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.