Rooney and rio Back for Sunday

Ferguson says that Rooney has started training again and that Rio may join him. They will be both given the chance to prove their fitness for the trip to Sunderland. What's the betting neither even makes the bench if Chelski prevail at Liverpool. Nice result at Anfiled last night as their season totally imploded and an ex red scored the winner to deprive them of a consolation final in Hamburg. I'm not sure it was the best result to keep their morale up for the encounter with the rent boys on Sunday though.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/rooney-and-ferdinand-may-return-at-sunderland-1959073.html

Rooney adds the football writers player of the year award to his PFA award.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/30/wayne-rooney-football-writers-player-year
Who knows a good world cup and their may be more awards to come. Messi did look a shoe in for the European and world awards but the way Inter shackled him over the two legs must put Rooney back in with a chance.

Gary Neville to get new one year contract. We're not buying a right back then, the management must be still hoping that Rafael turns out to be the real deal. Pre Glazer there is no way i would have begrudged United giving Gary Neville a year's extension as a reward for his dedication to the club on the understanding that he wouldn't play that many games as his best days are obviously behind him. Let's face it, he has done ok over the last couple of months, but that's it ok. He is nowhere near the fast overlapping for 90 minutes full back of old and he has had more than one game to forget. Maybe Fergie is confident the buyout will be successful ( no i don't buy that either ).
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article7112529.ece

The volcanic ash has delayed the red knights putting the finishing touches to an agreed strategy to putting to together an agreed bid package to put to the Glazer's.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1238399_wealthy_fans_in_wait_for_red_knights
They can take as much time as they want as long as the plans for the future of the club are sensible and succeed.

Buffon won't be going to City, by the sounds of this, as the Telegraph quote him as saying " The best players in the world want to be playing for the top teams in the top three leagues, no more than five or six teams in Europe. It’s a very elite list and Manchester City have to accept the fact they are not one of them. " Ouch
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/mancity/7655677/Manchester-City-cant-attract-the-very-best-players-claims-Gianluigi-Buffon.html

Mancini must be sure of his position to start laying the law down to Tevez, or is this not the whole story.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article7112529.ece

James Lawton writes that recrimations have begun in Barcelona. Unbelievable really, i thought the Catalans were a bit above that, that's no better than the clowns in Madrid.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-the-guardiola-backlash-begins-as-messi-misfires-1958469.html

A great result and achievement for Fulham, Fergie reckons Hodgson should be a shoe in for manager of the year, it's certainly the biggest managerial achievement of this season.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/ferguson-salutes-hodgson-and-fulham-1959106.html

Steve Richards analyses where we are after the last of the three leaders debates last night. Last night's debate was at the very least one too many, with the same arguments and same soundbites head yet again. If they are done again, each debate format should be totally different, say one on Foreign affairs, civil liberties and another on the economy and job creation. If the debates are not changed next time i predict there will be nobody left watching the last one.
I would like to see one where each leader had 25 minutes answering questions on their own and then the rest of a two hour show debating the points but with more time to get their arguments across without interuption.
Even though i would class myself as liberal or social democrat ( i'm never sure which ) i wasn't as impressed with Clegg as others seemingly were. It seemed his pleading for a new politics, we have to be fair and dissing the old politics started to get on peoples nerves last night. They got on my nerves on the first night. I know he was going after the non partisan voter, which might now be a majority of the population and that's seemingly what they like to hear. But in reality politics is about different idea's and whether it adversarial political system or a multi party plitical system ther has to be disagrrement and argument. You can never get away from that.
Saying that the reform of our political system, the erosion of our civil liberties and the reform of our financial system all see the lib dems as the progressive's best hope in this election.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-liberal-democrat-leader-prevailed-over-the-three-legs-1958808.html

Martin Kettle seems to think that Cameron sealed the deal last night, time will tell, but i can't see that myself.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/29/leaders-debate-gordon-brown-david-cameron-nick-clegg

Band of horses

Gary Neville to South Africa

Lee Dixon amongst others thinks it's apossibility.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/dixon-sure-neville-is-back-in-the-frame-1957062.html

Geoff Hurst urges Scholes to change his mind and make himself available for the South Africa in the summer. He is right that he would still walk into a best English eleven, but you cant see it and as United fans we certainly wouldn't want him to change his mind.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1269538/Change-mind-Paul-Scholes-England-legend-Geoff-Hurst-says-Manchester-United-star-World-Cup.html

Ex United chairman Sir Roy Gardener reiterates his view that the Glazer's business model was unsustainable. So should we change takeover laws then, Sir Roy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/28/glazers-manchester-united-roy-gardner

David Conn reports on Gardener's current club Plymouth Argyle and the impact he has made, let's hope he really isn't a red knight.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2010/apr/28/roy-gardner-plymouth-manchester-united

IMUSA call for season ticket boycott
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/28/imusa-manchester-united-season-tickets

Ferguson tell Foster that he is still wanted at old trafford, he can't be planning on buying a goalie in the Summer then.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article7109969.ece

Ronaldo reckons that his career will go in cycles and the last cycle will not be at the Bernabau. Calderon will be pleased.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/ronaldo-not-expecting-to-finish-career-with-real-madrid-1956774.html

Inter and Mourinho are on their way to Madrid after their ten men 1-0 defeat in the Nou camp gave them a 3-2 aggregate victory. I half expected a lesser game than the first leg, but the sending off killed the game as a spectacle. It may have even hindered the reigning champs as Inter were just able to stick everybody behind the ball and defend for their lives. On the evidence of the first thrity minutes i thought that Barca never really got to grips with the task ahead and had a feeling that Inter would have got at least one on the break as they left themselves vulnerable with only three at the back. We will never know now but the best team over the two legs are now in the final against Bayern. Will Inter win a Champions league for the first time in years? I don't know, the way this season has gone and the luck Bayern have had getting through, i wouldn't write FC Hollywood out of it. I don't really care that much who wins, to be honest, but i do think Inter have been the best team in the knock out stages, so if you like to see the best team win a competition, you should be backing them.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/pique-strikes-but-inter-refuse-to-buckle-amid-sound-and-fury-of-nou-camp-1957269.html
What a superb goal by Pique by the way, it does piss me off when i watch Barca to think that we had him.

Steve Richards argues that Gordon Brown's political judgement is shot after yesterday's farce in Rochdale.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-why-did-brown-make-this-blunder-1957036.html
John Harris thinks it shows how out of touch the new Labour elite is with it's own core vote.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/28/bigot-gordon-brown-gillian-duffy
Both correct and Steve Richards is probably right to say he has no idea of how this will play with the electorate.

Matthew Norman Sticks the boot into blinky Ed Balls, Brown's main henchman, bad day all round for him then.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-will-blinky-consign-labour-to-history-1956110.html

Matthew Parris is the latest to wonder why the tories want to topple Ed Balls tenure as the MP for Morley, Yorkshire.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article7110941.ece

Is this the republican moment wonder Richard Reeves and Dan Leighton
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/04/republican-power-essay

Goldman Sachs under scrutiny and under pressure on capitol hill
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/27/goldman-sachs-us-senate

Is Angela Merkel a ploitical giant or pygmy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/28/germany-greece-euro-crisis

Canada's Arcade Fire

Rooney could play again

The newly cronwed PFA player of the season hopes to have a chance of appearing in the final game of the season against Stike at home. I was surprised United managed to get 4 players onto the PFA's team of the season. There is no question about Evra, he should have been a cert, especially with Cole out for so may months. Flecther started the season superbly but has tailed off in the final couple of months, still who has been better i suppose. Valencia has had a good start to his United carrer, but has had his peaks and troughs. Rooney obviously walks into it. I wonder when they will sop picking a 4-4-2 as there aren't many teams that actually play that formation week in week out anymore.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/wayne-rooney/7632050/Manchester-Uniteds-Wayne-Rooney-banishes-World-Cup-fears-after-winning-PFA-award.html

He even thinks he may be able to return for the Sunderland game on Sunday. I think we can be fairly certain that if the rent boys win at Anfailed we will have seen the last of Rooney for this season.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/26/wayne-rooney-manchester-united


Martin Samuel on the legacy that on one will ever surpass, even the special one.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1268735/Martin-Samuel-Even-Special-One-hope-match-Sir-Alex-Fergusons-feat-Manchester-United.html
But then goes on to try to link red knight O'Neill with fellow Goldman Sachs employee Fabrice Toure. I'm not sticking up for Goldman Sachs, but isn't O'Neill's expertise as a foreign exchange economist. That's not exactly going to make him a fellow great vampire squid.

Well it seems that the rumours of Hull City's financial plight were true.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/26/hull-city-administration-relegation

Will Clegg's genes come in handy as we near the last week of the campaign as Ben Macintyre writes about his his great aunt Moura Budberg. She sounds like she stepped straight out of the pages of a Sidney Reilly biography.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/ben_macintyre/article7108896.ece

Steve Richards on the conviction opportunist Cameron.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-cameron-is-a-conviction-opportunist-1955186.html

The New statesman's editorial calls for Li-Lab coalition, but maybe it's too late for that, is Clegg's ambition to destroy the Labour party as the home of progresive politics in Britain.
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/04/lib-dems-labour-progressive
I suppose that would be the ultimate irony for new labour, if they end up destroying the party that they were supposed to have saved from the clutches of old labour.

US band Beirut

Manchester United 3-1 Tottenham

All united can do is win their games and hope that Chelsea drop some points somewhere, most likely Anfield next week. And this was unquestionably that hardest game left, so it was a great three points to hopefully keep the pressure on the rent boys. The day didn't start too well with the news that Rooney was out, and the rumour was, he may be out for the remainder of the season. So under the circumstances the team put out was about as strong as we could have hoped for. With no Ferdinand again, is his season as well, over i wonder, Evans carried on alongside Vidic with Rafael coming in Gary Neville. Valencia and Nani flanked Berbatov with Giggs, Scholes and Fletcher making up central midfiled.
With Spurs lining up 4-4-2, Fergie didn't take long to decide to push Giggs further up playing just behind Berbatov. The first half wasn't a great spectacle but United were the better team, though we didn't manage to open the away defence up as often as we wwould have liked. It took about 20 minutes or so for United to start to create chances with the best falling to Berbatov who couldn't convert as his effort was blocked and Valencia who ran straight through the middle of the Tottenham defence and decided to shoot instead of squaring to Berbatov. If that had been Rooney i would have wanted him to square it, but the way it's ben going for the Bulgarian, i thought shooting was a fair enough option. As the half time whistle went, it seemed we were going to be in for a long tense second 45 minutes. And we would have to start to convert one of the chances we had been making.
Spurs hadn't created much but there were a couple of occasions where they looked capable of unlocking our defence without actually achieving it. You felt the longer the game went on the more you felt they were bound to craft at least one decent chance.
But the second half carried on where the first half had finished with United, in the main, bossing the game. Berbatov's head down for Fletcher should have seen the opening goal but the Scot somehow failed to connect with the ball. On the hour Berbatov was involved again in the area this time back heeling for Evra who was brought down for a clear penalty. Giggs and Nani both wanted to take it, but Giggs wears the armband and there was only one winner as he put the ball on the spot and struck a perfect penalty to the right of Gomes to give United the lead. Evra had been ill on the pitch earlier and when Redknapp brought Lennon on, that was the cue for O'Shea to replace him.
Spurs started to get into the game seriously for the first time now but without really carving out any clear cut chances. But a corner on 70 minutes changed all that, as King rose highest to power home the goal. Whilst i was at the game i didn't think rafael had done much wrong, but when i saw the highlights last night i had to change my mind. If he had stayed on the line as he should have done, he should have been able to clear it off the line. There is an argument that he should be given more games to gain experience. But when he makes such poor mistakes it's not an argument i can go along with.
The tide seemed to turn now with Spurs looking as likely to get another goal as United. Now Ferguson took off Rafael and brought Macheda on dropping Fletcher to right back. We now seemed to get stronger down the right hand flank with Nani having switched to the right earlier. And it was down this flank that saw the decisive move and moment of the match as Nani played a 1-2 with Macheda and the superbly chipped Gomes to put us back in the lead with 9 minutes to go.
Could we hold on, was all i could think now, as we once again seemed a bit leggy. Fergie changed back to 4-4-3 and then 5 minutes later Nani set off on a great run terrorising the Spurs defence and being brought down eventually by Palacios. Giggs, again grabbed hold of the ball, and this time sent it into the opposite corner to give us a 2 goal cushion that eventually saw us home.
So now it's over to Chelsea again. I'm not too hopeful of anything tomorrow, to be honest though. Stoke are dangerous opponents on their own ground but don't seem to travel well especially against the top sides. Still Chelsea do have some injuries and haven't played well in their last two games, so we live in hope.

It looks like Rooney's season could be over, not great news, though hopefully we have got the hard games out of the way just in time.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article7107243.ece

Henry Winter on Fergie's eyes and ears on the pitch, Ryan Giggs.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7629551/Henry-Winter-Manchester-United-winger-Ryan-Giggs-the-most-golden-of-oldies.html

MUST had fun on Friday night projecting anti-Glazer slogans onto Old Trafford. Top work
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/23/manchester-united-glazer-family-protest

MUST takes the fight to the clubs sponsors
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/24/manchester-united-corporate-sponsors-glazers-red-knights

Fergie mocks retirement talk, again.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/ferguson-mocks-retirement-talk-as-antiglazer-moves-hit-home-1952854.html

Ian Ridley ponders Fergie's future
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1268574/Ian-Ridley-Is-Ferguson-looking-Eric-Cantona-way-out.html

Steve Bruce on the Ayatollah and not doing him any favours over the coming weeks.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article7106682.ece

Steve Richards warns us that the progressive moment might not happen, the tories could still win. I fucking hope not, and to be honest as long as there are no major gaffes from either the Lib dems of for that matter Labour, i can't see it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-talk-of-revolution-is-still-premature-1953010.html

Matthew Parris thinks the last thing Clegg wants to do is prop up Gordon Brown in the next Parliament. He may very well be right, but the Lib dems are more of a democratic party than that. The party activists would have to be listened to, so he will have to put forward one hell of a good argument forward for propping up the tories.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article7106631.ece

Will Hutton on the importance of changing our electoral system.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/25/proportional-representation-voting-will-hutton

Is the Murdoch empire feeling the strain asks Steve Hewlett, we can only hope so.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/23/murdoch-independent-simon-kelner

Goldman Sachs under pressure again.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article7107198.ece

This looks well worth a watch, a documentary of the recording of the Stones classic, Exile on main street on BBC 4 next month. I saw the Dr. Feelgood doc Oil city confidential on Friday and it was excellent, i liked the way towards the end they didn't gloss over the fact that they never really fulfilled their potntial. Wilco Johnson seemed the type of guy who is funny in short doses but would be a pain the arse all the time, a little bit barking.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/25/stones-exile-on-main-street

Orbital at Glastonbury

Berbatov should stay says Ruud

Van Nistelroy tells him United are a one off to play for, and after United the only way is down.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/23/van-nistelrooy-dimitar-berbatov-united
I know he was a bit of an arsehole over his last couple of seasons at United, but when you watch old clips and videos of him at United you remember what a great centre forward he was. He is without doubt the best finsisher we have had in all the time i have been watching United.

The Times Oliver Kay's team of the season, which has only one player from United shows how things have slipped on the playing front at Old trafford. I would have had Evra at left back, but whilst i'm not sure about all his selections, i couldn't convincingly argue the case for any other United players. If you look back to some of the PFA teams of the last decade, we have had almost the entire team made of reds in some years.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2010/04/the-topflight-team-of-the-season.html#tp

Fegurson to not retire and he if he does the people he will tell are his wife, Gill and the Glazer family. Nice to know where the fans come in the scheme of things, nowhere.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article7105948.ece

Ian Ladyman on the decline of Michael Carrick. A good article, the disastous dip in his form at exactly the wrong moment of the season has been one of the main factors in our exit from Europe and our wobble in the league meaning we are hoping for a stumble from Chelsea. It's annoying, he has the talent to be a world class central midfield player, yet he just doesn't seem to have the self belief you need to get there. As much as i love Scholes if Carrick was playing anywhere near the form he should be, the ginger prince wouldn't be starting every game at this stage of his career.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1268116/How-night-Barcelonas-carousel-Michael-Carrick-s-career-spin.html

The Glazer's plumb new depths in their attempt to raise cash to pay off the debt, charging fans for the privelege of applying for away tickets.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/22/manchester-united-glazer

John Pilger argues for sport to be given back to the fans. And why not it's us that pay for it, or should i say get fleeced, after all.
http://www.newstatesman.com/sport/2010/04/pilger-world-liverpool-south

Daniel Taylor of the Guardian really seems to be buying into the giddyness that surrounds the boo camp. They haven't even finished fourth yet, do we expect Torres to go to a club playing in the Europa league. If he leaves murkeydive it will be to play in the champions league. Anyway all the rumours are that it will be their other " good" player from the red half of merseyside who will be leaving.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/23/manchestercity-premierleague

The Melbourne storm have been stripped of their 2007 and 2009 NRL titles after been found out for illegal payments. And look who owns them, what would have happened if he had took over at United. It's not going too well for old Rupe at the moment is it, long may it continue, the wanker.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/apr/22/melbourne-storm-salary-cap

Steve Richards reckons Brown and Cameron closed the gap on Clegg, but Clegg more than held his own and we are definitely now in a multi party politics era.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-the-gap-between-them-was-narrowed-but-not-reversed-1951937.html
I haven't watched it yet, i was watching the reserves putting in a woeful performance as the get beat 2-0 by City in the Manchester senior cup. I'm afraid for all the press talk of the reserves winning their league title and players to watch coming through, i can't see any of that crop of players making at United. Of course they have lost Cleverley, Drinkwater, Cathcart and Welbeck this season on loan and Macheda to injury. Macheda was pretty disappointing last night, Crerand hardly ever critricises any of the youngsters, but he was described him as lacklustre. If we have any youngsters likely to come through the ranks the under 18's seems to be the place to look at the moment.

Craig Murray was unimpressed by Rupert Murdoch's channel Sky's political neutrality. I haven't seen it yet so i can't really comment, but it wouldn't exactly be a shock, would it.
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2010/04/sky_leaders_deb.html#comments

The Daily Mail's front page was absolutely barking telling us that Cameron trashed Clegg, and Brown and it was now upwards and onwards for the tories. Nick Robinson reports that the tory backing papers met with Tory spin doctors to discuss how they would attack Clegg. Oh, such scum. The daily mail song by Dan and Dan.


Obama tells wall street not to block reform. I hope he doesn't really believe that is going to happen, he will have to fight them tooth and nail and stoop as low as they probably will, in the fight to cut them down to size.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7105687.ece

Inspiral carpets

Red knights : talks continue

The Independent reports that as talks continue, optimism grows that the Glazer's will sell. Obviously i hope they're right, but there isn't much to go on in the article really.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/glazers-will-sell-manchester-united-to-red-knights-say-fans-1950338.html
Unless they already knew about this
http://wewantglazerout.com/
Is there anybody at Old trafford besides Gill who doesn't want the gimps out.
Now the club launches an internal inquiry, suprise, suprise.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/21/manchester-united-glazer-hospitality-leak

Deloitte are the latest global player recruited in the fight against the gimps.
http://blogs.news.sky.com/kleinman/Post:0a8806f6-e4b2-4503-ab6a-d23bdf943b70

Fergie is proud of the reserves achievement in winning the reserve league title and praises the job that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done. He name checks Jonny's brother Corry Evans and fellow Northern Ireland colleague Oliver Norwood. It's a great achievement but if i'm honest it's not the best reserve squad by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not sure there are any potential first teamers in the squad that ended the season. Corry Evans gets mentioned but it's hard to know, i'm not really sure what his best position is or is going to be.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/ferguson-eyeing-future-manchester-united-stars-in-reserves-1950027.html

Carrick still follows his old team Tottenham's results especially over the last few weeks as they have beaten Arsenal and Chelsea, but we need to beat them on Saturday
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/carrick-ready-to-put-tottenham-affinity-to-one-side-1949987.html

Wes Brown is back in training.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7617794/World-Cup-2010-England-and-Manchester-United-boosted-by-Wes-Browns-return.html

Gary Bailey still rates Foster but agrees he needs to move on in the summer.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/foster-forced-to-margins-at-united-1950522.html

David Conn reports on Portsmouth and the disgraceful " football creditors rule ".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/22/portsmouth-football-creditors-money-millionaires

Glenn Moore argues that Mourinho showed that you can play against Barca and get the better of them. As if we didn't know, as both United and Chelsea have shown over the last few years. It's about time somebody pointed out Wenger's tactical shortcomings. And it would be bollocks to say he always sends his team out to play his brand of football regardless of the opposition. There have been plenty of times they have shut up shop against United and hoped to hit us on the break. The 2005 FA cup final was at least one.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/how-inters-very-special-plan-got-the-better-of-guardiola-1950529.html

The Lib dems are going after the football fan vote as it promises to look into the issue of safe seating. A vote winner, i would say.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/lib-dems-call-for-return-to-safe-standing-on-terraces-1950535.html

I watched the second champions league semi final with an " if only " frame of mind. And boy oh boy, if only, that Lyon performance was a total shocker, the wonder is how Bayern haven't already booked their place in Madrid. We would have knocked them out at the first time of asking and we could have done it without Rooney. Lyon's passing was abysmal all night, their tactics were unbelievably negative, even when Bayern went down to ten they never went searching for that all important away goal. I wasn't bothered who won this tie, but for the sake of a half decent final you have got to hope that Lyon are as bad next week and Bayern go through.

Mike Atherton laments the ECB handling of the domestic game. He is spot on the money, i used to like going to the cricket on a Sunday in the summer. But over the last few years they have chopped and changed the fixtures to a dizzying extent. I am not mad on the twenty20, as it's too short for me and not half as excting as they make out. But if you want to go to a one day game that's all there is for most of the summer. So i have gradually got to the point where i don't go at all now.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/mike_atherton/article7104176.ece

Benedict Brogan of the Torygraph predicts we are two weeks from a Tory civil war if they fail to win the forthcoming election.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7616077/General-Election-2010-the-Tories-have-a-fortnight-to-save-themselves-from-disaster.html
If we end up with a referendum on PR that is won by the promoters of change, i predict that we will see a defection of tories to UKIP. I'm not sure how big it will be though.

Steve Richards writes of the weird campaign performance of Gordon Brown and the Labour party. At some stage, over the next couple of years there will a recasting of the Labour party, but what form that will take, i'm not sure. New labour has had it's day.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-brown-looks-ever-more-like-king-lear-1950455.html
Under PR there will be room for a party to the left of new Labour, but whether labour will go down that road or it's left wing and unions will split remains to be seen. Of course it could be that if there is a hung parliament that this is the height of Lib dem success and that Labour will reclain the centre left mantle in future elections. In our largely politically apathetic society, i just can't see that.

A good Liberal article from Nick Clegg on this countries Daily mail, Murdoch tabloid attitude to the German nation. Zenophobes froth away. And they do
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/nov/19/eu.germany

Koushik, the Canadian electronic outfit.

Special but not United?

All the talk of Ferguson staying on for one more year before retiring has left journo's speculating on the successor. Nobody has mentioned this, but is it just a ruse to let the Glazer's know he won't be around for long. Wouldn't that be the time to get out for them? As successful as he is, Mourinho wouldn't be my choice either, and for most of the resons put forward in this article.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23826444-manchester-united-must-resist-replacing-alex-ferguson-with-jose-mourinho.do
But if the Glazer's do stay he is the man i expect they will go for. United's history and tradition means nothing to them, just making money, and in the short term he would probably achieve enough of that. But it would be the long term and the style of football played that would worry me.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/markogden/100007384/footballs-version-of-the-wacky-races-for-the-contenders-to-succeed-sir-alex-ferguson/

James Lawton salutes Mourinho's achievement with Inter last night. The result didn't surprise me as i have had a sneaking feeling that this might be their year after knocking Chelsea out. The one thing that was certain about the match last night was that Barca were never going to be allowed to play as the "great" Wenger's Arse allowed them too.
Saying that i thought the 3-1 scoreline was harsh on the Catalans, 3-2 would have been fairer. One of the things i like about this Barca side is how they just always go forward. I know they had to forget defending and just go all out for the second in the last twenty minutes, but that doesn't mean most sides would or could. And they were unlucky they didn't get it, with a penalty disallowed, that should have been given, and the ball never seeming to fall to Barca feet in the area. I can't see Barca going through i'm afraid though, as i can see Inter giving the kind of perormance they gave at Stamford bridge where Chelsea hardly got a an effort on goal in. Which would at least show what an under appreciated feat United performed in getting through to successive finals.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-mourinho-calls-the-shots-to-make-italy-think-again-about-his-style-1949715.html

Berbatov to Milan? Not according to his agent.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7613058/Dimitar-Berbatov-not-leaving-Manchester-United-this-summer-says-strikers-agent.html

Shilton tells Foster to leave if he wants to enhance his England prospects. From the reports we keep reading he could be on his way in one way or another as supposedly Birmingham would like to take him on loan.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267575/Ben-Foster-quit-Manchester-United-says-England-legend-Peter-Shilton.html

It would seem, if this report is on the mark that a clear out may be on the cards at rentboy central, whether they win the title or not.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article7103218.ece

Portsmouth debts revealed to the world.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/21/portsmouth-119m-debt-football

French football scandal knocks our scandals into the shade.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/20/frank-ribery-sex-scandal-france

Matthew Norman argues that Clegg must go for Cameron's jugular in tomorrow's leader's debate on international affairs not go on the defensive. I don't think he will be defensive, but he will have to argue his case more convincingly than he did in the first debate. I agree that he will have to hold his own on Europe, but the best way to do that is by exposing the Tory splits on Europe in the 90's under Major which are still there waiting to explode at any moment.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-now-clegg-must-move-in-for-the-kill-1949444.html

Anatole Kaletsky argues that the Euro is the Lib dems weak link but wonders how the tories can expose it without showing their own Euro phobe tendencies.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article7103194.ece

Ex generals timely letter should help the Lib dems position on trident as well as being bang on the money.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7103318.ece

Anthony Barnett argues that a Lib dem breakthrough will be a breakthrough for all those that want to smash the established order. Bring it on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/20/liberal-democrat-breakthrough-electoral-insurgency

The ridiculously pompous right wing Simon Heffer gets his revenge in early as he lays into the Cameroons. It could be the end of the world as he knows it. The only flaw in his argument is that his brand of Toryism would probably be doing even worse.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7611890/General-Election-2010-David-Camerons-image-makers-created-the-vacuum-that-Nick-Clegg-has-filled.html

IMF propose new global tax to rein in the banking system.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2010/apr/20/imf-tax-global-banks

Stephen Fretwell

IMUSA warn Sunderland

That the cut in our allocation will see thousands of reds turn up without tickets
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7608140/Sunderland-warned-after-Manchester-United-supporters-ticket-allocation-is-cut-to-1700.html

Fletcher sings the praises of the ginger prince
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article7102633.ece

Tosic happy in Germany as he scores three in his last four clubs for loan club Cologne.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267455/Manchester-United-loan-star-Zoran-Tosic-wants-stay-Germany.html

City are ahead of United in the chase for Milner according to theGuardian. Well if we were going for him, big if, that's that then.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/19/james-milner-manchester-city-bid

The under 18s came away with a comfortable victory on Saturday. It was nice to see Ravel Morrison start a game for the first time in ages. If he is going to be the player many have touted him as, he needs to start getting some games under his belt. He seems to have grown a bit since the last time i saw him play, which is no bad thing.
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=6648239

I read Orlando Figes history of revolutionary Russia recently and it was a fantastic read, so i was disappointed to read this strange article from the Independent on an argument over Amazon reviews involving Figes and/or his wife.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/historians-wife-and-her-poison-pen-expose-dark-side-of-literary-criticism-1948812.html

The government and the tories are still too frightened to tackle the abusee of the bankers and financiers writes Ruth Sutherland in Sunday's Observer.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/18/uk-politicians-afraid-regulate-bankers

David Blanchflower can't make the tories economic plans add up
http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2010/04/efficiency-savings-times

Robert Peston writes on the Goldman Sachs affair.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/

Steve Richards argues in the Independent that Cameron wanted to run in this elcetion as the candidate of change, but that Clegg has stripped that away from him and left him looking part of the status quo.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-something-had-to-give-ndash-and-it-has-1948847.html

Peter Oborne, one of the few tories worth reading reckons that Clegg is as much a part of the establishment as Cameron and Brown. But it may just be that he will seize the moment to utterly transform British politics. Which i'm presuming that Oborne has at least mixed feelings about.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1267354/PETER-OBORNE-The-Great-Liberal-deception.html

Paul Mason on the task facing the labour party.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/paulmason/

Andrew Stephens discusses Obama's next big decision,over the appointment of a candidate to sit on the supreme court. Reminds me of the episode from the west wing from one of the earlier series.
http://www.newstatesman.com/north-america/2010/04/obama-court-stevens-president

The Independent reports on a new wave of female comics. I thought Sharon Horgan's Pulling was one of the best comedy series of recent years, brilliant.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/features/broad-comedy-a-new-wave-of-funny-women-1948100.html

Barry Adamson with the cracking Jazz devil and some clips from the Nick Cave scripted, The Proposition, a pretty good film.

Big week for red knights

Big week for the red kinghts ahead as the bid to buy the club enters decision time
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article7100838.ece

James salutes the eternal Paul Scholes
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-eternal-scholes-gives-united-kiss-of-life-1948237.html

Alan Hansen tells us that Liverpool's fans worst nightmare is beating Chelsea to hand us that 19th title, as if we didn't know. But there is no way that Liverpool what turn up on the day, he writes and i believe that. Whether they have got in them to win, who knows.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7604067/Alan-Hansen-Gifting-title-No-19-to-Manchester-United-is-Liverpool-fans-nightmare.html

I'm not alone in my low estimation of Mancini, As Patrcik Barclay writes he is not the man to take City forward. As a red i think we are in a win win situation here. If they stick with Mancini for continuity they will have a manager who doesn't seem up to it. But if they get rid, and bring a new man in, they will be back to square one. Will the players get on with the manager and will the new manager rate the players whom he didn't buy. Thy should have stuck with Hughes for at least the season, even if they hadn't have finished in the top four.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article7101348.ece

Diouf's brother finds out what the derby is all about.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7604615/Manchester-Uniteds-Mame-Biram-Dioufs-brother-attacked-after-crowd-trouble-flares-at-Eastlands.html

Gary Neville is quoted as saying City's attempts to clinch fourth spot didn't enter United's heads, rightfully so, but i can't think of any red fans that it didn't.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7606496/Harming-Manchester-Citys-quest-for-fourth-not-an-issue-for-United-says-Gary-Neville.html

John Curtice describes how the electoral map could be about to be blown apart as the Liberal poll surge shakes the tories and the labour party to the core.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/liberal-surge-is-biggest-shock-to-electoral-landscape-for-years-1948193.html

Anatole Kaletsky thinks the lib dems are at the very least as practical as the tories and labour.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article7101427.ece

Will the floodgates open on Wall street now Goldman Sachs has had the governments lawyers set onto it.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article7101495.ece

Ross Clark writing in the Times thinks not.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7101358.ece

David Yelland ex of the sun writes that during his time at the Murdoch rag, the lib dems were disregarded completely. He thinks that will still be the case and writes how dangerous that could end up being for the head of news international and sky. A vote for the lib dems is a vote is a vote against Rupert Murdoch, that sounds great to me.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/18/clegg-media-elite-murdoch-lib-dem

Cameron tell us that there will be no turning from the tories and if you want a radical change vote Conservative.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/19/conservatives-david-cameron-big-society-election

The late Elliot Smith

Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United

What a day that was, it could have hardly gone any better could it. I think we just about deserved to win the game, though once again we struggled to create the amount of chances you would normally associate with a United team. City managed to live down to my expectations and it will be interesting to see, if they did manage to come fourth and qualify for the champions league if they keep faith with Mancini. United were hardly the dynamic force they have been over previous seasons but City are so ponderous and one dimensional it's untrue. The only time they really got into the game was during the last ten minutes when United, with nothing to lose starting throwing men forward. I am still not sure whether Mancini was happy with the draw from the outset or not.
Once again Fergie stuck with the class of 92 with Neville, Giggs and Scholes all starting. The only surprise, bar the inclusion of Rooney who was obviously not 100% fully fit was the decision to play Giggs on the left instead of Nani and the inclusion of Gibson. Whilst i would have liked to have seen Nani start, the up side of having him on the bench was at least we had someone on the bench who could come on and make an impact.
United started well controlling the ball with City once again just dropping deep and conceeding the majority of possession to United as they have done in every game they have played against United under Mancini. The best early chance fell to Fletcher whose shot from outside the box beat Given but also went just the wrong side of the post. Rooney was hardly able to get in the match, but when he did it spelt danger for City as he once too advantage of a slip from Kompany but couldn't find his man in the box, disappointingly.
The best chance of the half fell to Rooney just before half time as he turned Valencia's pass into a shooting opportunity but he didn't hit the target. It looked as though it was a risk to play Rooney again as he didn't seem fully fit. It will be interesting to see how fit he is next week against Spurs as after yesterday's games it looks like next Staurday's game against Spurs will be a harder affair than yesterday was.
Unfortunately the second half followed a similar script as last weeks trip to Ewood park as United pressed for the all important goal and monoploised the possession but never really looked like getting it. The game opened up inthe last ten minutes and City did have a couple of opportunities as United threw men forward. But our back four seemed to have found a bit of form with Evans and especially Vidic outstanding. They kept Tevez quiet and Adebayor was his usual annonymous self when the big games arrive. As we enetered the third minute of injury time it looked like it was going to be another one of those days as the title race looked to be finally gone. And then up popped the ginger prince, easily the best player on the pitch to send us wild with delight.
To think of some of the comments on the messageboards when it was announced the day earlier that he had signed a new one year contract. He may not be quite the player he was, but he is still good enough to play for Manchester United. I don't get the argument that the game is too fast for him that is sometimes bandied around. He never had any pace anyway, he needs quality players playing well aroung him. And over recent weeks that is what has been lacking. He has been one of our better players, it's been the woeful Carrick, the tired Fletcher and the not good enough Park and Gibson who have not pulled thir weight.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the Spurs rentboys match, i though Spurs were a touch fotunate to beat Arsenal in midweek. But Chelsea hadn't played well against Bolton so with Tottenham needing to win and having seen us beat City at least there was hope. So for them to win 2-1 and to see Terry get his marching orders was the icing on the cake. If we beat them next week, and that is a big if, then unbelievably i think we will have a great chance of winning it as i'm not sure Chelski's bottle is going to hold out.
When i said we had blown the title against Blackburn i couldn't see any way we would get back into the title race. The title was Chelsea's to lose and if we do go on to regain the title, Chelsea will surely have some rethinking to do because they should have walked the title this season.

Daniel Taylor describes why United's habit of scoring late late winners is no fluke.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/18/manchester-united-city-scholes

Richard Williams salutes the golden generation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/17/manchester-united-survivors-golden-generation

Henry Winter frustrates the two Italian coaches present at the boo camp yesterday reports Henry Winter
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7602060/Masterful-Paul-Scholes-still-running-the-showFootball.html

Hicks 2not living in the real world", as he is reported as valuing Liverpool at £800 million
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/7602072/Tom-Hicks-wants-800-million-for-Liverpool.html

Gerard Pique, definitely the one that got away.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article7100754.ece
I always rated him and thought he was going to be a top player. But as Arsenal will eventually find out with Fabregas, there is no point in tempting talented young Catalans away from Barcas eventually they will want to go back home.

Cleggmania spreads across Britain, a touch over the top, me thinks.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cleggmania-spreads-across-britain-1947687.html

Martin Kettle writes that todays polls if reproduced on election day will produce a constitutional crisis, bring it on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/17/1

Goldman Scahs in trouble as the US securities and exchange commision go after them
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/stephen-foley-sharks-turn-on-wall-streets-vampire-squid-1947312.html
Will Huton on the scandal of bakers using money to make money
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/18/goldman-sachs-regulators-civil-charges

Felix da housecat

Milner to United?

The Telergraph report United are keeping tabs on James Milner of Villa with a view to a summer bid. Well that's been a rumour for a bit, the other two mostly mentioned are Modric and Rodwell. I would settle for either Modric or Milner and Rodwell. If i am pushed i'd go for Modric for his creativity. If Scholes did retire this summer i would spend everythig i had on him because we would have absolutely no creativity in the middle of the park then.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7595191/Manchester-United-keep-their-eye-on-Aston-Villas-James-Milner.html
Spoke too soon, as he has just signed a new one year contract according to United's site. That is good news for me. We don't want him playing as much as he has had to do in the latter part of this season, but he is still quality and he will still do a job for the team. That doesn't lessen the need for reinforcemets in the summer, and he is the player that either next summeror the next we are most in need of replacing.

Andy Cole's column in the Independents warns fans to not write United off yet. Chelsea are in pole position but he thinks they will drop points. The point is will United as well? if Rooney plays in every game we can but i'm not that confident. Still Spurs winning on Wednesday has kept their season alive and if we do win tomorrow the game will suddenly become enormous for both clubs. I suppose for Spurs if we took a point from tomorrow it would be a good result for them.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-andy-cole-column-a-lesson-from-history-never-write-off-united-1946202.html

It would seem United are the top club in Manchester, followed by Norwich with City trailing as usual if scarve buying is anything to go by, apparently, Massive.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7594624/Manchester-City-v-Manchester-United-fans-show-true-colours-in-derby.html

Daniel Taylor has been impressed by Roberto Mancini. I haven't, Stoke in the cup anyone. Alright they have had some good results, Chelsea away notably, but how many stinkers have their been. The two ties against Stoke were unbelievably poor, Everton at home and the first half against Wigan where they were absolutely garbage. It was only when Wigan had a man sent off that City even began to look like a team in that game. They may be better at the back though i'm not too convinced off that. Are Lescott and Toure top centre halves, i'd sooner have the none shirt selling Richard Dunne. From what i have seen, when they play the lesser sides their build up play is so slow it's antlike. It's obvious that Tevez, their best player by a mile it pains me to say, isn't in love Mancini or his methods.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/15/manchester-city-united-roberto-mancini

Rooney the favourite for the PFA player of the year award as the nominations are announced
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7594624/Manchester-City-v-Manchester-United-fans-show-true-colours-in-derby.html

Yet more embarrassment for the suits at the premier league as Birmingham City's ownership is handed over to the investment bank that helped Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung to buy out Gold and Sullivan.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/birmingham/article7099059.ece

Nick Clegg wins the three party leader televised debate according to most of the polls. It was pretty clear he did, he's too far to the right for me, but he did well, Brown was terrible as expected, but thankfully i didn't think Cameron was that much better. I suppose Cameron would have appealed to natural tories but i couldn't see him winning over many undecided's. Mind you Clegg wasn't perfect there were times where he just parrotted the same line. So even though he won he will probably have to up his game next time. What got me was how different people saw different parts of the debate. I toally agree with the Liberals proposals about the unreality of paying for Trident but apparently most people though was one of his wakest moments. David Hare in the Guardinan thought it was one of his strongest moments. Suely it was morre coherent and even statesmanlike than Cameron warning us that we needed to keep them to maybe deal with a Chinese threat. That's going to help cement trade and diplomacy with the burgeoning super power isn't it. I am amazed no paper has highlighted that, because if there was a gaffe last night that was surely it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/clegg-smashes-through-twoparty-system-1946273.html

Steve Richards who wasn't a fan of the proposed debate admits he was happily surprised and thinks the election race became more interesting and less easy to call.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-biggest-game-changer-is-that-voters-were-engaged-1946447.html

Vernon Bogdanor thinks ( and probably hopes ) that two party politics is over and multi party politics is on it's way.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7099069.ece

As China's economy expands again Richrad Adams asks is everything quite as rosy as it looks for the oriental powerhouse.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/15/china-economy-yuan-growth

Johann Hari asks why with our army at war in Afghanistan it isn't being raised as an election theme campaign.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-the-shameful-bloody-silence-at-the-heart-of-the-election-1946255.html

Obama is looking to tighten wall street regulation now his position has strengthened
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/obama-presses-for-tighter-wall-street-regulation-1945186.html

Will the new biography of Chriss Morris shed more light on the comedy genius asks Ben Walters.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2010/apr/14/chris-morris-four-lions

I love Beethoven's 7th, this is the last movement

Rooney fit for City

He has declared himself fit subject to approval from United's medical staff. I think that will be forthcoming.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/13/wayne-rooney-manchester-united-city

Fabio to Sporting Lisbon next season?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1265248/Manchester-United-star-Fabio-primed-Sporting-Lisbon-loan.html

Owen who? asks the Independent. Good question, i was baffled when after half a game for the reserves he was promoted to training with the first team squad. And then we never heard of him again. Does anybody think he has a long term future as a footballer at United?
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/owen-who-hargreaves-is-uniteds-forgotten-man-1943881.html

Alan Hansen thinks nothing has been settled yet. I can't see Chelsea slipping up this time, they are playing well, have no distractions and could be playing Spurs at a good time after their dismal showing at Wembley against Portsmouth. I'm expecting Liverpool to be out of contention by the time Chelsea go there so i'm not too confident of any slip up there either. We could yet end up third, though with the gooners injury problems i think we will probably come second. Not that coming second instead of third is much consolation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8615713.stm
After writing that yesterday, Chelsea won their game in hand. Whilst not playing particularly well and having a slice or luck or two, they still won, the most important thing at this stage of the season. If spurs don't beat Arsenal tonight i can see Chelsea getting something at a deflated Spurs at the weekend. It's still their's to lose.

Tevez picks a bit of a weird time to criticize Macini and that poster.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/13/carlos-tevez-criticises-roberto-mancini

Finishing fourth will be the disaster for the scousers we hoped it would be. What a pity the beneficiaries will be the divs.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/failure-in-race-for-fourth-could-cost-liverpool-163100m-1942883.html
Goldman Sachs nearly got in volved in a Liverpool takeover
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidbond/2010/04/revealed_how_goldman_sachs_dre.html

Kevin McCarra reckons City can break into elite top 4. I never thought Spurs had the consistency, though i hoped they might prove me wrong, and Villa have run out of steam in the second half of the season again. So it's looking more than likely as the bindippers finances deteriorate, they have got a bit of spending to do before they take on the top three though. Saying that they have got it and we haven't. One of the reasons why i am amazed the Glazer's want to stay is because they are completely out of their depth competing with the Arabs. And the longer they stay the more apparent that will become and the more unpopular they will become.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/13/manchester-city-fourth-roberto-mancini

Wembley and it's disastrous playing surface comes under more fire. The FA, greedy, incompetent and stuck with the white elephant they deserve for not building a national stadium in the midlands where it should have gone. That's if we needed a new stadium at all.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/news/7583665/Wembleys-pitch-is-poor-because-stadium-is-so-busy-with-other-events-say-experts.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/wembley-pitch-is-a-global-embarrassment-1943393.html
Wenger is the latest to stick the boot in, and he aint wrong.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article7096676.ece

Sid Lowe salutes the unsung Barca hero Xavi, quite right too, he has been brilliant over the last month. Just think what they will be like when Iniesta starts playing regularly again. When i think of midfield's that is what any club should aspire to. Our 99 midfiled was brilliant. Giggs, Scholes, Keane and Beckham but as far as midfield three's go there can't have been many better than Barca's current crop.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/12/xavi-hernandez-sid-lowe

Jonathan Wilson with yet another fascinating article salutes the often criticized offside rule.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/apr/13/the-question-why-is-offside-law-genius

Iceland's truth commission has spoken and blames unregulated markets for the disaster that has befallen the country.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/13/iceland-truth-committee-report

The independent reports that the Eurozone ministers have agreed a package to help out the Greek economy.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/eurozone-ministers-agree-euro30bn-rescue-for-greece-1942272.html

Scientists make breakthrough in the quest for clean ( cheap ) energy.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/gm-viruses-offer-hope-of-future-where-energy-is-unlimited-1943008.html

Alexander Bell argues that water will become the most prized commodity over the next 50 years. Manchester should be ok then.
http://www.newstatesman.com/environment/2010/03/water-cyprus-pakistan-yemen

Anatole Kaletsky reckons the old left right divide of markets against state was shattered by the credit crunch. But the disappointment of the election campaign for him so far, is how few answers the competing parties have come up with.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article7096764.ece

Sad news, Supergrass are to split after a farewell summer tour. They were a decent band, in fact when you go back and listen to their stuff, you forget how many quality tunes the delivered.

Music
Animal Collective - Merriweather post pavillion: Mojo's allbum of 2009 and it is a corker, a step up from Strawberry jam. It wouldn't be an album of the year conender for me but very track works, a proper album.

Mumford & sons - Sigh no more: I have seen these great really good reviews and pretty lukewarm ones as well. I'd go with the former as this is a pretty cracking debut album. They can write a tune alright.

Staff benda bilili - Tres tres fort: This is a tremendous album and even more so if you read the circumstances of it's recording and the make up of the members of the band. I don't know why but certaintracks from this Congolese outfit remind me of times of Cuban music.

The 13th floor elevators - The original acid rock group, according to mojo who have a thing for them. After listening to this i can see why, it's a pretty good listen. I'm amazed i had never even heard of them never mind heard them before mojo started to give them a lot of coverage over the last year or so.

The ruts - The crack: A classic post punk album featuring their best known song Babylon's burning. It's good but i wouldn't call it classic myself.

Vampire weekend - Contra: The follow up to the excellent debut album doesn't disappoint. They continue to incorporate world music sounds from far and wide to make surprisingly accessible songs.

Ornette Coleman - The shape of things to come: There was a documentary on BBC 4 a while ago that featured 4 classic jazz albums from 1959. This was one of the albums, the most revolutionary and controversial with a lot of jazz musicians and fans pretty diparaging. Obviously then i love it. I love the dual sax sound, free jazz, you either love it or you hate it.

Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Manchester United

Well, that's the title gone. I thought we looked in trouble against Liverpool, with a really poor midfield performance, despite winning the game, but i didn't see our title chances evaporate this quickly. We're now paying the price of not being able to spend the money we received from Real Madrid for Ronaldo to strengthen our squad last summer. The most important issue facing this club is getting rid of the present owners. Yes we need new players and we need to stop relying on the last of the 92 generation. But getting rid of them overrides everything else as far as i am concerned. Our fate can be seen down the east lancs road, if we still have them in charge in 2017. They may find the money to buy one or two players this summer, though i can't see it myself, but it will be a sticking plaster job if they do and will have to be paid for eventually. A season ticket price rise next season?
I wasn't thrilled when i saw the team, Neville, Scholes and Giggs all in the team again. Neville didn't have a bad game but with O'Shea coming in at left back to give Evra a rest we had no full back to give either of our wide men enough help going forward. Scholes and Giggs in central midfield in a 4-4-2 didn't look great on paper and didn't look too great on the pitch. Both have been great players and both can still do a decent job for us next season, but to play with two in midfield you are looking for someone to arrive late in the box now and then a la Robson in days of old. At 35 and 36 and after a long season it wasn't really going to happen. But then again would any of the other options have been any better, probably not. We have missed Anderson, for squad rotation mainly, but if he had been fit would he have been any better yesterday. I can't see it. Carrick has been in terrible form recently, Fletcher looks knackered, and i don't think Gibson is good enough personally. When Giggs and Scholes hang their boots up we are in serious trouble unless money is spent on replacing them. I like the look of Cleverley, but that's just one player, we need another two or three coming through.
It wasn't a terrible performance yesterday, just flat, with perspiration but nowhere near enough inspiration. We played reasonably enough in the first half, but when we were called upon to lift our game in the second half there was just nothing there. Maybe things would have been different if Valencia had scored with the one really great chance we had in the first half. But that sentence says it all, one great chance. Berbatov had a fair first half dropping deep, making it hard for the home team to keep tabs on and putting the slide rule ball through for the chance that Valencia couldn't put away. But when the chips were down in the second half his performance was disappointing, to say the least. I have been a fan of his, but even i find it hard to defend his performance yesterday. Reluctantly i have got to admit that it would appear he has not got the personality to play for United.
The substitutions that Fergie made, as much as anything, showed what a state we have reached. The only change i could see that he could make that would make any difference was bringing on Evra for O'Shea, and that was left until last. Bringing Park and then Gibson on just seemed to me to be a case of bringing fresh legs on rather than really trying to change things. Whilst acknowledging that the bench hasn't been the strongest recently our substitutions haven't really worked as our season has disintegrated over the last few weeks.
The injury to Rio shows that his injury problems have not disappeared and if Vidic does go in the summer as the rumours have it, that is one more headache for the squad. Apparently since the Smalling signing was announced his form has slumped alarmingly. So i'm not expecting him to come and be an immediate hit. The second half was pretty depressing to be honest, i am pretty much the eternal optimist as far as United goes, but i just knew we weren't going to score yesterday. With no Rooney in the team there doesn't seem to be as much character in the side as you would like.
Do we need Rooney back for next week. I am in two minds as to how we will perform next week, one head says with Rooney back in the team, a week off and no pressure we will go out and give a proper performance. The other head says Rooney won't be fit, Ferdinand won't be fit and they will all have half an eye on the world cup and won't put themselves out and we will get stuffed. It better be the first.

Ferguson concedes title chance is now slim
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/title-has-slipped-away-concedes-ferguson-after-toothless-display-1942011.html

Louise Taylor argues United have forgotten how to play 4-4-2. That thought has occurred to me once or twice this season.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/12/dimitar-berbatov-manchester-united

Alan Hansen thinks United are in desperate need of overhaul but wonders how Ferguson can do it with no money.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7579455/Alan-Hansen-Manchester-United-in-desperate-need-of-cash-injection-after-recent-misfortune.html
When the Glazers put forward the bond issue and showed the world what a rotten financial state they had put the club in and we had midfielders playing at centre half and right back, my main hopes for this season were to stop City getting to Wembley and hoping that the Glazer's would be gone sometime soon. As bad as the last two weeks have been i wouls still settle for that.

Kevin Garside reckons the gloom is overdone.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7579057/Manchester-United-are-in-transition-and-their-problems-are-nowhere-near-terminal.html

The Guardian reckons Laporta is to enter the ploitical arena.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/11/joan-laporta-messi-barcelona-catalonia

Rupert Cornwell writes about the not so special relationship.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/rupert-cornwell/rupert-cornwell-so-much-for-the-special-relationship-1942258.html

Gary Younge on the current state of the Republican party.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/11/us-right-republicans-obama-fraternity

Will tha air crash that killed the Polish president bring Russia and Poland closer.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/11/poland-tragedy-katyn-russia

Robert Fisk writes about the dark side of the Empire.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fiskrsquos-world-malaya-1948-another-shameful-episode-in-britains-colonial-past-1940760.html

Black rebel motorcycle club