Park is confident

Park is confident that United will still be top of the pile when he returns form the Asian cup in Qatar. I didn't realise that he could be away for all of January, I hope he is right. I wonder whewther Cleverley will be coming back from Wigan to cover his place in the squad. I have a feeling that if Park hadn't have been lost to us for the month Cleverley would probably have stayed at Wigan for the season.

The postponement of the Chelsea game was never ideal but the news that it has now been rearranged for the beginning of March meaning we have four straight away games in a couple of weeks. And besides Chelsea we face trips to Anfield and Marseille, that could turn out to be a big couple of weeks.

Andy Hunter of the guardian reports that United will not be caught out when Van Der Sar retires as the memory of finding Schmeichel's replacement resurfaces. I think i'll believe the big Dutchman is retiring when he actually announces it. One of the fanzines, i can't remember which reckons United are seriously interested in Reina. I have never been that sold on him but he is tried and tested in the premier league, so he has that in his favour.
The tabloids and the MEN are still coming out with the same old names with Neuer supposedly still in the frame. With Lindegaard already here will Kuszczak be allowed to leave in the chritmas break.

Jonathon Wilson uses his guardian column to look at the world of football tactics in the year 2010. It's as fascinating as usual and he is spot on about the world cup, it is bobbins and has been getting steadily worse. It's totally amazing that people could label the Spaniards boring, there was only them and Germany worth watching. He always thinks United are at the forefront of tactical innovation in this country which is ironic when most United fans thinks that is Fergies achilles heel.

Proof that the private sector isn't the last word in efficiency as Manchester airport, yes the one not privatised and still owned by Greater Manchester's nine councils shows the rest of the country how to beat the winter blitz.
The imperial war museum north has a new exhibit with rare footage of Manchester after a second world war bomb raid. It's fascinating trying to locate where those places are, the city has changed so much.

Manchester is to get its own music festival as friends of mine have organised one for Capesthorne hall in May of next year. I miss the move festival, , i saw some shit groups at those, i have aboslutley no idea where Capeshtorne hall is , obviously Lancy was just down the road, another plus for the move festival.

Manchester confidential argue that granada's move to the quays that the name Media city has started to get more realistic. Let's hope it means that they get the media city tram stop sorted out because after having to use it the Eccles line last week, it needs it. Will there be any more moves, channel four or five, MTV who knows. The BBC report that the rumours that Coronation street was to be rebuilt next door the IWMN were true. The building looks dross, the Liebeskind building will have an ugly neighbour if that model is how it is going to look. Crap building for a crap show, how apt.

Robert Peston asks if the chancellor George Osborne will rue the day he set up the banking commission as the only thing that is certain is that the outcome will upset the city and his loony tune free market back benchers. And will Cable's tenure in a coalition government he doesn't really like prove worthwhile becasue reading Will Hutton's column last week this seems to be where Cable wants to leave his footprints on history.

Gavyn Davies asks whether the Germans are actually acting in their own interest with its actions over soveriegn debt and its harsh treatmentof Greece, Ireland and whoever will be next. A keynesian answer would have to be yes.
Simon Schama uses his FT column to argue that an America lost in a fantasy world must recover its dream. The existance of the tea party and its influence over the GOP would suggest more of a nightmare at the moment. I'm sure common sense will prevail, it's just how long it takes to get there that's the worry, for the rest of the world  as well as for the US.

The NME lists its 75 best albums of the year, of which i haven't heard as many as i would have liked. I'll get there eventually, it's just there be another best of year list to get through y then.
Mojo gives it's top 50, i loved the John Grant album, it was brilliant. I don't rate the Arcade fire as highly as most of the years music critics seem to do, either the band or the album. They are good but not "that good" in my eyes. The Joanna Newsom album is a good shout. I would give a best of but i'm always catching up either on this and last year or on old sixties acts that i had never heard of before.
Drowned in sound gives its best of 2010 list, the top 10 is a pretty decent list, i haven't heard The National's latest yet though. I have only listened to one of their albums which i liked but didn't think was quite the gem it had been described as. Will their latest help change my mind.
Piccadilly records best of is always worth watching as there will be stuff on their i won't have heard of.
Uncut delivers its greatest albums of the decade, i have heard almost verything on that list and they are all class album and the White Stripes white blood cells album is more than a fair shout as album of the decade, it's easily their best album to date for me. It's one of "the" classic rock albums.
Last week saw the news that Elbow will be releasing a new album, i can't wait for that. Bassist Pete Turner talks to Uncut about their debut album Asleep in the back. Again that was one of the stand out albums of the decade, i have loved all their albums but that is my favourite so far, if they make a better album than that, it will be one hell of an album. You just know they have it in them though, they are no Oasis, two cracking albums and then it all dries up, won't be the Elbow way.

One of my favourite songs of all time from the said album, I have seen them three times and it has always been done brilliantly but my favourite would have to be watching them right at the front when they were one of the first acts on at the Move festival of 2003, i think, the power of it when you are close up is something to behold. With New order headlining and hot sun, what a day that was. Press the DivX for better quality.