went for the strength of Hargreaves over the stamina of Park to counter the physicality of the rentboys. He didn't let anybody down playing reasonably well though he wasn't too much of a threat to Chelsea going forward. But that wasn't really his job.
The main surprise was united starting off in a 4-4-2 formation with Scholes and Carrick in central midfield. And lo and behold United played miles better than in almost any of our other games in Europe this season. Though even as a fan of 4-4-2 i was amazed how total our grip on the game became the longer the first half wore on. Scholes showed that he is still a top player and Carrick put in a top performance as well. Ronaldo was on fire on the left hand side giving the out of position Essien a torrid time. Rooney had a strange game, although a case could be made to say he had a poor game he was still involved in some great moves. And that long raking pass that found Ronaldo to set up the Tevez header was out of this world. If we had converted that chance it is hard to see the second half panning out like it eventually did. That would have been one of the all time great champions league goals, and to be brutally honest Tevez could have done better but Carrick should have done better. With all the right hand side of the goal to aim at why did he aim straight at the goalie allowing Cech the chance to make a good save when he should have been given no chance. The first goal was the result of some lovely first touch play between Scholes and Wes Brown that ended with Brown's floated cross headed powerfully home by Ronaldo after his leap left the Chelsea defence for dead. Tevez had another good chance, but couldn't reach out to touch home Rooney's cross. Unfortunately United switched off with a couple of minutes of the first half to go thinking there job was done. Maybe that is a bit harsh because Lampard's equaliser had a massive amount of good fortune about it. Essien struck a hopeful long shot from way outside the penalty area that wasn't going to hurt anybody but the ball took not one but two deflections that left Ferdinand stranded as the ball rebounded to Lampard who then it has to be admitted beat Van Der Sar with the utmost ease. So after completely bossing the game we went in all square, unbelievable.
The second half saw a complete turn around in the game as Chelsea now started to take a grip of the game. Rooney and Ronaldo disappeared from the game as it was now Chelsea who were calling the shots. The one heart stopping moment of the half was the Drogba shot that hit the upright with quarter of an hour to go. With 3 minutes to go Scholes was replaced by the record breaker Ryan Giggs as extra time looked on the cards.
Thankfully extra time saw United regain their first half form as both teams went for the win and both teams had the chances to win it. Lampard had a shot that hit an upright and Giggs looked certain to score after a brilliant run and cross from Evra but Terry got back to hit it off the line. With four minutes left Droba totally needlessly and unbelievably stupidly got himself sent off, a nice little bonus as penalties edged closer as he would have surely taken one. And then came the dreaded penalty shoot out, i am the eternal optimist as a match gets closer i always go thinking we are going to win. But i'm the total opposite when it comes to penalty shootouts, i always expect us to lose them. And with good reason it has to be said our record whilst i have been following United from 1973 onwards is awful. I still can't forget the Defeat in the cup final at Cardiff where we absolutely murdered Arsenal but couldn't put the ball in the back of the net and then lost the penalty shootout. Well last night made up for that and then some. Though when Ronaldo missed his i feared he we go again. Good old John Terry , he was a red as a kid wasn't he, maybe his left foot still is. It must be unbelievably horrible to lose that but tough titty as they say.
I went to the ground after watching the match in the pub, was there any pub in Manchester that wasn't hammered last night, and the celebrations had already begun.

A fitting tribute to the Busby babes 50 years on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/22/manchesterunited.championsleague

David Pleat's chalkboard
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/05/22/united_floundered_when_supply.html

Fergies press conference and a piece form Daniel Taylor in the Gaurdian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/22/manchesterunited.chelsea1

James Lawton on Ferguson's competitive spirit
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-fergusons-competitive-spirit-edges-epic-contest-832232.html

Ronaldo redeemed on the night, but not Drogba
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/ronaldo-redeemed-after-drogbas-moscow-madness-earns-a-red-card-832227.html

Manchester gets ready to party
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/manchester-faithful-get-to-paint-the-city-red-832257.html

Martin Samuel on last night
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3981783.ece

Ferguson will already plotting for next season
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3987498.ece

Henry Winter's match report in the Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/22/sfgman522.xml

Van Der Sar greatful for a second champions league medal
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/22/ufnvan122.xml

Ferguson hopes to improve United's underwhelming European record

There is no arguing with the fact we have underachieved in this competition over the last 10 years. But we are as well equipped to win it this year as we have ever been, so here's hoping. You never know of course in a one off final, but I've got to admit i am quietly confident that the shirts will do it tomorrow night.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/20/ufnferguson120.xml

Ronaldo going nowhere says Gill, not even to service the debt.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/20/ufnronaldo120.xml

Tevez knows Fergie wants to win the trophy to make a fitting 50th anniversary tribute to the Busby babes
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/20/ufntevez120.xml

Ferdinand a changed character, i have no idea about that but he has been absolutely magnificent this season, of that there is no doubt at all.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/20/sfnrio120.xml

Kevin McCarra on the steel behind the skill of Paul Scholes
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/05/20/scholes_heart_soul_and_a_touch.html

Those lucky fans with deep pockets start to arrive in Moscow
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3969503.ece

The mood in the United camp is extremely relaxed according to the Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3971064.ece

Ferguson's press conference
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2008/may/20/moscowferguson

Pique near to Barca return according to the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7410111.stm

James Lawton on Abramovitch's misunderstanding of how to build a successful football club
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-on-threshold-of-triumph-roman-has-yet-to-lay-true-basis-for-empire-831074.html

Joey Barton goes to jail for 6 months, it couldn't happen to a nicer man. He still has the Dabo case to come as well.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article3968859.ece

Dear oil prices are here to stay and we had better get used to them argues Gerard Baker
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article3964339.ece

Labour to get hammered in Crewe by election according to the Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-set-to-crush-labour-as-crewe-lead-hits-13-points-831020.html

Miliburn to challenge Brown if Tories humiliate labour in Crewe according to political betting
http://politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2008/05/20/word-reaches-me-milburn-planning-a-challenge/
That would be a joke, what political achievements has he to his name as a cabinet minister or as a thinker.

1968 1999 2008?

Will Wednesday go down in United folklore alongside those glory glory nights, as Bobby Charlton and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recall those two great years.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/nights-that-made-united-830615.html

Tevez wants a rest in the summer, hopefully with a league title and a champions league medal in his back pocket.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=567114&in_page_id=1779

An interesting proposal from the Dutch government
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/bosses-threaten-dutch-plan-to-cap-fat-cat-pay-830584.html

Brown brought all his troubles on himself by falling in love with the market argues Larry Elliott
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/12/economics.economy

Simply the best: The ginger prince

An observer article on the man it says is widely regarded by the players themselves as the best player at the club.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/18/manchesterunited.championsleague1
As well as Carrick and Anderson have done this season neither is really a replacement for Scholes.

Platini and UEFA want to do something about the debt issues surrounding football
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/18/sfnpb1118.xml
Good luck to him, it's just a pity our administrators or government didn't put a stop to it before it began. This David Conn book gives the lowdown on how it all went wrong, it's about greed as you might expect.



Paul Wilson makes a good point about Fergies idea of having more than 5 substitutes
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/05/17/fergies_final_sub_scheme_must.html
He is absolutely spot on

Cristiano Ronaldo yet another article on our Portugese number 7
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/18/manchesterunited.championsleague

Souness predicts another tense dour game, i fear he will be right, but i am dreaming he isn't and we come out and really try to take the game by the scruff of the neck and attack them.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/18/sfnsou118.xml

Vidic rates Drogba and thinks he is starting to get too many injuries and needs to protect himself better.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3953601.ece

Young Welsh prospect Aaron Ramsey, a United target? he impressed me for the half hour he was on yesterday. I can't believe they didn't start with him in the side, he gave them a completely different dimension when he came on. I like the way he always seemed to know the right time to pass and the right time to run with it. He looks very promising and i wouldn't mind seeing him at United.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article3953810.ece

Are the democrats heading for a big victory in the next round of elections, the republicans have just been shocked after losing a Mississippi by election.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/18/johnmccain.barackobama

BAE Saudi contract affair continues to stir
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/18/bae.usa

Will Hutton argues that the Chinese earthquakes will expose rampant official corruption
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/18/chinaearthquake.china

Brown's chancellorship was overrated argues Ruth Sutherland and she is surely right.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/18/economicgrowth.creditcrunch

Moscow warns visiting fans

they don't want Manchester violence, an unfortunate turn of phrase i think, how about Glasgow violence. That lone policeman that got tripped and laid into by the mob of Rangers fans was one hell of a lucky guy to get out of that
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/im-lucky-to-be-alive-says-pc-beaten-by-football-mob-829985.html

A James Lawton column on Fergie from monday that i missed
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/ferguson-kept-from-grand-exit-by-thirst-for-the-fight-826323.html?

Saha hopes to get anger out of system with cup final chance, i am afraid there would be more than one United fan that has anger issues with him. He surely won't be here next season, mind you i would think i said that last season.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/saha-hopes-for-final-chance-to-get-anger-out-of-system-829971.html

Ronaldo move unlikely for now
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/16/ufnronnie116.xml
Henry Winter thinks Madrid is not right for him yet
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/17/sfnwin217.xml

I will be watching the cup final to see if Ramsey the player United have been linked with and every report says is a midfield star in the making is as good as has been suggested. I don't particularly look forward to watching games without United in them but i think it could be a decent game. It all depends on how Cardiff sqaure up to the physical challenge of Pompey i suppose. I saw them beat Middlesbrough and they played quite neat football, but Boro were so bad that day it was hard what to read into that performance.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/wembley-awaits-ramsey-the-boy-who-would-be-king-829159.html

What a joke this story is, only at City.The club itself didn't expect to be in Europe, yet the manager is going to get sacked because they didn't, comical.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/17/manchestercity.uefa

Moyes to have talks with Everton. He has done a brilliant job for the blue half of scouseland it would be more than interesting to see what would happen to them if he did have a bit of wanderlust at some stage.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/17/everton.premierleague

The BBC is no that great but then again neither is ITV and i have never liked watching TV stations with adverts on them . So i would probably prefer terrestrial football to stay on the Beeb. Then again not having to listen to the statistical windbag that is Motson will be one advantage to having it on ITV suppose. As a kid i was never that fond of David Coleman's commentating, but when you hear it now it was in a different league to most of the commentators now, it has to be admitted. Sometimes more is less, something the present day's hyped up drama queeens could do with learning. They sound more like they are selling an advert that commentating on a game of football. Though there are decent commentators about, but the aforementioned like Motson seem to be the ones who get the best jobs at the moment. It puts me of watching sometimes.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/17/sfnjim117.xml

Robert Fisk on the week in the Lebanon
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fisk/robert-fisk-so-just-where-does-the-madness-end-829936.html

Brian Eno turns 60
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/brian-eno-as-he-turns-60-the-professor-of-rock-is-as-creative-as-ever-828224.html

Platini is to look at ways to stop the continents biggest clubs clubs buying all the best young talent
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/15/2

Another turning 60 is Robert Plant
http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/reviews/story/0,,2280182,00.html

Massive Attack to follow Portishead with a new album out soon.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/urban/story/0,,2279337,00.html

Luzhniki stadium pitch a worry

for next wednseday's final, that would be something else if the game is played on a crap surface.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/14/ufnpitch114.xml

Evra is desperate for a winners medal to make up for the disappointment of the Monaco defeat against Porto.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=566295&in_page_id=1779

Carrick hails squad spirit
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=566370&in_page_id=1779

Yet another Ronaldo happy at United story, this time in the Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/14/sfnman114.xml

Arsenal may invite Kroenke on to the board, how times change.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/kroenke-may-come-on-board-as-arsenal-close-in-on-ben-arfa-827572.html

Another bad day with the bat for Lancy
http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=scd&id=14467

Two articles on stagflation and inflation and hard times ahead for the British economy.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/the-spectre-of-stagflation-827745.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/hamish-mcrae/hamish-mcrae-we-can-take-it-but-it-wont-be-much-fun-827652.html

Is the west going to be the new loser as far as globalisation goes?
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article3925768.ece

Your team talk was brilliant Megson tells Fergie

The master of psychological warfare does it again?
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/ferguson-reveals-bolton-ruse-to-rein-in-chelsea-827040.html

Ferguson is not looking forward to telling players they have missed out next week, the subs bench will be hard to call.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/13/manchesterunited.championsleague1

Giggs is realistic about his chances of playing in Moscow, it all depends if we are winning and if so by how much i would imagine.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/13/manchesterunited.championsleague2

More bad financial news for the Glazer's as shirt sponsor AIG appear to be in a spot of bother.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/05/13/cnaig113.xml

The farce continues at the boo camp as Eriksson stays in charge for trip to Thailand
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/eriksson-heads-for-thailand-as-swift-resolution-denied-827035.html

Unbelievable sour grapes as Sullivan lays into Steve Bruce's rubbish buys. That's the man who thought Steve Bruce hadn't done that good a job at Birmingham and so thought they could get rid of him half way through the season. At which point he becomes manager of a club that looked totally doomed. Come the end of the season the doomed club managed by that not so great manager stay up with a game to spare even and Birmingham go down. And he thinks it's not right that he suffered such a level of abuse on Sunday, get real, he had a nerve sitting there. Some of these rich owners now, they seriously think they are above getting the abuse they deserve when they make bad decisions. I am not including rich Russian oligarchs who have their food tasted for them and don't announce if they are turning up to games or not, in that obviously. Welcome to the real world sleazebag Sullivan.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/13/sfnbir113.xml

Mark Seddon writes on the sudden rush to publish by new Labour types, during it he mentions the Crossland, Castle and Benn's memoirs. You can bet your life today's political pygmies books won't still be rewarding reading 30 and 40 years later that is for sure.
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/mark_seddon/2008/05/politics_of_the_bear_pit.html
Robert Harris lays the boot into Blair
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/13/gordonbrown.labour

The Italian left makes an ass of itself again as Berlusconi walks all over them
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/john_hooper/2008/05/compromised_by_compromise.html

Larry Elliot on inflation, interest cuts and a deteriorating economic outlook
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/13/inflation.economics2

The pigs manage to keep their snouts in the trough at the Kremlin, surprise, surprise.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/putins-hardliners-keep-places-in-new-cabinet-827007.html

Wigan 0-2 Manchester United

Well that's the title done and dusted as we didn't have to rely on our vastly superior goal difference as United did their job, not as easily as i or many others had expected, whilst Chelsea didn't do theirs conceding a last minute equaliser at home to Bolton. So United proved yet again they are the best team when it really matters, when the pressure is on. I won't pretend United have been at their best during the last month, but what has gone unmentioned by virtually the entire press and assorted pundits is that the rentboys form hasn't been that much better. Drawing at home to Wigan and then Bolton when they had nothing to play for were not title winning results. And they haven't been that convincing in the games that they did actually win. Chelsea's away form has remained good but when they have to take the game to the opposition they don't seem to be able to produce the goods as easily.
The good news started before the kick off when Rooney was announced in the starting line up, i had been worried that if things weren't going that well we wouldn't have him to come on and change things. So to see him named in the starting eleven was an absolutely brilliant surprise. You have to give full marks to Steve Bruce his team came out and really took it to United and United didn't get into their stride for the entire first half if truth be told. Ferdinand was lucky to escape giving away a penalty as he learnt his arm into a shot from outside the box from Koumas. On first sight it seemed innocuous but when the replay was shown it was a blatant penalty, so we got away with that.
The injustice must have seemed even worse for the pie eaters when United were awarded a penalty as Boyce was adjudged to have brought Rooney down, absolutely correctly in my opinion. He may have got a touch of the ball but that was after he had took Rooney out. Up stepped Cristiano Ronaldo, and i have to say i wanted him to stick it to the goalies left as you just knew Kirkland would go the other way after the Barca miss. So Ronaldo proved he has a cute gamblers brain as well as the bottle that we already knew he possessed. Where Wigan were proving surprisingly good was in midfield, and Scholes had been booked for a foul on Palacois after about 20 minutes. It was from behind and it was a foul, but the Honduran didn't hesitate to make the most of it and the ginger prince was booked. Then with half time not that long off Scholes diced with death blatantly obstructing Palacios again as he looked to break. I and almost every other red dreaded what was going to happen next as it looked like an action replay of his sending off last season in Rome. Thankfully for some reason referee Bennett decided on a course of leniency and just gave him a ticking off. The way the game had gone up to that point i can't say the thought of playing the remainder of the game with 10 men was a prospect i would have looked forward to much.
The second half saw United come out and without ever really playing anywhere near their best at least start to get hold of the midfield and start to keep some good possession. The heavens had opened at half time and the game was now being played in torrential rain but the much maligned JJB pitch stood up to it surprisingly well. Bennett seemed to decide to make up to the Wigan fans for not sending Scholes off in the first half by denying him a stone wall penalty 7 minutes into the second half that would have killed the game stone dead. Kirkland made two tremendous saves one from a Ronaldo free kick the other from a fine run and shot from Rooney that looked to be beating him until his outstretched right arm pushed it past the post.
With 25 minutes left Scholes was unsurprisingly brought off and replaced by Hargreaves and a couple of minutes later Park was replaced by Giggs who came on to equal Bobby Charlton's all time record number of appearances. And with 10 minutes it was the record breaker Giggs who went on to score the crucial goal that secured United their 17th title( not 10th ). And in so doing he recorded himself a record 10 title winning medal. It will be some feat for someone to equal that never mind beat it. It was a lovely goal as well, Rooney kept the ball until he saw Giggs find himself some space at the edge of the box before feeding him an inch perfect pass. Giggs took one touch sized the situation up and coolly slotted it past the out coming Kirkland. Cue pandemonium as we all recognized that was the goal to clinch the title. When the news came through that Bolton had equalised that was the icing on the cake. I have to admit i wanted Bolton to go down, but i have to ask myself why as they always seem to pop up with some big results for us against Arsenal and now Chelsea.
So now onto Moscow and the really big one in this the 50th anniversary of Munich. It would be dream time if we can commemorate that in the most appropriate way winning that trophy playing football in the Manchester United tradition. If we really turn up that day and play proper Manchester United express yourself attacking football i really cannot see us being beat. I know they beat us at their place only a couple of weeks ago but United didn't perform in any shape or form that day. And that wasn't down to their performance but out team selection and tactical approach. Lets just hope that our players are not sent out there with one arm tied behind their back again in a big match.


Ronaldo has been the star man, according to Sam Wallace i the Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/uniteds-supreme-stylist-writes-new-chapter-in-champions-saga-826324.html

Fergies dancing in the rain, the James Lawton column
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-giggs-goal-cues-managers-familiar-dance-of-delight-826328.html

Bobby Charlton applauds record breaker Giggs
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/12/ufncharlton112.xml

Henry Winter on a thrilling title race
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/12/sfnwin112.xml

Hansen salutes a great United team
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/12/sfnhan112.xml

8-1, ouch on the day we won the title as well. Cheer up Shinawatra, o what can it be, from the land of the ladyboys and a shite football team. Not very good i know
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/middlesbrough-8-manchester-city-1-eriksson-demands-urgent-talks-after-mauling-826315.html

United go for 17th title, not 10th

The most annoying reports of the last week are the ones mentioning United are aiming for a 10th premier league title. What happened to the other 7 don't they count, because they were before the inception of the premier league. By that yardstick Liverpool have never won a title, whilst all United fans would love that to be true, obviously it isn't. What will make this title all the sweeter is the thought that we will only be one title triumph behind them with every possibility of overtaking their championship haul before they actually win one again. Especially with the ownership shenanigans going on there. Meanwhile Fergie advises us he is not the retiring kind.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/11/manchesterunited.premierleague

Owen is ready to play anywhere as long as it means winning.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/the-boy-from-the-rockies-ready-to-scale-twin-peaks-825872.html

Fergie is looking at Berbatov for the summer according to the Telegraph, with absolutely nothing to back it up though.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/11/sfnman111.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox

Hugh Mcllvanney congratulates both teams on taking it to the last day.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/hugh_mcilvanney/article3908946.ece

I watched the saints Wire game yesterday and what an absolute cracker it was, i thought Warrington were going to beat them at last but yet again Saints showed what an absolute top side they are
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/11/sohele111.xml

Hidden gay life of macho hip hop stars according to new book, and he says it's only a matter of time before one of them is brave enough to come out. Very brave i would have thought it will kill their career stone dead.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2279339,00.html

Will Hutton praises the old US of A
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/11/usa

Tsvangirai to return to Zimbabwe to contest the elections
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/zimbabwe

ID cards open to fraud according to a government appointed panel of experts, is anybody really sure what the point of this big brother scheme's purpose is anymore. Except a sign of government virility.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/may/11/idcards.civilliberties

Irwin Stelzer with an interesting article about the price of oil
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article3908044.ece