Rooney to step up?

Alan Smith asks Rooney to step up to the plate. I can't really agree with that, though i understand where he is coming from. Two of the greatest players to ever wear the red of United, Best and Giggs, both never played in the world cup, though obviously would have loved to. It doesn't alter the fact both are known worldwide. And everybody in football knows the top prize or hardest to win in this day and age is the champions league.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/7822632/Alan-Smith-Wayne-Rooney-must-use-World-Cup-to-join-the-games-all-time-greats.html

Today's game aginst the yanks will be an interesting barometer to the chances of the England team to do well. USA are obviously not a great team but they are no mugs and will be well organised, their one dangerous player will be Donovan who makes great runs and has a good football brain.
My world cup tipping got off to a dismal start as South Africa got a point from their first game and with both games being drawn they still have an opportunity to go through to the next stage. It was a decent game though nowhere near as good as the ITV panel tried to present it as. The worrying thing from a United point of view was the refusal to bring on Hernandez on until very late. As usual with Mexico they were technically good and looked a nice football team until they get to the opposition penalty area. When they get there they look powder puff and yet Hernandez doesn't get a look in until the dying stages of the game. The type of striker we needed to buy should have been walking into that team.
As for the other game, dire doesn't do it justice. Uruguay weren't as good as i thought they might be ( which makes you wonder how Argentina will go on ) and France were fucking awful. I though Forlan was the best player on the pitch but he had no support at all. Suarez didn't do anything that suggested he was worth £10 million, never mind £30 million. I don't know whether that's good news or bad news for Ajax. How Domenech is still manager of his country i do not know, he doesn't seem to have a clue. Tactically he is cautious and shows no invention and i have never seen the French teams under him look like they are playing for him for one minute. I had though that France might struggle to get through the group but after watching the first two games i now think they will sneak through. It would be a truly dismal performance if they don't, that's for sure.

Steve Richards thinks the coalition will last.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-power-alone-is-enough-to-keep-them-united-1998345.html

Ed Milband argues for more debate after the demise of new labour. Interesting stuff, some good and some bad. Nothing to tempt any liberals to the labour banner though.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/7822880/New-Labour-was-stifling-debate-says-Ed-Miliband.html

Darling defends his reputation. He wasn't a great chancellor but he sure as hell wasn't the worst. Given the circumstances he played his hand as well as he could. To be classed as good or great you have to leave reforms that last and stand the test of time. Given the mess he was handed by Brown and the circumstances of his tenure that was never really on the cards for him.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jun/11/alistair-darling-david-cameron-apology

Interesting article about Johnny Vegas helping write and star in a BBC radio play about his hero comdeian Les Dawson. I loved him myself, and i have to say since he died and we have found out more about him my admiration has grown.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/vegas-hopes-to-hit-right-notes-as-he-prepares-to-play-his-comedy-hero-1998316.html

Some fusion with the Mahavishnu orchestra, i sound like Howard from the mighty boosh