Ronaldo has wanted to leave since xmas?

According to the Observer and had to be persuaded by his agent to not go to the board with his transfer request.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/29/manchesterunited.realmadrid

Ronaldo to miss pre season tour of Africa to stay at home for pre season training as United remain comfident he will stay at Old Trafford next season.
http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport/2008/06/29/cristiano-ronaldo-misses-tour-to-get-fit-for-manchester-united-98487-20625711/
So says the Sunday Mirror, i am not sure that being in debt has stopped them before though. Ronaldo is going to look very silly if that indeed is the case.
Whilst the express says United might consider improving his contract. Well i don't agree with that after the merry dance he has led us over the last month.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/50186/Ronaldo-s-United-U-turn
that's if there is a semblence of truth to the story of course

Eric seems to be getting a lot of coverage at the moment
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/27/france.englandfootballteam
Stick to United Eric

Motson bows out
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7478872.stm
Well it's good news for me, he is without doubt the worst football commentator going, just totally embarrassing.

Spurs don't want to lose Berbatov
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/29/manchesterunited.tottenhamhotspur

Spanish regions unite behind national team?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/29/spain.spain

Is Israel on the verge of staging an air attack on Iran?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/29/israelandthepalestinians.middleeast

Will Hutton attacks Hedge funds
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/29/investmentfunds.creditcrunch

Alan Watkins on the overrated Gordon Brown
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/alan-watkins/alan-watkins-focus-on-the-opposition-has-blinded-brown-856481.html

Music

Bon Iver - For Emma, forever ago:I am embarrased to say it took me quite a few listens to really get into this album, but when i did i couldn't stop listening to it, superb.
Matmos - Supreme Balloon: Excellent out there techno, not for dancing. Very experimental
Puressence - Don't forget to remember: A mancunian group with a singer who can actually sing, and are nowhere near as big as they should be. Another solid effort.
The Gutter twins - Saturnalia: Anything Mark Lannegan has been involved with over the last few years has usually been absolute quality and this is no exeption. Mean and broody rock music
The Ting Tings - We started nothin: I had read mixed reviews of this album but i thought it was pretty good there are one or two indifferent tracks but that's better than most groups manage.
The Young Knives - Superabundance: A decent follow up to their belting debut. They appear to have tried to broaden their sound out a touch, successfully at times and not so at others. It's not as immediately memorable as the first album voices of animals and men.

Off to see Radiohead now

Platini to act against debt ridden clubs?

Let's hope he has some success
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/26/premierleague.europeanfootball

The sun is reporting that Ronaldo has contacted United to say he will be back to report for pre season training. Sounds like he is trying to keep his options open. I still don't believe he will be here next season, and it would be truly bizarre if he did after the last few weeks. How could anybody sing viva Ronaldo with the same enthusiasm.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1341561.ece

It will be interesting to see how this works out as internet domain names face a shake up.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/internet-names-shakeup-agreed-855038.html

Sovereign wealth funds buy into Barclays and into the heart of western capitalism
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/investors-16345bn-deal-to-shore-up-capital-at-barclays-854386.html
More evidence of the transfer of influence from west to east.

the Irish no vote in the referendum revisited by Anatole Kaletsky
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article4214721.ece

Collingwood banned for four games, no the best timing from his own personal perspective as his form hasn't been the best this summer. The selection of Pitersen seems to suggest he is next in line to take up the one day captaincy when it is next up for grabs.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article4219258.ece

Lancs through to next round of twenty20 after beating Notts last night.
http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=2150
Good for the bank balance

Ronaldo delivers the inevitable

Only somebody with half a brain couldn't have seen this coming. He has to be sold, end off. I don't think United and Ferguson have handled this very well, but i have to admit that they were in an unenviable position. But still he has made it clear since day one at Old trafford that he doesn't like Manchester, and seems to adore Madrid and especially Real Madrid. When you add in his admirably strong character( though not admirable in wanting to move to that low life institution ) United were never going to keep hold off him once he made up his mind he finally wanted to go. It will be sad not to be able to watch a magnificent footballer any more. But life goes on and more importantly Manchester United goes on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/21/manchesterunited.premierleague2

He has obviously thought he was bigger than the club for some time and when you think of the Bryan Robson's and the Roy Keane's and then the still worshipped Eric his mere 2 magnificent seasons make that more than a little hard to take. Daniel Taylor in the Guardian has written an article this morning arguing he must be sold. The childish comments at the end are a bit of a joke, do any proper United fans ever bother with shite like that.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/06/21/why_united_should_let_this_ego.html
He will obviously do well at Real, but whether he will do as well as at United, i somehow doubt. At United he had two other magnificent forwards who did a hell of a lot of work for him. I can't see that happening for him at the Galactacto club. I can see his status as the best player in the world coming to a pretty quick ending too. When he is pitted on whatever is the Spanish equivalent of match of the day against my idea of the best player in the world, Messi i am pretty sure he will come off second best .

Scolari urged Ronaldo to join Real?
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/ronaldo-says-scolari-urged-him-to-take--road-to-real-851686.html
It would be interesting to know whether Scolari told Ronaldo he wasn't bothered if he came out with that in the hope of Unsettling Ferguson or whether he is a bit embarrassed and annoyed with the ego that wears no.7.

If Queiroz leaves Old Trafford and i think that is an extremely likely scenario when Ronaldo goes, as his big claim to be the next manager, his ability to keep Ronaldo at United will have gone up in smoke, United's transfer strategy is going to need closely looking at. Since Queiroz came we have scouted more and more Portuguese and South American players. I have never been comfortable with this, let's be honest our climate is not what these people are used to, or like. Added to that is the fact that Manchester United will never be the draw that Real and Barca is for them and it seems pretty obvious that taking these young players and hopefully helping making them great players is just going to turn us into the embarrassing position of being a feeder club. That should be unthinkable but we have just seen that it is not. I am much happier going for northern European players, the Ole's, the Yip Jap's and hopefully promising local and British isles talent for whom Manchester United are the biggest and the best and anywhere else is a step down. I like Anderson but if Real come sniffing around him at the end of his contract are you confident he would stay because i am afraid i am not.
Having lost out on Ramsey, the kind of British talent i was talking about and supposedly a United fan, and now probably about to lose Ronaldo, this summer has so far been a pretty big comedown since that high of Moscow. It goes without saying we will now come back down to the level of the other big four without Ronaldo in the side next season. Unless we have some blinding transfer lined up, something i am disinclined to believe is about to happen as United now have to start paying for last Season's transfers. And that Ronaldo money will go to clearing the debt off whatever the Glazer's say, there is no way they are going to lay all that out on players. And to be honest i wouldn't want to see us going out and doing a Chelsea anyway.
Who should our transfer targets be? i am not sure anybody stands up and says buy me to be honest. The only player i would love to see in a United shirt is Messi, ironically after all i have just said. But he is not going to want to leave Barca and they wouldn't be mad enough to sell him anyway as they are going to build their future around him and good luck to them, and i really mean that. It would be great if Real spend £80 million on Ronaldo and then the Catalan giants go on to dominate the next few seasons around the presumptive best player in the world the diminutive Argentine. What i would love to see at United, if i am honest is some youngsters finally coming through the ranks. But is it likely to happen, it has to be admitted it looks unlikely. Welbeck looks very promising, but i don't know what next season holds in store for him. I liked the look of Brandy, but i thought he would force his way into the Swansea team more than he did, so that was a bit of a worry. Campbell looks promising, but promising enough for United's first team, i am not sure.
One thing i am looking forward to seeing next season is whether Rooney feels liberated by Ronaldo's departure. Don't get me wrong as i have said before i would sooner have Rooney in my team than Ronaldo. And if i was a Real Madrid fan i would look at Ronaldo's performance at home in the Derby without Rooney before they think spending £80 million on him is really such a good idea unless they are going to have players doing some grafting for him. But it has to be admitted he has not progressed as much as we had hoped over the last couple of seasons whilst Ronaldo overtook him as the best player at the club. Hopefully this will be the making of him, it's not as if he has much progressing to do. Putting the ball away more regularly than he has done over the last couple of a seasons would be a big start.
The departure of Ronaldo means the lack of goals from midfield and defence is something that has now got to be addressed as well. I would like to see our goals shared out around the team a lot more than has been the case over the last couple of season. In fact i thought that when we got rid of Ruud that was going to be the case. But of course then along came Ronaldo. If Anderson can finally start to score the goals he supposedly has in him that would go some way to softening the blow of Ronaldo's departure on the goalscoring front. But everybody else is going to have to chip in with more than they have over the last decade if we are honest.
That was a bit of a long rant assessing where we are and what might happen over something that has not actually happened yet. But i am pretty certain it is going to happen, and i am certain i want it to happen. I don't want players who don't want to play for our club at our club however good they are.

An old story, but worth reading again. From a man who will always be a legend at Manchester United, not justwho shone briefly and then was gone. We all hope he makes a success of his new job at United in charge of the reerves
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1054240_solskjaer_so_content_with_reds


Lancashire suffer third twenty20 defeat on trot and against the Old foe Yorkshire
http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=2126
that has probably put paid to their hopes in the competition. I can't say i am a big fan of this form of cricket, it is not bad watching on TV. But i can't say i think it is great to watch live. It is over miles too quick, if you try and get a pint you can end up missing half the game. Not good.

The Mugabe way to win an election.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/21/zimbabwe

A Guardian editorial on Britain arms export industry, supposedly number 1 in the world. Mainly thanks to a contract with that beacon of everything that is good in the world Saudi Arabia.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/21/armstrade.military
I can't argue with a word of that. What makes me laugh is the Saudis don't need them. If Iran ever invaded their territory the yanks would be in their pronto. It would be disastrous mistake for the yanks as they would then be stuck in quagmire miles worse than Iraq, but Saudi and its oil is one of the Americans top defence priorities .
Does anyone imagine that corrupt kingdom would be able to protect itself for a minute without that backup.

Simon Mann in court, an embarrassing story for more than one country.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/17/equatorialguinea2

Jason Burke on the international commitment to Afghanistan and the mistakes made in that country since the US defeat of the Taliban
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/17/military.defence

Darling pays price for Browns end to boom and bust quote
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article4183368.ece

Geordies in next seasons opener

on the Sunday at 4.00 on Sky no doubt.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/16/westbrom.hullcity

Fergie threatens to resign if Ronaldo is sold claim.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/48485/Furious-Fergie-will-quit-if-United-sell-off-Ronaldo-behind-his-back
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/16/ufnferg116.xml
If there is anything in this story, admittedly a big if, it can only mean he is worried that the Glazer's are tempted by the cash in the current financial climate

Fun and games at United's shirt sponsors AIG
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/16/insurance.creditcrunch

Economy to get worse?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/16/bankofenglandgovernor.inflation

Larry Elliot explains why he thinks this is the case and what should be done.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/16/banking.globaleconomy

An interview with Jonathan Dimbelby who's cracking series on Russia ended last Sunday
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/jonathan-the-great-the-younger-dimbleby-on-his-toughest-journey-847677.html

Bat for lashes in the Guardian, she is on before Radiohead at Old trafford in a couple of weeks time. That first album was pretty good, so i am looking forward to seeing how good she is live.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,2285771,00.html

Music

Clinic - Do it : I only got into this scouse outfit last year after listening to their last album visitations which was pretty good. Obviously being a United fan i am no lover of all things scouse , but as far as music goes Liverpool seems to produce more interesting bands than Manchester at the moment. It seems as if most Manchester bands want to be the new Oasis either aping their sound or their attitude. Whereas a lot of the scouse bands seem to draw from a wider palate of musical influences. Another pretty good effort, and totally unlike anybody else which i admire.
Ricardo Villalobos - Alcachova : The Chilean born Germans first full length effort from 2003. Minimalist techno is something you either love or hate and I'll plump for the former, as long as it has somebody as good as this guy behind the computer. It takes something special to keep the music so interesting when there is supposedly so little variation. But it's those subtle shifts that make it so good.
Spiritualized - Songs in A&E : A reasonable album that has some very good moments, but he will do well to make an album as good as ladies and gentlemen again.
The Fall - Imperial was solvent : Another excellent effort from one of Manchester musics greats. I don't love absolutely everything he does, but he doesn't do bad for somebody so prolific. After all, it was downhill all the way for Oasis after just 2 albums.
The Felice Brothers - The Felice brothers :Top notch Americana. A cracker, 15 tracks and no fillers. Shades of the Band as they take all sorts of American musical influences and put them in the musical pot.
The Futureheads - This is not the world: I thought their first album was easily one of the best indie debuts by a British band in the 00's, but their last album sank without trance. I have to admit i listened to that just a couple of times and didn't really give it a chance. Bu this is a return to form, although it's not as good as the debut it is still pretty good. The first track, the beginning of the twist gets things off to a good start making me want to jump up and down every time i hear it. The one complaint i have of the album is it isn't as brilliantly individual as that debut. They could be any other group whereas the debut could only have been the Futureheads.

Ronaldo accused of engineering move

And bears shit in the woods folks
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/15/ronaldo.manchesterunited

An article from Fridays Independent on Abramovitch, Chelsea and rich mans toys ruining the game.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/james-lawton-traditional-values-laid-to-rest-in-next-stage-of-russian-revolution-846372.html

King Eric
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/14/sfnker114.xml

Quieroz for Portugal?
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1053935_portugal_eye_queiroz_swoop

I am a pro European, but the answer to the Irish rejection of the Euro constitution is definitely not to carry on regardless as if nothing has happened. It has got to get closer to and start listening to what people actually want. And if a constitution is not what they want then fair enough don't have one.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/what-now-for-europe-the-eus-irish-problem-847462.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-rentoul/john-rentoul-the-constitution-is-dead-would-it-be-so-impolite-to-admit-it-847338.html
Will Hutton in the observer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/15/eu.ireland

Mugabe threatens civil war, that might be the best option for the opposition. Some times blood has to be spilled for good causes. Who knows if the MDC promise violence back, the people may finally rise up and Mugabe and his Military henchmen may bottle it and flee the country. Can it be any worse?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/mugabe-ill-go-to-war-with-mdc-847460.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/now-the-opposition-takes-up-arms-in-zimbabwe-846947.html

Alan Watkins on David Davis and that resignation
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/alan-watkins/alan-watkins-poor-mr-davis-ndash-unloved-and-driven-by-pique-847345.html

No FIFA action and no new contract

According to the Telegraph, no surprise to the first and if it's correct it's good to hear about the second.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/12/ufnfifa112.xml

The first good news of the summer as Evra signs a new 4 year contract. He deserves it, we would have had a huge headache if we had lost him on a free transfer next summer. Can you imagine trying to replace him as i can't see a better left back playing at the present time.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/12/ufnevra112.xml

Now Shearer has said he doesn't want the job, apparently Allardyce is the favourite for the Blackburn job. I can't believe that they will go for him. Paul Ince looks the ideal man to me.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/12/blackburn.premierleague
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/06/12/flagbearer_ince_could_break_do.html

David Davis resigns in protest at 42 day detention terror plan to force by election. I am not sure whether it is a stunt or not, but how embarrassing it has taken a Tory to take some kind of stand against the erosion of our ancient civil liberties.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/davis-forces-byelection-over-erosion-of-freedoms-845649.html

Steve Richards on Brown's mishandling of his premiership and the hollow victory in yesterday's vote.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-he-had-one-chance-to-take-risks-but-brown-has-wasted-it-with-this-macho-posturing-845160.html

The election farce continues in Zimbabwe as Mugabe and his henchmen attempt to make sure they don't lose this time. And they won't.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4122284.ece

The penny is starting to drop, you can buck the market. Anatole Kaletsky argues Governments must act to stop the price of oil destroying the world economy.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article4116318.ece

United would survive a Ronaldo move to Real Madrid argues Henry Winter and he is spot on.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/11/sfnwin111.xml
Obviously we would miss him and we wouldn't be favourites to retain either of our titles if he went. But life goes on, who would have thought two years after Eric retired, we would win a treble, especially as in that first season we so badly missed him as we caved in to allow Arsenal to win the double. It doesn't sit right with me that we seem to get this media circus over where Ronaldo will be every summer. Manchester United are bigger than any player and any one man, though Ferguson does gets nearer than most as Winter suggests. Meanwhile a daily mail article suggest it is all about a new contract.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1025584/Cough-Ronaldo-Ferguson-tells-board-Real-150-000-week-deal.html
I am afraid wanting a pay rise of 30K a year one year into a 4 year deal doesn't make me think any better of him either.

Ramsey chooses Arsenal
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/wenger-uses-personal-touch-to-beat-united-to-ramsey-844364.html
This was a bit of a turn up, and a disappointment, from what i have seen of him he looks the business. Creative midfield players are worth their weight in gold and United haven't got any coming through the ranks as far as i am aware.

James Lawton Dutch brilliance and Dutch frailty
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/james-lawton-mirage-of-oranje-glory-works-the-old-magic-once-again-844362.html
It was a tremendous performance against the Italians, but i can't see that defence being good enough when they reach the knock out stages. It hasn't been a bad tournament so far there have been some good attacking displays, a couple of tedious boreathons that you always seem to get in these championships but no really outstanding games where both teams have contributed to a close exciting encounter.

Twenty20 cricket throws the money at English cricketers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jun/11/englandcricketteam.cricket
I suppose it might stop the Pietersen's and Flintoff's from going to India

More economic turbulence ahead as the building sector heads for stormy shores
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/11/housing.property.crash

Larry Elliot and Dan Atkinson had their new book serialised in the Guardian last week,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/02/globaleconomy.globalrecession
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/03/economics.policy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/04/economicgrowth.banking

Hamish McRae is more optimistic than most, as usual in his Indy column
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/hamish-mcrae/hamish-mcrae-the-days-of-low-interest-rates-are-over-844171.html

I don't like Coldplay but Any Gill absolutely loathes them
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/andy-gill-why-i-hate-coldplay-844190.html