Reserves start new campaign with 4-0 win

A match report from United youth, I'm not one for buying shirts, but it's got to be said that the new shirt is the best top we have had whilst Nike has been in charge. Still I wouldn't buy one, even if we were a Glazer free zone. The shirt seems reminiscent of the late seventies and early eighties with the collar, maybe it's my age, but those were the best United tops to me. Ahh the old days of Admiral and the early United days of Adidas, you still can't beat classsic Adidas.
It will be interesting to see who plays for the reserves this season and if any of the youngsters get fast tracked there. I hear people who watch plenty of our youngsters sing the praises of Eikram, but i have to say i have never seen enough of him to really judge. I have never seen him stand out and wonder what this season holds for him, let's hope he has a relatively injury free season. King is a player i have seen enough of to know that he continues to improve he will definitely be first team material, he could be outstanding.
It would be good to see Morrison get plenty of action this season, then maybe go out on loan next season if he shows the ability that most club insiders seems to think he possesses. The other hot prospects seem to be Pogba and Will Keane so i will be watching out for them.
http://manunitedyouth.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/reserves-curzon-ashton-0-united-4/

Paul Scholes tells the press this may not be his last season. He will see how his form and fitness holds up and make a decision at the end of the season.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/14/paul-scholes-manchester-united

Fergie lays out his plans for the players during the pre-season
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/ferguson-fears-his-world-cup-players-will-miss-start-of-season-2025882.html

James Lawton thinks Spain are a great football team but don't score enough goals to join the immortals. That is a very good assessment that i would go along with totally. As most observers can see Spain are basically Barca minus Messi and with a few real madrid players thrown in. I have often wondered would i sooner watch the best United teams or the present Barca team. It's a hard call because Barca do play great football, but at the end of the day i think i would have to go against Barca and for United's best teams. As pleasing on the eye as tiki taka is, it's is very methodical, you hardly ever see a pin point cross field ball straight to a wingers foot a la Scholes. Of course Xavi and Iniesta can probably both execute it as well as Scholes does but the system commands them to always look for the short pass.
In the first couple of games there were times when they were being stifled and there were opportunites to change the play with cross field passes but they never took it. I prefer the best teams, players and formations to have more freedom of expression and more flexibility. And to me when United have been at their very best, they are more exciting to watch. I wouldn't argue better, just more exciting and more unpredicatble.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-will-spain-join-the-immortals-one-day-perhaps-but-not-until-they-bring-more-goals-2025117.html

The Guardian go with the fuss caused by Ballack's agent, who in an apparent off the record remark alleged there were a " bunch of gays " in the national team. Lahm must have really pissed off Ballack when he said he wanted to keep the captain's armband.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/13/germany-footballers-gay-michael-becker

It would seem according to this piece in the Independent it's not, will BBC Breakfast move to media city, but when. I don't watch the TV at breakfast, but if i had to i would sooner watch the Beeb than the horror show that is GMTV.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bbc-breakfast-to-relocate-to-salford-but-will-the-stars-follow-2025987.html

Isobel Hilton sees western companies losing their faith in ever making any money in China as the harsh economic climate prompt a bit of economic nationalism. There must be a chance the Chinese would have done this anyway.
I watched the timewatch edition about the boxer rebellion at the turn of the 20th century which was fascinating. I didn't realise how big a disgrace that was and still is seen as in Chinese history. As the programme made clear the lesson of that episode to the Chinese was to make sure nothing like that could ever happen again. And the key to that was to become strong economically and militarily.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/13/google-china-business-with-the-west

Matthew Norman is unimpressed by the labour leadership campaign. There a couple of comments where the senders seem to have had a sense of humour by-pass, oh dear.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-the-least-inspiring-contest-ever-2025785.html

Simon Jenkins is worried about the dangers of a double dip recession and even as someone who wants to cut the public sector he thinks the timing of Osborne's cuts couldn't be worse.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/13/george-osborne-hold-hike-double-dip

Boards of Canada