Funny money no laughing matter for United

A good article about the debt thatstill hangs over us by David Conn in the Guardian this morning
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/mar/25/manchester-united-debt-glazers-david-conn
I think the credit crunch proved all of us opponents of the takeover right, the debt loaded onto the club, the money borrowed at ludicrous interest rates and hedge funds in general. How long before this economic downturn arrives at the Glazers doorsteps.

I can't argue with the general thrust of this article by James Lawton in the independent wondering whether Ronaldo will ever mature. Fulham fans and neutrals may have found him infuriating on Saturday, but what do you think it was like for us United fans watching him perform like a spoilt kid when we have been used to the likes of Robbo, Keano and the treble side of 99 who never knew when they were beaten 10 men or not.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-how-long-will-it-take-ferguson-to-turn-his-boy-wonder-into-a-football-man-1652635.html

Fletcher says United can't wait for the next game
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/5050595/Manchester-United-eager-to-make-amends-on-the-pitch.html

I've just watched the German film the lives of others, it was a cracking film. Though if it had been really true to life i suspect the writers wife would have betrayed him, the stasi would have sent him to jail and she would have continued her acting career and have continued to be an informant.

Fulham 2-0 Manchester United

Another week, and another disaster, where this calamitous dip in form has come from i have no idea but it is threatening to destroy the season. I thought that a midweek game was just the thing that was needed to get last week's disaster out of our system, even if fatigue may have been a contributing factor to that nightmare performance. After yesterday's dismal 1st half showing who knows. I couldn't believe the team when i saw it, Scholes and Giggs together in midfield and Ronaldo and Berbatov together up front meaning no place for Rooney. I am not really sure you can play both Scholes and Giggs together in midfield nowadays or even if you ever could. But especially as we were away and after last week knowing that almost certainly Fulham would have a go at us to see whether we had got last week's debacle out of the system. I think we can safely say after the attrocious 45 minutes up to half time that we saw yesterday he won't be pairing them up any time soon during the remainder of the campaign. I don't know what Fletcher has done wrong to have been shunted out back on to the right wing where though he does a job he is clearly not that comfortable. And the front two was the most baffling decision of all for me. We all know that both of these are luxury players who aren't really going to get stuck in and get their kit dirty. So who was going to do the work up front.
The peformance in the first half confirmed my worst fears as Fulham went for it and United pefromed as they had finished the game last week. Still i think that United would probably have got something from the game but for Scholes's disastous blunder that led to the penalty and his sending off. It was an instinctive reaction but you can't really argue with the red card. To rub it in just that little bit more that scouse arsehole Murphy was the Fulham player to stick the ball in the net to give them the lead that they probably deserved. After that United just got worse and i was just hoping we could get through to half time without conceding a second. There weren't many players doing their reputations much good yesterday but i thought Evans didn't do his reputation any harm seeing as though everybody around him weren't exactly enhancing their own.
The one thing that seemed certain to me was that Rooney had to come on and he did come on for Berbatov. Berbatov has got some stick for his performance yesterday but to be fair to him he was on the pitch when we were absolutely dire and he had no service whatsoever. Ronaldo faired no better up front though he drifted back out wide after the sending off. When you need your players to stand up and be counted though he is one hell of a frustrating player to have on your side as he goes to ground to easily and harangues the referee.
The second half was a distinct improvement due in no small measure to the introduction of Rooney. The longer the game went on the more United took control, which was no mean feat with one man less. We had chances but Schwarzer was in fine form and United didn't really have their finishing boots on. There was always the chance we would concede a breakaway goal as we took more and more risks and sure enough three inutes from the end it came as the sub Gera neatly finshed one such counter attack off to kill the game off. Most papers seem to think the subsequent sending off of Rooney was justified but i can't agree. Sure he was angry and maybe threw the ball too hard. But he was throwing at his own team mates not the referee, i can't see how that was worth a red card. As for the dissent, that was after he was shown the red card so that can't have contributed to his dismissal. I suppose it just capped off what had been another disastrous 90 minutes. I'm afraid this patch we are going through is more serious that most fans seem to appreciate. We have not had two such poor performances back to back like this over the last two seasons and this really is the wrong time to be going through it. I don't expect it to take on 97-98 proportions but we desperately need to win that next game against Villa.

United have not excersied their option to bring forward the Sunday Aston Villa game before Tuesday's visit of Porto, is that wise?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/5026878/Manchester-Uniteds-schedule-could-lead-to-weaker-side-to-face-Aston-Villa.html

The big screen version of the Thick of it, a must see film for me.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/mar/22/in-the-loop-iannucci-gandolfini

A Times interview with Vince Cable
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5949844.ece

I predicted that if the tories do win the next election they will spend half of their time governing squabbling. It's started already,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/22/tax-rich-conservatives-cameron-economy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7957874.stm

Polly Toynbee on the realities of the recession
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/21/unemployment-government-job-creation-welfare

Red riding reached it's conclusion on thursday, what a brilliant series it has been. A great story, great acting, it's been the best British TV drama for a long time. The new film about Cloughie taken from the Damed United another of David Peace's books looks worth a watch too.

Very brief reflectons on a nightmare

I can't bring myself to say too much about the disaster that was Saturday, it was just absolutely horrrible. If we are honest we have been blowing hot and cold for a few weeks now, but never in my wildest nightmares could i have forseen that. I want to see Fletcher back in for the next big game. I was a bit worried when i saw the team and he wasn't in it and watching the disaster unfold i don't think there were many reds who could understand how Anderson had beeen picked over him. Ironically as i have read somwhere today Wenger saying United looked fatigued, we could have done with a midweek game to get this out of our system at the earliest opportunity.
I don't particularly buy that argument by the way, although Carrick has looked jaded the last two games. Vidic's first mistake was just an appalling blunder and as for the sending off, he got away with a similar challenge at Newcastle but did notgot away with it here, and there's no denying he had to go. The defence were just an unbelievable shambles by the end of the game. It was like Vidic and Evra at the beginning of their United career. The feeling at the end of the game was on a par with the City home defeat result last season though the this performance was even worse than that one.

2 match ban for Vidic
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/vidic-banned-for-two-matches-1646090.html

West Ham and Sheffield United reach agreement over Tevez affair
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/settlement-agreed-in-tevez-affair-1645987.html

Jon Stewart has Financial journalist/cheerleader on the ropes
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/tomleonard/4996824/Jon-Stewart-shoots-down-the-bankers.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/15/usa-tv-jon-stewart-economy

Bryan Gould on thw worrying future for this countries economy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/16/banking-crisis-manufacturing-decline

Max hastings on the tories problems should they win power after the next election.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/16/david-cameron-conservatives-election
Whilst i agree about the need for a new economic path for the country he neglects to metion that the Tory party is still made in a Thatcherite mould and the last thing a hell of a lot of those rabid free market right wingers will want to do after so long out of power is dismantle her legacy. I am still not so sure that they will win a working majority but even if they do it will be fun times watching them flail around.

Music

Coco rosie - Noah's ark: As out there as the debut album, this is definitely an album you will either love or hate. So obviously i would say it is pretty good, love it would be much too strong. There isn't anybody that sounds anything like them that i have heard anyway.
Koushik - Out my window: There is quite a lot of good new music coming out of Canada at the moment and this is one more album to add to that cannon. Chilled out electronica at times, pop with hints of jazz at others, it is a big grower.
Mercury Rev - Snowflake: Another good, but not quite very good album. I always like their stuff but they always promises a bit more than they actually deliver for me. Which makes me sound like i am putting them down when i am actually trying to say that i think they could be capable of an absolute killer album instead of merely just a good one.
Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted: I have known about this group for years but have never got around to listening to them, big mistake because i love this. I love this kind of indie rock, lots of feedback and not very polished production to be played loud. Tremendous album.
Stephen Fretwell - Man on the roof: The second album by the Manchester based singer songwriter and a pretty good follow up to his debut Magpie. There are traces of the usual singer songwriter influences Dylan et al, but his voice doesn't half remind me of John Bramwell at times.
The Secret Machines - Secret Machines: I seem to always see this lot compared to Pink Floyd in music magazines, but i can never see it myself. They always seem like a more modern polished version of Sabbath to me. This is good but not great, the tunes that work though are very good. An album to rank alongside their debut Now here is nowhere and a distinct improvement on the last disappointing effort.

nightmare

fucking nightmare

Manchester United 2-0 Internazionale

After the brilliance of Saturday back to a more ordinary display against the Italian champions, thankfully it proved enough, as well as Inter played especially in the first half, they didn't take their chances and we did. I couldn't help feeling last night that the players decided that they were just going to do enough and leave some juice in the tanks for the visit of arch enemies Liverpool. That's fair enough to me, that is where i want their priority to be. That makes some change from years gone by though,when that definitely was not the order players or manager put on things. It also shows a confidence that is something else when you stop and think about it. It also reflects pretty badly on Inter as United obviously don't rate Mourinho's team too highly. To be fair i think they are right, we won pretty easily at the end of the day even if Inter had took one of their chances in the first half i think United would have been able to raise their game sufficiently to have come back and won the game.
I was surprised that Fergie started with both Giggs and Scholes and i think it backfird a bit, especially with Scholes who it has to be said didn't have his greatest game. That said Carrick wasn't much better than Scholes and we lost control of the game for a time in the first half. Both the goals came at great times for us and at killer times for Inter. The first from Vidic was a ridiculously soft goal to give away. And then after having maybe had a better performance than even they had expected, to concede almost straight away in the second half, you could see their heads go down as if this was more what they had expected. United never really hit any heights on the night, though the second goal was a lovely flowing passing movement that ended with Rooney's gloriously inviting cross for Ronaldo to powerfully head home.
Berbatov had a great chance to really kill the game off but in keeping with a disappointing night he couldn't beat the goalie. Inter did manage to hit the wood work again but their body language never really looked to me like a team that believed they could get back into the game. I can't wait for Saturday morning where i thoroughly expect us to finish any scouse hopes of ending their 18 year barren run of winning the league.

Henry Winter goes ever so slightly over the top in his match report of last night's encounter
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/4975460/Manchester-United-knock-Jose-Mourinhos-Inter-Milan-out-of-Champions-League.html

Ferguson not that happy with last night's performance
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article5891605.ece

Fans in Rome behave as you have come to expect
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/uefa-demand-greater-security-for-champions-league-final-1643620.html

Mourinho thinks United can co quintuple
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/4977740/Jose-Mourinho-says-Manchester-United-can-win-all-five-this-season.html

FSA warns bankers, no more soft touch
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/12/regulators-financial-crisis
sounds promising, though they better get things up and running before the tories get back in.

Anatole Kaletsky is worried about US leadership during the credit crunch
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article5891045.ece

Mike Atherton isn't impressed by the England cricket team
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article5890826.ece

Simon Tisdall on disintegrating Pakistan
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/12/pakistan-benazir-bhutto

Timothy Garton Ash on Britain and torture
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/12/torture-guantanamo-human-rights

Fulham 0-4 Manchester United

I expected us to win this but i didn't really expect the demolition that it ended up being. Fulham started reasonably well but as soon as United took the lead the game completely changed as United took complete control of the game and by the end it could have been 6 or 7 . Ronaldo was rested with the two crucial games ahead of us and Berbatov was left on the bench with Tevez partnering Rooney on the bench. Fletcher played on the right, not his favourite position but he did a fair enough job. Anderson came into central midfield alongside Carrick, it will be inertesting to see what who will be in central midfield on Wedneday. I thought Evans might have got a game with either Ferdinand or Vidic rested but Fergie picked the stongest available back four with O'Shea continuing at right back.
The first 20 minutes were fairly even with United proving a threat up front with Rooney and Tevez looking on form. There were a couple of scares at our end with Johnson nearly catching Van Der Sar out but Vidic got back to clear it off the line. The opening goal was a bit of a gift with Rooney heading on a corner and Tevez heading it at the back post unchallenged. Rooney then had two great chances one which hit the post when it seemed easier to score. He also had a goal ruled out for offside but TV replays showed it should have stood, it seemed like it was going to be one of those days for him in front of goal.The second goal was a superb solo effort from Tevez running at the heart of the home sides defence and then unleashing a thunderbolt that curled past Schwarzer in the corner of the net. The one downside of the half was the injury to Ferdinand that eventually saw him subbed at half time.
The second half was more of the same with United in complete control and it just seemed like a matter of time before they scored. And come it did and this time it was Rooney's turn to score a cracker. Collecting the ball on the left hand side edge of the box he took a couple of steps inside and placed a curling shot right into the opposite corner of the net beating the Aussies oustretched hand. Rooney was then taken off as a precaution after a untidy tangle with Dempsey. Tevez had a couple of chances to get his Hatrick but it never quite happened for him. It was left to Park to get the last goal as he ran at the opposing defence and curled his shot into the lfet hand corner of the net. It was just about as perfect a warm up to Wednesday's biggie against Inter as you could get, the Ferdinand injury apart.

The Telegraph's match report
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/facup/4954557/Wayne-Rooney-and-Carlos-Tevez-keep-Manchester-United-in-honours-hunt.html

United are awaiting a report on Ferdinad before they know whether he will be available for the Inter tie
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7899577.stm

A piece in the times on Fletcher
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article5741098.ece






Nick Cohen on the housing market and the the disaster the credit crunch will be for it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/08/housing-market-credit-crunch

Will Hutton the latest economic moves by the bank
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/08/will-hutton-recession-money

Iain Martin on the special relationship
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/iainmartin/4954361/The-special-relationship-is-a-joke-and-it-isnt-funny.html

Leaked report shows we still don't really know what we are doing in Afghanistan
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/06/us-intelligence-afghanistan

Newcastle 1-2 Manchester United

Another game, another win, and three more points nearer the title. Although United weren't at their best, this was yet another very mightily impressive performance. Most of the big guns came back in after Sunday's carling cup final and United took the field with arguably ther strongest team at the moment. O'Shea stayed at right back, and with the injury front as it is he might well be getting a long rub there. Carrick and Fletcher made up central midfield and Rooney returned to partner Berbatov up front.
It was a bit of a surprise to see the state of the pitch as Newcastle had a taste of snow before the game and there was still some on the ground as the teams kicked off. I thought United had started reasonably well after a couple of minutes stroking it around quite nicely. But soon the barcodes started to get about United fairly aggressively. Added to that they seemed to have a game plan of trying to play on the break counter attacking at speed catching United on the hop as they obviously were not expecting it. Saying that the goal when it came was really the result of a Van Der Sar blunder. After 9 minutes Gutierrez cut in from the left and hit a right foot shot that wasn't that hard but bounced just before it reached Van Der Sar who didn't collect dropping it straight to the feet of Lovenkrands who tapped it home to put the Geordies 1-0 up. There followed an anxious 5 minutes where Newcastle really took the game to us in which Vidic was booked after being completely beaten by Martins, just outside the box fortunately.
At this point United picked the perfect moment to produce a superb move that saw a one two deliver O'Shea into space and he picked out Rooney with a perfectly waited pass which Rooney let go across him and then swivel and hit a left foot shot that took a slight deflection but which the goalie would have had no chance with anyway. Now United started to gain some control of the match, not domination but they started to control the tempo of the game better and Newcastle's counter attacks virtually stopped. Vidic had a difficult chance from a corner but couldn't keep a bouncing ball down with his header. Just before half time Taylor who has been a bit naughty against us before had a go at first Ronaldo and and then Carrick and at least deserved the yellow card that he received.
The second half saw United start to really boss the game and a dangerous pass from Rooney intended for Park on the left was cut out by Taylor only for him to stumble to let in Park who touched it across the face of the goal for Berbatov to slot home the winner. Whilst the reds took a stranglehold of the game they didn't really create that many great chances. The best or most spectacular at any raate that was a sweetly struck shot from Berbatov that was touched over the bar by Harper. So the gap goes back to 7 points and any encouragement our pursuers took from the night before was dashed. Fulham is of course a biggish game but the two after that, well that is the real stuff. Beat Liverpool and that is the end of them for good, what an incentive.

Handbags in the tunnel at half time apparently
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/tempers-flare-as-united-strengthen-grip-on-title-1637852.html

Calls for inquiry into Leeds United
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/04/david-conn-ken-bates-leeds-ownership
Despite detesting Leeds United and not having much time for Ken Bates who is about as near to corrupt as you can get, i don't know if i want this to happen. Let them crawl along in the filth they created for themselves.

Great to see it is still as much of a pantomine off the field as it on the pitch at Loonypool
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/4944524/Liverpool-talks-going-really-badly-say-Kuwaitis.html

Anatole Kaletsky with a column on rethinking how we run the country
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article5847630.ece

Vernon Bogdanor on a lib-lab pact
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5847594.ece
It won't happen and as far as the libreals are concerened i can't really see what they would get out of propping up a discredited new labour government. I have just read a book about the 1929 - 1931 government and i agree with the view shared by many others on the centre left that it was a disaster that the left split into two and left the the 20th century to be the tory century. But the labour party will be getting what it deserves if it is demolished at the next general election. They have had 12 years to reform the voting system but as long as it suited them they wouldn't change it. If it comes back to bite them big time, well some might see that as poetic justice. Of course that doesn't mean i want a Tory government. But 4 years of a weak Tory government that will have to do things that will infuriate its own backbenchers might be fun to watch.

Manchester United 0-0 Tottenham hotspur

It wasn't really the performance we were looking for, but it's yet another piece of silverware coming to Old Trafford under the stewardship of Ferguson. He kept his promise of playing the youngsters as Welbeck, Gibson and Evans all started. Of the three Evans had the best match as he put in yet another top class performance. Gibson had a decent game without shaking any trees whilst unfortunately Welbeck struggled to impose himself on the game at all. The virus that meant that Rooney didn't play was probably bad news for Welbeck as i think he may well have started on the right with Rooney playing through the middle with Tevez. Welbeck doesn't really seem the have the physique to cope with top premiership defenders yet.
United started the game well and dominated the opening 20 minutes. Gibson saw an excellent long range effort go inches wide and Nani forced Gomes in to a near post save. Ferdinand almost popped up with a goal after a magnificent shot sailed just over the ball. But the goal our play had promised didnt come and Spurs eventually started to creep back into the game. Mainly through the speed of Lennon who started to give Evra a bit of a chasing for the rest of the half. We have not seen that very often recently but fortunately Lennon' achilles heel has always beeen his crossing and yesterday was to be no different as he wasted all the good situations he engineered for himself.
The second half was 10 minutes old when Fergie decided to take Welbeck off and replace him with the back to full fitness Anderson. The game continued in the same vein with neither side really looking like scoring. Tevez came close with a far post back heel that went just wide. At the other end Foster was called into action to make a tremendous save from Lennon. Apart from one bad decision tin the first half Foster gad a good game and the one thing he seems to have going for him is a real presence and a belief in himself that is sadly lacking from Kuszczak. Ronaldo should have been awarded a penalty as a fine run ended with King bringing him down in the area but instead of getting a penalty he was awarded a yellow card. His reputation is working against him as far as getting penalties go this season.
With the final whistle only moments away Ronald again cut inside and unleashed a shot that hit the inside of a post and came out to Nani who couldn't finish off the rebound so extra time it was. Extra time wasn't choc full of incident as both teams seemed to have a back four on top form. Foster again had to make a fine save this time from Bent whilst Evra had United's best chance but couldn't convert.
The way that United obviously fancy themselves in a penalty shoot out nowadays is pretty unbelievable when you used to virtually expect us to lose once it went to a penalty shoot out. Foster made a great save from O'hara and after that it just seemed certain that United would win and it was left to Anderson to hit the winning spot kick with no hint of nerves at all. Fergie was right to point out that we could have done without the extra time with Wednesday night's clash against the geordies to come. It was another good weekend for us though, one more trophy lifted the scousers losing and even better putting in another terrible performance.

Stepney tips Foster to succeed Van Der Sar as United number 1
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/4927721/Manchester-Uniteds-Ben-Foster-can-succeed-Edwin-van-der-Sar-says-Alex-Stepney.html

An Observer piece on Park Ji Sung
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/01/park-ji-sung-manchester-united

Transfer specualtion in the Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/manchester-united-line-up-ribery-to-replace-ronaldo-1635550.html

More financial turmoil as AIG makes record corporate loss
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/02/aig-insurance-loss

Larry Elliot on the fall out in eastern Europe
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/02/eastern-europe-1997-asian-crisis

Anatole Kaletsky is worried
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article5827901.ece