Giggs on top of his game

Kevin McCarra thinks United already have their new Ronaldo as Giggs still shines bright at nearly think 36
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/sep/29/ryan-giggs-manchester-united

Whilst Scholes is rolling back the years as well. Fergie, and Scholes himself made the point last season i think, that he never really got his form back after his injury in mid season. Scholes thought it was because he could never get a steady run of games together in the latter part of the season. So lets hope he doesn't get an injury that takes him out of the equation for a couple of months again.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article6852824.ece

Fergie expects Rooney to join Ronaldo and Messi as one of the best players in the world. Whilst he may never be better than either skill wise, i am pretty sure he can be a more influential player than either of those two.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/ferguson-tips-rooney-to-be-world-beater-1794958.html

Vidic thinks it is the small things that matter at the highest level in the champions league
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6242338/Manchester-United-v-Wolfsburg-we-can-win-the-Champions-League-says-Nemanja-Vidic.html

It doesn't look like Dwight Yorke has done Keano any favours, though not as much as he hasn't done himself by the looks of it. Yet another ex red that we would have loved to have succeeded Fergie, that looks well short of the mark unfortunately.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/matt_dickinson/article6853140.ece

Music
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug: A slow burner of an album, it has grown on me. Though it has some cracking songs on it i still think it doesn't work as well as the first two albums as a whole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vUazswD4hE
Arnaud Rebotini - Music components: I loved this hard hitting electronica album by the Frenchmen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOb1XtBKnUg&feature=related
Jill Scott - Beautifully human: A terrific chilled out nu soul album from earlier in the decade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QCXr79Rkcw
Miles Davis - In a silent way: I am slowly getting through his late 60's early 70's electronic fusion efforts and i haven't listened to one that i haven't loved yet. The musicians are something else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMINC9EOZME
Q-Tip - The renaissance: Magnificent alternative hip hop? no idea what you would class this as, but it's great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A3OHelBweY
The Notwist - The devil, you and me: I hadn't heard of this German band before reading a review of this album in mojo. They were described as indie if i remember right but they are a bit more leftfield than that. It starts well with a cracking first track but the rest of the album does take a bit more work. But it's worth it as it really is another grower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9pR3Jf7hJw

Stoke city 0-2 Manchester United

Another very impresssive away pefrormance from the boys and another excellent victory. With Scholes back in the engine room alongside Fletcher the shape of the team looked pretty good. Ferdinand was back in the team and Berbatov partnered Rooney up front. Almost from the first minute United were on top and in total control. Stoke couldn't even manage to get an attempt on or off target in the first half and they were the side at home. The first chance fell to Valencia and it looked like he was going to show us he is a better finsisher than his record suggests as he enticed the goalie off his line to cooly chipit over him, but sadly the ball drifted past the wrong side off the post. On the other flank Nani was having another of his inconsistent performances. But you have to admit whether he is playing well or not he still poses a goal threat and he brought two fine saves out of the goalie in the first half.
We had totally dominated the first half but we hadn't breached their goal and we went in at half time wondering whether we would regret not getting that important first goal when we were on top. But the second half followed the same script though Stoke did try to get forward more than they had managed in the first half. Fergie decided that he wasn't getting what he wanted out of Nani and replaced him with Giggs. Whilst i'm not Nani's biggest fan i didn't think he had that bad a game to be honest. He seems to link up well with Evra and he is worth persevering with for the moment. But Fergie was proved right as Giggs was instrumental in both the goals.
Fletcher fed Giggs on the left with a beautifully wighted ball and Giggs put the cross on a plate for Berbatov to tap the ball home in the six yard box. Finally we had got the goal our play had warranted. The second was a fine O'Shea header from a Giggs free kick that killed whatever lingering hope Stoke had of getting anything out of the game. With Chelsea losing United are now back on top. The Burnley game seems an age ago now.

The telegraph match report
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6237191/Nani-exposed-by-Ryan-Giggss-enduring-class-in-Manchester-Uniteds-defeat-of-Stoke-City.html

A fascinating interview between Micheal Vaughan and Gary Neville
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6231814/Michael-Vaughan-interviews-Gary-Neville.html

Fun and games at the nou camp
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/sep/28/barcelona-keeping-tabs-sid-lowe

Simon Jenkins lays into political summits
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/24/g20-un-gaddafi-nuclear-brown

An interesting piece on foreign policy be Tristram Hunt
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/24/obama-missile-europe-foreign-policy
I have never heard of Mackinder, so that was thoroughly enlightning

A magnificent republican rant from Johann Hari and bang on the money
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-gin-servants-and-bloodlines-for-royaltys-alf-garnett-in-a-tiara-1792793.html

Manchester United 1-0 Wolverhampton wanderers

A good win but the night was marred by the sending off Fabio, but the team Fergie put out was still good enough to take us through the next round with just ten men.The night was marred because we never really got the chance to see the kids playing really flowing football. Don't get me wrong there was some good stuff on show and a few pretty good individual performances. I was pretty happy when i saw the team announced in the boozer before the game. I wanted to see Welbeck and Macheda start as well as Owen and thought that Welbeck could play out wide, and thats what Fergie did.With Gibson given a go in central midfield and Fabio at left back it was a good mix of experienced youngish players, experienced pros and youngsters who have only really seeen football in the cup competitions so far.
United played some decent stuff before Fabio was sent off but without too much threat on goal. Fabio did deserve the red and if Wolves had scored from the resulting free kick the night could have been totally different but Kuzcszak made the first of a handful of decent saves. Macheda never really seemed to get into the game and unfortunately he was sacrificed for De Laet who came to play left back with Owen playing up front on his own. Even though i am happy with his signing and rate him as a goalscorer rather that a player gets involved in the build up play i have to admit Owen had a pretty good game last night. Carrick once again was very disappointing and by the end of the game Gibson was the one asserting himself in the middle of the park. As with Gibson so it was with Welbeck took his time to get in the game. But by the second half he was starting to look the player we know he can be.
The goal was well worked and Welbeck took it well hitting the inside of the side netting as all good goalscorers should aim too. When he went off near the end the young Norwegian Joshua King came on and immediately started to show the kind of touches, pace, movement and power that have really excited me when i have seen him play for the youth and reserve teams. The fact that he was given a squad number so he could take some part in this game shows me that he must be held in pretty high regard. I am sure Ole will have let Fergie know all about him.
So all in all it was a good night, it shouldn't be full price but at least we hopefully got a nice glimpse of the future of United.

Henry Winter's match report has a little dig at Nani, i'm afraid after his encouraging start he does seem to be lapsing into old habits. With Welbeck able to play out wide he better get his act together
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6223995/Manchester-United-1-Wolverhampton-Wanderers-0-match-report.html

The Times reckon United are increasingly worried about Rio's injury problems, i've got say so am i.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6846768.ece

Welbeck is living the dream
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/welback-savouring-hometown-glory-for-united-1792652.html

Newcastle in la merde
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/newcastle-could-be-forced-into-administration-1792500.html

The dying days of the old parties according to Vernon Bogdanor
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/22/political-party-membership

Anatole Kaletsky talks about a realignment of the left, he is right about it becoming a hot topic in the press
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article6846599.ece

Manchester United 4-3 Manchester City

What a screamer that was, the last minute that is, whether it was the best derby of all time as Fergie has said i don't know. But i know how sick i would have been if we hadn't have won this, and after Ferdinands unreal last minute blunder it looked like we would only come away with a point from a game which for the second half had been one way traffic.
As good as we had been going forward, in the second half anyway, the defence and goalie had a bit of a mare as individual mistakes opened the way for all of their goals. To be fair it was the same the other way round, but we created many more chances that the four goals actually scored and thoroughly deserved the victory, too much injury time or not.
We couldn't have got off to a better start after some dreadful defending from City allowed Evra to cross to Rooney who was coolness personified to slot it past Given. Then the kind of blunder that if you have been watching Foster this season had looked like coming. He is not great with the ball at his feet and almost always wants too much time and of course Tevez is just the kind of striker ready made to bring the mistake out. That he did and then fed Barry who slotted home. Unbelievable really, City hadn't been it and now they were thrown this lifeline. They grabbed hold of it and were possibly the better team for the rest of the first half as Fergies team selection came back to haunt us. I couldn't understand how Park could start in front of Nani or Valencia and we had a lack of width, help for Rooney and Berbatov and not enough goal threat. Park has always been a defnsive option playing on the other wing from Ronaldo and tucking in to help cover the defensive deficincies we suffered due to Ronaldo's lack of defensive work. But now we have lost Ronaldo i am not sure i see the point of Park. He certainly didn't do anything going forward on Sunday, not that we expect that much from him.
The miss of the match came not long before half time as Tevez showed why Ferguson was right not to make a concerted effort to keep him. Toure fed him and the Argentine could only hit the outside of the post, it was one hell of a miss.
The second hald saw us get off to another flier as Giggs causing mayhem on the left got his centre over for Fletcher to rise above everyone to head it powerfully home. But we gave the lead away quicker than in the first half as the ball was given away on the half way line and Bellamy moved inside and hit a great shot that Foster couldn't keep out. Now the game became one way traffic as United showed character and good teamwork to start to really boss the game and create chances, Berbatov had two great chances and i thought he had a pretty good game. Unfortunately Given was having a great game making a string of fine saves the best of which was probably keeping out Giggs shot. I thought we really started to turn the screw when Valencia came on for Park and they were left with a threat from both flanks. Owen replaced Berbatov with 12 minutes left. Almost immediately we were back in front as a Giggs free kick saw Fletcher rise head and shoulders above everybody again to head home and surely we thought seal the three points. But then a bizarre attempt at a pass from Ferdinand saw him gift the ball to Petrov who fed Bellamy who raced through to score with Foster not covering himself in glory again. And now to injury time and the extra minutes that Hughes cried about but apparently the ref was thoroughly enitled to award as the 4 minutes is only a bare minimum. Giggs showed his experience and class to calmly assess the situation and feed Owen whose first touch and finish were sure and the three points were there at last.
A great derby and probably on a par, from a red perspective obviously, with the 5-0 during the 94-95 season, but i would still go for the 3-2 when we had been 2-0 down at half time and came back with Keano scoring the winner at the back post in the last few minutes that came just after Galatasary had knocked us out of the Champions league. The man of the match could come from any of Rooney, Fletcher or Giggs who have been the three players to impress most this season with Scholes not playing.

A couple of Daniel Taylor articles on the derby firstly the day Fergie was proved right about Tevez?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/sep/20/michael-owen-carlos-tevez-manchester-united
And the antipathy between Hughes and Fergie
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/sep/21/alex-ferguson-mark-hughes

Two new books about the greatest econmist of the 20th century
http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2009/09/keynes-economics-economy-crash

An exhibition that i wish was coming to Manchester
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/sep/17/moctezuma-aztec-ruler-british-museum
It's amazing how few anglo saxon people now about Cortes and Montezuma and the fall of the Aztec empire, surely one of the greatest stories in history.

Clegg faces dissent over savage cuts, i said at the time it was nuts for the liberals to pick a man on the right of the party when the times were calling for someone on the left.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/clegg-faces-frontbench-dissent-on-cuts-1791489.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6844322.ece

Besiktas 0-1 Manchester United

Three points, job done. We played ok without ever being anywhere near our best. Thteam wasn't far away from what i expected with Carrick coming back in and Fletcher being rested for the derby on sunday. Rooney was up front on his own with Nani and Valencia coming back into the team. Ferdinand was rested but Evans came in and did well.
United started reasonably well keeping possession in midfield and showed some good movement . But we couldn't seem to fashion much in the way of chances with Rooney up front on his own not getting much support. Valencia was having a fair game and easily had the beating of the left full back but his final ball wasn't all it could have been . He did get some decent crosses over but not as many as he should have done given the amount of chances he had. Still it was good to see the improvement in him. Nani had a game more reminiscent of the last two seasons as he flattered to decieve at times . Carrick carried on his uncertain form, he didn't have a bad game, but he is nowhere near the player he has been. It's a good job Scholes still looks the part.
Though we played ok there weren't really any serious chances on goal as the half whistle sounded. The second half carried on in the same vein until Rooney was took of on the hour. As Berbatov and Owen came on we got a bit more attack minded and started creting serious chances. A nice move eventually saw Valencia feed Nani who beat his man and had a fine shot saved but the parry landed straight on Scholes head and he made no mistake looping it into the net. There were other chances but no more goals and it was United doing all the attacking for the rest of the game with the Turks deflated by the goal. It's a good start to the group no injury scares ahead of Sunday so here's looking forward to that.

Fergie doesn't mind Waynes bit of a strop at substitution, neither do most of us i should think
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6196114/Wayne-Rooneys-reaction-to-substitution-is-defended-by-Man-Uniteds-Sir-Alex-Ferguson.html


Peter Kenyon leaves Chelsea, he obviously thought he was going to lose the power struggle with Arnessen. He leaves with no European cup and with Manchester United champions three times on the trot. We missed him didn't we.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/chelsea/6197708/Peter-Kenyon-leaves-Chelsea.html

The financial gravy train keeps on rolling on
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/14/lehmans-one-year-after1
Words not actions from our politicians
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/its-payback-time-obama-tells-banks-1787338.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2009/09/pm_well_cut_with_germany_franc.html

An article with Frank Black of the Pixies, one of my all time favourite groups
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/29988419/pixies_doolittle_turns_20_frank_black_on_the_bands_return_to_the_road

Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Manchester United

The best performance of the season so far, and a terrific result. I must admit i wasn't sure about the team selected when i saw it, but it was more than up to the job. Anderson was selected alongside Scholes in the centre of midfield with Fletcher on the right and Giggs on the left. Whilst Fletcher has done a job there in the past it is obviously not his favoured position. And Giggs doesn't start out wide that often any more. But they all gave top performances, even Anderson had a good game and got that long awaited goal.
I was really impressed with the way we fought back after such a bad start. Not that we started badly, there wasn't much we could have done about their goal. But the way they have been playing, the atmosphere in the ground after they had scored before a minute was on the clock there was lot to like about the assured way we fought our way back into the game.
The equaliser was absolutely top notch, i had expected Rooney to take as the position seemed to suit a right footer better but Giggs hit it to perfection and even though the goalie went the right way he was never going to lay his fingers on it. I thought the goal had been coming as they had been getting desperate stopping us mainly by fouling us. Rooney and Berbatov were linking up nicely and Scholes was in the thick of it. As the half wore on we were the side who looked more like scoring, spurs threatened occasionally but didn't look as assured as United. One attack saw us have three bites at the cherry but a save, a block and the final attempt by Berbatov went over the bar. The goal was not long in coming and it was Anderson who smashed the ball home from the edge of the area. Let us hope that the goals start coming for him now. He didn't give the ball away yesterday and it was his best performance for us in ages. If i was Fergie i would play him again in Turkey, with the derby coming up i think he may well do anyway. It will be interesting to see the teams he picks for the next two games. I have a feeling he may well play Owen on Wednesday, and it will be interesting to see our formation and who our wide players will be in both those games. Spurs started the second half as they had the first and almost scored but Keane's shot was superbly blocked by Vidic and went for a corner. The sending off was a joke, scholes took his feet away but the reaction from the spurs player seemed to influence the ref to produce the second yellow and hence the red. But when you saw the replay you saw Scholes hardly touched and with the positioning of the referee who was right on top the incident and so should have seen it.
Carrick came on for Berbatov and incredibly it saw us move up a gear, and from then on there was only one team in it as we were the team busting a gut for that all important third goal. Rooney was on fire, and all of us who have pined for him to be put back into the middle on a permanent basis it's great to see him more than delivering the goods. I have always thought he was our most important player and with the way he is playing at the moment we are not going to miss Ronaldo as much as people thought. Fletcher has another magnificent game and it was his inviting ball that found Rooney who then beat Hutton before cooly slotting between the goalies legs to cap and oustanding performance.
Crouch had hit the bar for them but we were more than deserved victors. That was a bit puzzling to be honest, he doesn't usually play that well against us but he was always a danger against us yesterday.Whe you look at our performances so far it makes it even harder to understand what happened at Turf moor. So now it's a trip to Turkey before next weeks encounter.

The Telegraph's match report
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/6174642/Tottenham-Hotspur-v-Manchester-United-match-report.html

David Conn on the academy system's failings
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2009/sep/09/chelsea-fifa-premier-league-academies
Ours would seem to be one of the better ones if our reserve and youth team performances this season are anything to go by.

Simon Jenkins on the media obssession with misery
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2009/sep/10/media-misery-nation-of-whingers
That's a good article, i can't stand when you hear people saying things like it was never like that in our day, when you know very well there is nothing new under the sun. You would think paedophilia was new the way it is reported, that murders are more common etc.

Martin Kettle on the problem for the Lib Dems
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/10/lib-dems-electoral-problems

I love this you tube piss take on the Oasis split
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6IyGAvbOs4
That is a brilliant film by the way

Thatchers reputation sinks further
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6829735.ece
What was the point of the cold war if the reunification of Germany wasn't one of the aims.

Will Hutton the obssession with cutting the national debt
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/13/budget-national-debt-will-hutton

United threaten to sue

They seem to be pretty confident, unless it's bluster
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8242430.stm

Fergie thinks Rooney will start to put the ball away on a regular basis now he is back in the centre.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1135517_rooney_central_to_utd_scoring_plans

National football museum to move to the Urbis in town, apparently, though Preston are fighting to keep it. You wouldn't know that reading this " typical " piece of dross journalism from the evening news.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1135517_rooney_central_to_utd_scoring_plans
Though it would be great addition to the tourist attractions in Manchester, i have to agree with the Concillor from Preston that was interviewed on the local news before. He argued that the attractions should be shared out amongst the former industrial centres. When we are always arguing of the centralisation in this country and the favouring of London over everywhere else it's hard to argue against that. The only thing i would say, is if it is Manchester or moving it south, then Manchester it must be.

George Monibot lays into Gordon Brown's economic stewardship
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/07/financial-meltdown-gordon-brown-g20

John Lydon to reform PIL
I haven't heard all their stuff but i have heard the first three albums and like them. He had some great musicians in the group but there was no "classic" line up that i would prefer.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/sep/06/john-lydon-public-image-limited

Music

The Felice brothers - Yonder is the clock: It took me a fair few listens for me to decide just how much i actually like this and if it reminded me of any other bands. The answer is that i really like it, two or three tracks are real gems. I suppose The Band is the group that springs to mind but they don't really sound like anybody else. The lead singer may have something to do with that, he has got a pretty individual voive.
Hauschka - Snowflakes and car wrecks: German avant guarde is what one music site i frequent called this. I suppose it could be called that. It's experimental classical music that you would imagine a lot of left field rock musicians such as Eno, et al would like. It's not something i would listen to all the time, but i do like it.
Kid congo and the pink monkey birds - Philosophy and underwear: Now i could listen to this all the time. Deep down and dirty rock 'n' roll, i couldn't think to say who they reminded me of but i thought something about them reminded me of the Cramps. And surprise, surprise Kid congo powers was a one time member, corking album.
P J Harvey and John Parish - A woman a man walked by: I usually love everything she does but though this does have it's moments and is by no means a bad album, it's not up their with her best. Though what i regard as her best does tend to change from time to time. Opener Black hearted love is one of her best recent tracks.
Tony Allen - Secret Agent: The latest solo outing by the man regarded as the co founder of Afro beat. Having only got into in this over the last couple of years i can't get enough of this stuff.

Rooney hits out at penalty doubters

He's no diver he says
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/rooney-denies-diving-accusation-1781207.html
but he sures knows how to give the goalie a decision to make

Where has the Ronaldo money gone asks David Conn
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2009/sep/03/manchester-united-sir-alex-ferguson
I think we all know the answer to this.That said if none of the players wanted to come to Manchester and preffered the sunnier climes of Madrid there was no point spending it. The only players that i would have spent that money on were Ribery, Villa, Silva and Silva and none of them seemed to want to come. The underlying premise of the article is right though, what does happen if the promising youngsters coing through prove to be not good enough and we have to go out and buy. We will be fucked. Let's hop our youth coaches and scouts are up to the job. Over the last week I have seen Josh King play for the academy and the reserves and he looks a fantastic prospect so maybe we will be alright.

Mark Mazower on a pretty faie summary of our role in the second world war and the wrong lessons we have taken from it and continue to take from it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/02/second-world-war-nostalgia-myths

Larry Elliot hopes this september won't resemble last years
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/31/credit-crunch-lehmanbrothers

I love my history and came across this website whilst reading an article about the late Ted Kennedy. I don't know why but i am fascinated by Watergate and Nixon. How could someone who was so secure in the presiential hot seat be so paranoid.
http://www.nixontapes.org/