Red nev retires

Because of the unjury problems he has had over the last few years his retirement doesn't hurt as much as the retirements of Scholes and Giggs will. In fact a lot of us hoped and thought he would retire at the end of last season. But not everybody can go out like Cantona
But what a player and servant for Manchester United football club the guy has been. Looking back to his career in his pomp his fitness levels and drive were absolutely phenomenal, and though he made the odd mistake, who doesn't, he was a vital part of both the defensive part of the side and almost as much a part of the attacking side, overlapping to great effect.
In all the tributes to him his attitude and the determination to make the most of his ability stand out the most. First he had to make him himself into a right back good enough to get into Manchester United's first team around a squad that had gone from 26 years without a title to the team to perrenial title favourites, after coming through the ranks as a centre half. Then when Beckham left he maged to turn himslef into the best and most consistent crosser of the ball at the club, no mean feat.
The fact that he was red through and through and showed it out on the pitch always endeared him to the Old trafford faithful. Of course that meant he was pretty much reviled everywhere else in the country. What i could never get though, was i could understand how they would hate him, if he played for the mickeys or City i would have detested him, but to make out that he was over rated as they, almost to a man did, i could never understand.
I have always thought it was a tragedy for him and United that he picked up the injuries when he did. In that 2006-2007 season he had started to from almost as good a partnership on the right side of our team with the emerging world class Ronaldo as he had formed with Beckham. Although Wes Brown was solid enough for a season he never gave the side the attacking threat that Neville in his prime did, we have been making do at right back ever since. Though this season Rafael has started to look like the real deal.
The one disadvantage being that Rafael hails from Brazil, not Bury, and if Real Madrid or Barca come calling for him, two or three years down the line we he really want to stay in rainy Manchester. It would be nice to see some home grown talent come through to replace the likes of Neville. Tom Thorpe looks good, but i would like to see more home grown talent, Mancunian if possible to come through to give the club the heartbeat Gary Neville has examplified over the last sixteen years

Richard Williams looks back at the career of Gary Neville, in his opinion, and mine, the finest right back of his generation. Fergie has hailed his loyalty to the Manchester United cause and said having him in the Manchester United dressing room was a great help to him and to all the youngsters to come through the ranks at the club.
Henry Winter hails the man that England have never been able to replace. Quite correct, i would go further and say he never really had any serious competition for his place once he was given his head by Terry Venables. Which is both a testament to Neville's talent and the dearth of quality English full backs.
The dearth of talented English defenders was one of the root causes of last summers South African debacle. When you look back to 2006 England had Neville, Ferdinand, Terry and Cole, as good as any England back four in all the years i have watched international football. Last summer you had Johnson at right back, the best i can see for him is he is as good attacking right back against struggling premier league teams. But even against struggling premier league teams he is a defensive liability. Upson who wasn't good enough or quick enough to make the grade at Arsenal and showed at the world cup why. Terry who isn't the player he was and has always needed a quick centre half next to him to compensate for his lack of pace. And Cole the only defender to come out of South Africa with any kind of credit.
Matt Lawton salutes Neville the fighter who bristled with attitude. And who reminds us that as the Neville brothers came through the youth system it was brother Phil was regarded as the more talented.
Arsene Wenger pays tribute to Gary Neville, the best English right back who was a great example to young pros everywhere for making the most of his ability.
Robbie Savage remembers his United youth team colleague whom his team mates nicknamed busy busy.

Rooney praises Nani and hopes for more crosses like the one he was played in for his second goal the other night. I'll translate that as come back quick Valencia who puts them on a plate for me. Shades of Van Nistelroy's impatience with the young immature Ronaldo.

The Telegraph report on Andersreds latest detective work on the finances and ownership of Manchester United. And don't mention Qatar. Whilst there is bad news for the premier league model and hence bad news for the gimps as it looks like European regulations mean that pub landlords will be able to continue to screen premier league games through foreign channels.

IMF chief Dominque Strauss-Kahn is worried that the recovery in the world economy is built on unstable foundations and that the imblanaces that led up to the crisis of 2008 are still there. He is also worried about global unemployment as the US and UK may be about to suffer jobless recoveries and the young people of North Africa start to get rid of their corrupt rulers and want to see a better economic future.

Dean Baker feels sorry for the UK, but is glad that at least the economic experiment the deficit hawks are carrying out in this country will help to show that the US has followed the correct path of putting growth before cutting the deficit.
William Keegan reports that from the CBI to the chancellor the nerves are beginning to show as the austerity consensus begins to crumble. Matthew Norman has fun at Osborne's expense writing the Osborne's presription could turn into his epitaph.
The latest IFS report argued that Osborne was right to plug ahead with the cuts, but that they would prove harder to achieve than is commonly believed. They also think it would be prudent to have a plab B tucked away.

Martin Wolf of the FT looks back and asks if we have learnt any lessons for the crunch of 2008. His main observation is that many of the emerging trends of the world economy have been hastened, hence the the balance of power shifting from west to east. He wonders whether the Chinses are ready for the responsibilty that this will bestow on them.
Will Hutton returns to one of his recurring themes, leadership, though he is looking at global leadership this time, not the absence of leadership in this country.

The Economist warn that the Eurozone's bail-out strategy has failed and it is time for a plan B to save the Euro. Euro sceptics are gleefully predicting the end with Jeff Randall claiming the Euro as we know it is finished. 
Ambrose Pritchard-Evans has a go at Europe's shoddy attempt to vilfy Ireland for all it's own problems. I have some time for that, though they surely do deserve a fair slice of the blame. What went on over there surely bordered on the corrupt at times.

Bennedict Brogan is predicting trouble ahead for the tories as the impact of Lansleys health reforms slowly start to sink in. Whilst Steve Richards warns of trouble ahead as the coalition attempts to decentralise whilst still holding the purse strings from the centre.

So its bye bye to the White Stripes, one of, if not the best band of the noughties. I'm not sure that could put any other album above White blood cells for the title of best album of the decade. I played that to death when it first came out, it had been a long time since i had done that.
The NME's Mark Beaumont gives us his ten finest White Stripe moments.