Fergie insists Rooney was fit

And says he is happy with the squad he has, yet again. I would respect him more if i thought he was using that as some sort of code to say, 0f course you know we are skint. The fact that we will lose Ferdinand for four months is worrying, especially as we still don't know the future plans for Vidic. Going of the second half of last season for Fulham Smalling doesn't look ready to be a United regualr yet, that's if at all.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2010/article-1291769/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-Wayne-Rooney-fit-England-duty.html

Joe Cole admits England aren't good enough, i'll give him ten out of ten for honesty. It's a pity the ex players and assorted overpaid hacks could not see that obvious truth before the tournament began. Then maybe , just maybe, the media hype would have been toned down to slightly more realistic levels before the world cup started. The TV studio analysis from both stations during this world cup has been garbage, it reached a total nadir during the hour before the game against Germany when all the panellists basically said the game was England's to lose. Lee Dixon made the hilarious comment that if England played they did in the premier league they would have no problems.
The trouble was James, Johnson, Upson and Terry did play like they have played in the premier league, which was obviuosly not to the standard required. Even Ashley Cole seemed to come down to their level, the longer the event went on. Milner played to about his level, solid but nothing special. Lampard had his one good game of the tournament going forward at the expense of the other half of his job of protecting the back four. Baryy whilst not fit wouldn't have been much better if he had been. Gerrard was completely out of position and whilst he may not have had as poor a world cup as Rooney, just as his form didn't shake any trees at Anfield last season neither did it in South Africa.
I don't personally think Defoe is an international striker, but even if he were he doesn't seem to be a striker who likes to play with an attacking partner. As for Rooney, well i still can't believe he wasn't injured, but if he wasn't, what the hell went wrong there, because that was not the Rooney we see at old trafford week in week out. So the one player who had been exeptional last seson was the one player that you could really accuse of playing far, far below himself. That doesn't speak well of the manager to me.
So i would say that Lee Dixon got pretty much what he asked for, most of them played to the standard they have playing to last season. It wasn't and isn't good enough.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2010/article-1291731/Joe-Coles-damning-England-verdict-We-just-abysmal-need-change-now.html

Bobby Charlton wonders what was wrong with Rooney but thinks keeping Capello was the correct course of action by the FA.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2010/article-1291778/Ive-seen-Wayne-Rooney-look-unhappy-did-playing-England-says-Sir-Bobby-Charlton.html

William Keegan writes about Thatcherism mark two.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/04/osborne-markets-fiscal-recovery

The referendum on AV is a distraction Cameron could do without writes Matthew D'Ancona.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/matthewd_ancona/7870545/Voting-reform-is-bad-news-for-the-Tories-whatever-the-result.html

Joan Smith takes aim at Clegg's experiment in democracy wondering what was actually liberal in it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/joan-smith/joan-smith-armchair-politics--as-good-as-a-seat-in-the-house-2017801.html

John Naughton comments on Murdoch's paywall experiment for the Times.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/04/rupert-murdoch-paywall-times